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By Charley Able • August 30th, 2010

Van Thien Pham, who already was on probation for selling liquor to a teen involved in a fatal car accident when he was snared in a police sting at a Lakewood liquor store, faces 42 months behind bars.

Voters will determine whether Lakewood police should be required to seize vehicles operated by unlicensed drivers. Opponents of the initiative say it will handcuff police and increase the cost of public safety operations.

West Metro’s annual free family event draws thousands to fun, games, give-aways and the public safety messages that could save lives in the event of an emergency.

If City Council decides to send measure to voters in November, it must act quickly to meet the early September ballot deadline. Plan would require vehicles of unlicensed drivers to be seized.

City Council scraps plan to place all petition-driven ballot measures on November ballots except those scheduled earlier at Council’s discretion. Instead voters will decide whether to double the the City Clerk’s Office processing time.

Jeffco Clerk & Recorder’s Office offers link to on-line customized ballot website that compiles the ballot by precinct, according to the user’s address. Ballots must be returned by 7 p.m. Aug. 10.

RV owners can park for only 48 hours at a stretch to load, unload, maintain and make their vehicles road-ready under ordinance passed to bar long-term storage of RVs on the street.

Fireworks finale and food, beverages, and a midway for the younger set highlight Lakewood on Parade’s annual celebration of the community and it’s Independence Day Weekend observance.

Neighborhood spokeswoman says the community will continue the battle against a nebulous plan for the commercial and retail redevelopment of the site at the intersection of West Alameda Avenue and Kipling street.

Debate centers around higher cost of special elections and the City Clerk’s heavy workload vs. a more speedy path for citizens taking the ‘direct democracy’ route to appealing City Council actions. Voters would make the final decision on the proposal.

On-street RV parking would be limited to 48 hours – to load and unload before and after trips – if Council approves the draft porposal in July. Also in the plan is a proposed two-week permit for visitors in parked RVs and removal of an existing total ban on parking RVs that are longer than 25 feet.

School board approves budget with nearly $662 million in operating expenses. Critics of the budget questions why a pay increase was granted, forcing the loss of nearly 70 teachers and the resulting larger student/teacher ratio.

After surviving two previous challenges, intiative that would require police to impound vehicles operated by unlicensed drivers goes to the Colorado Court of Appeals. The man who headed the petition drive hopes to have a ruling in time to get issue before voters in November.

The agreement, which must be ratified by rank-and-file teachers, would grant pay increases by tenure and educational credits in first year, but not second year. There would be no CoL increase.

Green Mountain Water and Sanitation District’s board president, who finished last out of six candidates is the only incumbent to lose a seat. West Metro Fire/Rescue District voters return four incumbents and elect a newcomer to board.

FasTrack’s crews finish rollout of project’s signature bridge hours early and all lanes of traffic reopened more than a day ahead of schedule.

More than 100 people, most of them sporting stickers opposing the county’s rezoning plan, crowded into a standing-room only public hearing that lasted nearly six hours. Approval of the proposal will permit up to 150,000 square feet of retail and commercial space at the corner of West Alameda and Kipling.

Council also adopts more deliberate approach on issues of importance, including current debates on proposed Charter changes and RV parking. The plan will allow more time between study session and the eventual final vote.