Coronavirus Update
Public Health References
CDC * Colorado * Jefferson County * City of Golden
Jefferson County’s case count page says that as of 3PM yesterday, there were 1,073 cases in Jefferson County (up from 1026). There have been 45 deaths (up from 41) and 248 are hospitalized (up from 240). There are 89 known cases in Golden (up from 86).
The State-Wide Stay-at-Home Order is in effect through April 26, 2020. Everyone is asked to wear a mask that covers the nose and mouth when leaving the house. City and County fire restrictions are in place. Clear Creek is closed to all recreational activities.
The Governor announced yesterday that beginning April 27th, we’ll be moving into “Safer at Home” status. The summary is “Coloradans will no longer be ordered to stay home, but are still strongly encouraged to do so. Vulnerable populations and seniors must continue staying home except when absolutely necessary.” The State government will issue more details soon.
The Jefferson County Health Department issued a press release yesterday, saying they were considering strategies for re-opening communities when the Stay at Home Order expires.
Virtual Golden
Recorded Yesterday:
Cabin Fever with the Golden History Museum’s Grace Brown
Coronavirus Community Briefing by the Mayor & City Manager
Today’s Online Events:
8-8:55AM Virtual Zumba
10-10:30AM Call In: Mid-Morning Meditation
Call in from anywhere to reduce stress, quiet the mind and set intentions. The Jefferson Center for Mental Health guides this weekly wellness meditation. Call 303-502-5189 to participate. Find previously-recorded sessions online at jeffcolibrary.org.
10:15-11:15AM Preschool Time with the Library
Create a lifelong love of reading with interactive Story Time.
11:30AM-1PM Virtual: N.E.W. Connection with the Library
N.E.W. stands for Networking Experienced Workers. This group is for job seekers, employers, and entrepreneurs to help each other prepare for and make meaningful, successful career connections. Hosted by Jefferson County Public Library. Join online meeting
12-12:30PM Virtually Golden: Recreational Impacts on Clear Creek Water Chemistry with Jim Ranville
Have your lunch with other Goldenites while learning about Golden and our local talent. Join us on Tuesdays and Thursdays via Zoom at noon for a Virtually Golden experience. Hosted by Golden United.
Click here to join the Zoom meeting.
Click here to view the schedule and speakers.
Click here for a list of local restaurants to order takeout/delivery lunch to support our community.
2PM History in the Baking with Golden History Museum Director Nathan Richie
Tune in to FB Live for another episode of “History in the Baking.” Chat with Nathan Richie and learn to make Krautburgers. Also called runza or bierocks, these are traditional hand-held savory meat pastries introduced to Colorado by the Volga Germans who immigrated from the Russian frontier at the turn of the 20th century. Bring your GHM&P questions with you and check out the recipe in advance on our blog.
3-5PM Call In: Hard Times Writing Workshop
Telling our stories can often help process our life experiences and find new paths. This safe and supportive weekly writing workshop is free and open to all. Call 303-502-5189 to participate.
6-8PM Landscaping Webinar
Join Kenton Seth of Paintbrush Gardens for a free online seminar on how to successfully transform your existing water-thirsty yard into a low water landscape. Learn what real life problems crop up between those “before” and “after” pictures of Xeriscape yard transformations in magazines, and get tips on how to avoid those issues for a beautiful and sustainable landscape. For more info and to register visit ResourceCentral.org.
The Water-Wise Landscape Seminar Series is brought to you in partnership between the City of Golden and Resource Central. These expert-led seminars educate and empower Colorado residents to save water on their landscapes through low-water landscaping and other sustainable gardening practices.
6:30-7:30PM From the Front Lines: Recreating Responsibly during Covid-19 hosted by the Colorado Mountain Club
6:30PM City Council Meeting
City Council Meeting
6:30PM City Council meets tonight, virtually (they’ll all be video-calling in from home).
They will begin with the Consent Agenda, which includes five items. Consent Agenda items are all voted through without discussion, unless a councilor requests that the item be pulled from that group so they can discuss it.
Consent Agenda Items
1 Approval of the March 5, 2020 meeting minutes.
2 The city plans to demolish the Coors office building that we bought last fall. When they do that, they will have to provide the lender with some substitute collateral, to replace the building they are demolishing. An ordinance on tonight’s agenda will allow staff the put up the Golden Community Center and Fire Station #4 as collateral in place of the building they plan to demolish. Tonight is the first reading of the ordinance, and council will vote on it on May 14th. In the meantime, “salvage” is already underway, which means that they’re selling off anything of value inside the building, such as furniture and fixtures. Interestingly, the ordinance says that “This ordinance is deemed necessary for the protection of the health, welfare and safety of the community.” Learn more….
3 They will consider making a supplemental budget appropriation totaling $2,496.133 to fund various projects. This too is a first reading, to be voted on May 14th.
4 They will approve an Intergovernmental Agreement with Westminster to fund a study covering “pre-fire planning and risk mitigation and post-fire response” for the upper Clear Creek watershed. (This is where our water comes from.)
5 They will approve the 2020 utility replacement program, which will pay Diamond Contracting $804K to replace water lines and sewer lines.
Non-Consent Agenda Items
They will read several proclamations: National Telecommunicators Week, National Crime Victims’ Rights Week, National Volunteer Week, Arbor Day, and Earth Day 50th Anniversary
The Finance Director will update Council on the City’s overall financial condition. (Based on the memo provided, we’re OK so far, but we will have a considerable loss of sales tax revenue due to all the business shut-downs.)
Council will vote on a resolution urging “those in the financial industry to provide reasonable accommodations and leniency and consider delaying rents, mortgages, foreclosures, evictions, and utility shut-offs to everyone affected by this crisis.”
The Deputy City Manager will update council on the Heart of Golden project (plans to remodel the property along the Creek).
You can watch the meeting live www.cityofgolden.net/agendas, on GCO.tv, or Comcast Channel 8 or 880 (HD). To listen to the meeting by phone, please call: 1-408-418-9388 Enter access code: 967 782 973.
View the agenda. See the full meeting packet here. If you have questions, you can send them before the meeting to councilcomments@cityofgolden.net. The questions will be read aloud during the meeting and Council and/or Staff will respond.
Golden Business News
The City’s Small Business Loan for businesses affected by COVID-19 will begin accepting applications tomorrow. Check this page for more information.
Golden History Moment
This is a fantastic photo of very early north Golden. According to the Denver Public Library, this is Golden between 1876 and 1881 (looking north into the valley) View from South Table Mountain, of Golden (Jefferson County), Colorado. Clear Creek runs through the town. Between 1876 and 1881. You can see the Colorado Central Railroad, which opened in 1870, running from east to west on its way to the mining towns in the mountain.
