As we approach City Council’s strategic planning retreat on April 13, I've crafted these priorities based on year-long conversations with working families, recognizing your voices and needs to advance Westminster as a vibrant community where every resident has a stable, healthy, and prosperous future. At the retreat, I will seek the support of my council colleagues to integrate these goals into our city's strategic plan. Trust that these plans are for you, shaped with you.

(Not in any order of importance)

Housing People Can Afford:

A. Prioritize Senior affordable housing development projects: Despite our fast-growing population of older residents, Westminster does not help our older residents age in place and we have a significant gap of assisted living, independent living and memory care options. Seniors are disproportionately impacted by the lack of affordable housing. 82% of Westminster’s 3,000+ senior renter households spend 30% or more of their fixed income on rent. We have a gap of 1,912 assisted living units and 746 memory care units.

B. Expand ‘missing middle’ homeownership opportunities: We need more townhomes and condos that people can afford.

C. Tiny Homes: Allocate dollars to create financial incentives for developers and homeowners interested in tiny home construction. This could include tax breaks, streamlined permitting processes, or grants. The goal is to diversify housing options in Westminster, making it more accessible and affordable for a broader range of residents.

D. Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs): Set new standards that streamline access and implementation of ADUs for our residents.

E. Inclusionary zoning requirements: Mandate new housing developments include a percentage of equitable living options all residents can afford.

F. Expedited reviews for targeted housing developments: Streamline the approval process for projects that target our most underserved housing needs.

Lower cost of living for working and retired families:

A. Reduce the cost of water: Targeted reduction of water bills to households most in need.

B. ‘Via Mobility’ Service for older residents and people with disabilities: I hosted a town hall at an assisted living facility and they called it “cruel and unusual” that Westminster decided to discontinue the Via Mobility Service in 2023. We need to renew our partnership with the existing third-party provider (called Via Mobility Service) that provided free transport for seniors and disabled residents. This service helped older residents and people with disabilities age in place by providing localized transport options within neighborhoods. This will help enhance accessibility and independence for these key groups in our community.

C. Establish a Food Security Fund in Westminster: All residents deserve access to affordable, healthy food options. Allocate funds to create a Food Security Fund that will provide grants and subsidies to local initiatives aimed at improving food accessibility and affordability. This will help in our ongoing partnership with nonprofits to expand their reach and capabilities; and provide us the opportunity to offer grants to local food producers to set up stands in identified food deserts (for more accessible fresh produce); and our ability to subsidize community garden projects and “mobile markets” that bring fresh produce to areas with limited access to stores.

B. Childcare: Expand access and reduce cost of childcare at all recreational centers. We currently only provide child care at City Park Fitness Center and West View Recreation Center.

C. Discounts for Veterans and people with disabilities: Identify opportunities to increase funding for various discounts for our veterans and residents with disabilities.

Community Health, Recreation, & Wellness:

A. Tennis Center: Establish a tennis center for education and wellness programming with youth after-school and senior programming. Current courts are in bad shape. There are thousands of families, amateurs and professionals in Westminster that are underserved, with many more outside our city limits that would generate significant revenues for our city. More importantly, it would help build community and life-long learning across several age groups. Reflects a comprehensive approach to enhancing the well-being of all community members by creating a supportive and nurturing environment that promotes physical health, mental resilience, and continuous personal development.

B. Expand Police Co-Responder Program: Following the positive impact of 2022’s addition, allocate funds to hire an additional police co-responder. This role enhances our public safety efforts by pairing law enforcement with mental health professionals, ensuring a more nuanced and effective response to crisis situations.

C. Expand Homeless Navigator Program: Building on 2022’s successful addition of a homeless navigator, allocate funds to hire another expert in this crucial role. This will further strengthen our outreach and support for Westminster's unhoused community, connecting more individuals with essential services like housing.

D. Fully-fund Court Resource Navigator - This position supports the Wellness Court Program, which is an existing post-plea diversion program that reduces recidivism. Follows evidence-based principles, with all participants completing a mental health/substance abuse assessment, healthcare access, employment connections, housing, transportation and more.

E. Conduct a Lead Study and Launch a Public Education Campaign: Initiate a detailed study into lead levels in the soil, water, and air around the local airport, coupled with a public awareness campaign to educate the community on lead exposure risks, preventive measures, and the importance of health screenings. This combined effort aims to assess environmental health impacts, empower residents with knowledge, and ensure their well-being.

F. Substance abuse and behavioral health: Establish and support programs related to Harm reduction away from needles (e.g. fentanyl). County health department needs cities to partner with and create synergy around economies of scale.

G. Support Our Unhoused:

• Homeless Navigation Center: Co-develop a Navigation Center with Arvada & Westminster (potentially also incl. funding from Wheat Ridge, Golden) pooling resources for wraparound services and 24/7 year round shelter, assessed by a joint task-force for feasibility and sustainability.

• Expand Homeless Navigator Program: Building on 2022’s successful addition of a homeless navigator, allocate funds to hire another expert in this crucial role. This will further strengthen our outreach and support for Westminster's unhoused community, connecting more individuals with essential services like housing.

• Raise the shelter temperature threshold to 32 degrees: for when the city activates its Extreme Weather Shelter the City’s emergency shelter plan to assist individuals experiencing homelessness or other emergencies in our community on extreme cold winter nights. Currently, the City’s Extreme Weather Shelter will activate when it is forecast by the National Weather Service to be 0 degrees and below for more than six hours. This is not a humane threshold for living beings. Currently, when temperatures fall to 32-degrees or lower with active precipitation and/or 20-degrees or lower and dry, SWAP hotel vouchers are handed out.

• Raise the voucher temperature threshold to 32 degrees: for when our homeless navigators should append SWAP hotel voucher distribution with city-paid additional hotel vouchers. Currently, if the temperature drops to 10 degrees or lower, the Navigators distribute these additional hotel vouchers paid for by the City.

• Workforce development: Institute City Workforce development program/recruitment efforts to hire those experiencing homelessness, helping them become self-sufficient.

• Allocate funds for Shower vouchers: Too many unhoused cannot connect with our Navigators.

• Allocate funds for laundry vouchers: We can work with local laundromats

Community Revitalization and Infrastructure:

A. WHOS Dog Park: Maintain existing off-leash dog area, mitigate negative impacts such as parking, and allocate funds to properly maintain WHOS and other parks.

B. Historic Westminster: Prioritize quality of life in southern part of the city

• Rodeo Market: Fix the building and find a tenant.

• Establish more recreational activities in that area, particularly youth development and senior programming (e.g. arts, crafts, gaming).

• Bring in more businesses to stimulate the economy.

C. Strengthen Water Conservation Efforts in Westminster:

• Coordinate HOAs in Westminster in order for the city to apply for a State grant that helps convert from Kentucky blue grass to low-water requiring turf

• Allocate funds to implement a multi-pronged water conservation strategy aimed at reducing water usage and promoting sustainable practices among residents and businesses. For example, we can establish a Water Conservation Fund to support/expand initiatives like rebate programs for water-efficient appliances, lawn replacement and fixtures - these should incl. full-cost coverage for residents on fixed incomes and low income

• Develop educational campaigns to raise awareness about water conservation techniques; and partner with local environmental organizations to offer workshops and resources on water-saving landscaping and irrigation methods.

D. Enhance cellular service: Several pockets of the city have poor cellular service. Work collaboratively with cell service providers and explore innovative ways to incentivize tower construction, especially in underserved areas (north and south).

E. Continue to Expand Investment in Roads: After our record investment in road infrastructure, allocate additional funds to further enhance the quality and safety of Westminster's roadways.

F. Existing capital projects: Continue to prioritize our existing capital projects to ensure we catch up on deferred maintenance and improvement projects.

Community Empowerment:

A. Enhance access to electoral politics: Ensure a community-centered approach in designing Wards, shifting from our current all-at-large electoral system in Westminster to ensure more direct representation and engagement.

B. Implement term limits: Set a strict eight-year maximum service in office to prevent perpetual incumbency and encourage fresh perspectives and diverse leadership.

C. Skilled Apprenticeship Programs: Ensure quality and equity in city-funded construction projects through skilled apprenticeship programs: mandate the utilization of Office of Apprenticeship and Training registered apprenticeship programs by contractors and subcontractors engaged in city-funded construction projects. This initiative aims to foster a highly skilled workforce, promote job quality standards, and facilitate the recruitment and training of low-income workers and underrepresented communities in the construction industry.

D. Create a Small Business Workforce Fund: this will establish a comprehensive workforce development program specifically designed to help small businesses in Westminster attract and retain talent by providing grants or subsidies to small businesses for training programs, internships, or hiring incentives. Perhaps we can even launch a city-wide job portal exclusively for small businesses, making it easier for them to connect with potential employees. Or we can offer tax incentives or rebates to small businesses that hire locally or provide up-skilling opportunities to their employees.

Yours in service and hope,

Obi Ezeadi
Councillor, Westminster City Council
Cell: 720-447-5606 / Email: obiezeadi@gmail.com
Instagram: @voteobi