thedenverpost--2020-07-02--The Spot: How an insurgent candidate grabbed the spotlight, the Mitch McConnell factor and more elec

The Spot: How an insurgent candidate grabbed the spotlight, the Mitch McConnell factor and more election news

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I was in Aurora last September to cover a Beto O ’ Rourke rally when I spotted a woman in the crowd with a gun holstered to her side .
Beto , as you may recall , ran for president on a platform that included mandatory confiscation of certain firearms .
So the woman openly carrying a Glock really stood out in a crowd of people who supported the most @ @ @ @ @ @ @ presidential field .
I introduced myself to her , and she told me she had driven four hours from her home in Rifle , Colorado , to be able to tell Beto he was wrong to his face .
“ There is no reasonable gun legislation .
There is none , ” she said , adding that favorite refrain of Second Amendment purists : “ The only way to stop a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun.
” After five minutes , we wrapped the conversation and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ my story , she shared with me her name : Lauren Boebert .
Sure enough , a bit later she grabbed the mic and told Beto — who ’ d said days earlier , “ Hell yes , we ’ re going to take your AR-15 , your AK-47 ” — what she ’ d come all that way to say : “ Hell no , you ’ re not.
” The clip went semi-viral .
At the time , I didn ’ t realize the extent to which that was by design @ @ @ @ @ @ @ meteoric rise to prominence for Boebert , a 33-year-old mother of four who owns a gun-themed restaurant in a town that ’ s named after a gun .
She declared late last year she ’ d challenge U.S. Rep. Scott Tipton in the GOP primary for Colorado ’ s 3rd Congressional District , and she made a point of highlighting her exchange with Beto early and often in her campaign .
Her bio on Twitter , where she ’ s racked up more than 135,000 followers since December alone , still reads : @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Beto HELL NO you ’ re not taking our guns !
” She posted a campaign video that today has more than 2 million views , hashtagging it “ # HellNOBeto.
” Well , as you probably know by now , Boebert beat Tipton on Tuesday .
That means there is now a good chance that she will be seated in Congress come January , and I have to say , I can ’ t recall such a surprising and swift ascension in my time covering Colorado politics .
Nobody I know predicted @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have guessed that the armed , unknown Beto antagonist in the crowd that September evening would be here today .
Looking ahead to November in this week ’ s Spot , Justin Wingerter writes about the Mitch McConnell factor in Hick vs. Gardner .
We ’ ve also got Saja Hindi on how lawmakers fared in their various bids to trade Capitol posts for county commissioner seats .
And Conrad Swanson details potentially transformative policy changes on homelessness in Denver .
To support the important journalism we do , you can become a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ send tips , comments and questions to me at aburness @ denverpost.com or to the other Post reporters below .
In November , Lauren Boebert will face Democrat Diane Mitsch Bush , a former lawmaker and Routt County commissioner who also ran in 2018 .
Some of Boebert ’ s conspiracy-minded comments have come under scrutiny , and political analysts and insiders say the general election just got more unpredictable .
McConnell is a star , for both sides In 2014 , there was a U.S. Senate race in Kansas .
Republican Sen. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ faced an independent by the name of Greg Orman , and Roberts ’ strategy was to link Orman to the pugnacious Senate Democratic majority leader , Harry Reid , who was unpopular in Kansas .
The strategy was so overt that reporters , myself included , would count how many times Roberts said the words “ Harry Reid ” in speeches and debates .
That September , during a debate at the state fair , hecklers shouted “ Harry Reid !
” before Roberts ’ answers , to mock his predictability .
In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mitch McConnell , a Kentucky Republican as disliked by Democrats as Reid was by Republicans back then .
From the lips and keyboards of Colorado Democrats , you ’ ll hear McConnell ’ s name nearly as often — and likely said with just as much animosity — as invocations of Sen. Cory Gardner , the Yuma Republican they ’ re all trying to defeat in November .
“ ( McConnell ) has the highest net unfavorability of any politician in Colorado , ” Marie Aberger said .
“ And , anecdotally , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our events — people recognize him.
” Aberger ’ s job title is a testament to Democrats ’ focus on McConnell .
She ’ s a spokesperson for Cut the Strings Colorado , a campaign by the Democratic dark money group Rocky Mountain Values .
Her job is to highlight Gardner ’ s ties to the majority leader , often in silly-season ways .
On Thursday , she released a playlist of breakup songs Gardner should sing to McConnell .
A poll conducted for ProgressNow Colorado in May found 22 % of Coloradans @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 53 % had an unfavorable opinion .
Gardner and even President Donald Trump were considerably more popular than that .
McConnell appeared in a mid-June ad from Senate Majority PAC , a Democratic group , that criticized Gardner and defended John Hickenlooper , who is now the Democratic nominee .
And he pops up often in ads from Aberger ’ s Rocky Mountain Values , portrayed as a puppeteer .
But Gardner isn ’ t shying away from McConnell .
In the second half of June , McConnell starred in a straight-to-camera ad @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was primarily targeted to older voters outside Colorado — members of the Republican donor class , which still likes McConnell .
“ Chuck Schumer only needs to flip four seats to take away our majority , ” McConnell says in the ad , referring to the Senate minority leader from New York .
“ We have to stop him .
Step up and help Cory Gardner , one of our most effective leaders in the Senate .
Help him fight off Schumer and the radical left.
” • Tuesday night was an interesting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ list of takeaways .
• Want to know more about Lauren Boebert and her shocking primary win on the Western Slope ?
Read about how she did it , get more details on who she is , and here ’ s what her win means for November .
• Gardner sat down with CPR ’ s Colorado Matters for a tough interview Wednesday in which he avoided direct answers on the biggest policy and political issues of the day .
• “ Are there enough Republicans left in Colorado to reelect Cory Gardner @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Perry Buck succeeded in her bid this week to win the Republican nomination for a Weld County commissioner at-large seat , beating out appointed incumbent Kevin Ross , a former Eaton mayor .
It was a race that split Republicans amid allegations of election fraud and corruption during party caucuses by an aide to Buck ’ s ex-husband , state party chair ( and U.S. Rep. ) Ken Buck .
There still are a lot of questions about that as investigations continue .
Perry Buck was vying for the seat when Commissioner Sean @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lost the appointment to Ross .
On Tuesday , she won the seat with 62 % of the vote to Ross ’ 38 % .
Buck ’ s race is one of a handful of Weld County elections that drew attention for political ads and big money spent on primary races in the Republican stronghold .
Former Weld County Commissioner Barbara Kirkmeyer ran against Windsor business owner Rupert Parchment for the Senate District 23 seat occupied by term-limited Sen. Vicki Marble of Fort Collins .
Although Parchment won a higher percentage of delegate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Kirkmeyer came out on top Tuesday , winning the nomination .
Marble , vying for the nomination for Buck ’ s House seat , didn ’ t fare as well , losing to Mike Lynch .
Buck is not the only lawmaker angling for a county commissioner post .
Former Rep. Lori Saine of Dacono is running for Weld County commissioner in District 3 , and she narrowly won the Republican nomination Tuesday .
Other lawmakers seeking to become county commissioners were not successful .
Term-limited Rep. Jonathan Singer of Longmont lost @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to Marta Loachami .
Republican Sen. Ray Scott of Grand Junction , whose term isn ’ t yet up , lost the party ’ s nomination for Mesa County commissioner to businessman Cody Davis .
Lawmakers often seek out county commissioner posts when they run into term limits or want to work at the local level .
Unlike at the Capitol , where each lawmaker is one voice out of 100 as they pass laws and fight for their districts ’ interests , boards of county commissioners usually have just three or five @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hurt that , unlike the part-time legislature , commissioner posts are full-time , last four years and pay higher salaries .
Weld County ’ s commissioners make $ 105,000 a year .
State lawmakers who started their terms in January 2019 make $ 40,242 , often juggling another day job most of the year .
• The Colorado Supreme Court ruled against collecting signatures by mail or email for ballot measures .
• Incumbent candidates led the way in Denver and Jeffco in statehouse elections .
Read more about how an ideological rift @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Jefferson County primary .
• Gov .
Polis says pardons for marijuana possession convictions can start soon .
More questions than answers on camps Mayor Michael Hancock flipped his longstanding opposition to designated campsites in the city for people experiencing homelessness , announcing Wednesday that at least one such site — probably several — were on the way .
Some city officials lauded the move .
Hancock paired it with his newly confirmed support for a sales tax increase for the cause as well .
But others have questions — most of which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , where will camps be built ?
Well , we don ’ t know just yet .
During a news conference , Hancock was joined by Cole Chandler , executive director of the Colorado Village Collaborative , which will manage any sites .
Chandler said his team is staffed and ready to go for at least one , 24-hour encampment , but details on location were not yet available .
Nor were details on when the camp would open .
Hancock suggested that the “ sweet spot ” for the encampments , as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 50 people .
So to make a meaningful dent with Denver ’ s estimated homeless population of about 4,000 , multiple encampments certainly would be needed .
Beyond the timing , it ’ s unclear how long any sanctioned camps will exist .
Hancock did , however , underscore that the maneuver is temporary , necessitated by the unprecedented coronavirus pandemic .
Without a clear beginning or end in sight , Hancock did offer specifics about which illegal encampments the city officials will break up soon as they ramp up enforcement of Denver @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Camps near Morey Middle School and the state Capitol building are first on the list .
Let ’ s be clear here : While Hancock and other city officials say Denver is following guidelines from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control , it ’ s not .
Breaking up illegal encampments during the pandemic is unsafe , the federal agency still says .
Previously , city officials have noted that the CDC ’ s guidelines are mere recommendations , not mandates .
Instead , experts and advocates alike say , encampments — city @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with city services and left alone so that the people living there have a modicum of stability , which is their best bet for getting off the streets .
John Parvensky , president and CEO of the Colorado Coalition for the Homeless , said a new city-sanctioned encampment would be a groundbreaking move — one that should make further steps to address homelessness more palatable .
Even after the city and advocates work out the basic details , they ’ ll face a bigger question : Is the city ’ s attitude toward @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this new approach merely a Band-Aid that officials will rip off at the first opportunity ?
• Denver City Council canceled its regular meeting Monday in anticipation of a second takeover by protesters demanding more checks against the mayor , fewer police officers on the streets and myriad other changes .
• Protests over the past month in Denver have cost the city and businesses more than $ 5.5 million in damages and overtime costs , and that estimate is expected to climb , officials say .
• The next segment of commuter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the 13-mile N-Line from Denver to Thornton — will go live Sept. 21 , the transit agency announced this week .
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For people, policy and Colorado politics
What’s The Spot? You’re reading an installment of our weekly politics newsletter. Sign up here to get it delivered straight in your inbox.
I was in Aurora last September to cover a Beto O’Rourke rally when I spotted a woman in the crowd with a gun holstered to her side.
Beto, as you may recall, ran for president on a platform that included mandatory confiscation of certain firearms. So the woman openly carrying a Glock really stood out in a crowd of people who supported the most outspoken gun-reform advocate in the 2020 Democratic presidential field.
I introduced myself to her, and she told me she had driven four hours from her home in Rifle, Colorado, to be able to tell Beto he was wrong to his face.
“There is no reasonable gun legislation. There is none,” she said, adding that favorite refrain of Second Amendment purists: “The only way to stop a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun.”
After five minutes, we wrapped the conversation and, so I could quote her in my story, she shared with me her name: Lauren Boebert.
Sure enough, a bit later she grabbed the mic and told Beto — who’d said days earlier, “Hell yes, we’re going to take your AR-15, your AK-47” — what she’d come all that way to say: “Hell no, you’re not.”
The clip went semi-viral. At the time, I didn’t realize the extent to which that was by design, or that it would launch a meteoric rise to prominence for Boebert, a 33-year-old mother of four who owns a gun-themed restaurant in a town that’s named after a gun.
She declared late last year she’d challenge U.S. Rep. Scott Tipton in the GOP primary for Colorado’s 3rd Congressional District, and she made a point of highlighting her exchange with Beto early and often in her campaign.
Her bio on Twitter, where she’s racked up more than 135,000 followers since December alone, still reads: “I am the mom who told Beto HELL NO you’re not taking our guns!” She posted a campaign video that today has more than 2 million views, hashtagging it “#HellNOBeto.”
Well, as you probably know by now, Boebert beat Tipton on Tuesday. That means there is now a good chance that she will be seated in Congress come January, and I have to say, I can’t recall such a surprising and swift ascension in my time covering Colorado politics. Nobody I know predicted her win. I certainly could not have guessed that the armed, unknown Beto antagonist in the crowd that September evening would be here today.
Looking ahead to November in this week’s Spot, Justin Wingerter writes about the Mitch McConnell factor in Hick vs. Gardner. We’ve also got Saja Hindi on how lawmakers fared in their various bids to trade Capitol posts for county commissioner seats. And Conrad Swanson details potentially transformative policy changes on homelessness in Denver.
To support the important journalism we do, you can become a Denver Post subscriber here.
You can send tips, comments and questions to me at aburness@denverpost.com or to the other Post reporters below.
Top Line
In November, Lauren Boebert will face Democrat Diane Mitsch Bush, a former lawmaker and Routt County commissioner who also ran in 2018. Some of Boebert’s conspiracy-minded comments have come under scrutiny, and political analysts and insiders say the general election just got more unpredictable.
#COSen 2020 • By Justin Wingerter
McConnell is a star, for both sides
In 2014, there was a U.S. Senate race in Kansas. Republican Sen. Pat Roberts, up for re-election, faced an independent by the name of Greg Orman, and Roberts’ strategy was to link Orman to the pugnacious Senate Democratic majority leader, Harry Reid, who was unpopular in Kansas.
The strategy was so overt that reporters, myself included, would count how many times Roberts said the words “Harry Reid” in speeches and debates. That September, during a debate at the state fair, hecklers shouted “Harry Reid!” before Roberts’ answers, to mock his predictability.
In 2020, the Senate majority leader is Mitch McConnell, a Kentucky Republican as disliked by Democrats as Reid was by Republicans back then. From the lips and keyboards of Colorado Democrats, you’ll hear McConnell’s name nearly as often — and likely said with just as much animosity — as invocations of Sen. Cory Gardner, the Yuma Republican they’re all trying to defeat in November.
“(McConnell) has the highest net unfavorability of any politician in Colorado,” Marie Aberger said. “And, anecdotally, we have a cardboard Mitch McConnell at our events — people recognize him.”
Aberger’s job title is a testament to Democrats’ focus on McConnell. She’s a spokesperson for Cut the Strings Colorado, a campaign by the Democratic dark money group Rocky Mountain Values. Her job is to highlight Gardner’s ties to the majority leader, often in silly-season ways. On Thursday, she released a playlist of breakup songs Gardner should sing to McConnell.
A poll conducted for ProgressNow Colorado in May found 22% of Coloradans had a favorable opinion of McConnell and 53% had an unfavorable opinion. Gardner and even President Donald Trump were considerably more popular than that.
McConnell appeared in a mid-June ad from Senate Majority PAC, a Democratic group, that criticized Gardner and defended John Hickenlooper, who is now the Democratic nominee. And he pops up often in ads from Aberger’s Rocky Mountain Values, portrayed as a puppeteer.
But Gardner isn’t shying away from McConnell. In the second half of June, McConnell starred in a straight-to-camera ad for Gardner. Facebook analytics show it was primarily targeted to older voters outside Colorado — members of the Republican donor class, which still likes McConnell.
“Chuck Schumer only needs to flip four seats to take away our majority,” McConnell says in the ad, referring to the Senate minority leader from New York. “We have to stop him. Step up and help Cory Gardner, one of our most effective leaders in the Senate. Help him fight off Schumer and the radical left.”
More election news
Capitol Diary • By Saja Hindi
Lawmakers seeking exit to county commissions
State Rep. Perry Buck succeeded in her bid this week to win the Republican nomination for a Weld County commissioner at-large seat, beating out appointed incumbent Kevin Ross, a former Eaton mayor.
It was a race that split Republicans amid allegations of election fraud and corruption during party caucuses by an aide to Buck’s ex-husband, state party chair (and U.S. Rep.) Ken Buck. There still are a lot of questions about that as investigations continue.
Perry Buck was vying for the seat when Commissioner Sean Conway resigned in February, but she lost the appointment to Ross. On Tuesday, she won the seat with 62% of the vote to Ross’ 38%.
Buck’s race is one of a handful of Weld County elections that drew attention for political ads and big money spent on primary races in the Republican stronghold.
Former Weld County Commissioner Barbara Kirkmeyer ran against Windsor business owner Rupert Parchment for the Senate District 23 seat occupied by term-limited Sen. Vicki Marble of Fort Collins. Although Parchment won a higher percentage of delegate votes at the earlier Republican Party caucus, Kirkmeyer came out on top Tuesday, winning the nomination.
Marble, vying for the nomination for Buck’s House seat, didn’t fare as well, losing to Mike Lynch.
Buck is not the only lawmaker angling for a county commissioner post. Former Rep. Lori Saine of Dacono is running for Weld County commissioner in District 3, and she narrowly won the Republican nomination Tuesday.
Other lawmakers seeking to become county commissioners were not successful. Term-limited Rep. Jonathan Singer of Longmont lost the Democratic nomination for Boulder County commissioner to Marta Loachami. Republican Sen. Ray Scott of Grand Junction, whose term isn’t yet up, lost the party’s nomination for Mesa County commissioner to businessman Cody Davis.
Lawmakers often seek out county commissioner posts when they run into term limits or want to work at the local level. Unlike at the Capitol, where each lawmaker is one voice out of 100 as they pass laws and fight for their districts’ interests, boards of county commissioners usually have just three or five members.
It also doesn’t hurt that, unlike the part-time legislature, commissioner posts are full-time, last four years and pay higher salaries. Weld County’s commissioners make $105,000 a year. State lawmakers who started their terms in January 2019 make $40,242, often juggling another day job most of the year.
More Colorado political news
The Colorado Supreme Court ruled against collecting signatures by mail or email for ballot measures.
Incumbent candidates led the way in Denver and Jeffco in statehouse elections. Read more about how an ideological rift among House Republicans played out in one Jefferson County primary.
Colorado’s budget crisis has a human cost.
Gov. Polis says pardons for marijuana possession convictions can start soon.
Mile High Politics • By Conrad Swanson
More questions than answers on camps
Mayor Michael Hancock flipped his longstanding opposition to designated campsites in the city for people experiencing homelessness, announcing Wednesday that at least one such site — probably several — were on the way.
Some city officials lauded the move. Hancock paired it with his newly confirmed support for a sales tax increase for the cause as well. But others have questions — most of which have yet to be answered.
First, where will camps be built? Well, we don’t know just yet. During a news conference, Hancock was joined by Cole Chandler, executive director of the Colorado Village Collaborative, which will manage any sites.
Chandler said his team is staffed and ready to go for at least one, 24-hour encampment, but details on location were not yet available. Nor were details on when the camp would open.
Hancock suggested that the “sweet spot” for the encampments, as far as size, would be around 50 people. So to make a meaningful dent with Denver’s estimated homeless population of about 4,000, multiple encampments certainly would be needed.
Beyond the timing, it’s unclear how long any sanctioned camps will exist. Hancock did, however, underscore that the maneuver is temporary, necessitated by the unprecedented coronavirus pandemic.
Without a clear beginning or end in sight, Hancock did offer specifics about which illegal encampments the city officials will break up soon as they ramp up enforcement of Denver’s controversial urban camping ban. Camps near Morey Middle School and the state Capitol building are first on the list.
Let’s be clear here: While Hancock and other city officials say Denver is following guidelines from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, it’s not.
Breaking up illegal encampments during the pandemic is unsafe, the federal agency still says. Previously, city officials have noted that the CDC’s guidelines are mere recommendations, not mandates.
Instead, experts and advocates alike say, encampments — city sanctioned or not — should be paired with city services and left alone so that the people living there have a modicum of stability, which is their best bet for getting off the streets.
John Parvensky, president and CEO of the Colorado Coalition for the Homeless, said a new city-sanctioned encampment would be a groundbreaking move — one that should make further steps to address homelessness more palatable.
Even after the city and advocates work out the basic details, they’ll face a bigger question: Is the city’s attitude toward helping the homeless changing, or is this new approach merely a Band-Aid that officials will rip off at the first opportunity?
More Denver and suburban political news
Denver City Council canceled its regular meeting Monday in anticipation of a second takeover by protesters demanding more checks against the mayor, fewer police officers on the streets and myriad other changes.
Protests over the past month in Denver have cost the city and businesses more than $5.5 million in damages and overtime costs, and that estimate is expected to climb, officials say.
The next segment of commuter rail in RTD’s network — the 13-mile N-Line from Denver to Thornton — will go live Sept. 21, the transit agency announced this week.
Forward this newsletter to your colleagues and friends and encourage them to subscribe.


thedenverpost--2020-07-02--CDOT seeks input on potential new Front Range rail line

Organizations seeking to plot a 173-mile course for passenger rail along the Front Range , from Fort Collins to Pueblo @ @ @ @ @ potential users of the proposed service and have instituted an online information and survey format @ @ @ @ @ The Colorado Department of Transportation and the Southwest Chief and Front Range Passenger Rail Commission @ @ @ @ @ frontrangepassengerrailmeeting.com and have opened the survey through the end of July .
The organizations have @ @ @ @ @ rail along the Front Range .
Federal environmental reviews , identification of funding sources and @ @ @ @

Organizations seeking to plot a 173-mile course for passenger rail along the Front Range, from Fort Collins to Pueblo, are seeking information from potential users of the proposed service and have instituted an online information and survey format to gather that information.
The Colorado Department of Transportation and the Southwest Chief and Front Range Passenger Rail Commission are gathering the information at frontrangepassengerrailmeeting.com and have opened the survey through the end of July.
The organizations have identified potential corridors for passenger rail along the Front Range. Federal environmental reviews, identification of funding sources and engineering will follow.
Read more at BizWest.com.


thedenverpost--2020-07-02--Driver suspected in Aurora hit-and-run dies in a second crash

A driver suspected in a hit-and-run crash in Aurora crashed a second time Thursday and died , police said .
@ @ @ @ @ East Sixth Avenue and Sable Boulevard , according to police .
The driver fled the @ @ @ @ @ South Sable and East Centrepoint Drive .
He died in the second crash .
At @ @ @ @ @ crash the driver was not being pursued by officers , police said .
No one @ @ @ @ @ crashes .
An investigation is ongoing .
The driver ’ s name was not released @

A driver suspected in a hit-and-run crash in Aurora crashed a second time Thursday and died, police said.
The first collision happened at East Sixth Avenue and Sable Boulevard, according to police. The driver fled the scene and crashed again at South Sable and East Centrepoint Drive. He died in the second crash.
#TrafficAlert A suspect committed a hit-and-run at 6th/Sable. After the suspect fled the scene of the hit-and-run, the same adult male driver crashed again at Centerpoint/Sable. That secondary crashed was fatal for the fleeing driver. Con'td pic.twitter.com/6868rP2gNU — Aurora Police Dept. 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸 (@AuroraPD) July 2, 2020
The driver of a Buick was allegedly fleeing the earlier crash when he rear ended a Chevrolet Suburban, ran off the road and hit a tree, police said. The Buick was going at a high speed when the fatal crash occurred, police said. The driver who died was not wearing a seat belt.
At the time of the fatal crash the driver was not being pursued by officers, police said. No one else was injured in the crashes.
An investigation is ongoing. The driver’s name was not released.


thedenverpost--2020-07-02--In first veto of 2020, Colorado Gov. Polis rejects bill to curb opioid addiction

As expected , Colorado Gov .
Jared Polis vetoed a bill Thursday that would have limited opioid prescriptions in an attempt to cut down on future addiction and overdose cases .
The move was Polis ’ first veto in 2020 .
Polis had already said he wouldn ’ t sign off on any more insurance mandates this year barring an urgent need for extra benefits related to COVID-19 .
While Polis praised certain aspects of the bill , House Bill 1085 , in a press release , he also explained that the measure would inevitably boost premiums .
The bill @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and toward alternate treatments , mandating that insurance companies cover a half dozen annual visits for each physical therapy , acupuncture , occupational therapy and chiropractic visits .
“ Health insurance carriers estimate this will add between $ 22M to $ 38M to the cost of premiums , ” Polis said in the release .
The bill also would have indefinitely extended current opioid prescription limits and required that health care providers check with a federal prescription database before prescribing a second round of opioids , Polis said .
Bill sponsors should return @ @ @ @ @ @ @ same goals in mind , he said .
“ I recognize this bill is the result of a great deal of work , and indeed , I agree with the underlying premise of the legislation : we must do more to elevate alternative pain management treatments to reduce the use of opioids , ” Polis said .

As expected, Colorado Gov. Jared Polis vetoed a bill Thursday that would have limited opioid prescriptions in an attempt to cut down on future addiction and overdose cases.
The move was Polis’ first veto in 2020.
Polis had already said he wouldn’t sign off on any more insurance mandates this year barring an urgent need for extra benefits related to COVID-19.
While Polis praised certain aspects of the bill, House Bill 1085, in a press release, he also explained that the measure would inevitably boost premiums.
The bill aimed to shift patients away from opioids and toward alternate treatments, mandating that insurance companies cover a half dozen annual visits for each physical therapy, acupuncture, occupational therapy and chiropractic visits.
“Health insurance carriers estimate this will add between $22M to $38M to the cost of premiums,” Polis said in the release.
The bill also would have indefinitely extended current opioid prescription limits and required that health care providers check with a federal prescription database before prescribing a second round of opioids, Polis said. Bill sponsors should return to the 2021 General Assembly with those same goals in mind, he said.
“I recognize this bill is the result of a great deal of work, and indeed, I agree with the underlying premise of the legislation: we must do more to elevate alternative pain management treatments to reduce the use of opioids,” Polis said.


thedenverpost--2020-07-02--New state board to reconsider racially insensitive names of Colorado mountains, public places

Amid a renewed public interest in removing symbols of racism , Colorado Gov .
Jared Polis created a board Thursday to evaluate proposed name changes for geographic and public places across the state .
“ This new board will play a critical role in the ongoing celebration of our Colorado history through place names and ensure that we have inclusivity and transparency around the naming process , ” Polis said in a statement announcing the Colorado Geographic Naming Advisory Board through an executive order .
“ This bipartisan board will ensure that a broad spectrum of Coloradans , local communities @ @ @ @ @ @ @ collaborate on any potential naming or renaming of Colorado geological points or landmarks.
” The board will be tasked with providing recommendations on name change proposals to the U.S. Board on Geographic Names .
Fourteen petitions are pending to rename locations in Colorado , including Mount Evans in Clear Creek County , Redskin Mountain in Jefferson County and Squaw Mountain in Clear Creek County , according to the federal board ’ s records .
Mount Evans was named after John Evans , a territorial governor who was forced to resign because of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ soldiers attacked and killed the Cheyenne and Arapaho people in southeastern Colorado territory , even after they had tried to broker peace .
Redskin and squaw are both slurs used against Native Americans , with the latter being used to degrade women .
There also were requests to change names such as Negro Creek , Negro Draw and Negro Mesa in Delta and Montezuma counties , as well as Chinaman Gulch in Chaffee County .
And some also have objected to Kit Carson Mountain , named after the Colorado rancher who helped crush @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ The people whose names are on these places are people who really did some terrible things to Native people , ” said Colorado historian Sam Bock of History Colorado .
And for many tribes , these incidents weren ’ t in the distant past but affected family members in recent history .
Colorado historians have been working with 48 different tribes that lived in Colorado before they were driven out , most recently the Ute , Cheyenne and Arapaho tribes .
“ Many of those geographic locations have been celebrations of European @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and colonialism , ” said Glenn Morris of the American Indian Movement of Colorado , a Shawnee .
Plus , all of these places had indigenous names with meanings for indigenous people , Morris said .
Eugene Black Bear Jr. of the Cheyenne Tribe in Oklahoma reflects on his own family ’ s history every time he hears names like that of Mount Evans .
He had family members who were killed in the Sand Creek Massacre .
His great-great grandmother survived and his family was pushed out to Oklahoma .
“ It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ well-being , ” he said of the Evans namesake .
“ This massacre that happened , it was tragic.
” Although this movement has been a “ long time coming , ” it was reignited after the latest Black Lives Matter protests and calls for removing statues from racist regimes , said Fred Mosqueda of the southern Cheyenne and Arapaho tribes .
Mosqueda said he ’ s glad to see calls for name changes in his ancestral homeland .
But it ’ s about more than just a name for many Native Americans @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Americans “ not as savages or fiends or anything like that , but we ’ re actually humans , ” Mosqueda said .
The heightened attention to names and the histories they represent has led to an increase in inquiries to the U.S. Board on Geographic Names , said researcher Jennifer Runyon , but it has not yet increased the petition requests .
They require a lot of work and discussion with tribes and other affected communities .
They also have to include a suggestion for a new name that has been well-researched @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the U.S. Board on Geographic Names for changes through a state advisory board before it was eliminated and the task fell to the Colorado State Archives .
But since the archivist retired in 2016 , the U.S. board has been waiting for a new person or group to be named to make recommendations .
It didn ’ t happen until Thursday , leaving Colorado as one of only two states in the last four years without an entity to provide naming recommendations to the federal agency , Runyon said .
Although the federal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ official state recommendations , its members prefer to hear from the states themselves .
Colorado state officials asked the U.S. board to hold off on voting on any of the state ’ s name change requests until they had established a new board .

Amid a renewed public interest in removing symbols of racism, Colorado Gov. Jared Polis created a board Thursday to evaluate proposed name changes for geographic and public places across the state.
“This new board will play a critical role in the ongoing celebration of our Colorado history through place names and ensure that we have inclusivity and transparency around the naming process,” Polis said in a statement announcing the Colorado Geographic Naming Advisory Board through an executive order.
“This bipartisan board will ensure that a broad spectrum of Coloradans, local communities and Colorado’s land-based Tribes can collaborate on any potential naming or renaming of Colorado geological points or landmarks.”
The board will be tasked with providing recommendations on name change proposals to the U.S. Board on Geographic Names.
Fourteen petitions are pending to rename locations in Colorado, including Mount Evans in Clear Creek County, Redskin Mountain in Jefferson County and Squaw Mountain in Clear Creek County, according to the federal board’s records.
Mount Evans was named after John Evans, a territorial governor who was forced to resign because of the Sand Creek Massacre of 1864. U.S. soldiers attacked and killed the Cheyenne and Arapaho people in southeastern Colorado territory, even after they had tried to broker peace.
Redskin and squaw are both slurs used against Native Americans, with the latter being used to degrade women.
There also were requests to change names such as Negro Creek, Negro Draw and Negro Mesa in Delta and Montezuma counties, as well as Chinaman Gulch in Chaffee County.
And some also have objected to Kit Carson Mountain, named after the Colorado rancher who helped crush a Navajo uprising in the 1800s.
“The people whose names are on these places are people who really did some terrible things to Native people,” said Colorado historian Sam Bock of History Colorado. And for many tribes, these incidents weren’t in the distant past but affected family members in recent history.
Colorado historians have been working with 48 different tribes that lived in Colorado before they were driven out, most recently the Ute, Cheyenne and Arapaho tribes.
“Many of those geographic locations have been celebrations of European invasion and colonialism and sometimes Spanish invasion and colonialism,” said Glenn Morris of the American Indian Movement of Colorado, a Shawnee. Plus, all of these places had indigenous names with meanings for indigenous people, Morris said.
Eugene Black Bear Jr. of the Cheyenne Tribe in Oklahoma reflects on his own family’s history every time he hears names like that of Mount Evans. He had family members who were killed in the Sand Creek Massacre. His great-great grandmother survived and his family was pushed out to Oklahoma.
“It has a traumatic impact on our spiritual well-being,” he said of the Evans namesake. “This massacre that happened, it was tragic.”
Although this movement has been a “long time coming,” it was reignited after the latest Black Lives Matter protests and calls for removing statues from racist regimes, said Fred Mosqueda of the southern Cheyenne and Arapaho tribes. Mosqueda said he’s glad to see calls for name changes in his ancestral homeland.
But it’s about more than just a name for many Native Americans.
It’s about seeing Native Americans “not as savages or fiends or anything like that, but we’re actually humans,” Mosqueda said.
The heightened attention to names and the histories they represent has led to an increase in inquiries to the U.S. Board on Geographic Names, said researcher Jennifer Runyon, but it has not yet increased the petition requests. They require a lot of work and discussion with tribes and other affected communities. They also have to include a suggestion for a new name that has been well-researched.
Colorado used to provide input to the U.S. Board on Geographic Names for changes through a state advisory board before it was eliminated and the task fell to the Colorado State Archives. But since the archivist retired in 2016, the U.S. board has been waiting for a new person or group to be named to make recommendations. It didn’t happen until Thursday, leaving Colorado as one of only two states in the last four years without an entity to provide naming recommendations to the federal agency, Runyon said.
Although the federal board isn’t required to seek official state recommendations, its members prefer to hear from the states themselves. Colorado state officials asked the U.S. board to hold off on voting on any of the state’s name change requests until they had established a new board.


thedenverpost--2020-07-02--Boy kills stepfather during Colorado camping trip, sheriff says

STEAMBOAT SPRINGS , Colo. — Authorities say a teenager shot and killed his stepfather as the man fought with the @ @ @ @ @ a camping trip in northern Colorado .
Routt County Sheriff Garrett Wiggins says the 14-year-old @ @ @ @ @ in the back with a .22-caliber rifle in the Buffalo Pass area Saturday night .
@ @ @ @ @ them the mother and stepfather had been arguing all afternoon and appeared to have been @ @ @ @ @ enforcement reports , the mother was trying to leave the campsite with her son to @ @ @ @ @ the man pushed her to the ground and got on top of her .
Wiggins @ @ @ @ @ confrontation , fired a warning shot and then shot his stepfather when the fighting continued @ @ @ @ @ , and the man was flown to a hospital in Loveland , where he died @ @ @ @ @ reports the family is not from the Routt County area , and the names of @ @ @ @ @ released .

STEAMBOAT SPRINGS, Colo. — Authorities say a teenager shot and killed his stepfather as the man fought with the boy’s mother during a camping trip in northern Colorado.
Routt County Sheriff Garrett Wiggins says the 14-year-old boy shot his 57-year-old stepfather in the back with a .22-caliber rifle in the Buffalo Pass area Saturday night.
Investigators say nearby campers told them the mother and stepfather had been arguing all afternoon and appeared to have been drinking. According to law enforcement reports, the mother was trying to leave the campsite with her son to go to Steamboat Springs when the man pushed her to the ground and got on top of her.
Wiggins says the son saw the confrontation, fired a warning shot and then shot his stepfather when the fighting continued. The boy called 911, and the man was flown to a hospital in Loveland, where he died.
Steamboat Pilot & Today reports the family is not from the Routt County area, and the names of those involved have not been released.


thedenverpost--2020-07-03--Afternoon storms on tap in Denver for long weekend

A chance of afternoon showers and thunderstorms or on tap this holiday weekend in Denver , and another air quality alert has been posted for the metro area and northern Front Range .
Denver has a 40 % chance of afternoon — mainly between 1 and 5 p.m. — showers and thunderstorms Friday , and the high temperature will top out at 93 degrees , according to the National Weather Service forecast .
Winds will gust to 18 mph .
An Ozone Action Day Alert has been posted until 4 p.m. Friday , according to the state Department of Public @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for Douglas , Jefferson , Denver , western Arapahoe , western Adams , Broomfield , Boulder , Larimer and Weld Counties .
Because of ozone concentrations , people with respiratory illness , including heart or lung disease , and older adults should reduce prolonged exercise and exertion outdoors Friday if possible .
The alert area includes the southwestern suburbs of Denver northward to Fort Collins .
On Independence Day in Denver , afternoon showers and thunderstorms are likely , and the high temperature will reach 92 degrees , according to the weather service @ @ @ @ @ @ @ chance of precipitation .
On Sunday in Denver there ’ s a 40 % chance of afternoon showers and thunderstorms , and the high will top out at 92 degrees .
Weekend storms could bring heavy rains at times and possible local flooding , the weather service said .
Monday through Wednesday of next week will be drier and warmer with high temperatures in Denver pushing into the mid-90s .

A chance of afternoon showers and thunderstorms are on tap this holiday weekend in Denver, and another air quality alert has been posted for the metro area and northern Front Range.
Denver has a 40% chance of afternoon — mainly between 1 and 5 p.m. — showers and thunderstorms Friday, and the high temperature will top out at 93 degrees, according to the National Weather Service forecast. Winds will gust to 18 mph.
An Ozone Action Day Alert has been posted until 4 p.m. Friday, according to the state Department of Public Health and Environment. The alert is for Douglas, Jefferson, Denver, western Arapahoe, western Adams, Broomfield, Boulder, Larimer and Weld Counties.
Because of ozone concentrations, people with respiratory illness, including heart or lung disease, and older adults should reduce prolonged exercise and exertion outdoors Friday if possible. The alert area includes the southwestern suburbs of Denver northward to Fort Collins.
On Independence Day in Denver, afternoon showers and thunderstorms are likely, and the high temperature will reach 92 degrees, according to the weather service. There’s a 60% chance of precipitation.
On Sunday in Denver there’s a 40% chance of afternoon showers and thunderstorms, and the high will top out at 92 degrees.
Weekend storms could bring heavy rains at times and possible local flooding, the weather service said. Monday through Wednesday of next week will be drier and warmer with high temperatures in Denver pushing into the mid-90s.


thedenverpost--2020-07-03--Colorado’s unemployment call center will likely never be able to meet COVID-driven demand, as roughl

Colorado’s unemployment call center will likely never be able to meet COVID-driven demand, as roughly 40,000 calls go unanswered weekly

Desperation and exasperation are driving people to take extraordinary measures to reach the Colorado unemployment office at a time when hundreds of thousands of Coloradans are relying on state-distributed benefits for support .
They ’ re calling other departments in the unemployment office and asking to be transferred to a customer service agent .
They ’ re mailing documents to the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment to see if it triggers a response .
They ’ re showing up at the office without an appointment .
It ’ s clear some people are beyond sick of hearing an automated @ @ @ @ @ @ @ very high call volume .
Please try your call again later.
” They ’ re panicked about the possibility of not being able to feed and house themselves and their families because online instructions aren ’ t clear about how to handle their unique unemployment situations .
More than 603,000 Coloradans have filed initial claims for unemployment support since the middle of March as the COVID-19 pandemic has decimated the economy .
State officials said earlier this week that 81 % of claimants , or just over 488,000 people , have received payments @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has become a major chokepoint as tens of thousands of people seek help navigating the unemployment system ’ s murky waters as well as their own changing personal circumstances — like furloughs becoming permanent layoffs .
The state ’ s traditional call center and a separate center for the federally funded pandemic unemployment assistance program together field an average of 12,000 unique calls daily .
Between the 200 and 250 agents working in those two call centers and a callback request form added to the unemployment division website earlier this year , the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ day , said Jeff Fitzgerald , director of the state ’ s unemployment division .
That adds up to roughly 40,000 calls per week are going unanswered — a huge number no matter how many of those people are phoning in with questions that can be answered by browsing the state ’ s website , watching how-to videos or conversing with the website ’ s chatbot .
Aaron Whitworth , 31 , of Littleton is among the people who say they have called the state ’ s customer service line hundreds of times @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for it .
“ I have called 25 , 30 times a day every day for weeks on end , ” Whitworth said Tuesday .
“ That ’ s ridiculous.
” When the labor department reopened its office in June for a limited number of in-person meetings each weekday , Whitworth repeatedly tried to schedule an appointment only to find the online calendar booked solid time and time again .
Finally , a few weeks ago , he visited the office without an appointment .
He was turned away by security but not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with the same customer service number printed on it that he has been calling .
On Monday , Whitworth wrote an email to Gov .
Jared Polis highlighting his previous military service and asking for help .
He wrote the email not just for himself , he said , but for the many people across the state who are desperate to access their benefits .
“ I am at a loss , ” he wrote .
“ I want to believe in my state but so far it has been failing me.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not received a response .
Some strategies for getting through to an agent that have been shared on social media include calling in at 7:58 a.m. and listening to the hold message to join the queue when the call center opens at 8 a.m. and calling the overpayment department ( 303-318-9035 ) and asking to be transferred .
Whitworth , who served two tours in Afghanistan with the Marines , counts himself lucky even though he hasn ’ t gotten through .
His wife has remained employed throughout the pandemic .
He receives @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Veterans Affairs .
And he was called back to his job as the equipment manager for a party supply rental company on June 9 after being on furlough since March 28 .
His already-thin savings have been whittled away to almost nothing while he struggles to access unemployment benefits , but he is not facing foreclosure or visiting food pantries like other people might be .
“ There are thousands of people who are probably in the same situation and might be losing their houses , ” Whitworth said .
“ It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ unique claim situation highlights the complexities of the state ’ s system , particularly during the pandemic , when state emergency orders and new federal laws like the CARES Act have changed the way it operates multiple times .
Those complexities are why labor department officials say it can take up to 12 weeks to train new call center agents .
Whitworth lost a job with a restaurant supply company in 2019 and collected unemployment until earlier this year , when he exhausted the maximum amount of benefits granted to him over a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at his new job for four weeks when he was furloughed due to the virus .
Usually , he would not have been able to reopen his unemployment claim but because the CARES Act extended the benefit window to 39 weeks up from 26 , labor department officials contacted him and recommended he do so .
Only the state ’ s website won ’ t let him reopen his claim .
And now he is stuck in the loop of endless calls with no answers .
The state unemployment office has received $ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , most of it from the federal government .
The money has helped the department hire 85 more call center agents , but 25 others have moved elsewhere in the department , Fitzgerald said .
The department is investing $ 680,000 into a partnership with Google that will create a “ virtual agent , ” the first phase of which is expected to be operational in mid-July .
The virtual agent will be able to field calls and answer general questions about claims .
If the technology can ’ t help the caller @ @ @ @ @ @ @ them to schedule a callback with a human representative during a specific window — a feature Fitzgerland hopes will improve the equity of the call center system .
Later this summer , the virtual agent will have the ability to access some claims-specific information for callers , and , eventually , it will be able to work with Spanish speakers .
Fitzgerald emphasized that emergency funding only lasts through the end of 2020 .
The only way he sees his department being able to meet people ’ s needs is through a strong @ @ @ @ @ @ @ help people navigate the system and technology functions like the virtual agent .
“ If you ’ ve got this much demand , there is no way we can train fast enough and there are not enough administrative dollars that are available that we could address that .
No is the bottom line , ” he said .
“ That is why you must diversify the way you serve people.
” Fitzgerald said he is proud of the way his staff has risen to the occasion over the last few months .
Stephen @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Catering , credited the division for doing great work to ensure his staffers were able to collect benefits when he was forced to lay them off this spring .
“ My employees have reported very long wait times on the phone , but they also reported that everybody there has been so gracious , ” he said .
While Google readies the virtual agent feature , Coloradans continue to seek ways around the call center logjam .
Staffers in U.S. Rep. Diana DeGette ’ s Denver office have helped roughly 300 people tap @ @ @ @ @ @ @ spokesman said .
Cher Haavind , the Colorado Department of Labor ’ s deputy executive director , said that constituent advocates working for both state-level and congressional elected officials in Colorado have been very helpful in disseminating information on the state unemployment program and helping people who are struggling with their claims .
Jefferson County resident Lynn Peterson on Wednesday reached out to his representative , Colin Larson , for help .
Peterson is retired but works seasonally as an usher and ticket agent for the Colorado Rockies .
He was laid off @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Baseball season was suspended .
Despite repeated attempts to file a claim and hundreds of phone calls in recent months , Peterson has never received a personal identification number needed to request payments from the unemployment office .
He is hoping Larson ’ s office can finally get him over the hump .
“ It ’ s been totally frustrating , ” Peterson said .
“ And obviously there are many , many other people out there like me .
”

Desperation and exasperation are driving people to take extraordinary measures to reach the Colorado unemployment office at a time when hundreds of thousands of Coloradans are relying on state-distributed benefits for support.
They’re calling other departments in the unemployment office and asking to be transferred to a customer service agent. They’re mailing documents to the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment to see if it triggers a response. They’re showing up at the office without an appointment.
It’s clear some people are beyond sick of hearing an automated voice say, “We are experiencing very high call volume. Please try your call again later.” They’re panicked about the possibility of not being able to feed and house themselves and their families because online instructions aren’t clear about how to handle their unique unemployment situations.
More than 603,000 Coloradans have filed initial claims for unemployment support since the middle of March as the COVID-19 pandemic has decimated the economy. State officials said earlier this week that 81% of claimants, or just over 488,000 people, have received payments so far.
The customer service line has become a major chokepoint as tens of thousands of people seek help navigating the unemployment system’s murky waters as well as their own changing personal circumstances — like furloughs becoming permanent layoffs. The state’s traditional call center and a separate center for the federally funded pandemic unemployment assistance program together field an average of 12,000 unique calls daily. Between the 200 and 250 agents working in those two call centers and a callback request form added to the unemployment division website earlier this year, the office can handle about 4,000 callers per day, said Jeff Fitzgerald, director of the state’s unemployment division.
That adds up to roughly 40,000 calls per week are going unanswered — a huge number no matter how many of those people are phoning in with questions that can be answered by browsing the state’s website, watching how-to videos or conversing with the website’s chatbot.
Aaron Whitworth, 31, of Littleton is among the people who say they have called the state’s customer service line hundreds of times in recent weeks with nothing to show for it.
“I have called 25, 30 times a day every day for weeks on end,” Whitworth said Tuesday. “That’s ridiculous.”
When the labor department reopened its office in June for a limited number of in-person meetings each weekday, Whitworth repeatedly tried to schedule an appointment only to find the online calendar booked solid time and time again. Finally, a few weeks ago, he visited the office without an appointment. He was turned away by security but not before being given a sheet of paper with the same customer service number printed on it that he has been calling.
On Monday, Whitworth wrote an email to Gov. Jared Polis highlighting his previous military service and asking for help. He wrote the email not just for himself, he said, but for the many people across the state who are desperate to access their benefits.
“I am at a loss,” he wrote. “I want to believe in my state but so far it has been failing me.”
As of Thursday afternoon, Whitworth had not received a response.
Some strategies for getting through to an agent that have been shared on social media include calling in at 7:58 a.m. and listening to the hold message to join the queue when the call center opens at 8 a.m. and calling the overpayment department (303-318-9035) and asking to be transferred.
Whitworth, who served two tours in Afghanistan with the Marines, counts himself lucky even though he hasn’t gotten through. His wife has remained employed throughout the pandemic. He receives some monthly support from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. And he was called back to his job as the equipment manager for a party supply rental company on June 9 after being on furlough since March 28.
His already-thin savings have been whittled away to almost nothing while he struggles to access unemployment benefits, but he is not facing foreclosure or visiting food pantries like other people might be.
“There are thousands of people who are probably in the same situation and might be losing their houses,” Whitworth said. “It’s just not right.”
His unique claim situation highlights the complexities of the state’s system, particularly during the pandemic, when state emergency orders and new federal laws like the CARES Act have changed the way it operates multiple times. Those complexities are why labor department officials say it can take up to 12 weeks to train new call center agents.
Whitworth lost a job with a restaurant supply company in 2019 and collected unemployment until earlier this year, when he exhausted the maximum amount of benefits granted to him over a 12-month period. He had only worked at his new job for four weeks when he was furloughed due to the virus.
Usually, he would not have been able to reopen his unemployment claim but because the CARES Act extended the benefit window to 39 weeks up from 26, labor department officials contacted him and recommended he do so. Only the state’s website won’t let him reopen his claim. And now he is stuck in the loop of endless calls with no answers.
The state unemployment office has received $21 million to meet the unprecedented demand, most of it from the federal government. The money has helped the department hire 85 more call center agents, but 25 others have moved elsewhere in the department, Fitzgerald said.
The department is investing $680,000 into a partnership with Google that will create a “virtual agent,” the first phase of which is expected to be operational in mid-July. The virtual agent will be able to field calls and answer general questions about claims. If the technology can’t help the caller solve their problem, it will allow them to schedule a callback with a human representative during a specific window — a feature Fitzgerald hopes will improve the equity of the call center system. Later this summer, the virtual agent will have the ability to access some claims-specific information for callers, and, eventually, it will be able to work with Spanish speakers.
Fitzgerald emphasized that emergency funding only lasts through the end of 2020. The only way he sees his department being able to meet people’s needs is through a strong website loaded with information and features that help people navigate the system and technology functions like the virtual agent.
“If you’ve got this much demand, there is no way we can train fast enough and there are not enough administrative dollars that are available that we could address that. No is the bottom line,” he said. “That is why you must diversify the way you serve people.”
Fitzgerald said he is proud of the way his staff has risen to the occasion over the last few months.
Stephen Tanner, the owner of Denver-based Elevated Catering, credited the division for doing great work to ensure his staffers were able to collect benefits when he was forced to lay them off this spring.
“My employees have reported very long wait times on the phone, but they also reported that everybody there has been so gracious,” he said.
While Google readies the virtual agent feature, Coloradans continue to seek ways around the call center logjam. Staffers in U.S. Rep. Diana DeGette’s Denver office have helped roughly 300 people tap into benefits in recent weeks, a spokesman said.
Cher Haavind, the Colorado Department of Labor’s deputy executive director, said that constituent advocates working for both state-level and congressional elected officials in Colorado have been very helpful in disseminating information on the state unemployment program and helping people who are struggling with their claims.
Jefferson County resident Lynn Peterson on Wednesday reached out to his representative, Colin Larson, for help. Peterson is retired but works seasonally as an usher and ticket agent for the Colorado Rockies. He was laid off in April when the 2020 Major League Baseball season was suspended.
Despite repeated attempts to file a claim and hundreds of phone calls in recent months, Peterson has never received a personal identification number needed to request payments from the unemployment office. He is hoping Larson’s office can finally get him over the hump.
“It’s been totally frustrating,” Peterson said. “And obviously there are many, many other people out there like me.”


thedenverpost--2020-07-03--Nuggets Mailbag: Will Michael Porter Jr. crack the playoff rotation in Orlando?

Denver Post sports writer Mike Singer posts his Nuggets Mailbag every other week during the season .
Pose a Nuggets — or NBA — related question for the Nuggets Mailbag .
Where do you see Michael Porter Jr. in the rotation this year ?
He would flash occasionally , but his minutes were inconsistent .
It didn ’ t seem like his teammates were willing to involve him in the offense .
I think you ’ re asking what his role will be once the season restarts , so I ’ ll answer under that premise .
After he broke @ @ @ @ @ @ @ minutes were inconsistent after the All-Star break because he was still nursing an ankle injury .
That ’ s partially why Michael Malone didn ’ t give him regular run once we got into March .
At the same time , Malone loathes giving up easy baskets , and Porter ’ s individual defense as well as his grasp of team defense was a constant work in progress this year .
He ’ s said that he ’ s completely healthy and was able to get in the gym whenever he wanted over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s allotted in the eight seeding games and then the playoffs will be a direct reflection of the confidence Malone has in him .
On Wednesday ’ s Zoom call with reporters , Malone said there ’ s a “ good chance ” he ’ ll play in the playoffs .
To me , that doesn ’ t mean much .
I want to see how he looks in the eight seeding games and how much Malone cuts down the rotations .
I will say that for the Nuggets to reach their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ future , Porter ’ s got to be a fixture in the rotation .
Michael Malone sounded at least somewhat optimistic that the Nuggets would be able to have Nikola Jokic in the fold for the NBA ’ s return in Orlando .
But assuming a worst-case scenario ( Jokic out until mid-August or so ) , how important do you think it is for the Nuggets to have Jokic available right away ?
Given that the team is playing eight games prior to the playoff bracket , perhaps he can rejoin the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shape for the postseason ?
What if he ’ s completely unavailable ?
Would Denver even have a chance of advancing out of the first round ?
I think the Nuggets have been careful to a put a timeline on Jokic ’ s return because there are so many unknowns .
And by return , I mean first to the country , and then to the court .
He ’ s already missed the beginning of individual workouts that were to begin July 1 .
Team workouts won ’ t start until around @ @ @ @ @ @ @ yesterday that the “ hope and expectation ” is that he ’ d be on the plane with the rest of the team when they leave on the July 7 .
From my understanding , his two week quarantine is almost done .
Before he leaves Serbia , he ’ ll need two negative tests .
And once he returns , he ’ ll need to test negative again .
If he gets to Orlando on time , he ’ d have about two weeks before inter-squad scrimmages begin .
Those three scrimmages @ @ @ @ @ @ @ think it ’ s almost essential that the Nuggets get as much time as possible with Jokic healthy as they can .
He ’ s the fulcrum of their offense that hasn ’ t played basketball in four months .
We don ’ t know what long-term effects he ’ ll face , if any , but that ’ s a factor leading into the playoffs as well .
I don ’ t like the Nuggets ’ chances of getting out of the first round if Jokic isn ’ t playing .
If @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are you hoping to avoid the most in the playoff bracket ?
Would it be better if the Nuggets faced the Lakers or the Clippers in the second round ?
Who would be the best/worst first-round opponent ?
If the Nuggets see the Lakers or Clippers in the playoffs , it will almost assuredly come in the second round and/or Western Conference finals .
If or when that happens , buckle up .
Last we saw the Clippers , they were trouncing the Nuggets on national TV in late February .
And I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ what a motivated LeBron James/Anthony Davis frontcourt is capable of .
The Nuggets would be heavy underdogs against both .
In the first round , I think the Nuggets will be angling for the Utah Jazz .
They ’ ve beaten them both times this year , and Utah lost a key piece in Bojan Bogdanovic .
I think the Nuggets would prefer to avoid the Houston Rockets at all costs .
They ’ ve historically struggled against them , and a rested James Harden is a scary proposition .
Rumors are already @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Denver after this season , with the Miami Heat one of his possible landing spots .
How much do you think the Nuggets should prioritize holding on to him ?
How can the team replace him if he chooses to play elsewhere ?
There ’ s going to be a huge focus on Paul Millsap and Jerami Grant when the season resumes since both are likely to be free agents this year .
Before the season shutdown , there were games when Malone opted to play Grant in the closing moments – a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Although the Nuggets would never say so ) .
For Millsap , it might come down to an acknowledgment that the Nuggets have paid him $ 90 million over three years , and he ’ s missed 77 games over that time .
He ’ s not even close to a $ 30 million player .
At this point , he ’ d likely command a third of that in free agency .
Grant is their obvious solution , but I ’ ve heard chatter that other teams may have their eye on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is the Nuggets prioritize Grant .
Who ’ s one under-the-radar 2020 free agent you think the Nuggets should try to pursue this October ?
Tell me why I ’ m crazy for thinking they should go after Joe Harris .
Joe Harris is a good one , but three straight years of shooting over 40 % from 3-point range might price him out of the Nuggets ’ range .
Some of my favorites include De ’ Anthony Melton ( Memphis ) , Pat Connaughton ( Milwaukee ) , and Bryn Forbes ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Garrett Temple ( Brooklyn ) and Jae Crowder ( Miami ) would be good locker room fits in case Millsap leaves .

Pose a Nuggets — or NBA — related question for the Nuggets Mailbag.
Where do you see Michael Porter Jr. in the rotation this year? He would flash occasionally, but his minutes were inconsistent. It didn’t seem like his teammates were willing to involve him in the offense.
— Stu Howard, Englewood
I think you’re asking what his role will be once the season restarts, so I’ll answer under that premise. After he broke out in January, Porter’s minutes were inconsistent after the All-Star break because he was still nursing an ankle injury. That’s partially why coach Michael Malone didn’t give him regular run once we got into March. At the same time, Malone loathes giving up easy baskets, and Porter’s individual defense as well as his grasp of team defense was a constant work in progress. He’s said that he’s completely healthy and was able to get in the gym whenever he wanted over the break. So whatever minutes he’s allotted in the eight seeding games and then the playoffs will be a direct reflection of the confidence Malone has in him.
On Wednesday’s Zoom call with reporters, Malone said there’s a “good chance” that he’ll play in the playoffs. To me, that doesn’t mean much. I want to see how he looks in the eight seeding games and how much Malone cuts down the rotations. I will say that for the Nuggets to reach their potential, this year or in the future, Porter’s got to be a fixture in the rotation.
Michael Malone sounded at least somewhat optimistic that the Nuggets would be able to have Nikola Jokic in the fold for the NBA’s return in Orlando. But assuming a worst-case scenario (Jokic out until mid-August or so), how important do you think it is for the Nuggets to have Jokic available right away? Given that the team is playing eight games prior to the playoff bracket, perhaps he can rejoin the team later on and still be in shape for the postseason? What if he’s completely unavailable? Would Denver even have a chance of advancing out of the first round?
— Joe, Aurora
I think the Nuggets have been careful not to put a timeline on Jokic’s return because there are so many unknowns. And by return, I mean first to the country, and then to the court. He’s already missed the beginning of individual workouts that were to begin July 1. Team workouts won’t start until around July 9 in Orlando. Malone said Wednesday that the “hope and expectation” is that Jokic would be on the plane with the rest of the team when they leave on July 7.
From my understanding, his two-week quarantine is almost done. Before he leaves Serbia, he’ll need two negative tests. And once he returns, he’ll need to test negative again. If he gets to Orlando on time, he’d have about two weeks before inter-squad scrimmages begin. Those three scrimmages would precede the seeding games.
I think it’s almost essential that the Nuggets get as much time as possible with Jokic healthy as they can. He’s the fulcrum of their offense that hasn’t played basketball in four months. We don’t know what long-term effects he’ll face, if any, but that’s a factor leading into the playoffs as well. I don’t like the Nuggets’ chances of getting out of the first round if Jokic isn’t playing.
If you’re Michael Malone, who are you hoping to avoid the most in the playoff bracket? Would it be better if the Nuggets faced the Lakers or the Clippers in the second round? Who would be the best/worst first-round opponent?
— Dan, Westminster
If the Nuggets see the Lakers or Clippers in the playoffs, it will almost assuredly come in the second round and/or Western Conference finals. If or when that happens, buckle up. Last we saw the Clippers, they were trouncing the Nuggets on national TV in late February. And I don’t have to remind you what a motivated LeBron James/Anthony Davis frontcourt is capable of. The Nuggets would be heavy underdogs against both.
In the first round, I think the Nuggets will be angling for the Utah Jazz. They’ve beaten them both times this year, and Utah lost a key piece in Bojan Bogdanovic. I think the Nuggets would prefer to avoid the Houston Rockets at all costs. They’ve historically struggled against them, and playing against a rested James Harden is a scary proposition.
Rumors are already starting to swirl about Paul Millsap leaving Denver after this season, with the Miami Heat one of his possible landing spots. How much do you think the Nuggets should prioritize holding on to him? How can the team replace him if he chooses to play elsewhere?
— Matt, East Colfax
There’s going to be a huge focus on Paul Millsap and Jerami Grant when the season resumes since both are likely to be free agents this year. Before the season shutdown, there were games when Malone opted to play Grant in the closing moments – a potential window into the future. (Although the Nuggets would never say so).
For Millsap, it might come down to an acknowledgment that the Nuggets have paid him $90 million over three years, and he’s missed 77 games over that time. He’s not even close to a $30 million player. At this point, he’d likely command a third of that in free agency.
Grant is their obvious solution, but I’ve heard chatter that other teams may have their eye on him as well. My educated guess is the Nuggets prioritize retaining Grant.
Who’s one under-the-radar 2020 free agent you think the Nuggets should try to pursue this October? Tell me why I’m crazy for thinking they should go after Joe Harris.
— Trey, LoDo
Joe Harris is a good one, but three straight years of shooting over 40% from 3-point range might price him out of the Nuggets’ range. Some of my favorites include De’Anthony Melton (Memphis), Pat Connaughton (Milwaukee), and Bryn Forbes (San Antonio). I also think Garrett Temple (Brooklyn) and Jae Crowder (Miami) would be good locker room fits in case Millsap leaves.


thedenverpost--2020-07-03--Rockies agree to terms with undrafted local right-hander Blake Goldsberry

The Colorado Rockies are still making moves when it comes to local prospects as the club has agreed to terms with right-handed pitcher Blake Goldsberry .
Goldsberry spent five seasons at Kansas where he honed his skills on the mound for the Jayhawks .
His senior season in Lawrence was cut short due to the coronavirus pandemic that halted sports across the country .
He did end up pitching in seven games while logging 10 innings and no earned runs in 2020 .
Goldsberry made his announcement on twitter and is looking forward to the opportunity to live out his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ So grateful for the opportunity to live out my childhood dream of representing my hometown team .
Thank you to everyone who has supported me along the way and helped me get to where I am today .
Go Rockies !
” Goldsberry said in a tweet .
The Colorado native spent his prep years playing for Marc Johnson at Cherry Creek High School where he had a stellar career .
The two sport athlete was a five-time varsity letter winner between baseball and basketball .
Goldsberry , however , shined his senior @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the bump with a 2.30 ERA .
In recent years the Rockies have drafted and signed local players well , and you can add Goldsberry to that list .
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Ask Patrick Saunders here .

The Colorado Rockies are still making moves when it comes to local prospects as the club has agreed to terms with right-handed pitcher Blake Goldsberry.
Goldsberry spent five seasons at Kansas where he honed his skills on the mound for the Jayhawks. His senior season in Lawrence was cut short due to the coronavirus pandemic that halted sports across the country. He did end up pitching in seven games while logging 10 innings and no earned runs in 2020.
Goldsberry made his announcement on twitter and is looking forward to the opportunity to live out his childhood dream with the Rockies.
“So grateful for the opportunity to live out my childhood dream of representing my hometown team. Thank you to everyone who has supported me along the way and helped me get to where I am today. Go Rockies!” Goldsberry said in a tweet.
So grateful for the opportunity to live out my childhood dream of representing my hometown team. Thank you to everyone who has supported me along the way and helped me get to where I am today. Go Rockies! pic.twitter.com/t8macrKrI1 — Blake Goldsberry (@BlakeGoldsberry) June 30, 2020
The Colorado native spent his prep years playing for Marc Johnson at Cherry Creek High School where he had a stellar career. The two sport athlete was a five-time varsity letter winner between baseball and basketball.
Goldsberry, however, shined his senior season with the Bruins going 8-1 on the bump with a 2.30 ERA.
In recent years the Rockies have drafted and signed local players well, and you can add Goldsberry to that list.
— Jeff Bailey, The Denver Post
If you enjoy the Denver Sports Omelette, tell a friend it’s easy to sign up here for our daily sports roundup. If you have any questions or suggestions, hit me up on Twitter @joenguyen or by email.
A special offer for Sports Omelette readers! Subscribe to The Denver Post’s sports coverage for just 99¢ for the first month and only $6.99/month thereafter. Cancel anytime.
Ask The Experts
+ Broncos Mailbag: Have a question about the team? Ask Ryan O’Halloran here.
+ Nuggets Mailbag: Have a question about the team? Ask Mike Singer here.
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+ Rockies Mailbag: Have a question about the team? Ask Patrick Saunders here.


thedenverpost--2020-07-03--Apartment developers remain bullish on Denver even as the pandemic batters the economy

When the coronavirus hit , Denver was coming off the biggest years for new apartment construction in its history .
Developers completed more than 26,000 apartments in the Mile High metro over the last two years , including a record 13,300 in 2018 , according to data from Denver-based data firm Apartment Insights .
The year represents the crest in a surge in apartment development dating back to at least 2015 .
The boom has come during a time in which the city has attracted young , high-paid renters from other parts of the country in droves and condo development @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about developer liability .
Now that the decade-long economic expansion that helped fuel the boom has come to an abrupt end thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic , apartment developers — in Denver and across the country — find themselves at a crossroads .
Some are taking a slow , cautious approach to what comes next .
Some are hitting pause entirely , waiting to see how the market and people respond to what could be a long and painful recession .
Others are forging ahead at full speed .
There is one common @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their eyes on Denver , though : While what residents want in apartment homes may shift because of the pandemic , they agree the Mile High City is going to remain a place where people want to live .
Therefore , more apartments will be needed .
“ I would tell you we are still incredibly bullish on Denver in the long term , ” Sam Kasparek , managing partner of Kairoi Residential , said Wednesday .
“ Now that you have the flexibility to work from anywhere , I think a lot @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
It ’ s a lot more affordable than some of those coastal markets , and it ’ s got a great lifestyle.
” Coronavirus has visited some short-term pain on the city ’ s apartment market .
Kairoi ’ s new Park 17 apartment building near the intersection of East 17th and Park avenues is about 12 % leased so far .
Leasing on the 190-apartment building was aided during the government-ordered business shutdowns this spring by technology that allowed interested renters to take virtual tours .
“ It ’ s probably @ @ @ @ @ @ @ compared to what you would normally see this time of year .
You don ’ t see people moving around like they would have pre-COVID , ” Kasparek said .
“ I think that ’ s going to continue for the rest of the year.
” Kairoi has paused some of its plans .
A 35-story apartment tower the company aims to build along Speer Boulevard between Larimer and Market streets in collaboration with property owner Buzz Geller of the Paradise Land Co. is on hold , Kasparek said .
Kairoi does plan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ apartment building that would replace the Ramada hotel at 1150 E. Colfax .
Kairoi has that property under contract .
Apartment Insights counts 22,000 apartments as under construction in the Denver area with 40,000 in the planning pipeline .
Scott Rathbun , a consultant with Apartment Insights ’ sister company Apartment Appraisers & Consultants , said projects generally take 18 months to three years to build .
Historically , only about half the units in the “ proposed ” phase are built .
The Denver metro area ’ s under-construction pipeline is 25 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Rathbun said .
That has to do with headwinds that started well before the pandemic .
Specifically , Rathbun pointed to rising costs of construction driven by a very tight market for subcontractor labor and long approval processes in metro area cities as factors that have weighed on what he terms “ developer success rate.
” There has been chatter of construction costs coming down as some commercial developers delay projects in the face of a shrinking economy , but that has yet to materialize , Rathbun said .
City approval processes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by the pandemic , with municipal staffers working remotely and other disruptions to normal workflows .
Developers that have cleared those hurdles and gotten their projects in the ground also will face some challenges , Apartment Appraisers and Consultants predicts .
As of early last week , the company was still compiling results of its second-quarter survey of apartment operators in the metro area , but early returns showed that vacancy rates went up , rents came down and new units stayed empty for longer .
Denver ’ s core downtown neighborhoods were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ their doors over the next six months or a year , they are probably going to have suffer some slow absorption , probably are going to have to offer more concessions than they planned on … , ” Rathbun said .
Apartment List released a report in late June showing that Denver metro rents have fallen for three straight months and are down 1.2 % year over year .
It ’ s a modest decline , but from 2015 to 2019 , Denver rents rose an average of 1.9 % between March and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s research .
The results of the Apartment Association of Metro Denver ’ s second-quarter survey have yet to be released , so the impact of coronavirus is hard to quantify , but its first-quarter survey pinned apartment vacancy at 5.9 % .
That data only covers the year through March 11 .
With record-shattering unemployment rocking Colorado and the country during the pandemic , a key focus for apartment owners and managers has been on the rental delinquency rates .
The Colorado Apartment Association reported that as of the end of May @ @ @ @ @ @ @ state were up to date on their payments , a figure only slightly behind pre-COVID levels .
David Zucker , CEO of Denver ’ s Zocalo Community Development , has found that delinquency rates are low for his company ’ s higher-end and mid-market buildings , but nearly 20 % of residents in the Quayle building , an affordable apartment development on Broadway in Denver , are behind on payments .
Zocalo has committed to working with tenants who have lost income during the pandemic on payment plans to keep them in their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ intend to be there with them , ” he said .
Zocalo is working to bring more attainably priced apartments to the Front Range .
Projects in the company ’ s pipeline include a 13-story tower now under construction near the 38th and Blake light rail station that will house 357 small-format ( and lower-priced ) apartments , the planned conversion of a Lakewood office building into income-restricted affordable apartments and a pending 320-unit project in Boulder that will reserve 25 % of its apartments for low-income residents .
Zucker has been keeping @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rate as reported by the Federal Reserve Bank .
The rate has spiked to record highs since the onset of the pandemic .
With people more conscious of their personal financial safety net amid so much economic uncertainty , Zucker said Zocalo is focusing on designing smaller , “ more muscular ” apartments in Boulder with clearly defined spaces for relaxing and working .
For the 13-story Denver project , the company is trying to carve out money in its budget for adaptable furniture that will make working from home easier .
Both @ @ @ @ @ @ @ design that blends nature with the built environment .
“ If you can and have the wherewithal to sit on your hands right now , that is what smart money is doing .
Developers typically don ’ t have the wherewithal , and that typically drives us to greater innovation , ” Zucker said .
On the innovation front , the X Company is making progress on two 12-story apartment buildings on North Inca Street in the neighborhood behind Coors Field .
The X Denver projects , being developed in collaboration with Property @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the option to rent a room instead of taking on a full apartment .
In the first building , on pace to open in early 2021 , there will be 250 units with about a third of them divided into “ co-living ” apartments with multiple bedrooms for rent , X Company spokeswoman Jen Nelson said .
Rents for bedrooms will start at $ 1,000 .
The sister building next door is expected to open in the spring of 2021 .
The X Company hopes to break ground on a third building in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ this year , Nelson said .
Nelson and Co. do not expect the coronavirus to scare people off from the ideas of shared common areas .
The Chicago-based company has two co-living buildings in its home city , and both are full , she said .
“ In our co-living units , residents are only sharing a kitchen and living room ; each resident has a private bedroom and bathroom , ” Nelson wrote in an email .
“ That privacy coupled with in-unit laundry and professional cleaning services provide more than your @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in place pre-COVID , but we think they will really help to set residents ’ minds at ease in this new landscape.
” Residential development in Denver , both for-sale and for-rent , has not yet shown signs of a big slowdown , according to Teo Nicolais , an instructor specializing in real estate at the Harvard Extension School in Denver .
That ’ s driven by lenders that see residential development as a safer bet than office or retail development .
Nicolais is keeping a close eye on how coronavirus is reshaping @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has spoken to several different developments now looking at retooling buildings to offer more dedicated home office options .
One thing he is hoping he does not see is a major slowdown in residential development as happened during the Great Recession .
In 2010 , fewer than 500 apartments were built in the entire metro area by his count .
More apartments will be needed in the future and the best way to keep them reasonably priced is to keep building .
“ You can draw a straight line from the lack of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ last ) decade to the nosebleed rent increases toward the middle of the decade , ” Nicolais said .
“ Kind of the nightmare scenario is where we a have a repeat of that .
”

When the coronavirus hit, Denver was coming off the biggest years for new apartment construction in its history.
Developers completed more than 26,000 apartments in the Mile High metro over the last two years, including a record 13,300 in 2018, according to data from Denver-based data firm Apartment Insights. The year represents the crest in a surge in apartment development dating back to at least 2015.
The boom has come during a time in which the city has attracted young, high-paid renters from other parts of the country in droves and condo development in Colorado has been depressed by concerns about developer liability. Now that the decade-long economic expansion that helped fuel the boom has come to an abrupt end thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic, apartment developers — in Denver and across the country — find themselves at a crossroads.
Some are taking a slow, cautious approach to what comes next. Some are hitting pause entirely, waiting to see how the market and people respond to what could be a long and painful recession. Others are forging ahead at full speed. There is one common thread among developers and market analysts with their eyes on Denver, though: While what residents want in apartment homes may shift because of the pandemic, they agree the Mile High City is going to remain a place where people want to live. Therefore, more apartments will be needed.
“I would tell you we are still incredibly bullish on Denver in the long term,” Sam Kasparek, managing partner of Kairoi Residential, said Wednesday. “Now that you have the flexibility to work from anywhere, I think a lot of people are going to choose Denver. It’s a lot more affordable than some of those coastal markets, and it’s got a great lifestyle.”
Coronavirus has visited some short-term pain on the city’s apartment market. Kairoi’s new Park 17 apartment building near the intersection of East 17th and Park avenues is about 12% leased so far. Leasing on the 190-apartment building was aided during the government-ordered business shutdowns this spring by technology that allowed interested renters to take virtual tours.
“It’s probably common sense that traffic counts are down compared to what you would normally see this time of year. You don’t see people moving around like they would have pre-COVID,” Kasparek said. “I think that’s going to continue for the rest of the year.”
Kairoi has paused some of its plans. A 35-story apartment tower the company aims to build along Speer Boulevard between Larimer and Market streets in collaboration with property owner Buzz Geller of the Paradise Land Co. is on hold, Kasparek said. Kairoi does plan to break ground next year on an apartment building that would replace the Ramada hotel at 1150 E. Colfax. Kairoi has that property under contract.
Apartment Insights counts 22,000 apartments as under construction in the Denver area with 40,000 in the planning pipeline. Scott Rathbun, a consultant with Apartment Insights’ sister company Apartment Appraisers & Consultants, said projects generally take 18 months to three years to build. Historically, only about half the units in the “proposed” phase are built.
The Denver metro area’s under-construction pipeline is 25% lower than it was in 2017, Rathbun said. That has to do with headwinds that started well before the pandemic. Specifically, Rathbun pointed to rising costs of construction driven by a very tight market for subcontractor labor and long approval processes in metro area cities as factors that have weighed on what he terms “developer success rate.”
There has been chatter of construction costs coming down as some commercial developers delay projects in the face of a shrinking economy, but that has yet to materialize, Rathbun said. City approval processes are likely to be slowed down further by the pandemic, with municipal staffers working remotely and other disruptions to normal workflows.
Developers that have cleared those hurdles and gotten their projects in the ground also will face some challenges, Apartment Appraisers and Consultants predicts. As of early last week, the company was still compiling results of its second-quarter survey of apartment operators in the metro area, but early returns showed that vacancy rates went up, rents came down and new units stayed empty for longer. Denver’s core downtown neighborhoods were hit the hardest.
“People opening their doors over the next six months or a year, they are probably going to have suffer some slow absorption, probably are going to have to offer more concessions than they planned on …,” Rathbun said.
Apartment List released a report in late June showing that Denver metro rents have fallen for three straight months and are down 1.2% year over year. It’s a modest decline, but from 2015 to 2019, Denver rents rose an average of 1.9% between March and June, according to Apartment List’s research.
The results of the Apartment Association of Metro Denver’s second-quarter survey have yet to be released, so the impact of coronavirus is hard to quantify, but its first-quarter survey pinned apartment vacancy at 5.9%. That data only covers the year through March 11.
With record-shattering unemployment rocking Colorado and the country during the pandemic, a key focus for apartment owners and managers has been on the rental delinquency rates. The Colorado Apartment Association reported that as of the end of May, 95.2% of renters in the state were up to date on their payments, a figure only slightly behind pre-COVID levels.
David Zucker, CEO of Denver’s Zocalo Community Development, has found that delinquency rates are low for his company’s higher-end and mid-market buildings, but nearly 20% of residents in the Quayle building, an affordable apartment development on Broadway in Denver, are behind on payments. Zocalo has committed to working with tenants who have lost income during the pandemic on payment plans to keep them in their homes, Zucker said.
“We intend to be there with them,” he said.
Zocalo is working to bring more attainably priced apartments to the Front Range. Projects in the company’s pipeline include a 13-story tower now under construction near the 38th and Blake light rail station that will house 357 small-format (and lower-priced) apartments, the planned conversion of a Lakewood office building into income-restricted affordable apartments and a pending 320-unit project in Boulder that will reserve 25% of its apartments for low-income residents.
Zucker has been keeping an eye on Americans’ personal savings rate as reported by the Federal Reserve Bank. The rate has spiked to record highs since the onset of the pandemic. With people more conscious of their personal financial safety net amid so much economic uncertainty, Zucker said Zocalo is focusing on designing smaller, “more muscular” apartments in Boulder with clearly defined spaces for relaxing and working. For the 13-story Denver project, the company is trying to carve out money in its budget for adaptable furniture that will make working from home easier. Both projects will have a focus on biophilic design that blends nature with the built environment.
“If you can and have the wherewithal to sit on your hands right now, that is what smart money is doing. Developers typically don’t have the wherewithal, and that typically drives us to greater innovation,” Zucker said.
On the innovation front, the X Company is making progress on two 12-story apartment buildings on North Inca Street in the neighborhood behind Coors Field. The X Denver projects, being developed in collaboration with Property Markets Group, will offer would-be tenants the option to rent a room instead of taking on a full apartment. In the first building, on pace to open in early 2021, there will be 250 units with about a third of them divided into “co-living” apartments with multiple bedrooms for rent, X Company spokeswoman Jen Nelson said. Rents for bedrooms will start at $1,000.
The sister building next door is expected to open in the spring of 2021. The X Company hopes to break ground on a third building in the downtown area before the end of this year, Nelson said.
Nelson and Co. do not expect the coronavirus to scare people off from the ideas of shared common areas. The Chicago-based company has two co-living buildings in its home city, and both are full, she said.
“In our co-living units, residents are only sharing a kitchen and living room; each resident has a private bedroom and bathroom,” Nelson wrote in an email. “That privacy coupled with in-unit laundry and professional cleaning services provide more than your typical rental apartment. These plans were in place pre-COVID, but we think they will really help to set residents’ minds at ease in this new landscape.”
Residential development in Denver, both for-sale and for-rent, has not yet shown signs of a big slowdown, according to Teo Nicolais, an instructor specializing in real estate at the Harvard Extension School in Denver. That’s driven by lenders that see residential development as a safer bet than office or retail development.
Nicolais is keeping a close eye on how coronavirus is reshaping development in the metro area. He has spoken to several different developments now looking at retooling buildings to offer more dedicated home office options. One thing he is hoping he does not see is a major slowdown in residential development as happened during the Great Recession. In 2010, fewer than 500 apartments were built in the entire metro area by his count.
More apartments will be needed in the future and the best way to keep them reasonably priced is to keep building.
“You can draw a straight line from the lack of construction at the beginning of the (last) decade to the nosebleed rent increases toward the middle of the decade,” Nicolais said. “Kind of the nightmare scenario is where we a have a repeat of that.”