Let’s talk about motor vehicle theft: both the ugly truth, and the biggest win we’ve seen in a long time. The Colorado Metropolitan Auto Theft Task Force (C-MATT) just released its 2022 annual report, and there’s an encouraging statistic in there that we’re quite proud of: the Wheat Ridge Police Department is among just a
The Wheat Ridge City Council is kicking off 2023 focused on affordable housing within the city. Last month, council adopted the Affordable Housing Strategy and Action Plan. This is the first time the City of Wheat Ridge will specifically study housing affordability in the community and craft a policy approach toward identified challenges. Key components
The Wheat Ridge City Council unanimously approved our budget for 2023 and I’m proud to say the economic state of our city is strong, despite some unforeseen challenges since 2020. Revenues have performed significantly better than estimated and commercial and residential development activity continues to thrive. Federal financial assistance of over $10 million in CARES
The City of Wheat Ridge recently invested $400,000 of its American Rescue Plan dollars into Jefferson Center for Mental Health, a local community partner, to provide resources in response to the growing demand for mental health services. Like CPR, lives can be saved if more Americans know the warning signs of mental health problems, the
Wheat Ridge is laying the groundwork for a sustainable economic future by focusing on development opportunities that attract companies who hire top talent, while investing in physical infrastructure in creative ways – ultimately making our community more attractive for residents and businesses. I believe there are five key elements Wheat Ridge focuses on that sets
Small businesses are essential in the success of a local economy. They create jobs and gathering spaces, reinvest in the community, and foster growth and prosperity. That is why for the last 18 years the City of Wheat Ridge has celebrated the commitment of small businesses to our community with an annual Business Appreciation Awards
Every two years, the city conducts a resident survey to learn about perceptions from our residents on life in Wheat Ridge. We ask questions about the quality of services we provide, what’s important and perceptions of quality of life in Wheat Ridge. We track results over time to gauge progress and changes. In the 2021
One of the most frequent concerns I, and my Jeffco counterparts, hear from residents is the growth of persons experiencing homelessness in our community. Residents cite criminal activity, overall safety, debris and property devaluation as their primary complaints when asking their governments to “fix” this issue. As I have discussed in many different forums throughout
On May 20 I attended the city’s virtual employee award ceremony, where Wheat Ridge employees were honored for work completed in 2021 that aligned with the city’s ACTION values. ACTION stands for Accountability, Change, Teamwork, Integrity, Opportunity and Now, and city employees are expected to uphold these values in their work and interactions. As I
For all the newcomers who may not know about the history of our wonderful city, the Carnation Festival, held every August, provides a little insight into what makes Wheat Ridge so special. When the gold mines began to play out in the 1800s, Wheat Ridge seemed a natural location for families to begin settling to
With warmer weather finally seeing some traction against colder temps and snow, many of our youngest residents start looking forward to getting outside to enjoy all our parks, trails, open space and wonderful playgrounds. This year, the City of Wheat Ridge Parks and Recreation department has exciting improvement projects planned for Apel-Bacher, Creekside and Panorama
March came in like a lion with snow and very low temperatures; however, Mother Nature is also making herself known as crocuses and daffodils begin to brighten our flowerbeds. Yet another sign that spring is on the way, are all the events happening in Wheat Ridge. Partnering with the city, Resource Central’s beautiful, waterwise Gardens
As we celebrate Women in History during the month of March, as well as International Women’s Day on March 8, I wanted to write this month about some of the amazing women who contributed their time and talent to make Wheat Ridge the special place it is today, and some who today are leading to
In 2005, Wheat Ridge City Council adopted the Neighborhood Revitalization Strategy (NRS) Report, Repositioning Wheat Ridge, and adopted its findings and recommendations as guiding principles for revitalizing the city. One of two primary recommendations from the 2019 NRS Update was to develop neighborhood engagement in order to better understand what issues and opportunities are most
At this year’s annual city council retreat, my colleagues and I met to assess our progress on the 2035 Vision while looking ahead to build on what we have achieved and the accomplishments in which we can all take pride. As we renewed our focus on achieving the goals set forward in the Vision document,
While most of us think of this time of year as a time of giving, this year more than ever we may find our friends, neighbors and even whole communities need a little more care. Many communities are still feeling the effects of the pandemic. All of us were touched in some way by COVID-19,
The holiday season is right around the corner and I hope you are planning to spend some time shopping local the Saturday following Thanksgiving. That’s Small Business Saturday and Wheat Ridge has more to offer than ever! We have new retail stores, new coffee shops and breweries, new restaurants, and those who staunchly weathered the
I was very proud to serve as the host for this year’s annual Wheat Ridge Business Appreciation Awards Ceremony and share my heartful congratulations to all the nominees. The event is presented by the City of Wheat Ridge, partnering with the Wheat Ridge Business Association (WRBA) and the Wheat Ridge Chamber of Commerce, and recognizes
As we wrap up a busy summer and start an equally exciting fall, I wanted to make sure everyone in our community knows the best ways to stay on top of all that is happening in our city. At the beginning of every month, we send an e-newsletter called Mayor’s Matters to a group of
The Wheat Ridge Carnation Festival has been a beloved summer tradition for more than 50 years. It was canceled last year due to COVID-19, but we are happy to see it back with all the usual fun and more this year, running from Friday, Aug. 13, to Sunday, Aug. 15. The Carnation Festival is a
Over the past year, traffic safety statistics for the city of Wheat Ridge have shown an increase in crashes involving pedestrians that resulted in serious injuries. Tragically, along roadways with a higher volume of cars or that have higher speed limits like Kipling and Wadsworth, people have died as a result of being in the
Wheat Ridge is proud to be named one of 20 finalists for the 2021 National Civic League (NCL) All-America City Award (AAC). Each year since 1949, the NCL presents the award to 10 communities to celebrate and recognize villages, towns, cities, counties, tribes and regions that engage residents in innovative, inclusive and effective efforts to
