Humane Society CEO Dennison steps down
The Longmont Humane Society announced Monday that CEO Jason Dennison has stepped down from his position effective Jan. 13.
According to a news release, Russell Hinkle, director of facilities and safety, has stepped in as interim CEO of the organization during the Board of Directors’ search for a replacement. Prior to his resignation, Dennison had served in his role since August 2021.
“Mr. Dennison is taking time to focus on his family, which requires his full attention right now,” Darlene Coker, the board chair of the Humane Society, stated in the release. “We wish him, his wife and baby all the best. We are grateful that Russell Hinkle and our senior staff are prepared and experienced to keep LHS running smoothly and serving Longmont and the surrounding communities while the Board of Directors makes decisions on Mr. Dennison’s permanent replacement.”
In an interview with the Times-call, Coker said that while it had been a “difficult decision” for Dennison to step down, he did so after recently becoming a father.
Meanwhile, Hinkle said it was an “honor” for him to step into the interim CEO role. “Serving the organization over the past six years has given me a deep appreciation for our cause,” Hinkle wrote in an email. “As a Longmont resident, I’m highly excited to continue leading LHS in not only our mission, but our continuing efforts to be one of the best places to work in Longmont.”
In addition to searching for a new CEO, the Longmont Humane Society is also preparing to host its Homeward Bound fundraising gala on March 18. More information and tickets are available at bit. ly/3idzhcq.
Colorado cities and counties would have the ability to snap up apartment complexes and convert them to affordable housing, rather than be sold to private bidders, under a new bill set to be introduced in the House in the coming days.
Supporters cast the measure, which is being pushed by Fort Collins Democrat Rep. Andy Boesenecker, as a way for local governments to rebuild public housing, both within the existing market and within standing neighborhoods.
If an owner in Denver, for instance, were to accept a $50 million private offer for a 25-unit apartment complex, the city would then have a window to decide whether to step in and exercise their right of first refusal.
If they do, they have another window to match the offer and close the deal. Once that’s done, the city would then be required to keep its new units affordable based on local income levels while capping rent increases.
The bill applies to any development with three or more units in rural-resort settings or five or more units in urban areas. There are exemptions, like for the transfer of property to spouses or family, and local governments could waive the right entirely if the private buyer agrees to keep the units affordable.
The proposal expands upon a similar bill sponsored successfully last year by Boesenecker involving mobile home parks and is part of a broader push by legislators to increase Colorado’s affordable housing stock.
To finance the deals, governments could braid their own revenues with money controlled at the state level, like Proposition 123 funds or dollars allocated by the legislature in recent years.
They could then turn any new properties over to their housing authority or to another “political subdivision,” which Boesenecker said could include school districts.
— Staff reports