ALCC news center
Growing Water Smart Workshop available Email
Written by Frank Kinder   
Tuesday, January 24, 2023 01:00 AM

Colorado Green Now

Growing Water Smart Workshop available to create water resilience

By Frank Kinder, Northern Water

Growing Water Smart is an innovative workshop that aims to integrate land use and water planning at the community level, which means cities, counties and districts. It was developed to bring together municipal staff, elected officials, and key stakeholders to break down silos and empower communities to collaboratively work towards creating water resilience goals and the steps to meet them. Ultimately, a community’s team of 5-7 individuals will leave the workshop with a detailed action plan and a commitment to take action in order to ensure their community has a sustainable water future. Northern Water helps fund and facilitate to help the state achieve the Colorado Water Plan. The landscape industry is crucial to this future and frequently benefits from the programs cities and districts implement upon completion.

The workshop is up to six teams of staff, elected officials, and other representatives from communities. After the workshop, these six teams will join the ranks of other cities across the state who have completed Growing Water Smart. This video from past Northern Water participants shows the value they found working together.  Get the application details here and apply by March 1st for this no-cost workshop and follow-up support. There is no charge to participate.

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Snow management companies beware Email
Written by Colorado Green NOW   
Tuesday, January 10, 2023 04:00 AM

Colorado Green Now

Snow removal contractors face frequent equipment theft

By Kimberly Jewell, general manager at GroundMasters/Snow Management Services

Whether you are new to snow and ice management, or have been doing it for years, one thing for certain is there is always change, and change often includes different obstacles to maneuver around or challenges to overcome.

In my 23 years in the industry, I have seen it evolve in so many ways, which include:

  • Equipment that makes sidewalk clearing efficient
  • Heavier duty plows or pushers to clear parking lots faster
  • Use of technology to prove services were performed and help contractors defend themselves should litigation arise
  • Cellphone or computer applications that track time and materials

And the list goes on. These improvements have helped both the contractors and our clients.

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2023 ALCC Board of Directors Email
Written by Colorado Green NOW   
Tuesday, January 10, 2023 03:00 AM

Colorado Green Now

 Congratulations to our 2023 Board Members

Results or the 2023 Board of Directors are in. Please join ALCC in congratulating this year's Board of Directors. Together, ALCC and its board members will help guide, advise and oversee our organization through 2023. We look forward to a fantastic year!

President, Zak George, Zak George Landscaping
Vice President, Brian Levins, Arrowhead Landscape Maintenance
Secretary/Treasurer, Steve Steele, Steele Dynamic Services
Past President, Dan Grange, BrightView Landscape

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Aurora Water Stage 1 Drought Restrictions Email
Written by Colorado Green NOW   
Tuesday, January 10, 2023 02:00 AM

Colorado Green Now

 Aurora Water anticipates Stage 1 Drought Restrictions for 2023 irrigation season

By Adam Waters, Water Conservation Specialist at City of Aurora/Aurora Water

Amid the worst drought in 1,200 years, reservoirs in the western U.S. are being pushed to the brink. Years of dwindling precipitation, soil aridification and growth in demand mean a year of average, or even above average, mountain snowpack won’t bring the region out of its current water crisis. While Aurora Water’s reservoirs are faring better than some others, they started the new year at just 55% of their combined storage capacity.

In these situations, Aurora turns to its Water Management Plan (WMP) for measures to ensure the sustainability of its water resources. With drought lingering and lackluster snowpack forecasted, Aurora Water will ask Aurora City Council to approve a Stage 1 Drought Declaration for the 2023 irrigation season. Stage 1 drought aims to reduce outdoor water usage by 20%, primarily through increased enforcement of water waste violations and firmer user irrigation restrictions.

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New Plant Select recommendation Email
Written by Colorado Green NOW   
Tuesday, January 10, 2023 01:00 AM

Colorado Green Now

 Leprechaun southernwood provides texture and wildlife resistance 

 Contributed by Ross Shrigley and Bev Shaw for Plant Select®

It’s been said by Robin Sharma that “simplicity is the trademark of genius. Leprechaun southernwood (Artemisia abrotanum ‘Leprechaun) is the epitome of that trademark for landscapes in the intermountain region. Even as rabbits and deer are becoming a wildlife staple in neighborhoods, they won’t eat Leprechaun southernwood!  

Interestingly, in the Victorian era, this clean-scented, slightly citrus-smelling plant was included in handheld bouquets to mask overripe body odors of the day. Its pleasant, fine green texture enhanced the bouquets, acting as floral filler and showcasing other flowers in the arrangement. We have now found other uses for Leprechaun’s scent, though discouraging herbivory is an important asset.  

Look at a perennial border and imagine the enhanced presentation Leprechaun southernwood could make with its fine, airy texture and dark green coloration behind all the vibrant flowers. Combine it with groupings of Undaunted® ruby muhly grass to set off those red seed heads. This woody perennial behaves more like a shrub and can also be used as an informal or formal hedge by shearing it. Every fall, be sure to its sheared back to 4 inches. This annual maintenance practice will encourage the presentation of fresh emerald green growth each spring, while allowing space for a carpet of early spring flowering bulbs to bloom at its base. 

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Tom Delaney receives MVP ELITE award Email
Written by Colorado Green NOW   
Tuesday, December 27, 2022 04:00 AM

Colorado Green Now

Tom Delaney has been with Rocky Mountain Trees & Landscaping since 1989. During that time, he has been on almost every crew, starting from entry level and working his way up. Now and for several years, he has been the company’s the go-to irrigation tech. 

Delaney knows the irrigation systems of Rocky Mountain Trees’ clients inside and out, having installed many of them himself. Many clients only trust Delaney to service their irrigation systems.  

During the 2022 season, Delaney was the only irrigation tech for Rocky Mountain Trees. In addition to being the sole tech, he has also assisted some of the maintenance crews, often weeding and pruning when on-site at clients’ homes for irrigation checks. He also coordinates with other crews on installations, trains staff on mowing and shares tips of the trade. It seems like Delaney is everywhere – and what sets him apart is that no one had to ask him to do any of these things. 

Delaney brings a level of detail about drought awareness to clients when setting controllers. He often says his plan is to “keep the water use in our landscapes just on the edge of dryness so they are more drought resilient. 

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Dustin Dayton receives MVP ELITE Award Email
Written by Colorado Green NOW   
Tuesday, December 27, 2022 03:00 AM

Colorado Green Now

Dustin Dayton has moved through the ranks since starting with Zak George Landscaping (ZGL) in 2012 as a maintenance crew member. He moved to maintenance crew leader then on to a maintenance field operations supervisor position, then maintenance operations manager. In 2021, the company needed a full-time fleet manager, and called upon Dayton to fill that role. He is also the company’s snow commander. All in all, Dustin oversees 10 maintenance crews, three junior supervisors, three in-house mechanics, over 300 small engines, and many trucks and trailers. 

Dayton is respected by his entire team and a great resource for the leadership team to rely on for anything at ZGL. He sends multiple forms of media to his team including professional coaching and podcasts to inspire them to improve as people. Dayton portrays a very kind-mannered way of supervision. He understands their job and knows how they would like to be treated.  

The retention rate in the maintenance department that Dayton oversees is incredibly high compared to the industry standard several employees with more than 5 or 10 years of service. This is due to Dayton’s coaching and teaching.  

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Char Chacon receives MVP ELITE Award Email
Written by Colorado Green NOW   
Tuesday, December 27, 2022 02:00 AM

Colorado Green Now

Char Farley Chacon has been with Designscapes Colorado since 2001, starting out as a team administrator, and progressing to her current position as Residential Team Manager over the past 20 years.  

Chacon demonstrates exceptional customer service with our clients and treats every employee with kindness and compassion. She is always producing the highest quality of work, which inspires others to do their best. She is dependable, responsible, empathetic, trustworthy and excellent at actively listening. The door is always open to Char’s office. 

In her desire to give back to the community, Chacon introduced the “Angels Among Us” program to the company. This program provides Christmas presents to children in need, and the company received an ELITE Award in 2021 for their work on this program. She also was a huge contributor in building and maintaining the Moonbeam Gardens at Clayton Early Learning, a program which provides healthy, fresh food to children, their families, and the community that are located within a food desert.  

Chacon’s co-workers describe her as “the heart and soul of Designscapes Colorado.” She sets the standard for every employee and has set the bar high.  

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American Design & Landscape receives HNA Award Email
Written by Colorado Green NOW   
Tuesday, December 13, 2022 04:00 AM

Colorado Green Now

In October, the 2022 Hardscape North America (HNA) Awards ceremony was held at the Kentucky Exposition Center. These awards recognize top residential and commercial hardscape projects including walkways, patios, outdoor living spaces and kitchens, driveways as well as commercial plazas and streets.

Congratulations to Colorado's American Design & Landscape for their Outdoor Living Features award for Wolverine Kitchen in Parker. View more HNA awards: 2022 HNA Awards Winners and Honorable Mention Recipients Announced

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Tom Handy receives MVP ELITE Award Email
Written by Colorado Green NOW   
Tuesday, December 13, 2022 03:00 AM

Colorado Green Now

Tom Handy has been in the industry for 37 years. Before managing the irrigation service department at NationScapes, he was employed by a company acquired by NationScapes 

Under Handy’s leadership, the irrigation service department has grown from approximately $1 million to almost $2.4 million in revenue in two years. Furthermore, his dedication to efficiency has raised the gross margin from 46% to more than 55% in two years.  

Known for his leadership, dedication and professionalism, Handy will never leave someone in the field to struggle. He will rally the entire field team to a small residential service repair at 7 p.m. to help someone who is struggling. He routinely spends time with customer service representatives training them on technical aspects of sprinklers so that we can provide the highest level of service to customers during phone interactions. 

In addition to his many contributions to the company, Handy is also active in his community. Last winter, he spearheaded an effort to organize and collect goods to assist victims of the Marshall fires. 

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Colby Woodvine receives MVP ELITE Award Email
Written by Colorado Green NOW   
Tuesday, December 13, 2022 02:00 AM

Colorado Green Now

Colby Woodvine is a surveyor at Phase One Landscapes, Inc. The company upgraded its technology in surveying, utilizing a Top Con LN-150 instrument. This made the survey operations a one-person job – that one person was Woodvine. He’s anchored every survey that came in this year.  

This task is even more daunting because Phase One’s average project size had increased, and Woodvine has been very busy gathering data and making base plans. The job is grueling and isolating, but he helped Phase One meet goals halfway through this year. In addition, Woodvine also does the 3D modeling and hand renders graphics.  

Phase One says Woodvine leads by example. He sets the tone in the Monday Morning Meeting – where he learns what surveys, models, or renderings he is assigned for the week and prioritizes them. He never complains about increased workload and gets the job done. He’s a key ingredient in Phase One’s recipe for success. 

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Extreme drought on Western Slope is real Email
Written by Kate Brocata   
Tuesday, November 22, 2022 04:00 AM

Colorado Green Now

How Yampa Valley reshapes local landscaping
By Kate Brocata

Residents of the arid mountain West in the Yampa Valley, it’s no secret that we are facing devastating impacts caused by a historically unprecedented 23-year drought. Despite a strong monsoon season that brought relief to much of our region, we are far from drought recovery.

Routt County, home to Steamboat Ski Resort, sits at the headwaters of the Colorado River with the Yampa River at the heart of our communities. However, being at the headwaters doesn’t mean the region is free from drought impacts. Agricultural producers suffered 70-90% reduction in hay and alfalfa yields in 2021 due to extended drought. For the past three summers, the Yampa River was closed to recreational uses due to high stream temperatures caused by low flows. River closures and use restrictions place burdens on the region’s already economically strained recreation and tourism industries.

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The business you start is never the business you run Email
Written by Jessi Burg   
Tuesday, November 22, 2022 03:00 AM

Colorado Green Now

Confessions of a serial entrepreneur
By Jessi Burg

 I have started two successful companies over the past five years, and I’ve learned that growing a successful business means following the money. You have to ask yourself: “What are my client’s currently paying for, what else are they willing to pay for and how does that overlap with the work I want to do?”

I opened my first business, Soe Harvest, in 2017, planning to teach people how to grow vegetables in their garden. This rapidly became overall garden maintenance, followed by working with clients to incorporate more sustainable and edible plants into their landscapes. Three years later, my vegetable garden coaching business had turned into Pears to Perennials, a design/build and maintenance company focusing on sustainable landscaping. I sold it in 2021.

My current business, Outgrow Your Garage, was started in 2021 and has followed a similar trajectory. What began as a direct- to-business consulting company has become an on-demand business development program. At the beginning, my clients were mostly existing trades and service companies looking to solve specific problems. Soon, I needed programs my clients could work through on their own. This segued into working with other consultants, nonprofits and business coaches to create business education that could be used by any small business — whether my clients or someone else’s.

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