[{"_1":2,"_98":-5,"_99":-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],{"_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",6475786,"mediaKeyId","5732039-8cd272514b91ce0efd151c3ebaf0a9a6","parentId",5732039,"title","Council debates golf course subsidy, banners and trash costs as part of budget balancing","audioSeconds",7559,"startMs",1567000,"endMs",9126000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5732039-8cd272514b91ce0efd151c3ebaf0a9a6&start=1567&end=9126","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5732039-8cd272514b91ce0efd151c3ebaf0a9a6/thumbnail_1567000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6475786/Commerce-City/Adams-County/Colorado/Council-debates-golf-course-subsidy-banners-and-trash-costs-as-part-of-budget-balancing","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6475786-e56174db5de7f59aec118b9e94c70d59/orig.mp4?Expires=1775053130&Signature=QOQwNBthoPvTNwiVSZcsaZ2MXIxg5aO58p80Dz9mmWuY0x5fpU87-hf69PXWIMDrAMsHwEZmhO9rs9H76n-mfVXF4hy6zSKaDey2liDuYA0kGawSkZpAXH1XpgJEGcUJLHM6RMs7ibXFwnCVISPRuEO0RiQDn090kXDOt3Njem9Sn7eok6RTfESgXZvkc-j-uMasMmyeZZb-aVh1PVHQiouDz2W4MpI5wrPrOvgVgtrJRsf9Qyv~8jvtDJQbkBbUhjAzSYkUU8jXYoisAWkVPZgfrWYDvKx8ktaz~7rgxPoD0KZcVXbpXx6C4iRFIet7SgNCiN2dZehIeVtoxuDbmw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City Council of Commerce CO","date","2025-09-08T16:36:21Z","article","Councilors used the budget workshop to revisit several operational and amenity decisions: the municipal golf course and clubhouse, the seasonal banner program, wayfinding signage, mowing contracts and the city’s contract for residential trash service.

Golf course and Bison Grill

Economic development staff and councilors noted the municipal golf operation and its restaurant are subsidized. Garrett Anderson said the combined operations are subsidized at \"around a 30% rate,\" and that staff will present a recommended fee increase in October. He listed options for council consideration in the future, including closure, sale or contracting operations. Multiple councilors urged caution about either closing or selling the course because neighborhoods were built around the amenity and residents expect it to remain.

Banners, wayfinding and contract mowing

Councilors criticized the seasonal banner program on major corridors for reliability problems and recurring costs. Staff provided two figures for the banner program: one earlier citation of about $80,000 annually for maintenance and a later total program cost estimate around $230,000 (roughly $150,000 contractor costs plus $80,000 maintenance). The council voted to eliminate the banner program as part of the budget direction and to accelerate installation of a commercial wayfinding/signage program described by staff as nearing installation in late 2025.

Trash contract and curbside service

Councilors discussed a substantial increase in the budget for trash service; staff said trash contract costs rose by about $2.7 million compared with earlier budget levels and that the city will evaluate the contract terms. Council members urged staff to analyze alternatives, including a feasibility study to compare city-run versus contracted refuse collection and to return with negotiated contract terms in an executive-session format if necessary.

Operational and staffing notes

Staff recommended a modest, one-time transfer from the fleet internal service fund to reduce the general fund transfer to CIP for 2026 and proposed a 2 percent vacancy-savings budgeting factor. Several council members suggested administrative savings, better contract management and examining services that could be performed in-house instead of contracted. Councilors uniformly expressed reluctance to use furloughs or broad hiring freezes as primary means to balance the budget.

Ending: these operational topics will come back to council with cost estimates or contract terms for specific actions; the workshop vote advanced a package that removes the banner program and directs staff to find $1 million in additional reductions without specifying particular furloughs or hiring freezes.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","City Council Study Session - Sept. 8, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Commerce City councilors and staff discussed the Buffalo Run golf course subsidy and possible fee increases, the seasonal banner program and wayfinding signage, and a substantial trash-contract cost increase while weighing where to find budget savings.","taxTitle","Commerce City, Adams County, Colorado","taxId",4151,"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},6475791,"Commerce City outlines Derby commercial-area plan and marketing push; staff proposes studies and a new marketing specialist",349,1211000,1560000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5732039-8cd272514b91ce0efd151c3ebaf0a9a6&start=1211&end=1560","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5732039-8cd272514b91ce0efd151c3ebaf0a9a6/thumbnail_1211000.jpg","/articles/6475791/Commerce-City/Adams-County/Colorado/Commerce-City-outlines-Derby-commercial-area-plan-and-marketing-push-staff-proposes-studies-and-a-new-marketing-specialist","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6475791-f9dcbd67defc2bf3bc7f1e2d83124e55/orig.mp4?Expires=1775053130&Signature=Ishb2nAD6itjEGjBkIcrK7ln4aT077r6nqaLwvvV4PFJIpGrpHnc5ZFR8Xb3IFBI54KT90QbDNHfHHgqzyXlT8XHAcu6vSc8CetmppveEwxjrg2DYDlfCBurwrgM1TTQhR7LIzBbktyWgNj7wRgrq1B~xOdqCbt1XXvghASwgyVYHmXe9MbUyhiSsFI0mQ68vl7ezhE2FTy9cCdIkgELmQpHXJ3AAtR~a0gL5R2IRRgraTVDaKF0ItRmcrzBfDzG7h~bKUKGwe1IF6fbA7JaLGJ4sOxQ9dvxCvKcv7MX5W6SGsjLDPN8Ghc5r9HyQjgCbUDUhA4b6PV8kWD6u9B2fw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Commerce City economic development staff presented a multi-pronged strategy to boost the Derby commercial district, emphasizing safety, public art and business attraction.

Garrett Anderson, the city's economic development director, told the council Derby rose to the top during a recent Speak Up Commerce City event where residents prioritized safety and appearance. Anderson said staff are exploring downtown lighting to improve nighttime visibility, possible mural and public-art work, and a creative-district designation if state criteria can be met. \"By far, the highest one that got the most votes was safety, and after that, it was community appearance,\" Anderson said.

Staff also proposed a set of market studies and tools to guide economic development: an industry-cluster study to map existing local industries and identify target sectors; a workforce-development study to align resident skills with employer needs; and a retail-node analysis to evaluate retail gaps and performance. Anderson described an analytics tool called Placer AI — which uses anonymized foot-traffic and spending data — already in use for Parks, Recreation and Golf (PRG) event evaluation and proposed for retail analysis.

A new marketing specialist position was recommended to support the city’s business-recruitment and place-marketing efforts through the full sales cycle from awareness to deal closing. Anderson said the role would support retail, primary-employment recruitment and resident attraction.

Why this matters: councilors have prioritized Derby improvement as a neighborhood and commercial priority; staff framed the work as a coordinated effort across economic development, the comprehensive plan and the city strategic plan. The studies and staffing request are part of the broader 2026 budget discussion and may be adjusted as council finalizes budget priorities during the public hearing process.

Staff noted these items are proposals and not yet funded decisions. Anderson said some work may require outside funding or grant matches and that eligibility for state designations (like a creative district) would need verification before any commitment.

Ending note: staff will bring more detailed scopes, cost estimates and, where applicable, grant-match proposals back to council as part of the 2026 budget hearings and follow-up priority work.","Commerce City economic development staff outlined plans for the Derby commercial district including safety-focused lighting, public art and possible creative-district designation, an industry-cluster study, workforce-development analysis and a proposed marketing specialist position.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":46,"_47":92,"_49":93,"_51":94,"_53":95,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":96,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":97,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6475797,"Commerce City council approves budget direction, keeps $2 million for road projects and orders further reductions",9037,89000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5732039-8cd272514b91ce0efd151c3ebaf0a9a6&start=89&end=9126","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5732039-8cd272514b91ce0efd151c3ebaf0a9a6/thumbnail_89000.jpg","/articles/6475797/Commerce-City/Adams-County/Colorado/Commerce-City-council-approves-budget-direction-keeps-2-million-for-road-projects-and-orders-further-reductions","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6475797-6756f357c367f43f96c5331ef603bd6f/orig.mp4?Expires=1775053130&Signature=SYE-pg~em3VDwqqvK1ljkio8ZfE0RTgQf5U2-ZIdsz8CBswJx~HRCGuziJ6dBy1cX2RN-b40xuLbHs~q4Hq8XqyT5IlyEVrcEvkhUTFo~btB0wda6DkFUPTkIarh--rukjEzQooj0z7RWWuNmQp2I-GZjzIJTY0Y5ehQlxxOCf29CMvdJ2Mms1pWHY7IGFi2NW5mvUxNG~9i~MXQCgKulbjiaOEik4DposSpSMFwzQl5aNLH-Yi9bFHerHxykgxSlzNFu7Z593fMwzEHChXNm4daKBf7R8nRL9aVzzbruSnIrTdG2nDSXnOncihyXmu4plE6f1aJG1tYKexkb-oXMQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Commerce City Council voted unanimously Thursday to advance a revised 2026 budget package while keeping a $2 million allocation for Phase 1A pavement management and directing staff to identify $1 million in additional reductions.

City Budget Manager Chris Johnson presented the workshop materials, summarizing sources, uses and staff balancing recommendations for the 2026 general fund and the capital improvement program. \"Tonight is the 2026 city council budget workshop,\" Johnson told the mayor and council. He reported a revised set of decision packages that reduced the request from about $3.4 million to roughly $2.7 million and outlined staff proposals including a potential one-time transfer from the fleet management internal service fund and a recommended 2 percent vacancy-savings factor.

Why this matters: councilors and staff said they want to balance near-term pressures — rising operating costs, a larger base budget and a predicted loss in property-tax revenue tied to TABOR — without cutting critical services such as public safety. The package advanced at the workshop sets the council's direction for the formal public hearing process in October and November.

Key decisions and votes

- Motion to move the budget forward as read by the city attorney (keeping the $2,000,000 additional allocation for Phase 1A pavement projects, reducing the revised \"yes\" decision packages, removing the seasonal banner program and directing staff to find $1,000,000 in other reductions): moved by Council Member Dukes, seconded by Council Member Ford. The motion passed unanimously by roll call.

- Motion to direct the city manager to present the revised 2026 budget for the public hearing schedule: moved by Council Member Teeter, seconded by Council Member Ford. That motion passed unanimously by roll call.

What staff recommended and what the council acted on

Johnson and finance staff outlined a multi-part approach to narrow a projected structural gap without substantially changing service levels: a proposed transfer from the fleet management fund (staff identified up to $5 million as available in 2026 in discussion), a 2 percent vacancy-savings budgeting approach (estimated to generate more than $1 million in nominal salary savings and a net of about $600,000 after right-sizing public-safety overtime), phase-downs to some decision packages (about $650,000 of savings from previously proposed items), and a modest upward revision to sales-tax forecasts (about $1.4 million). Johnson noted that property-tax revenue is constrained under TABOR, saying, \"we're going to have to reduce our mill levy rate by 0.667 for the next year,\" which staff estimates will lower 2026 property-tax collections by about $1.4 million compared with using the full mill levy.

Council discussion focused on trade-offs. Some members argued for protecting pavement-management funding to address aging arterials and local streets; others pushed to find savings in non‑frontline areas or to defer lower-priority capital requests. Council repeatedly rejected furloughs and broad hiring freezes as first-line options; councilors and staff said those would create real service impacts.

Next steps and calendar

Staff will return the proposed budget for the public hearing cycle: the council will open the public hearing on October 20 and is scheduled to close it on Nov. 3, 2025. Staff were also directed to provide a targeted analysis of options (including the potential fleet transfer and other non-service-impact reductions) and to provide a fiscal summary showing the effects of approved balancing actions on the unassigned general fund balance.

Ending note: the motion adopted at the workshop establishes council direction but does not finalize the 2026 budget. The figures presented by staff remain subject to the public hearing process and further adjustments before final adoption.
","After a workshop on the proposed 2026 budget, Commerce City council voted unanimously to advance a revised budget package that preserves a $2 million addition for Phase 1A pavement projects, removes the seasonal banner program, and directs staff to find $1 million in other reductions ahead of the public hearing schedule.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Council debates golf course subsidy, banners and trash costs as part of budget balancing

Commerce City outlines Derby commercial-area plan and marketing push; staff proposes studies and a new marketing specialist

Commerce City council approves budget direction, keeps $2 million for road projects and orders further reductions