Meeting was called to order at 6:50 p.m. and was adjourned at 9:05 p.m. with a total of 14 members present

Arapahoe Library District – Eloise May

• Of the 8 libraries in the Arapahoe Library District, 4 are in the City of Centennial, (Koelbel, Castlewood, Smoky Hill, and Southglenn)
• Librarians will attend "back-to-school" meetings to re-connect the teachers and parents with the libraries
• Castlewood circulation increased from 30,000 to 50,000 items per month, Koelbel increased from 90,000 to 100,000, Smoky Hill increased from 55,000 to 85,000. District wide, circulation is up from 1.5 million to 1.8 million in the first half of 2003
• Annual report is due out to residents sometime in August
• Libraries will provide support to allow additional opportunities for presenting the Standing Tall program to more people
• On Saturday, 30 August, Southglenn Branch will conduct a paperback book exchange. Books must be in a good condition and be appropriate reading for a public library. Call 303-221-3998 for additional information
• Used book sale at Koelbel Library on Friday, 12 Sept. and Saturday, 13 Sept. from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM, and on Sunday, 14 Sept. from 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM. Call 303-798-2444 for additional information
• Saturday, 9 August is the deadline for Adult Reading Program

• Sheriff’s Office has a Triple Crown Accreditation in law enforcement accreditation, detention accreditation, and detention medical accreditation. Based on national standards and issued for 3 years at a time
• This year, the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies (CALEA) will conduct a Performance Measurements review on the Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Office, which is only one of ten in the entire country to be selected
• Sheriff is creating a Regional Public Safety Services and Contracts Task Force to review law enforcement contract services
• Provided a sketch and picture of a tattoo for a sexual assault suspect who attacked a 10 year old girl in Palos Verdes
• Also provided a copy of the letter that the Sheriff’s Office sends to residents who have open garage doors overnight. Several CenCON members requested a copy of the letter for their newsletters
• Garage burglaries continue to be a problem, especially with the open garage door situation

• Approval for the new Recreation Center was received from Arapahoe County, but construction will be delayed by 2 to 3 weeks until newly hatched swallows (birds) are old enough to leave the area where Piney Creek bank stabilization will be done
• Recreation Center work is still under budget
• Foxhill Park underground sprinkling system is working very well
• Ridge Park had an "open house" on 26 July for neighborhood residents.

• Final decision will be made at City Council meeting on Thursday, 7 August concerning a tax increase issue on the November ballot
• City’s Economic Development group is working with the South Metro Chamber of Commerce, the Southeast Business Partnership, DRCOG, and other smaller organizations to create an informational packet about Centennial, in the hopes of attracting new business development
• Also have a 12 member Business Roundtable Group which represents small, medium, and large businesses to look for ways to attract and retain businesses in Centennial
• Centennial is residential rich, and retail poor. Manufacturing is the major business in Centennial
• Centennial residents are still paying taxes to Arapahoe County, but the City of Centennial is doing the work. Citizens need to contact the County Commissioners to explain why this situation continues, and what happened to the $15 million windfall to the County

• Citizens group has met 3 times to discuss a campaign to educate the Centennial citizens on the needs for a tax increase. No individual has yet been identified as heading this committee
• Infrastructure is under-funded. Sales tax revenue was smaller than planned
• Some street maintenance is being done
• Survey was conducted with 700 residents, and most feel that City is doing a good job
• Zoning enforcement is an area that is needed but which has not been addressed as yet. County estimated it cost about $50,000 to take a zoning violation to District Court. Municipal Court would cost much less
• Municipal Court will start with traffic cases, then move on to zoning cases
• Residents should take zoning complaints to Land Use Department now to establish a file which will eventually be used by the Court
• A 3% sales tax is the maximum allowed for statutory cities in Colorado
• City is proposing that there be a one percent increase in the City sales tax (total of 2.5%), and a use tax on automobiles of 2.5%. Amount of increase must be weighed against odds of being accepted by voters

• City’s Comprehensive Plan committee will have a second meeting on Tuesday, 5 August
• Ms. Suhaka announced she will be running for an additional term as City Council member to complete the Comprehensive Plan and Storm Water Drainage projects
• City Council has considered a Bond Issue to fund infra-structure road maintenance, but if City does not get the sales tax increase, the City could not pay the interest on the bonds
• City has proposed that 50% of sales tax increase be used for the infra-structure and drainage, and 100% of the use tax be used for transportation
• Town Meetings were very poorly attended, Ward 1 had about 30 people, Ward 2 had about 50 people , Ward 3 had about 12 people, and Ward 4 had about 9 people
• Jordan Road has been closed

• City of Centennial has hired Nancy Reubert as Director of Media & Community Relations
• Will work with the news media to present a good image of Centennial
• Will also include the HOA newsletters for this information
• Has the town hall meeting survey evaluation sheets available to anyone who wants them

• It was moved by Andrea Suhaka and seconded by Michael Kirrane that the June 2003 minutes be approved as amended to reflect the correction in the Treasurer’s Report of $225 deposited in Checking Account instead of in Savings Account as originally reported. Approval was unanimous. No minutes for July since meeting was replaced by Route 66 RTD bus trip

• Letters were sent to four "CenCON Association" candidates: Dreamhouse Acres (John Brackney), Cherry Hills Vista (Joan Johnson), Cherrywood Village (John Gleason), and Broadway Estates West (Howard McGregor). Broadway Estates West has attended both the June and August CenCON meetings. The other 3 HOAs have not responded, or have responded negatively

                    - Plans - Ron Weidmann

• No new developer plans were discussed because of the absence of the Plans Committee chairman. Copies of the comments for 3 developer plans will be distributed to all members with the minutes

• Presented plans for a new restaurant next to the Durry Inn on Dry Creek near Yosemite
• Family style southern BBQ with seating capacity of about 125 people
• 127 existing restaurants in the South. This is the first of about ten restaurants planned for Colorado

• Presented plans for a major, phased expansion of the existing church building on Parker Road between Arapahoe and Orchard, kitty-corner to the Arapahoe Crossing shopping center
• New classrooms, larger church area, administration area, cafeteria, library, and gymnasium
• Want to make the Church more than a church, to make it a community center
• Evening activities will be on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday nights from 7:00 to 9:00 PM, in addition to the Sunday services. Will possibly have activities for teenagers on Saturday nights
• Expansion will total about 350% of existing building area

Page last updated on: 05/29/2006