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Home My WebLink About20250262.tiff'ocial *ciente Circle April 29, 2025 Weld County Board of Commissioners Perry Buck, Chair Scott James, Pro -Tern Jason Maxey, Commissioner Lynette Peppier, Commissioner Kevin Ross, Commissioner 1150 O Street P.O. Box 758 Greeley, CO 80631 Re: In support of siting the new Justice Center in Downtown Greeley Dear Board of Commissioners, RECEIVED MAY 0 9 2025 WELD COUNTY COMMISSIONERS The Greeley Social Science Club has been in existence for over130 years. We have 40 members who are involved citizens that have a strong interest in our community and how we contribute to proposed improvements. Since Greeley is the Weld County seat for our judicial system, we believe that the appearance and location of the proposed Justice Center are of great importance. We believe that moving the Justice Center out of the downtown area would be a major mistake. We understand the responsibility that commissions have - to assure that taxpayer dollars are spent responsibly - to get the best value. There are numerous advantages that are difficult to place value on that will occur when you centralize group activities. Retail shops and services spring up continually, and more housing will follow. There are also benefits to the community when the County, City and School District cooperate in a campus community. This further expands commercial development and reduces costs through shared parking, facility access, etc. We feel that the development of the proposed new justice center must be in the downtown center. It will be most beneficial for everyone in the long run. Sincerely, Jane and John Adams Sarah and Doug Armbrust Stephanie and Derek Boulton Carolyn and Bryan Cooke Betty and Brian Fowler Carolyn and Scott Gattis Jackie and Roger Johnson Barbara and Dick Maxfield Lin and Gene O'Hara Diane Peake CovAMvn;Co.-}-;or1S 0S/lot/2.5 Lori and Rob Reinsvold Julia and Paul Richard Mary and Odie Roberts Pam and Jim Shaddock Marguerite and Myron Smith Bob Stewart Patricia Streeter Karen and Wayne Trainor Karoline and Christopher Woodruff Yvonne and Jim Zack 202S- 0262 Mariah Higgins From: Sent: To: Subject: Follow Up Flag: Flag Status: COUNTY, CO Karla Ford Monday, April 7, 2025 7:01 AM CTB For Communications Follow up Flagged Karla Ford Office Manager & Executive Assistant Board of Weld County Commissioners Desk: 970-400-4200/970-400-4228 P.O. Box 758, 1150 O St., Greeley, CO 80632 0x 000 Join Our Team IMPORTANT: This electronic transmission and any attached documents or other writings are intended only for the person or entity to which it is addressed and may contain information that is privileged, confidential or otherwise protected from disclosure. If you have received this communication in error, please immediately notify sender by return e-mail and destroy the communication. Any disclosure, copying, distribution or the taking of any action concerning the contents of this communication or any attachments by anyone other than the named recipient is strictly prohibited. From: Mary Wirth <marvwirth@greeleynet.com> Sent: Saturday, April 5, 2025 7:54 PM To: Karla Ford <kford@weld.gov> Subject: Government Building Location This Message Is From an Unfrosted Sender You have not previously corresponded with this sender. Use extra caution and avoid replying with sensitive information, clicking links, or downloading attachments until their identiify`is verified. Marvin Wirth 4-5-25 COt�1�Vrt Crxf-�onS 04/21/25 202S 5 -0262 5601 W. 18th St. Unit 47 Greeley, CO 80634 email: marvwirth@greeleynet.com Attn: Weld County Commissioners: Perry Buck, Jason Maxey, Scott James, Lynette Peppler, Kevin Ross email: kford@weld.gov With regard as to locating Weld county offices; My recommendation is that they be located to best serves the needs of all residents of the county. You have the land and location, so I recommend expansion and development of the O Street site. O street provides more flexibility for future expansion. I honestly think that the downtown Greeley development would change the whole old town experience. And that would not be for the good. They have not produced a plat of the location of the various government offices. And where will all the parking be located? And all I have heard is that the city wants this project with or without a parking garage and where would it be located? Too much,"just trust me". Never good. I recommend you do what is the best for Weld County. Thank you, Marvin Wirth 2 March 26, 2025 Lisa Denke 1319 16th Street Greeley, CO 80631 Weld County Board of Commissioners 1150 0 Street P.O. Box 758 Greeley, CO 80631 Dear Commissioners: I would like to submit the following input on the proposed courthouse. RECEIVED MAR 2 6 2025 WELD COUNTY COMMISSIONERS November 17, 2024, I got a Code Red text from the Greeley Police Department. A 46 -year -old man was holding his parents hostage in their house, two houses away from me. He violated their protection order, physically hurt them, stole from them, and then refused to come out when the police showed up. The whole neighborhood got a Code Red telling us to stay in our houses, so he had all of us trapped as well. We heard a loud bang, which we think was a "flash - bang," and after a bit, we got an all -clear text. This criminal has since had some preliminary court proceedings, then was "released to pretrial supervision." He was catch -and -released. I needed to know if he was the same man who has been harassing me. He drives by my house in a loud car on purpose and revs the engine in the alley, about 15 feet from my bedroom window. Once, when I was standing outside, he rode by on his moped and said, "everybody thinks you're a dick." If this was the same man, he was more dangerous than I thought: not only does he harass people, but he also holds people hostage and beats them up. The only way I could know if it was the same person was to go to his court hearing and see what he looked like. I went to the courthouse for his "hearing," and it was him. The "hearing" took 5 minutes, tops. All they did was schedule his next hearing. Just for this, they spent a lot of our tax dollars. A deputy brought him from 0 Street to the courthouse, and then shuttled him back to the jail. A CoPmun►ca.+;OnS 2025'0262 oLl /O2 /2_5 public defender, a person from the D.A.'s office, the judge and the clerks all had to be paid at taxpayer expense. Scheduling can be done on the phone, or in software. If it absolutely has to be done in person, why is there not at least one courtroom located at the jail? I got there well in advance to have time to park, find the correct building, go through security, and navigate the building. It was billable hours that I could have been working. Wish I had been getting paid, like the government people. Since I was there in advance, I had the opportunity to see several of these "hearings." The other defendants were not in jail. One defendant had driven from the I-25 corridor somewhere, and another from Nunn or Ault, I forget which. Another had driven from Adams County, where she works and lives. A parole officer from ADCO was there to testify as well. One person appeared by video, and most of them could have done so, if a secure video facility been available in their town. Each person had driven there for a five or ten minute "hearing," only to turn around and drive back. None of the defendants appeared well-to-do. I wondered how much how much it cost the defendants, not only for gas, but to take time off work and find child care (several were women). Having a central campus for the benefit of well - paid government employees means that people are driving an'hour one-way to get to the building. The economic boost of having so many government employees eat in the restaurants downtown externalizes a cost onto people who may be marginally employed and trying to get their lives together. I bet the defendants are not eating $15 hamburgers for lunch: I didn't. Other towns would like to have county and school district campuses to support their restaurants. Maybe the school district offices could be in Evans, --to give their economy a boost. A comparison of two locations, in Greeley, at which to centralize is a false comparison. It ignores the needs of the customers. The defendants are a customer of court services: if they have done wrong, they have the chance to get back on the right path. Victims are customers. This defendant has harassed me, and I was attending because I am his victim. If I lived in Erie, my visit to the courthouse would have been more time-consuming. If a parking garage is installed, victims and defendants will both be parking in there. If I encountered that man in a parking garage, he could beat me or worse. Perhaps there could be satellite courts or centers for secure video conferencing, in towns that are at a crossroads, like Firestone, Hudson, Platteville, Fort Lupton or Ault. Being located on two major roads would help defendants get there efficiently. I would like to see a traffic impact study done, with a robust "origins and destinations" study based on locations from which defendants, victims and jurors are arriving, as well as a survey of courthouse employees to find out which streets they currently arrive on. From that basis, try to estimate how much additional traffic will be added over the next 150 years, or try to estimate how much congestion could be relieved by puffing some of the functions elsewhere. Last, I feel it is not a good idea to put more buildings downtown due to flooding. Thank you for the opportunity to contribute, Lisa Denke 1905 Glenmere Blvd. Greeley CO 80631 March 14, 2025 Chair Perry Buck and Weld County Commissioners 1150 O Street P.O. Box 758 Greeley, CO 80631 Chair Buck and Commissioners: RECEIVED MAR 17 2025 WELD COUNTY COMMISSIONERS I am writing in support of the proposed plan to anchor Weld County judicial services in Downtown Greeley as envisioned in the concept of a downtown civic campus comprised of County, City and School District operations. The cooperation between our largest governmental agencies in this manner demonstrates exceptional leadership and stewardship of taxpayer funds and offers patrons of those entities convenient access to public services as well as other area organizations, such as the Greeley Chamber, the Downtown Development Authority, hospitality services, restaurants and small business shopping and services. Understanding that the County has acquired land for service expansion on "O" Street, I think it would be advantageous for that area to be developed into a county human service campus, relocating such operations from downtown and the Walton building to that site. Grouping those services near the Health Department, Food Bank, North Range Behavioral Health and the other county family of services would seem a great convenience for our residents who could access multiple services in a more compact area. The eventual removal of the Walton building could possibly even net the benefit of an improved floodplain status to the benefit of the City and County properties and uses in Island Grove Park. In contrast, those who are jurists, attorneys, those attending trials and seeking court services are often in those facilities for extended periods. Being close to restaurants, hotel and hospitality services, convenient parking and public spaces make downtown a logical place to anchor those operations. The County has done an outstanding job of maintaining the historic courthouse and grounds, which presents a unique, impressive, and commanding presence in our community - one of great history and pride. Few communities can brag about such a historic resource, and it offers reputational strength and identity for this county seat. Facilitating the construction of a complementary state-of-the-art justice center proximate Cxxywylcit-1;caA-i ons O3/ «l a5 aoa5-oa�a to the Courthouse and in conjunction with the City and Greeley and School District No. Six is such a smart way to maximize the use of funds in harmony with other public uses. The proposed plan offers a strong base from which to refine and plan together and, above all, a measurable return on investment to the benefit of taxpayers, our employment base, visitors, and area businesses. This is such an important and consequential decision. I urge your thoughtful consideration and support. Kind regards, Becky Safarik cc: Karla Ford, BOCC Office Mariah Higgins From: Sent: To: Subject: Attachments: Follow Up Flag: Flag Status: Karla Ford Thursday, January 16, 2025 11:25 AM CTB Upcoming Agenda Letter of Encouragement- County Judicial Facilities Downtown.pdf Follow up Flagged Please add under outgoing correspondence to an upcoming agenda. Thank you! Karla Ford X Office Manager, Board of Weld County Commissioners 1150 O Street, P.O. Box 758, Greeley, Colorado 80632 :: 970.336-7204 :: kford a(iweld.gov :: www.weldgov.com "Please note my working hours are Monday -Thursday 7:00a.m.-4:00p.m." Confidentiality Notice: This electronic transmission and any attached documents or other writings are intended only for the person or entity to which it is addressed and may contain information that is privileged, confidential or otherwise protected from disclosure. If you have received this communication in error, please immediately notify sender by return e-mail and destroy the communication. Any disclosure, copying, distribution or the taking of any action concerning the contents of this communication or any attachments by anyone other than the named recipient is strictly prohibited. From: Bianca Fisher <bianca@greeleydowntown.com> Sent: Thursday, January 16, 2025 10:36 AM To: Perry Buck <pbuck@weld.gov>; Kevin Ross <kross@weld.gov>; Lynette Peppier <Ipeppler@weld.gov>; Scott James <sjames@weld.gov>; Jason Maxey <jmaxey@weld.gov> Cc: Karla Ford <kford@weld.gov>; Andy Feinstein <andy.feinstein@unco.edu> Subject: Letter of Encouragement This Message Is From an External Sender This email was sent by someone outside Weld County Government. Do not click links or open attachments unless you recognize the sender and know the content is safe. Honorable Commissioner Buck & Fellow County Commissioners, I would like to share this letter of encouragement that was presented and approved by the Greeley DDA Board at our regular monthly meeting this morning. In short, it is a letter of encouragement to keep the County's judicial facilities in Downtown Greeley. We understand you are in the process of evaluating options as it relates to the need for an expanded justice center. While we recognize the many facets and complex variables that are being considered in this decision -making process, Co MN1un Go.+ 10 n S o l /2"7/25 2025-0262 we cannot emphasize enough how important the County's presence is downtown and the impact it has on our businesses. Thank you for your leadership and oversight of our County. We know these are challenging, costly decisions to make but appreciate your willingness to consider the options and potential partnerships with other entities downtown. Please don't hesitate to reach out if I can provide more context. We will also mail a hard copy of the attached letter to your office. DDA Chairman Andy Feinstein and I look forward to meeting with you all in a few weeks to continue the conversation. Thanks, Bianca Bianca Fisher, Executive Director [pronounced: B-YANK-UH] Greeley Downtown Development Authority 802 9th Street, Ste. 100 Greeley, CO 80631 bianca@greelevdowntown.com (970) 356-6775 2 O*NTO`V -DDA- 4 O A VI GREELEY January 15, 2025 Perry Buck, Chair Weld County Commissioners 1150 O Street PO Box 758 Greeley, CO 80631 Dear Honorable Commissioner Buck & Fellow County Commissioners, We understand that the County is currently evaluating options as it pertains to its current and future facility needs. On behalf of the Greeley DDA Board, we are writing to express our support for keeping the County's judicial facilities in Downtown Greeley. These facilities play a pivotal role in maintaining the vitality and economic stability of our downtown area and directly impact the livelihoods of small business owners who rely on the consistent foot traffic they generate. Judicial facilities, including courthouses and related services, are more than just centers of justice. They serve as anchors for downtown activity. Employees, attorneys, jurors, and visitors frequent nearby restaurants, coffee shops, retail stores, and other local businesses, creating a steady stream of customers that sustain these establishments. Relocating these facilities elsewhere would significantly reduce this daily influx, leading to a decline in revenue and, potentially, the closure of businesses that contribute to the character and charm of our community. Retaining the judicial facilities downtown demonstrates a commitment to supporting small businesses and preserving the economic and cultural heart of our community. Downtown areas thrive when public and private sectors work hand in hand, and the presence of judicial services is a critical component of that synergy. We urge you to carefully consider the long-term impacts on our downtown businesses and community members before making a decision. By keeping the judicial facilities downtown, you are investing in the future of Downtown Greeley and reinforcing your dedication to the small businesses and citizens who depend on this vital hub. Thank you for your attention to this matter, and we would welcome the opportunity to discuss this further if it would be helpful. Sincerely, Andy Feinstein Board Chair, Greeley Downtown Development Authority Greeley Downtown Development Authority 802 9th Street, Ste. 100, Greeley CO 80631 (970) 356-6775//www.greeleydowntown.com Hello