The Westminster City Council passed Councilman Sergio Contreras’ “Community Improvement Initiative" recently.
The passage of the initiative signals the establishment of a pilot program with City Net, an organization specializing in working with cities to address homelessness and provide support services, to create the help ailing Westminster homeless need to get back on their feet.
The Westminster City Council passed Councilman Sergio Contreras’ “Community Improvement Initiative" recently.
The passage of the initiative signals the establishment of a pilot program with City Net, an organization specializing in working with cities to address homelessness and provide support services, to create the help ailing Westminster homeless need to get back on their feet.
The vote also signifies the hiring of two part-time code enforcement officers to combat local blight and launch a “clean streets” effort to remove illegal banners and abandoned shopping carts, and beautify empty shopping centers and troubled businesses.
“You can’t court the best without looking your best," Contreras said. "Folks looking to set down roots in a new community and businesses looking to open their doors don’t want to do so in blighted neighborhoods. In order to compete with neighboring cities, we need our streets gleaming and our commercial centers strong. This initiative will help us to attract more residents and build more jobs, while also assisting the homeless to get the housing and training they need to succeed.”
The initiative builds upon a previous vote by Contreras to increase the number of police officers in Westminster.
Again citing the overwhelming public support for the public safety and additional infrastructure improvements in town, Contreras stated that the Community Improvement Initiative is a pathway to a better future for Westminster.
“I came up with this idea by talking to our residents. It became very clear that there were issues that we need to address in our city," he said. "I, for one, am not about shying away from those challenges because they are hard. I believe in Westminster and I’m going to do all that I can to see it succeed."
