OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Golden City Council Study Session & Regular Meeting – April 14, 2026

City Council & Boards — Tuesday, April 14, 2026
BodyGolden, Colorado
SessionCity Council & Boards
DateTuesday, April 14, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 3:53:57

Transcript — Verbatim
1:41

Okay, so we are now at 5 p.m.

1:44

on the April 14th study session.

1:47

We have two items on our study session agenda.

1:51

First item will be the Water Street permit parking.

1:54

And the second item will be a presentation from the Golden Fire Department on their data analytics.

2:00

To start, I know that we are all familiar, but for those who might not be, we've got Matt Wimpee, principal planner here from the city.

2:09

Essentially, if I understand ask, and I'm going to ask you to clarify that you guys are presenting the public survey responses and initial parking data and analysis collected for council consideration.

2:20

And can you just outline before we begin exactly what you're looking for from us guidance-wise?

2:26

Sure.

2:27

So we've had a resident initiator, or I guess property owner initiated request for managed parking on Water and Jackson Street.

2:34

So before we go to MTAB and bring forth a formal resolution required under municipal code to establish any sort of managed parking in this area, we wanted to uh kind of uh present some information, uh additional analysis and kind of get general directions so we can know where we want to go uh with that resolution or where council wants to go with that resolution.

2:57

All right.

2:59

Um I'm going to assume we've all had time, but you're gonna go through and present first, right?

3:04

I'm gonna do the lightning fast presentation based on the amount of comments I got pre-meeting.

3:08

I assume there's a lot of discussion to be had within this half hour, so I will not uh take all of that oxygen.

3:14

So um so this is an area that we have had uh uh this request as a property owner of 615 Water Street, which is the gold apartment buildings, that white roof building uh right along Clear Creek.

3:28

We've got a request to establish uh neighborhood permit parking.

3:32

Uh we expanded those options when we went out to the public uh to ask um uh what kind of options they would be interested in.

3:40

Um so we'll present that data.

3:44

So for just for kind of some background, so these areas here, the yellow uh lines, those are on street parking, all of this area is currently unmanaged.

3:54

It's outside of what's called our downtown district, which is a formal definition of the municipal code that's typically tied to parking, feed and loo and other transportation elements.

4:05

Um but this whole area kind of east of Washington, unregulated parking, free, no time restrictions, no use restrictions, other than Vanover Park.

4:15

We say the parking for Vanover is only for Vanover park users.

4:18

From a practical perspective, that is impossible to enforce.

4:22

So uh there's a um within this off-street parking.

4:26

There's 53 on-street parking spaces, um, and there's about a hundred off-street parking spaces that are privately managed by those property owners uh between four different properties.

4:38

Um kind of the managed parking options that we put forward uh to the public.

4:46

And we really when we do these surveys, and this is by far the smallest neighborhood zone that we've ever been asked to establish.

5:00

You can put that on par with the high school zone, which is probably 10 square blocks, and the 9th Street zone, which is the closest one to this, which is easily three blocks by the uh eight blocks.

5:09

Um we looked at basically no change, which continue to be unregulated, it's free for all, first come, first served.

5:16

Uh then the second option was two-hour limit or having a city permit required.

5:22

So it's basically any vehicle without a neighborhood permit, you can park there for a maximum of two hours.

5:27

Uh, if you have that city permit, which is basically on par with a neighborhood permit parking permit, uh, you're not subject to any parking cost or time restrictions.

5:37

The third option we looked at was a two-hour limit only.

5:40

So basically everybody can only park there for a maximum of two hours.

5:44

This is basically similar to what we have for on-street parking within the downtown core right now.

5:49

And our fourth option was establishing a full neighborhood uh NPP zone.

5:55

So that's on par with uh with primarily our residential areas that we have throughout town.

6:01

I think we have five or six of these established now.

6:04

Uh, there are businesses located within our NPPs as well, uh, but um, so it's usually that mixture, but say this one is probably a large mixture or a more potent mixture of businesses with the popularity of the mill.

6:22

Um at this NPP, it does not guarantee that there is parking available, nor does it guarantee specific spaces are available.

6:30

Uh, we do have the ability to do that, but that's typically not what we do with our neighborhood zones.

6:37

We also looked at a couple of exemptions that we thought could be of value.

6:41

The first one is that purple line on the east side of Parfitt Park between uh park space, uh park staff, um PD park users who are actually going to Parfit Park, but also events space.

6:56

We felt that that could be potentially regulated as two hour only.

7:00

Uh, and then also this is kind of what that area looks like right now.

7:06

Uh, there is some ADA spaces.

7:09

That sidewalk currently serves that picnic table, but the East Zone amenity plan looks at potentially improving that uh connectivity through Parkfoot Park into downtown.

7:20

And then there's also uh this area, this is the intersection of water and Ford.

7:24

Um generally it's a little too narrow to have parking on both sides and two-way vehicle traffic in this area.

7:32

Um the mill also heavily utilizes this, and we've asked them to utilize this for loading zone rather than what they were doing, which is parking in the bike lane on Ford Street.

7:41

Um but typically you'll see some loading zone there, there'll be ride share vehicles stopping there, other people dropping off, kind of that coming and going, uh, which we feel could be a value marking this as a loading zone.

7:55

The cities try to get more consistent with how we treat loading zones where it's more we're still clarifying, but it's generally 30-minute parking uh rather than just say loading zone with no regulation, which is again difficult to enforce if we find somebody violating it.

8:12

So we did reach out to the public.

8:15

Um so the folks that responded, we had about a 27% response rate to the survey, which is pretty decent looking at other neighborhood zones.

8:25

We have uh so again, there's kind of a combination of residential, office, and business uses.

8:31

So the business is the mill.

8:34

Uh and we give basically residential side will give from multi-family will give each unit gets a vote with the business.

8:44

Obviously, there's multiple businesses within the food hall model of them all, but we just got the response from uh from the mill, and to your question, uh the mill would prefer two-hour parking only.

8:57

So uh the office users, so that's the gold office building that's owned by Clayworks.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Public Safety████████████12%
Water And Wastewater Management████████████12%
Transportation Safety███████████11%
Parking Management██████████10%
Community Engagement██████████10%
Procedural█████████9%
Affordable Housing█████████9%
Public Engagement███████7%
Strategic Planning██████6%
Summary of Proceedings

Golden City Council Study Session & Regular Business Meeting – April 14, 2026

On April 14, 2026, the Golden City Council held a study session from 5:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. and a regular business meeting starting at 6:30 p.m. in City Hall Council Chambers. The study session featured discussions on a resident‑initiated managed parking request for Water and Jackson Streets and a Fire Department data analytics update on the impacts of Ballot Question 2K. The regular business meeting included public comment (dominated by bicycle safety concerns), unanimous approval of the consent calendar, four proclamations, and action on resolutions for the 2026 Comprehensive Plan, Council Rules amendments, and a drought enforcement framework.

Consent Calendar

  • Unanimously approved (7‑0) the following items as a single consent package:
    • Minutes of March 17, 2026
    • Resolution No. 3299 – IGA for ambulance/medical services with Pleasant View Metropolitan District, Golden Gate Fire Protection District, and Intermountain Health
    • Resolution No. 3300 – IGA with the Town of Georgetown for water storage in Guanella Reservoir
    • Resolution No. 3301 – IGA with the City of Black Hawk for water storage in Guanella Reservoir
    • Resolution No. 3302 – Water storage agreement with Soda Creek Property Owners’ Association
    • Resolution No. 3305 – IGA with Jefferson County for use of county parking lots during city special events
    • Resolution No. 3307 – Purchase of three Chevrolet Electric Silverado trucks and four Chevrolet Electric Blazers
    • Resolution No. 3308 – Upfitting of four police responder vehicles
    • Ordinance No. 2291 – Supplemental appropriation for the 2026 budget (first reading, public hearing set for April 28)

Public Comments & Testimony

  • Bicycle safety (8 speakers): Residents Payton Gibson, Andrea DeFrates, Beth Bidwell, Pam Logan, Lisa Hudson, Abby Willis, Addonai, Claire McDaniel, Ethan Green, and Paige Annoty urged immediate action to improve biking safety following two recent serious crashes (a 7‑year‑old at 10th and Ford, and an adult cyclist on Johnson Road). Speakers requested lower speed limits, automated enforcement, and a pilot program to collect data on near misses. Many cited their own unsafe experiences on Ford, Jackson, and Johnson Roads.
  • Affordable housing update: Kory Whitaker (Habitat for Humanity) reported that the project previously known as “Calvary Flats” has been renamed “The Prosper at Golden.” Construction is about to begin (15‑month timeline), a $500,000 match has been raised (including support from Golden Civic Foundation, Stronger Communities grant, and DDA TIF revenue), and a kickoff event is planned for June 3.
  • Support for Comprehensive Plan: Jen Rudder (Golden Planning Commission) read a letter from the Planning Commission supporting Resolution No. 3303 (2026 Comprehensive Plan), commending the public engagement process and the plan’s connection to Golden Vision 2030 values.

Study Session – Managed Parking Request (5:00–5:30 p.m.)

  • Matt Wempe (Principal Planner) presented a resident‑initiated request for permit parking on Water and Jackson Streets. The area currently has 53 on‑street spaces and about 100 privately managed off‑street spaces. A neighborhood survey (27% response rate) showed residents preferred a full neighborhood permit parking zone, while the Golden Mill preferred a 2‑hour limit only. Staff also identified the need for a loading zone on Water and Ford.
  • Council discussion highlighted the unique mix of residential, office, and commercial uses (especially the Golden Mill and Clayworks). Some councilors wanted to hear from the Mobility & Transportation Advisory Board (MTAB) before proceeding; others advocated for a broader stakeholder meeting and a potential expansion of the downtown parking district. No formal action was taken; staff was directed to organize stakeholder discussions and return with options.

Study Session – Fire Department Data Analytics (5:30–6:00 p.m.)

  • Fire Chief Kasey Beal and Chief Sean Jones reported on the impacts of Ballot Question 2K (2023). Key outcomes:
    • Total response time reduced by 1 minute 26 seconds (from 2023 to 2025).
    • Station reliability improved from 63% to approximately 81% (a 28% increase when calculated correctly).
    • Call volume has more than doubled over the past 10 years (9% annual increase), attributed to tourism, aging population, and transportation corridors.
    • The Fire Department is now fully staffing two stations with three‑person crews and maintains a combination career‑volunteer model (27 active volunteers).
    • Future strategic goals include enhanced EMS (adding paramedic capability, estimated startup cost $300,000, recurring $100,000–$110,000), accreditation, and a Community Wildfire Protection Plan.
  • Council thanked staff for the presentation and requested making performance data more publicly visible.

Discussion Items (Regular Business Meeting)

  • Resolution 3303 – 2026 Comprehensive Plan: Matt Wempe presented the plan, which replaces the 2011 plan. It emphasizes housing diversity, historic preservation, regional partnerships, and water planning. The plan was adopted by the Planning Commission and recommended to Council. After debate, Council voted 5‑2 to adopt (opposed: Councilors Cameron and Evans, who cited insufficient focus on the full housing spectrum and over‑emphasis on affordable housing).
  • Resolution 3304 – Council Rules Amendments: Councilor Cameron and Councilor Pfau presented changes clarifying that councilors should not serve on subcommittees of boards they are assigned to (e.g., DDA, GURA) except in rare exceptions, and should avoid chairing those boards. Unanimously approved (7‑0).
  • Resolution 3311 – Drought Enforcement Framework: Anne Beierle and Brian Tracy explained the administrative enforcement framework for outdoor water use restrictions, including escalating surcharges, warnings, administrative citations, and potential water shutoff after multiple violations (with opportunity for appeal). Council discussed communication strategies (AquaHawk alerts, mailed letters), HOA conflicts, and protection for renters. Unanimously approved (7‑0).
  • Ordinance 2292 – Water Use Code Clarifications (first reading): Companion ordinance to Resolution 3311, clarifying enforcement provisions. Public hearing set for April 28, 2026. Unanimously approved (7‑0).

Proclamations

  • National Crime Victim’s Rights Week (April 19‑25) – proclaimed by Mayor Pro Tem Vitry.
  • National Volunteer Week (April 19‑25) – proclaimed by Councilor Cameron.
  • Earth Day (April 22) – proclaimed by Councilor Kurzinski.
  • Arbor Day (April 24) – proclaimed by Councilor Pfau; Golden recognized as a Tree City USA for the 37th consecutive year.

Key Outcomes

  • Consent Calendar approved 7‑0.
  • Resolution 3303 (2026 Comprehensive Plan) adopted 5‑2 (opposed: Cameron, Evans).
  • Resolution 3304 (Council Rules) adopted 7‑0.
  • Resolution 3311 (Drought enforcement) adopted 7‑0.
  • Ordinance 2292 (Water use code) approved on first reading 7‑0; public hearing set for April 28 2026.
  • Study session direction: staff to organize stakeholder meetings on Water Street parking and return with broader options.
  • Study session outcome: Fire Department performance metrics to be shared more publicly; future updates on EMS and risk assessment to follow.
  • Council will provide regular updates on drought enforcement; a June study session update was requested.

Meeting Transcript

Okay, so we are now at 5 p.m. on the April 14th study session. We have two items on our study session agenda. First item will be the Water Street permit parking. And the second item will be a presentation from the Golden Fire Department on their data analytics. To start, I know that we are all familiar, but for those who might not be, we've got Matt Wimpee, principal planner here from the city. Essentially, if I understand ask, and I'm going to ask you to clarify that you guys are presenting the public survey responses and initial parking data and analysis collected for council consideration. And can you just outline before we begin exactly what you're looking for from us guidance-wise? Sure. So we've had a resident initiator, or I guess property owner initiated request for managed parking on Water and Jackson Street. So before we go to MTAB and bring forth a formal resolution required under municipal code to establish any sort of managed parking in this area, we wanted to uh kind of uh present some information, uh additional analysis and kind of get general directions so we can know where we want to go uh with that resolution or where council wants to go with that resolution. All right. Um I'm going to assume we've all had time, but you're gonna go through and present first, right? I'm gonna do the lightning fast presentation based on the amount of comments I got pre-meeting. I assume there's a lot of discussion to be had within this half hour, so I will not uh take all of that oxygen. So um so this is an area that we have had uh uh this request as a property owner of 615 Water Street, which is the gold apartment buildings, that white roof building uh right along Clear Creek. We've got a request to establish uh neighborhood permit parking. Uh we expanded those options when we went out to the public uh to ask um uh what kind of options they would be interested in. Um so we'll present that data. So for just for kind of some background, so these areas here, the yellow uh lines, those are on street parking, all of this area is currently unmanaged. It's outside of what's called our downtown district, which is a formal definition of the municipal code that's typically tied to parking, feed and loo and other transportation elements. Um but this whole area kind of east of Washington, unregulated parking, free, no time restrictions, no use restrictions, other than Vanover Park. We say the parking for Vanover is only for Vanover park users. From a practical perspective, that is impossible to enforce. So uh there's a um within this off-street parking. There's 53 on-street parking spaces, um, and there's about a hundred off-street parking spaces that are privately managed by those property owners uh between four different properties. Um kind of the managed parking options that we put forward uh to the public. And we really when we do these surveys, and this is by far the smallest neighborhood zone that we've ever been asked to establish. You can put that on par with the high school zone, which is probably 10 square blocks, and the 9th Street zone, which is the closest one to this, which is easily three blocks by the uh eight blocks. Um we looked at basically no change, which continue to be unregulated, it's free for all, first come, first served. Uh then the second option was two-hour limit or having a city permit required. So it's basically any vehicle without a neighborhood permit, you can park there for a maximum of two hours. Uh, if you have that city permit, which is basically on par with a neighborhood permit parking permit, uh, you're not subject to any parking cost or time restrictions. The third option we looked at was a two-hour limit only. So basically everybody can only park there for a maximum of two hours. This is basically similar to what we have for on-street parking within the downtown core right now. And our fourth option was establishing a full neighborhood uh NPP zone. So that's on par with uh with primarily our residential areas that we have throughout town. I think we have five or six of these established now. Uh, there are businesses located within our NPPs as well, uh, but um, so it's usually that mixture, but say this one is probably a large mixture or a more potent mixture of businesses with the popularity of the mill. Um at this NPP, it does not guarantee that there is parking available, nor does it guarantee specific spaces are available. Uh, we do have the ability to do that, but that's typically not what we do with our neighborhood zones. We also looked at a couple of exemptions that we thought could be of value. The first one is that purple line on the east side of Parfitt Park between uh park space, uh park staff, um PD park users who are actually going to Parfit Park, but also events space. We felt that that could be potentially regulated as two hour only. Uh, and then also this is kind of what that area looks like right now. Uh, there is some ADA spaces. That sidewalk currently serves that picnic table, but the East Zone amenity plan looks at potentially improving that uh connectivity through Parkfoot Park into downtown. And then there's also uh this area, this is the intersection of water and Ford. Um generally it's a little too narrow to have parking on both sides and two-way vehicle traffic in this area.

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