“Because of the significant mobility of today’s traffic and the influx of motorists from many areas, every driver has a right to expect the rules governing the movement of vehicles and pedestrians on streets and highways are clearly defined and reasonably uniform throughout the state and the nation. The General Assembly of the State of Colorado has recognized that conflicts between the state’s traffic laws, and municipal traffic ordinances lead to inconsistencies in the movement of traffic and has strengthened the requirements for uniformity of traffic regulations.” (Model Traffic Code for Colorado 2024-Colorado Department of Transportation) The City of Wheat Ridge is bound by the laws and guidance of the State of Colorado and as such, we are required to periodically review the City of Wheat Ridge Municipal Traffic Code to ensure conformance with the state mandate as a subservient or secondary traffic management plan to the State of Colorado Traffic Ordinances. The Wheat Ridge Police Department periodically reviews the City of Wheat Ridge Municipal Code to align with state traffic code changes and ensure consistency across all Colorado roads. The newest version of the Colorado Model Traffic Code was adopted and installed in 2024. The updated Model Traffic Code re-enforces and provides additional guidance and resources to serve more comprehensively those who use the roads in Colorado as well as those who utilize the roads within Wheat Ridge. The newest guidance, changes, and updates along with the addition of new technology and resources will allow Wheat Ridge employees (Police and Courts) to address emerging trends and driving behaviors that have become problematic within Wheat Ridge. The addition of new vehicle technology, cultural attitudes, and intentions was the impetus of many of the changes in the 2024 Model Traffic Code. The ability to address more comprehensively those driving behaviors and trends allows Wheat Ridge employees the opportunity to ensure our community safety and advance the city’s core values with persons using the roads within the Wheat Ridge community.

The Colorado General Assembly has recently enacted Senate Bill 23-290, codified at CRS 44- 50-101, creating a regulatory structure for the operation of licensed facilities for the supervised use of natural medicines by individuals age 21 and over. The Act creates a state agency responsible for licensing and registration of facilities and related businesses that provide for the use, cultivation, manufacture, and testing of these substances. Further, the state licensing authority will not issue licenses for any building which is within 1000 feet of a childcare center, preschool, elementary, middle, junior high school, or residential childcare facility. While the state statute does not require local governments to enact any local regulations of natural medicine businesses, the City has the authority to do so, and several municipalities across the state have chosen to enact various forms of regulation, while other communities have decided not to. Under the Act, the City may regulate the time, place and manner of the operation of healing centers licensed by the state but may not prohibit the uses entirely. The City may not prohibit licensed health care facilities or individuals from providing natural medicine services within the City, nor may it prohibit the transportation of natural medicine on public roads within the City. Finally, according to the Act, the City may not impose regulations that are “unreasonable or in conflict with the [Act].”

Sections 10.7 and 10.9 of the Wheat Ridge City Charter require that a public hearing on the proposed budget be conducted before its final adoption and that the budget be adopted by resolution on or before the final day (December 15, 2024) established by state statute for the certification of the next year’s tax levy to the county. The proposed 2025 budget includes the following: • A General Fund budget in the amount of $48,765,853 • An unrestricted fund balance of $8,312,000 or 17% of expenditures plus 3% emergency reserves ($1,462,976) • Proposed CIP Fund in the amount of $12,443,000 • Proposed Renewal Wheat Ridge Bonds Project Fund in the amount of $13,560,000 • Proposed 2J Fund in the total amount of $12,829,361 • Special Revenue Funds in the amount of $8,027,596 • Proposed budget (all funds) in the amount of $95,625,810 Additionally, this resolution establishes the 2J Next Chapter Bond Fund and authorizes spending in 2024; authorizes the General Fund portion of short-term rental lodgers’ tax to remain in the General Fund to be used for general operating expenditures in 2024 and 2025; and reduces the Renewal Wheat Ridge Bond Fund 2024 budget so that the budgeted ending fund balance is $0.00.

Chapter 21 of the city’s municipal code provides for construction and other work activities within or upon the public right-of-way while protecting the integrity of the roadway network and city-owned infrastructure. This ordinance adds or modifies language to the municipal code to address various construction-related provisions and streamlines the licensing provisions.

The City’s Community Development Department manages the licensing of building contractors. Currently there are 14 license categories and over 3400 active licenses. This ordinance simplifies the licensing framework.

The City was approached by Kyle and Erin Ballew for a proposed retail development, DOP’s Sweet Spot, at the southwest corner of 38th Avenue and Johnson Street. The 29,810 square foot parcel is owned by the City of Wheat Ridge and was rezoned to Planned Commercial Development in 2008. Permitted uses on the subject property include any land use allowed in the City’s Restricted Commercial zone district. This proposed retail use would be a permitted use. Only 25,378 square feet of the parcel would be sold and the remaining 4,432 would be retained by the City for regional drainage. Section 16.5 of the City Charter states that “The City shall not sell or dispose of municipally owned buildings or real property for a public purpose, without first obtaining the approval, by ordinance, of three-fourths of the entire council.”

This resolution authorizes the levying of property taxes for the 2024 fiscal year to help defray the cost of government in 2025.

The 2015 Parks and Recreation Master Plan was adopted by City Council on April 27, 2015. The Plan designates certain parcels in the City as park land. In 2008, City Council approved an ordinance rezoning the property which is now Discovery Park. The Outline Development Plan included a condition that up to 36,000 square feet of the northern portion of the site may be used for commercial uses. However, the park land designation on this portion of the site was not removed. This resolution will amend the 2015 Parks and Recreation Master Plan to remove the park land designation from this remanent parcel.

Staff will present the outcomes and recommendations of the draft Stormwater System Master Plan along with recommendations for implementation of various capital projects focused on system enhancements to prevent flooding, maintenance of the existing system, and various operational needs. A stormwater utility is recommended to be established which would provide a dedicated funding source for the operational and capital needs of the overall program.

This memo provides an overview of the city’s response to snow events including priorities, storm classifications, public communication, and the city’s available resources for addressing this critical function.

The base of the piers for the Youngfield bridge over Clear Creek have been exposed due to erosion from high water flows. This project will remove some material and then add large boulders to protect the area around the base of the piers from future erosion. Five bids were received and opened on September 25, 2024. Staff recommends the lowest responsive bidder, West Fork Construction, LLC of Colorado Springs, Colorado be awarded the contract in the amount of $149,725, plus a contingency of $14,975, for a total project cost of $164,700.

The City periodically performs asphalt crack sealing as part of the annual preventive maintenance program to help maintain pavement condition and prevent more costly pavement repairs. Zone 1 of the city’s six maintenance zones was inspected by city staff. Various street segments with significant cracking were identified for inclusion in the proposed contract to receive a crack sealing treatment. The 2022 contract with A-1 Chipseal Company is being amended per the terms of the contract for the 2024 crack sealing project. The contract amendment also includes work to be performed in the City of Edgewater. Wheat Ridge will be reimbursed for all work performed within Edgewater.

The Hayward Park walking trail has deteriorated over time, creating an uneven surface with large cracks, resulting in safety concerns for trail users. The City received grant funding from the Jefferson County Open Space Trails Partnership Program to fund a portion of this trail replacement project. Approval of this contract will allow the City to complete this important work.

This ordinance makes several amendments to the City’s Business Licensing Code. These changes are designed to ensure compliance with state legislation, transition to bi-annual business license renewals, introduce an inspection fee, and consolidate certain special licenses with regular business licenses.

Traffic issues, primarily excessive speeds and red-light violations, are a continual complaint from the public. Residents contact various departments, primarily the police department, to request speed and other traffic enforcement on their streets to address the increased hazards these violations tend to create. Wheat Ridge is a smaller community impacted by major roadways and highways often used by community members and non-community members alike. This volume of traffic makes it difficult for an agency, sized to serve the community of residents and businesses, to adequately meet the demands of traffic control and safety. The use of technology in law enforcement continues to be one of the more impactful changes to modern day policing. One of those innovative technologies that is expanding nationwide is the use of Automated Vehicle Identification Systems (AVIS). Staff is requesting City Council to adopt a new Article VI in Chapter 13 of the Wheat Ridge Code of Laws to allow for the use of AVIS in Wheat Ridge to address these traffic concerns.