RE: Citizens responses and the COVID-19 pandemic
Editor:
I am making a formal request to the Jefferson County Board of County Commissioners and the Jefferson County Planning & Zoning Department that all residential and commercial development applications, both new zoning and rezoning, be postponed until both county officials and the citizens of Jefferson County address these applications without concern for COVID-19 transmittal.
In many discussions with people in the foothills of Jefferson County, everyone has been concerned about not just the inability of citizens in this area to effectively let our voices be heard about many of these applications, but also there is an underlying sense that the developers are taking advantage of the situation right now.
We are aware of the many problems we face with slow and in some cases non-existent internet service throughout the Foothills. Most service is on DSL lines that cannot support the download of a movie or game much less allow for a solid connection through WebEx or Zoom to a meeting without breaking up or simply not allowing the connection to begin with.
We do not have options at this time to effectively get our concerns out to the county or the developers since open meetings have been suspended. Many people lack the knowledge or experience to handle a virtual meeting with many different voices popping up on the screen as either message boxes or blank silhouettes.
Even with masks covering faces, discussions in person, even with social distancing, would allow for a more normal back-and-forth discussion to transpire. Recent online hearings have proved to be difficult to follow for many of us, and others remain silent, feeling that their voice would not be heard at all.
This pandemic is affecting many areas of our daily lives in more ways than anyone could have imagined in March. We are continuing to make adjustments to allow for some sense of normalcy to return. Feeling that our citizens’ rights to speak out when issues arise that impact our lives have been severely limited or even stopped is causing concern among many people who live in the unincorporated foothills. We count on our elected officials and those who work with them to represent all of us equally, especially in times of great stress.
Please consider all sides of this issue and postpone/suspend these applications until we can all respond in a more normal way without risking contact on one hand or risking the loss of community voices on the other.
Rhea Slowik
Evergreen
Gardner vs. Hickenlooper: an easy choice
Editor:
It is now time to roll out some facts about John Hickenlooper. When he was governor, there was a 400 percent increase in organized crime, a 70 percent increase in rapes and a 70 percent increase in murders. Hickenlooper has been found to be in violation by the Federal Elections Committee for taking PAC money. To that, add violations of the Colorado constitution that were found by the Independent Ethics Commission while “Hick” was in office.
As a further illustration of his character, Hickenlooper utilized more than $133,000 of taxpayer money for his defense of charges brought by the Ethics Commission; money that came from the 911 recovery fund for the citizens of Colorado, not a corrupt politician.
In his book, our former governor felt he needed to let us know he watched the “Deep Throat” movie with his mother. What a sterling candidate!
If elected, I am sure he would fit right in with much of the filth that inhabits Washington D.C., many of whom have clearly demonstrated rule of law and financial accountability do not apply to them, and the problems of the ordinary citizens are simply collateral damage.
In contrast, despite accusations written to the editor of this paper that Cory Gardner has done nothing for Colorado, the environment and he is nowhere to be found and invisible, these accusations are false. On June 18, 2020, Cory Gardner made history with the passage of his bill the Great American Outdoors Act. It is the largest conservation bill in history and on Aug. 18, 2020, President Trump signed it into law.
Congressional legislative data for 2019 also ranks Gardner first in authorizing the most bipartisan bills. The bipartisan bill he is currently working on will hold China accountable for the pandemic and bring certain industries in the medical arena back to the U.S.
Cory Gardner has demonstrated more than once that he has earned his pay and is working for Colorado and the people of the United States on both sides of the aisle unlike many in Congress and the Senate.
Kathleen Hames
Evergreen
A vote for Joni Inman
Editor:
Our county commissioners have more impact on our daily lives than any other elected official, so it is important we make wise votes. Our commissioners manage the county budget and rule in land use cases that affect us greatly, particularly here in unincorporated Jefferson County.
We need commissioners with extensive management experience and the knowledge to wisely judge our land use issues. In Jeffco’s District 2 race this November, we have Andy Kerr, a career politician with no management experience versus Joni Inman, the former director of Lakewood’s Mayor and City Manager Office for more than 20 years, a vice president at St Anthony Hospital, chairman of the West Metro Chamber of Commerce, executive director of Colorado Women’s Alliance, and manager of a thriving consulting practice.
Her practice has helped dozens of small businesses thrive and has led community engagement efforts and strategic planning for nonprofits and chambers of commerce across the county. She has also held leadership positions in numerous community organizations, too many to mention in this brief letter.
In Lakewood, Joni was responsible for the performance of employees, establishing operating budgets, conforming to those budgets and ensuring that the city lived up to its residents’ expectations. That is exactly what we need badly in Jefferson County to avoid more closings of essential services, such as the recent closing of a floor of the jail.
In a nutshell, Joni was born to be our next county commissioner. Vote Joni for Jeffco on Nov. 3.
Joe Niemeyer
Evergreen
Turn down the motorized noise
Editor:
I wholeheartedly support the opinion expressed by Sandy Sanderson in the Aug. 26 Canyon Courier regarding excessively noisy vehicles touring the Foothills. These vehicles (mostly motorcycles but some cars, too) generally sport exhaust systems specifically designed to be louder than necessary.
When they pass by 50 feet away, I can’t hear a person 3 feet from me, and the sound level actually hurts my ears. What is the justification for inflicting pain and disrupting communication whenever you pass by other people?
Some motorcyclists’ answer to this is that the obnoxious noise provides extra protection for them, since they are less visible than cars. This is somewhat flawed since the overwhelming majority of the ear-piercing sound projects behind them, not in front where it might keep them safer.
But a more fundamental problem with this safety argument is that the decision to drive a clearly riskier vehicle was theirs. It does not give them the right to disrupt our lives and assault our senses. I’ve seen a number of full-sized, powerful motorcycles that are whisper quiet, and I applaud them. They seem to have just as much fun as the loud ones.
While Clear Creek County has no specific noise ordinance (defaults to state laws), Jefferson County does, but it is seldom enforced regarding intentionally loud exhausts. I implore the Jeffco Sheriff’s Office to take a more genuine stance on this issue and enforce the law that was passed to protect our hearing and maintain peace.
Maybe Clear Creek will like the results and follow suit. Sound meters are now inexpensive and could easily be deployed alongside the radar guns that deputies use now.
I live in Evergreen and encounter loud vehicles almost every day that I’m pretty sure violate the law.
David Stannard
Evergreen
Wasn’t Wyoming first?
Editor:
The Canyon Courier’s Aug. 26 article “Jeffco LWV celebrates 100th anniversary of women’s right to vote,” states that “In 1893, Colorado became the first state in the nation to allow women to vote.” However, Wyoming, though still a territory, granted women’s suffrage in 1869. Colorado became a state in 1876, and was the first state to grant women’s suffrage in 1893 while being a state.
Wyoming became a state in 1890, and suffrage was still in effect at that time, three years before Colorado allowed women to vote. Doesn’t that make Wyoming the first state to allow women the right to vote?
Linda Ringrose
Conifer
Editor’s note: History Colorado provides an interesting look at which state could claim the first to allow women the right to vote, including New Jersey and Utah. For more information, visit historycolorado.org/story/womens-history/2019/07/25/which-state-had-womens-suffrage-first.