Residents press Westminster on website accuracy and warming‑center policy; city staff pledges fixes

Several residents used the Jan. 13 public comment period to call for clearer public communications and stronger responses to people living outside in severe cold.

Resident Joan Palmer told council that several public meetings and events — including that night's council meeting and an upcoming Planning Commission meeting — were not listed on the city's main website calendar and urged improved transparency: "That’s not inclusive and it's not transparent," she said.

City Manager John Andrews responded during his report that staff would investigate and correct missing calendar items and that a new city website is being beta tested and will go live this quarter. "We do follow‑up on everything raised," Andrews said.

Ellen Farb urged the city to expand warming‑center availability, noting that Westminster currently opens the MAC as a warming center at 0°F while Mission Arvada opens at 20°F. She also praised the city's homeless navigator program and singled out a navigator identified as "Haley" for helping clients at a recent resource fair.

Andrews said staff is monitoring the forecast and "is preparing the appropriate steps to activate that cold weather emergency shelter, if the temperatures drop." He said the city will follow up with additional information for both the council and the public.

The council did not adopt new policies that evening; staff committed to correct calendar omissions and to return with additional warming‑shelter activation details.