Centennial council approves posting legal notices to city website

The Centennial City Council on Dec. 17 approved ordinance 2024-0-17 to allow the city to publish many legal notices, ordinances and other records on its official website instead of relying on paid newspaper publication.

City Clerk Christina Lovelace and Assistant City Attorney Molly Schultz told the council the shift would improve transparency and speed while reducing recurring costs. Lovelace said the meetings page ranks among the city’s top-accessed pages and that online publication would offer a “one stop shop” with integrated links and subscription options. Schultz described the mechanics of the change, saying the city would continue to meet existing timelines (for example, posting ordinances three business days before first and second readings) and would reserve newspaper publication in specific instances required by state law, such as formation of a special district.

During questions, staff described safeguards to preserve the record and guard against tampering: the city will retain archived copies of web postings, use archival software, capture screenshots and “actually do an affidavit” to include with the permanent record, Schultz said. Council members also heard staff estimates that routine newspaper publication currently costs the city roughly $6,000 a year and were told most in-house costs for the new process would be staff time and use of existing web pages.

Representatives of local journalism urged caution. Linda Carpio Shapley, director of editorial and audience for Colorado Community Media and president of the Colorado Press Association, said narrowing publication to the city website risks disenfranchising residents without internet access, removes an independent third-party record and strips revenue from local newspapers that use public notices to support local reporting. “Maintaining public notices in newspapers is essential for ensuring accessibility, transparency, and support for local journalism,” Shapley told the council.

Council members pressed staff on outreach plans for residents without internet access; Lovelace said the city’s call center, printed communications and district newsletters would continue to provide notice and the communications team would run email blasts and other outreach during a planned transition. If implemented as described, staff said online legal publications could begin appearing on the city website as soon as February 2025, with continued limited newspaper posting for about three months to ease the transition.

After discussion, a member moved to approve ordinance 2024-0-17 and the motion carried. The ordinance amends multiple sections of the municipal code, including Chapter 12 (Land Development Code) and related provisions, to permit website publication as the means for meeting the city’s posting obligations where state law does not require newspaper publication.