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Westminster staff backs joining Jefferson County regional cold‑weather sheltering IGA; estimated net 2025 cost $55,000–$65,000
Summary
City staff said they will pursue a Jefferson County intergovernmental agreement to share cold‑weather sheltering costs and operations; Westminster’s population share is about 8% of a roughly $2 million regional plan, with an estimated net 2025 cash impact to Westminster of about $55,000–$65,000 after credits for city‑run sheltering and vouchers.
City staff told the July 7 Westminster City Council study session that they plan to pursue a regional intergovernmental agreement (IGA) with Jefferson County and area cities for next season's cold‑weather sheltering and related services.
City Manager Jody Andrews and Senior Management Analyst Kate Skarbek (navigator team lead) described follow‑up work with other Jefferson County municipalities after a spring forum at Westview Recreation Center. Staff said the countywide approach recognizes that people experiencing homelessness do not respect municipal boundaries and that a regional pool of shelter and voucher resources can reduce movement between cities and improve access to services.
Staff described a regional funding estimate of about $2,000,000 for next season. Using a population‑share methodology, Westminster's pro‑rata share is roughly 8%, which staff put at $164,720. Andrews said staff will request authorization to authorize the city manager to commit up to $175,000 to provide a contingency while negotiations finalize details. Staff said Westminster would deduct from that amount the city’s existing costs for the MAC activations (about $69,000 last season) and its voucher program; after those credits, staff estimated Westminster's net new cash contribution would be roughly $55,000–$65,000 for the coming year.
Kate Skarbek told council that last season Westminster's MAC and vouchers covered the majority of the city's cold‑weather hotel placements for residents with Jefferson County ties — she used point‑in‑time and activation-night counts to estimate the local share. Staff said the IGA is currently for a single year and that more detailed terms (cost reconciliation, utilization mechanics, and governance related to any future navigation center) remain under negotiation.
Councilors asked for and received a breakdown of jurisdictional shares in the draft plan: Jefferson County (~$720,000), Lakewood (~$556,000), Arvada (~$432,000), Westminster (~$165,000 gross before credits), Wheat Ridge (~$103,000), Golden (~$62,000), Edgewater (~$21,000). Andrews emphasized the negotiated inclusion of Westminster's MAC and voucher costs in the regional accounting; he said that inclusion reduces Westminster’s incremental payment this year compared with a straight population share that would not credit local programs.
Several councilors praised the regional approach and supported Westminster’s participation; some said they appreciated a one‑year pilot so partners could re‑assess funding and operations after a season. No formal council vote was recorded during the study session; staff asked for council direction to proceed with finalizing the IGA and to return with final agreements and any required budget adjustments. Staff said the anticipated net fiscal impact to Westminster is within existing 2025 budget authority and would not require a supplemental appropriation if council authorizes manager action as requested.
Councilors and staff noted that longer‑term regional plans could also affect negotiations for a second navigation center elsewhere in Jefferson County; participation in the IGA could help secure regional beds or services for Westminster residents when needed.
