The Edgewater City Council met Tuesday, January 16th for their twice monthly business meeting. All council members were in attendance, with Councilman Berg joining virtually. The Pledge of Allegiance was recited, and the Consent Agenda was adopted unanimously.
As usual, the first item of the night was communications from City Staff and Boards. City Manager Maples spoke first. Mr. Maples used his time to further explain why the Council had previously voted to limit public comment to in-person attendees, clarifying that it was in response to a rash of hate speech through virtual comments in city council meetings nationwide and was meant to “protect the community from online hate speech.” He also acknowledged that the optics looked bad, with so many family and friends of Adam Fresquez virtually attending the meeting where the decision was made to limit online commenting.
Next, Janette Papp of the Sustainability Board took the podium to provide a preview of what was in store for 2024. The Edgewater Sustainability Board has big plans, including continuing water wise seminars, canning and preserving classes, gardening events, family events, and programs at our local elementary schools.
Next on the agenda were presentations and awards as well as public comment, however there were neither and the meeting moved to Resolution 2024-2, discussion and possible action selecting an appraiser for the property at 2447 Benton Street. This property is a small house adjacent to 5440 25th Ave, a property purchased by the city in 2023. Per the City Charter, the first step when exploring a real estate acquisition is to start with an appraisal. The resolution was approved unanimously.
The meeting then moved to the first reading of Ordinance 2024-1, an adoption of fees for various services provided by the city and the Edgewater Police. City Manager Maples said that the hope was to pass the ordinance by March 1st, and that’s why the Council was voting on the first reading before discussion. As such, details were scant, but more should be known once there is a 2nd reading. The 1st reading passed unanimously.
General Business was the next item on the agenda. First, Domingo Belen of the Filipino American Community of Colorado (FACC) took the podium. First, he thanked the Edgewater Police Department for the quick apprehension of a suspect who had tried to steal a member’s car. He also thanked the city for the repaving of the FACC center’s parking lot (which also serves as public parking). He then went on to request a $3000 grant from the city to help with several events including their 70th anniversary celebration. The grant was approved unanimously.
The next general business item was an amendment to the City Manager Employment Agreement. The City Manager’s contract is revisited yearly. The previous council had recommended a pay increase for Mr. Maples based on cost of living increases and merit. The amendment was approved unanimously.
The meeting came to a close with comments from the Council and Mayor. Council comments were brief with some general well wishes for the new year and several council members inquiring how we, both as individuals and the city, can do more for the influx of Venezuelan migrants. Mayor Conklin had a bit more to say. He thanked the Edgewater Police Department for a resolution in an incident where shots were fired into a home. He paid tribute to Gary LaBelle and Cathy Noon, both of whom have recently passed. He spoke of attending the ceremony where Blues and BBQ (held in Citizens Park every summer) presented Habitat for Humanity with a check. He congratulated Gold Crown on a recent $100K prize and he commended Joel Newton (Executive Director of Edgewater Collective) for running to represent Edgewater in last year’s Jeffco School Board Election, and thanked him for all he does for the community.
The Edgewater City Council normally meets the 1st and 3rd Tuesday of the month at 6:30 p.m. The meetings can be attended in person at the Edgewater Civic Center, or virtually through the city website.
Accurate post.