Mayor's Matters December 2022

Coffee with the Mayor

Please join me for Coffee with the Mayor on December 10 at Vinnola's Italian Market & Deli (7750 W 38th Avenue) from 9 - 10 a.m.

I hope to see you there!

- Mayor Starker

Holiday Closures:

Christmas Holiday

Recreation Center December 24 - Open 7 a.m. - 3 p.m.
Active Adult Center December 24 - Closed
Recreation Center December 25 - Closed
Active Adult Center December 25 - Closed
City Hall December 26 - Closed

New Year's Holiday

Recreation Center December 31 - Open 7 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Active Adult Center December 31 - Closed
Recreation Center January 1 - Closed
Active Adult Center January 1 - Closed
City Hall January 2 - Closed

Meetings and Special Event Calendar:

Planning Commission December 1, 6:30 p.m.
WR Holiday Celebration December 3, 3 - 6:30 p.m.
City Council Study Session December 5 and 19, 6:30 p.m.
Urban Renewal Authority December 6, 6 p.m.
Liquor Board Authority Meeting December 8 and 22, 9 a.m.
Race and Equity Task Force December 8 and 22, 6 p.m.
Coffe with the Mayor December 10, 9 a.m.
WR Historical Society Holiday Celebration December 10, 10 a.m.
City Council Meeting December 12, 7 p.m.
Cultural Commission December 14, 6 p.m.
Let's Talk Open House December 16, 4:30 - 6:30 p.m.
Parks and Recreation Commission December 21, 6:30 p.m.

*City Council meets in Council Chambers at City Hall. The public may choose to participate in person, by video conference or by submitting written comments on Wheat Ridge Speaks.

Regular City Office Hours

City Hall Walkup Customer Service 9 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Building Division Walkup Customer Service 9 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.
Municipal Court Staff is Present M – F from 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Please refer to the City Guide to make an appointment with a specific department.

WR Recreation Center - Open M – Th from 5 a.m. – 10 p.m., Fri. from 5 a.m. – 6:30 p.m., Sat. from 7 a.m. – 8 p.m., Sun. from 10 a.m. – 8 p.m.

Active Adult Center - Open M – F from 8 a.m. – 4 p.m., event rentals are available

Police Department Records - Open M – Th from 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. Friday 8 a.m. - Noon Online Records Request

Wheat Ridge Holiday Celebration

The Wheat Ridge Holiday Celebration is on December 3! Join the fun on the "Green" at 38th from 3 - 6:30 p.m. The tree lighting ceremony is at 6:30 p.m.

Localworks has put together an event guide to make sure you and your family have the best experience possible. Click HERE to view the event guide.

44th Avenue Subarea Plan: Wrap-Up

Over the past year, more than 320 community members have shared their thoughts on the 44th Avenue Subarea, with over 55 surveys completed in the last round, focused on plan recommendations. Updates on the process and a preview of recommendations will be discussed at the planning commission meeting on December 1 and city council study session on December 19. Comment online at Wheat Ridge Speaks. The project team will be focused on exploring implementation considerations and move to the adoption stage in the first quarter of 2023. Dates will be posted on the What’s Up Wheat Ridge project page once they are scheduled. Learn more and participate HERE.

Art and Culture Scavanger Hunt

The Wheat Ridge Cultural Commission is celebrating art and culture with a city-wide scavenger hunt!

December 9 - 11 and 16 - 18, art and cultural gift bags will be placed throughout Wheat Ridge. The Cultural Commission will share clues about where to find the bags on the WR Cultural Commission Facebook page.

Items will be dropped twice per day for a total of 12 prizes. First person to find the item is the winner! Winners are encouraged to share their findings on the WR Cultural Commission's Facebook page.

Historical Society Holiday Celebration

Join the Wheat Ridge Historical Society at the Baugh House for their Holiday Celebration on December 10 at 10 a.m.

Wear your best holiday sweater, bring cookies or a gift for their Cookie and White Elephant Gift Exchange.

For more information, visit the Wheat Ridge Historical Society website HERE.

Let's Talk Program Update

Over 280 residents have provided feedback for Paramount Park and Southeast Wheat Ridge for the Let's Talk program. The program is ready for a second round of engagement where residents of these neighborhoods weigh in on actions the City could take to address their concerns and ideas.

Provide input at the upcoming open house or on the online surveys:

Parmount Park Survey Southeast Wheat Ridge Survey

Open House

Thursday, Dec. 15, 4:30 - 6:30 p.m. at the Wheat Ridge Recreation Center (4005 Kipling Street)

Do you have questions about the program? Pop in any time during our virtual office hours to ask questions or discuss your thoughts.

Virtual Office Hours

Tuesday, Dec. 6, 12 - 1 p.m. on Zoom Thursday, Dec. 8, 5 - 6 p.m. on Zoom. Zoom links available on Whats Up Wheat Ridge.

2023 City Budget Passes Unanimously

The Wheat Ridge community and economy have proven to be resilient, despite several unique challenges since 2020. Revenues have performed significantly better than estimated and commercial and residential development activity continue to thrive. Federal financial assistance of over $10 million in CARES and ARPA funding has provided additional resources to address impacts on the community from the COVID-19 pandemic. Grant funding of over $50 million between 2020 and 2023 and Urban Renewal Authority bond funds in the amount of $37.5 million are enabling the City to invest in catalytic public improvement projects across the entire community. To view to the budget, visit the City's website HERE.

New Playgrounds in Wheat Ridge

New playgrounds were installed at both Apel-Bacher and Creekside Parks!

The playgrounds are National Demonstration Sites for Playcore’s “Play-On!” playground design. Play On! encourages children to move, explore, and engage in active play while providing developmental progression of skills for beginner, intermediate, and advanced level users. Learn more about Playcore HERE.

Wadsworth Construction Update

Reconstructing the intersection of Wadsworth and 44^th Avenue is a major part of the project. Underground utility work near the intersection requires frequent traffic shifts and lane closures. Once utility relocations are out of the way, the contractor will start constructing surface improvements for the continuous flow intersection (CFI). This type of intersection design moves traffic efficiently and reduces the potential for serious collisions by allowing traffic turning left to cross oncoming traffic safely, before entering the intersection and continuing on to the destination.

To receive alerts about traffic patterns and lane closures, subscribe to Wadsworth Traffic Alerts on Notify Me. Schedule and traffic impact information are updated weekly at What's Up Wheat Ridge. Any community concerns may be directed to the project hotline at 303-390-0878 or email the project team.

Mayor's Vlog

Mayor Bud Starker shares the five key elements Wheat Ridge is focusing on to build a sustainable economic future in this first ever Wheat Ridge Mayor's Vlog.

Stay tuned to the Wheat Ridge YouTube channel for more Mayor's Vlogs covering a variety of topics!

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Wheat Ridge, CO | 80033 US

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