Denver, CO
Denver sidewalk fees clear final hurdle, billing to begin in 2025
The Denver City Council on Monday gave final approval to converting the billing structure for Denver’s voter-supported sidewalk repair and construction program to a flat $150 for more than 95% of property owners next year, doing away with the highly variable billing approach outlined in the original measure.
Property owners with large lots will still pay more. The billing formula will add $3.50 per foot to the annual cost for any property with more than 230 feet of street boundary.
Semi-annual bills will start hitting property owners’ wastewater accounts in the first six months of 2025, officials say.
Watch our previous coverage in the video player below:
Denver sidewalk fee ordinance changes make it out of committee, head to council
The changes were among several amendments to the ordinance that the council preliminarily approved following a public hearing last week. Up for a final vote Monday, those changes passed unanimously again as part of the body’s consent agenda, signaling a lack of controversy.
Nick Williams, the deputy manager of internal and external affairs at the city’sDepartment of Transportation and Infrastructure, reiterated at the meeting that the sidewalk program relieves property owners of the responsibility for paying for the entirety of sidewalk work in front of their lots. That was the arrangement before voters overturned it in 2022.
Read the full story from our partners at The Denver Post.
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Denver, CO
Two Denver police vehicles hit by separate drivers during traffic stop
DENVER (KDVR) — Two Denver police vehicles were hit by separate drivers during a traffic stop last week, according to a social media post from the Denver Police Department.
On May 7, officers responded to a crash on northbound Interstate 25 near the exit for Alameda Avenue.
The officers were parked with their emergency lights on to direct the traffic away from the scene of the crash. Despite the lights being on, two separate vehicles crashed into the officers’ vehicles.
One driver caused minor damage to a Denver police vehicle and was cited for careless driving. The second driver caused extensive damage to a police vehicle and was cited for careless driving, as well as arrested for allegedly driving under the influence during the crash.
Officers were in their vehicles during the incident, with one uninjured and the other taken to the hospital with minor injuries.
“Traffic safety is a shared responsibility! If you come upon flashing lights, emergency vehicles, tow trucks, or disabled vehicles while driving, move over at least one lane or slow down if it’s not safe to move over. And don’t drive under the influence,” said the department in the post.
Denver, CO
Denver testing outdoor sirens, emergency alert system this week
Denver’s outdoor warning sirens will sound for three minutes on Wednesday morning as officials test the city’s emergency systems.
All 86 outdoor sirens are scheduled to go off at 11 a.m., and at the same time the wireless emergency alert system will send a test text message to all mobile phones in Denver.
People in neighboring counties may also receive the emergency alert message, the Denver Office of Emergency Management said in a statement.
“Speed and clarity are critical in an emergency,” Executive Director Matthew Mueller said in a statement. “This test helps ensure Denver can deliver alerts across multiple platforms, so people know what to do right away.”
Denver officials have mistakenly sent emergency alerts about isolated police activity to the entire city twice in recent months — once in January when a person was barricaded near the University of Denver and once in April when two armed robbery suspects ran into a nearby home in Ruby Hill.
Denver emergency response officials may start using the outdoor sirens more often, including for destructive thunderstorms or flash flooding, instead of just for tornado warnings, city leaders said in a news release.
While Denverites don’t need to take any action during the test on Wednesday, the sirens are usually a sign to seek shelter indoors immediately and check for updates from the city and local news outlets, according to Denver officials.
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Denver, CO
YMCA of Metro Denver offers free community swim lesson
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, drowning is the second leading cause of unintentional death for children ages 5-14. The folks at the YMCA of Metro Denver believe that drowning deaths are completely preventable.
“Drowning is a silent killer, but we can prevent that through education and encouraging parents and adults around to put their phones down and be water watchers,” said Breezy Bolden, President & CEO of YMCA of Metro Denver.
In recognition of the Y’s 150th anniversary and the 5th anniversary of the Aurora YMCA, the Y is offering a free community swim lesson for up to 150 children ages 3-12.
“We are teaching sidewalk CPR and how to apply a life vest, and also what happens if you unexpectedly find yourself in water … you fall in … you want to swim to the side … so we’ll be teaching those water safety skills,” Bolden explained.
YMCA of Metro Denver is working with the Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Denver and the Wheatlands Metro District to fill up that community swim class, but anyone is welcome to register up to 150 participants. For families who aren’t able to get into the free class, the YMCA of Metro Denver offers swim lessons throughout the year. The Y is actually the national provider of swim lessons and created group swim lessons.
“I believe and many of us believe at the Y that swimming is a life skill, just like riding a bike. It gives you an opportunity to be physically active, safe around water, and enjoy the beautiful outdoors of Colorado and all the lakes and reservoirs we have around here,” Bolden said.
LINK: Register for the free Community Swim Lesson
The YMCA of Metro Denver’s free Community Swim Lesson is Saturday, May 16, 2026 from 9 a.m. – 12 p.m. at the Aurora YMCA at Wheatlands, 6100 Kewaunee Way.
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