$1 DATA CENTER NEW LEADERSHIP Developer Craig Harrison SBA’s Matt Varilek starts pushes forward with energy work amidst floods and park. shutdowns. 3 5 Volume 19 Issue 3 | Nov. 1-14, 2013 Special report: State early adopter in health IT BY MOLLY ARMBRISTER adoption of electronic medical records. percent, according to data provided by Foothills Mall [email protected] Despite substantial costs and down- the Colorado Regional Health Infor- time associated with installation and mation Organization, or CORHIO, a Colorado doctors and hospitals, training, Colorado’s adoption rate is health-information exchange working including two major regional provid- about 74 percent, meaning that nearly to establish electronic connections interrupted ers in Larimer and Weld counties, are three-quarters of providers are now between the state’s providers. outpacing the national average in their using them. The national average is 72 ➤ See Health, 4 When the city of Fort Collins Northern Colorado Business Report and developers of Foothills Mall reached agreement on a $53 mil- lion financing package in May, it Northern Colorado Business Report looked as if all systems were “go.” FEMA’s fingertips on flood damage But in fact, within two weeks, alarm bells were sounding as devel- opers warned that city delays in making decisions threatened their ability to launch the project, and as the city fielded complaints from major players, such as Arc Thrift Store, that developers were ignor- ing commitments to help the non- profit relocate. With each passing month, costs rose as the complicated public- private partnership encountered one snag after another. To read the Business Report’s online analysis of what has delayed this ground- breaking project, visit: www.ncbr.com/section/foothillsmall In Technology Special Section, Page 7 JONATHAN CASTNER NoCo chambers split on Amendment 66 BY MELISSA SHAAF dramatically increase funding avail- how $1 billion in new annual revenues [email protected] able for schools via an increase in the will be spent. personal and commercial income tax. Business opposition isn’t uniform Influential business groups in Chambers of commerce in each of however. The Greeley Chamber of Scan here to Loveland and Fort Collins have come these communities said they fear the Commerce, for instance, has come follow stories. out strongly against Amendment 66, measure unduly burdens small busi- out in favor of the amendment. a far-reaching measure designed to nesses and provides little oversight of ➤ See Election, 20 CONTENTS Serving Northern Colorado Visit ncbr.com for breaking news Legislative flood Briefcase ........................15 Newsmaker Q&A............11 committee Business News Digest .....6 On The Job ....................13 Preparing to convene .2 Calendar.........................14 Online Poll......................26 Editorial ..........................26 The Eye ............................3 Mortgage deduction For The Record ..............17 Time Out ........................16 Realtors, builders concerned as tax break reviewed.......................3 Lists Marketing Software developers ............................................................ 8 What’s up with Google? Data storage providers ........................................................ 9 ................................... 11 2 | Nov. 1-14, 2013 Northern Colorado Business Report | www.ncbr.com Lawmakers’ panel faces flood of issues BY STEVE LYNN infrastructure damaged by flood- Grosso, R-Loveland, said he wants [email protected] ing. Evans officials estimate they to find ways to accelerate repairs of FLOOD DISASTER will spend $7 million to replace the U.S. 34. The highway remains closed DENVER – Northern Colorado STUDY COMMITTEE plant. The city’s wastewater budget in Big Thompson Canyon, blocking lawmakers, as part of an upcoming amounts to slightly more than $1 access from Loveland to Estes Park. legislative committee on flooding, State House members: million, and where the city will find The Colorado Department of Trans- Brian DelGrosso, R-Loveland will explore oil and gas production in Mike Foote, D-Lafayette the money to build a new one isn’t portation aims to fix the highway by floodplains, financing for devastated Stephen Humphrey, R-Severance known yet. Dec. 1. wastewater treatment plants, expe- Jonathan Singer, D-Longmont “The problems they have experi- “Our economy depends on 34, so dited repair of U.S. Highway 34 and Jerry Sonnenberg, R-Sterling enced with their wastewater treat- that’s something we’re going to be reconnection of utilities for businesses Dave Young, D-Greeley ment plant are something I’m watch- advocating for,” he said. still without power. ing very carefully,” Young said. Additionally, some businesses in The bipartisan Flood Disaster State Senate members: A portion of the plant that remains south Loveland along the Big Thomp- Matt Jones, D-Louisville Study Committee, consisting of John Kefalas, D-Fort Collins functional continues to treat waste- son River remain without power, he a dozen legislators from the Front Kent Lambert, R-Colorado Springs water while the city of Greeley has said. Range, will convene Tuesday , Nov. Kevin Lundberg, R-Berthoud helped Evans reroute other wastewa- Another pressing issue the com- 5, Election Day, at the Capitol in Jeanne Nicholson, D-Black Hawk ter through above-ground pipelines. mittee will explore is funding, Del- Denver to address those flood-related Scott Renfroe, R-Greeley “The fact that they’ve worked to Grosso said. Lawmakers will look at issues and others. The committee will come up with a patch is great, but it’s what levels of funding will come from work with Gov. John Hickenlooper’s only temporary,” he said. local, state and federal governments administration, state agencies and River in 1976, several bills addressed State Sen. John Kefalas, D-Fort to repair flood damage. representatives of local governments everything from floodplain stud- Collins, will inquire about oil and The committee is to meet as many to review laws and regulations related ies to temporary housing for flood gas development in the floodplain. as five times, although it can request to flood recovery. victims. The state of Colorado reported 13 additional meetings to complete its Flooding in Colorado has spurred State Rep. Dave Young, D-Gree- “notable” oil spills totaling 43,134 work. Lawmakers can form task forc- legislators to action in the past. ley, said the committee will focus on gallons from flooding. The amount es that include people in the federal, More than 40 years ago, after flood- the statewide response to flooding equaled three standard 300-barrel oil state and local governments, as well as ing in the South Platte and Arkansas that struck Front Range cities and storage tanks. nonprofits and private-sector organi- river basins, a special session in 1965 towns in September. “I’d like to know what the science zations to address problems. led to passage of a 1-cent fuel tax “We’re looking for opportunities to is and what is the extent of oil and gas Lawmakers won’t introduce new increase for 13 months to fund road not only respond to the current situa- development that’s adjacent to the legislation directly from the com- repairs, according to a report from tion, but also to address future flood 100-year floodplain,” he said. “I think mittee. Instead, lawmakers, who are the Colorado Legislative Council. response,” Young said. we need to look at that issue as one of limited to introducing five bills per In 1968, Congress established the Specifically, Young wants to many issues that this study commit- session, may sponsor individual mea- National Flood Insurance Program. review the city of Evans’ wastewa- tee is going to be looking at.” sures during next year’s legislative After flooding in the Big Thompson ter treatment plant and other water House Minority Leader Brian Del- session, which starts Jan. 9. Clinton Baker, Partner, Adam Sweetman, Kennedy and Coe Sweetman Investments GET THE BUSINESS OUT OF THE OFFICE. At Kennedy and Coe, we have the courage to do something GL΍HUHQWWRJHWWRQHZSODFHV Even if it means rolling up our sleeves, and our trousers. www.kcoe.com | 800.303.3241 Consultants Northern Colorado Business Report | www.ncbr.com Nov. 1-14, 2013 | 3 Mortgage State clearing way for energy park interest BY STEVE LYNN [email protected] Craig Harrison’s Niobrara Energy Park has cleared some major hurdles in the past year, with deduction state government agencies approving his requests for a natural-gas distribution system and usage of 135 million gallons of water annually. “Now the project is not only totally energy secure, it can be totally water secure,” targeted said Harrison, president of Harrison Resource Corp. Harrison has worked for nearly three years to launch his energy park, BY MOLLY ARMBRISTER where he aims to integrate natural gas and renewable-energy generation [email protected] facilities with a cloud-computing data center. Harrison, a developer in Loveland, has collaborated with IDC Architects, an affiliate Renewed discussion about fed- of CH2M Hill, on the project. eral debt in the wake of last month’s The Niobrara Energy Park, located near Carr in government shutdown has brought Weld County, would join a handful of data cen- conversations about budget balancing ters in the region, including a $112 million back to the forefront, including dis- facility being built by Microsoft Corp. cussions about repealing or reducing (Nasdaq: MSFT) and another oper- the mortgage interest deduction. ated by