Commissioner Casey Tighe Jefferson County, District 2

Thanks!

Thanks to all of you that supported my campaign last year. On Jan. 8, 2013, I was sworn in as a Jefferson County Commissioner, and I'm excited to be serving the people of Jefferson County!

Learn more about the work of the Board of Commissioners here.

Issues

I ran for Jeffco commissioner to assure efficient, accountable government that's responsive to citizen concerns. I have over twenty years of experience working from the inside out to make governmental entities more effective. As a longtime resident of Jefferson County, I am dedicated to preserving our great quality of life while building economic vitality.

Contact Me!

Please feel free to contact me with your ideas and concerns at commish2@jeffco.us or 303-271-8525.

A Letter from the Taj - June 3, 2013

As we transition for spring to summer, lots of changes are occurring all around us. On a personal note, my son Dugan graduated from Regis Jesuit High School in mid-May. It is hard to believe he is heading off to college soon, because it seems like yesterday that he was just starting kindergarten. That seems to be a common feeling among the parents I talk to. I also got to see my nephew graduate from CSU. It has been great seeing all the excited graduates and their proud families. I wish all the graduates around the area good luck as they transition on to the next phase of their lives.

Meanwhile, we have been keeping pretty busy here in JeffCo, and you’ve probably heard about some of the difficult decisions we’ve recently had to make.

Ordinance Concerning the Open Carry of Firearms in County Buildings. This spring there were a couple of instances in which a member of the public entered county buildings carrying a firearm. One incident was in the Human Services Building, and the other was in the Sheriff’s Office. There was concern that some of the business conducted in these buildings can be emotionally charged, and employee safety could be an issue. Sheriff Ted Mink and District Attorney Pete Weir asked the Board of County Commissioners to adopt an ordinance allowing the Sheriff to conduct vulnerability assessments on county buildings and post a notice banning open carry of firearms in certain buildings.

The Board of County Commissioners approved the ordinance by a vote of 2-1. Commissioner Griffin and I supported the ordinance and Commissioner Rosier voted against this request from the Sheriff and the District Attorney. I know that this is an important issue for many people, and I had to consider many competing interests in making this decision. We heard from employees and citizens that do not want to feel threatened or intimidated in buildings where county business – which can often be emotionally charged involving issues related to child welfare, or criminal prosecutions – is conducted. We also heard from citizens that are concerned with any restrictions on the right to carry firearms. I understand and respect the 2nd Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, and I am committed to upholding it while putting in place reasonable public safety measures. We carefully weighed our options and chose not to invoke a blanket restrict, but instead to allow law enforcement the authority to address specific circumstances. This balanced approach will allow the Sheriff to address specific safety concerns while protecting the rights of law-abiding gun owners. I was also impressed by the fact that both the Sheriff and the District Attorney, two law enforcement professionals, requested this authority to enhance safety.

Wildfire Preparation. As the weather warms up, the risk of wildfires will also increase, as we saw today with the early reports of the Bluebell Fire near Evergreen. I am thankful for our first responders who are out there right now trying to contain this fire. I am hopeful that they are successful in keeping the fire from spreading, and my prayers are with the families whose homes are in harm's way.

The recent rains have been welcome, but today’s fire is a reminder that we must remain vigilant in our preparation and mitigation of fire risks. Creating a defensible space around buildings is one great way to reduce fire risk. To help support that effort the Jefferson County Sheriff has set up mobile collection sites to help people dispose of their slash material.
At these sites the sheriff will collect slash, pine needles and tree and limbs and tree debris up to 8 feet in length and 6 feet in diameter. They will not accept trash, tree stumps, or construction material.

The collection dates and sites are:
June 15th and 16th 8:30 – 3:30
Conifer High School (10441 Highway 73, Conifer, CO 80433)

June 22nd and 23rd 8:30 – 3:30
Coal Creek Fire Station 2 (32895 Highway 72, Golden, CO 80403 -
Highway 72 and Camp Eden Road)

August 10th and 11th 8:30 – 3:30
Inter-Canyon Indian Hills Fire Station #3 (8445 S. Highway 285 )

Fees for Slash Disposal:
Small Pickup – Bed High $5.00
Small Pickup – Cab High $8.00
Small Pickup – Above the Cab $10.00
Large Pickup – Bed High $8.00
Large Pickup – Cab High $10.00
Large Pickup – Above the Cab $12.00
Trailer – Single Axle $10.00
Trailer – Double Axle $15.00
Dump Truck – Cab High $20.00
Dump Truck – Above the Cab $25.00

Feel free to contact me to let me know what you think I should be doing to represent you! You can reach me at commish2@jeffco.us or 303-271-8525.

Casey Tighe
Jefferson County Commissioner, District 2