{"id":2457855,"date":"2020-04-29T22:48:00","date_gmt":"2020-04-30T04:48:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/news\/city-of-aspen-to-crack-down-on-noncompliant-covid-19-construction-sites\/"},"modified":"2020-04-29T22:48:00","modified_gmt":"2020-04-30T04:48:00","slug":"city-of-aspen-to-crack-down-on-noncompliant-covid-19-construction-sites","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/local-news\/city-of-aspen-to-crack-down-on-noncompliant-covid-19-construction-sites\/","title":{"rendered":"City of Aspen to crack down on noncompliant COVID-19 construction sites"},"content":{"rendered":"<figure class=\"wp-block-image p402_hide\">\n<div class=\"caption-container\"> <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"686\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2020\/04\/constructionrules-atd-043020-1-1024x686.jpg\" class=\"attachment-large size-large wp-post-image\" alt srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2020\/04\/constructionrules-atd-043020-1-1024x686.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2020\/04\/constructionrules-atd-043020-1-300x201.jpg 300w, https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2020\/04\/constructionrules-atd-043020-1-768x515.jpg 768w, https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2020\/04\/constructionrules-atd-043020-1-1536x1029.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2020\/04\/constructionrules-atd-043020-1-2048x1372.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\"><figcaption><strong>COVID-19 guidelines are posted outside of a construction site in Aspen on Wednesday, April 29, 2020. (Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times)<\/strong><br \/><em>Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times<\/em><\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Strict rules governing construction sites designed to slow the spread of COVID-19 are being broken only three days into a public health order that allows the work, city of Aspen officials said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">\u201cThe most common violations are not wearing masks, not social distancing and carpooling,\u201d City Engineer Trish Aragon said Wednesday.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Managers of construction sites are required to <a id=\"N0x15b2300N0x149fc20:N0x15b2300N0x160c830\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cityofaspen.com\/1285\/Covid-19-Construction\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">sign off on a 13-page site safety plan<\/a><i class=\"fas fa-external-link-alt\"><\/i> that details numerous measures for workers to employ.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Included in the rules are workers are not allowed to leave the site and visit grocery stores or area restaurants for take-out.<\/p>\n<div class=\"row\">\n<div class=\"col\" readability=\"6\">\n<div class=\"row at-donation at-donation-mobile p-0\" readability=\"7\">\n<div class=\"col-xl-4 p-2\">\n<div data-bg=\"url(https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2020\/03\/AT-logo-white.png)\" class=\"p-0 mt-2 mb-2 h-75 text-center rocket-lazyload\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2020\/03\/AT-logo-white.png\" class=\"logo m-0 p-0 invisible\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><h3 class=\"d-inline mr-3\">Support Local Journalism<\/h3>\n<p><button class=\"btn d-inline\" type=\"button\" onclick=\"handleDonationButtonClickMidArticle()\">Donate<\/button><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Personal hygiene practices and staying 6 feet apart from one another whenever possible are emphasized throughout the plan, as are wearing masks.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Aragon said there were 700 active residential and commercial construction sites in the city before the outbreak of COVID-19 hit Aspen and forced nearly all economic activity to halt under local public health orders.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">As of noon on Wednesday, 123 sites had approved COVID-19 site safety plans, Aragon said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Earlier this month, the Pitkin County Board of Health amended its public health order to allow construction sites, bike repair shops and landscapers to operate.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Contractors were able to submit plans beginning March 23 to the city, with work resuming Monday.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\"><a id=\"N0x15b2300N0x149fc80:N0x15b2300N0x160cc68\" href=\"https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/news\/public-health-officials-to-open-construction-bike-repair-shops-and-office-supply-stores-in-aspen-area\/\">The amended public order<\/a> is considered the county\u2019s first attempt to reopen part of the economy.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Public health officials expect a spike in cases as a result, and are continuing to monitor cases at Aspen Valley Hospital in an effort to not overwhelm the health care system.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">If there is a spike in cases, public health orders can be amended to curtail activity.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Councilman Ward Hauenstein said he\u2019s concerned about the lax approach that some construction sites are taking regarding COVID-19 safety protocols.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">\u201cIt\u2019s so important for our reopening,\u201d he said, adding the workers, many of whom are traveling from neighboring counties that have fewer restrictions than Pitkin County \u201cowe it to our community. \u2026 It\u2019s so important that we get this right.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\"><a id=\"N0x15b2300N0x149fce0:N0x15b2300N0x160cf80\" href=\"https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/news\/local\/aspen-city-council-moves-to-fast-track-construction-during-economic-crisis\/\">Aspen City Council agreed earlier this week to expedite construction projects<\/a> in the queue by issuing demolition and building permits quicker, but Hauenstein said he\u2019d be reluctant to fast track that if safety protocols are not being taken.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Aragon said enforcement and monitoring are being conducted through the police department, as well as staff in the building and parking departments.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">\u201cOur most effective tool is shutting the site down,\u201d she said of repeated violations.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Enforcement will occur in a three-step process, beginning with a verbal warning.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">The second measure is a corrective notice, which means that if an infraction is observed on a site that has received a verbal warning the general contractor has to submit an amendment to their safety plan within 48 hours.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">If city staff does not receive an amendment within 48 hours, the site will be shut down for 14 days.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">A third infraction leads to another 14-day shut down.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Aragon said it\u2019s not just city staff watching construction sites, it\u2019s also members of the public.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">\u201cWe\u2019ve got 2,000 inspectors out there,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText Tagline\"><a href=\"mailto:csackariason@aspentimes.com\">csackariason@aspentimes.com<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/news\/local\/city-of-aspen-to-crack-down-on-noncompliant-covid-19-construction-sites\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">via:: The Aspen Times<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>COVID-19 guidelines are posted outside of a construction site in Aspen on Wednesday, April 29, 2020. (Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times)Kelsey Brunner\/The Aspen Times Strict rules governing construction sites designed to slow the spread of COVID-19 are being broken only three days into a public health order that allows the work, city of Aspen officials said. [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[49],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2457855","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","category-local-news"],"acf":[],"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-08-17 21:24:44","action":"change-status","newStatus":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":"category","extraData":[]},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"distributor_meta":false,"distributor_terms":false,"distributor_media":false,"distributor_original_site_name":"KSPN The Valley&#039;s Quality Rock","distributor_original_site_url":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn","push-errors":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2457855","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2457855"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2457855\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2457855"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2457855"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2457855"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}