[{"_1":2,"_111":-5,"_112":-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",[32,75,87,99],{"_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":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6749405,"mediaKeyId","5485431-d1318bbe558db15e8dbe56cfd5b201b5","parentId",5485431,"title","Brighton audit returns clean opinion but flags prior-period adjustments tied to water rights and URA","audioSeconds",486,"startMs",334000,"endMs",820000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5485431-d1318bbe558db15e8dbe56cfd5b201b5&start=334&end=820","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5485431-d1318bbe558db15e8dbe56cfd5b201b5/thumbnail_334000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6749405/Brighton/Adams-County/Colorado/Brighton-audit-returns-clean-opinion-but-flags-prior-period-adjustments-tied-to-water-rights-and-URA","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6749405-ce95f4ea7533ecebcacf05e52bf101b4/orig.mp4?Expires=1770600739&Signature=n6fTP-AzUKVPCLi7jQm8jA2TzUiRllQ-5Tcl2HpfNNUr~LtrHQGSd9P5OkEeq7NDYL4twm5DF4XiAj~ZsvdAkriIE6t2~5s8csjJ-pekH25nJDQj0tXWRNqCyjGXX5vEkuD6uEd~JlA2NGhOCJGU-Wl6uGpKmYQjHzIwkn8L-9AB6SlKlOyKj8RUkc4irQ3DuYalkc0SptHUHRirEaf4qoxUIJFhOmM11DSBfduql380kqap7WS-rUHevmbHvx5NsSRSLsnFT~FsnjZRDNJq1kvmPA9wrfwVU3Shhe8~JFU9ivVpT-MLkGYLvRNl6FSuczSQTkiLpRuOTYYJiUnNTw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Brighton City, CO","date","2025-07-08T00:00:00Z","article","Brighton received an unmodified, or \"clean,\" opinion on its 2024 financial statements, the city's independent auditor told the City Council at a July 8 study session.

\"We did issue an unmodified or clean opinion on financial statements,\" said Matt Marino, principal with audit firm Reuben Brown, as he presented required communications to the council.

The clean opinion means auditors found no material misstatements that required correction in the city's current-year financial statements. Marino and city staff said the audit followed implementation of the city's new accounting software and that the accounting team's work produced statements that were generally sound.

City staff and auditors told council members they identified three prior-period adjustments during the conversion to the new system. The largest of those adjustments related to water rights dedicated to the city by developers over many years; some of the records dated back more than two decades.

\"We did have 3 prior period adjustments that related to different things. The largest 1 related to water rights, and that went back 20 plus years,\" Marino said. Staff explained that historically some water-rights certificates had been held by utilities or parks departments and were not reflected in the finance database; the conversion effort reconciled those records to the financial system.

The auditors classified three recommendations as material weaknesses only because the corrections required changes to previously issued financial statements. The three areas cited were impact fee accounting, certain water-rate accounting items, and accounting related to the Brighton Urban Renewal Authority. Marino said the adjustments were audited, concurred with by the firm, and implemented by staff.

City staff praised the in-house finance team for the work required to complete the audit on schedule while also implementing new software. The audit team described the year as \"vanilla\" apart from the system conversion and said other disclosures, estimates (including depreciation and pension actuarial assumptions), and accounting policies were reasonable.

Council members did not direct immediate policy changes at the meeting but asked staff to bring back the formal management letter and resolution language with additional detail at a regular meeting so council could consider any ordinance or procedural changes that might be required.

For reference, the auditor highlighted that the city had implemented GASB 101 this year, a Governmental Accounting Standards Board standard affecting accounting for compensated absences. Auditors said implementation did not materially change the city's accounting practices.

The city manager and finance staff said the full management letter and detail on the prior-period adjustments would be included in the staff report and posted with the audited financial statements for public review.

","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Brighton City Council - Study Session on 2025-07-08","oneSentenceSummary","Brighton received an unmodified, or \"clean,\" opinion on its 2024 financial statements, the city's independent auditor told the City Council at a July 8 study session.","taxTitle","Brighton, Adams County, Colorado","taxId",53161,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6749400,"Brighton staff proposes sweeping LUDC clarifications to streamline appeals, change orders and residential reviews",954,950000,1904000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5485431-d1318bbe558db15e8dbe56cfd5b201b5&start=950&end=1904","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5485431-d1318bbe558db15e8dbe56cfd5b201b5/thumbnail_950000.jpg","/articles/6749400/Brighton/Adams-County/Colorado/Brighton-staff-proposes-sweeping-LUDC-clarifications-to-streamline-appeals-change-orders-and-residential-reviews","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6749400-2afa5810c6244b1a1aaa3cf2165f46c7/orig.mp4?Expires=1770600739&Signature=KzwQ~aD7zrKw19AtY8STqu7B~MwAQao33r-jEKAcf~ObOoys83m3vlosSVKXaEbBPAh9Qt8E-tMBaiMnFHX5-aa1ymxwYgB2oHxTleN0jDXvbDcw4HpBSD5P43L8KFlrbLLLgAHLvSU67-l6aX0O0xPcUh0NquCMXAMxgQL6GPihlQH9Fp4rOKrgAZIfG28CbMTpRc48TisTtb8hcd3uXOs~TK2J5SlcvPN-cA0omqGbraK0zAjWSLlcPPE7q3RY~HDpyeAfnP0W7SfbChcmfw3n4Pv97Eed8~NsJ6oBO-MIKA8~OIbJFScRMfmgWeDRhuFj8eBl4JSl3F5bZOrglA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","City planning staff presented a package of proposed amendments to Brighton's Land Use and Development Code (LUDC) at the July 8 study session, seeking council direction to refine definitions, streamline appeals, and codify several administrative processes used in practice.

\"The LUDC are regulations we continually work to improve and adjust,\" said Stephanie Iams, associate planner, as she outlined staff'recommended edits to Articles 1, 2 and 11.

Staff described a range of changes intended to improve clarity and align the code to current practice. Major topics presented included:

- Article 1: clarifications on how to treat planned-unit developments (PDs) approved under previous codes, measurement techniques, and authoritative references for undefined terms.

- Article 2: combining two conflicting appeals sections into one consolidated appeals process to remove timeline conflicts and procedural uncertainty; codifying a change-order process for minor, administratively approved modifications (commonly used on site plans); clarifying eligibility and criteria for administrative plats, subdivision plans and zoning-map amendments; and renaming the \"site improvement permit\" to \"site improvement plan\" with clearer objective review criteria.

- Article 11: adjustments to definitions, including items that staff said should align with state statute for annexation and vested-property rights.

Staff also proposed formally recognizing residential design standards review as a distinct application type so builders submit models and elevations at a predictable point in the review process rather than under the site improvement permit section.

Council members asked clarifying questions. Council member Pawlowski asked whether the changes would diminish Brighton's home-rule character; staff replied the package mostly addresses definitions and process alignment and does not represent a transfer of local authority.

City Attorney Calderon and staff explained the appeal changes were largely timeline reconciliations: \"we had 2 timelines for different things... and we had to reconcile them,\" Calderon said, and staff wants a single set of time frames to avoid legal challenge.

Council expressed support for simplifying and modernizing the code and asked staff to return with finalized text for public hearings and ordinance introduction where required. Staff noted that some smaller edits or additional technical changes could be included with forthcoming public-hearing materials.

","City planning staff presented a package of proposed amendments to Brighton's Land Use and Development Code (LUDC) on July 8 that would consolidate appeals, formalize change-order procedures, and create a discrete residential design standards review process.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6749395,"Brighton council begins downtown homelessness discussion; police urge services-first approach alongside targeted enforcement",886,1910000,2796000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5485431-d1318bbe558db15e8dbe56cfd5b201b5&start=1910&end=2796","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5485431-d1318bbe558db15e8dbe56cfd5b201b5/thumbnail_1910000.jpg","/articles/6749395/Brighton/Adams-County/Colorado/Brighton-council-begins-downtown-homelessness-discussion-police-urge-services-first-approach-alongside-targeted-enforcement","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6749395-545ef5ff7e9214bac0c193c11b78501c/orig.mp4?Expires=1770600740&Signature=ZcFALp8fXBFRRHV1r6OtKTohke2BSWegYooJhLk2d7-opuneL~58Hk9zhkePmz6Nq4sFKtTtu1bzxvqsYGrv85JyE4UZRR1ZoJhpLX~3PyiKotmH964tEbOnXZSEQ--kpefOMelPSAvgx89fJxljaDcawdzBlN~Ce10-XF67arGYP3~d~uYCLX5IHZedsUWfOREaFUCvg6e7KaeVXhIQRYSpQJrHcVDRCl8RH0IEiQDwqt0~3N4~YeSBpszAY3aAkP~Q1V63PaS1lG2kd~zW7gHLjapxHILCDyNmTPq7qnha2vCJEy45J~y54KBdFIZH6d-wQvDH3I5Di0nEERpBsA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","City officials and the Brighton Police Department told the City Council on July 8 that enforcement alone will not resolve the visible homelessness and related quality-of-life complaints in the downtown business district, and urged a coordinated, services-first approach paired with targeted enforcement when laws are broken.

\"An enforcement first mechanism is really not a reasonable solution to addressing a lot of these issues,\" the Police Chief said during a presentation that reviewed common complaints: loitering, camping, public urination or defecation, discarded drug paraphernalia, and aggressive behavior.

The chief said Brighton and neighboring jurisdictions lack substantial local shelter capacity, and that many of the people officers contact \"don't want to leave Brighton.\" The department said it is focusing on voluntary compliance, connecting people to services, and partnering with organizations such as Almost Home (a shelter and outreach provider) and Reaching Hope (mental-health clinicians who co-respond to scenes).

For situational data, the chief cited Adams County's most recent point-in-time count sorted by city: \"36 total, 7 of which are unsheltered,\" but cautioned that such counts capture a single night and likely undercount the broader, transitory population.

Council members and staff discussed short-term measures to reduce public sanitation problems and improve downtown business conditions, including providing secure, well-lit portable restrooms, identifying safe-parking locations, and improving restroom access for non-24/7 businesses. Mayor Pro Tem Padilla and others noted that portable restrooms and a dedicated cleaning schedule could reduce incidents of public urination and provide short-term relief.

Council also discussed enforcement tools used elsewhere: sit-and-lie ordinances (Denver and Colorado Springs examples), camping bans in public spaces, and private-property camping prohibitions. City Attorney Calderon noted the city does not currently have a private-property camping ban and said that gap could be addressed if council chose to pursue it.

Several council members urged a balanced response: continue active enforcement when criminal or ordinance violations occur (stolen property, aggressive behavior, littering with drug paraphernalia), while investing in outreach and a case-management approach to connect people with benefits and shelter. Staff and the chief recommended considering a dedicated outreach or case-management position (potentially hosted by a nonprofit partner rather than the police department) to focus on long-term engagement.

Funding and capacity constraints were a recurring theme. Mayor Pro Tem Padilla said Almost Home is the only remaining shelter in Adams County for families (with seven rooms) and that \"it's roughly 28 percent of Almost Home's budget that won't exist for the next fiscal year,\" a cut she said would limit the organization's ability to expand services.

City Manager Martinez told council the study-session discussion is the start of a multi-pronged effort; staff will return with options, continue coordination with urban renewal and housing authorities, and work with partners to identify potential resources and next steps.

","City officials told Brighton's City Council that enforcement alone will not solve visible homelessness downtown and urged a coordinated, services-first strategy paired with targeted enforcement for criminal behavior.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6749391,"Council to consider appointing Daniel Sherman to District Plan Commission; resolution to return next meeting",133,165000,298000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5485431-d1318bbe558db15e8dbe56cfd5b201b5&start=165&end=298","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5485431-d1318bbe558db15e8dbe56cfd5b201b5/thumbnail_165000.jpg","/articles/6749391/Brighton/Adams-County/Colorado/Council-to-consider-appointing-Daniel-Sherman-to-District-Plan-Commission-resolution-to-return-next-meeting","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6749391-37972113ac828dd2eea9cdcfe5e6d7d6/orig.mp4?Expires=1770600740&Signature=MvqTdfnXA0nVIivmzHWC~PYW~U~yw1dVS1667ARE1qZR9Qo7~~TcgSYo9JW~cmLeUYVQ2sE~Otv1Ovs5sViEfkT-3qolycgqHQLOaxjreVQN92eFqbWSi6zqZ6l3zd8q-MFPiXcCmXix-J2Lq-Ct5z9UA1InXdfdK6sxeulmxqOnfN4JUwxtYwmvaw1s18eCN9MPhzOZ2WJoOAiatXfW88OJmF-cJOmZmgDM9VDiVTEFaroG0SmDW64rjAS7YdcLbSd86i585b4xwLma81UtTwdKB~4cr2LSv1XwYw~MnpHNnwFjE1GXo31fpOrEyGD2s806Rb-H5zbRdVrGM0okPg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The City Manager reported at the July 8 study session that the District Plan Commission is recommending that Daniel Sherman be appointed as a member of the board.

\"The District Plan Commission is recommending the appointment of Daniel Sherman as a member to their board,\" Deputy City Clerk Erin said. City Manager Martinez asked if there were any reservations; none were raised, and council asked staff to prepare a resolution for consideration at the next regular meeting.

No formal vote was taken during the study session; staff will draft the resolution and return the item at the next council meeting for formal action.

","Staff told council the District Plan Commission recommended Daniel Sherman for appointment. Council had no reservations and asked staff to prepare a resolution for formal consideration at the next regular council meeting.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Brighton audit returns clean opinion but flags prior-period adjustments tied to water rights and URA

Brighton staff proposes sweeping LUDC clarifications to streamline appeals, change orders and residential reviews

Brighton council begins downtown homelessness discussion; police urge services-first approach alongside targeted enforcement

Council to consider appointing Daniel Sherman to District Plan Commission; resolution to return next meeting