[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",7315419,"mediaKeyId","2624043-89d3cbfea0546af1958e306bd2b491c2","parentId",2624043,"title","Westminster staff outlines new state housing and planning mandates; council signals preference for local control","audioSeconds",1299,"startMs",1251000,"endMs",2550000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2624043-89d3cbfea0546af1958e306bd2b491c2&start=1251&end=2550","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2624043-89d3cbfea0546af1958e306bd2b491c2/thumbnail_1251000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/7315419/Westminster/Jefferson-County/Colorado/Westminster-staff-outlines-new-state-housing-and-planning-mandates-council-signals-preference-for-local-control","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/7315419-dbb0226f26b50f6a1857b06d5528340b/orig.mp4?Expires=1771182535&Signature=hsQpPvMsy--VaQYwLlf6wiHx6iXltQjwXUWyN7JvVPn1RZMD~QpfeSkW~61ruhUGhnRU1XV2lDuQOYT8CnIrZga95WlAI-vPYxbluU09jDVrjvwUdKeC8fxahpl4StY6tIfW9akMJTPTHrtQuQ4Emc9UHjZ2gycQsyga723C~LFp2YIo6siLzIpVV0wGF16DsIKTriy23OWt5nLQxPLfU3pDQIr6ExbNaIPntGPRdphqRBebEehm-nAfb3fo4cqmZdkfRAbK9V5SX6~HLdZnDOYpDIbdthgGH0Gq0MZLLi6oU6RYjJlniFPtYXHtH~DAD0fS28gG-8mfy0nueRnHRA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Westminster City, CO","date","2025-02-12T11:51:40.77Z","article","City staff told the Westminster City Council on Feb. 3 that three recently enacted state laws will require substantial updates to the city's planning documents, zoning and housing programs and that meeting the laws' deadlines will affect staff workloads and budgets through 2027 and beyond.

Andrew Spurgeon, long-range planner in the Community Services Department, presented the overview and described the laws as \"acts\" rather than bills because they are now state law. He said the presentation \"will review the requirements of each of these acts and the considerations that are unique to Westminster.\" Spurgeon identified three laws staff prioritized: HB 24 13 04 (parking preemption for multifamily adjacent to transit), HB 24 13 13 (establishing a housing opportunity goal and related administrative requirements) and Senate Bill 24 174 (new methods and deadlines for housing needs assessments, comprehensive plans and water-supply plans).

Why it matters: staff said the statutes include near-term statutory deadlines and recurring reporting and program requirements that the city must implement without dedicated state funding. Councilors raised concerns about practicality — especially water service capacity, fiscal cost and whether the state's methods fit Westminster's built-out context.

Most of the council debate focused on HB 24 13 13 and SB 24 174. Spurgeon summarized the HOG, or housing opportunity goal, calculations and the mapping that the acts prescribe around transit stations and corridors; he said staff estimated a large increase in designated housing capacity if the city implemented zoning consistent with the statute. The presentation included two numerical points from staff: one figure described as a housing opportunity calculation of about 9,800 units; a second, alternative calculation described in the presentation produced 50,506 units, which staff said would roughly double the city's current housing stock (staff said Westminster has about 50,323 housing units today). The presentation tied the larger figure to roughly 2,745 acres and about 5,750 properties in the transit-area geography that the statute calls out.

Spurgeon and other staff told council the technical guidance the state Department of Local Affairs (DOLA) is finalizing will influence how the city computes density and acreage. Staff also said that some statutory requirements are unfunded and that the state has not committed specific grant funding for the new assessments, housing action plans and related administrative work.

Councilors asked detailed questions about water supply, legal standing, and the city's ability to zone without infrastructure in place. A city legal/staff panel acknowledged a tension: city zoning could be changed to create capacity, but the water utility has finite supply and would need to approve or deny service for specific projects. A water-utility representative summarized the conflict: if water is not available, projects could not be served even if the zoning allowed them.

Council reaction and direction: during the discussion several councilors emphasized local control. Councilor Azadi said, \"The issue is local control. Are you going to let the state tell you what you're gonna do for your city?\" Multiple councilors echoed skepticism about the feasibility of rezoning large transit corridors without a plan to fund and deliver water or other infrastructure. At the end of the discussion a councilor asked whether staff should prepare the preliminary community assessment report required by HB 24 13 13; staff indicated they would not proceed with preparing that preliminary report at this time. Councilors also directed staff to continue monitoring DOLA webinars and technical guidance and to return with options rather than unilateral compliance steps.

Staff and next steps: Spurgeon told council that meeting the statutory timelines will require new staff time and possible consultant support, amendments to the comprehensive plan and the municipal code, creation of new zoning districts, potential administrative approval processes, and funding and administration of affordability and displacement-mitigation programs. Staff said it had already met with DOLA and the governor's office and that DOLA has authority under the laws to mediate certain disputes between local governments and developers or between local governments over utility extension questions.

What the city identified as uncertain or problematic: staff highlighted four topics it believes will complicate implementation in Westminster's context: the per-capita water-demand method the state proposes (which staff said departs from prior state guidance tying water to land use), the cost of required fiscal-impact analyses and housing action plans (both likely consultant-driven), the potential decoupling of land use from infrastructure, and the fact that state guidance will not arrive with dedicated funding. Staff also noted that DOLA's guidance and some reporting forms were still under development.

Councilors asked staff to return with options addressing local priorities, to coordinate with the city's lobbyist and to continue to press DOLA on technical guidance. For now, council signaled a preference to protect Westminster's established planning approach and to avoid immediate rezoning steps driven solely by the state statutes.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Westminster City Council Study Session | February 3, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","City staff briefed the Westminster City Council on three recent state laws that require updated housing and planning work, warn of staffing and budget impacts, and set near-term deadlines; council members questioned the state's timelines and affirmed a preference for local control while directing limited immediate staff action.","taxTitle","Westminster, Jefferson County, Colorado","taxId",2385,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},7315414,"Westminster IT director outlines 2025 priorities: MFA, CrowdStrike, Wi-Fi upgrades and project manager hire",710,5340000,6050000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2624043-89d3cbfea0546af1958e306bd2b491c2&start=5340&end=6050","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2624043-89d3cbfea0546af1958e306bd2b491c2/thumbnail_5340000.jpg","/articles/7315414/Westminster/Jefferson-County/Colorado/Westminster-IT-director-outlines-2025-priorities-MFA-CrowdStrike-Wi-Fi-upgrades-and-project-manager-hire","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/7315414-5f071df47b1806d536b78ae51e3a35f4/orig.mp4?Expires=1771182535&Signature=k-EcPdwN1GG-taSiTNTWyjT-exQZ3IXtdeKTF~9LG4Up~wROl9s1wP-FVaoa2BuXff4xKjFtIOj1uS06C0eFtL3MdfS1Of9A3BA7BKO-Bn09Fd7ZXmRmoh0EatPvT2Cymq49Klxr7kQNopl2jkXzAyQgAYzw4lYmAt-8uuWuuYbqhP7q0JoNI2~-tVCTBiSj8h2pIxzqwu0~2oNoo1XO61RQc2ToRaLq8ulHMwQyknwc4Q0CwlbmfHfFAARs9IFxdm37T0~x9lrwcbOtrQwvbVWipqOzR7-OsxY~GMCeFI49ES1TYarMY1q7UXUzcNtvBXdy8tqOEaCjwtl8EvHABA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","City information-technology leadership summarized the department's 2025 budget and priorities for the Westminster City Council on Feb. 3, emphasizing security, cloud licensing costs and investments to support staff and new city facilities.

Chris Lindsay, assistant city manager, introduced the presentation and an IT director (title confirmed in the record; the director's personal name was not provided in the transcript). The director said IT supports \"every single 1,100 plus city employees\" and described the department as responsible for software, hardware, help-desk support and technology training across the organization.

Key priorities and budget drivers: IT staff told council the department's overall budget rose about 18% for 2025, mainly because of higher contractual subscription costs (cloud and software licensing). Major items and initiatives presented included:

- Hiring the department's first full-time project manager to coordinate growing technology projects and support planning for multiple new city buildings.

- Completing a multifactor-authentication (MFA) migration and replacing a problematic VPN and firewall platform that slowed the MFA rollout.

- Implementing CrowdStrike endpoint detection and response under a state/federal grant; staff said the 2025 licenses are funded at a high tier and the city has a discounted option if it continues after the grant period.

- Replacing aging storage area network hardware and expanding OneDrive/cloud file usage to reduce on-premises storage needs.

- Upgrading wireless access throughout city facilities to improve coverage and capacity; staff said upgrades already produced sizable speed improvements at Fire Station 1 and the Parks & Rec center.

- Continuing the city website redesign and implementing a new resident-facing 311 platform (City's \"click-fix\" style system), as well as scoping a possible ERP replacement study for JD Edwards.

Security emphasis and costs: staff said two of the department's largest ongoing expenses are Microsoft 365 licensing (projected near $1.2 million) and Azure cloud consumption (about $140,000). IT reported receiving a stateOIG grant to cover CrowdStrike deployment for 2025 and said ongoing licensing would be at discounted rates thereafter if the city elects to continue.

Operational notes: the department described a newly established walk-up help desk at a parks and rec facility for city employees, an audio-visual master service agreement strategy for meeting rooms and satellite spaces, and internal software engineering staff (six engineers plus a supervisor) that support enterprise applications and public safety systems.

Council questions and follow-up: councilors asked about the project-manager role, long-term licensing inflation, JD Edwards (the city's 23-year-old ERP) and whether IT expects continued budget growth. Staff said licensing inflation is unpredictable but that the department seeks multiyear contracts when possible to secure discounts. On AI tools the director said the city has begun piloting Teams Premium meeting companions and will evaluate additional Copilot-style functionality.

What the city will do next: staff will proceed with planned 2025 projects, continue monitoring costs and return to council with relevant project schedules and funding requests as projects are scoped.","City information-technology leadership presented the department's 2025 budget and priorities, including hiring a project manager, completing a multifactor authentication rollout, implementing CrowdStrike under a grant, replacing aging storage infrastructure and expanding Wi-Fi across city facilities.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},7315409,"Parks, Recreation and Libraries presents $47M operating budget, plus capital projects including England Park and Center Park",3273,7292000,10565000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2624043-89d3cbfea0546af1958e306bd2b491c2&start=7292&end=10565","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2624043-89d3cbfea0546af1958e306bd2b491c2/thumbnail_7292000.jpg","/articles/7315409/Westminster/Jefferson-County/Colorado/Parks-Recreation-and-Libraries-presents-47M-operating-budget-plus-capital-projects-including-England-Park-and-Center-Park","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/7315409-77d40710f2aea66a1f4c7454ddf74f5c/orig.mp4?Expires=1771182535&Signature=BWKx70h82NuNM62MG7kWn8~K3n7BSPysST7IUUsPOY39Z0xNJSwD0-29CIoe5zgbtnqVGknjao4ZS5hzK1LcwyGjw8Zqd9Bahz9qS8-jUYaqaWskuralvVZA9EX28jzkI4lUDN2VNSbd6nnI6n~7dCOsw-ERjSz6MJcaJFvoPpyPHO5yyV~K2eEe9qigVg74Buw4XRJir4QYuZLE37soa25nalXBPWqO2ogOITXbBt~ZkBR8xZWW0A9ihw0wUlqEC-SRPB~JGBQSUK2DLh2h9J0UD~tzkWtggYOjb7hUYJZ4RS2vOV93y~qAaC-GXdL6YqyL8IlfvVyizmTHAPdlqg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Parks, Recreation and Libraries (PRL) leadership briefed the Westminster City Council on Feb. 3 about the department's 2025 operating budget and capital priorities, describing a large portfolio of facilities, seasonal staff and upcoming projects.

Eric Oselberger, acting PRL director, opened the presentation by describing PRL as \"the soul of this city\" and noted the department's scale: a roughly $47 million operating budget, 219 FTE (about 1,000 people when hourly and seasonal staff are counted), 2,337 acres of parks and 3,818 acres of open space. Oselberger said PRL's revenue recovery rate over the past five years averaged about 35%, placing it above national averages for similar jurisdictions.

Capital and operations highlights: staff listed close to $32 million in capital projects that are already underway or soon to begin, including phase 1 of England Park (about $6 million), Center Park in downtown (presented as an $11 million project in process) and multiple irrigation and trails investments. Staff said about $5.2 million of public-land-dedication cash is available for uplands park work and that design for the first public-park investment in Uplands is anticipated in the coming years.

Human-services and homelessness response: the department added two navigator FTE and an additional $1 million in 2025 for human-services work related to people experiencing homelessness. PRL staff reported the human-services team permanently housed 64 people last year, provided temporary housing for 18 individuals and supported more than 5,000 hotel-room nights; PRL issued 122 encampment contacts on public property and 65 civilian trespass orders, with police assistance on a smaller subset.

Parks operations and asset management: PRL outlined a shift toward a district operating model to improve maintenance efficiency across six geographic districts and highlighted extensive asset-management work, including GIS-based mapping of valves, irrigation and other in-ground systems. Staff said the typical maintenance cost cited in the presentation is roughly $4,000 per park acre and about $1,000 per open-space acre (figures presented during the briefing).

Libraries and recreation: library services managers described two facilities (College Hill and Irving Street), a library-to-go van and a forthcoming library master plan. Recreation staff said the city recorded roughly 1.1 million guest visits across facilities last year and reported $6.2 million in recreation revenues. Golf operations were reported as a positive contributor, with about $6.7 million in revenue last year and rounds approaching 100,000.

Council questions and next steps: councilors asked about grant eligibility under the state planning laws (staff said most grant penalties or prioritization would affect state funding and that the conservation trust fund and other traditional grants remain important), the public-land-dedication cash balance for uplands, long-term operations funding for Center Park, and staffing for open-space stewardship. Staff committed to providing more detailed timelines and to coordinating with partners on Stanley Lake and other projects.

What the city will do next: PRL staff said they will proceed with planned capital projects and the Uplands area-management planning work; they will return with project timelines, design work and partnership proposals as each project moves toward construction.","Department leaders described a $47 million operating budget and capital pipeline including $32 million in near-term projects, discussed homelessness response and human-services funding increases, and outlined priorities for parks maintenance, open-space stewardship and library services.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Westminster staff outlines new state housing and planning mandates; council signals preference for local control

Westminster IT director outlines 2025 priorities: MFA, CrowdStrike, Wi-Fi upgrades and project manager hire

Parks, Recreation and Libraries presents $47M operating budget, plus capital projects including England Park and Center Park