Window 6-20-13
June 20, 2013
50 cents
A Colorado Community Media Publication
ourwestminsternews.com
Adams County and Jefferson County, Colorado • Volume 68, Issue 35
EDC aims to create jobs New economic development initiative ‘Forward Jeffco’ launched By Glenn Wallace
gwallace@ourcoloradonews.com
A home explosion on June 13 near 92 Avenue and Ingalls Street in Westminster left one house leveled and another extremely damaged. The cause of the explosion is suspected to be natural gas, which also left surrounding homes damaged due to the blow. Photo by Ashley Reimers
Explosion wrecks 2 homes, damages others By Ashley Reimers
areimers@ourcoloradonews.com No one was seriously injured in a natural gas explosion in Westminster that destroyed two houses and damaged four others. The explosion occurred around 11:30 a.m. on June 13 near 92nd Avenue and Ingalls Street. Homes nearby also experienced damage and many were temporarily evacuated. The two leveled homes are complete losses. “There were two minor injuries reported,” said Westminster Fire Department Public Information officer
Diana Wilson. Xcel Energy confirmed the gas line going into the home was not compromised, so they believe the explosion may have come from inside the home — possibly from a faulty appliance. Throughout the day there were three people unaccounted for, but they were found safely the following morning. Power and gas service was also turned off in the neighborhood as a precautionary measure as authorities investigated the scene. The blast shook many buildings and homes nearby, some even blocks
away. Russ Kraus, who works at in a bank building at 92nd Avenue and Sheridan Boulevard said he could feel an intense shake when the explosion happened. “I could definitely feel something, I thought it was a car crashing into the building or something,” he said. “It almost felt like an earthquake. I lived in San Francisco, and I never felt anything this strong before.” According to the Westminster Fire Department’s Facebook page, the department is working with the families affected by the explosion on how to deal with the situation.
Board approves District 50 budget, contract that honors a contract,” he said. “Unfortunately not all areimers@ourcoloradistricts around the coundonews.com try do that, and we certainly appreciate that ours does.” Adams County School The district is also pickDistrict 50 Board of Eduing up the increased PERA Sandra McClure, director of finance cation approved the 2013costs and is covering health 2014 budget during its June care costs to staff. There 11 meeting. are no staff reductions and The general fund bud- million in reserves to bal- gives licensed staff a .5 per- staff will not see any type of get is $79 million. There ance this budget,” she said. cent salary increase and a pay decrease, except for were no cuts to staff and Not only is the budget ESP staff a 2 percent salary substitute teachers. the teacher-student ratio approved, but licensed staff increase. “We are lowering our will remain the same as the and education support Both licensed and ESP substitute pay, but we are 2012-2013 school year. professional staff contracts staff will also receive verti- still going to be very comDirector of finance for were approved and ratified cal step increases to their petitive with neighboring the district, Sandra Mc- between the district and salary based on their length districts,” McClure said. “I Clure, said the district tried the Westminster Education of service. don’t see us having any isto stay away from making Association. During the June 11 meet- sue getting subs.” any cuts in the classroom. The contract was rati- ing, WEA vice president In the past few months But in order to balance fied on June 14 with 75 per- Andy Hartman thanked discussions regarding a the budget, McClure said cent of licensed staff and the board for work done to mill levy override have the district did have to dip over 90 percent of ESP staff come to an agreement. been floating around the into reserves. approving the agreement. “The WEA really appre- district. “We are using about $4 The approved contract ciates working with a board Back in December, Adams County School DisPOSTAL ADDRESS trict 50 fiscal oversight committee suggested the school board consider a mill levy override for this Printed on recycled newsprint. Please November’s election. recycle this copy. Committee member Bill Christopher said because the board has to continue to reach into reserves, the
By Ashley Reimers
‘We are using about $4 mi llion
in reserves to balance this budget.’
Budget continues on Page 20
Jefferson County Economic Development Corporation publicly launched a new initiative last week — “Forward Jeffco” — with the goal of creating 7,500 new jobs in the county. To accomplish that level of economic development, the EDC is attempting to raise $3.9 million in additional revenue from government and business sponsors. In 2012, Jeffco EDC had an operating budget of about $900,000 and claimed 860 jobs created or retained. The official kick-off, which comes after months of behind-the-scenes sponsorship discussions, occurred June 11 at the MillerCoors Golden Brewery. Jeffco EDC board chair Fred Baker started the kick-off presentation, saying that the corporation’s last five-year-plan lacked a lot needed funding. “What we were able to do this time is take a more intelligent approach,” Baker said. Forward Jeffco has five listed strategic components: • More aggressive targeting of companies in desired industries; • Create new jobs by helping existing businesses grow; • Stimulate new business, including small and home-based businesses, by pulling together entrepreneur resources; • Identify and satisfy workforce development needs;
• Aggressively advocate for business at all levels of government. According to Jeffco EDC CEO Kevin McCasky, part of the additional funds will quickly go to hiring another staff member to travel nationally, and internationally, to market the county to businesses in “identified cluster markets” that he hopes to bring in. Those cluster markets include aerospace/aviation, energy, bioscience, enabling technologies, and consumer products and creative services. More than $2 million of the Forward Jeffco monetary goal has been reached with contributions from about 25 sources, according to McCasky. Contributors include the City of Lakewood, Exempla Lutheran Medical Center, Xcel Energy, Lockheed Martin, and Jefferson County Public Schools. Arvada Mayor Marc Williams said he was proud that his city and city council had been among the first to pledge their support for the initiative, providing up to $50,000 a year, for the next five years. “It’s needed to raise the bar, so that we can attain the primary jobs and the economic development that this county needs and deserves,” Williams said. The Jeffco EDC has traditionally been funded 50/50 by government and business sources. Williams said that part of the Jeffco Forward initiative would be to shift that ratio, so that the business community would fund 70 percent, which had been accomplished for the Arvada area.
Jeffco EDC Board Chair Fred Baker helped start the Jeffco Forward Initiative presentation, held at the MillerCoors Brewery on June 11. The presentation represented the public kick-off to the initiative, which seeks to expand Jeffco EDC’s activities in trying to bring more businesses to the county. Photo by Glenn Wallace