Highlands Ranch - Alternative Fuel City of the Future

Team meeting at Highlands Ranch library. Members present: Andy Furze, Ashleigh Warntjes, Phil Clukies, and Kush Agarwal. Discussed how to find a student/community member to design a sketch for the hypothetical renewable energy business park. Determined member research topics (Andy: Chicago Climate Exchange, Ashleigh: Alternative Energy Automobiles, Phil: Fuel Cells, Kush: Solar Panels/Wind Energy, John TBD). These will be each of the seniors’ primary topics as they write their senior paper and present to the senior board. The team also worked out a few questions for the upcoming meeting with HRCA.

An article about the team’s project was published in the Highlands Ranch YourHub Denver Post paper in the Thursday, December 14th edition. This article is a general description about the team’s thoughts, goals and vision. The article also includes the picture of the team receiving the $5,000 check from Burt Automotive.

The article can be viewed at denver.yourhub.com/HIGHLANDSRANCH/Stories/
News/General_News/Story-159388.aspx.

Meeting held with Commisioner Worley at the ThunderRidge High School. Discussed pre-determined questions:

1. In 2006, what are the total residential assessed values and commercial assessed values?
2. Could Highlands Ranch use Douglas County’s human resources department as a shared resource to reduce operating expenses?
3. Could you provide 2006 taxable sales tax revenues, excluding food? Do you have a forecast for upcoming years?
4. Does Douglas County receive tax revenues from local hotels? If so, how much was generated in 2006?
5. How much gasoline sales taxes are collected from Highlands Ranch gas stations?
6. Can Highlands Ranch levy a percent or fixed fee to current motor vehicle registrations?
7. How many vehicles are registered in Highlands Ranch as of 2006, and how much revenue was collected by Douglas County in 2006?
8. Can Highlands Ranch levy an additional moving violation surcharge to drivers convicted in Highlands Ranch? (i.e. addtional $30 surcharge for speeding?)
9. In our situation does creating a special district or incorporating seem more feasible? Or, if neither, in what ways do you see this project proceeding?
10. Could the Partnership of Douglas County Governments be used as a resource for help/advice for this project?
11. Do you know of any venture capitalists that could be contacted for this project?
12. After being on the Douglas County planning committee, what advice can you offer us in our planning process?
13. As we proceed with this project, would you be open to, hypothetically in February or March, reviewing our city plan and providing us with feedback?
14. In your opinion, what is the most compelling reason to proceed with a renewable energy based city plan?

Meeting with Mr. Terry Nolan, General Manager of the Highlands Ranch Metro District (HRMD) at the Metro District Building. Discussed pre-determined questions:

1. Could the Highlands Ranch human resources function be a shared resource between the HRMD human resource department and the Energy Department to reduce operating expenses?
2. What do you think is the most compelling reason to incorporate based upon an alternative fuel and renewable energy economy charter?
3. What impact do you foresee if there is an energy vertical in Highlands Ranch?
4. Would you be interested in migrating to better and higher efficiency technology lights, thus reducing your electrical budget? Would you also be interested in a hydrogen car fleet?
5. What suggestions and advice would you provide in regards to this alternative fuel energy program?

A formal request was submitted to Shea Homes to seek a three year license agreement to use the “Future City of Highlands Ranch” logo.

We hope to get approval shortly.