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Ambitious Climate Targets In Boulder Clash With Energy Realities
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Just The News, Approved, Local

Ambitious Climate Targets In Boulder Clash With Energy Realities

By Kevin Killough | Just the News Boulder, Colorado is suing oil companies for climate change and setting aggressive emission-reductions target. A Just the News analysis shows the city is unlikely to reach either of those goals, but the city says it's not backing down. When it comes to anti-fossil fuel policies, few cities have pursued them with as much gusto as Boulder, Colorado. In 2006, Boulder became one of the first local governments in the nation to adopt emission reduction targets. Then in 2019, the city went into a full-blown panic over emissions, declared a “climate emergency,” and exponentially increased its targets. While progressive cities feel good setting targets to eliminate the use of fossil fuels, achieving those targets is another thing entirely.&nb...
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Colorado Affordable Housing Law Could Cut Off Funding to Most Cities Without Urgent Fix
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The Colorado Sun, Approved, State

Colorado Affordable Housing Law Could Cut Off Funding to Most Cities Without Urgent Fix

By Brian Eason | The Colorado Sun The problem stems from a provision in Proposition 123 that was supposed to hold local governments accountable for increasing the supply of affordable housing. The vast majority of local governments in Colorado could be barred from receiving affordable housing funding through Proposition 123 for the next three years unless the state legislature steps in to prevent it. The problem stems from a provision in the 2022 ballot measure that was designed to hold local governments accountable for increasing the supply of affordable housing. To remain eligible for the $350 million a year that the measure generates, cities and counties must show that they’re increasing their local supply of affordable housing by 3% a year. But h...
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Douglas County Launches Red Tape Reduction Task Force To Speed Commercial Development
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The Denver Gazette, Approved, Local

Douglas County Launches Red Tape Reduction Task Force To Speed Commercial Development

By Nicholas Fogleman | The Denver Gazette Douglas County kicked off its first Red Tape Reduction Task Force Thursday aimed at speeding up commercial and industrial development timelines in the county, a move leaders said is necessary to keep the county competitive with other regions nationwide. The task force will review the county’s development and regulatory processes to identify permitting “hurdles” in an effort to attract and retain businesses. Douglas County Commissioner Kevin Van Winkle said delays can stem from a range of issues, including complex regulatory requirements or delays with referral agencies. “Sometimes it might be securing power or water for a project and what that looks like. Other times, it could just be administrative hurdles that are unne...
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Federal Judge Rejects DOJ Challenge to Colorado Sanctuary Laws
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DENVER7, Approved, State

Federal Judge Rejects DOJ Challenge to Colorado Sanctuary Laws

By: The Associated Press | Denver7 The lawsuit claimed the state and its most populous city passed “sanctuary laws” violating the Supremacy Clause of the U.S. Constitution. DENVER (AP) — A federal judge on Tuesday threw out a U.S. Department of Justice lawsuit accusing Colorado and Denver of interfering with the enforcement of immigration laws. The lawsuit claimed the state and its most populous city passed “sanctuary laws” violating the Supremacy Clause of the U.S. Constitution. At issue were four state laws and two Denver laws that limit the use of resources for immigration enforcement and protect the rights and personal information of immigrants. U.S. District Judge Gordon P. Gallagher said the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in a 1997 case that the fede...
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Colorado Drought Pushes Water Districts Toward Higher Rates
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DENVER7, Approved, State

Colorado Drought Pushes Water Districts Toward Higher Rates

By Dan Grossman | Denver7 Denver Water and Aurora will determine drought restrictions and corresponding rate hikes next month. DENVER — Colorado’s drought has intensified dramatically this year, and Front Range water districts warning that rate hikes may soon follow. More than 90% of Colorado is under some level of drought, which is up from 62% at this point last year, according to the latest U.S. Drought Monitor. Perhaps most alarming is that 95% of Eagle County is in a drought, up from 0% at this time last year. Drought MonitorThis map shows Summit County — in bold above — which is currently experiencing a drought of D3 or higher across the entire area. D3 is extreme drought. About 15% of the county is under D4, or exceptional drought. The drought...
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How a Garfield County dispute turned into a court-ordered separation
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Rocky Mountain Voice, Local, Top Stories

How a Garfield County dispute turned into a court-ordered separation

By Jen Schumann | Rocky Mountain Voice Heather Fitzke’s story offers a look at how quickly a family dispute can move from home into the courtroom—and how outside involvement, public statements and court filings can reshape parental authority in ways many families may not expect. That side of the case is laid out in Part 2. Heather Fitzke says what happened to her family didn’t start in a courtroom. But that’s where it changed everything. She expected to defend herself, and she also ended up arguing with a judge about pronouns.  That moment came during a seven-hour hearing on Sept. 10 that would change the course of her family. Fitzke said that hearing came after she had already lost custody of her child through a separate guardianship decision. On Sept. 10, the judge ru...
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Lawsuit Fallout Could Cost Turnberry Residents Millions In New Taxes
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The Denver Gazette, Approved, Local

Lawsuit Fallout Could Cost Turnberry Residents Millions In New Taxes

By Sage Kelley | The Denver Gazette Homeowners of a small neighborhood in Commerce City remain confused and irate about the future of their property taxes in the aftermath of a lawsuit between the metropolitan district where they live and a bank. The conflict stems from a 2023 lawsuit in which UMB Bank in its capacity as trustee, alleged the BNC2 Metropolitan District No. 2 was improperly diverting property tax revenue for “administration and operations,” rather than paying back the bonds on which the property taxes were assessed. BNC2, a metro district of about 330 homes, oversees one-third of the Turnberry development. Other lawsuits between three metro districts alleged the administrator overseeing BNC2 at the time — and many other metro districts — took cont...
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Lakewood Voters To Decide Fate Of Controversial Zoning Changes
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CBS Colorado, Approved, Local

Lakewood Voters To Decide Fate Of Controversial Zoning Changes

By Karen Morfitt | CBS Colorado Voters in one city near Denver can expect to start seeing ballots in the mail beginning Monday. On April 7, voters will decide whether to keep or repeal recent rezoning changes approved by the Lakewood City Council. A debate over those zoning changes has played out over several months and will now head to voters. Cathy Kentner, an organizer with Lakewood for All, said she initially doubted the petition effort would succeed. "I am very honest in saying, when I was asked my opinion, I said I didn't think it was possible," Kenter said. READ THE FULL ARTICLE AT CBS COLORADO
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Drought Conditions Prompt Water Use Warnings Across Douglas County
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The Denver Gazette, Approved, Local

Drought Conditions Prompt Water Use Warnings Across Douglas County

By Nicholas Fogleman | The Denver Gazette Three Douglas County water providers are urging residents to conserve water as the region emerges from a warm, dry winter that has strained water resources. Castle Rock Water, Highlands Ranch Water and Parker Water & Sanitation asked customers to use water wisely and avoid unnecessary waste as irrigation season approaches, according to a joint news release issued Monday. “We want residents to be mindful of how and when they use water, especially outdoors,” Castle Rock Water Director Mark Marlowe said in the release. “Simple steps like checking your irrigation system for leaks or watering only when your landscapes need it can help prevent unnecessary waste.” As of March 17, more than 85% of Douglas County re...
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After fire, a new rule: Why one Lakewood property can’t be rebuilt as before
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Lakewood Informer, Approved, Commentary, Local

After fire, a new rule: Why one Lakewood property can’t be rebuilt as before

By Lakewood Informer | Lakewood Informer Subtack When a Lakewood resident bought a burned-out single-family house to rehabilitate it, he had no idea Lakewood would say no. The house had been vacant and neglected, allowing homeless to move in and cause a fire. The result is an unusable, dangerous eyesore. But those considerations were not as important to Lakewood as changing the property to high-density. The new owner thought he would do the neighborhood a favor and fix it up. He had no desire to build high-density and no reason to think he could not replace one single-family home with another. Unfortunately for him, Lakewood has been eliminating single-family zoning for years. During the 2012 rezone, many properties were changed from single-family to multi-use without ...
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