Weekly Digest January 10, 2017
City of Golden /  911 10th Street  /  Golden, CO 
(303) 384-8000
On their way to Fossil Trace!

Elk at the Wildlife Crossing
Ever looked at a Wildlife Crossing sign and wondered "how does wildlife know they're supposed to cross there?" This crew definitely got the memo! Dozens of elk were gathered at the US 6 wildlife crossing on Monday morning, politely waiting for their turn to cross the street and head to Fossil Trace where the grazing is good!

This is high season for wildlife making the trek across US 6, and worth being aware of. There are actually lots of measures in place to funnel elk, deer, and other animals to this spot to make their crossing safer, so when the Wildlife Crossing light starts flashing, pay attention. Not all wildlife are as polite as this group, and aren't savvy about looking both ways before crossing. Scroll to the end of this newsletter to read more about giving wildlife a break.

In the meantime, it's a new year in Golden with meetings and things happening, so keep reading! And just a reminder, next Monday is MLK Day and City Administrative offices will be closed, but the Community Center will be open.

Your friends at the City of Golden
Current Projects
Linking Lookout Logo
Linking Lookout (US 6 & 19th St. Interchange)
 
Work continues on bridge deck rebar placement. Only one more deck pour is left. Because of weather that pour has been delayed again and is now scheduled for January 18.
 
The street lighting on 19th street east to Elm has been completed.
 
Excavation for the US 6 main line to the south is being done. There will be minor traffic interruptions by flaggers to allow trucks to safely enter and exit the work zone.
 
Curb and gutter is being formed and will be poured along the new alignment for 19th Street over the bridge this week. 
 
The light caissons on US 6 are being installed and will require lane closures. T
witter @LinkingLookout so watch for any new closure notices.
 
Watch the Linking Lookout web page for closure information and detour maps.
 
There is a construction viewing area in the northwest corner that can be accessed from Parfet Estates Drive, and will be an excellent location to view the girder placement. Please park legally.

Follow us on Twitter!
Follow us on Twitter for real-time updates! You can also get lots of project information, including maps and long-term plans at LinkingLookout.com.

Stormwater

The Washington and 17th St. storm replacement p roject is largely complete with concrete curb and driveway being poured last week. Asphalt will be replaced through the parking lot when weather permits, likely next week. And, we will be replacing a damaged inlet on Johnson (see picture) as weather permits.
Washington Ave. Complete Streets

There will be a public input meeting in an open house format about the Washington Avenue Complete Streets project on Jan. 23, 6 - 8 p.m. at the Golden Community Center. 
44th Avenue Trail Work

Work continues on the trail from the Hwy 58 overpass to the Colorado Railroad museum. Earthwork and wall excavation and paving will occur west of Easley. Projected completion is planned for late February.
Heritage Road Roundabout Modifications (meeting tonight!)

The city is making minor modifications to the north entrance to the roundabout at Heritage Rd and Eagle Ridge drive. The modifications are changing the painted lane markings to curbs to help drivers transition from the faster commercial area to the residential section of Heritage road. Work is weather dependent. 

There will be a public meeting tonight, January 10 from 6:30 to 8 p.m. in Council Chambers for neighbors interested in future plans for the roundabouts on Heritage Road. City Staff will be on hand to answer questions and provide updated information. Concerns will be given to a third party engineering firm for review.
New Water Meter
Water Meter Replacement project

Replacements continue citywide with more than 4,000 meters replaced to date. More than 600 residents have signed up for the Aquahawk water meter customer portal.
 
Contact Les Major at 303-384-8170 or Keith Mehls at 303-384-8171 with questions regarding this project.
Upcoming Events
Economic Development Commission Meeting
 
The Economic Development Commission will meet January 10 at 6:30 p.m. in the Public Works Building at 1445 10th Street.

At the meeting, the Economic Development Commission will consider the following:
  • The board will review three current requests for Economic Incentives
  • A public hearing regarding a recommendation to City Council to update the Sustainability Menu, found in Section 18.40.350 of the Municipal Code.
  • The board will review its 2016 work plan and begin to discuss goals and programs for 2017.
  • Additional information from Jefferson County Business Education Alliance
  • For more information on this meeting, please see the agenda.
For more information on other upcoming board meetings, please visit our Agendas, Minutes, Web Casts and Schedule page
City Council Meeting
 
City Council will meet on January 12 at 6:30 p.m. in Golden City Council Chambers at 911 10th Street in Golden.

At the meeting, the following will be considered:
  • Consent Matters (all items listed will be treated as one item and one vote. For a full list of items included, please see the Meeting Agenda.)
  • City Council will consider an amendment to the municipal code regarding the establishment of minimum fines concerning the regulation of mufflers.
  • Council will consider a request to vacate two sections of right-of-way adjacent to Jackson Street and one section of right-of-way adjacent to Ford Street.
  • This agenda item is to recommend approval of Resolution #2540 adopting the Parks and Recreation Master Plan Update, providing a tool for the future planning and priorities of the Parks and Recreation Department.
  • Council will consider a request for approval of a Final Plat at 18475 W. Colfax Avenue vacating certain easements, and authorizing the acceptance of dedication of new easements as applied for by Gateway Land Investment LLC.
  • This resolution establishes the fine schedule that was authorized upon Council's recent adoption of Ordinance 2042 which provided for the administrative enforcement of the City's requirement that snow and ice be removed from commercial sidewalks within 12 hours and residential sidewalks within 24 hours of the cessation of snowfall totaling one or more inches.
  • City Council will consider a formal resolution establishing the number of allocations available in 2017 for new dwelling units in accordance with Section 18.70.060 of the Golden Municipal Code.
  • City Council will consider a Resolution authorizing the purchase of property at 1000 10th Street, subject to certain conditions, including preparation of an appraisal supporting the purchase price. The property is currently an approximately 6,000 square foot office use and would be used for municipal purposes.
For more information on this or other upcoming board meetings, please visit our Agendas, Minutes, Web Casts and Schedule page
Parks & Recreation Advisory Board Meeting
 
The Parks & Recreation Advisory Board will meet January 17 at 7 p.m. in the Golden Community Center.

For more information on this or other upcoming board meetings, please visit our Agendas, Minutes, Web Casts and Schedule page
Jefferson County Public Library
Golden Library Events - Jan. 10-17
 
To learn more about or register for these and other events happening at the Golden Library, visit JeffcoLibrary.org.
  • Lego Play and Build - Jan. 10 & 17, 4 p.m.
  • Golden Writing Circle - Jan. 10, 6 p.m.   
  • Homework Help  - Jan 11 & 12, 4 p.m.  
  • Toddler Dance Party - Jan. 12, 11 a.m.
  • DIY Lab: Learn About Arduino - Jan. 12, 3:30 p.m.
  • Public Meeting - Conservation Colorado Informational Meeting - Jan. 12, 6:30 p.m.
  • PAWS for Reading - Jan. 14, 1 p.m.
  • Book Group /  Dead Wake: The Last Crossing of the Lusitania by Erik Larson - Jan. 17, 6 p.m. 
For more information or to register for programs that require pre-registration, please visit the Golden Library website .
Around Town
Need a passport this year? Make your appointment now!

If travel is in your New Year's plans, but you need a passport to make it happen, it's worth planning ahead.

The City of Golden is unable at this time to accommodate walk-in applicants so call ahead at 303-384-8000 to make an appointment. And it's best to do it sooner rather than later. The calendar is filling up, and it still takes 4 to 6 weeks after your appointment for the government to process the application (unless you want to pay for expedited processing).
Watch out for wildlife on US 6

It's that time of year again, when the elk and deer so abundant on the Front Range are most active crossing US 6. September to January is the high season for these animals to cross the road. They like crossing over to Fossil Trace Golf Course for a good graze where the grass is high in nitrogen content, then head back to their home on the other side of US 6. More than 75 percent of vehicle/wildlife collisions occur between 9 p.m. and 2 a.m. but they can cross at any time of the day so it's important to keep an eye out.

In 2010, CDOT installed an at-grade wildlife crossing on US 6 between Heritage Road and 19th Street. In 2011, vehicle/wildlife collisions significantly decreased, but in recent years, the number of collisions have been increasing. This may be due to motorists becoming "immune" to the flashing lights, which can also be triggered by other movements such as vegetation blowing in the wind. Sometimes, even when triggered by wildlife motorists can't see the animals, which can also lead to motorists thinking the lights are an unreliable indicator.

The measures currently available at the wildlife crossing include one-way ramps and 8-foot-high fences along both sides of US 6 for about 2.5 miles between 19th Street and Heritage Road, as well as infrared sensors that detect when an animal has entered the right-of-way, activating flashing lights on yellow warning signs, and subtle lighting has been installed to make it easier to see wildlife. To augment these measures, rumble strips will be installed on the wildlife crossing approach as a reminder to slow down, and vegetation will be mowed and maintained at the crossing to prevent false positive readings from the infrared detector.

To avoid collisions, the best thing you can do is be aware. If you see the lights flashing, slow down and watch for animals attempting to cross. Just because you don't immediately see anything, doesn't mean an animal isn't there ready to bound out at any moment. Be especially wary at dawn, dusk and nighttime hours when visibility is lower and collisions most likely to happen.
Shovel your walks and we've got the streets

And just like that, the snow from the big storm this weekend is all but gone! But when it hits, it makes walking and driving pretty difficult while it lasts. City of Golden's Public Works Streets Division will work hard to ensure that residents and commuters can safely navigate the city's 242 lane miles they're in charge of plowing. While our plows are hard at work, though, we need you to shovel your sidewalk.

City Municipal Code 11.08.140 requires any owner or occupant of residential properties to remove any accumulation of snow more than one inch no later than 24-hours after the snowfall stops. Snow and ice of an inch or more must be removed from sidewalks abutting commercial properties within 12 hours after snow stops. Citizens are asked not to shovel the snow into the streets, but instead into your yard or other landscaping. To report a sidewalk that has not been cleared a day or more after a snowstorm, call the Golden Police Department at 303-384-8045.

The City works to maintain all streets, but prioritizes the order in which they are plowed. City policy is to begin plowing once two to three inches of snow has accumulated, and to plow before the application of de-icing materials begins. Golden's seven snowplows are equipped with computer-controlled sanders that calibrate sand spreading. The city applies "Ice Slicer" and also a mixture of salt and sand to priority areas, such as bridges, inclines, curves, school and fire stations before other areas.

When snowplows come through, they leave what is called a "wind row" (hill or pile) of snow in the path along the curb, including in front of driveways. While snowplow operators do their best not to "plow you in," it's inevitable that it will happen sometimes. It is recommended that if possible, citizens wait to shovel their driveways and sidewalks until after the plow has come through. By waiting, you will not have to re-shovel to get out of your driveway.
Recyle your Tree and your Lights

Recycle your Holiday Lights
Old, broken and unused strings of lights do not belong in the trash, so be sure to recycle your holiday lights this year. The City of Lakewood is offering free Holiday Lights Recycling now through Sunday, Jan. 15. Collection totes will be located at the Quail Street Recycling Center 1068 Quail St. from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. All types of holiday string lights are accepted and sorting is not necessary. This responsible electronics recycling service is provided by MeTech Recycling. For more information, visit  Lakewood.org/Recycling or call 303-987-7190. Christmas lights are also accepted at the Rooney Road Recycling Facility at 151 South Rooney Rd., Jefferson Co. through their electronic recycling program. Visit  Rooneyroadrecycling.org for details.

Recycle your Christmas Tree
Not sure what to do with your tree now that the presents are gone and the lights have come down? Why not give it a new life as mulch that nourishes Golden's gardens this spring? The City of Golden provides a quick and easy way for you to dispose of your Christmas trees after the ornaments and lights have come off. Drop off your trees from Dec. 26 through Jan. 27 at the old recycle site off of Golden Gate Canyon Road. Please place your tree near the sign posted for tree recycling. Trees must be stripped of all ornaments, hardware, strings of lights and tinsel. This is for live trees only. The trees will be turned into mulch, which will eventually be available for free at the public pickup site on 11th Street, just west of the Clear Creek History Park. For further details, contact the City of Golden Forestry office at 303-384-8141.