Wishing all a safe and happy New Year!
Dear Residents,
Happy new year! We hope you are doing well as we start 2021. Similar to many of you, the COVID-19 pandemic continues to be at the top of our minds as we start this new year. We remain optimistic that this year will be better than the last and that we can start to see people gather in our neighborhoods and parks again.
The City continues to monitor the pandemic and work with Tri-County Health and take appropriate precautions for our community to remain safe. Adjacent to the Centennial Civic Center, off Arapahoe Road is a free COVID testing site. Arapahoe County has various grants and resources available related to COVID, some of that information may be found below and online at centennialco.gov/covid19.
We also want to share our condolences to those families and friends who lost ones by the events that took place in our Nation’s Capital on January 6. We are all affected by what happened. Our thoughts are with those families and friends who lost loved ones that day. A couple years ago, the City of Centennial adopted a value statement which rings true today, more than ever.
In the City of Centennial, we value kindness, integrity and diversity in order to build a strong, unified and inclusive community in which all citizens feel welcome and safe. In Centennial, we value protecting the community’s physical and emotional wellbeing. The City of Centennial is committed to upholding, demonstrating and living these values and takes pride in this statement.
We encourage you to remain active in your local government and appreciate all you do to keep Centennial safe and a quality place to live.
Candace and Kathy
|
Xcel Energy expects to begin construction on a transmission line rebuild through Centennial this summer. Xcel’s goal is to deliver low-cost, clean, reliable energy while reducing carbon emissions 80% by 2030 from the electricity it provides customers.
The Greenwood to Denver Terminal Transmission Project will upgrade 15.4 miles of existing high-voltage transmission lines between Greenwood Substation, near Orchard Road and South Quebec Street, and Denver Terminal Substation, near Mile High Stadium. The work is needed to carry electricity from renewable sources in rural Colorado to customers in metro Denver.
|
 A virtual open house is scheduled for January 28 from 5-6 p.m. Meeting details may be found at greenwoodtodenverterminal.com. You can also view open house materials, detailed maps, before-and-after photo simulations and drawings of the proposed structures.
This project will cross six municipalities – Centennial, Greenwood Village, Littleton, Englewood, Sheridan and Denver. In planning the project, Xcel Energy has met with local governments, South Suburban Parks District and Littleton Public Schools, and will meet with landowners and homeowners following the Jan. 28 open house.
In Segment 1, located in predominantly residential and park settings in the cities of Centennial, Greenwood Village, Littleton and Englewood, Xcel Energy will replace existing steel lattice towers with single-pole structures. Within park and residential areas in Centennial city limits, 27 structures will be replaced.
The project is described in five segments, with each component differing in work required to upgrade the facilities. For more information and photos surrounding the project, please visit greenwoodtodenverterminal.com.
COVID-19 Resources
The City of Centennial continues to ask citizens to "Keep It Up," meaning keep up the excellent work, hang in there as things continue to change frequently and keep wearing your mask. We appreciate all the steps Centennial citizens have taken to help slow the spread of COVID-19.
The City continues to focus on the community's safety and well-being and provides accurate and timely information, which can be found at centennialco.gov/covid19. Let's do what we can to return to a strong economy and get back to our normal day-to-day activities!
Additionally, the following agencies have dedicated web pages outlining facts and informational updates concerning COVID-19:
Free COVID-19 Community Testing
Learn about free drive-thru testing at the Centennial Center Park. View more information on testing sites, and additional case data on our Safer at Home page.
Don't forget to be a part of what makes Centennial wonderful! If you're looking to make an impact this year, consider engaging in our #WeAreOneCentennial program, created to help keep our spirits up during the pandemic. Our goal is to encourage the health and wellness of our community during this challenging time. If we do that, Centennial will come out of this stronger than ever before!
Check out the details to get started today: centennialco.gov/weareonecentennial.
|
During these challenging economic times, there a variety of grants available through Arapahoe County to help our local business community. The resources below are intended to assist business owners to local, regional and federal agencies and programs designed to help.
Arapahoe County Small Business Relief Fund
Application Deadline: January 31, 2021
Applications are now available for direct relief payments to small businesses located in Arapahoe County that have been affected by the pandemic. As a result of SB20B-001, passed last year by the General Assembly, a total of $37 million will be made available across Colorado to assist small businesses.
To be eligible small businesses must:
- be in compliance with current state and local public health guidelines.
- be experiencing severe capacity restrictions and loss of revenue.
While the total amount of funding the state will provide to Arapahoe County businesses is still unknown, eligible businesses can apply to receive grant funds until January 31, 2021.
Funds will be allocated to restaurants, bars, caterers, movie theaters, gyms and recreation centers that meet specific eligibility requirements. Among the guidelines:
- Businesses that previously received 2020 CARES ACT funding are not eligible.
- The maximum amount of funding a business can receive is $7,000. If application demand is greater than the funding received, the County will prioritize funding for eligible small businesses with receipts of less than $500,000, followed by those with receipts between $500,000 and $1 million.
Eligible businesses can review application requirements and apply online at https://www.arapahoegov.com/2154/Small-Business-Relief-Fund-Grant.
##
|
Five Star Recovery Program
The Five-Star Recovery Partner Program Certification is a comprehensive health and safety initiative designed to spur economic recovery while keeping customers and employees safe. Did you know that many Centennial businesses are now Five Star Certified?
These businesses have implemented enhanced safety measures to operate with greater capacity, and it’s easy to become a Five-Star certified business!
How it Works
The Five-Star Recovery Program certification status is impacted by two factors:
- A demonstrated compliance with expanded COVID public health guidelines.
- The progress of the County using specific metrics that establish our level on the State’s dial.
Five-Star certified businesses are required to demonstrate compliance with expanded COVID public health guidelines and safety precautions so they can operate with increased capacity limits one level above Arapahoe County’s position in the Statewide dial if the metrics for that level have been achieved. Learn more at centennialco.gov/thinklocal.
Application Requirements
The application is available on the Arapahoe County website. We encourage all businesses carefully review the following requirements prior to submitting an application:
- Verify Taxing Location (identify what city or municipality your business is located within).
- Check industry-specific requirements.
- Prepare Site-Specific Implementation & Compliance Plan.
Once a Centennial business has successfully submitted their application, the form will be forwarded to the City for review and scheduling of an on-site inspection. View additional details at centennialco.gov/thinklocal.
Apply online at https://www.arapahoegov.com/fivestar.
|
As a result of the pandemic's impact on the workforce throughout 2020, there has been a shift in employees working from home leading to “Zoom towns”- cities that are booming as remote work becomes more popular, according to a recent study completed by RetailMeNot.
We were excited to learn that the City of Centennial ranks #8 as “One of the Country’s Best Cities for Remote Workers” list. The methodology to create this list identified the best cities for remote workers based on three factors: community and safety, housing and living costs and health and weather. Only cities with at least 100,000 were included in the analysis and only one city per metropolitan area was on the final list of cities. The City of Centennial has a population of more than 110,000 residents and is consistently recognized as one of the safest cities in Colorado.
Centennial’s rankings for this particular list were:
- Overall work-from-home score: 86.21
- Community & safety: 90.13
- Housing & living costs: 79.52
- Health & weather: 88.98
- Metro area: Denver-Aurora-Lakewood, CO
RetailMeNot is a leading savings destination that influences purchase decisions through the power of savings. By connecting partners with their active, engaged shopping audience, they drive growth for more than 70,000 brands internationally.
 Join Centennial Active Seniors for a virtual speaker series featuring author Jane Barton. These monthly online events will be held 2-3 p.m. beginning in January through April 16. Hosted by Arapahoe Libraries and co-sponsored by the City of Centennial.
Event registration will close 30 minutes before the scheduled start time. Attendees will receive an email with instructions on how to access this event shortly before your session begins. Please review the Zoom help guide for more information on how to use the platform.
2-3 p.m. - Friday, February 19
When have you learned the most about yourself and about life? More than likely, it’s the times of trial and tribulation that informed and influenced your journey the most. Adversity pushes us beyond our previously perceived limits— beyond our comfort zone. No doubt, you have learned much over the past few months in light of the COVID-19 crisis. In this moment, we have a choice. Do we choose to be diminished by life OR emboldened? Please join us to explore the afterglow of adversity—the opportunity to rise strong (a la Brene Brown)!
Co-sponsored with Arapahoe Libraries.
Register Here
2-3 p.m. - Friday, March 19
Due to the COVID crisis and the political/social unrest of the past year, we have witnessed the suffering of others – physical, emotional, and spiritual suffering. To witness the pain and suffering of another person is to be forever changed. Compassionate people bear the suffering of others and often times compromise their own health and well-being when they assume too much of the burden. Today, countless people are experiencing compassion fatigue and therefore need guidance and information as to how to manage this type of stress. We must always be aware of where we end and the other person begins – the importance of boundaries. We can companion others in life, but we cannot assume the responsibility for another’s life. To do so puts us at risk of experiencing compassion fatigue, a risk for all who care.
Co-sponsored with Arapahoe Libraries.
Registration Coming Soon!
2-3 p.m. - Friday, April 16
As a society, we typically focus on the outward manifestations of aging—gray hair, wrinkles, and physical changes. Our desire to retain a youthful appearance fuels the multi-billion dollar anti-aging industry. Would we be better served to focus on the intangible, internal manifestations of aging—the evolution of our understanding of life, the enhanced appreciation of the moment, and the acquisition of wisdom that we can then offer to the world?
Co-sponsored with Arapahoe Libraries.
Registration Coming Soon!
|
