Adams County CoVid-19 Response and Recovery

Historic Splendid Valley Project Featured in Book About Community Food Webs

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Posted on: April 29, 2021

Work to preserve farmland in Historic Splendid Valley is celebrated in a new book called Building Community Food Webs by food systems analyst Ken Meter. Published by Island Press, his book highlights the stories of communities across the country that  re innovating to bolster local food systems and build health, wealth, capacity, and connection.

“The development and implementation of the District Plan has been an important, ongoing initiative and partnership between Adams County and the City of Brighton to preserve historic farmland,” said Eva J. Henry, Adams County Commissioner and Board Chair. “We are proud to see this work celebrated and featured in this book.”

“This is an exciting day for the City of Brighton and Adams County,” said Gregory Mills, Mayor of the City of Brighton. “It’s not every day that the opportunity comes along to take on a project like this, and to have its success celebrated alongside other impressive stories from across the country.”

In Ken Meter’s book, he tells the story of the development and implementation of the District Plan. As part of the consultant team that developed the Plan, Meter conducted the market analysis that illuminated issues that the community experienced firsthand — valuable farmland was being sold and properties dried up, while the means of producing food for the community were diminishing and at risk of leaving the area altogether.

The District Plan was adopted in 2016 with overarching goals to preserve valuable agricultural land south of the City of Brighton, encourage local food production and consumption, and promote agritourism. Meter’s study was a valuable component of the final plan. He found that residents of Brighton at that time were purchasing about $83 million of food each year, but the vast majority (an estimated $75 million) of those food dollars were spent outside of the city. Zooming out to look at the entirety of Adams County, residents were spending about $1.3 billion per year on food, with roughly $1.2 billion of that likely leaving the county. In his book, Meter commends efforts of the City and County to acknowledge these concerns and work together to build a vision for a better future.

In addition to the work being done by the City of Brighton, Adams County, and local partners, the initiatives featured in Building Community Food Webs include a collaboration of Montana farmers improving soil health; a county in Minnesota preserving greenways for wildlife, water quality, and innovative food production; and an Arizona food bank engaging its customers to overturn the root causes of poverty and get active in governance.

An event with the author has been scheduled for May 24, 2021 for those interested in Ken’s research and analysis of our community to hear his insights regarding our work in Splendid Valley. Stay tuned for details.

To read more about the book, click here.

To read more about the District Plan and Historic Splendid Valley, go to this page.

Meter is one of the most experienced food system analysts in the U.S. His research is featured here.

If you have questions, please contact Anneli Berube.

Google Fiber and Adams County
Posted on: May 14, 2024

Adams County Commissioners Vote to Enhance Internet Services for All Residents

Google Fiber will bring faster speeds and better service to Adams County internet users, as the Adams County Board of Commissioners (BoCC) approved an agreement today with the company that allows the installation, maintenance, and operation of a fiber-optic broadband network in the public right-of-way.

Pride Logo
Posted on: May 13, 2024

Adams County Pride Returns Saturday, June 8

Adams County Pride is back at Riverdale Regional Park on Saturday, June 8. Take pride in who you are and celebrate love, diversity, and equality at the free, family-friendly festival.

Starting at 11 a.m., featured activities will include roller skating and art exhibits with Rainbow Dome, live music/entertainment, Airbound attractions, volleyball, and a drag show that’s guaranteed to dazzle.

Posted on: May 3, 2024

Check Your Air, Improve Your Health: Phone App Empowers Community During Air Quality Awareness Week

It’s no secret air pollution can cause both long- and short-term health conditions ranging from an itchy throat and shortness of breath to asthma attacks, cardiovascular disease, and mental illness.

That’s why Air Quality Awareness Week (AQAW) is back this year from May 6-10, with a greater focus than ever on empowering communities to find out what’s in the air they’re breathing and take action to better their health.

This year’s theme is “Knowing Your Air” with a different topic for each day of the week:

Posted on: April 19, 2024

Recycling in Adams County is Easier This Earth Day

Residents can celebrate Earth Day by signing up for recycling at their homes, a service now available in all parts of unincorporated Adams County.

In February, the Board of County Commissioners (BoCC) unanimously approved an ordinance that requires all trash collection providers operating in unincorporated Adams County to offer curbside recycling services to their residential and commercial customers. The ordinance does not mandate what trash providers can charge for recycling services paid by the resident or business.

Colorado Curated Story - USS Colorado
Posted on: March 27, 2024

Adams County Partners with History Colorado to Develop Colorado Curated Story: USS Colorado

In 2023, when Adams County unveiled the Adams County Veterans Memorial – a replica of the USS Colorado – at Riverdale Regional Park, Adams County residents with ties to the renowned vessel donated items to honor the lives of veterans. Among the objects received by Adams County were letters, photographs, and artifacts that told the story of life aboard the USS Colorado. 

Posted on: March 26, 2024

Colorado Air and Space Port Receives State Grant to Rehabilitate Ramp and Taxiway Areas

Colorado Air and Space Port (CASP) is receiving a $500,000 grant from the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) Aeronautics Division to perform pavement rehabilitation work on some of CASP’s most heavily used taxiways and ramp areas. Adams County is providing $55,555 as the local grant match toward the work with a total project cost of $555,555 in a 90/10 partnership.

On Tuesday, March 26, the Adams County Board of Commissioners (BoCC) applauded the grant in Public Hearing.