Councilwoman Amanda Sawyer | District 5
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Dear Neighbors,
I know that the potential threat of a COVID-19 Coronavirus pandemic is in the forefront of all of our minds right now, especially because the CDPHE building in District 5's Lowry neighborhood is the site of the State's testing facility. While we recognize that all this uncertainty is scary, rest assured that the City, in partnership with the State, is taking every precaution to ensure the health, safety and welfare of our residents.
You've heard it a million times by now, but we urge you to stay away from large crowds, use good hand washing and hygiene practices, and stay home if you have any symptoms of any illness.
Out of an abundance of caution, starting immediately our office will be cancelling all District 5 Council events and meetings through the end of April, and we urge our RNO and community organizations to do the same
. To ensure that I remain available to you as always, I will begin holding office hours via telephone starting tomorrow. Please contact our office to schedule a 20 minute phone call with me at 720-337-5555.
For now, we still plan to host our RNO Board Appreciation event on May 20, and will keep you updated as we reschedule our District 5 Traffic Town Hall Meeting. Thank you all for your understanding during this stressful time. We wish you and your families a safe and healthy month.
Gratefully,
Councilwoman Amanda Sawyer
Denver City Council, District 5
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Speak with Amanda to discuss the issues that are on your mind!
Out of an abundance of caution, the Councilwoman will not be holding in-person community office hours in the months of March and April. Amanda will instead offer 20 minute, private phone appointments on the following dates:
March 12
5pm-7pm
March 19
1
0am-noon
March 26
10am-noon
April 2
Spring Break - No Office Hours this week.
April 9
10am-noon
April 16
10am-noon
Please contact the office at
[email protected]
or 720-337-5555 to set up a phone appointment. If you're unable to make any of these times, please contact our office to schedule a phone appointment at another time.
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April 6 Meeting Planned to Discuss Hilltop's Phantom Alleys and Creeping Property Lines
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As you may be aware
, Hilltop has a mix of public alleys, private alleys, and alleys that were initially laid out and never built. This last category has created a dilemma - over the years property owners along these alleyways have expanded their backyards and the alleys have "disappeared." Most owners don't know that they do not own this land and utilities have easements on it. The pressure to build larger homes has made it difficult to track what buyers have actually bought.
As the issue has cropped up, some blocks have agreed to take over the land and the City of Denver has deeded it to adjacent property owners. Other blocks have made the decision to keep the area City-owned. Due to lack of awareness of the issue, some properties were marketed as larger than their legal size and homes were designed and constructed larger than the legal description.
On Monday, April 6 from 6:00pm-7:30pm at Graland Country Day School at
55 Clermont Street
in the second floor conference room, the Cranmer Park-Hilltop Civic Association will host a meeting where officials from the City will present a history of the issue with maps illustrating where the issues occur, give their position and discuss possible paths forward. Time is allocated for Q & A.
While I will be unable to attend because City Council meetings are on Monday evenings, a representative from my office will be there. The meeting was scheduled for this date to make it more feasible for those who celebrate Passover or Easter to attend. We have recommended that this meeting be rescheduled due to the COVID-19 outbreak, but have not yet heard whether this will be postponed. Please reach out to the
Cranmer Park/Hilltop Civic Association
for further information.
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Inter Neighborhood Cooperation Star Award Winners
from District 5!
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Huge congratulations to two of INC’s Neighborhood Star Award winners - District 5 community leaders:
- Wende Reoch from Cranmer Park-Hilltop Civic Association
- Merritt Pullam from Mayfair Neighbors, Inc.
Thank you Wende and Merritt for your dedication and hard work on behalf of our neighborhoods!
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Current City of Denver Rezoning Requests
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There are no open re-zoning requests in District 5 at this time.
Public Hearings and Comment during City Council Meetings will be available for the below listed addresses on the following dates.
Speakers may sign-up beginning at 4:30pm. the day of the hearing in the City Council Office in
th
e Denver City and County Building,
1437 Bannock Street
,
Room 451 using one of the provided digital tablets.
March 16
2530 Xavier Street
2625 Julian Street
3275 & 3315 Denargo Street
March 23
2163 West 29th Avenue
2160 South Grant Street
March 30
April 6
3201 Curtis St
2005 North Willow Street
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Have a Say in Colorado's Future: Be Counted in the 2020 Census
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On April 1, Denver residents will participate in the constitutionally mandated United Sates Census - a head count of everyone residing in the U.S. which began in 1790, occurs every 10 years and counts people of all ages, races and ethnic groups, citizens and non-citizens.
Census answers helps determine how more than $675 billion dollars of federal funding annually is spent on infrastructure and services in our communities,
helping federal, state and local leaders make decisions about
schools, hospitals, emergency services, roads, bridges, job training centers
and other community projects. Residents use the Census to support
community initiatives
involving legislation, quality-of-life and consumer advocacy and businesses use the data to decide where to build factories, offices and stores,
creating jobs
.
Because U.S. House of Representatives seats are redistributed based on population, 2020 Census data will likely help Colorado gain an additional House seat. House District 8 would be created, giving our state a stronger national voice.
You can complete the census online, on your smartphone, over the phone, or by filling out a paper form. You'll be asked for your name, address, sex, age, race, ethnicity, relationship and housing tenure.
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You May Qualify for Property Tax or Rent Relief
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The Denver Property Tax Relief Program offers partial refund of property taxes paid or the equivalent in rent to qualifying Denver renters and homeowners who lived in their home all of the previous year. Currently, the average refund is more than $550.
If you turned 65 or older last year, were disabled all of last year, or own your home and have at least one child who lives with you, you may qualify. In addition, income guidelines exist, property taxes for the home must be paid in full for the previous tax year, no other Denver Property Tax Relief refunds can have been issued for the home, and the person applying (or at least one person who lives in the home full-time) must be eligible to receive public assistance.
Applications for the 2018 tax year will be accepted until April 30, 2020. If you’d like to apply for the refund for the 2019 tax year, applications will be accepted beginning on May 1, 2020.
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The Wellness Winnie Launches in Denver
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The Denver Department of Public Health & Environment is rolling out an innovative strategy in the effort to end our nation’s crippling opioid epidemic and overwhelming misuse of substances.
The Wellness Winnie,
a mid-size Winnebago recreational vehicle (RV), will make weekly scheduled trips across the city to
bring life-saving services into Denver’s neighborhoods to improve access to treatment, prevent overdose and reduce disease progression.
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Starting in April, Denver International Airport (DEN) will offer tours for the community to learn more about the Great Hall project, ask questions, and see the work progress. For groups such as colleges, industry partners and professional organizations, DEN will provide weekly group site tours and public tours will be offered once a month.
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911Now - Three Tools to Help Get Assistance and Information
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As the number of individuals who want to live in Denver increases, so too does the demand on Denver's emergency response system and the need for the system to be enhanced to meet residents’ needs.
Denver's 911 Emergency Communication Systems includes three tools that will help residents get the assistance and information they need from first responders
:
- Smart911 is a private, secure service where you create a safety profile shared with 911 and emergency responders with information about yourself, your family members and pets, your home and your vehicles that would be relevant in any kind of emergency.
- Swift911 uses telephone, mobile phone, email and text message to alert residents to emergency situations like police activity, severe storm warnings, road closures, water problems and evacuations that are occurring in their area.
- Text911 helps those who are deaf, hard of hearing or have a speech disability and can also be used when residents are unable to speak as a result of an injury or medical emergency, facing a threatening situation where a voice call could increase the threat or compromise safety and/or in an area where a text message is the only option to request emergency services.
As a reminder, o
nly call 911 to stop a crime in-progress, report a fire or save a life. Call the non-emergency line at
(720) 913-2000
to report any non-threatening crime to a person, a burglary or auto theft not in progress, and parking and/or loud music complaints.
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You May Qualify for Low-Priced, High-Speed Internet
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If you are eligible for public assistance programs like the National School Lunch Program, housing assistance, Medicaid, SNAP, and SSI, you may qualify for Internet Essentials from Comcast which offers high-speed internet for $9.95 per month, plus tax. Applicants have no contract, credit check or installation fee for in-home WiFi.
Internet Essentials customers also have the option to purchase a laptop or desktop computer for $149.99, plus tax.
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Lowry Foundation Film Series
Wednesday, March 18 & Saturday, March 21
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4th Sundays at Four Mile Park
Sunday, March 22
Saturday, April 10 is the Park's next Free Day
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Rockies Opening Day Party Hosted by the Ballpark Collective
Free for all ages - food, drink, and entertainment to celebrate Rockies opening day!
Friday, April 3
10:00am-11:55pm
21st Street between Larimer St. & Market St.
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Colorado is Home: Free Citizenship Workshop
Saturday, April 11
9am-5pm
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Free Admission Days Around Colorado
From national parks to museums, complimentary admission is available on regular dates throughout the season, each and every year.
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We've Got Shopping Bags for You!
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In an effort to help support you and keep your costs low during the transition to disposable bag fees, I will be distributing reusable bags at community meetings.
If you are hosting an event and would like some to hand out, please
contact my office
!
Let us know how many you would like and we will do our best to accommodate your request.
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District 5 Neighborhood Organizations
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Denver is a unique city in promoting greater citizen involvement through organized neighborhood associations. Currently, there are 78 statistical areas represented by more than 200 registered neighborhood organizations (RNOs), Business Improvement Districts (BIDs) and Homeowner Associations (HOAs).
In its defined geographic area, an RNO will normally address neighborhood quality of life issues - such as traffic, development and zoning, crime, communication and licensing - and promote social activities to enhance residential spirit, developing a sense of community, and encourage resident participation. RNOs meet regularly and many send out newsletters to keep residents informed on neighborhood issues and events.
Get more involved in your community by joining your Registered Neighborhood Organization (RNO). Below are a list of Council District 5 community community organizations. You can also find out which RNO you belong to by clicking
HERE
and entering your address or selecting a location on the map.
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