[{"_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",6587107,"mediaKeyId","5681177-31ab11677ed37b0c963953e5e60c0bb3","parentId",5681177,"title","Council hears state land‑use and housing law update; staff to pursue DRCOG housing assessment compliance","audioSeconds",5380,"startMs",1620000,"endMs",7000000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5681177-31ab11677ed37b0c963953e5e60c0bb3&start=1620&end=7000","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5681177-31ab11677ed37b0c963953e5e60c0bb3/thumbnail_1620000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6587107/Englewood-City/Arapahoe-County/Colorado/Council-hears-state-landuse-and-housing-law-update-staff-to-pursue-DRCOG-housing-assessment-compliance","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6587107-8675182176e5231d03e41b9a732a7e54/orig.mp4?Expires=1771002485&Signature=G90iOEZHqDQc60m-Wd5Yh4RIQHN0Ha7G-zZ26j0ZAbGZtbVxI1Crl1BPYfAVGpiVph51fiEt6oYq2zVHyFgeGH8E~NXWp2IYsBVEM2KmeFCnNtONDhj-4p~CzKOKCRyM-42EuHqmgNrwG8mkDILt~MPK3yuZ9EyrVPt02MkU5WG74uhCC7VXml38CsEh5-cVnvQxZcnbH-xo0SGrAGj5ocuau7v6RH2EhwxHiu5xFKEH3ywi00MQlqdSUnXojEkwguu2TDmrqlwGteZszhubvRbUUqEo-xzZSdWvjFV9nE-DmOreGOA8j-hs~CYD6tpxjhm54vxV4ubnK9md68XSbw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Englewood City, CO","date","2025-08-26T05:34:34Z","article","City of Englewood community development staff gave the council a broad update Monday on recent state land‑use and housing laws and executive orders that tie certain state grant funding to municipal compliance.

Brian Isom, planning manager, and Brad Power, community development director, described eight measures adopted in the 2024–2025 legislative sessions that require local code changes, reporting or housing planning. They also described two governor executive orders (May 16 and Aug. 13) that prioritize some grant programs for cities that comply with the laws. City Attorney Tamara Niles told council a lawsuit has been filed by several municipalities challenging the governor's earlier order; she said the case is pending and the lead counsel was not seeking additional plaintiffs at this time.

Staff asked council whether Englewood should pursue compliance with all, some or none of the state laws; Isom said the city risks lower priority for state grants if it is noncompliant. Power outlined three laws staff planned to focus on immediately: the sustainable affordable housing assistance law requiring a local housing needs assessment and housing action plan; a parking minimums law limiting local minimum parking rules for certain multifamily and mixed‑use projects in transit areas; and the accessory dwelling unit (ADU) law.

On the housing‑needs requirement, Power reported the city had submitted a local housing needs assessment (Root Policy Research, 2022) and received conditional approval from the Department of Local Affairs (DOLA) on Dec. 6, 2024; DOLA indicated additional outputs were needed and gave the city until Dec. 31, 2026 to complete them. Power said Englewood can comply alternatively by adopting the DRCOG regional housing needs assessment, which was completed this year and would meet the state's requirement immediately if the council provides comments during DRCOG's 60‑day review window that closes Sept. 12.

John (DRCOG presenter) showed DRCOG's dashboard and said it produces city‑level estimates. DRCOG's analysis finds the Denver region needs about 223,000 housing units over 10 years, and that Inglewood's greatest need is in the 0–50% area median income (AMI) range (DRCOG estimate: roughly 2,040 renter units needed at 0–50% AMI for Englewood over 10 years). Power said staff's recommended near‑term step is to use the DRCOG assessment to meet the state's housing‑needs requirement while staff consider whether to keep or update the local assessment.

On the parking law, staff explained that the measure prevents municipalities from imposing minimum parking requirements for multifamily, adaptive‑reuse residential and certain mixed‑use projects in DOLA‑identified transit areas and that cities may adopt exceptions for projects over 20 units or regulated affordable housing. Power reviewed neighboring cities' approaches (Littleton has limited exemptions; Denver removed parking minimums citywide) and asked council whether to amend Title 16 to comply. Council members raised concerns about spillover parking and public safety, requested parking utilization data and zoned‑map overlays that show where the DOLA transit zones intersect Englewood zoning, and did not reach consensus.

On ADUs, Power said most compliance steps for Englewood would be minimal because the city completed substantial Title 16 updates in 2023. Staff noted they had requested an extension to Dec. 30 to finalize compliance and that most required code edits were largely definitional (ADU definition, setbacks, allowances in PUDs) or removing some design compatibility limits. Several council members said they supported moving forward with ADU code changes.

Council members pressed staff for additional detail: which state grants are affected, dollar amounts the city has received from those grant programs, the timeline on DOLA scoring, and a zoning overlay showing where the parking exemptions would apply. Power and City Manager Sean Lewis said they would gather grant inventory and dollar amounts from department directors and return to council with more detailed analyses. Several council members said they do not want to litigate the governor's executive order with city funds; the city attorney said other cities have filed suit and Englewood could consider its own legal action but the lead plaintiffs were not recruiting more plaintiffs.

There was no formal council vote on adopting or rejecting the state laws; council directed staff to return with maps, grant inventories, and more detailed timelines and cost estimates ahead of a follow‑up meeting scheduled for Sept. 8.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","City Council Special Meeting - 25 Aug 2025","oneSentenceSummary","City staff briefed council on new state housing and landscaping laws and executive orders that link state grant prioritization to local compliance, and recommended using DRCOG's regional housing needs assessment to meet the state's housing‑needs requirement during DRCOG's public comment window.","taxTitle","Englewood City, Arapahoe County, Colorado","taxId",52219,"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},6587110,"Englewood library presents 5‑year strategic plan; weekend closures amid staff turnover",844,220000,1064000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5681177-31ab11677ed37b0c963953e5e60c0bb3&start=220&end=1064","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5681177-31ab11677ed37b0c963953e5e60c0bb3/thumbnail_220000.jpg","/articles/6587110/Englewood-City/Arapahoe-County/Colorado/Englewood-library-presents-5year-strategic-plan-weekend-closures-amid-staff-turnover","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6587110-6e241140353e74b1e535b46995343dc3/orig.mp4?Expires=1771002485&Signature=cgoG92Dt9AOgU3Z8my8~EhQlM7fEXGcDCOMjgsey9PZKko0K2jqoNmMJvpfpPFqaqIEpJtJWRTjzhBF93Nt7ODC~dyXkGpvAAzPFF-T~DizXIQi~CQFBieD5hi9Im-xfCnlPCAzk4zOXYwsbbO9T309rpIc7lWqVJuORCsWHzgTFHPoTVsUm9KPhIZD3PB8fdb94YpLIs8ivlgXbqGe4K6-WehFMXYBYM034hDROF0y-Cti58769GpvFXz5z-bVyDXOkI8tAqBbe9mJa6PFg-9rAvYo-2iFbLEM-6rSw4ITvxXxwskT5VgRuxN6U4gb~y7qcqGslroA9gFpJA9dIJg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Englewood Public Library presented the draft of a five‑year strategic plan to the Englewood City Council at a special meeting Monday, and library leaders reported recent staff turnover has forced temporary weekend closures and a short construction closure this fall.

Library Director Rachel Fuel told council the strategic plan, produced with consultant Barry Dunn, is \"about 75% complete\" and that staff and community engagement drove the recommendations. Fuel said the remaining work is to finalize action steps and performance measures and return to council with a full implementation plan next year.

\"We plan to come back probably early next year to present those action steps to you so you know what direction the library is headed,\" Christina Underhill, director of parks, recreation, library and golf, said as she introduced the presentation.

The plan frames the library in three roles—\"ambassador of learning,\" \"community host\" and \"resource depot\"—and ties these to the city's stated goals of lifelong learning and community engagement. Council was shown draft goals, example performance measures and community input gathered from in‑person and online engagement and a 15–20 person community task force that included representatives from Englewood Public Schools and local nonprofits.

Fuel told council staff engagement and board review have helped shape the plan, but said short‑term workforce issues have affected operations. \"We did have a moment there where we had a handful of staff all resigned at the same time, several of them without notice, so we were kind of left with a schedule scramble,\" Fuel said; as a result, the library was closed on weekends during August and operated Monday–Friday to consolidate leadership for interviews and service continuity.

Library staff outlined near‑term facility work: vestibule improvements and sight‑line improvements at the south entrance, an emergency exit being installed on the north side of the building, and a weeklong closure for deeper maintenance and flooring replacement. Fuel said the south entrance work is likely the week after Labor Day (around Sept. 8) and staff hope to reopen both entrances and resume full service in October, with a potential reopening celebration the week of Oct. 13. The library aims to launch the full strategic plan and related activities in January 2026.

Council members asked about placement of the new emergency exit and impacts to children's programming. Council Member Wright noted earlier plans considered placing the exit near the children's playroom and asked why that was changed; Fuel said the staff found the storage and closet behind the children's area are in heavy use and staff decided to move forward with the south entry and a parent‑room adjacent emergency exit for safety reasons, while continuing to study options for the children's area.

On health and building issues, Fuel said the library has retained Orkin for regular pest monitoring and treatment and that staff are pursuing additional training and partnerships to help manage behavioral health and public‑space safety challenges.

Council members praised staff engagement with the plan and expressed interest in the forthcoming action steps and measures. No formal council action was taken on the plan during the session.

The library presentation and operational update will return to council as a finalized action plan with recommended performance indicators and any required budget or staffing requests for implementation.","Library leaders told Englewood City Council the strategic plan is about 75% complete and outlined near-term operational changes after several staff resignations led to weekend closures in August and a weeklong maintenance closure planned for October.",{"_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},6587097,"Council votes to enter executive session for annual reviews of city manager and city attorney",35,6215000,6250000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5681177-31ab11677ed37b0c963953e5e60c0bb3&start=6215&end=6250","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5681177-31ab11677ed37b0c963953e5e60c0bb3/thumbnail_6215000.jpg","/articles/6587097/Englewood-City/Arapahoe-County/Colorado/Council-votes-to-enter-executive-session-for-annual-reviews-of-city-manager-and-city-attorney","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6587097-e634fe4ceb00a404dd13157a4f75cb44/orig.mp4?Expires=1771002485&Signature=bWjgtDCOsBxJkMQp5JRc5PkaX9SOJXgsXD5rRLT798aElzGUPNV4RzfFB9y4MGkRkb1bpoE2GzVfb~5rgh301RgZpXdx67tyG8g8FT8pkYPnZVsFOsLppzuUpyWOn2DCwjERCUB~~7dm-n1Bkt5GCSPyALEQ-Df4hQj1OYWaUx-x79tUbpWLAvOyPgOrkqT3I4M83ssZyvKrZaiDgJwaIbDHpGeFeDgLYjggCSzmgXIOiCxBAi9QmRkxQMG-1QX5taoqzuGd4LjUGujxKTCXXtuvs4oJ0wftwSL~knfWF4X7Qk22fw49gsA-l9FxTkF4kMTpk6eq9~TAcO-ORTkOjg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Englewood City Council voted Monday to enter an executive session to conduct annual employment reviews for the city manager and the city attorney.

Mayor Othaniel Sierra moved to convene the executive session in the Pikes Peak Conference Room for a personnel matter under Colorado Revised Statutes 24‑6‑402(4)(f) (personnel matters). The motion was seconded and the council voted by roll call: Mayor Pro Tem Anderson, Council Member Noonankamp, Council Member Prang, Council Member Russell, Council Member Ward and Council Member Wright all recorded \"Aye,\" and Mayor Sierra recorded \"Aye.\" The clerk’s roll call was read into the record: \"Let the record show 7 ayes.\"

After the private session concluded later in the evening, the council reconvened in public and a motion to close the executive session was seconded and approved by the same roll‑call tally: seven ayes.

No substantive details of the reviews were discussed in open session and no public action was taken on personnel matters at the meeting's conclusion. Council members were given the opportunity to state on the record whether any improper discussion had occurred during the closed session; no concerns were raised.","Council voted 7–0 to go into executive session to conduct annual employment reviews of the city manager and city attorney; the council recorded 7 ayes on the motion and later voted to close the executive session by the same margin.",{"_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},6587102,"Council reviews three options for a 20‑year affordable housing plan; staff recommends staff lead using Fund 46",904,5336000,6240000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5681177-31ab11677ed37b0c963953e5e60c0bb3&start=5336&end=6240","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5681177-31ab11677ed37b0c963953e5e60c0bb3/thumbnail_5336000.jpg","/articles/6587102/Englewood-City/Arapahoe-County/Colorado/Council-reviews-three-options-for-a-20year-affordable-housing-plan-staff-recommends-staff-lead-using-Fund-46","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6587102-d465c4d97c5d529779df2bc6b2ea12d2/orig.mp4?Expires=1771002485&Signature=kAfF4lJ8XnyYvHodH1FMevE5r0TQMZdEIcn~uFSWbZsue5bOgF7j1N5kI9FdBevZXvTrgJcK3tfLYJKIthjArgMnmMsguMTELTTGQZmn96X~mgpB474nPHNrCVOqswLXMsO1GZdYQQpOo0IoO1aZyvUaRjp6TkdZbKX9G0zaMYgVDMz8XiAux5zxUBpMBGcwGnXVXVosnCBA7Nd8DDzf~dZsawBQT6Qn5wdgdqCvf9cHatPiFrlrHKGl7oAIQSf6v9oGpLi74KSTVmB-YXrICJrhXK45lvW91YTsENlfXtlXFNfVI1Ec0OI4kwzuWL4Ut1EaTpLgRaxlp8LcA-1ang__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Englewood city staff presented three options Monday for producing a 20‑year affordable housing action plan and asked council for direction and a funding approach to start implementation.

Deputy City Manager Tim Dodd and City Manager Sean Lewis outlined three paths: (1) hire a two‑year, term‑limited staff member to compile and begin implementing the plan, (2) hire a consultant to write the plan and then hire a staff member to implement it, or (3) reconvene the community affordable housing task force to develop implementation steps and recommendations.

Staff said the city has an existing restricted fund (Fund 46, the housing rehabilitation fund) with roughly $1 million available and recommended using it for start‑up costs. Lewis said the fund is already used for low‑income rehabilitation loans and that staff estimated a fully loaded coordinator position would cost about $106,000 annually (salary plus benefits). He also said the city anticipates future lease revenue from McClellan Reservoir properties that could provide $500,000–$750,000 per year to support long‑term programs once leases are finalized.

Council members discussed the merits of each option. Council Member Noonankamp said she preferred option 1 — hiring a staff member — because that person could build relationships, secure funding and then help implement the plan. Council Member Prang and Council Member Wright voiced similar support for a city staff lead and for retaining local control of funds. Council Member Pareng (sic in transcript as \"Pring\") and the mayor pro tem raised the possibility of a consultant if it would speed delivery, while others cautioned that a consultant alone would still require hiring staff for long‑term implementation.

Multiple council members asked staff to develop job descriptions, provide grant‑matching requirements and identify which current city grants or potential state grants could be used to finance plan development and implementation. Staff agreed to provide those details and to return with a recommended scope, a draft job description for a coordinator, and options for regional partnerships or shared staffing with neighboring jurisdictions.

Council did not take a formal vote. Staff asked council to include language authorizing use of Fund 46 for start‑up costs; City Manager Lewis requested that if council supports any option it also direct staff to prepare implementation steps and return with specifics on funding and timelines.","City managers presented three approaches to develop a 20‑year affordable housing plan: hire a term staff lead, contract a consultant to produce a plan, or reconvene the affordable housing task force. Members expressed a preference for hiring a staff coordinator, and staff asked to use Fund 46 as startup funding; no formal vote was taken.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Council hears state land‑use and housing law update; staff to pursue DRCOG housing assessment compliance

Englewood library presents 5‑year strategic plan; weekend closures amid staff turnover

Council votes to enter executive session for annual reviews of city manager and city attorney

Council reviews three options for a 20‑year affordable housing plan; staff recommends staff lead using Fund 46