What items in the budget should be prioritized and receive more funding?
I think that the Cop Shops (9) play a very useful role in the city, but get no city funds, some of which need both volunteers, and some funding, why can't the city put a little money there way? And push the VIP Program? -Anthony, Thu 9/20/2007 12:29 PM
Central Street Promenade: Central Street at 16th St. to Central St. at 20th St. Funds will be used to connect bike route D-4 on 20th Street with the new Highlands bike/pedestrian bridge over I-25 on the 16th Street alignment. Cuernavaca Bike Connection. This provides funding for construction of a new 10-foot wide concrete, off-street bikeway for approximately 1,700 feet between Cuernavaca Park and the existing bikeway connection beneath I-25 next to the Union Pacific railroad tracks. Improve pedestrian and bicycle connections in key multi-modal areas $517,000 -Jeffrey - Thu 9/20/2007 8:16 AM I again thank you for the opportunity to respond to a timely question. As a City employee who has not gotten a real cost of living increase since 2004, I would like to see more money put into employee salaries. -Walt, Thu 9/20/2007 12:29 PM
Repairing and maintaining streets. -Charles, Sun 9/23/2007 10:31 AM
Capitol projects should get more of the budget. -Craig, Wed 9/19/2007 11:27 PM Yes, there should be some prioritizing. Cutting rec center hrs makes no sense especially in the poorer neighborhoods which is what is being done. I was on the Infrastructure Committee for Parks and toured Swansea Rec Center. They are not open until 9AM now, which means that people who work cannot exercise before they go to work. Yet in the more properous Lowry Area, which probably also draws frm Stapleton (where abourt 50% of the adults have masters degrees), the rec center is open early and is not having a cut back of hours. What is going on? -Dave , Fri 9/21/2007 5:09 PM
I'd really like to see the City take care of what's already here too. We have to beg to get the weeds cut down along S. Quebec between Alameda and Leetsdale. I watch the trash grow along 225 between the I70 exchange and Mississippi. That may be Aurora? Trash from kids who attend GWHS and East = same thing. -Ejlorimer, Thu 9/20/2007 7:03 PM I am voting against all of the bond issues. -Gail, Thu 9/20/2007 12:08 PM I totally support making the rec centers more available and having programs for kids on weekend evenings and at night to keep kids off the streets and to give them a place to go when no one is around but trouble and temptation. I also am concerned about the adequacy of the Community Planning and Development staff to help with the implementation/enacting/explaining of the Zoning code Amendments. If not this year, they will need more staff to do this in years to come.
-Gertie, Wed 9/19/2007 5:45 PM
I agree with you that library and recreation center hours should be a higher priority. I use the library a lot and I never know when it is going to be open and usually when I need it the most it is closed on Fridays. Rec Centers would help keep youths occupied and out of trouble, not to mention in better shape. I know the City is limited in what they can do, but these two areas could sure use more funding. Thanks for taking this issue on. It's just another reason why I am glad you are on City Council. -Jake, Thu 9/20/2007 8:47 AM Destroy and re-structure the justice system and police department. eliminate their role as the major scource of revenue for the city. the greed in this city is out of control as us common people are paying for this city's greed. for the sake of humanity douglas, please protect me from my gov't. -Jessica, Fri 9/21/2007 3:51 PM
80 more hours for libraries should have priority in the 2008 budget. Money for critical maintenance is also important. -Kathryn, Wed 9/19/2007 6:56 PM These are all needed upgrades, but some like the arts center and library locations may not be as essential to the overall operation of the city. Priorities should include street and parks maintenance, safety (both police and fire)and snow removal. Lack of snow removal impacts safety with respect to police, fire, medical and the ability of the respective staffs to get to their workplace. We know that too well from the 1982 blizzard when my wife Karen had to ride in the back of a 4-wheel pickup truck to get to Porter Hospital from our home near Mineral and S Logan Dr. She
had to make her way through drifts to get to Dry Creek Road and Broadway where the pickup truck was. That year she and other medical staff remained at the hospital for two or three days, sleeping between double shifts. -g.h. stewart, Thu 9/20/2007 5:20 PM As a worker at DIA, I voiced a concern about possible mold in the tunnels. I solely based it on the fact that, if I was in the tunnels very long, I felt sick. The symptoms varied from watering eyes and coughing to actual nausea. The City Council forwarded my concerns to DIA and I received a follow-up letter saying there was no mold and no health issues. Almost immediately I was called into my station managers office and my job threatened if I didn't shut up. At the same time, my station manager said, and I quote, "We all know there are Mold and mold spores in the tunnels but you DON'T go to the City Council about it!" I have two sons I am supporting but since that time I have been told by supervisors that the station manager is looking for a way to get rid of me. I would greatly appreciate your advice. -Michael, Wed 9/19/2007 6:29 PM
Like your proposals on Recreation and Librarys. I am very concerned about extending SNOW CLEARANCE of sidewalks beyond current law. Keep the law as it is. -John , Thu 9/20/2007 2:31 PM I agree with you that more hours should go to the rec centers, especially in the less affluent areas, like West Denver, and Montbello. Most of the kids don't have the same access to various sports activities or appropriate social avenues that kids who have more affluent parents. To lessen the rec center hours after school would be a great disservice to them and the community. -Myra, Mon 9/24/2007 1:51 AM
You are right – it is important that we keep our rec centers open, at least during the hours they are utilized. I’ve heard that the City is studying both how to make itself more child friendly as well as more senior citizen friendly. Rec centers are of utmost importance in providing our children with something to do. Seniors like the many of the classes offered at rec centers. It would be a pity not to operate our rec centers so that they may be used by everybody. The suburbs have marvelous rec centers. Shame on Denver. -Pam, Wed 9/19/2007 11:32 PM Re/shorter hours at some recreation centers. Perhaps demographic studies would show in some areas, more adults have day time jobs than in other areas, and thus affirm your remark that the recreaction centers then should be open more in evenings or week-ends when they can be used. Thanks for paying attention. -Anonymous, Wed 9/19/2007 Some months ago I read that 40 police officers were being added to the existing force. I saw nothing that said there would be additions to the City Attorney's office or the courts. What good will it do to add police officers who will be writing additional citations, hopefully, if there is not the personnel to prosecute and ajudicate those citations? -RDGeorge, Wed 9/19/2007 10:27 PM One question I have about the City's finances regards downtown parking. We used to have 4 hour parking after 6pm downtown at the metered parking. This is convenient for people attending various events downtown. Now it is 2 hour parking. And when you go downtown after 6pm there are many parking spaces not used, so the City loses revenue and people are inconvenienced. What sense does this make? Why was the change put into place and has it been reviewed recently to see if more revenue would be raised with the four hour parking with no adverse effects on parking for the public? Thanks,
-Russ, Wed 9/19/2007 I was pleased to see your comments regarding the proposed cut in recreation center hours. I have used the Denver rec centers for many years and have always advocated for more evening and weekend hours the times when working persons can also use the facilities. I believe that we lose many potential rec center users becasue of the lack of evening and weekend hours for adult rec activities. It is almost impossible to swim laps after noon on Saturday and very hard to find lap time during the summer, when the overall rec hours are cut and the kids programs take precedence. Using the workout equipment is a bit easier. The rec centers are an amazing asset in Denver and it makes sense to use them as much as possible. In order to increase rec center hours, perhaps we could have an independent review of how the centers are staffed since I often see several people staffing centers during slow hours. Maybe there other things that could be done to more efficiently use the facilities and increase the hours. In addition, I have been told for several years that there would be citizen "accountability" committees at each center to review issues including rcenter hours, procedures, policies, and problems and to give feed-back and, hopefully, some creative ideas. Maybe you could encourage this as well. Thanks for attention to this matter, Sandy, Wed 9/19/2007 5:15 PM Public Safety. Start by deporting all the Illegal Aliens in Denver. -Calvin, Thu 9/20/2007 8:28 AM Graffiti removal and patrol cars on local streets should be emphasized and supported with additional funding. Graffiti removal and patrol cars on local streets should be emphasized and supported with additional funding. -Sherri, Mon 9/24/2007 2:06 PM
If at all possible, improve snow clearing of the side streets after major blizzards. Make at least one lane semi-passable for at least some vehicles before spending all the effort on nearly total clearing of a few boulevards. Streets completely impassable even to ambulances and fire fighters are a life hazard. Educate the workers to make them understand that plowing a street in a way that builds a dam blocking a drainage of the water from melting snow is a way to flood basements, avoided at the last minute by a brigade of people living there including the handicapped, the octogenarians etc. (Example last winter: the Lake Hickenlooper on the corner of Vail Drive and S. Flamingo Ct. when the dead end of Vail Drive acquired a snow dam which blocked the natural drainage (there are no storm drains on the entire length of the Vail Drive west of Holly; the corner retains water every time it rains.) Thank you. -Dr. K.A., Fri 9/21/2007 5:55 PM Additional Saturday hours for Recreation Centers and the the staffing and programs necessary to attract youth and get them involved in recreational and educational activities. -Youlon, Wed 9/19/2007 4:59 PM