Almost every week is a busy week representing all of you on the City Council, but this one was even busier than usual. In addition to all of the news and information below, I wanted to let you know about two things that happened this week.
Our parks system is severely under funded. We have master plans, like at Dailey Park in Baker, that have sat on the shelves for years without any money to implement the community's vision for their park, we have parcels of land that are parks (like the ones along Tennessee from Federal to Zuni) but have never been developed, we have a goal that all of our rivers and streams will be fishable and swimmable that we have failed to deliver on, we have aging playgrounds that need to be replaced, paths that are missing or not fully paved, a demand for dog parks that we can't meet, and we have places in our city where people do not have any parks that are near them or safe to walk to.
On Monday night, the Denver City Council voted to refer a measure that I sponsored to the voters in Denver to extend the sales and use tax to be used to fund Denver's parks and open space. This bill would increase Denver's sales and use tax rate by 0.25 percent (or 2.5 cents on a 10 dollar purchase) to fund Denver parks, trails, and open space. This would generate the money needed to solve these problems while still keeping Denver's sales tax below the average for cities in the Metro area. To learn more, check out bill and the presentation I made about it here. If you have any questions, please let me know and I am happy to grab coffee with you to chat about it.
The second thing that happened this week was that I was elected by my colleagues to serve as the City Council President. I have been so honored to represent all of you and District 7 for the past three years on the City Council, and I will work hard over the coming year in this position to keep fighting for all of you and the things that make Denver a great city to call home.
Have a great weekend.
Jolon Clark
Councilman
Lucky District 7
GET INVOLVED
Denver Urban Waterways Meetings
The public is invited to learn about and provide feedback on the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers recommendations for the South Platte River, Weir Gulch, and Harvard Gulch.
All meetings begin at 5:30 pm. There will be a presentation at 6:00 pm followed by an open house until 7:30 pm.
July 31, Weir Gulch Study – Barnum Recreation Center, 360 Hooker Street.
August 1, South Platte River Study – REI, 1416 Platte Street (3rd Floor).
August 2, Harvard Gulch Study – Porter Hospital, 2525 S. Downing Street (Grand Mesa Conference Room).
Previous rounds of public meetings were held in both 2015 and 2016. General study background and information on the previous public meetings is available for review at www.denvergov.org/denverwaterways.
Discover Denver will begin surveying buildings along a stretch of South Broadway in July. Volunteers play a significant role in Discover Denver, helping to document buildings, research building histories, and collect stories from members of the community. Trainings for new volunteers are ongoing, and no prior experience is necessary to volunteer with the project. To learn more about Discover Denver and how you can get involved, visit the project website at DiscoverDenver.CO.
Advise the Denver Elections Division
Denver Elections is looking for individuals to advise and recommend ways to promote and maintain effective elections outreach to the City and County of Denver’s Spanish-speaking voters and all potential voters.
The ideal candidate will:
Help make voting material more accessible;
Ensure an adequate number of Spanish-speaking poll workers
Adopt-a-Student School Supply Drive is going on now!
Throughout the month of July, staff at the DHS GIVE Center work with community members and donors to provide backpacks filled with school supplies for children whose families are clients of Denver Human Services, including children in foster care, experiencing homelessness, or whose families otherwise can't afford to help them. To make this year’s drive a success, they your help! Here’s how you can help:
Share the drive on your social media channels.
Help spread the word by commenting on and sharing DHS’ Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram posts.
Adopt-a-Student Register here to “adopt,” or sponsor, a specific student and then go shopping especially for them! Register to donate by July 31 to allow time for caseworkers distribute the supplies in advance of the start of the school year. You can also register to adopt a student with your family, friends, or team.
Make a Monetary Donation
Let DHS do the shopping for you! Click here to make a credit card donation or mail a check addressed to GIVE Denver. All donations of money and items are tax deductible.
Changes are coming to Buchtel as part of Denver’s Vision Zero efforts to make streets safer for pedestrians.
Coming up: Full Weekend Closures of Alameda Avenue
There will be four full weekend closures of Alameda Avenue between South Santa Fe Drive and Cherokee Street for crews to remove an old, unused bridge over Alameda Avenue just west of Cherokee Street. Fully closing the roadway to vehicle traffic will allow crews to complete the work more quickly. Drivers should plan on taking alternate routes during these weekend closures. Access will be maintained for people on foot and bikes - except for the weekend of August 2.
WHEN ARE THE CREWS WORKING?
There will be full closures of Alameda on the following weekends:
Sat., July 28 – Sun., July 29
Sat., Aug. 4 – Sun., Aug. 5
Thurs., Aug. 9 – Sun., Aug. 12
Sat., Aug. 18 – Sun., Aug. 19
Each weekend, the road will reopen to vehicle traffic on Monday morning.
The public may contact 303-991-4591 with any questions regarding project scheduling.
Family Law Open Forums
DHS offers a free legal clinic on the third Tuesday of each month, 5:30-7:30 p.m., at the Richard T. Castro Center, 1200 Federal Blvd. Denver residents can meet with attorneys in a group setting (not legal consultation) to get information on topics such as child support, visitation, custody, and other family law/court issues
The next meeting is July 17; no reservations are required. Download the Family Law Open Forum flyer here.
Free summer meals now available throughout Denver
The USDA's Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) ensures that low-income children continue to receive nutritious meals when school is not in session. This summer, more than 50 locations throughout Denver will be offering meals to children 18 and younger. Find the site nearest to you here.
Summer of Adventure at the Library
Keep your kids reading and learning this summer with the Denver Public Library. The program runs June 1–Aug. 11 at all Denver Public Library locations. Registration packets are available at each branch location beginning June 1. Studies show that children who do not read during the summer demonstrate a significant loss in reading skills, while students who read just five to six books throughout the summer months perform better the following school year.
Learn more: http://www.luckydistrict7.org/news/a-summer-of-adventure-for-denver-kids
Nominate a great project for a Mayor’s Design Award
We're seeking your nominations for the 2018 Mayor’s Design Awards! The awards are presented to Denver homeowners, business owners, nonprofits, and artists for their creative contributions to the public realm through innovative design.
Nominations are due Friday, Sept. 7, 2018. Winners will be announced at an awards ceremony in late fall. To nominate a project, learn more about the Mayor’s Design Awards and see past winners, visit DenverGov.org/MDA .
Denver Days!
Denver Days (August 4th through 12th) is a way to help neighbors get to know neighbors and get involved with your communities. For more information or to register, please visit www.denvergov.org/denverdays. If you have any questions please email denverdays@denvergov.org.
Home Energy Score Pilot Info
The If you're a new homeowner, or are preparing to list your home, check out DDPHE's new FREE HomeEnergyScore pilot! Sellers can include a Score in the MLS to highlight efficiency improvements, and a Score can help buyers qualify for additional financing. http://denvergov.org/homeenergy
The Broadway Rainbow Crosswalk is here!
Sanderson Gulch Construction Update
Progress to date and extended work hours:
Work crews continue to excavate Sanderson Gulch between Sanderson Gulch Park and S. Platte River Drive in order to prepare the site to receive large underground concrete culverts and make room for an improved drainage way on the surface. Heavy equipment remains on site for excavation, drilling, and soil removal.
Safety Note:
Project managers want to emphasize that this is an active construction site. In order to keep everyone safe, trails and sidewalks within the construction zone are not accessible to pedestrians.
Traffic and Trail alerts - Traffic detours and delays continue on both the west and east sides of the Sanderson Gulch project site.
S. Platte River Drive and W. Florida Avenue Traffic Alerts:
One lane of S. Platte River Drive going southbound will be reopened on July 2, 2018, and remain open for the remainder of the summer. Northbound traffic on S. Platte River Drive will be detoured onto W. Florida Avenue to S. Tejon Street or Santa Fe Boulevard.
S. Jason Street is open for business, but remains closed to through traffic. S. Huron and S. Inca Streets are also open for business, but only southbound traffic will have access to S. Platte River Drive.
The timing of traffic lights at S. Platte River Drive and W. Florida Ave has been adjusted to more efficiently move traffic through the construction zone.
S. Lipan Street and W. Arkansas Avenue:
The intersection of S. Lipan Street and W. Arkansas Avenue will be closed beginning on July 9, 2018 to accommodate increased excavation in Sanderson Gulch Park. S. Lipan Street remains open for business.
Traffic detours around this intersection are on S. Tejon Street and Santa Fe Boulevard from W. Florida or Mississippi Avenues. W. Arkansas Avenue, on the south side of Sanderson Gulch Park, will remain closed between S. Mariposa Street and S. Lipan Street.
Sanderson Gulch Park trails adjacent to the construction site are closed. For your safety, please observe the ‘Trail Closed’ signs.
OTHER RESOURCES AND OPPORTUNITIES
Neighborhood Association Meetings and Denver Police Department Meetings in Lucky District 7
Contact 311 online at pocketgov.com or Contact 311 By Phone:
Within Denver Dial: 3-1-1
Outside Denver: 720-913-1311
Job Opportunities
In order to better keep up with all of the events and current hiring opportunities, Denver Workforce Services will be posting the Hiring Events & Job Openings List every Friday at www.denvergov.org/workforce.
Like us on Facebook for Current Events and Information
Keep up to date on what is happening in our office and in Lucky District 7 by liking us on Facebook. Click HERE to find our page!
Discover Denver will begin surveying buildings along a stretch of South Broadway in July. Volunteers play a significant role in Discover Denver, helping to document buildings, research building histories, and collect stories from members of the community. Trainings for new volunteers are ongoing, and no prior experience is necessary to volunteer with the project. To learn more about Discover Denver and how you can get involved, visit the project website at 
Throughout the month of July, staff at the DHS GIVE Center work with community members and donors to provide backpacks filled with school supplies for children whose families are clients of Denver Human Services, including children in foster care, experiencing homelessness, or whose families otherwise can't afford to help them. To make this year’s drive a success, they your help! Here’s how you can help:
The USDA's Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) ensures that low-income children continue to receive nutritious meals when school is not in session. This summer, more than 50 locations throughout Denver will be offering meals to children 18 and younger. Find the site nearest to you 
We're seeking your nominations for the 2018 Mayor’s Design Awards! The awards are presented to Denver homeowners, business owners, nonprofits, and artists for their creative contributions to the public realm through innovative design.
