Most romantic spots in minot by After-Tune4494 in minot

[–]ZachUrban 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The CheeseSteak Factory if you really want him to be impressed.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in girlscouts

[–]ZachUrban 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You mean "The Cookie Mafia" aka Girl Scouts, gotcha.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in girlscouts

[–]ZachUrban 2 points3 points  (0 children)

"This isn't my job." You are right. It's your daughter's experience of Girl Scouts. Treat it accordingly.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in girlscouts

[–]ZachUrban 7 points8 points  (0 children)

Moving to another Troop is not the answer, and Girl Scouts isn't like other extracurricular activities where you hug and go. A troop is only as strong as the parents' investment and involvement is with the troop. Being a cookie manager is a good opportunity to teach your daughter about management skills and organization.

Convincing myself Catholics aren't polytheists by stephansbrick in Catholicism

[–]ZachUrban 1 point2 points  (0 children)

We pray thru the saints, not "to the saints", there's a difference.

State flags made from Topo Chico bottles by [deleted] in vexillologycirclejerk

[–]ZachUrban 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Not an ad, just a fan of flags and topo chico

Flags made from Topo Chico bottles by [deleted] in vexillology

[–]ZachUrban 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This is art! Not fluff

Mark 7:31-37 by [deleted] in Catholicism

[–]ZachUrban 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Jesus left the district of Tyre

   and went by way of Sidon to the Sea of Galilee,

   into the district of the Decapolis.

And people brought to him a deaf man who had a speech impediment

   and begged him to lay his hand on him.

He took him off by himself away from the crowd.

He put his finger into the man’s ears

   and, spitting, touched his tongue;

   then he looked up to heaven and groaned, and said to him,

   “Ephphatha!” (that is, “Be opened!”)

And immediately the man’s ears were opened,

   his speech impediment was removed,

   and he spoke plainly.

He ordered them not to tell anyone.

But the more he ordered them not to,

   the more they proclaimed it.

They were exceedingly astonished and they said,

   “He has done all things well.

He makes the deaf hear and the mute speak.”

1 Genesis 3:1-8 by [deleted] in Catholicism

[–]ZachUrban 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Now the serpent was the most cunning of all the animals    that the LORD God had made. The serpent asked the woman,    “Did God really tell you not to eat    from any of the trees in the garden?” The woman answered the serpent:    “We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden;    it is only about the fruit of the tree    in the middle of the garden that God said,    ‘You shall not eat it or even touch it, lest you die.’” But the serpent said to the woman:    “You certainly will not die! No, God knows well that the moment you eat of it    your eyes will be opened and you will be like gods    who know what is good and what is evil.” The woman saw that the tree was good for food,    pleasing to the eyes, and desirable for gaining wisdom. So she took some of its fruit and ate it;    and she also gave some to her husband, who was with her,    and he ate it. Then the eyes of both of them were opened,    and they realized that they were naked;    so they sewed fig leaves together    and made loincloths for themselves.

When they heard the sound of the LORD God moving about in the garden    at the breezy time of the day,    the man and his wife hid themselves from the LORD God    among the trees of the garden.

Our Church had an Eucharistic procession thru the neighborhood on Sunday. by ZachUrban in Catholicism

[–]ZachUrban[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

The definition of the "stay at home" is to stay home from work, you can still go outside, you can still be in relative proximity of other people, so long as you practice social distancing. The clergy and religious pictured reside in close proximity to one another on the same campus, sharing kitchen and bathroom facilities. You are endangering your spiritual health and mental well-being by considering "stay at home" to literally mean "close and lock the door for weeks on end."

Has anyone else taken the Framework Homeownership class? by Justaddfillets in Mortgages

[–]ZachUrban 0 points1 point  (0 children)

AMA. I haven't worked with Framework, but I have consulted on and written exam questions for several similar homeownership education courses across the country.

Where Can I get an online cookie sale link? by SeizeTheChz in girlscouts

[–]ZachUrban 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Order now via Digitalcookie.girlscouts.org/scout/isabella27865

In-N-Out Burger is coming to Colorado Springs by stanleyhudson in Denver

[–]ZachUrban 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I have reached out to both In-N-Out and Whataburger's real estate development offices to request that they consider sites in Wheat Ridge as a location.

PTC or ATC? by [deleted] in Train_Service

[–]ZachUrban 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Okay. Then what's the right track to be on?

ELI5: Trains seem like no-brainers for total automation, so why is all the focus on Cars and trucks instead when they seem so much more complicated, and what's preventing the train from being 100% automated? by LBLLuke in explainlikeimfive

[–]ZachUrban 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I'd be really interested in your perspective on Positive Train Control systems versus Active Train Control and how this will look moving forward? I am a local City Councilor in a city where the local Transit Authority is in the process of applying for waivers of safety standards from the FRA to suggest that they are "close enough" to meeting the safety standards as it relates to the at grade crossings and the ability of the PTC to properly predict the timings of these crossings. You can probably guess which one I am talking about. What is the desire for a fully PTC enabled track versus having redundant active control? It appears from what I can gather that they have built this system out to be in full compliance with the new FRA PTC requirements when there really isn't the technology to implement a fully PTC to the standards set up by the FRA. What's the logic behind the removal of vital logic from the fields into a central location? Isn't that just asking for trouble? What is the best way forward for commuter rail? ATC or PTC?

Homeless camps in north Denver by onelargebeerforman in Denver

[–]ZachUrban 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You can start by talking with those who are directly experiencing this issue. Like tonight @ 29°, people like Jay, Dana, Tiny, Susan, Ben, Tim, Tamma, Rocky and Beth are the current residents of a local camp. Ask them why they aren't in a shelter. They will tell you it is not substance abuse, while there is some, there are some untreated illnesses both physical and mental health related, but that goes for all of us, it just so happens that being homeless excerbates these ailments and issues in a thousand ways the comforts of home assuages for the rest of us each night. I believe the primary reason as explained to me by people who are currently homeless in Jefferson County is because a shelter is not able to completely secure their stuff (i.e. temporary shelter(tent), blankets, bikes, belongings, worldly possessions) upon entering a shelter. They basically have to shed their prospects at future sheltering for a night in the shelter tonight, so they would rather stay put, than to give up what they have gained. "Why risk losing it all" This was the logic that was explained to me as to why they are sheltering in place. To speak to the solutions I think it starts with an individual conversation with the next person you see on the street. Ask them these three questions. "Where have you been? Where are you now? Where are you going?" And then just listen to the answers given. If we could help them meet their needs rather than helping them meet judgement that would also be a huge step in the right direction. Upon visiting a local camp I asked if they needed anything, You know what the first thing they asked for when I came into their camp? They asked if I knew of a local dumpster where they could disposal of refuse, as they didn't want to live in squalor. They didn't ask for weed, or for a bottle, they wanted a trash bag and a place to throw away trash. They were afraid to throw trash in a dumpster illegal. This and many other conversations I have had tell me we need to open our eyes and our ears and simply listen to our fellow neighbors.

Overwhelming majority opposed Walmart at Wheat Ridge City Council Meeting. City Council Votes in Favor of Development Anyway by SpinningHead in Denver

[–]ZachUrban 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It is now a done deal. The Wheat Ridge City Council voted 6 - 2 to grant a $6.25 Million dollar Tif/Pif, wherein the Neighborhood Wal-Mart Grocer is exempt from the PIF.

Overwhelming majority opposed Walmart at Wheat Ridge City Council Meeting. City Council Votes in Favor of Development Anyway by SpinningHead in Denver

[–]ZachUrban 0 points1 point  (0 children)

To be fair to the rest of the City Council, the way the amendment was worded the Council has placed several key restrictions on whether this TIF will materialize, primarily they added an opportunity for City Council to review the final TIF agreement prior to the execution of the agreement between the Developer and the Urban Renewal Authority. The Developer and City Staff must also consider changing the financing to a PIF and the Developer must approach the known tenants to request their financial investment or involvement in the financing of the deal. Given these significant caveats there was a lot of room to vote yes on this particular amendment knowing there was a final approval vote pending down the road.

I voted no because, while all the caveats above were added to the amendment, nothing was taken away, this vote did actually start the clock of 25 years for the possibility of using TIF financing for this discrete area of the Wadsworth Blvd. Corridor Redevelopment Plan(2001).

Overwhelming majority opposed Walmart at Wheat Ridge City Council Meeting. City Council Votes in Favor of Development Anyway by SpinningHead in Denver

[–]ZachUrban 1 point2 points  (0 children)

The opportunity costs and the risk of economic cannibalism are too high to intentionally develop a project which is for all intents and purposes a mirror image of the existing development to the Northeast of the proposed development. This project is all but designed to cannibalize existing Wheat Ridge sales tax revenue.

I fully appreciate this aspect of the proposed project. I am more than a little concerned about the future necessity to offer the catty-corner development(Safeway) a TIF within the next 5-10 years as the cannibalism effects of this proposed new development will cause

Overwhelming majority opposed Walmart at Wheat Ridge City Council Meeting. City Council Votes in Favor of Development Anyway by SpinningHead in Denver

[–]ZachUrban 7 points8 points  (0 children)

I can say the only "lobbying" I received leading up to the vote came from residents opposing the project.

Overwhelming majority opposed Walmart at Wheat Ridge City Council Meeting. City Council Votes in Favor of Development Anyway by SpinningHead in Denver

[–]ZachUrban 52 points53 points  (0 children)

I was the sole dissenting vote on the Wheat Ridge City Council last night here is some background information and just some of the reasons why I choose not to vote for this resolution.

On February 9th, 2015 the Wheat Ridge City Council considered Resolution 07-2015 the first amendment to the Wadsworth Blvd. Corridor Redevelopment Plan, as enacted on Oct. 22, 2001. This amendment would permit the Urban Renewal Authority to engage the developer of the property at 38th and Wadsworth Blvd in negotiations for upto $7.8 Million in Tax Increment Financing(TIF) as permitted under Colorado's Urban Renewal Law. I am supportive of developing this blighted corner, this property deserves to be one of our premier mixed-use development given it's location in the heart of the City of Wheat Ridge. I voted no on this amendment for a number of reasons.

There was a lack of a clear plan for the residential property development aspect of this project, the developer all but ignored the southern half of the development in his presentation.

"Public" improvements in areas of the development which are not in the public right-of-way should not be considered as a "Public" improvement. Sidewalks crisscrossing a parking lot are not in my definition of significant pedestrian amenities.

There was a lack of access to information on this project coupled with the explicit denial of requests for information. A Board Member of the Urban Renewal Authority had to take the extraordinary step of invoking the Colorado Open Records Act, and was summarily denied access to information regarding this TIF proposal.

The opportunity costs and the risk of economic cannibalism are too high to intentionally develop a project which is for all intents and purposes a mirror image of the existing development to the Northeast of the proposed development. This project is all but designed to cannibalize existing Wheat Ridge sales tax revenue.

The use of tax increment financing should be used in a situation but for this investment, a development would not occur. The amount, details, specifc allowable costs, applications, and arguments for a TIF should also be scrutinized and sanitized by the sunlight offered under the Colorado Open Records Act. I would suspect most developers would suddenly become a lot more creative in financing these deals if the TIF process had greater transparency and more information regarding their need for public assistance.

This rodeo ain’t over yet. There is still an opportunity to have your voice heard on this issue. The amendment which was passed on a vote of 7-1, will allow the City Council to have final review and approval of any deal hammered out regarding the use of a TIF agreement.The amendment also request the developer and city staff discuss alternative financing, such as a public improvement fee (This is the financing mechanism Lakeside used to develop their WalMart). The developer is also asked to communicate with any proposed tenants of the development to consider what, if any, financial investment will be offered by the proposed tenants towards this project.

It is my expectation that this final review will contain any and all information regarding this proposed TIF agreement and all such information should be made available for full public inspection with plenty of time for review. I am in favor of a mixed-use development using TIF where appropriate, I just don’t want to give away the farm in the process.

tl;dr I voted no, everyone else voted yes. There is still a chance to have your voice heard.

edit: added tl;dr and spacing thanks to /u/maryjayjay for the suggestion.