Michael Griffith

Housing On the Arvada City Council, I will collaborate with fellow council members and staff to revise housing policies, facilitating developments that better meet our community's needs without diminishing development interest. Taxes / Budget Sliding Scale for Fees: Implement a sliding scale for tap fees and other expenses that hinder home builders from bringing smaller footprint homes to market. Creating a policy environment attractive to developers for building missing middle housing. Social Services Emergency winter shelter to keep people warm and comfortable during our bitter cold winter nights. This is a critical need that is well within our capabilities as a City and could also involve members of our faith community providing facilities, but there needs to be leadership on Council to ensure that the division of responsibilities and support between volunteers, our faith leaders, and City staff is clearly articulated and agreed to. Housing By providing pre-approved ADU (Accessory Dwelling Unit) plans, residents can save time and money. Interested homeowners with sufficient space can download plans from the city website, choose one that fits their lot configuration, and contact the listed prefabrication vendor to get started. Social Services Workforce/supportive housing projects that provide resources to help folks get back on their fee. Government Reform On City Council I will advocate for the formation of a single committee comprised of neighborhood organizations. In this way, we can have equal neighborhood representation. There are dozens of involved neighborhood groups across the city, and we all know how challenging it can be for individual citizens to attend all outreach efforts. These neighborhood groups provide important access to understanding broad community concerns, and I would like to see more partnership with them to better serve all our residents. Criminal Justice / Public Safety Expansion of the Arvada Police Department’s Community Outreach Resource Enforcement (CORE) team. Currently, Olde Town Arvada has 4 CORE officers on duty, which has led to improvements seen by both residents and business owners in Olde Town. On Council, I would advocate for the expansion of the CORE team to other areas of the city as needed to manage gaps in coverage. Infrastructure / Transportation As a City Council member, I will advocate for buffered bike lanes and mixed-use trails that separate people and cyclists from the stress of riding next to fast-moving vehicles. Providing transportation options for people other than cars limits the number of vehicles on the road, lowering congestion. Legislation Dispel the stigma by working with the City’s two new Homelessness Navigators and public outreach team to develop measurable metrics that are easily available to the public to ensure the process is transparent and accountable. Honest accounting and course correction, when necessary, will support the idea that helping our homeless neighbors doesn’t mean downgrading quality of life and security for our city. Housing Expedite the permitting process for missing middle housing projects as an incentive for home builders. Infrastructure / Transportation Completing network gaps by creating new road, trail, and transit connections that make it easier to travel in all parts of the city. Today there are limited ways to move from the west side of Arvada to the east to access all the amenities, G-Line, and other destinations. Infrastructure / Transportation Implement city-wide traffic light optimization. This will increase travel efficiency by 30% and significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions. When vehicles come to a complete stop for a traffic light and then move again for a green light, tire and brake dust concentrate, significantly more energy is expended (lowering gas mileage), and greenhouse gases fill the air. By implementing city-wide signal optimization, if you are traveling the speed limit, you should only hit one red light per corridor. Infrastructure / Transportation Fully fund roadway maintenance programs to address the frequent complaints from our residents. Today, the City funds a small fraction of the estimated need for mill and overlay projects (asphalt repair). We have been behind for several years and recently received one of the lowest Pavement Quality Index (PQI) ratings in the entire metro area. Infrastructure / Transportation Secure funding for signature projects like widening Indiana Street, widening 72nd Avenue (West), and the Olde Town Street Reinvestment.