Commerce City’s schools, which long have struggled academically, also could use some upgrades to their infrastructure. That includes a new middle school. So, they’re asking local voters this fall to approve a hefty bond issue to pay for the improvements. The Adams 14 School District also wants to raise teacher pay. So, it’s seeking voters’ permission for a mill-levy override, as well. All of which will lead to a hike in property taxes.

The district last asked local taxpayers for more money back in 2014 — and was told no. The last school bond Commerce City voters approved was in 2008. As education news service Chalkbeat Colorado explains:

In addition to building a new middle school, which was also the intent in 2014, this year’s $113.9 million bond request, if approved, would pay for security upgrades such as door sensors, HVAC system upgrades, new windows, roofs, and new furniture at many of the schools. The $10 million mill levy override, another version of a property tax increase, would raise salaries for teachers and classified staff.

Teachers and others told Chalkbeat their buildings not only are in bad shape but also affect students’ attitudes.

Among City Hall’s most pressing priorities is the crime fight — from stopping speeders to preventing deadly violence. And at a recent council session, the City Council got an encouraging update from Police Chief Darrel Guadnola about new technology and procedures in use to zero in on lawbreaking.

Guadnola recapped for the council how Flock technology for gunshot detection and license plate reading is aiding police in the crime fight, as will the use of aerial drones beginning next year. Just since the first steps of the Flock system were introduced last May, police already have detected and responded to 80 gunshots; recovered eight stolen vehicles and made six arrests using the technology.

The good news was welcomed by the council members — except Renée Chacon, the climate activist and social justice warrior who occasionally finds time to represent Ward III on the City Council. Chacon wanted to know if the north side of Commerce City was getting “just as much surveillance” through Flock as the south side. The chief tried to set her straight.

A few months ago we reported how Ward III council member Renée M. Chacon disrupted Commerce City’s beloved Memorial Day parade with some of her well-known political antics on  issues far removed from our community.

Chacon and her family members donned T-shirts bearing anti-Israeli slogans and then rode a city-sponsored float in the parade. Her shirt declared, “END THE OCCUPATION” while “FREE PALESTINE” was on another family member’s shirt, and another shirt essentially accused Israel of “genocide.” 

Dragging such extreme views into the middle a cherished event like the Memorial Day parade — which honors fallen Americans and is supposed to unite the community — was divisive to say the least and probably offended a lot of Americans, including members of the Jewish community.

Commerce City’s representation on the Adams County Commission is up for grabs. Longtime Commissioner Eva Henry is wrapping up her third and final term and cannot run again because of term limits.

Two contenders — Julie Duran Mullica and Valerie Vigil — are vying to replace her. In order to win the seat, either Mullica or Vigil will have to win the support of voters countywide in the June 25 Democratic Party primary election even though they will represent only District 1, which includes Commerce City, on the county commission.

Here’s a closer look at the two candidates — in the order in which they appear on the June 25 mail ballot — and where they stand on the issues.

Commerce City rightly prides itself on a Memorial Day parade that is second to none. It’s the largest in the state and this year drew at least 8,000 people, according to The Denver Gazette:

Hundreds of parade entries from the military, police, law enforcement, fire, civic organizations, car clubs, and more made their way along a mile-and-a-half route to the delight of young and old alike. Many donned military caps and waved American flags.

Our mayor weighed in, as well, and was quoted by The Gazette, setting the tone:

“It’s important that we take time to truly remember and honor our fallen service members for their sacrifice on Memorial Day," said Commerce City Mayor Steve Douglas. “Their bravery and determination serve as profound inspiration to remind us to uphold the values they so gladly defended.”

So, it was surprising, even startling — and, for some, probably infuriating —to see Ward III council member Renée M. Chacon disrupt the occasion with an overt display of her controversial politics. You could say it was downright divisive…

A sensational letter emailed to the City Council makes some startling allegations against Commerce City Mayor Steve Douglas — accusing him of “collecting data on citizens” and attempting to use intimidation to get criticism removed from social media. The letter demands an apology and calls on the council to consider censuring the mayor.

The accusations were sent to the full council by David Polley, a Commerce City civic leader who identifies himself to council members as president of the Eastpoint Homeowners Association and president of the Prairie Farm Metro District. 

Polley says in the email he was “extremely concerned” by the way Douglas tried to contact him, “after I made comments criticizing the City and Council regarding its dealings with small business and the Social Cannabis project.” 

He said Douglas sent him a Facebook message May 14, “stating he was trying to call me to ask some questions

Commerce City’s main school district has spent a whole lot of years in the cellar. If Colorado’s 178 school districts were graded as students are, Adams 14 would have been getting F’s since before its current crop of fifth-graders was born.

The district as well as Adams City High School have earned the lowest ratings in Colorado’s accountability system for over 10 years because of consistently low test scores, low academic growth and low graduation rates, along with high dropout rates.

And just like kids who flunk, the district has some explaining to do to Commerce City parents.

It’s all part of a long saga we’ve recapped here before. It has gotten ugly at times, with the state Board of Education telling the district to clean up its act; yanking the district’s accreditation; ordering it to reorganize and, at one point, even threatening to dissolve the district and turn control of its schools over to neighboring school districts. Adams 14 has fought back in court to protect its turf.

A glance at the latest posts in Eye On Commerce City’s “In the News” section should be troubling to any of our city’s residents. “Police still searching for suspects in deadly Commerce City house party shooting"; “One injured in Commerce City shooting on Interstate 76”— you get the idea.

It’s a dangerous world, and our once-peaceful and tightly knit community hasn’t been able to avoid the crime wave that has hit Colorado.

The good news is Commerce City police are on the job — but they also need all of the community’s help in the crime fight. One way residents can help local law enforcement is of course by serving as its eyes and ears, especially when it comes to reporting suspicious activity. Another way everyday Commerce City citizens can pitch in is by volunteering to serve on the city’s Citizens Public Safety Advisory Board.

City Hall is looking at a makeover for a problematic intersection well known to Commerce City residents and to the metro area at large. At Monday’s twice-monthly study session, City Council members expressed support for moving ahead with the project. 

There are currently six entrances to the intersection at Vasquez Boulevard and 62nd Avenue, and the pending redesign aims to eliminate the chaotic nature of traffic navigating the intersection. The goal is to narrow it down to a more conventional intersection.

The Colorado Department of Transportation, which is spearheading the project alongside the city, said a new approach is sorely needed and people are ready for the change.

Council member Susan Noble said the project evoked some nostalgia for the notorious intersection. 

“It makes me sad because this has been one of the most unique intersections in all of the region, and we’re pretty famous for it,” Noble said.

Two proposals considered by the City Council Monday evening may play a role in shaping future residential use, in the case of one of the proposals, and in the other, in shaping future residential development in Commerce City. Both proposals touch on the benefits and rights of residential property owners.

Residential property owners engaged in the short-term-rental market likely will be subject to increased scrutiny and regulation by the city.

For future homeowners, meanwhile, the mechanisms that finance basic neighborhood infrastructure — like parks and streets as well as aesthetic amenities — may look different than they do now. Commerce City’s new developments currently rely on self-funded metropolitan districts to make growth pay its own way. 

Whether or not to regulate short-term rentals is not a new phenomenon. Many surrounding communities already do, and the proposal developed and presented to the council was previously floated by city staff to a previous council a year ago.

City Hall is mulling whether to rezone a parcel of onetime agricultural land on Colorado Boulevard near 66th Avenue to accommodate a planned warehouse. Debate over the proposal illustrates a familiar face-off — between Commerce City the industrial hub and Commerce City the residential community.

The property, which has become a de facto parking lot, is nestled between industrial properties. Once a pig farm, it was subsequently zoned for agriculture and light industrial use — a designation that remains to this day. A request to change the current zoning to medium industrial use is at the center of the debate.

The Planning Commission has recommended approval of the rezoning, and the decision now rests with the City Council. If approved, the change would allow Galloway & Company to install a 30,000 square foot warehouse with outdoor storage at the site.

When a delegation of City Council members travels to the nation’s capital later this week and meets with elected leaders and federal officials, one issue they’ll discuss is the mitigation of lengthy delays on 88th and 96th avenues when trains are blocking traffic for extended periods.

City Hall is considering a bypass project that would connect and widen Yosemite over the O’Brian Canal, providing an alternate route for traffic when trains block 88th or 96th. Among other permissions and acquisitions needed to undertake the project, the city must acquire a right-of-way from The Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad.

City leaders attending a National League of Cities conference in Washington, D.C., plan to include a visit to the Federal Railroad Administration to seek input…

Dueling realities of needed and desirable infrastructure, along with their associated costs, were mulled Monday evening by City Council members meeting in their regular study session.

At the center of the discussion were special districts, including metro districts, created when properties are developed. The districts assess a tax, through a mill levy, which is multiplied by the assessed value of a property and bundled with the rest of an owner’s property taxes. The revenue is used to fund basic public improvements in the special district.

The districts fund aspects of development that the city cannot fund through local taxes alone.

These jurisdictions remain in effect unless the district is dissolved. However, most districts continue indefinitely serving ongoing needs within the district.

The council has imposed a moratorium on metro districts.

Those who defended the moratorium, such as council member Susan Noble, see the districts’ financial requirements as unaffordable to homeowners, who are already struggling with rising taxes.

“When is their obligation over? asked Noble, lamenting that “the city doesn’t have control over district taxes.”

Others, such as council member Charles Dukes…

A panel of law enforcement personnel and Commerce City citizens is hopeful a concerted effort to ramp up community involvement may quell a recent uptick in crime. 

The Citizens Public Safety Advisory Board, appointed by the City Council, was commissioned, as noted on City Hall’s website, to “work in collaboration with the chief of police to provide perspective, insight and recommendations for the improvement of public safety services.”

That input was welcomed Thursday at the board’s monthly meeting, where members of law enforcement who participated said the city had gotten off to a rough start for the new year in January. They noted a jump in more serious crimes, and one observed the “criminal element has become more emboldened, and not afraid of us.”

The board discussion centered on strategies and methods to form a stronger partnership between law enforcement and communities. 

A series of educational and fun events to engage residents are in the planning stages.

The events will look to HOAs, faith-based partnerships and other community groups for help with implementation.

An online mini-summit hosted at City Hall on the role and future much-debated special districts drew mixed input, some interested residents and a few City Council members Thursday. The consensus of those who participated seemed to be that they want the conversation to continue.

The webinar, facilitated by city staffer John Bourjaily,  was  billed as an opportunity for City Hall to receive feedback from residents about how to fund growth, particularly through special districts, which vary in their structure. 

One who weighed in was Blaine Hawkins, a resident of Commerce City, who said he is a renter is wanting to eventually buy a home. He said he is “charting a path towards home ownership.” That path, Hawkins said, is made more viable through metro districts.

“As I understand, the goal of metro districts is to provide really early, low-cost borrowing,” said Hawkins. Increasing the supply of homes through utilizing metro districts can lower the cost of home ownership, he said.

“Having metro districts will help promote more low-cost houses for someone like me,” Hawkins said.

As if the long-underperforming Adams 14 school district wasn’t already struggling to provide Commerce City students a decent education, Adams City High School had to go back to virtual learning Wednesday. No, it wasn’t due to a resurgence of COVID; it was a “sick-out” staged by some teachers that shut down the school.

The local education news site Chalkbeat Colorado reported:

The action was not organized or sanctioned by the teacher’s union in the district, but by a group of teachers in the high school who are frustrated by a lack of prospects for teacher raises.

A letter circulated by staff that is signed by “Adams 14 District CTA Membership” — implying it is from members of the teacher’s union but not union leadership — states the concern is about how pay is affecting teacher retention.

Most people probably realize oil refineries are necessary. Without them, we wouldn’t have gasoline for our cars. We also wouldn’t have asphalt for roads to drive our cars on.

Of course, nobody really wants a refinery right next door, either. Especially not when it has violated pollution rules many times over the years, as has the Suncor refinery in Commerce City.

Last week, the state health department announced it had settled a suit against Suncor over air-pollution emissions that were above allowable levels at various points from 2019 to 2021. The settlement includes $10.5 million in fines against Suncor and mandated improvements in air-pollution controls at the refinery.

As The Denver Gazette reported:

The settlement is the largest in Colorado history for air pollution violations. …Suncor will be required to double its fenceline air quality monitoring system and improve its operations to prevent excessive emissions of sulfur dioxide, carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, (and) hydrogen sulfide …

As the news report also notes:

Suncor said it is committed to improving performance and meeting regulatory requirements and said it achieved a 26% reduction in total hours of pollution exceedances in 2023 over 2022.

It’s all good news, especially…

The cost of growth in Commerce City is a complex calculation that can add up to positive revenue for the city — revenue that benefits residents — according to a city-commissioned analysis.

The analysis, conducted by consultant Economic and Planning Systems, was presented at Tuesday’s Planning Commission meeting. The study was first presented to the City Council in December and will be presented again to the council in March given that it picked up new members in last November’s election. The previous council suggested it also would be beneficial to the city’s Planning Commission to get briefed on the analysis.

Growth, said Brian Duffany, presenting the analysis, involves a balance between residential projects and commercial projects.

Denver Metro communities have been grappling with strategies and ordinances to deter and eliminate homeless encampments — with no finish line in sight. Commerce city is not immune to the problem and is brainstorming solutions. But city officials say they are hobbled by a lack of space to house the homeless.

In November of 2022 the City Council agreed on an “Unauthorized Urban Camping Ban” ordinance with the policies and procedures yet to be determined by the city. Once those are established, it will be published on the city’s website.

At a City Council meeting earlier this month, Assistant City Manager Jim Tolbert outlined for council members the obstacles to enforcing the ordinance. The necessary policies and procedures are in a holding pattern, according to Tolbert.

“We haven’t been in a large hurry to do that” said Tolbert, “because we don’t have shelter space.”

Commerce City’s leadership was advised Monday to keep fingers crossed that Congress will finalize its budget for 2024 — so the city can receive grant money for sorely needed road projects.

That input — delivered to Mayor Steve Douglas and fellow City Council members at this week’s council study session — came from veteran Colorado political consultant Mike Dino. Dino works with noted law firm Squire Patton Boggs, which is helping connect the dots between cities and the federal government.

Still pending among Commerce City’s road projects is the widening of Chambers Ave, with a $3.5 million price tag. Another is the intersection of 120th Ave. and U.S. Highway 85 using a $9.6 million grant for railroad crossings.

Dino noted the city now has grant writers, and they should be pursuing more grant opportunities because the clock is ticking for federal money that is funneled through the Bipartisan Infrastructure law & Inflation Reduction Act.