Town Charter Presentation on April 25

The Home Rule Charter Commission has completed drafting a proposed Town Charter which they will all sign as a Commission this Thursday, April 20. The Commission will then present the contents of the Charter to the Board of Trustees in their regular meeting on Tuesday, April 25. The nine members of the Home Rule Charter Commission spent the past four months discussing all aspects of a successful governing document and are submitting the Charter to be added to the November ballot. Erie voters will have the opportunity to read the Charter during the next six months and cast a vote in favor or against the governing document this fall.

Residents are invited to watch the presentation to the Board on April 25 either in person at Town Hall or online (in real-time or later). View the Town calendar for all details.

Youth Academy Registration Open!

Do you know a young person between the ages of 12 and 17 who is interested in seeing how the Erie Police Department operates? Get a sneak peek inside your local law enforcement agency during this fun-filled, two-day academy for youth (Friday, July 21 and Saturday, July 22)! This free event has a limited number of participants. For more details, visit www.erieco.gov/1545/Youth-Academy.

Sprinkler Startups in Town Parks

The Parks & Open Space Division has begun to charge irrigation systems in Town-maintained parks and facility grounds. The first day of the process this year was Monday, April 10. The date to start up sprinkler systems varies from year to year based on soil moisture, high and low daily temperatures, and the future forecast.  

The Town makes every effort to proactively check for damage, repairs and/or adjustments to our irrigation systems throughout the watering season. At initial startups we always anticipate some repairs due to potential damage incurred through blowout and start-up process as well as damage from snow removal equipment throughout the winter. Depending on the severity of repairs and the availability of parts, the Parks team attempts to have repairs completed on all systems within the first month of the season. 

If you believe you see a broken or leaking irrigation system on Town-maintained property please add as much information as you have to ErieSubmit. For emergency and after-hours concerns, please call the Parks & Open Space Division on-call line at 303-926-2858, Option 2. For more details on best practices for watering and the seasonal expectations the Town follows, read the full press release.

Seasonal Ditch Riders

Be advised that if you live, work, and play near open space property you may see ditch companies inspecting ditches and performing routine maintenance in the coming weeks and months. In Colorado, private entities purchase water rights and develop storage and delivery systems for their members, generally for irrigation purposes. Those with stock in a ditch company pay an annual fee that covers the use and maintenance of the ditch system, including the service of a “Ditch Rider” who is responsible for regular maintenance and operation of the ditch. You will likely see these Ditch Riders driving slowly along the ditch banks in unmarked trucks and other small, motorized vehicles. These individuals are legally allowed to be in the open space and are performing their job. 

However, if you happen to witness dirt bikes, side-by-sides, or other motorized vehicles in our open space, likely traveling at higher rates of speed (and not along the ditch) these vehicles probably should not be in the area. Please report any of these types of sightings to our non-emergency dispatch line at 303-441-4444. 

More information on ditches in Colorado can be found at www.watercolorado.com.

Town of Erie is Hiring

As the Town continues to grow, we have several openings and encourage all qualified candidates to apply. Keep checking the Town of Erie job board for Erie’s latest openings, which currently include:

• Planning Manager
• Parks Maintenance Tech
• Lifeguard

Cone Zones

Each week we list the projects that may have the biggest impact on traffic flow for that week. As always, please sign up for alerts to get more details about these projects and many others. More information and details for how to sign up are at www.erieco.gov/ConeZone. 

• Moffat Street Maintenance - Beginning Tuesday, April 18, the Town of Erie will be conducting maintenance work at the intersection of Moffat and High streets. As part of this project, there will be a temporary lane closure on Moffat Street, which will restrict access to the alley east of High Street. Sidewalk and parking restrictions will also be in place. The sidewalks on Moffat Street (running between the alleys covering one full block to the east and west of High Street) will be closed to pedestrians. Additionally, parking in this area will be temporarily unavailable.

Road work is weather-dependent, and timelines may shift. Motorists, cyclists, and pedestrians should always be aware and use caution when in and around work zones. Whenever possible, please avoid the construction areas.