Fighting the opioid epidemic and upcoming community meetings

Fall is in the air with the recent start of school and the close of Labor Day weekend. No matter what the season, our work on COVID response and recovery, economic development, wildfire risk reduction, open space and parks, the county budget, and more is busier than ever.

Here’s just a sampling of some of the initiatives I’m working on with links to more details:

COVID response and recovery. Jefferson County will receive $113 million in American Rescue Plan funding to help households, small businesses, nonprofits, and government services impacted by COVID. The one-time finding also can be invested in water, sewer, or broadband infrastructure. Jeffco will distribute funds through the end of 2024 and must spend them by the end of 2026. Jefferson County will receive 50 percent of the funds in 2021 and the other half in 2022. Details here. A special thanks to those who recently submitted ideas to help Jefferson County prioritize community needs for American Rescue Plan dollars.

Wildfire risk reduction. Jefferson County ranks number one in the state for potential property loss due to wildfire. I serve on the Colorado Fire Commission and I chair the Jeffco Wildfire Risk Reduction Task Force. At both the state and local levels, we’re actively working to reduce risk, increase mitigation, improve forest health, and look at the impact of growth and development in the Wildland Urban Interface – where people, development, and forested areas meet. Click here to learn more about our efforts in Jefferson County, which I shared recently in a presentation to the Colorado Legislature’s Wildfire Matters Review Committee. Jeffco’s wildfire task force will evolve early next year into a commission to ensure addressing wildfire risk in our county remains a top priority. Our collective efforts were recently recognize by the Canyon Courier.

Fighting the opioid epidemic in Jeffco and Colorado. In Jefferson County alone, drug-related overdose deaths increased 59 percent from 2019 to 2020. Colorado stands to receive more than $400 million in opioid settlement dollars. I recently joined Attorney General Phil Weiser and local government leaders to unveil a first-of-its-kind framework for distributing those dollars – a framework we worked diligently to develop over the last 18 months, reflecting input across rural, urban, and suburban communities to maximize settlement funds for treatment, education, and prevention. Colorado is leading the way thanks to this collaborative effort! Learn more.

As I work on these and other county priorities, I want to hear from you! Please join us for our next Civics and Stouts hosted by Rep. Cutter and me on Wednesday, Sept. 15 from 5:30-6:30 p.m. at Brooks Place Tavern in Conifer. I’ll also share a county update at the Conifer Area Council Town Hall that same evening from 7-8 p.m. at West Jefferson Middle School.

Thanks for your continued support and don’t hesitate to reach out to me with questions or concerns at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

With warm regards,