The Golden Music Festival happens this week! That's three days of amazing live music at the scenic Clear Creek History Park. You can purchase tickets per day, or buy a three-day pass. All proceeds go to the Golden History Museums. You can view the line-up and purchase tickets at www.goldenmusicfestival.org.
On another note entirely, we "have some 'splainin to do" to some of our water meter customers. The City of Golden water meter replacement project has mostly been going as planned with new meters going in all across the City. That is until last week when we hit a little glitch. Luckily, this glitch is one that most people can simply ignore. A second notice that was supposed to go out to just a few people who have yet to schedule their water meter replacement went out to a much bigger mailing list. We apologize for the error. Scroll down to read a little more about it, but please know that if you've already scheduled the install or have an outside meter, you can just ignore the notice.
Please keep reading to keep informed on what else is happening in your City and have a great week!
Your friends at the City of Golden
Current Projects
Linking Lookout (US 6 & 19th St. Interchange)
Interim Closures on 19th
Grading will continue for the roundabout on the south side of 19th Street, and some stormwater drain lines are being installed. Paving for the temporary lanes on the south side of 19th St. and part of the roundabout will be completed late this week. Traffic is expected to be switched to the south next week.
Access to Elm Street north of 19th St. will be closed next week. Pedestrians crossing 19th from the CSM parking lot on the south side has been temporally moved to the east.
This is a tight area so please pay attention and drive slow, which is good advice not only for safety reasons, but because we have asked the police to monitor traffic speeds.
Chimney Gulch trail / Hang glider landing field access
Work will begin on relocating a water line in this area in advance of construction of the project water quality pond. Please be careful when crossing the field. There is also a concern with people parking on the shoulder of US 6 when the parking area is full. Please do not park on US 6. If the parking area is full, please park in town and use the Clear Creek Trail on the south side of the creek to access Chimney Gulch.
Other work this week
Stormwater and wastewater utility work will continue outside of the US 6 travel lanes.
Retaining wall facing will continue in all quadrants.
Excess mucky material is being removed south of 19th.
Please note, these plans can change at any time depending on weather and other factors.
Fasick Concrete is finishing clean-up and restoration on 10th St from Ford St. to Washington Ave.
Late last week they began sidewalk replacement and improvements on 24th St from Ford St to Illinois St. This work consists of general replacement as well as a new wider sidewalk on the south side of 24th. It will be 6' wide from the entrance of Golden High School to Cheyenne Dr and 5' from Cheyenne Dr to Illinois St. This will be a large improvement over the current 3' walk.
Water Meter Replacement project - please disregard second notice if it doesn't apply to you!
Last week, Keystone Utilities sent a mass mailing to water customers regarding the meter replacement project. Due to a clerical mistake,
notices were sent to many customers instead of a targeted few. If you recently received a "Second Notice Water Meter Replacement Required" notice from Keystone Utilities and have already had your meter replaced, or have an outside meter, please disregard this notice. This error has overwhelmed Keystone's phone system and there is no need to call if you received the notice by mistake. If you have an inside set meter that has not yet been replaced, please go ahead and contact Keystone Utilities to schedule an appointment.
Please accept our apologies for any inconvenience.
The City of Golden water meter replacement project began in late March, with Keystone Utility Systems as the City's contractor for the project. About 40 to 60 replacements are happening per day now, city-wide. Notices of replacements are going out in utility bills, and as of the last billing cycle, all notices should now be out. If your notice indicates you should call for an appointment, please contact Keystone with the contact information below. Appointments
are available Monday through Saturday between approximately 7:30 a.m. and 6 p.m. Please remove any items blocking access to the water meter before Keystone arrives to ensure a quick and trouble-free replacement.
A typical residential replacement will take approximately 20 minutes; a commercial replacement may take several hours. If your meter is in a pit outside, you do not need to do anything. If you have an inside set meter you will need to contact Keystone and schedule an appointment. You can schedule via email at
Office@keystoneutilities.com or by phone at 1-877-587-2279 between 7 a.m. and 3:30 p.m.
Contact Les Major at 303-384-8170 or Keith Mehls at 303-384-8171 with questions regarding this project.
Upcoming Events
Parks & Recreation Advisory Board Meeting
The Parks & Recreation Advisory Board will meet in study session on June 7, at 7 p.m. in the Golden Community Center at 1470 10th Street in Golden.
JeffCo Innovators' Workshop - A Legal Toolbox for Innovators
June's Innovators' Workshop is a "must" for anyone developing, or even thinking of developing a new product or business. Learn what protections to put in your innovation toolbox before it's too late and your great idea is taken away from you!
When: June 8, 6:30 p.m. Where: Golden Council Chambers, 911 10th St., Golden, CO
Our speaker, IP attorney, January Allen, will talk about:
City Council will meet in regular session on June 9 at 6:30 p.m. in City Hall Council Chambers located at 911 10th Street.
At the meeting, City Council will consider the following items:
Consent Matters (all items listed will be treated as one item and one vote. For a full list of items included, please see the Meeting Agenda.)
The Mayor will make a 2016 Senior Hero Honorees Presentation
Council will consider Resolution No. 2498, proposing a modification to Resolution No. 2165. The new resolution removes the requirement for City Council to submit a budget letter and outlines improved opportunities for community input in the budget.
Celebrate summer at the Golden Music Festival on
Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, June 10 - 12, 2016. Sit on the rustic hillside amphitheater in Golden's Clear Creek History Park for one of the region's top live music festivals.
The Golden Farmers' Market opened last week and now runs every Saturday through October (except for during Buffalo Bill Days on July 30), from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Located west of the Golden library, the market includes a variety of vendors offering everything from fresh fruits and vegetables to homemade jams, soaps and locally sourced honey. There are also plenty of kids activities, food trucks and more.
GURA Meeting
The Golden Urban Renewal Authority will meet on June 13, at 6:30 p.m. in Council Chambers at 911 10th Street in Golden.
Lego Play and Build (June 7 & 14, 4 p.m.) -You're never too old (or young!) to play with LEGOs! Join the Golden Library all-ages LEGO Play and Build program. Build something based on the month's theme or use your imagination! Everyone is welcome, just drop-in. Space is limited, however, and program is limited to 45 participants.
Teen Movie Time (June 7, 6 p.m.) - Come watch a different movie each month at the Golden Library and vote on what we'll watch in the future! Grades: 6-12 are welcome.
DIY Demos: LEGO Mindstorms (June 9, 1 p.m.) - Ready to have your mind blown? Come see the amazing LEGO® Mindstorms in action at the Golden Library. These programmable robotics kits are designed to be an introduction to robotics basics. Let your LEGO robot imagination go wild!
DIY Lab (June 9, 5:30 p.m.) - Do you like to tinker, invent and reimagine things? Drop in and use our DIY space to get creative. All ages are welcome during our weekly open lab. Kids, if you're under 12, please bring your grownup to join and supervise you.
Go Kick. Go! (June 10, 1 p.m.) - Join us at the library for some martial arts fun. It's a real kick! Register ahead with the Golden Library. Suitable for: Kids
Escape Room for Teens (June 10, 6 p.m.) - Use your wit to decipher and puzzle your way out of the locked room at the Golden Library. Work together to escape!
Paws for Reading (June 11, 2 p.m.) - Read with a four-legged friend from the Pet Partners Therapy Animal Program at the Golden Library. Dogs are ideal reading companions because they create a relaxed, comfortable and safe environment for sharing books. Registration with the Golden Library is required and children registering for this program must be able to read on their own.
Magnificent Monarchs (June 13, 10 & 11 a.m.) - North American Monarch butterflies are amazing and beautiful. They travel thousands of miles over many generations from Mexico, across the United States, to Canada. They now need more milkweed plants to lay their eggs and things to eat so they can survive. Join the experts from Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge at the Golden Library as they teach about the lifecycle of a butterfly. We'll have stories and interactive fun especially designed for young kids. Space is limited to 25 kids - all of whom need a grownup to share the fun. Come see how to enjoy and save our wonderful winged friends. Suitable for ages 2-6. Register for either session in advance with the Golden Library.
For more information or to register for programs that require pre-registration, please visit the Golden Library website.
Around Town
Share Your Thoughts on Parking in Golden
Residents, students and visitors alike can all agree that parking in downtown Golden has become an issue. But how to fix the problem is an issue in itself. There are vastly different opinions on how to solve parking problems, based on the individual user. Understanding that the City cannot find a solution that will make everyone happy, the goal is to find the solutions that work best for most.
The City of Golden's
2014 Downtown Parking Study indicated a significantly higher shortage of parking west of Washington Avenue than there is east of downtown. It is believed this is due, in part, to students, faculty and staff at the Colorado School of Mines (CSM), who utilize the City's long term parking spots to either avoid paying for parking on campus, or because it's simply more convenient. This puts a serious dent in the number of spots available for visitors, residents, and for people who work at downtown businesses and need places to park for their work shifts.
Truth is, CSM has substantial on-campus parking for its students and employees, and the permit prices are relatively reasonable. However, as long as the City provides free long-term parking nearby, there is no incentive for anyone to change their habits.
Throughout the summer and fall of 2015, community input was sought regarding a few options including trying to build more public parking or moving toward a managed system of free short-term visitor parking, permits for employees and residents, and paid longer term visitor parking. Overwhelmingly, people supported managing our current public spaces over building more at this time. Council has discussed the matter a number of times and tends to agree that we need to take action.
At this point, City Council needs to make a policy decision about how to proceed and wants your input. In order to facilitate a community discussion, City Council has scheduled three opportunities:
An open house format meeting to discuss downtown parking management ideas will take place from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, June 23 at the Golden Community Center, 1470 10th St. City staff will have maps of the potential downtown parking zones and answer questions about logistics and process.
City Council will take public comment on resident and business suggestions on Thursday, June 16 and Thursday, July 14 during the regular City Council meetings, which begin at 6:30 p.m. in City Hall, 911 10th St.
It is expected that Council will provide direction at or soon after the July 14 meeting and that any new system would be implemented in January 2017. For more information, email
planning@cityofgolden.net.
Update on Potential Deaccession of Select Public Art Statues
On Thursday, May 5, 2016 the Public Art Commission (PAC) held a public hearing to get community feedback on the potential deaccession of 6 artworks. The public art pieces are being considered for removal because they were created without the consent of the original artist. At the May meeting the PAC heard comments from more than 20 citizens and reviewed emails from another 40 citizens. The PAC was appreciative of the feedback, and will take citizen's comments into consideration when making a final decision.
Considering the public support in favor of keeping the statues, the PAC wants to make the best decision for the community, while ensuring that the City of Golden is not breaking any copyright laws.
At the May meeting the commission decided to obtain a legal opinion to get more information about the liability the City of Golden might encounter by having these particular statues on display. The City of Golden legal counsel got an opinion from a Denver based intellectual property lawyer.
On June 2 the PAC convened to discuss the legal opinion. The City of Golden attorney was present to answer any questions posed by commission members. The legal opinion mentioned that the City could face unfavorable legal actions by having the statues on display. The commission thought it was in the best interest of the community and the City to get a second opinion regarding the authenticity of the specific pieces in order to make the most informed decision.
The PAC still has not made a decision about the fate of the artworks, and understands the sentimental value the public art pieces provide Golden's citizens and visitors. The additional information will most likely be discussed at the August 4, 2016 meeting.
Stay Green, Save Blue with a Free Irrigation Inspection!
Tired of paying for your sprinkler to water your driveway rather than your lawn? The City of Golden and the Center for ReSource Conservation are providing free irrigation system inspections to help reduce water waste and make sure your lawn is getting the water it needs for that lush landscape you've been dreaming about!
You'll have an appointment with a friendly and knowledgeable water conservation specialist who will assess your sprinkler's water usage and efficiency. They'll even diagnose any problems, fix the small issues, and offer suggestions on how to fix anything more major. At the end of the inspection you'll receive a customized watering schedule designed to keep that pesky water bill low and help to keep your lawn healthy and beautiful through the summer and for years to come!
For more than 10 years, Slow the Flow has been helping homeowners in the Front Range to save money on their water bills. Inspections last about 90 minutes, but could help you save thousands of gallons of water each year! It's easy to sign up and get long-lasting and money-saving results! Simply call (303) 999-3824 or sign up at conservationcenter.org/sprinkler to schedule.
