[{"_1":2,"_124":-5,"_125":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88,100,112],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6190379,"mediaKeyId","5050249-2f942c5eec2592a34e22852e4f38e1b6","parentId",5050249,"title","DRCOG sets July 14 start for 60-day review of regional housing needs assessment","audioSeconds",133,"startMs",6650000,"endMs",6783000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5050249-2f942c5eec2592a34e22852e4f38e1b6&start=6650&end=6783","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5050249-2f942c5eec2592a34e22852e4f38e1b6/thumbnail_6650000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6190379/Colorado/DRCOG-sets-July-14-start-for-60-day-review-of-regional-housing-needs-assessment","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6190379-d1fa7a53434bc449cc249ce4003c8308/orig.mp4?Expires=1775038194&Signature=LMPRaCCOBlc1fJPY5kR7XEEHO6LD~oeXtq~0UsTXbPZps8Am7aecBHXnoDkt-JvLk6Cuuwi4xrFXasZ1VYrFw8~-lQbBh-3KXZovt43Rmo~2V7sGlhH50YygXyB1Zm7b3qjM~cKfpQTpQUnpsGfjTKFwSt6qK4xRGSeljq5QmWDIYvyzp0c1RbYXO3xdOtCBcCNvA9KXJAz1P2ssE4HvsiDZDni55dA-rPCllyXdz7Gl8TPptSd~d~nmbra4-ZJqmTx0Cfy1M9Oxu9DAJ1XOSsSn-4~ze9UVUCIpVMF33Ypv6WiecnUN9pdQbXuT72qFZYokQfro3arX9MTf2Y0B7w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Denver Regional Council of Governments","date","2025-06-23T19:30:25Z","article","DRCOG announced June 18 that its Regional Housing Needs Assessment will be available for a 60-day public review period from July 14 through Sept. 12 so member governments can elect to use the regional assessment to comply with new state housing planning requirements.

Sheila Lynch, DRCOG division director for regional planning and development, told the board that Senate Bill 24-174 requires local jurisdictions to review a housing needs assessment and that the law allows jurisdictions to use a regional assessment in lieu of preparing a local one if they conduct a public meeting within the specified review window. DRCOG staff sought and received DOLA confirmation that the regional assessment is “substantially conforming” to the new statutory standard.

Lynch said DRCOG has provided member governments with a recorded webinar, sample staff-report language and direct outreach to staff in each of the 59 member governments. She reported that 10 member governments are exempt under the law (communities under 1,000 population or with declining population). Of the remaining jurisdictions, Lynch said 16 had confirmed they will review the regional assessment before their governing body, three had submitted their own assessments to DOLA and received concurrence, and about 30 were still deciding and in discussion with DRCOG staff.

“On July 14, you and others in your jurisdiction will receive an email from us officially announcing the 60 day public review,” Lynch said. She encouraged local staff to use the materials DRCOG provided to schedule a public meeting within the review window if they choose to use the regional assessment.

The review window is intended to allow local governments to demonstrate participation in the regional process and thereby satisfy the statutory requirement without duplicative local assessments; local governments may still choose to submit their own assessments to DOLA for conformity review. DRCOG staff said they will continue outreach to jurisdictions that have not yet made a decision and will provide technical assistance where requested.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","DRCOG Board of Directors meeting | June 18, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","DRCOG announced a July 14–Sept. 12 public review window for the regional housing needs assessment so local governments may use it to comply with new state law; staff reported outreach to member governments and resources to support local review.","taxTitle","Denver Regional Council of Governments, Governor's Boards and Commissions, Organizations, Executive, Colorado","taxId",27825,"location","Colorado","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6190384,"DRCOG updates board on community-based transportation planning pilot and upcoming call for projects",103,6383000,6486000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5050249-2f942c5eec2592a34e22852e4f38e1b6&start=6383&end=6486","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5050249-2f942c5eec2592a34e22852e4f38e1b6/thumbnail_6383000.jpg","/articles/6190384/Colorado/DRCOG-updates-board-on-community-based-transportation-planning-pilot-and-upcoming-call-for-projects","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6190384-04a2babccb8ea30bfc52fef078fabd27/orig.mp4?Expires=1775038194&Signature=j51Es~3MwYOMRFv-qUCFu1Rs-ocnKq8qZM8U3T0f09h37p9iZ-1F7If4X-LUD~ZBwd0zvTf3eQ~Vwive4EVqrE3admkQft92S0efKJgUM3Hc4cZ5RE4LdV6HpVACfBMPygxEZjyBwYF66B44fYjqa85THzeflTqXhrKpiPmk5Vm~g2mYqmMIdkbS-NAG0dC7INVnGbiV5qh80HOMW6zMq11-~qVGH2rxURc8gmtTniRa96E5V-i58BPJLb1LGLKytZik1TD2711FpMdegjI1FcKu-xfyktIkR-mj5C6cDfawDiIhXW4O5eG-u0vRxNPodUJM3sILFf-QHFzL-jdS~w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","DRCOG staff reviewed June 18 the community-based transportation planning program, a technical-assistance set-aside aimed at mobility solutions for low-income and marginalized communities, and said a fall call for projects will seek applications for a second round of funding.

Nora Kern, program manager for sub-area project planning, said the program launched as a 2022 pilot and was formalized in the 2024–27 Transportation Improvement Program with $2.5 million in set-aside funding. Kern said nominations can come from local governments, regional agencies or community-based organizations and that DRCOG will manage the funds to reduce local administrative burden.

Kern highlighted two completed pilots. An Edgewater school-transportation study led to recommendations including safe-routes-to-school programming and temporary pop-up infrastructure where an elementary school intake increased after a neighboring school closed. The North Federal Community Transportation Plan, a partnership among Adams County, the city of Westminster and nonprofit Growing Home, identified microtransit and on-demand services to restore access after a reported supermarket closure created a local “food and pharmacy desert.”

Five projects selected in the program’s first formal round are underway — including corridor and circulation studies, a Commerce City microtransit study and implementation planning with Denver-based community groups — and staff said they will return to the board with progress updates. Kern said engagement is time-consuming and often requires nontraditional outreach methods — bilingual materials, child-friendly events, incentives and partnerships with food banks, libraries and housing managers — to reach people with immediate, short-term needs.

Kern said a second call for projects, for roughly $1.25 million, will launch this fall and that DRCOG will seek nominations from member governments and community partners. Board members commended the program and several directors encouraged continued nonprofit partnerships to strengthen community trust and participation.","DRCOG staff reviewed the community-based transportation planning program, summarized completed pilot projects in Edgewater and north Federal Boulevard, and announced a fall call for projects for the program’s next funding round.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6190389,"State funding sweep forces DRCOG to revise multimodal project allocations",130,4444000,4574000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5050249-2f942c5eec2592a34e22852e4f38e1b6&start=4444&end=4574","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5050249-2f942c5eec2592a34e22852e4f38e1b6/thumbnail_4444000.jpg","/articles/6190389/Colorado/State-funding-sweep-forces-DRCOG-to-revise-multimodal-project-allocations","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6190389-69be73a070acce887ca9f60a8724d16c/orig.mp4?Expires=1775038194&Signature=ExPcHmt-fEWdt~pfFdf-hZhDqUzNp45dgC~TH8IntTkZ7nA6263Ijv2NXbbmKMA3l3X9Ppj46fZaoMWiYK~0l-6MvX0obneRGq73i9ClarK0P6pNGFZlY6O3iNpzuRvJ9dIkY6lv6HMChrCv0eR4bqm0ovtlfn49dGhkjD32voHLm6~soK7JqVNotL4q~QwzoSpfasum7S4JODEctsPMlFuGCs3IMa3EZoBC68JERzWajFL94PLBe8rEVs3hScAzIflq9XU6nP5KHqIRvPeBcz~2594FO2QmsyTWazmJmFWlUWp8wkHdr9zOYacthFg6OVdaaK~7sSNf2WzTIDIi6Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","DRCOG staff told the board June 18 that a legislative sweep of unspent state funds reduced the region’s expected Multimodal Options Fund (MMOF) allocation and will require adjustments to previously allocated projects.

Tex Apstorf, reporting from the Transportation Advisory Committee (STAC), said statewide reductions to MMOF funds totalled roughly $70 million and that DRCOG’s share of the cut is about $30 million. Apstorf said CDOT is allowing regions to draw on expected future funds from fiscal years 2028–29 to partially mitigate the cut; DRCOG staff estimated a likely near-term reduction of roughly $5 million to projects that have already received board allocations.

“Doctor Cog's portion of that represented about $30,000,000 of that reduction,” Apstorf told the board. He said staff are working through the details of which project allocations would be affected and how to mitigate impacts using future funding, but warned that the region’s ability to allocate MMOF funds to new projects will be constrained.

The MMOF reductions reflect legislative decisions to sweep unspent general fund dollars that had been earmarked for multimodal projects; Apstorf said those statewide actions affected both already-allocated funds held by regions and anticipated future allocations. DRCOG staff said they will return to the board with recommended adjustments to project schedules and funding distributions once the full analysis is complete.

Board members did not take action at the June 18 meeting; staff emphasized the matter will require follow-up decisions as staff refine project-level impacts and potential mitigation strategies.","DRCOG staff reported a statewide reduction in Multimodal Options Fund allocations after the legislature’s action; the region faces a roughly $30 million reduction, with an expected immediate hit of about $5 million to projects already allocated.",{"_33":101,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":102,"_41":103,"_43":104,"_45":105,"_47":106,"_49":107,"_51":108,"_53":109,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":110,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":111,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6190393,"DRCOG holds public hearing on 2025 public engagement plan; staff outlines updates",252,392000,644000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5050249-2f942c5eec2592a34e22852e4f38e1b6&start=392&end=644","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5050249-2f942c5eec2592a34e22852e4f38e1b6/thumbnail_392000.jpg","/articles/6190393/Colorado/DRCOG-holds-public-hearing-on-2025-public-engagement-plan-staff-outlines-updates","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6190393-033e2ba1973dac2526ed3da6196e671b/orig.mp4?Expires=1775038194&Signature=VVxTUHFXOASuzmHbz-Q~UdWZBSECq2OdWKqVbKZ2lpyqzYpsOX-exMj9cSNvWZSCN5gsIsCM8SHuYF6nNtMwvXsfnm6zZmwRYHUfeYqoZCcrwCM63Hs~9U93EIaTtluq-Mu9PzI42EeW-gqt3RJn04OMxHnH9fMSj~EEYgihqNbYxi5csmmsjin5IwUJbqjMFw0b9h5o5~co8T3cijGLaXKykuDSwMgLH698tAqt3wkSm03Kl8EsSnAuhjjurorPyXkb0mLCIn2NhJO01Ckpg7TYws5Rz-fgjZr2C3Os1yLezlHNByI1SUOD4MzT088-ilCmSxcQlxAIYkDEZUmVZA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Denver Regional Council of Governments opened a public hearing June 18 on its draft 2025 Public Engagement Plan. Staff summarized proposed changes to update virtual strategies, expand topic-specific guidance and add tools for staff and partners; the hearing was a forum for public comment, and no votes were taken.

Angie Shelburne, DRCOG public engagement planner, and Carolyn Clam, multimodal planner, told the board the plan update was drafted to reflect changes since the plan was adopted in 2019 and amended in 2021. Shelburne described the plan as “a commitment and it’s a guide,” saying it explains legal requirements, engagement techniques and ways the public can participate. “It also explains how public input connects to policy and how we can how that feedback helps shape the outcomes,” Shelburne said.

Clam walked the board through plan highlights that staff revised after internal workshops and a public comment period. She said staff reworked engagement steps to be more active and added a chapter of engagement techniques, metrics and tips. Clam said staff also split topic-specific guidance into a new chapter so programs beyond transportation — for example regional planning and aging services — would have targeted resources.

The public hearing record included written comments submitted through DRCOG’s website during a 45-day comment period; staff said those comments were provided to the board in advance. No members of the public spoke at the hearing. Board members asked questions about implementation: Director Harmon suggested convening an annual reunion for Civic Academy alumni to maintain outreach momentum; Director Kondo asked how staff would verify that commenters represent targeted stakeholders. Shelburne said the plan emphasizes outreach through community leaders and organizers rather than requiring personal identification as a condition of commenting.

Shelburne and Clam outlined next steps: staff will compile hearing testimony and online comments, incorporate edits as appropriate, and bring the plan through committee and board approvals. Staff listed a tentative schedule: Transportation Advisory Committee review July 28, Regional Transportation Committee August 19 and board consideration August 20.

Because the hearing was informational, the board did not take action that evening; staff asked anyone with additional written testimony to email it to the secretary for inclusion in the official record.","DRCOG staff presented proposed updates to the 2025 Public Engagement Plan at a public hearing June 18 and invited public comment; no board action was taken at the hearing.",{"_33":113,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":114,"_41":115,"_43":116,"_45":117,"_47":118,"_49":119,"_51":120,"_53":121,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":122,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":123,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6190397,"DRCOG board votes to seek state review for HVAC licensure",132,2044000,2176000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5050249-2f942c5eec2592a34e22852e4f38e1b6&start=2044&end=2176","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5050249-2f942c5eec2592a34e22852e4f38e1b6/thumbnail_2044000.jpg","/articles/6190397/Colorado/DRCOG-board-votes-to-seek-state-review-for-HVAC-licensure","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6190397-6866b589b8e349a509140cebbf0f0e73/orig.mp4?Expires=1775038194&Signature=QUQabXbuxaiApSxB9OPXxFy4PItMHuFBL95mBFVaBY7uXnN2GOKjORh9acHH7Qwv363RaP5wm9Io~jR383w3tW1yV8QLx12e6sfwFm4VNvOwdEMxkoCwZyi75s8rm~ohVfAdWzJToswiJccWIj48NNpWRqp3JrpWFF6R4nZC9Tlt4ULO0bjgiB646eJvRnyaM3pQkKUiJzVCEjv77awMmzOESn7wwWqeHzLQxE1QE3kFAWrTMNLdrnetOdOAVZt5J1BN2AyI6l63Cj9ZT8M4Jc2hFhRSajGjx07B1e-cbO6sTDS-tctpsJwQ2d2Hf3ONcS-8xpZOBn~Drcs6F0Ngbw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Denver Regional Council of Governments board of directors voted June 18 to authorize staff to submit an application to the Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies (DORA) to request a Sunrise review of statewide licensure for heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration (HVACR) practitioners.

The action follows a staff presentation that said Colorado is one of 17 states without statewide HVAC licensure and described risks from the current patchwork of local licensing requirements. The motion to pursue the DORA review was made by Director Levy and seconded; the board carried the motion after discussion and a recorded minority of opposing votes.

The Sunrise review process that Clay McComb, DRCOG program manager for workforce and industry development, described would ask DORA to spend about six months assessing whether state-level regulation is warranted. McComb said DRCOG’s decarbonization grant program — which plans to invest in heat-pump incentives, home retrofits and workforce development — increases the urgency for consistent standards. “When it's all said and done, we'll invest $200,000,000 into this industry,” McComb said. “That is so incredibly exciting, but it also brings up potential for risk and harm.”

McComb told the board Colorado currently licenses electricians and plumbers at the state level, but HVAC practitioners are licensed by individual municipalities and counties. He said that leads to wide variation in training, renewal processes and enforcement and that some smaller jurisdictions lack capacity to track permits and licenses; one permitting official McComb cited estimated up to 50% of HVAC work in their jurisdiction goes unpermitted. He also described a common business burden for small contractors who must maintain dozens of local licenses.

Board members raised multiple questions about scope and implementation. Director Kondo asked whether suggested verification measures would “vet” commenters in public input; McComb answered that DORA’s Sunrise review would include stakeholder engagement and that DRCOG staff had already been consulting DORA. Director Starker said the board should consider whether the licensure would apply to companies or individuals; McComb said the proposal contemplates licensing at the entity level with at least one licensed individual per job, while leaving room in a final design for individual licenses and apprenticeship pathways.

Supporters said a state-level floor could reduce administrative burden for contractors, improve consumer protection and enable registered apprenticeships tied to wage progression. Director Harmon said unified licensing would reduce cost differences that now vary by jurisdiction and urged the board to back the submission. Several directors, including Director Mulvey and Director Starker, urged careful attention to transition timing, inspector training and effects on small contractors.

Director Levy moved the motion that DRCOG proceed with an application to DORA for a licensure program for HVAC professionals; Director Spear seconded. The motion carried. The transcript records multiple directors speaking in favor and several expressing concerns; Director Starker said, “I will not be supporting the motion,” and that statement was recorded during the vote discussion. The board directed staff to continue stakeholder engagement and to return with implementation details as the DORA process proceeds.

Next steps described by staff: if DRCOG files a Sunrise application, DORA would conduct a review lasting roughly six months to gather evidence about harms, consumer protection needs and workforce impacts and then recommend whether state regulation is appropriate. Staff told the board the July 1 application deadline for the current DORA cycle was approaching but that DRCOG could also pursue the process later in the year depending on the board’s timing preferences.

DRCOG staff and board members noted that DORA’s Sunrise review is only one possible path: state legislation or other stakeholder-led efforts could also be used to pursue licensure if the DORA process did not recommend regulation.

The board’s authorization does not itself create a state license; it directs staff to file the Sunrise review application and continue outreach with local jurisdictions, unions, community colleges, contractors and regulatory agencies as the review proceeds.","The Denver Regional Council of Governments board voted June 18 to proceed with an application to the Colorado Department of Regulatory Agencies for a statewide HVAC/HVACR licensure review, after staff presented safety, workforce and administrative arguments for standardizing licensing across jurisdictions.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

DRCOG sets July 14 start for 60-day review of regional housing needs assessment

DRCOG updates board on community-based transportation planning pilot and upcoming call for projects

State funding sweep forces DRCOG to revise multimodal project allocations

DRCOG holds public hearing on 2025 public engagement plan; staff outlines updates

DRCOG board votes to seek state review for HVAC licensure