The April 22 Wheat Ridge and Lakewood city council meetings covered liquor licenses, sales tax, grants and more.
Seeking a liquor license this year? Mark this important public hearing date
Wheat Ridge City Council set a hearing for an ordinance that would change the ordinance governing the Liquor Licensing Authority. The May 13 public hearing will explore the proposed resolution to reduce the eight-member board to a single position called the Administrative Hearing Officer.
Wheat Ridge city staff submitted the recommendation after identifying issues with the current liquor board proceedings. Council member Kory Stites read the resolution at the meeting.
“Over the past few years, the eight-member board has struggled at times to reach a quorum, delaying Wheat Ridge businesses from obtaining licenses and other resolutions in a timely manner,” Stites read from the resolution.
According to the proposed resolution, this change from a board to a single administrator would require changes “11-51, 11-52.5, 11-53, 11-53.5, 11-55, and 11-56 of the Wheat Ridge Code of Laws.”
The hearing is set for 6:30 p.m. May 13 at City Council Chambers, 7500 W 29th Ave. in Wheat Ridge. Residents can participate virtually. See WheatRidgeSpeaks.org for details.
Wheat Ridge votes to extend a sales tax for 15 years
A $0.01 cent sales tax expires this year. The city council heard a resolution to extend the tax for another 10 years. The tax was imposed in 2019 after U.S. Retail Partners, developers of the Applewood Village Shopping Center, came to the council and asked for assistance in redeveloping the building once occupied by Walmart, according to Patrick Goff, city manager.
The city in partnership with Renewal Wheat Ridge enacted the $0.01 cent sales tax to help raise funds for that project.
According to Goff, the tax did not generate the $2 million anticipated when the tax was established in 2019. Instead, the tax generated an estimated $390,471. The development did lead to adding Hobby Lobby, HomeGoods, Sierra Trading Post, Ulta, Eyeglass World and Chick-fil-A as retailers to the Applewood Shopping Center.
The council passed a resolution to extend the $0.01 cent sales tax for 15 years or until the tax raises $2,000,874.
Lakewood City Council considers Community Development Block Grant Projects
The council held a public hearing on the proposed Community Development Block Grant Program projects. According to the city’s Comprehensive Planning Manager Roger Wadnal, the CDBG program runs off funding from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
Wadnal explained that the grants have requirements. For example, projects must benefit low- and moderate-income Lakewood residents, or have benefits to low-income areas of the city that need revitalization.
The city must submit a plan for the CDBG funds every five years. This year, they intend to submit the following projects:
- Lakewood Community Resources requested $580,304 to build a playground in the Two Creeks neighborhood.
- Lakewood Community Resources requested $79,800 for air purifying devices for low to moderate-income seniors.
- Urban Land Conservancy requested $101, 700 for lighting upgrades in affordable housing apartments.
- Foothills Regional Housing and Brothers Redevelopment Inc. requested $95,000 for rehab projects on single-family homes owned by disabled, senior and low-income residents.
- Lakewood Police Homeless Navigators requested $50,000 to help the homeless. This includes rental assistance vouchers, transportation and more.
- Metro West Housing Solutions requested $20,000 for service to help their resident toward self-sufficiency.
- Recovery Works requested $30,000 to help housing voucher recipients with services to support and sustain their journey from homelessness.
- Lakewood Planning Department requested $175,000 for oversight, organization and coordination of the CBDG program.
Lakewood has $1,131,804 in total CBDG funds available. For more information on the city’s CBDG program, check out the webpage at Lakewood.org.
Wheat Ridge City Council proclamations for AAPI Month and Municipal Clerks Week
Mayor Bud Starker declared the month of May as Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month in the city. He also proclaimed May 5-May 11 as Professional Municipal Clerks Week in Wheat Ridge.
