Headlines August 5, 2021
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Denver Commended for Requiring Vaccines for City Employees and School District Staff
The Colorado Vaccine Equity Task Force is commending Denver’s decision to require vaccinations for city employees and school district staff.
The task force, which works to ensure all Coloradans have equal access to vaccines, said in a statement released yesterday the most recent science around the Delta variant of COVID-19 should heighten the resolve to protect specific communities from again bearing the brunt of surging caseloads.
According to the Task Force, communities of color have seen greater rates of death and severe illness and other disproportionate impacts of the pandemic.
The group urges other cities and municipalities to consider Denver’s actions for their own residents.
FRCC Hosting Back to School Vaccine Events for Ages 12 and Up
To help ensure more students are protected against the virus as they begin school this fall, Front Range Community College will be hosting upcoming vaccination clinics at its campuses in Fort Collins, Longmont, and Westminster.
At each campus, COVID-19 vaccines will be available at no cost and appointments and walk ups are both welcome.
The vaccination events are open to ages 12 and up and individuals can obtain their first or second dose shot.
The Fort Collins campus will hold its clinic on Wednesday, August 25th from 9 AM to 1PM.
The Longmont and Westminster campuses will hold their clinics on Thursday, August 26th, from 9AM to 2PM.
The Boulder Valley School District will also host two vaccine equity clinics this month.
The first will take place Saturday, August 7th and 28th at Boulder High School.
Another will be at Broomfield High School on Sundays August 8th and 29th.
Both BVSD-hosted clinics will administer the Pfizer vaccine, which continues to be the only COVID vaccine approved for use in people under the age of 18.
Jeffco Parents Protest Mask Mandate
Not all parents of students are going along with health measures for the upcoming school year.
Yesterday around 300 parents with their children in tow protested Jefferson County Public Schools’s requirement for children ages 3 to 11 to wear masks in the classrooms.
According to the Denver Post, the parents protested outside of the Jefferson County Public Health Department headquarters in Lakewood and chanted “my body, my choice” and held signs critical of the school district’s decision.
Denver Five-Year Strategic Plan to Address Housing and Homelessness
The City of Denver yesterday issued a draft for a five-year strategic plan to address housing and homelessness.
Denver’s Department of Housing Stability (HOST) issued a draft review version of its Five-Year Strategic Plan to support those who are unhoused or facing housing instability. Following more than a year of public input from residents, stakeholders and partners, the plan will be used to provide housing stability, resolves episodes of homelessness, and create housing opportunities.
Denver Mayor Michael B. Hancock feels the plan will help solidify housing and make homelessness resources an essential city service.
The plan consist of 14 goals which includes having access to housing options that meet affordability needs, reduce unsheltered homelessness by 50%, and help address gentrification.
Residents can read the plan, or the Executive Summary and share feedback with HOST by September 3.
The five-year strategic planning process involved many of the cities advisors along with individuals with homelessness experience, service providers, and representatives of community organizations and neighborhoods.
Following the public review period, the plan will be given to City Council for adoption in November.
36K Colorado Children from Low-Income Families Could Miss Out on the Child Tax Credit
State and school district officials along with advocates are concerned that Colorado’s most vulnerable families will not receive the expanded advance Child Tax Credit payments because many families are not signed up through the IRS to receive automatic payments or they are facing other obstacles.
The Colorado Sun reports more than 36,000 Colorado children could lose out on the Child Tax Credit expansion because their families do not file income taxes.
A June report by the Center for Budget and Policy Priorities analyzed children who are reported on tax forms as receiving health insurance but otherwise do not show up on tax returns.
The situation includes families that do not make enough income to file a tax return, parents who have been out of work for long periods, parents with disabilities, brand new parents, and those living in the U.S. without documentation but with children born in the U.S..
Upcoming Community Engagement Opportunities Related to CU South Annexation
The City of Boulder has announced additional community briefing and listening sessions pertaining to the draft annexation agreement for the CU Boulder South property.
The Briefing and Listening sessions are currently scheduled for Monday, August 9th and August 26th.
According to the statement from the city, officials from the University of Colorado Boulder and the City are working on incorporating the recent input from the Boulder Planning Board into a revised annexation agreement.
Revised versions of the draft annexation agreement will be made available to the public on the city’s project webpage.
Specific information about the upcoming sessions and key city council deliberation dates are available online at the CU Boulder South Annexation project webpage or the South Boulder Creek Flood Mitigation webpage.
2021 is Already a Record Year for Flash Flood Warnings
Yesterday, the US National Weather Service in Denver/Boulder stated by Twitter that Colorado has seen 259 flash flood warnings so far this year and many of the warnings cover the large burn areas of the state.
According to the weather service, as of August 4th, Colorado has seen the most Flash Warnings in a calendar year, with 83 more than the previous high in 2013, which was 176.
