Spring in the History Park
Photo by Joyce Davell
What's happening in Golden today?
- All day: CURRENT EXHIBITS AT THE MUSEUMS
- All day: Live Workouts with Community Center Pros
- All day: Golden History Tours
- 7:30 AM-9:00 AM: Citizens Budget Advisory Committee Meeting @ City Hall Council Chambers
- 9:00 AM-10:15 AM: Golden Walks: Wednesday Morning Celebrating Life @ Golden Library
- 10:15 AM-10:45 AM: Toddler Time @ Golden Library
- 1:00 PM-4:00 PM: Fabric Baskets @ Rocky Mountain Quilt Museum
- 3:00 PM-5:00 PM: Virtual/Call In: Hard Times Writing Workshop
- 5:00 PM-8:00 PM: Après Wednesday @ Golden Mill
- 6:30 PM-6:30 PM: Trivia Night @ Over Yonder Brewing Company
- 6:30 PM-6:30 PM: CANCELED: Planning Commission Meeting @ City Hall Council Chambers
- 7:00 PM-8:30 PM: Meet State Representative Brianna Titone @ Holidaily Brewing Company
For more information, visit the Golden Today Calendar
5-8PM Après Wednesday Ladies Night @ Golden Mill
5-8PM Après Wednesday Ladies Night @ Golden Mill
Featuring wine tastings, ski tunes, and a raffle full of fantastic prizes. All funds raised will go to SheJumps, a wonderful non-profit that empowers women and girls through outdoor activities and nature connections. Featuring live music from Abby Brown.
Beers with Brianna
7PM Beers with Brianna @ Holidaily Brewing
Join State Representative Brianna Titone to share your views and chat about the 2024 legislative session, all while enjoying a local craft brew.
Make a Fabric Basket at the Quilt Museum
1-4PM Fabric Baskets @ Rocky Mountain Quilt Museum
Brenda demonstrated these baskets a month ago and now everyone wants to make one! This class will walk you step-by-step through every aspect of the construction process and by the time you leave, you should have done every step and be close to completion. A list of supplies will be posted, so you can be ready to go at the time of the class. No sewing machine – this is all hand stitching. Click here for more details.
Sales Tax and City Hall
Growth of Sales Tax Revenue, 2020-2023 (appears on p. 9 of the meeting packet)
7:30AM Citizens Budget Advisory Committee Meeting @ City Hall
SALES AND USE TAX
The Citizens Budget Advisory Committee will review our 2023 revenue from sales, use, and lodging taxes. The years 2021 and 2022 saw significant increases in sales tax revenue. That growth slowed in 2023, but was still mildly positive.
The sources of sales tax revenue have changed markedly in the past few years. Regulations have changed so that out-of-city/out-of-state vendors (such as Amazon) are now collecting sales tax for our purchases and are sending it to the City. The “Outside” sales tax is by far the biggest source of sales tax revenue. As a merchant recently commented, the City’s overall sales tax revenue is not as good a measure of thriving local business as it used to be. Lots of sales tax may just mean lots of Amazon purchases.
NEW CITY HALL/MUNICIPAL CENTER
The major topic for today’s meeting is the proposed new City hall. This conversation began when the City bought the former Coors property along 10th Street east of Ford. Public meetings have grouped the new City hall with improvements to the parkland along the Creek under the general name “Heart of Golden.” This can be deceiving, as the two projects benefit different groups and will likely have different funding sources.
WHY DO WE NEED IT?
The meeting memo defines two main reasons for building new municipal buildings. The first: City employees are currently spread over several buildings, and they would be easier to manage if they were all in one place. The second: location in a single building would allow them to provide better (“one-stop”) service to residents.
Balanced against these two points are, first, employees are increasingly working at home, so they may not need as much office space in the future (and they won’t all be “in one place” for the same reason). Second, City services (such as paying bills and taxes and applying for licenses) are increasingly going online, so the need for citizens to visit a city building may be fading.
HOW MUCH WOULD IT COST?
There are many unknowns at this point, but they estimate the cost at $65,000,000.
HOW WOULD WE PAY FOR IT?
The meeting memo has a very interesting discussion about using different types of debt for different purposes. The memo explains that a project with popular appeal, that will be used directly by citizens, is typically funded by bonds. The bond issue is brought to a vote and citizens decide whether they want to incur that debt. The Golden Community Center, Fossil Trace Golf Club, and the Splash water park were approved by Golden citizens and funded by bonds.
Project with less public appeal–such as municipal facilities used primarily by city employees–are less likely to be approved by voters. To avoid having citizens say “no,” such projects are often funded with Certificates of Participation. These enable cities to borrow large sums of money without seeking citizen approval.
City Council could decide to borrow the $65 million without bringing it to a vote. This is the approach the City used to purchase the Coors property: staff discussed it with Council in executive sessions (no public, no cameras) and then they voted to take on the debt via Certificates of Participation.
City Staff is recommending that Council use Certificates of Participation for the proposed City Hall.
City Council will discuss methods of financing this project at their April 9th meeting.
WHAT ABOUT THE REST OF HEART OF GOLDEN–THE EXTRA PARKLAND, THE PICKLEBALL COURTS, ETC.?
The memo explains that the park, trail, and landscape improvements could likely be covered by existing revenue sources, such as Open Space funding. Also–park improvements have public appeal, so they could ask voters to approve a bond issue to fund that part of the Heart of Golden.
The memo that explains the financial strategy begins on p. 54 of the online packet.
AN INTERESTING FOOTNOTE ABOUT THE CURRENT CITY FACILITIES
The current City management and City Council cannot guarantee that the City’s property along the Creek will never be sold for redevelopment. That is not their current intention, but future Councils may have different priorities–they may need the money, or they may decide that we need housing or another hotel more than we need parks.
A PERSONAL COMMENT ABOUT THE HEART OF GOLDEN PLANS
About the new municipal facilities: I want very much for this to be brought to a vote of the citizens. The reason for avoiding this seems unconvincing: “They might say no.” Well–yes, we might. I see a new City hall as optional.
If we needed a new sewage treatment plant, I think that would justify by-passing the public. It might not have popular appeal, but we definitely need it. A City hall just isn’t in that category. I’d like them to bring it to a vote, and do a PR campaign to explain the need to the citizens. Maybe I could be persuaded. If Council votes to take on $65 million in debt without a vote, I’ll just be angry.
About the creekfront improvements: who doesn’t love parkland? I love the Clear Creek Trail, Lions Park, Parfet Park, and Vanover Park. My one concern is this: the citizens are already frustrated by the Creek’s popularity. The more attractive it becomes, the more crowds we’ll attract. I’m not sure we’ve found the answer to that conundrum.
News Relating to Golden - March 20, 2024
COLORADO 2024 CLASS RANKINGS: SPRING UPDATE
By Caleb Dameron
Prep Baseball
The spring 2024 rankings update consists of 175 players from the Colorado 2024 class. This group of prospects includes ~150 college commits in total, 30+ division I commits, and still plenty of top uncommitted talent available. When creating our rankings, we consider various factors, such as skills, physical abilities, potential, projection, and on-field performance as well... Read more...
Athletic Brand, Alyth and UNITE Fitness Make Golden Locals Feel Empowered
By Avery Welch
303 Magazine
In America, you’re bound to see people strutting around in athletic wear. American athleisure goes beyond simple workout purposes: Athleticwear is a lifestyle. Gym owners and members pridefully wear their sporty outfits and influence others to live actively... Read more...
Jeffco gets over $7 million to fund 3 big county projects
By Jo Davis
Golden Transcript
The Great Outdoors Colorado board announced its largest award to date at a ceremony held via Zoom due to winter weather closures. The group awarded over $117 million to projects that improve and preserve the state’s outdoor resources and spaces, and three of those awarded projects were in Jefferson County... Read more...
Abby Brown @ The Golden Mill
5-8PM Abby Brown @ Golden Mill
5-8PM Abby Brown @ Golden Mill
Jordan Yewey @ Miners Saloon
Jordan Yewey at Miners Saloon, 5-8PM
6-9PM Jordan Yewey @ Miners Saloon
Golden History: A Surprise Garden
Early view of Kinney Run from the Dan Abbott collection. The red line shows the route from Rundlett’s store to Kinney Run.
Kinney Run winds through the south side of Golden, starting in the foothills and eventually joining Clear Creek near Ford Street. It serves as the drainage for much of south Golden, collecting run-off when it rains. The confluence, where the Run meets the Creek, used to slope rather steeply down to the Creek. The area would have accumulated soil from runoff, and like any good delta, was probably a rich, fertile patch of land. It was also a fun place for kids to play.
That area has long since been shored up, filled in, and covered with concrete and pavement by the City and by Coors. This is a story from before that area was “civilized.”
For a number of years, the Transcript ran occasional pieces called “Unwritten History.” They often included the fond reminiscences by solid citizens of things they did in their wild youths in Golden.
94 Years Ago
The March 20, 1930 Colorado Transcript included this brief article:
UNWRITTEN HISTORY
It was more than 25 years ago that Kinney run blossomed forth as a mysterious sort of garden one summer.
Along the banks of this little stream were to be found patches of turnips and beets, growing among a profusion of nasturtiums, sweet peas and phlox. Bean vines were interwoven with morning glories. Few ever knew the reason for the appearance of these plants in this uncultivated area.
It happened when two Golden lads made away with a collection of packets of seeds from the Rundlett store in the old Bella Vista hotel. Fearful of being caught with the incriminating spoils they sowed the seeds along the banks of Kinney run.
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!
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