$1.00
Week of October 6, 2022
ADAMS & JEFFERSON COUNTY, COLORADO
A publication of
WestminsterWindow.com
VOLUME 77 | ISSUE 50
Shared electric scooters continue spread in Denver suburbs
TIGHT RUN
Safety concerns mount BY ELLIS ARNOLD EARNOLD@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
sustainability for the water utility. Council and city staff have been eyeing a new water treatment plant, which has been in discussion for the majority of 2022. Westminster’s council lowered new water rates on Feb. 28. Those rates kicked in on June 1 and that means the city could need to take out a bond to fund new water treatment improvements, according to Deputy City Manager Barbara Opie. “The City will be studying the new, lower water rates’ impact on water consumption,” Opie said on Feb. 28. “Modeling (that was) used in setting the new rate structure includes $150 million for a replacement water treatment plant or the
In the beginning, the scooters arrived without permission. Now, the electric devices are continuing to spread to more metro-area cities, touted as a way to reduce traffic but also feared by some pedestrians who see them zooming down sidewalks. “Electric scooters and bikes should only be ridden where bicycles are allowed to ride and should not be ridden on sidewalks unless actively parking, starting or ending a trip,” said Vanessa Lacayo, a spokesperson for Denver’s transportation department. But officials are still trying to convince scooter users to stay off the sidewalk in Denver, a city where riding scooters irresponsibly is a common sight in the downtown area. Starting this fall, Denver will test some ideas in the downtown area — where some of the highest ridership in the city takes place — to try to improve safety, Lacayo said. The city recently finalized a stencil to place on some sidewalks to remind riders to keep the space clear for pedestrians, and officials also have used techbased strategies to restrict or slow riders down in some busy areas, Lacayo said. The scooters can mean more than a fun trip for riders and a nuisance for pedestrians — they’re often involved in injuries. In crowded Denver, the scooters people often see are the shared ones, which are accessible via cell phone applications and run slower than most car traffic. Lyft scooters, for example, go up to 15 mph,
SEE WATER, P2
SEE SCOOTERS, P12
Conifer tight end Grady Forsythe gains yardage against Holy Family as the Tigers’ Connor Henkel attempts to make the tackle PHOTO BY STEFAN BRODSKY Sept. 30 at Holy Family High School in Broomfield. See the story and more photos on page 26.
Westminster water rate increase on the table Inflation, new treatment plant driving need for more revenue BY LUKE ZARZECKI LZARZECKI@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
Westminster City Staff is recommending a 4% water rate increase and a 6% wastewater rate to cover rising inflation and help pay for a new water treatment plant. Brian Donahue, business operations administrator, said the request comes as the water utility has seen an increase in cost due to a 19.7% increase in inflation. As well, the 4% increase in water rates will allow for water plant
renovation and new construction, and the wastewater rate will allow for necessary regulatory enhancements. Donahue presented his recommendation and a list of options to the city council at their post-meeting discussion on Sept. 26. The average water bill for residents during 2022 was $41.34 per month. For the 2023 proposed increase, the bill would go to $43.34 per month. For the average monthly wastewater bill, the cost would go from $31.36 to $33.24. Totaling both of those, the monthly bills would go from $73.04 to $76.58. Sustainability Donahue said the rate increase would improve the long-term
INSIDE: VOICES: PAGE 14 | LIFE: PAGE 16 | CALENDAR: PAGE 19 | SPORTS: PAGE 26
GREEN THUMB, CALM MIND Neuroscientists and gardeners know the benefits of houseplants P16