HomeMy WebLinkAbout05-19- 2025 Study Session NotesCity Council Study Session
NOTES
CITY OF WHEAT RIDGE, COLORADO 7500 WEST 29TH AVENUE, MUNICIPAL BUILDING
May 19, 2025 Note: This meeting was conducted both as a virtual meeting and hybrid, where some members of the Council or City staff were physically present at the Municipal building, and some members of the public attended in person as well. Eight members of Council
were present in Council Chambers for this session. Before calling the meeting to order,
Mayor Starker stated the rules and procedures necessitated by this meeting format. 1. Call to Order Mayor Starker called the Study Session to order at 6:30 p.m.
2. Roll Call Council Members present: Scott Ohm, Rachel Hultin, Amanda Weaver, Korey Stites, Jenny Snell, Leah Dozeman, Janeece Hoppe and Dan Larson.
Absent: None. Staff present: Deputy City Manager Allison Scheck, Assistant City Manager Marianne Schilling, Director of Public Works Maria D’Andrea, Chief of Police Chris Murtha, Division Chief Eric Kellogg, Police Sgt. John Bowman, Sustainability Coordinator Mary
Hester, City Attorney Jerry Dahl (via Zoom) and Sr. Deputy City Clerk Margy Greer. 3. Public Comment Wheat Ridge Speaks
Item No. 2 - 2J Project Fund List
Jabez Meulemans - 3435 Ward Road Wheat Ridge, 80033 I am writing as a Wheat Ridge resident who rides my bike for fun and for transportation along with my spouse and 2-year-old son, often taking multiple trips by bicycle per day throughout our city. I am in strong support of the potential 2J funding projects to enhance our bicycle and pedestrian network. Specifically, the 38th Ave corridor projects
(both west end and east end), 35th Ave multi-modal project, and adding new dedicated bike lanes and sidewalks elsewhere throughout Wheat Ridge. As a citizen who lives here now and intends to raise a family over the next 20 years here, this issue rises above all others in prioritizing where the $75M gets allocated. Additionally, I do not want
to see general road repaving displace these multimodal projects in funding priority.
Item No. 1 - Residential Waste Update Alix Finnegan - 4721 Marshall Street Wheat Ridge, 80033 I appreciate City Council and staff’s ongoing efforts to evaluate and enhance our
residential waste services. It's encouraging to see a commitment to researching
potential expansions and improvements, ensuring that our community's needs are met effectively. Thank you for considering this important aspect of our community’s infrastructure and supporting solutions that promote sustainability, efficiency, and
access for all residents.
Item No. 3 - Drone Regulations Zac Fabian - 7877 W 43rd Cir Wheat Ridge, 80033 My name is Zac Fabian, and I’m a Wheat Ridge resident. I fly drones both
professionally and recreationally, and I’m writing to express concern about the city
considering a blanket ban on drones in public parks. Many cities and counties have already gone this route, and I believe it’s the wrong approach. I understand that drones aren’t everyone’s favorite thing. Some people worry about noise or privacy. But most recreational drones today are small, quiet, battery-powered, and flown under strict FAA
guidelines. They do not damage land or pose a safety risk when used responsibly —
and they’re already heavily regulated at the federal level. Many municipalities prohibit drones in all parks without making distinctions for size, weight, location, or experience level. This kind of all-or-nothing policy pushes responsible users into less appropriate spaces — like their backyards — where disturbance is actually more likely. This
reminds me of how cities treated skateboarding in the 1980s. It was seen as disruptive
and banned from most public spaces. But over time, cities made room for it. They built skateparks. They found a solution. Drones deserve the same kind of thoughtful consideration. I’m not asking for drones to be allowed everywhere. I’d like to see Wheat Ridge consider designated areas — like a drone field or limited time windows — where
recreational flying is permitted under safe and respectful conditions. I also encourage
the city to recognize the major difference between large commercial drones and smaller recreational ones under 250g, which are quieter, lighter, and much less intrusive. Public space should reflect a range of legal, creative activities — not just the most popular ones. Banning based on discomfort alone is not good policy. Drones also have serious
commercial value. They’re used for real estate, inspections, construction, and more.
These uses should be protected, especially when drones are significantly quieter than leaf blowers or lawn mowers — both of which are routine in parks. The FAA already regulates drone flight. Even recreational users are required to pass a federal safety test. In many ways, drone use is more regulated than dog ownership. I urge Wheat Ridge to
avoid piling on unnecessary local restrictions, and instead consider a more innovative,
balanced approach — one that reflects the evolving reality of this technology and protects the interests of all community members. Thank you for your consideration. In Person
Stew Stewart – Resident – spoke in appreciation of council directing staff to improve
services for Wheat Ridge residents in regard to the Residential Waste Engagement Project Update. Kelly Blynn – Resident- spoke in support of 2J and stated her excitement about moving
forward with the projects, especially the 38th Refresh Project, asking Council to focus on
connectivity, pedestrian and bicycle safety regarding pathways, continuing the maintenance projects as described in the proposal.
4. Residential Waste Engagement Project Update Mary Hester, Sustainability Coordinator, stated that City Council directed staff to
conduct further research on several items following the November 18, 2024, study
session on the Residential Waste Engagement project. This item provides an update on progress made to date and outlines areas where Staff is seeking Council input, including budget considerations for the potential expansion of some waste services.
She reviewed the five areas which City Council directed staff to explore five
implementation areas. She covered the cost and implementation solutions regarding TLC Events and Accessibility; Localworks Dumpster Grants; Large Item Pick Up/Drop Off; publicity surrounding events; budget availability; and other ideas.
Council Members asked questions and offered suggestions regarding the many
programs and projects involved in the recycling events. 5. Proposed Next Chapter 2J Bond Fund Project List Maria D’Andrea, Public Works Director, gave a brief presentation stating that upon
approval of the 2J tax extension, also referred to as the Next Chapter, staff
developed a list of potential projects within each of the three major themes of corridors, sidewalks & bikeways, and drainage. This list exceeds $121 million. Staff has subsequently refined the list to be in line with the $75M bond capacity. She showed a brief PowerPoint presentation and stated a proposed list of projects and costs for 2024
and 2025.
Council Members spoke to the importance of figuring out how to fund CIP projects and maintaining the work that has already been done and will be completed in the future. They spoke to the priorities as spelled out in the Staff Memo, grant availability, ADA
ramps, bicycle and pedestrian pathways, and the corridor plans. Due to budget
concerns, they mentioned the possible need for a stormwater fee in order to shift funds away from the storm drainage and back into some of the other projects. At the request of Council Member Hultin, there was consensus from Council to set aside
a half-million dollars for school crossing projects.
Council Member Hoppe asked for consensus to move forward with the project list as outlined in the staff memo with the exception of traffic signals at 44th & Tabor and 44th & Eldridge,and the ½ million set aside for safe routes to school. Consensus was reached
on these items.
Deputy City Manager Allison Scheck recognized Public Works Director Maria D’Andrea who is leaving the City and thanked her for the many innovative projects she brought to the City.
6. Drone Regulations
Chief Chris Murtha introduced the proposal for regulating drones within the City of Wheat Ridge. As drones become more prevalent in society, for both commercial and private use, the adoption of an ordinance to assist in governing the use of drones within
the Wheat Ridge City limits may be necessary to ensure those flying drones will honor
the city’s values, culture and peace. Currently, the City depends primarily on the FAA rules as it pertains to the appropriate operation of drones. Sgt. John Bowman gave a brief presentation on the current Wheat Ridge Department
Drone Program, the drone team, FAA part 107 Pilots vs. Recreation Pilots, and
explained that the Wheat Ridge Drone Team follows the FAA part 107 regulations and are licensed accordingly, while most other pilots are not. He spoke of the poor judgement used by some Recreational Pilots, lack of common sense, lack of knowledge regarding airspace, height restrictions and local, state, and federal laws.
Sgt. Bowman spoke about the current Wheat Ridge Code of Laws, Sections 17-41 Flying Objects and 16-28 -Unlawful Visual Observation and how they can be used to enforce some of the drone traffic.
Council Members discussed the use of drones for real estate, roofing issues, property
showings, mapping and other good uses. Chief Murtha stated that adding “drones” to some of the existing ordinances would still allow for the other uses. He stated that people are finding more and more uses for drones, some are legitimate and some are not. He stated that he believes that adding “drones” to the current codes would suffice
for now.
City Attorney Dahl stated that we continue to work between local regulations and the FAA and it continues to evolve. He stated that he will work with the Chief and Sgt. Bowman on a draft ordinance to bring to another study session that will be a list of
regulations specific to drones and property. Then Council can decide what they want to
regulate and what they don’t want to regulate. He will also review any court cases regarding drones. We will not get it right the first time, it will continue to evolve and will be fine-tuned as Council moves forward.
7. Staff Report(s)
Deputy City Manager Allison Scheck stated that Intermountain Health is holding a press
conference tomorrow at 2:30 p.m. to announce the developer for the old Lutheran site.
She gave an update on the car wash, stating that they have engaged with an acoustical
consultant to do a sound study and make recommendations. The timeline is not clear at
this point. The car wash operating is closing the operations at 9 p.m. daily.
8. Elected Officials’ Report
None.
9. Adjournment
There being no further business to come before Council, Mayor Starker adjourned the
Study Session at 9:05 p.m.
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Margy Greer, Sr. Deputy City Clerk
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Korey Stites, Mayor Pro Tem