Week 4 Door-knocking Recap
We've been to almost 400 houses!
There’s just one month until election day! Last weekend, my family and I got so close to hitting the 400 house mark - we’ve rang 394 doorbells over the last month. We met a Jeffco master gardener, talked spring camping trips with neighbors, and even got treated to fresh-baked cookies!
(Why am I knocking on doors? If you missed it, I’m running for the board of directors. The election is May 6).
Here’s what I learned this week
The voting process in Pleasant View is confusing
Coloradans are so used to voting by mail that many people I talked to were confused about voting in person. Even though we normally vote by mail, you have to vote in person for this district board of directors election. It’s another thing that is different in a special district (versus a city like Golden).
You have two options to vote:
Physically go to the metro district building at 955 Moss Street on May 6 between 7 am - 7 pm to vote.
Request a mail-in (absentee) voting ballot. This is the only way to get a ballot in the mail. I have the form and instructions here on my website: https://www.lauraforpleasantview.com/voting-by-mail
You have to return the form by April 29, 2025, but since the election is May 6, I recommend requesting one as soon as possible and sending it well before the end of April if possible.
Because it’s in-person, lots of people have requested a reminder the day before or day of the election. If you want an election reminder as well, let me know at lauraforpleasantview@gmail.com or 720-675-8093.
People want to use bathrooms at parks
Wolf Park, Westblade Park, and Orchard Park all have bathrooms but none are currently open to the public. At a previous board meeting I attended, the district manager and the board acknowledged they’ve had major vandalism issues when the bathrooms are open (like toilets being ripped out of walls!).
Neighbors totally understood that. At a board meeting I missed, I noticed notes in the minutes about providing keys to the bathrooms at Orchard Park to anyone who rents a pavilion. I thought that was a great idea, and I asked the district manager about it. I’ll share an update if I hear anything back.
Neighbors are curious about resources from the fire department
Living in Colorado means living with wildfire risk, and one neighbor asked if the fire department could ever help with mitigating fuels around our homes. Xcel does this to an extent, but I thought it was an interesting idea.
While I look into that, know that Pleasant View Fire is doing a ton of work to get ready for wildfire season. All paid firefighters are in the process of getting their “red card” wildland fire fighting certification (this is also a lot more work for the firefighters, so thank you all!). Volunteers also have the opportunity to get certified.
I also talked to one of the current board members, Joe Anderson, about neighbors’ concerns of whether the department can handle the population increase from more apartments and houses. Joe is a lieutenant with Adams County Fire, worked and volunteered at Golden Fire for more than two decades, and has been a fantastic resource for Pleasant View’s fire department as a board member.
Joe told me that the fire department is planning for the future as the population and volume of calls both grow in Pleasant View. The dispatch system already deploys the closest fire apparatus to a fire - no matter what department it is - to get a fire engine on scene as quickly as possible.
Pleasant View also has an intergovernmental agreement with Golden Fire to respond as one district. This allows for faster response times, but I also learned from Joe that the goal of that agreement is to reach the national safety standard of 17 personnel on scene for a structure fire.
Joe is running for re-election to the board and I highly recommend voting for him!
Weekly gratitude for my Pleasant View neighbors
As always, the best part of going door-to-door is meeting more people and learning about my neighbors.
Nancy is a master gardener with Jefferson County and told me all about the Warren Tech annual plant sale that benefits the school’s horticulture program. I’ll be stocking up on plants May 8 - 10 from 9 am - 3 pm. See you there!!
My son accidentally walked into a mailbox and was still a little teary when we knocked on Keitha’s door. She was in the middle of baking cookies and offered him one to help dry those tears. She invited us in while the next batch baked and even gave me one too. They were delicious and my son started making himself right at home - he could tell she’s a pro grandma!!
HUGE shout-out to Kane who invited us in so my son could make an emergency potty break! We even got bonus cat snuggles from Nova and Magnus while having great conversation about Pleasant View.
The next Pleasant View Board Meeting is April 15 at 4 p.m. at 955 Moss Street
I’ll be there sharing all I’ve learned from the last few weeks. I’ll do my normal recap afterward, but if you want to see what a board meeting is like, they are open to the public! And you can see where you get to vote on May 6.
Another of my favorite parts of door knocking is that it reminds me that most people are able to discuss tough or emotional issues without yelling or getting upset. But this is my obligatory reminder that a board meeting is not the place to rant or vent. If you have a specific question, you can ask the board during public comment at the end of the meeting.
Vote for me on May 6! Reach out with questions, comments, or concerns.
You can vote in person from 7 am - 7 pm on May 6 at the fire station (955 Moss Street). If you would like to learn how to vote by mail, I can help you fill out the request form. And finally, if I haven’t made it to your house and you want to chat, let me know and I’ll be sure to stop by before the election!
Reach me at:
lauraforpleasantview@gmail.com
720-675-8093 (call or text)
Best of luck with your election!