The Sustainable Neighborhoods Program Wants Your Ideas

In its second year of participation in the City and County of Denver’s Sustainable Neighborhoods Program, the Stapleton community has come together to bring several inspiring events to the neighborhood. Among the events organized through the Sustainable Neighborhoods Program are the planting of twenty new trees in Greenway Park, an Electric Vehicles Forum at Sam Gary Branch Library, canvassing on behalf of the Denver Digs program, the second annual Community Day of Reflection, a reusable grocery bag giveaway, and more. These events are only possible because community members are willing to take the time out of their busy schedules to participate. SUN and the Sustainable Neighborhoods Program are thankful to all who contributed.

Ideas for an event or program that builds community while promoting sustainability are being solicited. The Sustainable Neighborhoods Program can help to secure the resources and communications to make help bring ideas to life, and to build community around sustainability. Students with a requirement for volunteer or service hours can meet requirements through volunteer work with the Sustainable Neighborhoods Program. Interested persons should connect with the SUN Sustainability Committee at sunsustainability@gmail.com or on Facebook at facebook.com/snpstapleton

Members of the Sustainable Neighborhoods team are excited about finishing a second year strong and are excited to see what year three has in store.

Stapleton Area Education Space and Programming Plan

SUN is seeking input from community members, area school leadership, and our elected DPS school board representatives to construct a plan for what school configuration will best meet the eventual needs of the fully built community while supporting a strong public school system in Denver. This plan will be available to inform the community members serving on the 2020 Community Planning and Advisory Committee (CPAC). The CPAC will create the 2020 bond and mill levy packages that will go to the Board of Education for approval. CPAC applications were accepted through November 22, with meetings taking place from January to June of 2020.

Digstown proposed zoning change

Digstown submitted a rezoning application for their location south of I-70, to leave the 7,104 sq ft building footprint intact, with the use becoming salon suites for humans. The exterior fencing would become additional parking lot. The building would have additional windows on the north side. Owners are hoping for a zoning hearing in March, and construction in summer 2020. If the zoning change is successful, Digstown would combine locations (to the Stapleton location north of I-70), otherwise things stay as they are. Ownership would appreciate all questions come to Stacy Reed or the manager Jack, via: fun@digstown.us.

Denver City Auditor Tim O’Brien, recap from 11/19 SUN meeting

Auditor O’Brien described the role of the auditor in city government. In Denver, the auditor is elected every 4 years. Where tax dollars go, so goes the auditor: zoo, botanical gardens, Denver Preschool Program, internal departments and agencies. The auditor seeks to make government accountable and transparent. Summarizing the financial stability of Denver, Auditor O’Brien described annual growth since 2009, with $763 million sales tax in 2018 ($34million from marijuana), and $385 million in the general fund. The city is well positioned to continue to repay bonds in the presence of a hypothetical economic decline. The airport’s $945 million in revenue generated $544 million excess of expenses, with anticipated projects including $1billion for a runway, $1.5billion for 13 more gates are being added to each terminal, and the Great Hall project restarting soon. Among 41 employees in the auditor’s office 10 hold a CPA qualification. On the 2020 ballot, voters will be asked to approve a requirement that the city auditor hold a CPA qualification.

Meetings in 2020

In 2020, SUN will continue meeting in the Central Park Rec Center on the third Tuesday each month from 6:30pm-8:30pm. Meetings are organized with a public portion for the first hour with speakers from city agencies or community organizations, with a brief break before a discussion-focused second hour. Attendees are welcome to stay for the full meeting, but the break is a time of transition when attendees can come/go with minimal disruption. Speakers for early 2020 include: School Choice in January, and Public Works in March. SUN will not meet in December of 2019.