Correction
Yesterday’s Golden History Moment stated that this Saturday’s Wild West Oktoberfest would start at 1. That’s wrong: it starts at 11AM. This was sent by the Golden Civic Foundation: “YoColorado, Pete Coors and the mayor/City Manager will kick off the event at 11:50 with the “First Pour” and a bit of history on the event and it’s tie to Golden – past and future.”
Speaking of the Civic Foundation, tickets for their annual auction go on sale on 9:00 this morning. They will probably sell out within minutes, so if you want to go, be ready to visit www.goldencivicfoundation.org at 9AM!
Virtual Events
9-9:55AM Silver Sneakers Classic
9-10AM Zumba
11-11:55AM HIIT & Sculpt
12-12:55PM All Levels Yoga Virtual
6:30-8:30PM Team Trivia Tuesdays @ Buffalo Rose
Real World Events
8-9AM What’s Brewing Golden: Coffee, Commerce, Community @ Golden Hotel
This meeting is open to all businesses within the Golden area but with a focus on small businesses and restaurants within the City limits of Golden. This meeting is provided as a service by the Golden Chamber of Commerce. Chamber membership is highly encouraged but is not required to attend. Guests are welcome.
9-10AM Women’s Exercise and Bible Study @ First United Methodist Church
9:15-9:45AM Baby Time @ Golden Library
10-11AM Story Time and Craft: Thomas and the Dinosaur @ Colorado Railroad Museum
10AM, 1PM, and 4PM Wild West Short Tour
10AM and 1PM Wild West Walking Tour
10:15-10:45AM Preschool Time @ Golden Library
1-3PM Crazy Quilt Sisters @ Rocky Mountain Quilt Museum
2:30PM Local Licensing Authority Meeting @ City Hall
The Licensing Authority will hold a public hearing for a new tavern liquor license for Morris & Mae Market, currently under construction at 18475 W. Colfax Avenue (map). This is the first public hearing the Licensing Authority has held since November of 2021.
6-7PM Book Discussion Group: The Guest List by Lucy Foley @ Golden Library
City Business
6:30PM City Council Study Session @ City Hall
Tonight’s meeting will be a study session, so there will be no public comment and no public hearings.
Twenty is Plenty
They will discuss the proposal to reduce the speed limit on residential streets from 25 to 20MPH. They have been running a pilot program of the new speed on North Ford Street.
First Look at the Capital Budget
Council will review the first draft of the Capital Improvement program (CIP) for 2023 and 2024. For the uninitiated, the capital budget covers large expenses for lasting improvements, such a streets, parks, etc. The Operating budget will be review separately, in future weeks. That will include day-to-day and special expenses, the largest amount going to salaries.
The CIP is a complex document, so I’m sure I’m missing some important points, but here are the biggest planned capital expenses. (I didn’t include anything less than $700,000.)
$8,180,000 – Ulysses park improvements
$7,215,000 – Infrastructure improvements
$4,200,000 – West Colfax complete street
$3,430,000 – Community Improvements
$2,750,930 – Debt service
$2,626,000 – Capital Equipment
$2,417,274 – Municipal Facilities
$1,884,000 – Fire trucks
$1,800,000 – Street improvements
$1,650,000 – Street improvements
$1,541,718 – Debt service civic center
$1,500,000 – Municipal broadband
$1,416,127 – Water quality/plant improvements
$1,365,000 – Curbs, gutters, sidewalks
$1,355,180 – Field demolition
$1,250,000 – Lena gulch drainage improvement
$959,409 – Debt service municipal facilities
$900,000 – Public Restrooms
$800,000 – Civic Center/Heart of Golden
$800,000 – Water rights acquisition
$750,000 – Affordable Housing projects
$727,039 – Municipal building improvements
$707,000 – Community Center Improvements
$700,000 – Street improvements
(I’m not sure why “street improvements” appears three times.)
One interesting thing on the revenue side: the budget shows $2.3 million from the lodging tax fund going into capital projects. Based on this year’s lodging tax revenue, that would be about all of the projected tax collected–leaving very little for other purposes.
Looking forward a couple of years, they’re tentatively planning to borrow $60 million in 2025 and spend $30 million in 2025 and $31 million in 2026 for “Civic Center Heart of Golden.”
If you have questions about the budget, you can contact Finance Director Jeff Hensen or your City Councilors.
Drought Management
Council will have their first look at a proposed Drought Management Plan, which aims to help us manage water more prudently, using less on a day-to-day basis and reserving more in our reservoirs to guard against future droughts.
Downtown Traffic Control
The City Engineer and the Mobility and Transportation Advisory Board recently reviewed several possible changes to downtown traffic. They discussed turning downtown into a pedestrian/bike mall, replacing the stoplights with stop signs, or upgrading the stoplights to a version that would provide better traffic flow and improve safety. They are recommending to Council that the stoplights be upgraded.
Council Subcommittees
Council’s Boards and Commissions subcommittee evaluated several points regarding how we fill boards and commissions and they recommend a few procedural changes. The Council Rules Subcommittee is recommending some changes to streamline Council procedures.
Recommended Reading
Every Monday, the City Clerk’s office posts comments that the public has sent to councilcomments@cityofgolden.net. It’s a bit hard to locate on the City webiste, but you can find it midway down this page, under “Email Comments Received in the Council Comments Mailbox.” The comments don’t stay up forever–the clerks remove them after 30 days. Follow this link to see the most recent comments.
Live Music
6PM Karaoke with Linda @ Dirty Dogs Roadhouse
6PM Open Pick Night @ Over Yonder Brewing
Trivia
6:30-8:30PM Team Trivia Tuesdays @ Buffalo Rose
6:30-8:30PM Trivia Tuesdays @ Golden Mill
7PM Trivia Night @ the Ace
7-9PM Team Trivia Night @ Tributary Food Hall
Golden History Moment
Whenever I visit the 2nd floor of the Community Center, I pause to admire this mural by Hal Shelton. It was originally painted to hang in the Empire Room at the Holland House Hotel (now the Table Mountain Inn).
There was a “sister” mural hanging in the other dining room in the Holland House–the Pioneer Room. That mural was called “The Founding of Golden.”
Thanks to the Golden History Museum for providing the online cache of historic Transcripts, and to the Golden Transcript for documenting our history since 1866!
