Greeley City Councilmembers – Installation Ceremony November 10

November 6, 2009

For Immediate Release
For more information, contact:
Betsy Holder, City Clerk
(970) 350-9742
betsy.holder@greeleygov.com

On Tuesday, November 10th at 6 p.m. Greeley’s four new council members will be sworn in by Municipal Judge Robert Frick. This special meeting will include the swearing in of Donna Sapienza as Ward II Councilmember; John Gates as Ward III Councilmember; Mike Finn as Ward IV Councilmember; and Sandi Elder as Councilmember At-large. A reception will follow the ceremony.

The installation of Greeley’s new mayor will occur at a later date.

Residents are invited to attend the ceremony or watch the live broadcast on Greeley’s government access channel - GTV8. The ceremony will also be rebroadcast on GTV8 from November 11-15:
Wednesdays – 9:00 p.m.
Tuesdays & Thursdays – 8:00 a.m. & 6:30 p.m.
Saturdays & Sundays – 7:30 p.m.
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Greeley Road Repair Update

News Release
October 9, 2009

Colorado Department of Transportation Project - Requires lane closures:
10th Street from 71st Avenue to US 34 Bypass – widening to four lanes, under construction until late 2009.

Pothole patching:
The City’s Public Works Street Division continues to fill potholes throughout the city. Residents can call 350-9336 to request pothole patching.

Motorists are asked to drive cautiously in all construction zones.

Visit www.greeleygov.com/streetstuff for weekly updates. For additional information on road repairs, contact Pat Hill, Pavement Management Coordinator at pat.hill@greeleygov.com or (970) 350-9540; or Steve Bagley, City Engineer at steve.bagley@greeleygov.com or (970) 350-9792. Questions emailed to streetstuff@greeleygov.com will be answered within 24 hours.

STREET SMART – 10/9/09
Partial Road Closures

1. 10/7-10/16/09 – 8016 Skyview Street. Concrete repairs.
2. 10/8-10/16/09 – 1622 14th Avenue. Concrete repairs.
3. 10/8-10/31/09 – 2526 18th Avenue. Concrete improvements.
4. 10/26-10/30/09 – 304 45th Avenue. Utility construction.
5. 10/19-12/2/09 – 3rd Avenue & 9th Street. Street construction.
6. 5/21-11/19/09 – Various locations. 2009 Patching Program.
7. 6/1-11/15/09 – 32nd Street from 20th to 23rd Avenues. Utility construction.
8. 10/1-11/30/09 – 59th Avenue from 4th to 10th Streets. Median improvements.

High Hopes for New Development

by Roy H. Otto, Greeley City Manager

Hopes are high that there will be new commercial construction projects before the end of the year. New commercial and industrial development will help to boost local business, the City's sales and property tax revenues, and hopefully end a development drought that began over 2 years ago.

A couple of new commercial projects have been submitted recently for the plan review process. These new submittals along with previously approved projects are awaiting developer requests for the issuance of full building permits. For example, Leprino has pulled grading permits for earthwork on their construction site but have yet to request their full building permit. That situation is much like the new King Sooper's Marketplace store whose plans are approved, a grading permit has been issued but a full building permit requiring the full payment of development fees has yet to be pulled. Projects in the pipeline such as the National Board of Chiropractic Examiners and Sprouts Farmers Market grocery store are still under review and are expected to request their full permits before the end of this year.

We anticipate two additional commercial prospects, including a Discount Tire and a Kum & Go convenience store located at St. Michaels. These two retailers have been exploring development plans which could result in new commercial construction before the year ends.

As these projects begin to move forward, the development fees and sales tax generated, as well as the jobs created and income produced will certainly be a help to the business community and City budget. And although we have very little control over the economy and its influence on the decision these companies will make, we can encourage everyone to shop locally to support local businesses, preserve local jobs, and maintain City services.

Greening Greeley
How the City is using stimulus funds to build a high-tech regional eco-hub
By Becky Safarik, Community Development Director

At a time when the road seems a bit bumpy, there may be a bright spot on the horizon to help communities, businesses, and homeowners save some green by going green. At the end of the proverbial tunnel is none other than an energy-efficient light that offers some potentially powerful savings in energy costs. The world is recognizing that business as usual isn’t possible anymore. Exciting technological advances are helping us all realize ways that we can become more economical in energy use and limit environmental impact. New financial resources have been made available to Greeley to help in a variety of ways:

Energy Efficient City Buildings: City staff has worked hard over recent years to minimize the cost of energy in its buildings and operations and constantly seeks funding to help convert older systems to increase efficiency. The City recently received a $400,000 State “New Energy Communities” grant, which will help replace older, obsolete heating and ventilation equipment in City buildings.

Energy Efficiency & Conservation Strategy: Greeley has also been awarded $870,000 in federal energy funds to help refine its community conservation strategy. Again, reducing energy use in City buildings, equipment, and services is top of the list, followed by developing renewable energy practices and improvements. The new equipment and improvements will save tax dollars through energy savings of 20 to 75 percent.

Waste to Energy Grant: an $86,000 grant from the State Governor’s office is enabling Greeley to research its potential for converting organic waste materials into useful energy to power City or private business operations. That research project is presently underway.

Weatherization funds for homeowners: low and no interest rate loans are available to help qualified homeowners make improvements to their homes to reduce energy waste. Attic insulation, roof repairs, window and appliance replacement are the kinds of items that can be funded. Homeowners can start saving on energy bills right away by making a number of small but very significant home improvements through this program.

Business support: a new program under development will help business owners in older areas obtain low-interest loans to decrease energy costs with window replacement and equipment upgrades. This program should be available by mid-summer.

Water Conservation: the City offers a wide variety of rebates for home and business owners that install water-wise appliances and fixtures. Lawn sprinkler and plumbing audits are also available to help residents save water and money.

Recycling: two facilities are open to help residents and businesses recycle and dispose of organic yard waste: the Green-Cycle Center one mile east of US Hwy 85 on E. 8th Street accepts organic waste, ranging from leaves and grass clippings to tree and bush limbs, and clean construction lumber. Fees are charged based upon quantity. The new free Community Recycling Center is open during daylight hours and takes a wide variety of materials such a paper, plastic, glass, and tin.

Delivering services at the lowest energy cost possible and connecting residents with cost saving opportunities are key City objectives, fostering a community that is prudent and conscientious in it use of energy and natural resources.

Related: Plan to Build the Next Electric Grid