Summary

The Edgewater Echoes Newsletter reports on recent developments in our community and upcoming opportunities for engagement.

Joel announced this week he was transitioning editorial duties of the Echo to a network of community volunteers. In our first email newsletter, we share “Edgewater Echoes” from the last week, and what’s happening next week in our city. If you’d like to join our crew of volunteers, drop us a line: hello@edgwewaterecho.com. 

Edgewater Echoes 

We’re echoing some noise we heard this week:

• 18 community members have published a nine-page “Jefferson Community Plan” ahead of students returning to Jefferson Jr./Sr. High next week amid an uncertain future for the school. The plan is available in Spanish and English. 
• Joyride has a new brew. The “Adeena Pils” is a SMASH lager (Facebook) 
• The Edgewater Police Department celebrated the return of a stolen bike to a young Edgewater resident and the charging of a suspect (Facebook) 
• The city’s Park and Recreation Department announced new wellness services are now offered at the Civic Center and can be booked on PlayEdgewater. Services offered include: Reiki; Reflexology; Cupping; Wood Therapy; Gua Sha. 
• The City of Edgewater is hiring, including for a Community Development Director
  ($110-$120k/yr); Police Officer ($71-$103k/yr); and part-time three fitness instructors ($25-$36/hr) 
• Mayor Steve Conklin and Council Members Joel Newton, Hannah Gae Kaeo, and Lilly Steirer are collecting signatures to appear on this November’s ballot.  
  • There are four vacancies on the city council. Citizens have until August 25th to file their candidacies and collect 25 signatures to appear on the ballot (more info) 

• During Wednesday night’s Planning and Zoning Commission meeting, the city’s Planning and Development Manager, Logan Hubble, said he has received “quite a few phone calls” from residents after the city passed a statute legalizing Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs).  
  • ADUs, which often deliver affordable housing to communities that legalize them, are most frequently on top of garages. But Edgewater’s code does not allow that, because ADUs in the city may be no more than 15 feet tall.  
  • Hubble noted residents are frustrated, reporting to the commission that: “Almost every single one of [the residents who inquired about ADUs], when I’ve told them that the maximum height was 15 feet, and therefore, one story, has bristled at that and said, ‘Well, how is that? That’s barely even an ADU.’”  
  • Logan continued: “Almost every single person I’ve talked to has had an issue with that,” and “I’ve been telling people that it’s going to be revisited, and that that 15-foot maximum may be increased.” 
• Related, Edgewater’s State Representative Rebekah Stewart (D), wrote for the Colorado Sun about how Lakewood’s affordable housing plan could be a model for the state and region: “Lakewood’s attempt to increase “middle housing” would be big step to address crisis in Colorado”
  

Next Week In Edgewater 

• Speaking of, tomorrow morning, Representative Stewart will host a Community Roundtable and Legislative Brainstorming Session. 
  • Edgewater residents are invited to meet their state representative and offer input. 
  • It’s Saturday, August 16th, from 9:30 – 11:00 a.m. at the West Metro Fire Boardroom (433 S. Allison Parkway, Lakewood) 
• Students return to Jefferson Jr./Sr. High on Wednesday. The Saints are in action:
  • Softball plays @ Fort Lupton on Tuesday at 4:00 p.m. and @ Aurora on Thursday at 4:00 p.m. They host a doubleheader at 10:00 am next Saturday.
  • The Boys Soccer team opens their season Thursday @ Jefferson High at 6:00 p.m.  
• City Council will meet Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. @ the Civic Center 
  • The agenda, pre-reads, and virtual call-in information have been posted 
  • The council will hear an update on the sustainability plan. It is 56 pages. 
  • The council will also discuss the city’s use of Flock Safety technology. The police department uses the tool to read license plates. 
    • The ACLU of Colorado, along with its civil rights coalition partners, is raising the alarm that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is utilizing Flock data in the state.
    • The city of Denver stopped using Flock as a result, after the Denver City Council unanimously refused to reauthorize the city’s $660k contract 

• The Charter Review Commission will meet on Wednesday at 6:00 p.m. @ the Civic Center. 
• The Jefferson County School board will meet for a study session on Thursday at 4:30 p.m. before a board retreat that starts the next morning at 9:30 a.m. 
• As always, “Coffee & Conversation” will be hosted at 9:00 a.m. on Friday @ the Civic Center. 
• On Saturday, August 24th, from 9:00-11:00 AM, Sati will host a “Grovies Art Class.” Only 15 slots are available for kids to participate in one of Edgewater’s coffee shops for $20. (Facebook)
  

Colorado Connection

Curated clips from across our state:

• SPORTS: The NBA released the Denver Nuggets 2025-2026 Schedule.  
• TRANSIT: An Axios Denver analysis finds that Regional Transportation District’s ridership decline has deepened.  
• OUTDOORS: Rabbits in Ft. Collins are growing horns. 9 News reports it is a virus. 
• STATE POLICY: The Colorado Sun explained why Colorado’s budget is uniquely impacted by the One Big Beautiful Bill. Colorado is one of four states whose tax revenues are particiluarly sensitive to federal tax policy changes. The legislature will convene in a special session on August 21st as they seek to close a new $750M budget gap. 
• STATE POLITICS: The Sun Up podcast reported on the controversial appointment of the state land board’s new director.  
• HEALTH: A child under the age of 5 in Adams County has the Measles (CBS). Meanwhile, Colorado Covid cases are on the rise (Axios) 
• HOUSING: Gov. Polis signed a new executive order, warning local governments they will be ineligible for $280M in state grant funds across 34 programs if they do not change their housing laws to meet new statewide standards (CPR) 
• ELECTIONS: In a close 6-7 vote, the Denver City Council rejected a ranked choice voting proposal, but, in a 7-6 vote, referred an initiative to the fall ballot that would break up the city’s two at-large seats (Denverite). 
  • Boulder, Broomfield, Ft Collins, Telluride, and Carbondale use ranked choice voting — in which voters rank their choices and an instant runoff determines a majority winner. (FairVote)