Ask Golden

Greetings Lutz family,

The Water Rescue vehicle was a grant funded apparatus procured in 2015 that saw very limited use over its 10-year lifespan with the City of Golden. With a new larger, heavy rescue placed into service in 2022 (Rescue 21) all water rescue equipment was recently transferred from the standalone water rescue unit to Rescue 21 which provides for a ‘one stop shop’ for not only water rescue, but also heavy rescue and technical rescue as well. The majority of water rescues within the City and up Clear Creek Canyon have been historically handled by either the Fire Engine at Station 21 or Rescue 21. Rescue 21 also has a raised cab which allows for rescue swimmers to get dressed prior to leaving the station, or once they arrive at the scene, which maintains a level of privacy for the rescuer donning a dry suit.

The Fire Department has recently shed two heavy apparatus from our fleet and consolidated rescue equipment into fewer, newer units because as you mention, fire trucks are very expensive to procure and also require costly, regular preventative maintenance as well. Water Rescue 21 was sold to South Adams County Fire and 100% of the proceeds from the sale were added back to the Fire Department’s fleet lease fund for future use.

Decisions like this certainly aren’t made in a vacuum, we have collaborated with department staff and city management to ensure they were informed for the reason of the sale, with the primary reason being that a unit which averaged only 500 miles a year is hard to justify retaining, especially when we have other vehicles that can fulfill the same function.

Thank you for your inquiry.

Respectfully,
Kasey Beal
Fire Chief, City of Golden

Thank you for your comment. The City will add permanent signage for the crosswalk.

Hello, This location is Jefferson County, not within the City of Golden boundaries. You may want to reach out to the County to learn more. Thank you for your inquiry!

Hi John, You can dispose of your extinguishers at Rooney Road. You can find a full list of locations and hard-to-recycle items on the City website here: https://www.cityofgolden.gov/community/sustainable_golden/waste_diversion/hard_to_recycle_items_guide 

Thank you for your interest in the Colfax Complete Street Project. The project is still moving forward but has faced some challenges.

Before construction can begin, the area must be removed from the 100-year floodplain, which requires ongoing drainage improvements to Lena Gulch. This process takes time and must be approved by FEMA and coordinated with state and local entities before the Complete Street Project can proceed.

Additionally, recent changes in federal grant funding have created some uncertainty. While grants were awarded, final funding is still pending, and we are monitoring the situation closely.

We appreciate your patience and will share updates as we make progress.

As this is within Jefferson County Public Schools' jurisdiction, we recommend you reach out to the school directly to address their concerns about dead and combustible vegetation. You are welcome to copy our Fire Marshall, Brett Ballentine, at bballentine@cityofgolden.net on your correspondence. 

The Miller Pipeline gas line project is expected to be completed by the end of the month, with restoration work—such as concrete and asphalt patching—scheduled to be finished by mid-April.

Regarding concerns about careless driving, there are a few reporting options:

• If you witnessed an incident involving a specific truck, you can report it directly to the department responsible (e.g., Jefferson County or the agency operating the vehicle, such as Parks or Public Works).

• If you want the violation addressed by law enforcement, you would need to report it in the jurisdiction where it occurred. However, because officers were not present at the time, you would need to serve as a witness should further action be taken.

• Many prefer to report concerns without being involved in a formal complaint process. In those cases, reaching out to the responsible agency is the best course of action. 

If the odors that you are smelling are near 44^th Avenue, that is from the Coors brewery process wastewater treatment plant. The plant treats wastewater from the brewery, not sewage, although that's not a distinction that's easy to make based on the smell. Golden does not operate the plant, contribute wastewater to the plant, or regulate the plant - it is, in fact, located outside the city. If that is the source of the smell, we recommend contacting Coors directly. Coors has an odor hotline to receive complaints related to the plant. The number for the hotline is 303-277-2112. Please call the hotline whenever you are bothered by odors from the plant - and please share the hotline number with friends and neighbors.

If the smell is coming from somewhere other than the Coord plant, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment has a partnership with Jefferson County for air pollution control matters - they have equipment that can measure odors to evaluate compliance. You can contact them at 303-232-6301.

Thank you for your message. The City's primary public engagement and survey opportunities for the master planning projects are complete, and staff and consultants are now working to review and analyze this information. The Path to Play page will soon be updated with more information on next steps for both master plan projects. 

The residential development of the Overlook property was approved by the City of Golden in 2008 for 92 single family lots and has only recently begun development by a new buyer. The development is free to proceed because the privately owned land is zoned, and platted for residential uses. Work on the development has been underway since 2023. The property has never been owned as public open space, unlike Green Mountain which is owned by the City of Lakewood. The future project will include a new trail connection through the neighborhood to access the adjacent open space property and connect the regional trail. Find out more information about the project here: https://www.guidinggolden.com/overlook-development

-Lauren Simmons, Senior Planner