amybarnesfrey.com

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

May 29, 2008

CONTACT: Kelly Gonzalez, Boulder County Housing Authority, 720-564-2278

Residents can learn smart money management through free County classes

Housing Authority offers homeownership, financial fitness, foreclosure-prevention classes

In today's economy, a little knowledge can go a long way towards steering clear of financial pitfalls and securing a safe financial future free of foreclosure or overwhelming debt. The Boulder County Housing Authority's Housing Counseling Program is hoping to spread that type of knowledge to as many people as possible, and is doing so through free classes open to anyone who signs up.

The Housing Counseling Program is offering classes in financial fitness, homeownership, foreclosure prevention and smart banking throughout the month of June. There is also a class teaching smart home maintenance secrets for homeowners hoping to sell their homes in this uncertain market.

The classes are part of an ongoing education effort aimed at helping Boulder and Broomfield County residents learn smart money management.  All classes are free and registration is REQUIRED.

Upcoming classes include:

·       Post Purchase: Smart Home Maintenance Secrets for Selling Homes
June 17

·       Banking Secrets Revealed
June 4 and 16

·       Check It Out: Banking Secrets Part 2
June 4 and 16

·       Homeownership Training Class: Be an Educated Buyer
June 9 and 14

·       Foreclosure Prevention Seminar
June 11 and 18

Childcare and interpretation services are available for evening classes (call for more information and restrictions). Visit www.bouldercountyhc.org to register online or call 720-564-2279.

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Patricia Demchak
Boulder County Public Information Officer
pdemchak@bouldercounty.org
303-441-3399

"As trusted stewards of Boulder County's future, we provide the best in public service."

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

May 29, 2008

CONTACT: Kelly Gonzalez, Boulder County Housing Authority, 720-564-2278

County offers foreclosure prevention workshops in Longmont, Boulder

Free class gives homeowners information to help rescue troubled finances

The Boulder County Housing Authority's Housing Counseling Program will present two Foreclosure Prevention Workshops in Boulder and Longmont in June. The workshops are free and open to residents of Boulder and Broomfield Counties. No pre-registration is required.

Boulder

6 -7:30 p.m., Wednesday, June 11.

Boulder County Recycling Center, 1901 63rd Ave., Boulder

Longmont

6-7:30 p.m., Wednesday, June 18

Longmont Senior Center Gym, 910 Longs Peak Ave., Longmont

If you are having trouble making your mortgage payments or have already missed payments, this workshop will give you the information you need to make the most informed decisions about how to proceed. 

The class will review the Colorado foreclosure process and timeline and will discuss the options available to borrowers; how to initiate a conversation with your lender; and what your lender needs from you.  You will also learn about changes to the foreclosure process, effective January 1, 2008, which altered the timeline and eliminated the redemption period.

Borrowers who are having trouble making their payments have many more options available the earlier in the process that they can start getting help and turning around their finances.

Housing Counselors will be available to schedule one-on-one appointments for borrowers who feel that they would like to review their individual situations, get personalized recommendations, and contact their mortgage company together.

For more information about this and other Housing Counseling services, please visit our website at www.bouldercountyhc.org or call 720-564-2279.

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Patricia Demchak
Boulder County Public Information Officer
pdemchak@bouldercounty.org
303-441-3399

"As trusted stewards of Boulder County's future, we provide the best in public service."

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

May 16, 2008

Contact: Hillary Hall, Boulder County Clerk & Recorder, 303-413-7700 or 303-884-0593

Boulder County Clerk & Recorder unveils Longmont Motor Vehicle branch office remodeling on May 20

The Longmont branch office will be closed for reconstruction on Monday, May 19

(Boulder County, Colo.) - The Boulder County Clerk & Recorder will unveil the remodeling of its Motor Vehicle office in Longmont on Tuesday, May 20.  The renovations will include additional seating for customers and two new terminals to meet the growing need for service in the Longmont branch office.

The Boulder County Clerk & Recorder's Longmont Motor Vehicle's office, located at 529 Coffman Street, Longmont, will be closed on Monday for the entire day to complete the renovations. The public should visit the Boulder County Clerk & Recorder's Boulder or Louisville office to take care of any business related to the County Clerk & Recorder on May 19:

·         Boulder:  1750 33rd Street

·         Louisville:  722 Main Street

"We're reorganizing the Longmont office to meet the growing number of residents visiting that office to register their vehicles and obtain marriage licenses," said Boulder County Clerk & Recorder Hillary Hall. "These renovations also prepare us to manage the future population growth we expect to see in Longmont in the coming years."

The remodeling will also include a new automated customer queuing system that will automatically alert customers when it is their turn to be served in line. The system will improve the overall efficiency of serving customers in a timely manner.

Customers will also be able to enter the Longmont Motor Vehicle's office directly from a new separate exterior entrance located on the North East corner facing Coffman Street. The Boulder County Clerk & Recorder added this new entrance during the renovations to improve the office's privacy from the main building's foot traffic. 

"The number of customers we have coming through this office has more than tripled over the last five years," said Longmont Motor Vehicle Manager Rose Bustamante. "I think this renovation is going to be a great asset to Boulder County."

The Longmont branch office has not undergone a major remodeling since 1989, when the Boulder County Clerk & Recorder moved into the office space. The Longmont Motor Vehicle office is responsible for issuing marriage licenses to the public, handling recording matters, as well as titling and registering motor vehicles. The County Clerk & Recorder will hire new staff in the office in the near future.

"Our goal is to serve the public as efficiently as possible," said Hall. "I think these renovations will help us achieve that goal in the long term."

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

May 16, 2008

BRIEF

Contact: Chana Goussetis, Boulder County Public Health 303-441-1457

Share your thoughts about food safety in Boulder County!

Please join us for Boulder County's first Food Safety Advisory Committee meeting. Consumers, industry, academia, and government are all welcome to join us as we discuss food safety issues in our community.

Date:    Thursday, May 22, 2008

Time:   2 - 4 p.m.

Location:          Wild Oats Conference Room

                        1651 Broadway

                        Boulder, CO 80302

Topics to be discussed include:

·         A brief background of Boulder County's food program

·         Positive recognition for retail food facilities

·         Concerns and communication issues surrounding food safety

We look forward to working with our community to make food safety in Boulder County the best that it can be. Seating is limited, so please let us know if you will be coming by contacting us by phone at: (303) 441-1150, or by email at: swallingford@bouldercounty.org or khuffman@bouldercounty.org.

Presented by Boulder County Public Health

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Barb Halpin x 1622
Public Information Officer
Boulder County Board of Commissioners
bhalpin@bouldercounty.org
303-441-1622 - phone   

May 12, 2008

CONTACT: Ann Livingston, Boulder County Sustainability Coordinator, 303-441-3517

Beth Powell, city of Boulder Marketing & Outreach Coordinator, Climate Action Plan Programs, 303-441-1846

County officials 'blown away' by response to Wind Challenge

More than 650 Boulder County businesses, residents sign up for wind power

(Boulder County, Colo.) - In just one month, more than 650 residents and businesses throughout  Boulder County have signed up to make the switch to wind power as part of the countywide Wind Challenge, which began April 1 and runs through July 31.

By signing up to purchase wind-powered electricity through their local wind-power providers, participants in the Wind Challenge will be getting an estimated 552,724 kWh of electricity from the clean, renewable energy source instead of from coal or natural gas, effectively reducing their greenhouse gas emissions and shrinking their carbon footprint. That amount of wind power constitutes enough electricity to power 884 average Colorado homes for one month.

Preliminary numbers for April only represent new registrations for Xcel Energy's WindSource program and don't include those from Longmont Power & Communications and the other three providers participating in the Wind Challenge, who have yet to report their April numbers.

R20;This is fabulous. I'm literally 'blown away' by this response, and I hope we can continue to keep this momentum going throughout this year's Wind Challenge," Boulder County Commissioner Ben Pearlman said.

Residents and businesses that sign up to purchase wind power do so through green "green e-certified" wind power retailers. Renewable energy providers (such as wind farms) sell the electricity they generate to utilities and sell Renewable Energy Credits (RECs) to consumers. These RECs represent the environmental benefits of the renewable energy that is produced. The energy you purchase through wind power is fed into the electricity grid and becomes a part of the mix of electricity flowing to your home or business.

All wind energy added to the grid displaces the coal or natural gas-derived electricity that would previously have been transmitted to your building. Generating and adding renewable energy to the electricity grid decreases the need to build new coal or natural gas power plants.

The Wind Challenge is part of the ClimateSmart initiative, a countywide effort to help individuals, families and businesses increase their energy efficiency and reduce their carbon footprint.

R20;In addition to switching to a more sustainable energy source, we urge you to take the most important step of all in reducing greenhouse gas emissions:  improve the energy efficiency of your home, work and travel habits," said Boulder County Sustainability Coordinator Ann Livingston.

For tips on how to improve your energy efficiency or to lean how you can participate in the Wind Challenge, visit www.beclimatesmart.com.

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Patricia Demchak
Boulder County Public Information Officer
pdemchak@bouldercounty.org
303-441-3399

"As trusted stewards of Boulder County's future, we provide the best in public service."
 

Letter on the Daily Cameras Web Site:

Posted by Camera Staff

Hillary Hall: A letter from the Boulder County Clerk & Recorder

Posted May 9, 2008

As Boulder County Clerk & Recorder, I'm dedicated to upholding the democratic right to vote for all County residents. That means ensuring fair, accessible, accurate elections. I also believe it means offering secure options that will enable the greatest number of eligible voters to cast their votes.

My office recently sent a mailing to Boulder County voters to notify them that they have the option to vote by mail. Last year, state legislature passed a law allowing voters to sign up as permanent mail-ballot voters if they so choose. Our notification also told voters about this new option, and noted that the permanent mail-in option is most appropriate for voters who plan to reside at the same address for a long time. Voters also have the option to either return their ballots by mail or drop it off in person.



We have three methods of voting in our County: voting by mail, early voting, and voting at a polling place. I am committed to providing all of these choices to Boulder County voters. Only voters who choose to sign up to vote by mail will do so in this year's elections, and our signature verification system ensures that all sign-up requests and completed ballots are from the legitimate voter.

Approximately 47,000 active Boulder County voters out of 153,308 total active voters in our County have chosen to vote by mail and more than 1,000 sign up everyday in response to our mailing. I wanted to ensure all voters were informed of this option. I think this is a wonderful demonstration of democracy in action as residents countywide take steps to ensure that they will participate in our elections.

I'm also pleased to add that, in addition to increasing voter participation in elections, providing the option to vote by mail saves valuable tax dollars. Delivering a mail ballot costs half as much as delivering a ballot to a polling location. I have a financial responsibility to make our elections as economical as possible while providing our voters with the voting methods they prefer to use which means that we will continue to offer voting at polling locations while also keeping voters informed of their right to vote by mail.

Regardless of your voting preference, I encourage everyone to embrace our county's democratic rights and participate in the 2008 elections, whether by mail, early voting or polling place. And if you enjoy the energy and visibility of polling-place voting, I encourage you to sign up to serve as a 2008 Boulder County election judge. It's yet another way to uphold our precious democracy.

Hillary Hall

Boulder County Clerk & Recorder

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

May 1, 2008

CONTACT: Barbara Halpin, Boulder County Commissioners' Office, 303-441-1622 or Pete Fogg, Boulder County Land Use, 720-564-2608

Boulder County BuildSmart takes effect today - May 1

Residential green building code sets requirements in unincorporated Boulder County

(Boulder County, Colo.) - Starting today, new residential construction and additions in unincorporated Boulder County will begin implementing requirements of the county's new residential green building code, Boulder County BuildSmart.

On April 8, following 18 months of extensive public input and participation, the Boulder County Commissioners approved Boulder County BuildSmart, a green building program that sets requirements and recommendations for improving energy efficiency, conserving water and resources and reducing waste generated by new residential construction and additions in unincorporated Boulder County.

Boulder County BuildSmart promotes and encourages high performing, sustainable development and redevelopment in the unincorporated areas of Boulder County. Under the new code, if you are planning on building a new home or constructing an addition to your existing home in unincorporated Boulder County, your plans will have to comply with five mandatory elements:

1. Deconstruction: All projects will be required to follow a Deconstruction Plan in order to salvage reusable materials from existing structures (such as cabinets, doors, windows and fixtures) rather than sending them to the landfill.

2. Waste Reduction and Recycling: Materials such as wood, scrap metal, cardboard and concrete must be recycled on-site or by being sent to a recycling facility or donated to a building materials exchange.

3. Energy and carbon emissions: All new homes or qualifying additions will have to meet energy efficiency standards that increase in stringency with the size of the home. Boulder County will use the national Home Energy Rating System (HERS) Index as the mandatory energy-efficiency standard that must be met by Boulder County homes.

4. Renewable energy offsets for outdoor energy uses: Homes must provide renewable energy generation to offset the energy consumed by outdoor pools, spas, and heated patios and driveways. For a complete list of applicable outdoor uses, please refer to the county's building code.

5. Water Conservation: Plans should incorporate the use of water-saving features such as low-flow or dual-flush toilets, low-flow shower heads and faucets and water-efficient appliances.

The program also recommends a number of optional elements that will further increase the sustainability of the home, but which will not be required. In order to help assist residents in exploring options for making their homes more energy efficient, the Land Use Department has hired local green building expert, Doug Parker, to serve as the county's BuildSmart outreach and education coordinator. Doug's first day will be Monday, May 5. 

Commercial Green Building

On April 30, a countywide collaboration of governmental representatives, energy experts, designers, builders, business owners other stakeholders convened their first meeting to start the process of drafting a model commercial green building code. The building code will include requirements for energy efficiency and other aspects of green building for new commercial construction as well as major renovations in Boulder County. The model commercial green building code process is a Consortium of Cities effort and would apply to commercial buildings within unincorporated Boulder County and in cities and towns that choose to adopt the code.  The model code is expected to be completed by the end of 2008.

Both Boulder County BuildSmart and the commercial green building code are key actions recommended in the Boulder County Consortium of Cities Sustainable Energy Plan, a countywide plan for reducing energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. The plan has been adopted by Boulder County and seven of the cities and towns in the county, representing 97 percent of the county's population.

For more information about Boulder County BuildSmart, visit: www.bouldercounty.org/lu/buildsmart.  For more information about the Sustainable Energy Plan, visit www.bouldercounty.org/sustain.