HD37 Dems: Fwd: Rebecca McClellan Reports, August 22, 2009

Friends and Constituents,

I hope this finds you enjoying the end of summer. If you have children returning to school, please accept my best wishes for a successful new school year.

ARAPAHOE & I-25: The next city council meeting will take place on Monday, September 14th. The 6:00 PM Study Session will include a presentation on the Arapahoe Rd. & I-25 interchange and proposed underpass. For residents of Walnut Hil ls and Hunters Hill, this may be of particular interest. There will be an opportunity for public comment at the start of the 7:00 PM Regular Meeting, at the Centennial Civic Center, 13133 E. Arapahoe Road.

TRAFFIC POLICY STUDY SESSION: A number of citizens have expressed concern about the speed limit policy and traffic policies generally. I've requested a study session on this topic, so council can revisit traffic policy. It will take place at 6:00 PM on Monday, Sept. 21. The Regular Meeting will follow at 7:00 PM, with an opportunity for public comment.

As you may know, the Centennial Civic Center suffered damage on August 19th when a vehicle struck the side of the building. Fortunately, there were only minor injuries to the driver. Water damage to the building has required some scheduling changes for the coming week. Details follow below.

Your calls and comments are always appreciated. You can reach me at (303) 956-2845,

or e-mail me at RMcClellan@CentennialColorado.com.

Kind Regards,

Rebecca McClellan

Council Member, Dist. 3

City of Centennial, CO

(303) 956-2845

Code Enforcement Workshop Canceled

The Code Enforcement Workshop scheduled for Tues., Aug. 24 is canceled. The workshop is tentatively scheduled for Wednesday, Oct. 7th. Details still to come.

Municipal Court Canceled for Week of Aug. 24

Municipal court at the City of Centennial has been canceled for the week of August 24 while the Courtroom is repaired from recent water damage. Court will resume on Monday. August 31. Summons may be paid via the City's Web site atwww.centennialcolorado.com with a MasterCard or Visa, by calling 303-754-3380 or by mailing payment to Centennial Municipal Court, 13133 E. Arapahoe Rd., Centennial, CO 8 0112.

For those that had court scheduled for next week you will receive a letter with the new scheduled court dates.

Persons scheduled to appear on August 24:

Last name A-M is scheduled for September 15

Last name N-Z is scheduled for September 21

Persons scheduled to appear on August 25:

Last name A-M is scheduled for September 22

Last name N-Z is scheduled for September 28

Back to School Safety

As we start another school year, our law enforcement officers are helping to ensure that children have safe routes on their way to school. The Back-to-School Traffic Safety Campaign will run through August 28th. Visit http://www.co.arapahoe.co.us/citizeninfo/MRSafeStart2009.pdf

3 Day Walk for Breast Cancer

The Denver Breast Cancer 3-day walk will come through the western parts of Centennial on Saturday, August 29. Funds raised will go to breast cancer research, education and community health programs.

Participants will walk 60 miles over the 3 days. They begin on Friday at Colorado Mills Mall in Lakewood and end in Denver City Park on Sunday.

On Saturday, August 2 9, the route goes through part of Centennial. The walk will go past Streets at SouthGlenn on Saturday, during the Grand Opening of Streets at SouthGlenn.

More information on the 3-day Walk is at www.The3Day.org

Joint Meeting on Land Development Code

Date: Monday, September 28, 2009 Time: 6:00 PM

Place: Centennial Civic Center / Council Chambers, 13133 E. Arapahoe Road, Centennial, CO 80112

YOU ARE INVITED to attend a joint meeting of the City Council and Planning and Zoning Commission on September 28, 2009 at 6:00 PM in Council Chambers to discuss the proposed Land Development Code. The discussion will include an overview of the Land Development Code Chapters, a summary of the recommendations of the Advisory Team and the feedback received from public outreach activities, and highlights of key policies and significant changes from the existing Land Development Code.

This update is the fourth of four joint meetings of the City Council and Planning and Zoning Commission (and in some cases, the Advisory Team) during the Rewrite Project. These periodic updates were scheduled to ensure that the City Council and the Planning and Zoning Commission remain well informed about the process and the progress of this project, and to ensure that they have opportunities to provide guidance and substantive contributions. At the same time, it is an opportunity for the public to learn about the new land use regulations.

The presentation will include a discussion of the structure and overall function of the proposed Land Development Code, including how its approach differs from the existing code and how it implements the City's Comprehensive Plan and sub-area plans. The presentation will also focus on proposed changes to the procedures that are used to process and approve applications for development approval, including a lesser reliance on the Planned Unit Development (PUD) process.

We will bring a recommendation of the Advisory Team, and will seek direction from the City Council with regard to the general direction and substance of the proposed Land Development Code, particularly the provisions related to development approval procedures.

More information about the Land Development Code Rewrite Project, including documentation previously provided to the Advisory Team, are available at www.centennialcodeupdate.com

Arapahoe County Board Opportunity

The Arapahoe County Board of County Commissioners is seeking applications from residents who are interested in helping their community by serving on the Retirement Board.

The Retirement Board oversees the management of the retirement system which includes oversight of all contracted services such as investment management/consultant, actuarial services, legal and annual audit as well as in-house administration.

Applicants must have experience in one or more of the following fields of study; finance, accounting, employee benefit design, human resources or investment management. Board members commit to one meeting per month and various ad hoc meetings and planning sessions as needed totaling 10-15 hours per month.

The application deadline is August 31, 2009.

Interested residents can apply online. To fill out an online application, visit the County's web site at www.co.arapahoe.co.us and click on online tools. Applications also are available at the Commissioners' Office in theCounty Administration Building, 5334 S. Prince St., Fourth Floor, Littleton.

For more information on a particular board or to request an application by mail, call Carol Dosmann at the Commissioners' Office at 303-795-4531.

Coyote Information

Centennial residents are invited to volunteer in the effort to reduce coyote conflicts by distributing information to neighborhoods and greenbelt areas identified as coyote "hot spots". In addition to providing educational materials, whistles will be given for a hazing tool.

If you're interested in volunteering, please email cbott@centennialcolorado.com.

Coyote breeding season is from January to early March with a gestation period of about 60-63 days. Pups will stay in a natal den for 8-10 weeks and start emerging in mid-to late June. If you have a den on your property please destroy the structure once the pups are out, usually in mid-July. Coyotes will use the same natal den from year to year if it is available.

During the summer months the adult coyotes teach their young how to survive, where to hunt, and more importantly what to hunt. Coyotes will be more active during the summer months increasing the amount of sightings and encounters. This time is crucial to remove all food sources from your yard, place deterrents, and haze (re-instill the natural fear of humans into the coyotes).

Coyotes are watching and learning from us. We influence their behavior, and it is our actions that determine what the young coyotes learn. We want the new generation of coyotes to be naturally afraid of humans and not find our neighborhoods or back yards to be a safe20place to live.

Coyotes are adaptable predators and are common in urban areas. They are tolerant of human activities, and adapt and adjust rapidly to changes in their environment. The biggest problem arises when people feed coyotes -- either deliberately or inadvertently. Feeding can cause any wild animal to lose its natural wariness of people and can lead to unpredictable and aggressive behavior. If you are aware of individuals feeding coyotes, please ask them to stop, or report it to the DOW office at (303) 291-7227 so they can follow-up.

Reduce the REASON that coyotes are in your yard by removing things that attract them:

· Food - Never feed coyotes. For more information call the CO Division of Wildlife: 303.291.7227.

· &nbs p; Remove food and water sources from your yard. This includes pet food, swimming pools, birdbaths, fallen fruit, barbecue grills and trash.

· All trash should be in trash containers and all trash containers should be stored indoors/garage with secure lids and should not be placed on the curb until the morning of scheduled pickup.

· Keep cats indoors. Pets should be supervised when outside and should only be left unattended when they are secured in a kennel with a covered top.

· Trim up vegetation and tall grass in the yard, remove brush and rubbish piles to eliminate the places where small=2 0rodents live since coyotes prey on small rodents. Trimming bushes up from the ground by 2ft. if possible (bonsai cut) removes places where coyotes sleep.

· Avoid using bird feeders – seeds and empty hulls that have fallen on the ground attract coyotes. Bird feeders also increase the number of small animals that are food sources for the coyotes.

· Secure livestock and poultry with fencing apron buried, and in facilities with a secured top.

· Completely enclose gardens and compost piles.

· Enclose open spaces under porches, decks and sheds with welded wire that is buried at least 18 inches.

The following items may help repel or deter coyotes away from your yard. Some of these items are liquids that are released through squirt bottles or poured on rags and placed in the area of the yard most safe for domestic animals and children but will deter coyotes. The following are suggestions.

· Skunk odor, wolf or mountain lion urine

· Cologne or perfume – strong scents

· Ammonia soaked rags

· Radios

· Motion detector activated strobe lights, sirens, blinking holiday lights, sprinkler system

· Electronic Guard EG consists of strobe light and siren run by a timer

· Odor deterrents (cayenne pepper, vinegar in super soaker or balloons)

· Dog feces

· Six foot fence or higher (with a buried apron, approximately 18 inches deep) with additional rollers if approved by the City and applicable homeowner association.

· Completely enclosed dog runs including a covered top

· Close all dog doors at night to exclude coyotes, and other wildlife, from your house.

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Coyote Hazing

Hazing efforts will be less effective if coyote attractants are not removed or excluded from residential neighborhoods. Coyotes will continue to come into your yard if there is a reason, e.g. food, water, shelter.

Share this information with neighbors; friends and your homeowner's association since hazing efforts are most effective when the entire neighborhood is working together. If you are removing attractants and hazing coyotes from your property, but your neighbor is attracting coyotes, your efforts will be futile. The below items are most effective if multiple and various techniques are employed.

· Spray with garden hose

· Wave arms and yell in an authoritative voice

· Bang pots and pans

· Throw rocks, sticks, tennis balls and any non-edible items toward the coyote. Never corner a coyote in an area of the yard where there is no escape for the coyote.

· Coyote Can Shaker - soda can with pennies wrapped in aluminum foil sealed with duct tape. Shake to make noise or throw toward the coyote.

· Air horn or whistles

· Bear Spray or Citronella (bug) spray – be careful of the wind direction – you could receive the spray in your face if not careful. NEVER get close to a coyote just to use the spray.

· Motion detection yard lights

Protecting Pets

· See all above recommendations for additional ideas

· Always keep cats indoors

· Leash pets with a 6 foot leash while walking them

· Keep pets inside at night

· Small dogs should never be left unattended in the yard

For additional information visit www.centennialcolorado.com and Animal Services under the City Service button at the top of the page.

H1N1 Flu Vaccination Plan Update

H1N1 Vaccinations Likely to Be Available for Large Portion of State's Population

DENVER – The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment is making plans and strengthening its infrastructure ahead of the expected d elivery of H1N1 vaccine into the state later this year. Part of the federal funding will flow directly to the state's hospitals so those facilities can prepare for H1N1 flu-related activities.

Based on early communication from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), it is expected a significant portion of the state's population will be advised to be vaccinated for the H1N1 flu.

In upcoming days and weeks, the Department of Public Health and Environment will issue a series of news releases focused on how residents can help stop the spread of flu viruses at home, work and school.

The first shipment of H1N1 vaccine is expected to arrive in Colorado as early as mid-October; however, it may be later, depending on when the vaccine production process is complete. While the categories of those to be vaccinated still are being considered, likely groups include school-age children, children who attend preschool or child care facilities, adults younger than 65 with chronic medical conditions, pregnant women and health-care workers.

Dr. Ned Calonge, chief medical officer at the Department of Public Health and Environment, said, "It's going to be important for residents to pay attention to public health messages this fall and winter, because there will be a lot of information about the two types of flu vaccines that are expected to be available. The information will assist residents with the plans they need to make for getting the vaccinations they need, and staying safe at home, school and work."

While seasonal flu vaccinations will be available at many sites as in years past, delivery and vaccination sites for the H1N1 vaccination still are being identified. Public health departments and schools are on the likely list of H1N1 vaccination sites thus far. It is expected the H1N1 vaccine, unlike the seasonal flu vaccine, will be made available to residents for free. Pricing for the seasonal flu vaccine is expected to remain close to previous years' costs.

"Getting your normal seasonal flu vaccination is as important as ever. We don't want members of the public to get distracted by discussion of the H1NI virus and forget to make plans to receive their annual flu vaccination," said Calonge.&n bsp;

This summer, much of the H1N1 news in Colorado has involved outbreaks at camps and other facilities with young people housed in close quarters. Outbreaks have occurred at a Pueblo-area Boy Scouts camp, the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs and a summer youth camp at the University of Northern Colorado in Greeley .

Calonge advised parents who are concerned about whether or not to send their children to summer camp to ask their childrens' camp directors if they have taken the necessary steps to protect campers from the H1N1 virus. Those steps include screening for flu-like illness, sending home children who become sick and instituting rigorous hand-washing protocols.

He said, "If you know H1N1 is not circulating in your camp and your child isn't suffering from a chronic illness, you should not worry about sending your child to camp. This is a time to plan and be prepared, and there are steps you can take to protect yourselves against the flu."

In addition to getting vaccinated with the H1N1 vaccine, residents can protect themselves from H1N1 the way they protect themselves and others from seasonal influenza: wash their hands frequently, stay home from school and work when they are sick and cough into their sleeves instead of their hands. Residents with underlying health issues should talk to their doctors about additional steps they can take to remain safe from flu viruses, as they are at higher risk.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, specifically the assistant secretary of Preparedness and Response's Division of Healthcare Preparedness Program, has awarded Colorado $1.4 million to be used to prepare for a possible pandemic influenza event this fall. The Department of Public Health and Environment's Hospital Preparedness Program will manage this funding and is planning to distribute the monies to Colorado hospitals in an effort to help those facilities augment their infrastructures to better respond to the citizens of Colorado during a potential pandemic influenza outbreak.

The state health department will receive $4 million from a Public Health Emergency Response grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The purpose of this grant is to support the state and local public health infrastructure, including these measures:

· strengthening and sustaining the public health work force

· increasing laboratory capacity and capability

· strengthening disease surveillance activities

· planning and implementing possible large-scale mass vaccination activities

· developing and communicating effective public guidance to lessen the impact of the illness in communities

· purchasing and procuring personal protective equipment, antivirals and other pandemic-related purchases for protecting the public health work force

· training and educating of the public health work force

· community and personal preparedness activities

· addressing gaps and other public health preparedness challenges related to public health preparedness and response to an influenza pandemic.

For more information on influenza vaccinations in Colorado , visit the Department of Public Health and Environment's Web site at www.cdphe.state.co.us. For information about H1N1, visit www.flu.org .

This message was sent from Rebecca McClellan to rmcentennial@aol.com. It was sent from: Rebecca McClellan , 13133 E. Arapahoe Road, Centennial, CO 80112. You can modify/update your subscription via the link below.

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