FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: September 7, 2012

Contact:
Bob Cutter, Colorado Springs Together, 719.330.9075, bob.cutter@coloradospringstogether.org
Jim Boulton, Classic Homes, 719-785-3259
John Henry, 719.433.3025, PRguy14@aol.com
www.ColoradoSpringsTogether.org

First permit to rebuild Parkside home lost to the Waldo Canyon Fire

The first permit to rebuild a home that was lost to the Waldo Canyon Fire in the Parkside neighborhood was issued by the Pikes Peak Regional Building Department. The permit, issued to Classic Homes, is to rebuild at 2523 Hot Springs Court in the Parkside community.

“This is great news,” said Bob Cutter, chairman and president of Colorado Springs Together, the not-for-profit organization founded to serve as a catalyst for the restoration and rebuilding process across the Mountain Shadows neighborhood. “Parkside was hit particularly hard by the fire but we knew it would come back; the property owners are overcoming many challenges unique to their community and are dedicated to getting their neighborhood restored.”

Jim Boulton, Mountain Shadows representative and vice president of Classic Homes said, “We know it’s a difficult and painful process for the families that have been devastated. We view this as a privilege to be able to help facilitate the families in the rebuild process.”

More than 140 of the 178 homes in Parkside were lost or sustained significant damage in the fire; Parkside is a patio-home community founded in the latter 1980s.

For more information, visit www.ColoradoSpringsTogether.org.
 

Colorado Springs Together is an independent 501(c)(3) Non-Profit
Colorado Springs Together is a community-driven volunteer effort, and is an independent 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. The team members are distinguished citizens and business professionals in the community facilitating and coordinating a quick and effective rebuilding process for the neighborhoods devastated on June 26th by the fire. The donations received will go towards the activities required to help restore the lives and the neighborhoods affected by the fire at the same time maintaining a strong sense of community during the rebuilding process.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: July 25, 2012

The Media Contact:
Bob Cutter 719.330.9075
John Henry 719.433.3025
www.ColoradoSpringsTogether.org

Mountain Shadows rebuilding milestone:  first permit to rebuild is issued

Colorado Springs Together is pleased to announce the first permit issued to rebuild a home taken by the Waldo Canyon Fire in Mountain Shadows. The home, at 2770 Yankton Place, is owned by Joseph F. Boyd and Trish Nelson-Boyd.

Mr. Boyd credited his insurer, State Farm, in quickly reaching a fair settlement, as well as the City of Colorado Springs and the Pikes Peak Regional Building Department (PPRBD) for what he termed “very positive forward movement” in approving the permit to rebuild. He also expressed appreciation to Classic Homes of Colorado Springs for assisting with the rebuilding process.

“The announcement of the first building permit for the Boyd’s home is strong endorsement of the way in which public agencies including the Pikes Peak Regional Building Department, various departments within the City of Colorado Springs and Colorado Springs Utilities are working to speed property owners through the requisite processes to rebuild,” said Bob Cutter, chairman and president of Colorado Springs Together (CST), the not-for-profit organization founded to serve as a catalyst for the restoration and rebuilding process across the Mountain Shadows neighborhood.

As the Waldo Canyon Fire continued to burn after devastating neighborhoods in the north west of Colorado Springs, CST started bringing citizens, representing those affected by the fire, together with public agencies, private businesses, nonprofit organizations and associations, all united by a single purpose: to restore the lives, homes and neighborhoods impacted by the fire. The group has been working hard to streamline the rebuilding processes for property owners affected by the fires.

“For the first permit to rebuild to be issued just 14 days after the fire was declared contained, that’s outstanding news for all of us who lost our homes in the fire,” said Francine Hansen, president of the Mountain Shadows Community Association and a member of the CST leadership team. The home owned by Francine and her husband Dick was also lost.

Cutter echoed Hansen’s comments, “After such a traumatic event, a speedy process is the strongest tool we have at our disposal to help people and give them confidence and hope for the future of the neighborhood.” Cutter added, “Everybody wins if, as a city, we move quickly to help restore the neighborhood and help maintain the great community spirit present in Mountain Shadows”

“In expediting the plan review; permit and inspection processes, the Pikes Peak Regional Building Department is fully committed to the successful and timely restoration of the Mountain Shadows Community, to ensure that our neighbors may return to some degree of normality in their everyday lives,” said Bob Croft, special projects coordinator for the PPRBD.

In addition to streamlining the process of issuing permits, a one-stop option for debris removal was announced by CST, along with an easing of rules by the Federal Emergency Management Agency enabling property owners adjacent to the Waldo Canyon Fire to have virtually instant federal flood insurance protection from potential damage caused by a flash flood in the burn area.

A similar option for the removal of landscaping and trees destroyed by the fire is being investigated by CST. Proper care must be exercised because it’s more than simply pulling out the damaged plants and trees. The remaining root system can be a defense against soil erosion. The damaged vegetation covers private and public land including parks, trails and open space.

Colorado Springs Together is an independent 501(c)(3) Non-Profit

Colorado Springs Together is a community-driven volunteer effort, and is an independent 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. The team members are distinguished citizens and business professionals in the community facilitating and coordinating a quick and effective rebuilding process for the neighborhoods devastated on June 26th by the fire. The donations received will go towards the activities required to help restore the lives and the neighborhoods affected by the fire at the same time maintaining a strong sense of community during the rebuilding process.

Please visit: 
www.ColoradoSpringsTogether.org
www.facebook.com/ColoradoSpringsTogether
www.twitter.com/COS_Together

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: July 13, 2012

The Media Contact:
Jeff Thomas
30dps
719-380-9996 x25
COStogether@30dps.com
www.ColoradoSpringsTogether.org

Colorado Springs Together releases information on debris removal

COLORADO SPRINGS, CO, July 13, 2012 — The leadership team for Colorado Springs Together, a non-profit organization established to coordinate the recovery and restoration of neighborhoods impacted by Waldo Canyon Fire, is announcing additional details on its proposed debris cleanup and removal process.

Colorado Springs Together has developed a strategy to coordinate and expedite the physical rebuilding of the affected streets and neighborhoods. A dedicated debris removal task team of Colorado Springs Together was established to produce a consolidated plan for the removal of debris across the Mountain Shadows neighborhood, including from both private homes and public spaces.

While this first phase will focus on debris removal only, the next phases will include other aspects of the cleanup process including the removal of burned vegetation and trees along with the mitigation of the affected lots to avoid rain run-off and storm water damage prior to reconstruction. The group is recommending that current foundations are left in place to support new construction or to be removed at the time of new construction, if the foundation is determined to be damaged and unusable, so that the disturbance of the soil is minimized.

"Our objective with this plan is three-fold,” said Bob Cutter, Founder and President of Colorado Springs Together. “We want to remove the debris quickly and effectively across the neighborhood to minimize the impact on the people who are living there, ensure the site is safe with minimal potential for erosion, and to provide a simple, quick, worry-free solution to the affected people.”

A Colorado Springs contractor, two individual property owners, and their insurance companies are collaborating on a two-site pilot debris removal and cleanup project on Monday 16th July 2012.

All those in attendance are expected to learn from the process with improvements being implemented at subsequent lots throughout the community. The Colorado Springs Together team believes this is the best approach to meet the needs of the residents in the Mountain Shadows community, at the same time respecting the right of citizens to select their own contractor to clear their own lot should they desire. Residents interested in becoming part of the bulk cleanup process will be able to sign up at www.ColoradoSpringsTogether.org or with one of the Colorado Springs Together representatives who will be at the demonstration event on Monday. Having expressed interest, neighbors will be able to meet with their insurance companies and GE Johnson representatives.

“The removal of the debris from the Mountain Shadows neighborhood has been the number one priority since the team started meeting on July 3rd.” It would be wonderful if all those who lost their homes would sign up for this opportunity and we could remove the debris one whole street at a time,” said Cutter. Taking this approach could result in all fire debris being removed from the Mountain Shadows community by the second half of August. This approach will probably be financially and environmentally attractive, minimizing the worries and liability of the affected citizens.

The two-site demonstration will take place on Monday, July 16 at 8 a.m. for 2635 Trevor Lane and at 9 a.m. for 5547 Majestic Drive. These locations were chosen because the nature of their destruction epitomizes the range of complexity, which will be seen in the debris removal process. Debris removal is a multifaceted, tedious undertaking, requiring appropriate precautions that must take into account health, safety, liability, consistency, financial, and environmental concerns, as well as adhere to government regulations and codes concerning air quality and debris removal.

Because of these issues, the El Paso County Health Department, Colorado Springs Utilities, Stormwater Engineering, and the Pikes Peak Regional Building Department will all be at the demonstration along with residents and the media.

For more information, visit www.ColoradoSpringsTogether.org.

For health concerns regarding the effects of cleanup and debris, please seek help from:

El Paso County Health
719-313-8866
Tom Gonzales
TomGonzales@ElPasoCO.com
www.ElPasoCountyHealth.org/Services/Waldo-Canyon-Fire-Information

Colorado Springs Together is an independent 501(c)(3) Non-Profit

Colorado Springs Together is a community-driven volunteer effort, and is an independent 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. The team members are distinguished citizens and business professionals in the community facilitating and coordinating a quick and effective rebuilding process for the neighborhoods devastated on June 26th by the fire. The donations received will go towards the activities required to help restore the lives and the neighborhoods affected by the fire at the same time maintaining a strong sense of community during the rebuilding process.

Please visit: 
www.ColoradoSpringsTogether.org
www.facebook.com/ColoradoSpringsTogether
www.twitter.com/COS_Together

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: July 11, 2012

Media contact:
Cindy Aubrey, Chief Communications Officer
City of Colorado Springs
719-385-5254
719-492-0234
caubrey@springsgov.com
www.ColoradoSpringsTogether.org

Colorado Springs Together releases additional information on relief efforts

(COLORADO SPRINGS, CO, July 11, 2012) – The leadership team for Colorado Springs Together, the non-profit organization incorporated on July 3 to be a central clearing house for Waldo Canyon Fire recovery information, services and resources, is announcing additional details on relief efforts.

This is a community-driven volunteer effort led by Mayor Steve Bach and his wife Suzi, with 100% of donations going directly to restoring the Mountain Shadows community. The team members are distinguished citizens and business professionals in the community who will determine a quick and effective rebuilding process for the neighborhoods devastated by the fire.

Relief efforts

• An integrated list of residents is being developed by the city, individual HOAs and the Mountain Shadows Community Association. This electronic list will be integrated with the Colorado Springs Together website to ensure all residents get immediate and accurate notification of news and information during the restoration process.
• Today, Wednesday, July 11, City staff met with Mountain Shadows representatives to discuss ongoing security patrols. This will ensure appropriate security is recommended during all phases of rebuilding, especially prior to and during debris removal.
• Thursday, the City Forester and staff will determine a timeline of disposition of trees on public property to prepare for safe removal of dead trees in the near future as part of the overall clean-up efforts.
• A dedicated debris removal task team has been charged with establishing the process for private homeowners to initiate their own individual plans as well as a broad-based approach to a neighborhood-wide debris removal plan for public spaces and right of ways. The plan will accommodate the needs of private homeowners and insurance companies, but focus on quick removal of the public area burned materials including landscaping damaged in the fire.
• The new website is already expanding with updates on how to select contractors, connections to new resources being made available through donations and the latest announcements from FEMA, waiving the 30-day flood insurance on a case-by-case basis. Residents will be able to use the site as their first stop in looking for critical information.

Funding
Funds will be raised directly from companies and individuals and integrated with other philanthropic initiatives, including the Colorado Fire Relief Fund 2012, created by Governor John Hickenlooper. This will ensure that this organization is the focal point of efforts dedicated to those people most impacted by the fire. Donations of in-kind support are also accepted.

Ent Credit Union has generously stepped up as the first financial contributor of cash with 30dps, Hogan Lovells and Stockman, Kast, Ryan and Co., CPAs, providing large in-kind donations. We look forward to announcing many more significant contributions from local philanthropists and businesses that have already been in contact with the organization and are very supportive of its single mission focus.

Organization focus

• Helping people through this transition period, especially if they have lost homes, while maintaining and enhancing the Mountain Shadows community spirit at all levels.
• Mounting an unprecedented coordination effort to speed up the recovery, rebuilding and restoration process, supporting a community vision to be better than before.
• Combining these two strategies will help ensure that Mountain Shadows comes back better and more vibrant than before despite the devastation caused by the fire.

Other specific action steps include:

• A temporary community center to take over from the Disaster Recovery Center within the next few weeks. The center will be located within the Mountain Shadows community.
• Appointment of a board of directors for the organization.
• A benefit concert to be jointly sponsored by The Mountain Shadows Community Association, Colorado Springs Together and the City of Colorado Springs oversight committee.
• Development of the process to ensure effective allocation of funds using the experience of J.D. Dallager, (CEO Pikes Peak United Way) Peter Maiurro, (Vice President El Pomar Foundation) Bob Cutter, (President of Colorado Springs Together) along with neighborhood representatives Francine Hansen and Chuck Fowler, representing Mountain Shadows Community association and Parkside HOA respectively. The money will be focused on maintaining a community during the rebuilding phase and providing community assets as a memorial to the events of the last week of June 2012.

Colorado Springs Together Leadership Team:

Colorado Springs Together is an independent 501(c)(3) Non-Profit

Colorado Springs Together is a community-driven volunteer effort, and is an independent 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. The team members are distinguished citizens and business professionals in the community facilitating and coordinating a quick and effective rebuilding process for the neighborhoods devastated on June 26th by the fire. The donations received will go towards the activities required to help restore the lives and the neighborhoods affected by the fire at the same time maintaining a strong sense of community during the rebuilding process.

Please visit: 
www.ColoradoSpringsTogether.org
www.facebook.com/ColoradoSpringsTogether
www.twitter.com/COS_Together

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SUTHERS: SCAMS ON RISE AFTER WILDFIRES
STATE ATTORNEY GENERAL WARNS OF CON ARTISTS
BY HOWARD PANKRATZ

The Denver Post

Con artists are taking advantage of Colorado’s devastating fires to pull a variety of scams, Colorado Attorney General John Suthers said Monday.

One particularly disconcerting activity involves charitable giving, with people having received robocall solicitations asking them to donate money, Suthers said. There have also been reports of people going door-to-door collecting for alleged relief agencies, he said.

He warned that reputable organizations like the Red Cross do not solicit charitable contributions that way and people should donate directly to known organizations and be wary of supporting “sham” groups.”

“We need people to report scams that prey on their good intentions so we can stop these practices,” Suthers said.

The types of scams range from the fake charity collections to home repair and construction fraud.

Suthers said that after natural disasters, scam artists posing as door-to-door repairmen, contractors or handymen will pressure consumers into signing up for alleged “great deals” on home repairs.

He advises to check with the Better Business Bureau and ask for written contracts and references.

“People should be skeptical of anyone who shows up at their doorstep offering discounted home repairs and never enter into contracts based on a door-to-door sales pitch. If a deal sounds too good to be true, it probably is,” Suthers said.

As far as insurance fraud, he said, it comes in many forms.

Most insurance companies employ or contract for their own adjusters to evaluate property damage and assist in filing claims, Suthers said.

But in Colorado, consumers can also hire their own adjusters to help negotiate insurance payments.

He said some unscrupulous “public” adjusters will charge an exorbitant fee for their services and then disappear.

Others might refer homeowners to disreputable contractors from whom they get kickbacks.

“Consumers should not be fooled by these con artists who gain their trust and personal information like Social Security and credit card numbers to then commit identity theft,” Suthers said.

Consumers are urged to report deceptive practices by calling the Attorney General’s Consumer Complaint Line at 1-800-222-4444 or filing an online report at www.coloradoattorneygeneral.gov.

Colorado’s Department of Regulatory Agencies can help at 1-303-894-7490 or 1-800-930-3745 or online at www.askdora.colorado.gov.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:  July 9, 2012

Media Contact:
Cindy Aubrey
Chief Communications Officer City of Colorado Springs
(T): 719-385-5254
(C): 719-492-0234
(E): caubrey@springsgov.com
www.ColoradoSpringsTogether.org

Official Waldo Canyon Fire Relief Website Launched

COLORADO SPRINGS, CO, July 9, 2012 — The Waldo Canyon Fire, recorded as the most destructive in Colorado history, has directly impacted thousands of Colorado Springs' residents as well as many businesses in the region. The response and outpouring of support from the community has been tremendous. These efforts are going to become even more focused with the formation of Colorado Springs Together, a non-profit organization and website operating as a centralized "clearing house" for information, services and resources available to those in need—as well as for those who are able to offer help.

Within 24 hours after the destruction caused by the fire was complete, it became evident to Mayor Steve Bach that the city would need a single organization to lead the long term recovery effort. He called upon Bob Cutter, longtime resident and technology business executive to form an independent, privately driven team comprising a cross-section of Colorado Springs business leaders, city staff and elected officials from both city and county to coordinate the timely execution of the recovery effort. In today’s digital world, the need for an official website focusing the recovery efforts become apparent immediately, and Bob Cutter secured Jeff Thomas and his team at 30dps to quickly develop www.ColoradoSpringsTogether.org.

The intent of the website is to set appropriate, well-coordinated priorities for the rebuilding and restoration of the impacted areas, and to offer immediate and long-term resources for those left in need in the wake of the disaster. The scope of the website is in its earliest stages, and will continue to evolve and expand, ultimately encompassing all aspects of the restoration process.

Those who would like to assist in the restoration of the affected neighborhoods will be able to volunteer their time as well as donate money on the website. According to Cutter, "The funds donated will go satisfy the unmet needs of the victims, to assist in the restoration of the affected neighborhoods and to maintain and grow a sense of community that has been torn apart by the fire.”

Rather than replace other organizations offering relief, the Colorado Springs Together initiative will be linking to and partnering with those organizations. Cutter states, “We are a leadership team that coordinates and focuses the efforts of many organizations to have the most impact to rebuild and restore quickly, and by doing so, give the affected people hope for the future.”

Colorado Spring Together is dedicated to bringing together the substantial resources within the Pikes Peak Region. Focused efforts of local businesses and citizens will ensure full restoration comes about quickly and effectively. To give or receive assistance, visit www.ColoradoSpringsTogether.org.

Also visit:
www.facebook.com/ColoradoSpringsTogether
www.twitter.com/COS_Together

Colorado Springs Together Leadership Team: 

Colorado Springs Together is an independent 501(c)(3) Non-Profit

Colorado Springs Together is a community-driven volunteer effort, and is an independent 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. The team members are distinguished citizens and business professionals in the community facilitating and coordinating a quick and effective rebuilding process for the neighborhoods devastated on June 26th by the fire. The donations received will go towards the activities required to help restore the lives and the neighborhoods affected by the fire at the same time maintaining a strong sense of community during the rebuilding process.

Please visit: 
www.ColoradoSpringsTogether.org
www.facebook.com/ColoradoSpringsTogether
www.twitter.com/COS_Together

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