HomeMy WebLinkAbout2026-06-01 Study Session NotesPage 1 of 5
NOTES
CITY OF WHEAT RIDGE, COLORADO
STUDY SESSION
Monday, June 1, 2026
The Study Session was held in a hybrid format, with Councilmembers, City
staff, and members of the public participating either in person at the
Municipal Building (7500 West 29th Avenue, Wheat Ridge, Colorado) in
Council Chambers, or virtually.
CALL TO ORDER
In the absence of Mayor Stites, Mayor Pro Tem Hultin called the City Council Study
Session of June 1, 2026, to order at 6:30 p.m.
ATTENDANCE
Councilmembers Present: Rachel Hultin; Dan Larson; Kathleen Martell; Scott Ohm; Mike
Okada; Patrick Quinn; Jenny Snell; and Susan Wood.
Absent: None
Staff in Attendance: City Manager Patrick Goff; Chief of Police Chris Murtha, Division
Chief Eric Kellogg, Division Chief Shawn Wray, Records Supervisor Angel Lepire, Senior
Deputy City Clerk Onorina Maloney; and other staff as needed.
PUBLIC COMMENTS ON AGENDA ITEMS
No public comments were received in person, via Zoom, or through Wheat Ridge
Speaks.
1. Recreational vehicle parking in parks and open space areas
Division Chief Eric Kellogg presented a proposed ordinance amendment to Wheat Ridge
Code Section 17-1-17.52, addressing recreational vehicle (RV) parking in parks, trails,
open spaces, and recreation areas. The proposed amendment is intended to regulate
RV parking in parks, trails, open space areas, and recreation facilities.
Key proposed changes include:
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A formal definition of "recreational vehicle" covering motorized and towable vehicles
designed for leisure, seasonal, or temporary living use, with clarification that RVs are not
intended as permanent residences. Parking would be restricted to posted park hours and designated oversized vehicle parking areas. A maximum parking duration of three
consecutive days would be established, and relocating a vehicle during that period
would not restart the time limit. The ordinance would become effective 15 days after
final publication and includes a severability clause.
City Attorney Dahl noted that to address concerns about the "not intended for permanent residence" language potentially being misread by vehicle dwellers, a lead-in
phrase such as "for the purposes of this section" should be added to clarify the regulatory scope without making broader characterizations about how individuals
regard their vehicles.
Council discussion resulted in the following direction to staff for ordinance revisions:
• Refine the RV definition with qualifying language limiting its application to the
regulatory context of this section, as suggested by City Attorney Dahl.
• Investigate whether gray and black water dumping is addressed elsewhere in
the city's nuisance code (Chapter 16) and import relevant language if a regulatory gap exists.
• Add a size or dimensional standard to clarify what constitutes an "oversized
vehicle" for designated parking purposes.
• Existing language requiring occupants to be "engaged in an activity connected with the areas" was confirmed as current code and was not
recommended for removal by consensus.
Following the presentation, Chief of Police Murtha also raised additional enforcement
considerations, including: individuals cycling between multiple parks to circumvent the
three-day limit; RVs parking at municipal facilities such as the Recreation Center; and vehicles migrating into residential neighborhoods and rights-of-way after park
enforcement contact.
City Attorney Dahl advised that including the Recreation Center within the ordinance's
scope is achievable within Chapter 17, and that language can be drafted to prevent
sequential parking across multiple parks or municipal recreation facilities from resetting the time limit.
Council reached consensus directing staff to:
• Include the Recreation Center and other municipal recreation facilities within the
ordinance's scope.
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• Draft language providing that the three-consecutive-day parking limit applies
cumulatively across city parks and recreation facilities rather than separately at each
location.
• Draft language preventing relocation between city parks and recreation facilities from
restarting the three-day parking limit.
2. Regulation of Massage Facilities
City Attorney Dahl presented an overview of two recent state legislative actions —
House Bill 24-1371 and Senate Bill 25-146 — and their impact on the city's existing massage business licensing regulations, which were originally adopted in 2020. The
state statutes establish uniform statewide standards for the issuance, denial,
suspension, and revocation of massage business licenses, and declare these standards
a matter of statewide concern, prohibiting local regulations from being more restrictive
in those specific areas.
City Attorney Dahl advised that after comparing the city's existing licensing standards
with state requirements, the city's standards align closely with those requirements, and that the broader regulatory framework — including physical facility standards, hours of
operation, clothing requirements, and prohibitions on residential use of massage
facilities — remains largely within the city's authority and is not affected by the two bills. A new fingerprinting requirement for massage business owners and licensees was also
introduced by the state statutes, with an associated July 1, 2026, deadline.
Records Supervisor Lepire provided context on the current fingerprinting process,
explaining that the department has been conducting Colorado Bureau of Investigation
(CBI) public records checks rather than Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) fingerprint-
based background checks, due to a gap in the ordinance language required to authorize
federal fingerprinting submissions. She noted that most current licensees have already been fingerprinted under the existing process, and that a full retroactive re-fingerprinting
is not anticipated to be necessary. The department is working toward having the
proposed ordinance language reviewed and pre-approved by the Colorado Bureau of
Investigation, which will in turn submit it to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, before
bringing the language to council. This approach will allow future applicants to be fingerprinted through an approved external vendor, reducing staff burden and
eliminating the need for in-house fingerprinting.
Council discussed the enforcement options outlined in the staff memo. City Attorney
Dahl advised that graduated fines are not well-suited to massage facility regulation, as
compliance issues generally involve either meeting or failing to meet regulatory requirements. The existing enforcement tools — including penalty assessments,
nuisance designation, and the ability to seek injunctive relief in district court — were
affirmed as adequate. No direction on new enforcement mechanisms was sought.
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Consensus: City Council reached consensus directing the City Attorney to prepare an
ordinance amending the city's massage facility licensing regulations to conform to the
statewide standards established by House Bill 24-1371 and Senate Bill 25-146.
3. Staff Reports
City Manager Goff reported that the Request for Information (RFI) deadline for the
Wilmore-Davis Elementary School and Columbine/Kullerstrand Elementary School
properties was May 21. The school district's consultant received nine proposals for the
Wilmore-Davis Elementary School Davis property and seven for Kullerstrand. A meeting with the school district is scheduled for the following day. City Manager Goff noted that
one proposal for the Wilmore-Davis Elementary School property may warrant discussion before the June 8, 2026, City Council meeting, and that he and Mayor Pro Tem Hultin
would confer Wednesday, June 3, 2026, to determine whether a special discussion is
needed at the June 8, 2026 meeting. He also noted that most proposals respect the
city's wishes to preserve park and open space. He additionally reminded council of
Ridgefest occurring that Saturday from 2:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
4. Elected Officials' Reports
Councilmember Martell reported attending the Local Works Live Local event at Mayor Stites' Personal Achievement Martial Arts studio and the Happiness Gardens annual
plant giveaway, where all plants were grown from seed by Parks and Recreation staff
and volunteers. She reminded the public of office hours with Councilmember Snell on
the first and third Tuesdays of the month at Anne's Pie Cafe on West 29th Avenue,
noting this will be the last month at that location.
Councilmember Ohm reported attending the Colorado Municipal League (CML) District
Meeting, where Wheat Ridge's council culture and collaborative approach were
discussed favorably. He highlighted concerns raised by other municipalities regarding
teacher commute distances due to housing affordability.
Councilmember Okada reported on the District 4 meeting held May 23, 2026, at the
Wheat Ridge Historical Society, which included a strong turnout. He announced a neighborhood meeting on Thursday, June 4, 2026, at 5:00 p.m. at the Recreation Center
for residents near Garrison Street north of 38th Avenue, to discuss potential future
development in that area.
Councilmember Quinn noted a vacancy on the District 3 Grant Committee and
encouraged applications. He reported attending the Movie in the Park at The Green at 38th Avenue and the West Metro Firefighters fundraiser. He relayed a Colorado
Department of Transportation (CDOT) notification regarding upcoming bridge work on
the I-70 Kipling and Garrison overpasses, anticipated in October, with a planned
diversion for westbound travelers.
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Councilmember Larson echoed Councilmember Ohm's remarks on the Colorado
Municipal League (CML) District Meeting and complimented the District 4 neighborhood
meeting. He reported volunteering at the Jefferson County Library Foundation's Whale of a Book Sale at the fairgrounds, noting substantial attendance on Saturday.
Councilmember Wood reported attending the Jefferson County Spring Forum on April 30, 2026, and noted that Jefferson County's regional, coordinated approach to
homelessness was cited as a best practice by the American Planning Association's
Legislative and Policy Committee for inclusion in an upcoming advocacy white paper.
Councilmember Snell –had no report
Mayor Pro Tem Hultin reported attending the Stevens Elementary kindergarten
graduation with Mayor Stites and Councilmember Martell, where Future Farmer T-shirts
were distributed. She reported attending the two-day Civic Canopy Summit in Colorado
Springs with Councilmember Wood and reported that attendees discussed Wheat Ridge's "Let's Talk" program. She announced the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
Transition Plan open house on Wednesday from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. at the Active
Adult Center, and a "Pedal to Patio" bike-to-work evening event hosted by the Active
Transportation Advisory Group on June 24, 2026, at New Image Brewing.
ADJOURNMENT
Mayor Pro Tem Hultin adjourned the June 1, 2026, Study Session at 8:14 p.m.
_____________________________
Rachel Hultin, Mayor Pro Tem
___________________________________________
Onorina Z. Maloney, Senior Deputy City Clerk