Courtesy District 6 Newsletter

In addition to Referred Questions 2A-2G authorizing up to $937 million of General Obligation Bond sales to finance capital projects across the city, voters will decide:
The election of four members of the DPS Board of Education – 1 At-Large, plus Districts 2, 3 and 4

Referred Question 2H – a bill to change the name of the Department of Environmental Health to the Department of Public Health & Environment (to match the state) and increase its board membership from 5 to 9 members

Initiated Ordinance 300 – the “Green Roofs” initiative – requiring new buildings over 25,000 sq.ft. to have green roofs of solar panels and/or plant materials.

Ballot Issue 4A – A measure to bond $2.7 million worth of infrastructure improvements for the Valley Sanitation District, a tiny wastewater district that encompasses 1.3 square miles of Englewood, Littleton, Sheridan and southwest Denver.
The GO Bond questions will ask voters to approve hundreds of important construction and maintenance projects as follows:
2A – Transportation and Mobility ($415,542,500)
2B – Cultural Facilities ($116,907,000)
2C – Denver Health & Hospital Authority ($75,000,000)
2D – Public Safety ($67,011,000)
2E – Libraries ($61,343,000)
2F – Parks & Recreation ($136,615,000)
2G – Public Facilities ($15,000,000)

The projects proposed – some benefitting specific districts, and some with citywide application – have been whittled down from an initial list of nearly $4 billion of projects suggested by residents, Council members and city agencies. A $50 million contingency fund, included in the $937 million total amount, is meant to cover unexpected increases in materials, scope and labor.

Council District 6 will see more than $24 million in investment, including:

Improvements (not additions) to recreation centers at Cook Park, Harvard Gulch Park and Washington Park ($1,022,500)

Park improvements at Cook Park, McWilliams Park, Potenza Park and Washington Park ($1,650,000)

Street paving of 14.08 miles of arterial streets – including sections of East Cherry Creek Drive North, East Cherry Creek Drive South, East Florida Avenue, East Jewell Avenue, East Mexico Avenue and South Monaco Street Parkway ($2,490,000)

Reconstruction of the Monaco Parkway bridge over Cherry Creek ($9.9 million)

Adding 1.4 miles of sidewalks along portions of East Tennessee Avenue, South Humboldt Street, South University Boulevard., Yale Avenue, South Kearney Street and East Pacific Place ($1,470,000)

Adding 2.7 miles of bikeways along portions of S. Sherman St., S. Franklin St. and S. Marion St. ($860,000)

Intersection and bike path improvements along Buchtel Boulevard. from University to Colorado Boulevard. ($4.2 million)

Improvements to Washington Park Fire Station #21 ($226,120)

Renovation of Eugene Field Branch Library ($2,145,000)

Deferred maintenance to the Metro Swat facility and the South Cherry Creek Transfer Station ($120,000)

Currently, Denver is paying off bonds totaling about $661 million at a rate of $80 million per year. If all the 2017 GO Bond ordinances pass, that amount will rise to just under $140 million per year and then decline as previous bonds are paid off. The new bonds are structured to be paid off over 20 years, but can be retired earlier if conditions allow. While residents can expect their property taxes to increase this year due to the increased assessments we all received, the passage of the bond package does not increase the property tax mill levy.

For a simple list of the projects, or a nearly 300-page PDF detailing all of the projects, visit www.denvergov.org/2017gobond.