WEEK OF JUNE 15, 2023
VOLUME 21 | ISSUE 29
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Council updates PAR agreement BY HALEY LENA HLENA@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
experience crash rates above average for this type of corridor,” a planning document for the improvements says. Improvements will be made between Bayou Gulch Road — a short drive south of the Town of Parker — to Palmer Divide Avenue, the border between Douglas and El Paso counties. That includes changes near Franktown Elementary School
Working to update a 2006 agreement with the Parker Authority for Reinvestment, the town council approved a plan that allows the authority to continue implementing Urban Renewal Plans. During the June 5 meeting, the council approved the Second Amended and Restated Cooperation Agreement. In a presentation to the council, Weldy Feazell, the town’s director for the reinvestment authority and economic development, said the updated plans outlines the roles and responsibilities and how the two entities will continue to interact. As part of the updated agreement, the reinvestment authority, also known as PAR, identified staff costs that will be reimbursed to the town, with totals reflecting current 2023 rates. Reimbursements include: A total of 25% for the town’s executive director and town manager’s salary A total of 50% for the town’s economic development director’s salary A total of 100% of the town’s PAR redevelopment coordinator Additionally, PAR plans to reimburse the town around $46,000 for the cost of support functions from Human Resources, Information Technology, Finance and Accounting, Risk Management and the Clerk. According to the agreement, PAR will also give the town $22,000 to rent office space in Town Hall. “This will also allow us to adjust those numbers annually based on budget appropriations, instead of having to amend those agreements everytime we need to update those numbers,” said Feazell. According to Feazell, the biggest change to the agreement is identifying all the capital projects PAR is funding that the town has approved for construction. In other business, the council approved the Parker Water and Sanitation District’s proposed Regional Filtration Annex building and facility within the Salisbury Equestrian Park, on the east side of Salisbury Park.
SEE IMPROVEMENTS, P10
SEE COUNCIL, P5
Vehicles drive down state Highway 83 on June 10 in the Parker area just south of Bayou Gulch Road, near PHOTO BY ELLIS ARNOLD Ponderosa High School.
Highway 83 to undergo major changes amid crash concerns BY ELLIS ARNOLD EARNOLD@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
A large stretch of a major state highway known for dangerous driving conditions will see several safety improvements in the coming years, with some projects already completed. “I don’t think that Highway 83 has changed much from when I was a state trooper patrolling it, and it was dangerous then,” Commissioner
Lora Thomas, one of Douglas County’s elected leaders, said in April. “So when people slow and make a left turn, whether they use their turn signals or not, that’s a recipe for disaster.” A main traffic artery that runs through Douglas County, State Highway 83 — known in at least some areas as Parker Road — is set to see a laundry list of changes. “The safety analysis shows portions of this roadway that
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