Day 57 of the 2002 Olympic Torch Relay began early in the Tri-Lakes area on January 31st. Despite slushy, slippery conditions and the extremely cold temperatures, a festive crowd of Tri-Lakes citizens and well-wishers assembled at the Palmer Lake Town Hall at 9 am., to publicly celebrate and recognize Anne "Red Hawk" Shimek, the town’s lone relay runner. The highlight of the ceremony was the surprize presentation to Ms. Shimek of a $335 check. This gift from friends allowed her to purchase the torch she used during the relay.

Afterwards, the celebration moved eastward to the Safeway parking lot in Monument, where as many as 15 runners awaited the start of the relay through the town.

At approximately 1:15 pm, the first runner, Brian Bray, was scheduled to place his silver, copper, and glass relay torch up to the special lantern holding the Olympic flame, and thus would continue the daily odyssey that began on November 19, 2001, in Olympia, Greece.

Escorted by a Corvette pace vehicle provided by the relay’s official sponsor, General Motors Corporation, Mr. Bray is then expected to trot out to Highway 105 and proceed south. His flame in turn is to be passed to the icicle-like torches of the other honored runners: Jeff Nowak, Warren Ary, Mildred Brodbeck, Frank DeAngelis, Thomas Weyer, Terrance Callow, Virgina Keatley, Taylor Smith, Brandon Dickerson, Stephen Smith, Anne Shimek, Chessa Ronning, Thomas Herman, and a final unidentified runner. Each individual participant will carry his or her personal torch for a distance of 0.2 miles.

The official route travels down Highway 105 to 3rd Street, then west to Front Street, south to 2nd Street, up to Jefferson Street, along Santa Fe Avenue, and finally down to the Soc N’ Roll via the Old Denver Highway.

At 2:45 pm, following the completion of the historic run through the town, the mayors of Monument and Castle Rock, along with other distinguished guests, are expected to convene at Lewis Palmer High School and formerly acknowledge the runners and their support personnel. It is an event made notable by the unique circumstances surrounding the relay and it’s theme of “Light the Fire Within,” a symbol for every Olympian’s desire for competition and victory.

The Olympic flame is scheduled to leave Colorado after February 2nd, and will continue it’s amazing trip en route to the 2002 Olympic Winter Games. It will arrive in Salt Lake City, Utah, on February 8th, and be used to officially inaugurate the opening day ceremonies at Rice-Eccles Olympic Stadium.

The present Olympic flame was transported in a specially constructed lantern to the site of the last Olympics, Atlanta, Georgia, and arrived there on December 4, 2001. Eventually, the flame will have traveled more than 13,500 miles, and have been carried by over 11,500 participants in 46 states. The flame travels an average of 208 miles per day, and although transportation on foot is the most visible method of carrying the flame, ultimately it will also have been borne by automobile, airplane, train, ship, dog sled, skier, snowmobile, covered wagon, and horse-drawn sleigh. It will be extinguished on February 24th, at the conclusion of the Salt Lake Olympic games.

According to the official Olympic website (www.saltlake2002.com), the key elements that comprise each individual torch (i.e., glass, silver, and copper) symbolize various qualities. The glass is meant to resemble light, winter and ice. The aged silver finish represents the West and melting water, while the highly polished silver reflects the heart and speed of the Olympians. Copper is used as a metaphor for fire, passion and the history of Utah.

View pictures of local torchbearers

The EL Paso County Planning Commission hearing on the Forest Lakes Residential Project has been scheduled for Tuesday, February 26, 9 am, County Building, 27 E. Vermijo, 3rd floor hearing room.

If the planning commission arrives at a recommendation for approval or denial at that hearing, the Board of County Commissioners will then hold a hearing and make a final decision. Opinions and comments concerning this project should be sent to the El Paso County Planning Department (Attn: Carl Schueler), 27 East Vermijo Avenue, Colorado Springs, CO 80903.

The proposal, based on a sketch plan approved about 15 years ago, calls for 467 dwelling units on approximately 990 acres located at the western end of Baptist Road, primarily on the former Beaver Creek Ranch. The land is currently zoned for five-acre parcels. The proposed preliminary plan and rezoning request calls for a clustered design with areas of urban density coupled with open space and recreational use of two lakes.

Further information on the Forest Lakes Residential Project is at www.ourcommunitynews.org. Our Community News carried the story “December hearing planned for controversial Forest Lakes project” in our November 2 edition.

The Monument Planning Commission held meetings January 8, 14, and 16 to discuss the draft update to Monument’s comprehensive plan. Each meeting drew 50 or more people. The meetings on the 14th and 16th held in the town hall were standing room only. By a show of hands, approximately half of those who attended were Monument voters. These meetings are the latest step in a process that started in June 2000 to develop a collective vision of the future of the Town of Monument.

In opening the first meeting, Monument Mayor Betty Konarski noted that the purpose of the plan is to capture “What you would like to see happen.” Planning commission chair, David Mertz added that this effort can affect “how this town is going to go in the next 5, 10, 20 years. We are all ears. It is your document.”

Mike Davenport, Monument’s Assistant Town Manager and Planner, led the discussion at the meetings on January 8 and 16. Barbara Cole, President of Community Matters, the town’s consulting company for the comprehensive plan project, led the discussion on January 14.

Davenport noted that the town has experienced, “9% growth per year over the past 20 years.” He added, “When the 1983 comprehensive plan was approved, Monument was growing by 5 to 10 houses per year. Now it is growing by 5 to 10 houses per week.” This growth has left the 1983 plan seriously out of date. It does not cover the areas east of I-25 such as Jackson Creek or those south of Baptist Road such as the proposed Forest Lakes business-industrial park.

The existing land use table on page 9 of the draft plan shows 2,090 acres of vacant land in the town with 233 acres of residential (2398 dwelling units); 164 acres of commercial or office; 63 acres of light industrial-manufacturing; 62 acres of schools, churches and other public or quasi-public buildings; 58 acres of parks and open space, and 365 acres of right-of-way. Cole said, “What worries me is that people think the vacant land will remain open space.” She added, “The development of the vacant land depends on the political will of the planning commission and town board.”

Although each meeting was intended to focus on a separate area (Jackson Creek, residential neighborhoods west of I-25, and downtown and other business areas), there was considerable overlap in the discussions at the three meetings.

At each meeting, it was emphasized that the comprehensive plan does not change the zoning on any parcels. The Board of Trustees, through a separate set of hearings, makes zoning changes. Davenport noted that zoning changes usually come at the request of landowners. Cole said that in areas where zoning changes are not made, design standards and performance criteria could be used to constrain building size, appearance, height, setbacks, and landscaping. Chapter 10 of the draft plan calls for an 80-foot landscaped setback along I-25. When challenged on this proposal by concerned landowners, Davenport said, “The town has the power to make changes to the zoning regulation.” He added, “Parking might be allowed within the 80-foot setback, especially for narrow parcels.” Mike Wicklund, Manager of the Monument Sanitation District, noted that the 80-foot setback could restrict development of parcels that face Beacon Lite Road and back up to I-25.

Also at each meeting, concern was expressed about the large areas on the draft future land use map shown as PI (Planned Industrial). Davenport explained that when Jackson Creek, then known as Regency Park, was annexed to the town in 1987, the area just east of I-25 was “intended as a regional shopping mall.” He added that PI is described in the draft plan as “encouraging light industrial.” He said that light industrial, sometimes called manufacturing, is distinguished from heavy industrial that produces “objectionable levels of emissions.” Davenport noted, “For a town this size, it is a lot of industrial land.” Cole said, “What was put in place is way too much.” Cole also noted that due to difficulties crossing the Santa Fe Trail, “A large portion [of the industrial land west of I-25] is going to be tough to develop.”

Cole asked the question, “Should heavy industrial be allowed and where?” Many in the audience at the January 14 meeting expressed the view that heavy industrial should not be allowed anywhere in the town. At the January 16 meeting, Bill Simpson, owner of the parcel on north Washington Street proposed for a Transit Mix concrete batch plant said, “We don’t plan to let our Planned Heavy Industrial District zoning get away from us.” Davenport responded, “We haven’t found the documents that establish that zoning. It is an area subject to further research.” Simpson and Transit Mix are engaged in an ongoing lawsuit against the town over the April 2000 denial of the proposed concrete batch plant.

The areas west and south of Lewis-Palmer High School, shown in the draft future land use map as Planned Industrial, also drew concern. Konarski said she thought mixed use would be a better designation since it could accommodate the development of a cultural, recreational, and educational center.

Davenport noted that the industrial and commercial areas could also accommodate office buildings. An issue of considerable interest was the prospect of the area being overrun with big box stores. This is often characterized as the “North Academy look,” referring to what happened to north Academy Boulevard in Colorado Springs.

In discussing this, Davenport referred to the distinction made on the draft future land use map between CC (community commercial), HC (highway commercial), and RC (regional commercial). CC is for businesses such as grocery stores designed to serve the local neighborhoods. HC is for businesses such as gas stations, restaurants, and motels designed to serve the traveling public. RC is for businesses such as big box stores expected to draw customers from throughout the region.

Davenport noted, “Most towns get more revenue from sales taxes than from property taxes.” Commercial property owner, John Dominowski, said that Monument gets five times as much revenue from sales tax as from property tax. Cole said, “Houses do not pay their way. We need to balance land uses to insure the fiscal future of the town.”

In response to a question about how the town can affect proposed developments, such as Wal-Mart, outside its boundaries, Davenport said the town could enforce its master street plan. The town could also adopt an intergovernmental agreement (IGA) with the county; however, none is in place at this time.

Davenport added that good planning practice and the county’s master plan call for intense development, including large scale commercial projects, to be within the municipalities where it can be better controlled and where services can be provided more economically. At meetings of the comprehensive plan steering and advisory committees, it was agreed it would be better if big box retail was within the town rather than in the county adjacent to the town, as Wal-Mart is proposing; however, the question of whether the plan should accommodate big box retail at all was left hanging. The draft future land use map shows large areas of regional commercial. At the January 14 meeting, Cole went through a cursory analysis of potential sites for big box stores and concluded that most sites outside the town would have significant development difficulties. This would seem to indicate that the town does have a choice as to whether to allow big box retail or not.

Another issue was building heights. The Jackson Creek/Regency Park development agreement signed by the town in 1987 allows buildings up to 90-foot or 100-foot tall. Cole said, “The circle road near I-25 is a nightmare. Those 90-foot to 100-foot buildings would be hanging over I-25.” Davenport noted that heights above 60 feet create significant firefighting constraints. Monument Trustee Christopher Perry, a volunteer with the Black Forest Fire Protection District, added that buildings over four stories require special firefighting equipment.

“The weakest part of the map is the parks and trails,” according to Konarski. Much of the area shown on the draft future land use map as open space is Prebles’ Meadow Jumping Mouse habitat and off-limits for recreational use. An attendee asked, “Where are the active recreational areas?” Another said, “We need parkland for people not just parkland for mice.” Parks and trails have been a planning commission priority.

Chris Pollard noted that some areas outside the town, such as the northeast corner of Knollwood and Highway 105, shown as open space, are actually approved for commercial use. Cole added that Wal-Mart developer Mark Goldberg is upset that the draft future land use map shows the parcel across from King Soopers as open space.

The designation of the area around Monument Lake was also criticized. Some feel this should be developed into an amenity for the entire area. A mixed-use designation was suggested as more appropriate than the draft’s depiction of large areas of single family residential.

According to Davenport, “This document is nowhere near the final document. There is a three or four month process from here.” The town’s consultant, Community Matters, will incorporate public comments into the draft plan. The revised draft will be reviewed by the comprehensive plan advisory and steering committees. Then the planning commission will schedule one or more public hearings to consider adoption of the update as the town’s new comprehensive plan. If the planning commission decides to adopt the document, it will likely be forwarded to the Monument Board of Trustees, perhaps in May, for possible endorsement.

Although much was discussed, few conclusions were drawn except that the draft needs a lot of work. Wicklund summed it up by saying, “Who made the decisions on future land use? Everywhere I look it is like someone threw darts.”

On a positive note, landowner Lee Kilbourn said, “This [process] is a marvelous thing. It is vital to have attractive businesses come here. We need to influence how our community is going to develop.” Davenport added, “People are drawn to places that are better planned with a more consistent design.”

Copies of the draft plan are available at Monument Town Hall, 166 Second Street. For further information, call the Monument Planning Department at 481-2954. Comments should be sent to the town planning department.

View selected portions of the draft future land use map

View picture of Jan. 16 comp plan meeting

At the Monument Planning Commission meeting Wednesday January 9, 2002, the only public hearing was for a second amended preliminary PD site plan for Foster’s Storage on Old Denver Highway. Mr. Foster request for larger storage units on his site was approved. Outdoor storage of RVs was previously denied.

The planning commission also reviewed their goals and projects for 2002. These included compliance and code enforcement issues and anticipation of possible rezoning issues. This last will be a discussion item at the February 13 meeting. The commission also discussed its role in the comprehensive plan update and received an update on land use regulations and a “refresher” from Town Attorney Gary Shupp on the do’s and don’ts of being a planning commission member.

The next regularly scheduled meeting of the Monument Planning Commission will be held Wednesday, February 13, 2002 at 6:30 pm at Monument Town Hall, 166 2nd Street. For information on the items to be heard, contact the Monument Planning Department at 481-2954.

Mike and Ingrid Elliott appeared before the Palmer Lake Liquor Licensing Authority to request, and were granted, a hotel and restaurant liquor license for Bella Panini, at 4 Highway 105. They are planning to serve beer and wine and to be open for dinner Tuesday through Saturday, 5-9, and maybe Sundays. They hope to begin on February 1.

Randall Schoenberg appeared for the renewal of the business license for his sporting goods shop, Outbound Trading Post at 790 Highway 105. Trustee Susan Miner remarked that when he first applied for a business license, Mr. Schoenberg told the board that guns would be just a part of his business. Now it seems that his main business is selling firearms. Mayor Nikki McDonald, Trustee Miner, and Trustee Randy Jones all encouraged Mr. Schoenberg to have more balanced inventory and to broaden his marketing to advertise his full line of merchandise, in his window and in his newspaper ads. The town council approved renewal of Mr. Schoenberg’s license.

The board also approved an increase in dog licensing fees from $5 to $6 for neutered and spayed dogs and from $15 to $16 for non-neutered and non-spayed dogs. Fees involving violations of ordinances were doubled. The impound fee and the daily fee for care are now $20. The posting of notice fee is now $10. The council also decided to review the ordinances for possible revision.

Todd Abrahamson appeared before the board to address the issue of automatic mutual aid between Palmer Lake and Tri-Lakes Fire Protection District. Palmer Lake has terminated its automatic mutual aid agreement with Tri-Lakes, but still has automatic mutual aid with five other area departments. Mr. Abrahamson has been urging the board to reconsider its decision. He also inquired about how the meeting on January 7 between representatives from Palmer Lake and the Tri-Lakes district went. That meeting had been scheduled in response to concerns voiced by citizens at the last council meeting. Trustee Miner replied that there were definitely some points of impasse, that they identified items of agreement and disagreement. The greatest impasse, according to Trustee Miner, was to keep egos out of the discussion. Todd commented that personality conflicts shouldn’t be an issue with professionals. Trustee Scott Russell, Fire Commissioner and a former volunteer firefighter with the Palmer Lake Volunteer Fire Department, said he is concerned about the safety of the Palmer Lake firefighters. “We have trained with the other departments, but not with Tri-Lakes. There’s a level of trust when you’ve trained with a team.” Chief Sheldon, Assistant Chief Rackl, and Assistant Chief Burns from Donald Wescott Fire Department were there to speak in support of Palmer Lake’s position. Chief Sheldon explained that the North Group had voted Tri-Lakes out of the group because Tri-Lakes wouldn’t work with the whole team. “We have a Pikes Peak Fire Chief’s Forum, and some groups are conspicuously absent,” noted Chief Sheldon. Chris Stine, Palmer Lake’s captain in charge of fire training and wild fire prevention commented, “They don’t show up when we invite them to training. If they refuse to train with us, it’s not in my best interest to send one of my firefighters in with one of theirs.”

At the regular monthly meeting January 22, Oscar Gillespie, President of the Board of Directors, was absent due to illness so Director Charlie Pocock presided.

Chief Keith Jensen expressed thanks for the many letters of support and gifts received at the firehouse, including $250 from one family and $100 from another, received over the holidays.

The district ended 2001 more than 5% (about $40,000) under budget for the year. The district responded to 794 incidents and logged 1700 hours of training time. About one-third of the incidents were fire-related. The other two-thirds were calls for medical attention and assistance at traffic accidents. A new ambulance is to be put in service January 24.

Jensen reported that the Donald Wescott district is protesting the approved inclusion in the Tri-Lakes district of the proposed subdivisions in Walden east of Highway 83.

Pocock reported on the issue of providing ambulance service to Palmer Lake. He said the Tri-Lakes district has been providing service to Palmer Lake for the past 25 years. The Tri-Lakes district’s response time to Palmer Lake averages 5 minutes and 50 seconds and he estimated the response time from Larkspur would be 15 to 18 minutes. He noted that it is important “the two communities recognize that they need each other.” Duane Hansen has agreed to serve as a mediator to help with the dispute between the town and the district. Director Glenn Scott noted that the outcome of the current emergency services planning study should help resolve this issue.

Jensen reported that the consultant developing the study has obtained information from the Tri-Lakes district and is preparing a matrix of equipment, salaries, skills, etc.

Directors John Hildebrandt, Charlie Pocock, and Glenn Scott are up for reelection to four-year terms. Chief Jensen was appointed as the election official for the May 7 election. The present term limit for board members is two four-year terms. The board voted two to one (Hildebrandt and Pocock in favor, Scott opposed) to put an issue on the ballot to eliminate term limits for board members. The firehouse will be the designated polling place. Anyone who wishes to run for the board must submit a notarized self-nomination form between February 6 and 28. Forms are available at the firehouse on Highway 105.

A meeting on January 7, 2002, between representatives of Palmer Lake and the Tri-Lakes Fire Protection District was intended to iron out differences between the two jurisdictions that were highlighted at the December 13 meeting of the Palmer Lake Board of Trustees. Unfortunately, the meeting degenerated into acrimony with little to show for it.

In December, residents of Palmer Lake questioned the decision of the Town Board of Trustees to terminate their existing ambulance service arrangement with the Tri-Lakes district in favor of a new contract with the Larkspur Fire Protection District. The Board took this action because members objected to what they perceived as unacceptably low standards of service provided by Tri-Lakes to Palmer Lake residents. At the meeting, however, some residents noted that Larkspur District facilities were farther away from the town than the Tri-Lakes firehouse on Highway 105, and that the most direct access from Larkspur to Palmer Lake is along Spruce Mountain Road, a route subject to the vagaries of Colorado’s winter weather. As a result, they believed that the decision to terminate the town’s relationship with Tri-Lakes should be reconsidered by the town board.

While town board members questioned this assessment, the board agreed to meet with Tri-Lakes district counterparts to see if outstanding issues could be resolved. That meeting took place January 7 with less than desirable results. Both jurisdictions were represented by more than two board members, a fact making the meeting subject to Colorado’s ‘sunshine law.’ In that the meeting was not open to the public and was purportedly not ‘noticed’ in a timely fashion, at least one town resident questioned whether the meeting was legal at all. When contacted, representatives of both sides maintained that there was no intent to conduct an illegal meeting if it indeed was, that if violations occurred they were inadvertent, and that no substantive decisions were made at the meeting in any event. They added that ‘sunshine law’ strictures would be carefully adhered to in any future meeting.

‘Sunshine Law’ issues aside, the January 7 meeting soon degenerated into a heated discussion that went nowhere… with each side presenting to the other contractual language they wanted to govern any future relationship. According to Palmer Lake Trustee Susan Miner, the town feels it necessary and prudent for the safety of Palmer Lake residents to insist on service standards they believe Tri-Lakes has not previously been providing, e.g., the presence of a paramedic on each emergency service call. Larkspur apparently would agree to do so. Tri-Lakes, on the other hand, according to Tri-Lakes Chief Keith Jensen, believes that Advanced Life Support-qualified personnel have been present on each such call; and that this is more than adequate for Palmer Lake service – in fact, it is the same service standard provided to Tri-Lakes District residents.

Now, although some uncertainty exists as to whether further meetings will occur between the parties, especially in light of a more recent exchange of letters between the two, we are told that Palmer Lake is expecting a second meeting to take place, this meeting to be held with attendance limited to no more than two board members from each jurisdiction, and with a mediator present to keep the meeting focused on issues at hand… and, hopefully, with tempers in check. If agreement can be reached at this meeting, the problem will be resolved. If it cannot, all involved hope that the parties can agree to disagree in an amicable way. This sentiment is shared by virtually everyone, even those not immediately affected by the dispute. Woodmoor-Monument Board Chairman, Dick Crowell, for example, hopes the issues “…can be resolved in the short term to the satisfaction of both parties… but, if not, that both parties will keep the dialogue open until results of the on-going joint consultant study are known. The study is being paid for, after all, by all three of us, Woodmoor-Monument, Tri-Lakes and Palmer Lake, and it was commissioned specifically to recommend the best way to provide emergency services to all Tri-Lakes area residents.”

Here is a list of upcoming Saturday programs at the Western Museum of Mining and Industry:

February 9: Is it Magic, or Electricity? Celebrate Thomas Edison’s birthday at the museum. Marvel as his 123-year-old invention operates today. Learn about the how, who, where, and when of electricity, and then generate your own electricity using a potato.

March 9: Pack Your Burro: Discover the Pikes Peak Region. Maps, photos, supplies and stories - gather the information you’ll need to explore the geography, history and economics of the Pikes Peak Region in the 1800s. Afterward, weather permitting; help pack the museum’s 400-pound burro (donkey) mascots.

April 13: Reclamation and Wildlife Wonders. What critters hide in yonder pond? Environmental science is an important part of mine reclamation. Join us as we define habitats, describe invertebrates, calculate stream flows, and identify plant life on the museum’s 27 ac. of prairie, riparian, and wetland life zones.

May 11: Children’s Championship Gold Panning. How much gold could a gold panner pan if a gold panner could pan gold? In celebration of Colorado’s Archaeology and Historic Preservation Month, the museum is hosting this contest to demonstrate the skills of early miners.

October 12: Boo! Spooky hiStories. The best stories are true, and mining stories can be scary. Come listen to tales of ghosts, cave-in, and lost treasure. This is an historical (and hysterical!) way to kick off the fall season.

November 9: Rock Odyssey. What’s mined is yours! Through music, games and demonstrations, you’ll examine geology and how we use minerals, the building blocks of rocks, in our every day life. Rock on!

December 14: Mining Camp Craft Day. Are you looking for that perfect holiday gift? How about making it yourself? Learn about the games and toys of mining town families. Afterward, make your own craft to take home!

Time: 1 pm to 4 pm.

Location: 125 Gleneagle Drive at the southern edge of the Tri-Lakes area. Take I-25 to the Gleneagle Drive exit. The museum entrance is immediately east of the interstate.

Admission: $3 per person. Please call for reservations and more information at 488-0880.

On Tuesday evening, Jan. 22, the Town of Palmer Lake Planning Committee held a public briefing of some preliminary concepts for improving State Highway 105 in the center of the town.

“This effort stems from previous recommendations and intentions of the Economic and Community Development Committee and a graduate architecture urban planning student of CU Denver,” noted council member Susan Miner. The committee saw the need for better parking, sidewalks, traffic speed, and pedestrian crossing. At present there is 1) not enough parking, 2) dangerous parking, 3) no designated safe crosswalks, 4) no connections to the lake and trails, 5) speeding traffic, 6) no safe sidewalk areas, and 7) lack of proper roadside drainage. The improvement concepts aim to address these issues by providing for a combination of widened roads, drainage ditches, crosswalks, sidewalk paths, along the road and off-road parking for the restaurant and art center areas.

This initial study was sponsored, in part, by the Colorado Center for Community Development (CCCD) and students from the CU Department of Environmental Planning. They developed three preliminary concepts and will use public input to create one master plan. Based on the approval of a final plan, the town will then be able to apply for grant money for the construction of the improvements. Scaled layouts were created using satellite photos of the town taken 5 to 10 years ago. Besides the addition of central parking areas, the proposed designs use the idea of a gazebo and grass park area on the west side of the lake, connected by exercise stations and trails to the town’s retail area, and provide centralized off-street and over-flow parking for major events.

Some of the design concepts used more parallel and straight-in parking along the road, while the others used off-street parking or a mix of off-street sites and street-side parking near the restaurants and art center. Also included were additional street lighting and landscaping including planters. Some kind of signage at each end of the old town was also proposed using poles or a center island. Another of the designs included a tree-lined walkway and drainage systems along the road.

Participants placed comments and corrections on the drawings. The results of this first round of three concepts will be corrected and reduced to two alternatives and presented to the committee. The goal then will be to agree on one working concept for recommendation to the planning commission and then the town council. Jim Fitzgerald has volunteered to head a committee to study enhancements to the remainder of Highway 105 down to the bowling alley.

“We are at a crossroads for decisions about how the Town of Palmer Lake is prepared to take advantage of new developments with the improved interchange in Monument coming and the possibility of easier access to our town,” said Miner.

As reported in Our Community News last month, a fund drive is under way to raise a minimum of $15,000 to purchase an MSA 4000 hand-held infrared viewing device that will be shared by our eleven local area fire stations. Any funds raised over the target will go toward a second unit or for support telemetry equipment used with the MSA 4000. Fire Marshall Raymond Blake of the Woodmoor-Monument Fire District has expressed the need in our community for the infrared viewing device. Although the unit would be kept at the Woodmoor-Monument Fire Department, all fire stations in the greater Tri-Lakes area would use it in their search and rescue missions. The Greater Tri Lakes area encompasses a 17-mile radius containing roughly 55,000 homes.

The device is used to locate people and animals trapped in burning buildings. The infrared tool is also extremely valuable for locating people in dense vegetation who may have been thrown from their car in an accident and night rescue missions where normal vision is inadequate. The device can save homeowners and businesses thousands of dollars by early detection of smoldering fires after lightening strikes or other ignitions.

Donations are urgently needed. Make checks payable to the Woodmoor-Monument Fire Protection District. Donations for the purchase of the infrared viewing device are tax-deductible. Mail your donation to MSA 4000 Device, c/o A Chick & A Windshield, P.O. Box 1313, Monument, CO 80132. Donations should be mailed no later than February 14, 2002.

Receipts for tax purposes will be mailed after the close of the fundraising drive, February 14. Please include a correct return mailing address with your charitable donation to receive your donation receipt. Also watch for the donation canisters at local participating clubs, churches, schools, and businesses in your community.

If you would like more information or wish to help with this important fundraiser, please contact:

The first board of trustees meeting of the New Year began with a full house, standing room only. Most of the audience, parishioners of St. Peter’s Catholic Church, stayed only for the public hearing concerning St. Peter’s Parish Education Center Final Plat and Combined Preliminary Plat/Site Plan. Town Planner Mike Davenport presented the application, which was approved unanimously with the following conditions.

All new lighting that serves the parking area north of the existing Catholic Church should be modified to be downcast and shielded, and reduced to the lower wattage currently in use along the alley.

Signs and striping should be added to show safe walkway areas, as shown in the approved traffic study.

The alley behind the building should be paved.

Christopher McKay, a parishioner and a member of the Public Works Committee, noted that the education center will be a great addition to the community as it may be used by groups such as Boy Scouts. Construction on the center could begin in February and is expected to take 8 months.

The board again considered options for electrical service to lights along Beacon Lite Road south of Second Street, including the crossing at the Santa Fe Regional Trail. Town Manager Rick Sonnenburg reported that the solar option for the trail crossing light would cost $13,800. This option would not include streetlights. The board unanimously passed a motion to accept the option through Mountain View Electric Association that includes a trail crossing light and streetlights for the whole block. This option will cost between $17,745 and $19,745, depending on whether any adverse conditions are encountered during the work. The money can come from impact fees collected from new residence and commercial construction.

The next issue before the board was discussion of possible revisions to the rules and regulations for the Community Development Fund. Each year, the same amount of money received by the town for business licenses goes into a special fund, the Community Development Fund. This fund was established to promote projects designed to improve the Town of Monument. At a previous meeting, Tommie Plank, representing the Historic Monument Merchants’ Association, had questioned aspects of the procedures for applying for a grant from this fund. It was decided then to review the rules and regulations for possible revision. After some discussion, the board agreed to the following revisions:

Application forms for grants from the fund must be supplied by the town before the board meeting.

Each year, during the budget process, unused money shall be retained in the fund.

Other options in the previous version of the ordinance for these two conditions were stricken.

The board unanimously approved the Pikes Peak Regional Building Department’s permit fee schedule. According to a memo from Regional Building Official Rolf Philipsen, an average increase of 8 to 12 percent in residential permit fees and approximately 18 percent for non-residential permit fees is needed to support the anticipated number of inspections. Fees are based on the effort expended on a per permit basis.

The board unanimously passed resolution #1-2002, the annual approval of the public place for posting of meeting notices, which will continue to be the entryway bulletin board of Town Hall. The Colorado Sunshine Law requires that such notices be posted at least 24 hours prior to the holding of any meeting at which the adoption of any proposed policy, position, resolution, rule, regulation, or formal action occurs or at which a majority or quorum of the body is in attendance, or is expected to be in attendance. The board discussed the need for additional posting sites, perhaps in Jackson Creek. Mayor Konarski suggested a glass display case for posting notices in locations such as King Soopers. Town Planner Mike Davenport suggested having a kiosk. These options will be discussed at the upcoming joint meeting with the Triview Metropolitan District and Jackson Creek Land Company. Earlier in the meeting, the board chose February 11 at 6:30 pm, for that joint meeting.

Next, the board considered resolution #2-2002, adopting the FY2002 salary range structure. The new structure includes an increase of 4.5% over last year’s salary ranges to keep up with inflation. Range implementation rules include increasing all employees to at least the minimum of the range if they are below the range, and freezing the salary of employees above the range. The motion passed 6 to 1, with Trustee Glenda Smith dissenting. The board also addressed setting the outer limits of employee raises for merit pay. A motion to accept the range of 2.5%-7.5% for merit ranges passed unanimously.

Trustee Fay Elbaum expressed concern that input from the public was not being incorporated into the master plan. In particular, Trustee Elbaum observed that the 1983 plan had no heavy industrial zoning, whereas the new plan specifies ‘planned industrial’ in some areas without indicating if that means light or heavy industrial use. Mr. Davenport explained that the plan doesn’t change anyone’s zoning, although changes in zoning can be adopted. A small portion of property is zoned for heavy industrial use, but most is light industrial. Mr. Davenport pointed out that the new plan shows less industrial zoning than the old plan. He also mentioned that consultants have recommended changing the heavy industrial zoning to light industrial.

Tom Wall, Public Works Director, presented to the board a request from the Public Works Committee for a study of the possibility of building a road, with a bridge across the railroad tracks, between Old Denver Highway and Mitchell Avenue at the south end of current development along Old Denver Highway and the Synthes property. Federal funding and/or money from the Colorado Department of Transportation might be available for such a study. Also, Mr. Wall brought up the need to inform the public that plowing snow onto a public right-of-way, such as a road or sidewalk, violates a town ordinance. Mr. Wall also reported that in December, Monument Meadows Mobil Home Park used over two million gallons of water, one third of the water the town produced that month. The owner of the park continues to try to locate and fix the source of the water loss. Meanwhile, the town attorney, Gary Shupp, will investigate the town’s options for handling this situation.

Rick Sonnenburg, Town Manager, reported that at a meeting of the heads of each department, they decided to delay acquisition of the following until the numbers were all in for FY2000 and FY2001: New truck and skid loader in Public Works, new streets/parks technician position in Public Works, new water technician position, two replacement police cars, and police copier and computer. Also, Mr. Sonnenburg assured the trustees that future special meetings would only be called if absolutely necessary. Trustee Byron Glenn mentioned that he would like to see the town follow up on former mayor Si Sibell’s idea of forming an Economic Development Committee.

Mayor Konarski began the meeting with a discussion of the meeting process. The trustees agreed to raise a hand when they want the floor and to wait until they are called on so that the transcriber will hear the name. All the trustees wanted to be called by their first name.

Mr. Rogers Davis from the Lucretia Vaile Museum received a check for the museum from the town of Monument. The museum, located in Palmer Lake, displays and maintains historical documents and items of importance to Monument and the Tri-Lakes area. The board decided to give $3000 to the museum to help fund its preservation work following a request at the November 5, 2001 meeting by Jim Sawatzki, of the Palmer Lake Historical Society and the Vaile Museum.

Next on the agenda was a public hearing for Homestead North at Jackson Creek: Final plat, combined preliminary plat and final PD site plan and an amendment to the Regency Park development and zoning plan for a proposed 70 single family detached lot development on a 27 acre site east of the intersection of Leather Chaps Drive and Creekside Drive. The smallest lot will be 9,113 square feet, and the largest is 43,158 square feet. The applicant requested and received approval for the preliminary and final applications to be considered at the same time due to delays stemming from the need for Triview Metropolitan District, the water and sewer provider, to develop a habitat plan for the Prebles’ Meadow Jumping Mouse, a protected species found in the area. Several boundary changes in the proposed subdivision resulted from the habitat plan and relocation of a proposed trail corridor in order to connect with a county trail extending east to the regional park. In addition, a small park area was added near the Creekside Drive entry into the subdivision. Trustee Byron Glenn commented on the location of the park at the edge of the subdivision on a collector street. He would prefer to see a play area in a more protected location in the heart of the development. John Maynard, the land planner from N.E.S. Inc., replied that the park was an afterthought, but that the topography of the site was suitable for a play area. A berm will be built to keep balls and children from going into the street. Trustee Christopher Perry asked if the Tri-Lakes Fire Protection people had seen the final rendition of the plan when they wrote a letter approving the flag lots in the subdivision. Trustee Perry, a volunteer firefighter, voiced his concern about the difficult access to the flag lots in the subdivision, and remarked that he would have objections to the lots for that reason.

The planning commission recommended approval of the final plat and combined plan/plat, subject to the following conditions: The applicant has made revisions requested by town staff and consultants, to their satisfaction; the applicant contribute its proportionate share to an escrow fund for the construction of traffic signals at the Baptist Road interchange per request by the Colorado Department of Transportation. Trustee Ed DeLaney suggested that all the burlap be removed from the root balls of trees and shrubs being planted in the subdivision, since the burlap doesn’t break down in our soil. This became a third condition. The plan with conditions was approved unanimously.

The Village at Monument received a continuation due to the need for more time to complete the documents for their Subdivision Improvement Agreement

At the special meeting on December 27, former mayor Si Sibell suggested forming an Economic Development Committee to bring more business into town. Since the Chamber of Commerce recently established an Economic Development Committee, the board decided to work with them instead of duplicating the Chamber’s efforts. Trustees Byron Glenn and Christopher Perry volunteered to serve with the Chamber’s committee. Mayor Konarski requested that they investigate what incentives other communities offer to businesses. The Konarski said that she’d recently been asked by several businesses about incentives for coming to Monument. Synthes is one of them, but the mayor declined to reveal the identity of the others.

Mountain View Electric turned off their six lights on Second Street during the week of January 7-11 so the downtown merchants could evaluate the lighting. Tommie Plank, representing the Historic Monument Merchants Association, reported that, so far, she’d heard no objections to the lights being turned off. She will report back to Mr. Sonnenburg after the Merchants Association meeting. Town Manager Rick Sonnenburg agrees that the lights could be left off and the town would save $600 per year. Police Chief Kissell also agreed that the light from the decorative street lamps was adequate.

Next, the board considered options for Short Term Disability (STD), Long Term Disability (LTD), and life insurance coverage for town employees. After some discussion, it was decided that Mr. Sonnenburg would do more research about coverage options and costs.

The board approved the donation of a town property remnant to CDOT for the Second Street intersection with S.H. 105 This is a flagpole-shaped remnant south of Rocky Mountain Oil Change Center, most of which is 6.5 feet by 170 feet. In September 2000, CDOT was considering a purchase of the 2,248 square foot parcel plus a 270 square foot temporary easement to facilitate construction of the new I-25/State Highway 105 interchange. In return for the donated land, CDOT will build a pedestrian and bike lane on the new Highway 105 bridge. Trustee Smith was selected and agreed to act as mayor for the February 4 board meeting, when Mayor Konarski and Mayor Pro Tem Ed DeLaney will be out of town.

The next agenda item was notification of neighborhood boundaries for Dagny’s Restaurant. Dagny’s Place, Inc is applying for a beer and wine license, and will be open for breakfast and lunch only in a building, 65 Second Street, that once housed a similar business, The Golden Swan, and later housed the Cook’s Nook. The board accepted both the application of Dagny’s Place, Inc for a beer and wine license and the definition of the downtown neighborhood.

Mayor Konarski explained her budget philosophy to the trustees. Please see the Mayor’s letter to the editor for details. The mayor noted that for FY2002, it looks as if town staff had under-projected their estimates of the town’s income. The town might not be as much in the red as previously thought.

Next was a discussion of possible acceptance of a partial grant from Great Outdoors Colorado, GOCO, for parks, trails, and open space planning. Last fall, the town applied for a GOCO grant to prepare a parks, trails, and open space plan for the town of Monument. The request proposed $7,500 (25%) town funds to match $22,500 (75%) GOCO funds to develop a $30,000 plan. GOCO has indicated an interest in providing $10,000 in funds and a staff member to assist in developing the plan. The town contribution would remain $7,500. Graduate university students could be used instead of a consulting firm, saving money. CU Denver and CSU have graduate education and community service programs that can do park planning. The town may revise its proposal to be based on the above resources instead of developing a plan that would cost the $30,000 mentioned in the grant application. A motion was made and passed to check on the projected money coming in, and if it’s high enough, to go ahead with the proposal, using the graduate university students to do the planning.

The mayor announced that Trustee Glenn was accepted to the Regional Building Department’s commission.

In November 2000, voters authorized the formation of the Tri-Lakes Parks and Recreation District – or Tri-Rec, as it is known – by a margin of almost two to one; but, when it came to authorizing the funding, the vote was almost as lop-sided the other way opposing the funding. The obvious question, of course, was “why.” Some said it was the dreaded ‘T’ word – taxes. But, if taxes were really the issue, why authorize the district at all?

This was the question facing the newly formed Tri-Rec Board of Directors, and the board decided to confront it head on. With the financial support of local residents, a survey was prepared and mailed to a random sample of 1700 voters throughout the area. Those voters were asked to provide responses, anonymously if they preferred, as to whether they had voted for or against the district, for or against funding its programs, and which of a variety of reasons may have affected their vote.

The results are shown in the “Tri-Rec Survey Results Summary” table below.

But what does it all mean? Going down the left side of the table, the respondents were classified in a number of ways: ‘Presumed supporters’ versus all others (those not known to be supporters, but on the voter registration list), those living north of Baptist Road versus those to the south, those who voted for the district and its funding (committed supporters) as opposed to those voting only for the district formation but no funding (qualified supporters) and those voting ‘no’ to both (opponents). Finally, separate tallies were kept of those respondents who wished to remain anonymous and those who were willing to put their names on the survey.

What seems clear from the numbers is that voters thought the program was too broad and not adequately defined. There also appeared to be substantial concern that the funding authorization as it was proposed in the ballot seemed too risky for the taxpayer. As to program specifics, a majority of voters seemed to feel that an ice rink and various lake amenities were frills, while a significant majority favored a recreation or community center as well as the acquisition and development of trails and publicly accessible open space.

Additionally, respondents were asked whether they would prefer funding the program through a sales tax – on a scale of –2 for ‘definitely not’ to +2 for ‘absolutely yes.’ The statistical results seemed to suggest a modest preference for the property tax; but a large number of voters added written comments on the survey noting that such taxes should be requested only after alternative funding sources had been tapped to the fullest.

As a result of this survey, the district board is contemplating funding issues for the May 7th special district election, issues that would be based on a significantly restructured program.

First, $130,000 per year of funding from Great Outdoors Colorado has been obtained, and developer impact fees are being sought as well. These will be applied to offset operating costs.

Second, the program has been pared down to include only a community center, a facility for all age groups, with no third party involvement and no user fees for district residents beyond the real estate taxes they would pay.

Third, funds would be requested to ‘build-out’ the 86-mile Tri-Lakes Comprehensive Plan trail network over 6 to 8 years, as well as to acquire Ben Lomond Mountain (among other selected parcels) and configure it as a public park, with athletic fields to be constructed along County Line Road.

Finally, two separate ballot issues would be offered to voters - one for the community center and one for the outdoors portion of the program - so voters could select one or the other, or both.

Who says the public doesn’t have a voice?

The district held its regular monthly meeting on January 24.

Mike Davenport, Monument Assistant Town Manager and Planner, reported that a joint meeting is scheduled for February 11, 2002, 6:30 pm at Monument Town Hall (166 2nd Street) between the Triview Metropolitan District Board of Directors, the Monument Board of Trustees, and the Monument Planning Commission. Major Jackson Creek landowners have been specifically invited to this meeting. A primary point of discussion is the ongoing revision of the Monument Comprehensive Plan.

Peter Susemihl, attorney for the Triview district, stated that the present draft shows, “many recommended zone changes. The existing master plan [for Jackson Creek] was totally ignored.”

Rick Blevins of Jackson Creek Vision Development Company and a representative of the district’s principal bondholder, added, “The changes would affect revenue from the district. Why can’t the comp plan match the zoning?”

Davenport said, “This plan would not change anyone’s zoning.”

Ron Simpson, Manager of the Triview district, said that the plan for the Carriages project varies from the draft comprehensive plan. Davenport said the comprehensive plan will be revised to show single family detached rather than single family attached (i.e., town home) residences in that area.

Davenport added that, “There is a three or four month process from here.” Public comments will be incorporated by the consultant to produce a revised draft that will be discussed by the advisory and steering committees. The resulting draft will be addressed during one or more planning commission hearings. If the planning commission decides to adopt the document, it will likely be forwarded to the Monument Board of Trustees, perhaps in May, for possible endorsement.

Triview director Bud Weis noted, “Our comments are coming in at the right point. The February 11th meeting will be a good opportunity for the district to express their concerns.”

Davenport also reported that the Monument Board of Trustees approved the Homestead North development. The number of lots in this project has been increased from 62 to 70 lots. Davenport noted that the final plat and site plan for the Carriages at Jackson Creek is due to be submitted by January 25.

Davenport noted that there is an ongoing need for an infrastructure plan to define what will initiate trigger trail and open space projects.

Speaking as construction manager, Blevins said landscaping efforts along Leather Chaps, Lariat Ranch, and within Homestead Park are continuing despite snow and frozen ground. Detention ponds also need work. The developer has decided to retain and improve a pond on the north side of Leather Chaps because it is cheaper to eliminate the two lots from the plan than it would be to pipe the storm water to another pond. Simpson noted, “The [Creekside Middle] school’s pond does not drain. They built a bathtub with no drain.”

The board approved additional fencing at $10.75 per lineal foot. It was noted that a sidewalk required by the town cost the district $8,000.

Blevins reported that Classic Homes is proceeding with the Creekside development and Keller Homes is proceeding with the nine-lot Jackson Creek Filing 4. “About half the houses in the Keller project are sold already.”

The Triview board decided to hold a special meeting Monday, February 4, 11:30 am, at the district office to prepare their comments on the Monument comprehensive plan update and to discuss agenda items for the February 11 joint meeting.

Directors Weis and John Riesberg are up for reelection May 7. Candidates must file a self-nomination form signed by one other elector as witness between February 6 and February 28. Forms are available at the district office. If no other candidates file by March 1, the district can cancel the election and declare the incumbents reelected. Dale Hill was appointed as the official to conduct the election. The board concluded that using a mail ballot would be too expensive so a polling place will be set up at Creekside Middle School. If the school is unavailable, the district office will be used as the polling place.

Blevins reported that a letter of intent has been signed with the YMCA for 12 acres west of Lewis-Palmer High School. The southern edge of the property would be 200 feet to 300 feet north of Higby Road but the exact location is still being determined. Blevins noted that zoning concerns led to the latest location. A ball field is planned for completion within a year. A recreation center is planned for construction in about three years. The project would be funded through contributions. No tax moneys would be involved. The project would be served by the Woodmoor Water and Sanitation District and be covered by Woodmoor covenants and design standards.

Blevins reported that since the district’s financial advisor does not sell bonds and cannot answer questions about marketability, the district must retain a bond underwriter. Susemihl noted that underwriters might be willing to do the analysis and render an opinion as a way to capture the bond underwriting business and the associated fees. He added, “The IRS is scrutinizing bond issues held by developers or developer-controlled entities.”

Chuck Ritter from Nolte Associates, the district’s engineer, reported that the plan for using water treatment plant reuse water for irrigation at the school and parks is almost ready for submission to the state. The state process takes about 45 days. An agreement with the school district is ready for signature. The agreement would let the district cut off reuse water if the water is not used in accordance with state rules. The district has one reuse water holding tank now but will need two more if the state approves the plan.

Ritter reported that Nolte Associates has completed a draft of the water resource report needed for submission with the Wal-Mart application to the county. Ritter said the draft is, “ready for review by the district.” Simpson will arrange a closed-door meeting of district personnel to review the draft.

Dale Hill, district administrator, announced that the town has paid all sales taxes due through December 2001. Hill also reported that Monument Town Manager Rick Sonnenburg has sent a letter to the state requesting refund of sales taxes for Texaco and Cost Cutters erroneously sent by the state to the City of Colorado Springs.

Blevins reported that deed restrictions and covenants are being put in place to address mouse habitat restrictions such as not letting pets into the habitat. Enforcement of covenants is a matter between property owners.

The board unanimously voted to exclude from the district a parcel on the west side of I-25 that is within the Triview district and the Monument sanitation district. The parcel was involved in a parkland trade with the county. Simpson noted that the action is, “subject to bondholder consent” and added that he spoke with “Tim [Phelan] yesterday.” A court decree is needed to complete the exclusion.

Simpson reported that a big issue with the project is the presence of mouse habitat. He said the U.S. Fish and Wildlife service is requiring a habitat conservation plan for projects that exceed 1/10 of an acre. Simpson said, “This project is on hold until the mouse issue is resolved.” Ritter noted, “The road is in the habitat.” The interceptor would be needed to serve industrial properties on the west side of I-25. There is no project in Triview with an immediate need for the line.

In reporting on his survey of fees charged by Colorado Springs and El Paso County, Simpson, noted, “The county has humongous fees.” New fees adopted by the county and the City of Colorado Springs are being phased in over several years. Simpson concluded there is no local jurisdiction sufficiently similar to Triview’s situation. The district has experience with the cost of reviewing and inspecting residential properties. The cost averages about $250 per lot for single family and $150 per lot for multi-family. The district has difficulty quantifying the costs for commercial, office, and industrial projects such as Wal-Mart. This will be further addressed at the February 28 board meeting.

Representatives of the Triview, Donala, and Forest Lakes districts met with Colorado Springs Utilities personnel to explore the possibility of connecting into the city’s wastewater treatment system. Simpson said the cost, estimated at $8.8 million without any provision for reuse water, is prohibitive. In addition, the tap fee would be 1.5 times what city residents pay. Simpson said the Donala district is still interested. One of the problems with the proposal is that the northern expansion of the city did not include any excess capacity, so the districts would have to pay for piping all the way to the new Garden of the Gods facility.

At its January 15 hearing, the El Paso County Planning Commission recommended approval of final plats for three residential filings totaling 82 lots that complete the center of the Walden development just east of Highway 83 and south of Walker Road.

Also recommended for approval was a final plat for Forest View Estates filing 3 with 14 lots located along Mount Herman Road one mile west of Monument and one mile south of Palmer Lake.

The commission also recommended approval of a variance of use for a wireless communications tower disguised as a 50-foot tall cross to be placed next to the Family of Christ Lutheran Church at 675 Baptist Road. The vertical and cross member will be 18 inches square. The design was changed from the previously proposed lighted flagpole in response to the concerns of residents.

All of these items will now be forwarded to the Board of County Commissioners for a final hearing. For information on these and other county planning items, call the county planning department at 520-6300.

At its January 17 regular monthly meeting, the Lewis-Palmer Board of Education began a review of the district’s Code of Conduct and Zero Tolerance policies. Ted Belteau, Executive Director of Student Services, reported on the meetings he held with every Building Accountability Committee during the months of November and December. Most parents with students in the elementary and middle schools support the current policy as it stands. At the high school level there are mixed feelings, with some parents feeling that expulsion for a first time offense of possession or consumption of drugs or alcohol on school property or at school-sponsored events was too harsh. Five people addressed the board on this topic; two were from the Zero Tolerance sub-committee of the high school Accountability Committee, and spoke in favor of lessening the penalty for a first time offense; three people, including a student from the high school, spoke in favor of keeping the policy as it now stands. The board will review this information, and will have more discussion about the policies at the February meeting. Discussion and deliberation are expected to carry on into the summer months. Whether or not the board makes a final decision to alter the policy, no change will be made before this school year ends.

The board received a proposal for a new evaluation system for district employees. The Evaluation of Learning shifts the focus to student learning, and away from teacher actions. It reflects a new philosophy of evaluating and reinforces the district’s commitment to the standards-based movement. The proposal, representing hundreds of hours of work by a committee of teachers and administrators, took a year and a half to develop and fine-tune. When fully implemented, it will be used to evaluate all district personnel, this year numbering over 600 employees.

The board also heard the first reading of the proposed Professional Development Model. The philosophy of the board is that professional development for teachers and staff is critical to instructional improvement, and increases the likelihood of student achievement and proficiency. These two proposals will be discussed and considered for adoption at the February meeting.

On January 24, the board met in a work session with members of the Monument Town Council, the Town Manager, and the Town Assistant Manager and Director of Planning to receive a presentation of the preliminary comprehensive plan. Discussion followed concerning the future of Monument and the school district, and how both governmental bodies can work together as we continue to see growth in the Tri-Lakes area.

The last part of the work session was spent in planning with Superintendent Ted Bauman, High School Principal Keith Jacobus, and Assistant Superintendent Dave Dilley. The focus of the discussion was the presentations to be made this spring addressing the future of the high school. Growth at our current rate will have our present high school facility at capacity enrollment within four to five years. The board is considering two educational concepts: an expanded campus at the present site or a duplicate school in another part of the district. Because of the time required to pass a bond election, design, and build a facility, a decision must be made within the next year. The board is seeking community input. Over the next few months, several presentations are being planned to receive this feedback.

Right now, much is being done to shape the immediate future of our community. Even in a mobile society, it is imperative that we pay attention to our surroundings, that we nurture our quality of life, protect our investments, and maintain our sense of community. Demographically diverse as we are, this can mean different things to different people.

As we notice vacant land on the verge of development, it is key that we balance needs, rights, and desires of everyone affected, as best as is possible. This also must be matched by the needs of the town as a whole. This is a considerable, but not impossible, challenge. There is no single growth issue that stands alone. Every decision made has a domino effect.

Come to town meetings, observe, and be heard. Be informed by facts, rather than rumors or personal agendas. I know time is a precious commodity to everyone. Be creative, consistent, and persistent in your involvement. Husbands, wives, friends and neighbors could alternate attendance at meetings. The town council, staff, and committees need your involvement as much as you need ours.

The future of our town is happening now.
Katy Page, Trustee, Town of Monument

I was glad to see Joan Murphy’s article, in your January issue, about the Yule Log Ceremony in Palmer Lake. However, the article did not mention the names of all the people whose work and talents made the event possible. I would like to acknowledge all those individuals, including:

Patricia Atkins, leader of the ceremony; Virgil Watkins, Master of Ceremonies; David Quintana and family, presidents of the Palmer Lake Yule Log Association; Rollin, Joan, and Mollie Murphy, vice presidents; Joan Steininger, secretary and treasurer; Gary and Pat Atkins, Yule Log Aficionados; Tim Watkins and Tom Allen, trail leaders; Rich Kuehster and Kevin LaBella, log cutters; Duane Hanson, Rodger Voelker, and Harry Krueger, wassail makers; Sam Swancutt, bagpiper; Betty Jenik, leader of the Tri-Lakes Community Handbell Choir; Genevieve Newton, pianist; Jeff Slone, trumpeter; Dennis Book, Don Graber, Gayle Preheim, and Lynn Roth, men’s quartet from the Mountain Community Mennonite Church; and Joan Murphy and family.

Thank you.

It was a bright and warm September afternoon as I returned home from visiting my terminally ill grandfather in Sterling, Colorado. The air was still as my wife and I sadly listened to the horror on the radio as clean-up efforts continued at the World Trade Center incident. My heart was heavy as I heard of all the children who were left without a father as over 300 fire fighters were missing.

The news of this started me thinking of how we (local fire fighters), might be able to assist the families of fallen or missing fire fighters. Nancy and I began discussing ideas and creating a plan. Upon returning to work, Chief David Youtsey and I met and talked about ideas of raising funds for the families of the World Trade Center fallen fire fighters. I contacted Safeway and asked the management for permission to set up a table in the entrance area. Safeway, as usual, was very willing to help in any way. We were unsure of what to expect.

The B shift staff set a bucket on a table with a sign that read, “help WTC fire fighters.” American flags stuck out from the top of the bucket as our fire helmets sat on the table to represent those who were there to help. We were barely set up when we had Safeway shoppers coming from every direction to give all they could. Few had questions of where the money would go and many had hugs and tears, as they were so appreciative of the jobs we do as fire fighters. One family wrote a check, put it into the bucket and quietly walked away. Someone at the table made mention that the check had been written for two hundred and fifty dollars. I pulled the check from the bucket and ran outside to catch the family. As I approached them I told the family that we did not make it a habit to look at check amounts but we noticed that “you gave two hundred and fifty dollars.” The man and lady shook their heads and held out their arms to hug me as they thanked us for raising money for such a great cause. Tears streamed down my face as I realized that we were no longer just the greatest country in the world but we were now the greatest family in the world!

Members from all three shifts at the Woodmoor-Monument Fire Protection District were involved in this fundraiser that lasted less than four days. In those four days, with your help, we sent over $17,000 to the families of NYC fallen fire fighters. Thank you to all who contributed to the World Trade Center Fire Fighters Fund. We worked together as a community for a great cause. The Woodmoor-Monument fire fighters are proud to protect and serve the great people of our district. May God bless you all!

This is a response to open letters to the Town of Monument Board of Trustees and the community from Mr. Leon Tenney concerning the 2002 Budget adopted December 27, 2001. Because personally addressed and signed letters were placed in my mailbox, I believe a personal response is warranted.

I agree with Mr. Tenney that before we can address the 2002 Budget we should look at 2001. When we do that, we expose a fundamental difference between us in how to manage a budget. Let me explain.

I look at the Town of Monument as two service “businesses,” owned by the taxpayers with a representative Board of Trustees to oversee policies and a hired manager to “run the stores.” One “business” provides the infrastructure for managing our water resources and ensuring that we provide clean, dependable water to its owners. This “business” is operated out of the Water Fund. The other “business” is running the town’s services such as roads, licenses, police and land use planning. That second “business” is operated from the General Fund. Each of these “businesses” has an operating budget. Each of these “businesses” has chosen to establish certain impact fees and tap fees to build reserves in order to fund future capital projects. It is here where Mr. Tenney and I disagree.

I believe it is the Board’s responsibility to see to it that these two “businesses” operate within their operating budgets without using monies collected for capital and infrastructure purposes to balance over spending in operations. The issue is that we shouldn’t combine operations and capital because it obscures how much it really costs the “business” to operate. We should not be covering salaries and other operational expenses with monies earmarked for specific capital purposes.

Let us look at how that difference in philosophy plays out in the 2001 financial picture. We now have income and expenditures figures for eleven months of 2001, January through November. I’ll just use the General Fund for illustration. These figures do not include income from special targeted fees (like tap fees) nor expenses for capital projects that we have a choice whether or not to undertake (like new equipment). Numbers include operating income and operating expenditures including recurring expenses like lease payments on police cars. In other words, just the income and expense of “running the store.”

General Fund: What it takes to “run the store”

Operating Income             Expenditures for
2001                                Operations 2001

As we can see, the 2001 budget predicted income more than adequate to cover predicted expenses. But even with higher than predicted income, actual expenditures are overspent requiring the use of Reserves to balance the budget. Those Reserve Funds have been built up over the years for special capital projects like the construction of 2^nd Street and Beacon Lite Road. If we keep stealing money from Reserves to pay for “running the store” those future capital projects cannot be funded.

What should we do? I believe that first and foremost, the town should annually prepare a balanced budget in its operations. I then believe we should have a variety of capital expenses that we would like to see funded during that year, with costs outlined. On a quarterly basis, I believe the town should look at its Budget to Actual in Operations to determine whether income will cover ongoing expenditures. If so, we can begin releasing approvals for the capital expenditures targeted for that year. If not, we do not have ourselves in the situation where we have already spent money on capital improvements and then need to take the money out of Reserves, as we do for 2001. (I have no objection to taking money out of Reserves for special projects for which the Reserves were established, e.g. Beacon Lite Road and Second Street.)

With this kind of quarterly snapshot of operating expenses, the hire of a Town Treasurer, and the successful completion of Audits of the past two year’s finances, the Town of Monument should be well on its way toward sound fiscal control and better equipped to meet the present and future service needs of its owners, the taxpayers of Monument.

My initial response to Mayor Konarski’s letter is, “Where did she get those numbers?” This letter is to put before the public the plain facts of the matter.

Firstly, Mayor Konarski both agrees and disagrees with me. She agrees that we need to examine FY2001 first. She says she disagrees when she wants to separate out operations from capital improvements. Note that for FY2001, I did not separate them for the sake of simplicity, but I did for the budget for FY2002. I also agree with the mayor’s approach to quarterly review and balancing operating income with operating expenditures for all town funds.

I agree with her stated principles, but it is when they are put into practice concerning the actual state of town finances that I take exception. In those financial figures presented in her letter, Mayor Konarski only wants to examine the General Fund operating revenues and expenses. So let us review the numbers in a table comparing Mayor Konarski’s numbers with the actual Town Financial Report as of the end of November 2001. [See table below]

In addition, the town report separates out capital expenditures for the purchase of the 2nd Street right-of-way and other capital improvement expenses. These total $662,228, which is not included in the numbers above for the town column.

The column above for the town’s expenses and revenues is taken from the actual report, with seven pages of detail. Mayor Konarski’s numbers come from her memo, without much more detail than that shown. The town’s numbers correspond well to those same categories presented in the budget report for December 2001. As can be seen, Mayor Konarski’s numbers do not correspond well to any other data heretofor presented. The over $1,000,000 in expenditures for administration that her numbers show is almost double the town’s budget numbers used in December 2001. Comparing the bottom lines of Mayor Konarski’s numbers with those from the town’s financial report, I can’t help but question what purpose is served by changing a surplus into a deficit. Trustee Glenda Smith summed up the situation by saying that we need to wait for the audit for FY2000 and the closeout numbers for FY2001.

Based on the numbers from the town’s financial report, the conclusion that the operations-maintenance portion of the town’s General Fund functions in a deficit is incorrect. The town’s General Fund operations-maintenance surplus of $322,895 for the first 11 months of 2001 indicates that the town is on solid financial ground if these numbers hold up when the FY2001 audit is performed. However, the town has a problem obtaining financial reports that are accurate, complete, and timely. This may explain our current mayor’s lack of knowledge concerning the town’s finances. This financial reporting problem is what needs to be corrected before it becomes a financial management problem.

We in the Colorado legislature are trying to mitigate the effects of drastic budget shortfalls. Frankly, not many areas will get the funding they want. We are reduced to picking priorities, and the priority that seems most pressing is transportation.

Governor Owens has asked that we change the allocation of sales tax revenue to more adequately represent the percentage of those taxes produced from transportation-related purchases. This would free up millions of dollars to help close the gap between transportation needs and financial realities. He would shift the priority away from construction of government buildings, which have been favored in years past.

Another issue dear to my heart and likely to be at the forefront of the legislature this year is health care and health insurance. I am carrying House Bill 1164, which would provide more choices for small business owners (“small groups” of 50 or fewer employees) to provide health care to their workers.

Up to Wednesday, when the House passed it, my primary efforts were concentrated on my victim’s rights bill. As Chair of the Criminal Justice Committee, I’ve heard many complaints from victims about the difficulties of dealing with parole for those who had committed crimes against them. House Bill 1021 would ensure that victims have adequate notice before an inmate comes up for a parole hearing. This helps prevent the re-victimization and de facto harassment that some victims suffer when their attackers are up for parole. Now the Senate will consider the bill.

The Friends of Ben Lomond Mountain (FOBL) are sponsoring Fitness Day on February 9 from 9 am to 6 pm at the Pinecrest Event Center in Palmer Lake. You’ll have a chance to try out a variety of types of exercise and local instructors.

You can begin your fitness day at 9 am with Iyengar-style yoga led by Stephanie Streff from the Colorado School of Iyengar Yoga. At 10:30 am learn kickboxing with Janice Jiuditta from Woodmoor Pines Country Club. Jazzercise with Carolyn Savoren will be at noon. Hatha yoga with Raleigh Dove will be at 1:30 pm. Pilates with Susie Poetsch and Trish Schwartz from Fitness Architects will be at 3:00 pm. Weights and full body toning with Trish Schwartz will be at 4:30 pm. You can choose any or all of the classes for $10 per class or $25 for multiple classes. Massages from CIMT students will be available from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm. It is a great way to have healthy fun while you support the Friends of Ben Lomond raise funds to help buy the mountain for publicly accessible open space.

Directions to the Pinecrest Event Center: Travel west on Highway 105 until you reach the 30 mph speed limit sign. Take a left onto South Valley Road (not marked). Take an immediate left onto Spring Street (tight U-turn). Follow Spring Street until you arrive to a stop sign with a choice to turn left or right (Greeley Blvd). Turn left on Greeley Blvd, follow the road a few hundred yards, and turn right onto Pinecrest Way. Once on Pinecrest Way, you will immediately turn left into the paved driveway for the Pinecrest Lodge. For more information on this event, contact Sue Buell at 481-2474.

FOBL is also sponsoring an art show March 18th through April 17th at the Tri-Lakes Center for the Arts, Lucille Owens Gallery, in Palmer Lake with a gala opening reception on Friday, March 22, 7 pm to 9 pm.