Transcript Golden 4/4/13
Foothills
POSTAL PATRON
April 4, 2013
Free
A Colorado Community Media Publication
ourgoldennews.com
Jefferson County, Colorado
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Water supply deep enough Golden staff says city water adequate for a dry summer By Glenn Wallace
gwallace@ourcoloradonews.com Golden will not dry up this summer, even if it is another long and hot season. Those were the comforting word from the city’s Public Works Director Dan Hartman at City Council’s March 21 meeting. The city’s three reservoirs (located in Clear Creek County) reached 100-percent capacity in early March. That, combined with spring and summertime water rights, should be enough to meet the city’s water needs, even if the drought worsens. Hartman warned that it was still looking like a dry year. “We’re deep enough in the year, it’s hard to gain too much ground on precipitation levels,” Hartman said. As of last week, statewide snowpack was only at 77 percent of average. Golden and the Clear Creek watershed are part of the South Platte basin, which is the deepest area in drought, with only 67 percent of average snowpack. The dry winter has already led Denver Water, among other water providers, to impose early drought restrictions on their users. City Council actually approved some short term water sales last month, taking advantage of a surplus of water resources. There are several reasons for Golden’s comfortably wet condition. Hartman said 2000 was the city’s heaviest water use year.
Will Stambaugh, water resource officer for the city of Golden, stands in front of the spillway monitoring station at the city’s Guanella Reservoir. The reservoir, located along the West Fork of Clear Creek near the town of Empire, is the primary storage facility for Golden water. Photo by Glenn Wallace Since then, the repair of older, leaking city water lines and the city’s water conservation program, and the 1-percent growth cap have helped keep the city’s water use down. Golden represents only 1-percent of metro area water usage. Golden’s status as one of the oldest founded cities in the state also helps. During the winter, Golden has first claim on
Clear Creek water. During irrigation season, beginning this spring, that priority drops to fifth, which is where the city’s 2,900 acrefeet of water becomes important. At least once a week, Water Resource officer Will Stambaugh makes the drive up I-70 to check on the reservoirs that serve the city. The largest of those, the Guanella Reservoir, sits just west of the town of Em-
City continues on Page 20
Farm lifestyle home to roost
Protest held to shame former commissioner
Backyard chicken, bee allowances expanded
Odom stopped attending county business seven weeks early, still paid
By Glenn Wallace
gwallace@ourcoloradonews.com
By Glenn Wallace
gwallace@ourcoloradonews.com Former District 2 County Commissioner John Odom was the subject of a protest (and two parody songs) in front of the Jefferson County courthouse and administrative building on March 26. The dozen protesters were calling on Odom to be held accountable for missing the last seven weeks of county meetings drawing on his salary and benefits — costing taxpayers an estimated $15,500. “This is all we can do,” protest organizer Judy Denison said, acknowledging that since Odom broke no law when he abandoned his post, shaming him had become their only recourse. “We hope it’ll be on Google any time people look him up, and that other politicians think twice before doing this,” Denison said.
pire. The reservoir, built 10 years ago, is unique in that an underground wall of bentonite slurry ensures that the groundwater around the reservoir can also be counted toward the city’s storage. Stambaugh knows the reservoir well.
Standing in front of the Jefferson County administrative building in Golden, and dressed in red, white and blue, Steve Stevens (left) Bob Haworth and Judy Denison sang songs and spoke out in protest against former County Commissioner John Odom walking away from his job for seven weeks while still collecting pay and benefits. Photo by Glenn Wallace Dressed in stars, stripes, and 100 pounds of musical instruments, Bob O’Luney’s One Man Band (also known as Bob Haworth) helped perform the protest songs. The first, sang to the tune of “Working on the Railroad,” begins: “Odom wasn’t working at the courthouse, all the livelong day; He walked right off his job, and still collected pay.” The second song, a riff on “My Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean,” features the chorus “Just pay back, pay back, please pay back the money you owe John O.” To return the money, the protesters sug-
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gested that Odom donate $15,500 to the Jefferson Center for Mental Health, since that agency had its funding cut by $140,000 due to budget constraints last year. The protest organizers say that such an issue transcends political affiliation, and deals directly with morality and ethics. Odom, who ran and lost for state senate District 20 in 2010, had been appointed to Jeffco’s 2nd commissioner’s district in March 2011 to fill the seat left vacant by Kevin McCaskey. He ran for election in Protest continues on Page 20
Backyard farming just became easier in Jefferson County. The Board of County Commissioners voted a unanimous 3-0 on March 26 in support of opening up the backyard animal special permit process to all residentially zoned single family detached, or two-family dwelling in the county. The owner of the animals will be required to apply for a miscellaneous permit, giving the county a chance to make sure basic health and safety standards are maintained. The permit system and the county’s requirements were based on existing chicken and bee rules that are already in effect for Denver area municipalities, including some in Jefferson County. Those wanting to raise chickens or bees will have to have a minimum lot size of 4,000 square feet. Only six chickens total, or one bee colony per 4,000 square feet will be allowed. Home continues on Page 20
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