Dan Goldhamer an expert horticulturist, gave an illustrated talk including information on the physiological effects of drought, types of soil, plants that do best with less water, best way to water –deeply and infrequently, to mulch thinly farther from trees (not a clump at the base), and said CSU Extension is a source of help for answers to many questions we may have.
Removing City Council from vote on DPR park use issues seemed easy a few years back, but putting the vote back in City Council is harder. Still, it is a necessary move, to give citizens a local elected voice. INC and PARC & ZAP are persevering. Also the public needs to know details on park budget expenses.
Proposed dedicated parks tax floated by CM Jolon Clark. Clark’s proposal would increase the city’s sales tax rate by 0.25 percent, or 2.5 cents per $10 purchase. That would bring the effective sales tax to 7.9 percent on regular purchases.
Harriet described the process and importance of creating the Conservancy for this 71-mile-long historic canal which dates to the 1880s and was originally an irrigation ditch for agriculture. It begins at Waterton Canyon and ends at the S. Platte, north of DIA. Today it runs through four jurisdictions each of which has signed on to the Conservancy project and takes an active part. The water it receives from Waterton is regulated by Urban Drainage and Flood Control engineers
INC PARC will introduce a resolution concerning Park Hill Golf Course at the May 2018 meeting. The resolution calls upon the public officials of the City and County of Denver to take all actions necessary to preserve the perpetual Park Hill Gold Course (PHGC) land open space conservation easement protections that the City acquired in 1997 from Clayton for $2 million
Fred Weiss and Laura Morales of DPR distributed copies of Proposed Revisions of the DPR Alcohol Policy, and a “Tentative Timeline” showing the draft policy to be completed May 1, public hearing at Parks/Recreation Advisory Board (PRAB) June 13, draft finalized June 27, PRAB vote July 11 with public notification of result July 12. As the proposals were enumerated, attendees raised well considered questions, concerns, and reports of particularly event-related problems encountered with the present regulations (3.2 beer only), expecting these problems would be more prevalent with additional liquor (including hard liquor).
A policy change planned by DPR could make the rules for festival park use apply to ALL parks, which would mean all parks in the system will have the same alcohol regulations, some of which now allow greater use only in festival parks. Please read the proposed revisions carefully and distribute to your respective RNOs and friends. The city’s parks department is circulating a proposal for significant changes to alcohol policy in Parks. Laura Morales and Fred Weiss will attend our April 17 meeting to discuss. Of note: The INC PARC meeting is considered to be one of the 4 public meetings for outreach to the community.
Maggie reported that there will be a community forum updating the Park Hill Golf Course situation on Sat., March 10 at Park Hill Congregational Church. 2600 Leyden St. from 1:00-3:00 p.m. A panel of speakers will talk about options. That morning at the same place, INC will hold its March meeting, with elections, and focused on a fair and balanced discussion of a Colorado Olympics bid.
