News

Holiday Lights Go Green

On November 24th, Mayor John Hickenlooper officially unveiled new LED lights that will be used in the annual holiday display at the City and County Building.

City workers in past years have climbed all over the City and County Building to install 1,003 traditional flood lights in advance of the holidays. Then they would repeat the work to take the lights down after the New Year. This year, City workers installed 585 LED light fixtures that will stay on the building year-round. The new holiday display will also use more than 2,000 feet of LED rope light.

By using LED lamps and turning the display off one hour earlier each night, the 2009 display will reduce energy consumption by 80%. The display will save over 33,400 kilowatt-hours of energy, and prevent the release of over 55,000 pounds of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.

The LED retrofit project is saving the City money in the first year, due to savings in utility, labor, and maintenance costs, as well as avoiding the replacement of an expensive energy panel due to the increased efficiency of the new lamps. The project will save the City almost $180,000 per year in the future. The LED bulbs can be expected to last over 6 times longer than the incandescent bulbs, reducing replacement costs for decades.

Now Open: The Bike Depot

Park Hill’s newest resource for active living opened on April 19. The Bike Depot provides Park Hill residents and neighbors opportunities to earn used bikes, become skilled at repairing bikes, and take bike safety classes. You can help by volunteering time, donating bikes or equipment, organizing a bike ride or collection, or making a cash donation. Call 303-393-1963 for more information.

Keep it Clean, From Drain to Stream

H2O Jo and Flo are spreading the word about water quality as part of Denver’s Wastewater Management Division’s Keep it Clean campaign. Their message this month is “pick up litter and after your critter!” Help conserve and protect our natural waterways and keep pollutants out of our storm drains by disposing of litter and pet waste properly, which can harm fish, birds and other wildlife in our streams and rivers.

Mayor Hickenlooper Adopts Denver’s Climate Plan

Denver’s Climate Action Plan was officially adopted on October 24, 2007 following eight months of research by Denver’s Greenprint Council and five months of public feedback. Mayor Hickenlooper also signed Executive Order 123, which formally establishes the city’s sustainability policy. It includes Denver’s first municipal green building policy along with several measures to promote sustainability within city operations.