LAKEWOOD CITY COUNCIL
STUDY SESSION MEETING
April 15, 2002
MINUTES

THE CITY COUNCIL STUDY SESSION WAS PRECEDED
BY A TOUR OF THE COLORADO MILLS CONSTRUCTION
PROJECT AT 5:30 PM


ITEM 1 - CALL TO ORDER

Mayor Steve Burkholder called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. at Stevinson's Denver West Office, 1746 Cole Boulevard, Building 21, Suite 130, Lakewood, Colorado.

ITEM 2 - ROLL CALL

Those present were: Mayor Burkholder, Presiding

Tom Booher
Ray Elliott
Jackie Herbst
Debbie Koop
Barbara Martin
Bob Murphy
Jean Saum
Cheryl Wise
Mike Stevens
Carol Kesselman

Staff in attendance: Mike Rock, City Manager
Roger Noonan, City Attorney
John Miller, Court Administrator

Full and timely notice of this City Council meeting had been given and a quorum was present.

ITEM 3- PRESENTATION - ANNUAL STATE OF THE COURT REPORT

Presiding Judge Thomas G. Elliott introduced Judge Daniel Ramsey and Judge Philip McNulty. Judge Elliott presented the 2001 State of the Court Report including a report from Counseling, Evaluation and Treatment Program, Inc. (CETP), Youth Alcohol Intervention Program, School Intervention Suspension Program, traffic violations, and fines. Judge Elliott stated that due to budget constraints, he and his staff are reviewing whether to continue offering Night Court.

Councilwoman Wise opposed the discontinuance of Night Court. She stated that she previously expressed concern when the Police Department budget was increased on the front end, that it would impact the Courts at the back end.

Councilman Stevens stated that although Night Court was a nice service to offer, that he would support Judge Elliott in whatever decision he made.

ITEM 4 - OPEN DISCUSSION - CITY COUNCIL

Councilwoman Wise
Stated that a committee consisting of one council member from each ward will review the questionnaire currently being used by Council for the City Manager's annual review. The committee members are Councilwoman Wise, Councilwoman Herbst, Councilman Stevens, Councilman Murphy, and Councilman Booher.

Stated that Mario Hernandez from the Mexican Consulate attended the recent Cultural Diversity Commission meeting. She commended Roger Wadnal of the City's Planning Dept. who also in attendance at the meeting and who asked the Commission with their help in involving Latino/Hispanic individuals in the neighborhood planning process. Councilwoman Kesselman stated that she visited Bear Creek Elementary School and saw several of the Martin Luther King Jr. Day Award participants. Approx. 90% of the children participated. She suggested that whatever method was used for community outreach with that school may be a good model to follow in trying to include ethic diversity in other community programs.

Councilwoman Wise thanked Joni Inman and Councilman Elliott for inviting the Boards and Commissions to respond to legislative issues. The Senior Citizens Advisory Commission was very appreciative of being asked to be involved.

Stated she is working on getting a liaison from the Cultural Diversity Commission to the Senior Citizens Commission.

Stated that the Senior Citizens Commission would like to gain access to Looking at Lakewood and have a dedicated space for their information. Joni Inman stated that the meetings of Boards and Commissions were printed in the last issue and it took up a considerable amount of space. Mike Rock suggested taking a comprehensive approach to what Council would like to have in the newspaper.

Councilwoman Martin
Reported that the Heritage Culture and the Arts Commission has public comment as a regular agenda item and no one has ever talked to them about the Heritage Center. Mike Rock stated that HCA would be having an Open House so the public could see the Heritage Center Plan. Councilman Elliott stated that the Open House is a forum to share the plan with the public. Councilman Elliott stated that he did not want to give the public the idea that there opportunity to change the plan. He stated that Council has already taken a position on the plan and that the plan will move forward.

Councilwoman Koop
Stated that there is a 5' stone World War II Memorial at 10th & Wadsworth near Memorial Field and it was suggested that the Visitor Center might be an appropriate place for the memorial. Councilwoman Martin stated that she believed the memorial would stay at its current location since it had been made more visible by the removal of brush and weeds.

Councilman Murphy
Asked Council to consider a study session about Historical Lakewood. Deb Jones from the Two Creeks Neighborhood Association had approached him on the matter. There was consensus from Council to move forward with a study session on Historical Lakewood.

ITEM 5 - COMMENTS FROM MAYOR AND COUNCIL

Councilman Elliott
Reported the last Council Legislative Committee is scheduled for Thursday morning at 7:30 a.m. Mayor Burkholder thanked the Committee for their work during the legislative season.

Councilman Stevens
Reported the Screening Committee would meet at 4:00 p.m. on Tuesday and Thursday to interview board and commission applicants.

Councilwoman Martin
On behalf of Senator Deanna Hanna, thanked Joni Inman for forwarding Lakewood's legislative position statements to her.

Councilwoman Kesselman
Reported that Councilwoman Martin had been appointed as an Alternate to DRCOG.

Reported that she had been selected to attend the Executive Program at Harvard in July. This program is full funded through a grant from the Gates Foundation.

Councilwoman Koop
Reported that Councilman Murphy and she helped clean-up trash along the 13th Avenue railroad tracks as part of the Two Creek Neighborhood clean up program.

Councilman Murphy
Reported that Eiberhood Neighborhood Association Annual Meeting is scheduled for April 18th at 7 p.m. at the Clements Center.

Councilwoman Saum
Reported that the Judicial Salary Committee consisting of Councilman Elliott, Councilwoman Martin, and herself met and made recommendations for the 2002 increases in judges' salaries. An ordinance will be forthcoming to Council for approval.

ITEM 6 - ADJOURNMENT
Mayor Burkholder adjourned the meeting at 8:40 p.m.

Respectfully submitted by,
Margy Greer, City Clerk

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