[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-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",6491803,"mediaKeyId","5736339-f52846d782845d304da61a1ee3a31e12","parentId",5736339,"title","Tenants and advocates urge Westminster to add three rental-housing inspectors in 2026 budget","audioSeconds",79,"startMs",5974000,"endMs",6053000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5736339-f52846d782845d304da61a1ee3a31e12&start=5974&end=6053","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5736339-f52846d782845d304da61a1ee3a31e12/thumbnail_5974000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6491803/Westminster/Jefferson-County/Colorado/Tenants-and-advocates-urge-Westminster-to-add-three-rental-housing-inspectors-in-2026-budget","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6491803-a1b83dd84cc38a563a33b8324d5aa848/orig.mp4?Expires=1770978356&Signature=lJo0-k1tB~11zpYavIcAHsxxiWFbfIH2PaafmmQjBq7ey6Lyf4~m01LKqoOhp4C1TeQmW36SPLRSDvCcNAmGMLYWjoWIbe83u3DvzOou7x1qMcAWbQn9UUHuL0nf83KK2DoLsG~9rHekJxgb8SDTIHFqi1dKzz6jTOi-oKBbQAPLWwnRmT--lqqwqztQYe0a-SIAZnEmJaYZJQvo-F9sbESQfZ834u5tKPjcvvVMO7Wvvn6UH5wFuvq~lDr1MWs5hwEy2~YHvBiJzrp6tWXw-eFUNNHRwaTWQH44Kh~rQS60bQlPfpUOxw5BdpyI5GjQr1v7ZyIBVYl1-XfTQ3VhsA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Westminster City, CO","date","2025-09-09T09:02:12Z","article","During the council’s public hearing on the proposed 2026 budget, several tenants and advocates urged the city to add three rental-housing inspectors and Spanish-language staff to expand enforcement of rental property standards.

Speakers from tenant groups said they have seen persistent substandard conditions in privately managed apartment complexes and argued that more inspection capacity is needed to hold so-called “bad-actor” corporate landlords accountable. \"I'm asking that the budget include 3 more housing inspectors,\" tenant Carl McGraw told council during the budget hearing. Heather Gates said the city’s rental inspection program had helped her resolve problems but that enforcement is inconsistent: \"We need more inspectors to increase enforcement of these bad landlords so that no one goes through what I have.\"

Staff and the city manager said the budget workshop on September 15 would include a detailed discussion of staffing and resourcing for code enforcement and rental inspection programs. The city manager told council he was “working very closely with all the stakeholders around our rental housing in the city” and that staff were evaluating code updates and internal restructuring to add resources without necessarily adding permanent headcount. City staff noted that specific budget language and resourcing will be finalized in the budget workshop and subsequent budget adoption meetings.

Council members asked staff to provide analysis on how many additional inspectors would be needed at build-out and to return with timelines and cost estimates as part of the budget process. The comments reflect broader regional concerns about childcare, housing affordability and neighborhood maintenance raised in several councilor reports that evening.

Ending: The budget hearing did not produce an immediate change to the draft 2026 budget; councilors and staff agreed to address the inspector staffing question in the forthcoming budget workshop and in the September budget study session.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Westminster City Council Meeting | September 8, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Multiple public commenters urged council to fund three additional rental housing inspectors in the upcoming budget, citing unsafe conditions and slow complaint response at several apartment complexes; staff said budget questions on resourcing will be discussed at the upcoming budget workshop.","taxTitle","Westminster, Jefferson County, Colorado","taxId",2385,"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},6491808,"Council narrowly approves plan amendment and rezoning for Erickson continuing-care campus; preliminary plan wins 4-3 vote after contentious public hearing",894,6971000,7865000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5736339-f52846d782845d304da61a1ee3a31e12&start=6971&end=7865","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5736339-f52846d782845d304da61a1ee3a31e12/thumbnail_6971000.jpg","/articles/6491808/Westminster/Jefferson-County/Colorado/Council-narrowly-approves-plan-amendment-and-rezoning-for-Erickson-continuing-care-campus-preliminary-plan-wins-4-3-vote-after-contentious-public-hearing","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6491808-73f28d6b70cdebf517d92c69ad9ad9cf/orig.mp4?Expires=1770978356&Signature=XNijIPlmCh9t7X-g1CxTA4SoT8CW2i5lciuS24GDJeEnBGStEzeKir7ETg0yrnFLktUH6M3gGkAFkwOaBZvaITlxgnUZXMlAqyL1od9BAl5mCw32k-wWWDuxljSvWjF-ggnMwHzGmEX-Is~nY~1vAoMEParf7HS~eDONx7hdYqtDTwh6gKfbZrk1JQEKDR9s4Srjk6g977QiTa-nXsaHVqXGVs6WCBNSwy7GE0GqCkq7WgoLh-EiN5H2Dg89Tn60NiSusJWh2d11JqIeQbg~z6QXpof8fqR1CyOAlXU1gFqRa3oSpvKYJV5v1PnAvvgfSFlxRATG1n23~jNqZq6zYw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Westminster City Council approved a comprehensive-plan amendment and a rezoning request to allow Erickson Senior Living to build a proposed continuing-care retirement community (CCRC) on roughly 75.5 acres of the Hahn Hewitt property at Westminster Boulevard and West 100th/104th Avenue. After a public hearing that drew more than 30 speakers and comments from community groups, council approved the preliminary development plan (PDP) by a narrow 4-3 vote, adding a condition requiring local marketing outreach to Westminster residents before general sales for each development phase.

The proposal from Erickson would create a campus-style CCRC with independent-living residences, assisted living, memory-care and skilled-nursing units, employee housing and on-site medical services. Erickson and its team said the campus would generate hundreds of permanent jobs, thousands of construction jobs over the buildout and would bring an estimated $850 million private investment to the site. Erickson and partners also promised roughly 10 acres of physical public land dedication (PLD) and a multi-million-dollar fee-in-lieu payment to the city’s parks and open-space funding, plus the construction of a new public street (Creekside Drive) and a traffic signal to improve emergency access.

The project prompted sharply divided public testimony. Supporters — including business and nonprofit groups, the Butterfly Pavilion and residents who live in Erickson communities elsewhere — emphasized workforce development, on-site health care, volunteer contributions and the opportunity for Westminster seniors to “age in place.” Several speakers who live at Erickson’s Windcrest community described it as a high-quality, well-run model and urged approval. Opponents — many living in nearby Waverly Acres and other neighborhoods — criticized the proposal’s scale, height, potential traffic and water and emergency-service impacts, and said the campus was not “affordable senior housing.” One resident’s written and oral comments highlighted concerns about loss of open-space views and whether the city should preserve this high-visibility employment site for office/flex uses.

Staff analysis and the council’s deliberations touched on several trade-offs. Planning staff and outside analyses (including a University of Colorado review) showed the proposal would yield less general-fund revenue than a hypothetical office/flex buildout but recommended approval because those office scenarios were regarded as unlikely to materialize soon. Staff also documented PLD and fee-in-lieu amounts that would transfer land and cash to the city and noted the development’s expected impacts on fire and police calls and on park and recreation demand. On water, staff and Erickson’s consultants presented a water-efficiency case showing per-resident use comparable to other CCRCs and argued that the CCRC could fall within the city’s employment-flex water assumptions; opponents and some councilors requested further clarity on reclaimed-water connections, runoff/drainage and long-term demand.

Council action: On 9/8 the council voted to approve the comprehensive-plan amendment and the rezoning to PUD (first readings) by recorded majorities, and later voted 4-3 to approve the PDP with a requirement that Erickson begin local Westminster marketing three months before wider marketing for each phase. The PDP approval included a narrower building setback exception to allow appropriate fire access; staff and the applicant said additional design details will be reviewed at future ODPs (official development plans) and building-permit stages.

What’s next: PDP approval is a key entitlement step but does not finalize architecture, landscaping, phase-by-phase designs or construction phasing; those will return for administrative and council reviews in ODP filings. Council also required further staff follow-up on open-space details, trails connections, water conservation planning and coordination with the Butterfly Pavilion.

Ending: The hearing illustrated the trade-offs local governments face between immediate private investment, jobs and senior housing and the long-term desire of neighborhoods to preserve views, scale and open space. Council approved the land-use changes and PDP while attaching conditions and asking staff to pursue follow-up analysis.","After a multi-month review and a lengthy public hearing with roughly 31 speakers, the council approved a comprehensive-plan amendment and rezoning to allow a 75.5-acre Erickson continuing care retirement community (CCRC). A final preliminary development plan passed on a split council vote with new conditions.",{"_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},6491812,"Westminster council approves major contract for new Westminster Boulevard water plant after lengthy debate over ozone and cost",2088,2680000,4768000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5736339-f52846d782845d304da61a1ee3a31e12&start=2680&end=4768","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5736339-f52846d782845d304da61a1ee3a31e12/thumbnail_2680000.jpg","/articles/6491812/Westminster/Jefferson-County/Colorado/Westminster-council-approves-major-contract-for-new-Westminster-Boulevard-water-plant-after-lengthy-debate-over-ozone-and-cost","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6491812-65eb1dd596d737a138c8018a7139209c/orig.mp4?Expires=1770978356&Signature=XMAFxcsCywZyoPcFep-47vpkxjg1WHe8HK9bvIu8GhjMIIaECuucpjJyjMVJibBE-2Yexo~UcQjmRtUTsFZpKl7O3GqYsgzC68iNebfMJ3qNEkPcwrcKrL6aCNwdZQNicWzfhe8rjYqku8eAdfIC59c8EPyO2AUs7WPkAI4q-mQxb3Q1bH5n~qLPSqCH8VvkMow36wW3uygCW32cRVLNTkMfZZfQPiCK0UpjHM9PSf8~JTaoeoXGDivKl9AyxP1ohZnNH32zT4fJBcxA5yzTdohcAqhZAZg2dbmZ5Vg~gfe5cY8TmuPjBlexXDm42OmsnHNtQEr9~~d~4UbIstHrxQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Councilors voted to authorize a large construction contract amendment and related construction-management contracts to build the new Westminster Boulevard drinking water facility after more than an hour of discussion over cost, treatment technology and the city’s water strategy.

The vote clears the way to move forward with the project’s guaranteed maximum price (GMP) and associated construction contracts. Council discussion focused on whether the plant should include an ozone system — a $16 million line-item councilors questioned — and how the plant relates to the older Semper treatment plant and the city’s water supply, operations and long-term capital needs.

Supporters among council and staff said the design and scope were value-engineered to trim earlier estimates and that the plant will add geographic resiliency to the city’s system. “We did a significant value engineering effort,” the city manager said during the meeting, and staff noted the newer plant has been reduced in capacity compared with earlier plans to manage cost while retaining the ability to add capacity in the future. Staff and the project’s water-treatment superintendent said the ozone system is intended to address future regulatory changes and deteriorating raw-water quality tied to events such as wildfire and that ozone will not replace the distribution residual disinfectant (chloramine) but will treat taste/odor and organic load prior to filtration.

Opponents and some council members pressed those points at length. Councilor Christine Ireland said, “I never approved this plant, and I still don't approve of it,” and warned that the project would not replace the larger Semper plant and that the city likely will need additional spending on Semper later. Councilor Ireland also questioned the ozone line-item, calling it “snake oil” in public remarks and arguing the city should not add $16 million for technology she said would not provide a lasting distribution residual.

City staff and the city’s water treatment superintendent responded with technical and financial context. Water treatment superintendent Ryan Decker said ozone “will not serve as a residual disinfectant in the water” and that the plant would continue to use chlorine/ammonia for distribution residual. He said the ozone is intended to address emerging contaminants and water-quality events — for example post-wildfire organics that can blind membranes and create a taste-and-odor problem — and to help meet future regulations. City engineer and public-works staff described a lengthy value-engineering process that reduced earlier cost estimates by eliminating optional components and refining the scope.

Council approved the contract-related motions to proceed. The assembled record shows council approval of the GMP and construction contracts; council discussion established that City staff will continue to evaluate reclaimed-water connections, asset-reinvestment timing for Semper, and ways to reduce operating impacts. Staff also said the city is pursuing accreditation for the public-works department and has been coordinating with partners on traffic enforcement and other operational matters.

The city provided several cost and schedule details during the meeting: the land acquisition for the plant site was discussed publicly as having carried a substantially higher settlement price than earlier appraisals (staff cited an amount in the low tens of millions). The PCL Construction GMP amendment discussed in the meeting packet and public motion was in the hundreds of millions for construction plus a city-held contingency; staff said the project had been through value engineering and that remaining decisions include whether to install ozone and whether reclaimed water will be available for irrigation (staff said the plant would be built to accept reclaimed water if it becomes available).

What’s next: the approvals enable contracting and construction to proceed. Staff said commissioning of the Westminster Boulevard plant is scheduled several years out and that work to rehabilitate Semper is planned afterward. Council directed staff to continue briefing members on options for Semper, ozone, reclaimed water infrastructure and the long-term capital financing plan.

Ending: The item produced one of the night’s longest debates; council approved the contracts and the plant will move from design to construction planning while staff continues follow-up on ozone benefits, reclaimed-water feasibility and how Semper will be managed in coming years.","Council approved a guaranteed-maximum-price amendment and related construction contracts for the Westminster Boulevard drinking water facility, drawing sustained questions about cost, ozone treatment and long-term plans for the older Semper plant.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Tenants and advocates urge Westminster to add three rental-housing inspectors in 2026 budget

Council narrowly approves plan amendment and rezoning for Erickson continuing-care campus; preliminary plan wins 4-3 vote after contentious public hearing

Westminster council approves major contract for new Westminster Boulevard water plant after lengthy debate over ozone and cost