The city of Lakewood could add back four full-time planning positions during the next year in response to rebounds in development activity in the community, City Treasurer Larry Dorr said.
Dorr made his first public presentation of the 2014 proposed city budget Aug. 19 to the Lakewood City Council.
For 2014, total city spending in Lakewood is proposed at $162.3 million, a nearly 5 percent increase over approved 2013 spending levels.
The city’s general fund — the portion of the budget that covers basic city services — would increase about 1 percent to $105.1 million, including a $1.4 million transfer toward the ongoing repairs to the parking garage, plaza and driveway at the Lakewood Civic Center.
“The community has a stable financial situation that is going to propel its success in the future,” Dorr said.
The Lakewood City Council will hold a formal public hearing Sept. 9 on the proposed budget. A final hearing and vote is expected Sept. 30.
Dorr said much of the increase in the total budget can be attributed to annual fluctuations in grant funding for road projects, including the upcoming widening of Wadsworth Boulevard between Highland Drive and 14th Avenue.
Other major projects in 2014 include the replacement of seating at the Lakewood Cultural Center, budgeted at $260,000.
“Our cultural center is now beyond 10 years,” Dorr said. “This is really just a cost of doing business to maintain competition in the marketplace.”
The new full-time planning positions will be traffic engineering assistant, provisional planner, senior plans examiner and land development project manager.
Two of the positions are included in the revised 2013 budget — also before the council for approval — and would be advertised as soon as both budgets are enacted this fall, Dorr said. The traffic position will be converted from part time to full time immediately following approval, and the fourth and final position would be posted in January.
All of the positions had been eliminated during the recession, Dorr said.
The goal of the hires is to improve wait times for plan inspection, City Manager Kathy Hodgson said.
“Now that the work loads have increased as it relates to applications, we really want to expedite the process,” Hodgson said.
To see the full budget proposal, go to
Emilie Rusch: 303-954-2457, erusch@denverpost.com or twitter.com/emilierusch
