[{"_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",6219780,"mediaKeyId","3620975-32761dc78b0442d29d320a9cdb0c518e","parentId",3620975,"title","City ditch piping project: Littleton to accept easements, discuss preservation of historic flume","audioSeconds",1877,"startMs",2733000,"endMs",4610000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3620975-32761dc78b0442d29d320a9cdb0c518e&start=2733&end=4610","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3620975-32761dc78b0442d29d320a9cdb0c518e/thumbnail_2733000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6219780/Littleton-City/Arapahoe-County/Colorado/City-ditch-piping-project-Littleton-to-accept-easements-discuss-preservation-of-historic-flume","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6219780-49cea1ba75e8c77e9475484f776182d1/orig.mp4?Expires=1771193972&Signature=gaV0oqm7pS9YyhLLG33bSZvd7vwqtxEpwmpU2T2NF~X4wtA4xj86DaF0d2VX5rj-u9EPqlaZuhKVXopTwWqM8DGWJcSa4vihSNoWkk9fQ-sayCQIuh6P5bUh6RV5dIJvwWM1TvqgRlJDvWfAj4-cCFl4iB7MJgmMaMn5kXEaml6OuCtGMCUidZPivPAgz78bC-jUOSiE1jr73HZQ4Xht4cMjHXv--1SPlbZs5mKbJgvRdcq-fu2n8OgmTXxp2Cl4o0wd0X2iyNlVb-1VqkVqWagK6IzSkEhDAgyAZSlKIH16PGQILZ3DrxRn4y1EkO0dU7jhh~sO5lhPF5t7zQ~6Pg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Littleton City, CO","date","2025-05-28T17:13:49Z","article","Officials from the City of Englewood updated Littleton City Council on the City Ditch piping project and the easements and intergovernmental agreements the two cities will need before construction on reaches 3 and 4 can start.

The project matters because piping the ditch is intended to improve source-water quality, reduce operational energy and chemical use at the water treatment plant, and protect the ditch from contamination while also creating a plan to preserve the historic flume and portions of the ditch alignment, presenters said.

Brent Satterlund, Littleton public works and utilities director, introduced Englewood staff and said the project has been in planning for several years; Stephanie Ellis, project engineer for the City Ditch project, described the scope. \"City Ditch is a 150 year old ditch that was built to convey water to the Denver Metro Area,\" Ellis said, and added that the planned work pipes four stretches totaling about 2.5 miles, with much of reaches 3 and 4 lying within Littleton city limits.

Englewood and Littleton staff outlined four documents planned for council action on July 15: (1) an intergovernmental agreement (IGA) between the cities covering construction responsibilities, a tree mitigation fee (stated in the presentation as about $216,000 payable to Littleton), and preservation of a section of the historic flume; (2) temporary construction easements to allow contractor access, staging and material storage during construction; (3) permanent easements for the new pipeline alignment and restoration requirements after construction; and (4) a quitclaim deed that would release Inglewood's rights in the abandoned ditch area and transfer title to Littleton once construction and conveyance actions are finalized.

Staff described stabilization and restoration work in Slaughterhouse Gulch Park: the plan calls for slope stabilization, filling and seeding to a specified seed mix, and surface restoration standards that exclude large permanent structures and generally restore the surface to a park-like condition. Satterlund and Ellis said the agreement requires 70% vegetation growth before Littleton will accept restoration work under the permanent easement.

Council members asked about public engagement and historic preservation. Ellis said project staff have held multiple public and stakeholder meetings since 2022, met individually with adjacent property owners, and engaged historic preservation groups in both cities. Council discussed salvaging a portion of the flume; staff said one flume section will be preserved and the project will remove remaining flume pieces at an estimated demolition cost included in the project budget (presenters cited an estimate of about $75,000 for contractor demolition work).

Construction on reaches 3 and 4 is planned to begin in summer 2025 and target completion in 2026, staff said; reach 2 remains under redesign and will return to council later. Staff said they plan to discuss flume commemoration with the Historic Preservation Commission and to present the easements and IGA at the July 15 regular meeting for formal council approval.

No formal council action was taken at the study session. Staff will return with the four agreements and clarified legal language about the quitclaim deed for council consideration at the July 15 meeting.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","City Council Study Session - 05/27/2025","oneSentenceSummary","Littleton council received an update from Englewood on the City Ditch piping project, which would pipe roughly 2.5 miles through reaches that include Slaughterhouse Gulch Park and Littleton's maintenance yard, and heard that easements, restoration requirements and arrangements for preserving part of the historic flume will be brought back for approval.","taxTitle","Littleton City, Arapahoe County, Colorado","taxId",52180,"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},6219784,"Littleton council hears how private-activity bond cap can leverage affordable housing",2073,251000,2324000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3620975-32761dc78b0442d29d320a9cdb0c518e&start=251&end=2324","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3620975-32761dc78b0442d29d320a9cdb0c518e/thumbnail_251000.jpg","/articles/6219784/Littleton-City/Arapahoe-County/Colorado/Littleton-council-hears-how-private-activity-bond-cap-can-leverage-affordable-housing","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6219784-82e8f56a61dd19446a324d9c08817cfb/orig.mp4?Expires=1771193972&Signature=D~e5uwff2l5juPgpiUIpu7Q5-pyxNpVDGC3bBBVQuU0-SXuCBNJg4DbxXhe7fDArssJdkc3tY8mMGovw~CWANKNe9BKBaGAb4pY2485mJFDhdKAPvJukJEdM2J6uajy2vBDv18fkq95YT-CZAChPMbMUIDB7yeNr5QWWmKGtZ4G1PzhsGfYki-9HcNEfCC~8c26iW6gPhzcZggHiBbFhFEcwzIgqLy06eipUZ8d2lFqpesTtkML8DUZwy2gnijg9qlrfKZD0ESbizBSRDQOZrdqvH~zYel~94AbOX7qdk7pTZM5GXPym0aAmTKhF61XRWnf7tnDgTDA-fgWkb2HVlQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Littleton City Council discussed using the city's 2025 private activity bond volume cap to support affordable housing development at a study session, with South Metro Housing Options and bond counsel outlining how the tool works and asking council to consider assigning the cap to an issuing authority.

The discussion mattered because private-activity bond volume cap unlocks tax-exempt financing and federal 4% low-income housing tax credits that can supply equity for multifamily affordable developments, presenters said.

Kathleen Osher, deputy city manager, introduced the discussion and invited South Metro Housing Options and bond counsel to explain how Littleton could use its allocation. Bond counsel Corey Kalanak of Taft Law described the volume cap as \"a little bit more like a permission slip to issue private activity bonds,\" and explained that Colorado's allocation is set by a statutory formula and administered in part by the Colorado Department of Local Affairs (DOLA).

Kalanak told council that Colorado's 2025 statewide cap is calculated at about $130 per person (the nationwide formula), and that Littleton's 2025 share is roughly $2.9 million. He said municipalities may do one of four things by the statutory relinquishment date (Sept. 15): issue bonds as the conduit issuer, carry the allocation forward (with additional IRS filings) and use it within the carry-forward window, assign the allocation to another governmental issuing authority (for example the local housing authority), or allow the allocation to revert to the statewide balance administered by DOLA.

Sarah Burr, representing South Metro Housing Options, said the housing authority has projects in a pipeline that would require private-activity bond cap to access 4% low-income housing tax credits and attract tax-credit equity. \"We absolutely will have a project on which we would be able to use this,\" Burr said.

Presenters and council discussed operational details: assignments must be to eligible governmental issuing authorities (not private developers), an assignment document must state that the allocation is not a debt or indebtedness of the assignor and cannot be sold for monetary consideration, and carry-forward requires filing with the state and the IRS. Osher and Kalanak said CHFA (Colorado Housing and Finance Authority) and DOLA routinely factor local allocations into tax-credit award decisions and that consolidated local allocations can help projects compete.

Councilor Reicher pressed on borrower risk and collateral; Kalanak and South Metro representatives said the conduit bonds are typically revenue-backed by project rents and tax-credit equity, and that underwriting and multiple layers of review are standard in such deals.

No formal vote was taken. Staff recommended bringing a resolution and draft assignment documents to a regular council meeting so the council could decide whether to assign or carry forward the city's 2025 allocation before the Sept. 15 relinquishment date. Council agreed to see the item at the next regular meeting.

Looking ahead, staff said they would return with draft documents and an option for council action before the statutory deadline; if Littleton does nothing, the allocation will revert to the statewide balance and be redistributed by DOLA.","City staff and South Metro Housing Options told Littleton council that the city's $2.9 million private-activity bond allocation can be assigned or carried forward to help finance low-income housing projects; council asked staff to return with a resolution before the state's Sept. 15 relinquishment deadline.",{"_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},6219775,"Council reviews citizen petition language seeking charter changes; staff to explore revised notification options",2847,3253000,6100000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3620975-32761dc78b0442d29d320a9cdb0c518e&start=3253&end=6100","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3620975-32761dc78b0442d29d320a9cdb0c518e/thumbnail_3253000.jpg","/articles/6219775/Littleton-City/Arapahoe-County/Colorado/Council-reviews-citizen-petition-language-seeking-charter-changes-staff-to-explore-revised-notification-options","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6219775-6204806082fafc7b51bff102d623a1f4/orig.mp4?Expires=1771193972&Signature=S95KG3qkJYjtkYv~Un6~6iT-ZukGCY-q1lB3ooktm0XqVBhR1p2PmP9Wb-GCFoQHWTeFdovfYcajkyG2~P3vtM3cC~dbnh4VtdDMKcVdwHV-Jm9KMfOI48yTv7A7tDKWh~9vIPJkd-YE47Ht5JVdLFjPUJhjjlzZI6GEk~MyKW~X9dfFeFV0WDibE3QwGXNZU6nj7BYWT6JBr3BAMJKdj-Z~Cjq4W3C8EuIUnAvp1XZLVDhqJre7OISsS80mpCN2qG1TCXG6qb4aZBfFkol-mB6dkwD~U9OXQxifrco0AfMPXMfEJ12MCKZIonRxELpVxxdOCZGv9I~mcGajLQtAlw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","City Attorney briefed Littleton City Council on a citizen petition to amend the city charter that would, if approved by voters, limit land uses in residential zoning categories to those permitted as of Jan. 1, 2025, and require first-class-mail notification to affected property owners when council initiates comprehensive rezoning or official map amendments.

The briefing mattered because the petition language raises questions about ambiguity, retroactive effect, and potential conflicts with state law; council directed staff to engage petition organizers and to prepare options to improve notification practices through code or communications changes.

The City Attorney (name not provided) said petition-driven charter amendments are governed by the city charter and by state rules for initiatives and charter amendments, and noted that a petition for a charter amendment requires signatures from 5% of registered electors. \"In this particular case ... the current initiative ... requires 1,827 signatures,\" the City Attorney said, describing the circulation deadline (90 days from filing, with a cited example date placing signature submission by Aug. 5, 2025).

The attorney reviewed the petition text with council. The first sentence of the petition freezes permitted land uses in several residential zoning districts to those listed on Jan. 1, 2025, while a subsequent sentence would require that when council initiates a comprehensive rezoning or official zoning map amendment (including text changes associated with a rezoning), the city send first-class-mail notices to affected property owners. The attorney cautioned that the plain language contains ambiguities that could be interpreted in multiple ways and could create legal conflicts: for example, whether a later state law or council action to comply with state legislation would be inconsistent with a charter change that \"limits\" permitted uses as of a past date.

Council members asked whether the petition would create a two-year pause, require a vote for future changes, or retroactively negate recent code changes. The City Attorney said it would not itself create a temporary moratorium or require a citizen vote to change code; rather, it would be a charter change if voters approve it. He also said that questions about retroactive application and conflicts with state law could lead to litigation if the petition passed and the city later adopted conflicting actions.

Council discussed practical options: several members suggested staff explore clearer notification methods in the municipal code and better use of existing communications channels (for example the Littleton Report print mailing and opt-in digital notifications) before the petition proceeds; others said they wanted staff to speak directly with organizers to determine whether alternative language or a targeted code change could meet petitioners' objectives.

Council directed staff to contact petition organizers, to review current notification practices and costs (including first-class mailing costs and potential alternatives), and to prepare recommendations for modifying code and communications practices as an alternative to a charter amendment. Council did not take a formal vote on the charter language itself; the petitioners may continue to gather signatures and, if they submit the required number of valid signatures, the council would then place the measure before voters in accordance with state and local rules.","City attorney briefed council on a citizen-led petition that would amend Littleton's charter to limit new land uses and require first-class-mail notification for certain rezoning actions; city staff will reach out to petitioners and study alternative notification code amendments and public-education options before July council meetings.","actionData","errors"]

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City ditch piping project: Littleton to accept easements, discuss preservation of historic flume

Littleton council hears how private-activity bond cap can leverage affordable housing

Council reviews citizen petition language seeking charter changes; staff to explore revised notification options