Arvada had a busy city council meeting on June 17, as the council passed an anticipated 3.5% rate increase for trash hauling, approved a new intergovernmental agreement with the Jefferson County Public School District relating to school resource officers, and presented members of the Jefferson County Public Library with a proclamation for Juneteenth.
The trash hauling increase was first discussed at the June 3 meeting, when the city council directed the city team to clarify language about roll-off events and other terms of the contract amendment with Republic Services, which has been Arvada’s trash hauler since 2020.
At the June 17 meeting, City Councilmember Shawna Ambrose thanked the city team for addressing her concerns about the language in the contract and introduced a motion in support of the resolution, which passed 6-0. Mayor Pro Tem Randy Moorman was absent from the meeting.
Jacqueline Rhoades, Arvada’s infrastructure director, laid out the terms of the contract amendment before the council vote and stated that the opt-out fee for residents who utilize a hauler other than Republic will stay the same through 2028.
“This resolution allows for the contract to extend to July 2028 to allow the minimum service opt-out fee charged by Republic to be held at the current amount of $4.55 per month through that date,” Rhoades said. “The solid waste services fee schedule is being updated to reflect a price increase from our public services in accordance with our contract.
“The increase in fees is 3.5% as demonstrated by Republic Services with the National Water, Sewer and Trash Index,” Rhoades continued. “Bills increase from 59 cents to 90 cents (depending on service level).”
The rate increase will begin to show up on residents’ bills starting Tuesday, July 1.
Councilmember John Marriott voted yes on the resolution because it means folks who opt out of trash hauling provided by Republic won’t have to pay more to essentially not receive services.
“I’ll be voting yes, and there’s one reason I’m voting yes, and that’s because the opt-out fee is not going up,” Marriott said. “I would vote no on this quickly if there was an increase to the opt-out fee.
But because it’s not, I have no problem with the rest of the fees going up — obviously it costs more to do business these days — and I think residents understand they can expect the fee to go up every year, but as long as the opt-out fee does not go up or stays the same or goes down, I will be voting yes,” Marriott continued.
New SRO agreement
A new intergovernmental agreement between the City of Arvada and the Jefferson County Public School District will keep the years-long practice of placing Arvada Police Officers in local schools as school resource officers in place, but will change the payment structure for those officers.
Now, Jeffco Schools will cover 50% of the officers’ salaries, which had previously been entirely covered by the city of Arvada. Arvada Police Chief Ed Brady said there are currently nine SRO positions for APD officers, eight of which are filled. He added that increases to staffing might be possible, but did not provide specifics.
City Councilmember Brad Rupert, a former member of the Jefferson County Board of Education, spoke to the importance of SROs in schools.
“During my time on the Jeffco Board of Education, I can tell you how important the SROs are to our students and the schools,” Rupert said. “They develop relationships with (students). It’s not just a matter of providing security for the school; they work with our students and quite often they’re instrumental in getting some of our high school students to graduation… I am very proud to be supportive of this.”
Councilmember Sharon Davis echoed Rupert’s sentiments.
“I’ve met some of the SROs; they’re wonderful,” Davis said. “I’ve watched them in the hallways of schools and it’s amazing how the students come up, give them first bumps, even hugs, and it’s an amazing program that I’m glad that we are being a part of it.”
The IGA passed with a 6-0 vote.
Juneteenth proclamation
Finally, Arvada City Councilmember Bob Fifer presented staff members of the Jefferson County Public Library with a proclamation honoring their work to commemorate Juneteenth, a holiday observed on June 19 to commemorate the end of slavery in the United States.
Cynthia Kiyotake, JCPL’s chief libraries and inclusion officer, accepted the proclamation and spoke about the programming the library has scheduled to celebrate Juneteenth.
“I’m proud of our ongoing efforts to celebrate diversity and support racial equity,” Kiyotake said. “Through programs and resources, our libraries enhance community understanding and historical context for Juneteenth.
“Some highlights of the library’s Juneteenth celebrations include An Afternoon of Jazz Music at Columbine Library, along with a program about the significance and relevance of jazz,” Kiyotake continued. “Partnering with the city of Edgewater to offer programming on the Civil Rights Act, and an Arvada Library and Arvada Center collaboration to offer mud painting in honor of Juneteenth at our Art Around the World bilingual camp in June. We are pleased to connect our patrons and community to the history of Juneteenth and the ongoing celebration of Black history and joy.”