Blizzard, Plus Scheduled, Budget-Required Closure Will Affect Most – But Not All – City Services
Due to forecasts for continuing blizzard conditions and resulting safety considerations, Mayor John Hickenlooper directed all City agencies to close non-emergency operations
Thursday, March 26, at 2 p.m. This includes the closure of all City buildings.
Most City and County of Denver offices will close this Friday, March 27, due to a previously announced, budget-required furlough day for City employees. In addition, all City offices will be closed Monday, March 30, in observance of the César Chávez Day holiday.
For Thursday, March 26, employees involved in emergency operations – including but not limited to the City’s snow response, travel and aviation operations, and public safety – have been asked to remain on duty. If employees are called in to work on the planned furlough day Friday, their supervisors will determine another day for the furlough.
“While many City employees will continue working today to ensure that the City’s snow response, travel operations and other emergency operations run as smoothly as possible, we are sending home as many staff as possible today out of consideration for their safety,” Mayor Hickenlooper said. “We are extremely grateful to those employees who must remain on duty today to help us manage our snow response and other essential services.”
The Friday, March 27 furlough day was suggested by many employees as a means of saving approximately $1 million to help maintain City services and avoid layoffs as the national recession plays out in Denver.
“The City’s career service employees have made significant sacrifices to balance the budget and help us avoid layoffs while maintaining our ability to deliver vital services,” Mayor Hickenlooper said. “I am inspired by their commitment to their colleagues, to their jobs and to the City as a whole.”
As a result of the budget-required furlough, the Mayor’s Office, City Council offices, the Auditor’s Office, the Denver Public Library, recreation centers and most city agencies will be closed Friday. Partner entities such as Denver Health, Denver Zoo and – on a limited basis – the Denver District Attorney’s Office – will remain open Friday, as will agencies that operate 24 hours a day, seven days per week such as Denver International Airport. Sworn members of the Denver Sheriff Department, Police Department and Fire Department will report to duty Friday as well.
Please see below for specific information on how the furlough day and César Chávez Day will or will not affect the following City functions:
TRASH COLLECTION
Trash will be collected Friday, March 27, but will be delayed one day next week due to the César Chávez Day holiday Monday, March 30.
WORKFORCE CENTERS
The following three Denver Workforce Centers will remain open for business on Friday, March 27:
Denver Workforce Center at Speer, 1391 N. Speer Blvd. Suite 500;
Denver Workforce Center at Stapleton Plaza, 3401 Quebec St., Suite 7700;
Denver Workforce Center at DIA, located in the main terminal of Denver International Airport.
To further educate the community about job search services and techniques available through the public workforce system, the Denver Workforce Centers will offer “The Skills Clinic,” a job search skill building resource fair, on March 27, from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., at the Mi Casa Resource Center, 360 Acoma St., and at the Colorado Community College System Lowry Campus, Lowry Conference Center, 1061 Akron Way. All workforce centers are closed Monday, March 30.
3-1-1 INFORMATION LINE & DENVERGOV.ORG
3-1-1, the City’s information line for nonemergency services, will be fully staffed from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday, March 27, but will be closed on Monday, March 30,for the César Chávez Day holiday. Updates are available continuously on DenverGov.org, the City’s Website.
PARKING METERS, PARKING CASHIERS AND PARKING MAGISTRATEAll parking rules and parking meters will be enforced Friday, March 27 – but will be free on Monday, March 30, for the César Chávez Day holiday. The Parking Cashier counter and the Parking Magistrate’s office in the Wellington E. Webb Building at 201 West Colfax will be closed Friday, March 27 and Monday, March 30. Parking violations may be paid using Public Works’ pay-by-phone system with your MASTERCARD or VISA. Dial 1-866-280-9988 and follow the recorded steps, or online at
www.denverpvb.com. Please remember that you will need the citation number printed on the ticket when using the pay-by-phone system or making an online payment.
ANIMAL SHELTER & ANIMAL CONTROL
The Denver Animal Shelter will be closed Friday, March 27, Sunday, March 29 (as always) and Monday, March 30, but will be open Saturday, March 28. Animal Control Officers will be available Friday, Monday and throughout the weekend to respond to emergencies and enforce City regulations.
CITY-OWNED GOLF COURSES
Golf Courses will be open for regular business hours throughout the entire weekend, including both Friday, March 27, and Monday, March 30.
RECREATION CENTERSRecreation Centers will be closed Friday, March 27, for the budget-required furlough day and on Monday, March 30, for the César Chávez Day holiday. They will, however, be open on Saturday, March 28, and on Sunday, March 29 for regularly scheduled hours, which vary by recreation center. Please visit
www.denvergov.org/parksandrec for center hours and locations.
DENVER COUNTY MOTOR VEHICLE OFFICES
The five Denver County Motor Vehicle (vehicle registration) offices will be closed on Friday, March 27, for the budget-required furlough day and on Monday, March 30, for the César Chávez Day holiday.
HUMAN SERVICES
Denver Human Services will staff its emergency response teams and child abuse and adult protection telephone hotlines.
MARRIAGE LICENSES
The Marriage License counter will be closed on Friday, March 27, for the budget-required furlough day and on Monday, March 30, for the César Chávez Day holiday.
EXCISE & LICENSES
Excise and Licenses customer service counters and offices will be closed on Friday, March 27, for the budget-required furlough day and on Monday, March 30, for the César Chávez Day holiday.
PUBLIC WORKS PERMIT COUNTERS
Public Works permit counters will be closed on Friday, March 27, for the budget-required furlough day and on Monday, March 30, for the César Chávez Day holiday. The Right of Way Enforcement Office (ROWE) also will be closed both days, however, Right-of-Way inspections will take place Friday if they have been scheduled and confirmed for that day.
BUILDING PERMITS, ZONING PERMITS, BUILDING/ZONING/NEIGHBORHOOD INSPECTION SERVICES
Building and Zoning permit counters will be closed on Friday, March 27, for the budget-required furlough day and on Monday, March 30, for the César Chávez Day holiday. No building/zoning/neighborhood inspections will be scheduled during this time.
WASTEWATER MANAGEMENT
The Wastewater Management Building at 2000 West Third Ave. will be closed Friday, March 27 and Monday, March 30.
COURTS
Denver County Court will be open Friday, March 27 on a limited basis in order to adjudicate cases scheduled prior to the announcement of the furlough day. Courtrooms 105A, 100K, 316R, 12T, 472W, and night traffic courtrooms 105A, 104B and 122C will be hearing scheduled cases on Friday, March 27, 2009. All other areas of the county court will be closed Friday. Denver County Court will then be closed on Monday, March 30 for the César Chávez holiday.
The Denver District Court, Juvenile Court and Probate Court are located within the City and County Building, but are operated by the State of Colorado, not the City and County of Denver. They are not affected by the furlough day or the holiday, and will be open as usual Friday, March 27 and Monday, March 30.