State of the Cities

Continued from page 1 ers’ tax approved by the city’s voters for that purpose in November. He also pointed to Littleton’s historic downtown, including the large collection of midcentury modern buildings along Littleton Boulevard.

Englewood Mayor Othoniel Sierra said that having its own water utility gives his city the ability to control its water future, adding that it was scheduled for $150 million in improvements in the next few years.

Mayor Tracy Engerman shared that the state demographer has called Castle Pines one of the fastest growing cities in Colorado.

Mayor Schachter said that housing is Littleton’s number one priority and that his city had recently updated its land use code “to allow more diverse options.” An “Inclusionary Housing Ordinance” recently adopted by its city council will require all new residential developments in Littleton to include five percent affordable housing.

To get more attainable housing in Englewood, the city council is looking at allowing multi-family housing in the form of duplexes, triplexes, or fourplexes within its single-family zoned areas on the edges of the city. Mayor Sierra shared that it will require more targeted communication for the city’s residents to understand the plan before the policy can be considered for adoption. Department policy for Greenwood Village police is that officers should spend 60% of their time “free patrolling--going about the city, seeing if they see things out of order, making people comfortable,” per Mayor Lantz, and 40% responding to calls for service. He added that the national average response time for emergency police calls is five to six minutes, but in GV, it is only four minutes and ten shared were often “used in other crimes, such as shoplifting and drugs.” seconds.

Englewood Mayor Othoniel Sierra said that having (our) own water utility gives his city the ability to control its water future, adding that it was scheduled for $150 million in improvements in the next few years.

GV uses automatic license plate readers round Arapahoe Road & I-25, which is a high crime area, Mayor Lantz shared. Using those, he reported that the license plates “of about 1,100 cars out of one million,” which is 0.11% of the plates read, “had some anomaly with them.” Many were stolen cars, which Mayor Lantz explained

Mayor Piko pointed to mixed-use developments Streets of Southglenn and The District as examples of where Centennial is already adding significant housing by increasing density. She noted that those projects garnered lots of public input and discussion before being approved, so intrusion by the state into the city’s land use policy, as is being considered presently, seems unwarranted and unnecessary, “because we are already doing it,” noting that Centennial has 5,000 residential housing units in the pipeline.

Mayor Millet agreed that cities should make their own land use decisions, noting that it is important to local businesses, as well as residents, that cities have the autonomy that comes with formulating land use policy.

Millet also talked about the components of a safe, accessible, vibrant community that businesses

Centennial Mayor Stephanie Piko pointed to mixed-use developments Streets of Southglenn and The District as examples of where Centennial is already adding significant housing by increasing density. She noted that those projects garnered significant public input and discussion before being approved, so intrusion by the state into the city’s land use policy, as is being considered presently, seems unwarranted and unnecessary, “because we are already doing it,” noting that Centennial has 5,000 residential housing units in the pipeline.

Department policy for Greenwood Village police is that officers should spend 60% of their time are seeking for their employees. In Lone Tree, “We have made significant investments in transportation,” she said, pointing to the Lone Tree Link, a “free on-demand service that can be accessed by an app on your phone,” or called, to get from one place to another in the city. Lone Tree has also added bike lanes and sidewalks where necessary to make it possible to get around without a car. FirstBank and the City of Lone Tree sponsored the event, including breakfast from Panera Bread. Jarrod Lassen, President, First Bank, South Market, welcomed the full house of over 100 people representing government, business, and education, including Chief Bob Baker and Mike Dell’Orfano from South Metro Fire Rescue, Centennial City Council Members Mike Sutherland, Christine Sweetland, Don Sheehan, and Marlo Alston, Arapahoe County BOCC President Carrie Warren-Gully, Castle Pines Council Member Geoff Blue, Lone Tree Council Member Wynne Shaw, RTD Board Member Doug Tisdale, and GV Deputy City Manager John Sheldon. fmiklin.villager@gmail. com

“free patrolling-going about the city, seeing if they see things out of order, making people comfortable,” per Mayor Lantz, and 40% responding to calls for service. He added that the national average response time for emergency police calls is five to six minutes, but in GV, it is only four minutes and ten seconds.

“We are very excited to be growing our residential on the east side of I-25,” with significant investment in infrastructure and transportation, “concentrating the density around our light rail stations, while preserving open space, and creating a walkable, bikeable, drivable community.”

– Lone Tree Mayor Jackie Millet

Littleton

Mayor Kyle Schachter said that housing is Littleton’s number one priority and that his city had recently updated its land use code “to allow more diverse options.” An “Inclusionary Housing Ordinance” recently adopted by its city council will require all new residential developments in Littleton to include five percent affordable housing.

100 Things We’ve Lost to the Internet

I found this list written by Pamela Paul and published in 2021 quite interesting. I believe it will appeal most to baby boomers, and I found it thought provoking particularly in regards to online presence and interaction. Kids of baby boomers will probably find it humorous.

A few of the listings, I still have or do such as write checks and create photo albums (although substantially less). I love paper maps and will continue to use them for trips, but I do utilize my GPS when driving around the city to an unfamiliar location. And I will absolutely continue to read a paperback book in bed before I go to sleep and send a Christmas card with a letter each December.

I am okay with losing bad photos and traditional cameras and film printing procedures. Losing old tech like fax machines and extra equipment is just fine by me.

I do miss TV Guide, penmanship, memory (such as remembering

Intentional grandparenting

We live in an age-segregated culture. Adolescents hang out with adolescents, preschool moms connect with preschool moms, and on it goes. There is no age diversity. We are missing something essential and valuable… the generational transfer of wisdom and life skills. Grandparenting falls into this segregation of generational constructs.

To learn more about Lisa and her books, visit her website, www.LisaJShultz.com.

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people’s phone numbers), productivity (too much time wasted dealing with email), and phone calls.

I enjoyed thinking about the 100 things. Now I would like to see a list of 100 things we have lost to Covid...

Before the United States was such a mobile society moving from state to state for jobs, schooling, life advancement or even lifestyle choices, Sunday dinners at Grandma’s was a fixture in the rhythm of American life. Now, we don’t even experience Sunday dinners as a special event.

There is an increase in households that are headed by grandparents who are raising their grandchildren. These grandparents are burdened by primary parental care, disciplining and essential duties of childrearing. Other grandparents are a source of occasional babysitting duties which are a delight for many.

The quintessential beauty of the role grandparents is to augment enhance, amplify, and explode the love, connection, attachment, bonding, spoiling, adoring, and hugging of their grandchildren. Grandparents provide a link and legacy to a family’s past, accomplishments, trials, and skills for