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Special Election Supplement

County Planning Commission delivers mixed message on Forest Lakes

The Schuck Corporation presented its preliminary plan for its proposed Forest Lakes development to the County Planning Commission on January 26th. The developer’s consultants who made the presentation came away with only half a loaf. A rezoning request, from R and R3 to PUD, was approved and forwarded to the Board of County Commissioners by a vote of 4 to 3, but the Preliminary Plan underlying the rezoning request was disapproved by 5 of the 7 members present.

Prior owners originally proposed a somewhat different development for the Forest Lakes tracts in the mid 1980’s. At that time, the El Paso County Commissioners rezoned the tracts to a combination of R and R3 (1/2 acre lots and 5 acre lots, respectively) and approved a ‘sketch plan’ for the development of the property consistent with that zoning. At the time, the commissioners gave their approval with the condition that the development commence within two years.

This time around, the developers requested approval of a revised PUD (Planned Unit Development) zoning supported by a new plan that is based on a cluster development scheme – i.e. having differing dwelling unit densities at various locations within the development, but with 467 units spread over 990 acres averaging out at a little over two acres per dwelling unit.

Residents living in surrounding areas, some from Pine Hills to the north, some from Twin Valley Estates to the southwest, and Ray Dellacroce, owner of Dellacroce Ranch to the east, objected to the overall project density exceeding a maximum of one dwelling unit per five acres. But they were especially concerned about the apartment and townhouse (urban) densities proposed for construction in three areas, one adjacent to each of the two reservoirs in Forest Lakes (Bristlecone and Pinon) and one in the middle of the development, and they said so at the hearing.

Opinions of planning commission members appeared to be mixed. A majority seemed to favor the cluster design approach offered by the developer, as well as the 440 acres of open space included within the plan, but the objections of neighbors struck a responsive chord, hence the vote. The irony, however, is that PUD zoning must be based on an underlying plan; so approval of one without the other is perplexing.

To make matters more confusing, next steps are uncertain. Assuming the developer does not withdraw the application, the request for zoning change and the plan, or one modified in some way to try and accommodate the objections of neighbors, now goes to the Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) for a final decision. Since the action of the planning commission in these matters is advisory, the BOCC can endorse the planning commission vote or approve or disapprove the rezoning request and the preliminary plan. A hearing before the BOCC could come as soon as a month after the planning commission hearing.

In the meantime, surrounding homeowners may take legal action on their own. They argue that the earlier development approval given in the mid 80’s was not pursued in a timely fashion and earlier approvals to include rezoning have long since expired. They also believe that the current ‘preliminary’ plan offered by the current developers bears little resemblance to the ‘sketch plan’ approved earlier so approval of the most recent submission would violate the county’s established procedures for considering such developments.

Further information on the Forest Lakes Residential Project is at www.ourcommunitynews.org.

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.

Qualifications of Triview directors questioned

Chaparral Hills resident Dale Turner notified the five members of the Triview Metropolitan District Board of Directors at their meeting February 28 that they all may be ineligible to hold office. Turner presented to the Triview board copies of a letter he sent to the Town of Monument Board of Trustees in which he said he found no evidence in the public record that any of the Triview directors is qualified under state law.

In the letter, Turner expressed concern that there may be a violation of Title 32, Special Districts. “I did not find evidence that any of the current board members either lived within, or owned property within, the district,” he wrote. It was his understanding that “to be a member of a special district board such as Triview you must either live in the district or own taxable property within the district.” Turner quoted the law to read, “A Director’s Office shall be deemed to be vacant…if the person duly elected or appointed ceases to be qualified for the office to which he was elected.”

Further, wrote Turner, “I request you [Monument trustees] take action…” “According to the code, it falls to you…,” he continued, “… to: 1) first verify the facts I have found and 2) then take action upon declaration that the offices are in fact vacant to appoint interim directors”.

Pete Susemihl, attorney for the Triview District, answered the letter from Turner by saying, “The Directors all have contracts to purchase land, that’s all that’s needed.” When further pressed, Susemihl stated that all five of the directors have been under contract “for the duration” of their board tenancy, without paying taxes, and that state law supports this arrangement under Title 32. When a resident of Jackson Creek asked if this meant that the Board was in place “due to a technicality,” Susemihl responded, “that’s right.” Mr. Susemihl confirmed that all five Directors were under contract on the same piece of property. He did not name which piece of property that was.

Joint Triview/Monument meeting airs concerns about the draft comprehensive plan

A key issue of the special February 11 meeting was Monument’s draft comprehensive land use master plan. Mayor Betty Konarski asked the members of the Triview Metropolitan District and the Monument Planning Commission and Board of Trustees to introduce themselves. Then, Konarski asked the Triview board members for their comments about the comprehensive plan.

Triview director Bud Weis remarked that agreements between Monument and Triview were not addressed in the draft plan. Weis noted that he served on the advisory committee for the comprehensive plan but missed the December 4 meeting at which the draft plan was distributed. He did not receive a copy of the draft plan. He was surprised that the draft was distributed to the public without first being reviewed by the advisory committee.

Ron Simpson, manager of the Triview district, said he felt Triview’s board had no input into the plan and that there were issues that should have been discussed and resolved long ago. He said he had analyzed the draft comprehensive plan and prepared a 22-page critique, which he would deliver to the Monument town offices. Based on his analysis, Simpson said the plan would reduce business opportunities and income for the district while increasing expenses. Weis added, “We want the restrictions we are looking at to be part of the process.”

Konarski said the comprehensive plan is an opportunity for the community to collectively decide the direction the community will go. She stated that one of the purposes of the comprehensive plan was for the Monument Board of Trustees to know what the public’s choice of development would be in the Jackson Creek area when the Triview district comes to the board of trustees for changes caused by the Preble’s meadow jumping mouse habitat issues and other issues.

Konarski said, “The new map is more logical as a mixed use.” She said there is more potential for revenue than the agreements between the district and the town would allow.

Greg Timm, attorney representing Pinetree Development, stated, “You say you are giving us additional use of the land. Everything I have seen is a downgrading of the use.”

Konarski said, “A comprehensive plan map is not a zoning map.” Mike Davenport, Town Planner and Assistant Town Manager, observed that a comprehensive plan is an advisory document adopted by the planning commission. Monument trustee Christopher Perry added, “It helps us as a guide. If you have other plans it can’t stop you.”

Davenport noted that the Colorado Legislature passed legislation that declared comprehensive plans to be advisory. But then he added, “The State Supreme Court upheld Larimer County’s denial of a project due to [nonconformance with] the comp plan.”

Davenport went on to say that zoning changes require going before the board of trustees. He explained that property owners’ rights were vested in the Regency Park master plan adopted in 1987 as part of annexation to the town. “I agree that [the map in the agreements] is a zoning map.”

Peter Susemihl, attorney for the Triview district, said, “The district wants to cooperate.” He noted the “unique position of a municipality within a municipality” and said, “Under the law, the district has to sign off on your comp plan.” He said he sent a letter to that effect to Gary Shupp, Monument’s attorney. Susemihl also stated that the plan affects Triview’s bonds and the planning of infrastructure. He added that the Triview board had concerns about changes in heights and setbacks. Susemihl also mentioned the possibility of having a tech center, like the Denver Tech Center, in the Jackson Creek area.

In response to a question by Monument trustee Byron Glenn as to whether the Triview board had conducted a cost analysis, Simpson stated that he did a sales tax revenue analysis by comparing anticipated land uses in the agreements with land uses proposed in the draft comprehensive plan. His analysis revealed that there would be some gains, but more losses. He said, “Losses in sales tax revenue are huge.”

Simpson stated that the Colorado Revised Statutes 30-123-206, 207, and 208 require the Town of Monument to directly coordinate its comprehensive plan with metro districts and all special districts within the town. He added that this had not been done. He said he met with the town’s consultant for one hour in November 2000 and then had only one additional contact in the following fourteen months.

Simpson said many of the same issues affect the Woodmoor Water and Sanitation District and the Forest Lakes Metropolitan District.

Joe Martin, a member of the planning commission who resides in Jackson Creek, stated that the Triview board does not care about the residents in the district, but only about making money. “Y’all are landowners. You haven’t come to me. Listen to the people who live in the area.” Triview director John Riesburg replied, “We don’t direct what goes where. Our deal is water and sewer. Land use issues go outside our purview.” Simpson added, “We are not developers. We’re not just promoting asphalt and concrete.” He later said, “We don’t always see eye to eye with landowners. The district and the town should work entity to entity. I am not enthused with landowners rooting for one side or the other.” Weis said, “We’re here to provide services and support. We are not trying to get more money for our land.”

Monument trustee Faye Elbaum said, “The people of Jackson Creek don’t want what Triview wants.” She asked for a couple examples of areas where the draft land use plan would cause Triview problems. Simpson cited the area west of I-25 near Higby Road. He said the requirements for setbacks from right-of-ways, trails, and natural areas render unusable lots that are 500 to 600 feet deep. Elbaum said, “I don’t think that was the intention.” Simpson responded, “I blame CMI [Community Matters, Inc., the town’s consultant on the comprehensive plan].”

In response to a suggestion by Simpson, Konarski proposed that Simpson and Davenport meet to review all the items in Simpson’s critique to resolve what they can and to reduce the list for a future joint meeting between Monument and Triview. Elbaum said, “CMI needs to be included.” Timm said, “The district doesn’t represent us.” Konarski suggested that “major landowners” be included in the meetings between town staff and district staff. Blevins said, “A lot of district issues are also landowner issues” but then asked for equitable time to address the concerns of the six owners of large tracts of undeveloped land within the district.

Elbaum said, “People think things are being accomplished behind closed doors.” Chaparral Hills resident Dale Turner said, “I don’t think landowners should be involved in Ron [Simpson] and Mike’s [Davenport] discussion of Ron’s problems.” Woodmoor resident Joe Beggs said, “The purpose of the Simpson and Davenport meeting is to frame issues around the points, not making decisions. Landowners should not be part of that.”

Davenport noted that the revised plan, “has to go back to the steering and advisory committees. That will be an opportunity for more than just two parties to get together.” Konarski said, “This is the first of a series of small meetings.” She said there would be “at least two more public meetings. The planning commission can have as many meetings as they want.” Monument trustee Katy Page underscored the need for advanced notice of the meetings. “Finding out too late makes us all defensive.”

Glenn said, “Monument is at an important time in its history. We need to get together to build a community where we can shop, live, and play. We don’t want commerce city.”

Konarski said, “The good news is that we are working on it and working on it together.”

Davenport stated that the zoning plan and map for the district needs to be brought up to date to show the locations of new roads, schools, and trails, and the changes of habitat locations for the Preble’s meadow jumping mouse. Davenport suggested “automatic approval by ratification of projects” without a separate action by the two bodies.

Simpson asked about the status of the extension of Jackson Creek Parkway from Higby Road north to Highway 105. Monument town manager Rick Sonnenburg replied that the road is being designed by the town’s consulting engineering firm, GMS, Inc., in conjunction with the Colorado Department of Transportation’s (CDOT) I-25/Highway 105 overpass project. Simpson asked if he could be involved with that process. Sonnenburg invited Simpson to the next meeting February 21. Blevins and Timm also asked to be included.

Davenport stressed the need for an improvements map that tells the “triggering mechanism” for completion of Jackson Creek public improvements, especially trails and parks. It was decided that Davenport and Simpson, with the help of Blevins would recommend a method to inform the public about future improvements. Trustee Glenn said he lives near a detention pond that took two years to complete. He asked about the prospects for getting a traffic signal at the Leather Chaps/Baptist Road intersection. Blevins said, “A reimbursement agreement has not been put together and traffic engineering says a signal would cause accidents.” Simpson noted that based on anticipated traffic problems, “The district put in the signals at the Jackson Creek Parkway/Baptist Road intersection.”

Mayor Konarski explained that the town posts its notices at town hall, but that the board of trustees would also like to post its meeting notices on the east side of I-25. If Triview were to construct a kiosk or other structure to post its meeting notices, the board of trustees would like it to have enough space for the town’s meeting notices.

Palmer Lake Town Council Workshop February 7

Mayor Nikki McDonald called the meeting to order at 7:05 pm. The meeting began with a series of committee reports.

Parks and Recreation: Trustee Cindy Allen noted that requests for proposals for grounds keeping of the Palmer Lake parks would be published February 14 and 21, and accepted until February 25.

Roads: Trustee Randy Jones reported that a property owner in the Glen wants to put two houses on four lots and needs to extend Clio Road to the end of his last lot. Rather than impose the Douglas County road standards normally applied to developers (asphalt with curb and gutter), Jones is working with the property owner on the design of a twenty-foot-wide gravel road, ending in a cul-de-sac. Palmer Lake recently adopted the Douglas County road standards, which have been updated more recently than El Paso County’s.

Police: Trustee Ed Kinney reported that the caseload has increased from ten cases in December to eighteen in January. Traffic citations are down, but dog citations have doubled, from four to eight.

Community and Economic Development: Trustee Susan Miner praised everyone involved in the Olympic Torch sendoff for Anne Shimek.

Fire: Trustee Scott Russell noted that there have been twelve calls, nine in Palmer Lake, and three in support of other fire response teams. The new fire truck was used during the response to the fire on Aurelia in Palmer Lake, with the fire being contained to one room.

Bond Issue: With board approval, a 6-mill levy bond issue will be put before the voters at the April 2 election. Russell requested full support of the town council for this bond issue because it would pay for needed improvements in the fire fighting/emergency response capabilities of the Palmer Lake team. The amount each property owner would pay is determined by the use and valuation of the property, the Gallagher amendment, and if the property is within the sanitation district. Della Gins, Palmer Lake town clerk, has compiled data on the estimated payment per year a resident would have to make if the bond issue is passed. Russell said he would like Palmer Lake to transition from an all-volunteer team to a mixed full-time paid and volunteer force of firefighters and emergency response technicians, especially during the workday when the majority of volunteers are away from Palmer Lake.

Town well: Mayor McDonald said the full report on the well has not yet been submitted.

Aspen Gardens business license: Heather Simpson, Aspen Gardens, 80 Highway 105 by the big red barn, requested a new business license for her landscaping business. She will advertise by word of mouth and in the telephone book.

Replat of Oakdale Lots: Gary Coleman requested a vacation and replat of lots on Oakdale Drive owned by Mr. Cooper and Ms. Roper. A gas line was routed through the center of the lot between them, making that lot ineligible for development. Mr. Cooper bought the lot and sold half of it to Ms. Roper. With the vacation and replat, the gas line would now be on the edge of each of their properties, within the 20-foot utility easement required by the county.

Natural gas franchise: Roger Kort, Director of Community Relations for Peoples Natural Gas, spoke in support of Ordinance 2 - 2002 - the renewal of the gas franchise. The current gas franchise, which expires in March, was for fifteen years, with a four percent franchise fee paid yearly to the town. Mr. Kort requested the town council consider a twenty-year franchise, the most common franchise offered by Peoples Natural Gas, and a continuation of the four percent fee. The complete franchise agreement is available for review at the Palmer Lake town office.

Fees for services of regional building: Gins handed out copies of Ordinance 3 - 2002, the El Paso County Regional Building 2002 Fee Schedule for review. Trustee Kinney was concerned about the legal definition of the word “new” as it was used in the document. He was assured that it covered all building activities including new construction and remodeling.

Willow Creek landscape plans: When asked by the mayor to discuss her concerns about the Willow Creek development, Gins said that when the first draft of the landscaping plan was submitted at the council meeting, the council made it clear to the Willow Creek representatives that the number of trees was an important factor. Gins said she repeatedly requested landscaping updates from Willow Creek. She said she recently received the latest version of the landscaping plan. Revision five of the plan requires over 88,000 square feet of irrigated sod and a greatly reduced number of trees.

Mayor McDonald wondered out loud where the water for sod maintenance was going to come from. All of the trustees agreed with Gins that the Willow Creek development plan needs to be re-examined in light of the latest landscaping data. [See “Questions raised about Willow Creek Landscape Plan” below.]

Questions raised about Willow Creek landscape plan

Palmer Lake Town Council prepares five ballots

The Palmer Lake Town Council presented five Taxpayer Bill of Rights (TABOR) ballot issues at a special meeting February 11. The purpose of the meeting was for registered voters of Palmer Lake to review the ballot issues and to submit written comments, which were due by February 15. One person submitted comments in opposition to Issue No. 5, the fire department mill levy issue. No other comments were received. The election will be held April 2, from 7 am to 7 pm, at 28 Valley Crescent. The following is a summary of the five ballot issues.

Due to a drop in revenue during late October 2001, and fluctuation and uncertainty in the economy, the Town of Palmer Lake asked all departments to postpone all non-essential expenditures.

Consequently, the town did not spend all funds budgeted for fiscal year 2001. Issue No. 1 asks to use $42,806 of excess revenue from FY 2001 for the initial cost of an 800 megahertz computer system required for maintaining communication and other essential services within El Paso County, for repairs to the Vaile Library/Museum and town hall, for citizen-requested upgrades to outdated town ordinances, and for offsetting the rising cost of basic services such as natural gas, electric, fuel, and supplies.

Issue No. 2 asks to use all the excess FY 2002 revenue, including non-federal grants, for capital improvement projects for buildings, essential services, and to supplement General Fund operating cost. According to town staff, this issue was placed on the ballot this year to avoid the cost of holding a special election in 2003, which is not an election year.

Issue No. 3 asks to use all the excess FY 2003 revenue, including non-federal grants, for the same purposes as Issue No. 2. According to town staff, it would help preparation of the FY 2004 budget if the town could anticipate what general fund expenditures could be set before the April 2004 election.

Issue No. 4 asks to use for lawful municipal purposes excess multiple fiscal year revenue, taxes, grants, and other revenues without creating, increasing, or adding any taxes of any kind. This would eliminate the need to get voter approval each year for the town to retain unspent funds for use in the town's budget the following year. The town would still need to get voter approval of new tax increases.

Issue No. 5 asks for authorization for a property tax mill levy. Taxes would be increased by approximately $118,037 during 2003, and annually thereafter in such amounts as are received each year by the imposition of an additional mill levy not to exceed six mills upon taxable real property within the town. The money would be used to defray the operating expenses and capital improvements of the Palmer Lake Volunteer Fire Department. [For further details on this ballot issue, see “Palmer Lake sharpens its pencil for fire funding” on page 6.]

Palmer Lake Town Council meeting February 14

Mayor Nikki McDonald called the meeting to order at 7:05 pm. The board approved two consent items: payment of bills, and a new business license for Heather Simpson’s landscaping business, Aspen Gardens at 80 Highway 105.

In updated committee reports, Trustee Scott Russell of the fire committee corrected some errors printed in a local newspaper. The proposed mill levy, Issue No. 5, will raise $118,000 for the fire department. Previously, the fire department received $40,000 from the General Fund each year. If the proposed mill levy passes, that $40,000 will be available for other departments. The mill levy, however, is not enough to fund an additional fire station; nor is it enough to pay full time staff. Eventually, the department will hire some part-time employees.

Trustee Ed Kinney reported that a large mountain lion has been sighted numerous times at S. Valley Road and High Street. Kinney urged residents to keep their pets and pet food inside over night.

Mayor Nikki McDonald reported that Trustee Randy Jones of the Roads Committee has some aerial photos of the town available. She also reported that Glen Burgess is the town’s representative to the Fountain Creek Watershed Committee.

Trustees, staff, and the public were invited to comment on items not on the agenda. Gary Coleman expressed his appreciation for the Olympic Torch event, commenting on what a heartwarming experience it was. Cliff Joyner applied for and received a permit for road construction that will enable him “to turn a paper road into a real road.” Mr. Joyner explained that the road--Clio Road, which dead ends into Virginia Road--has existed only on a map, but not in reality. Sue Coons voiced her concern to the council that the mill levy proposal to raise money for the fire department might be “jumping the gun” in view of the recommendation to not make any changes until the emergency services study is complete. Town Clerk Della Gins replied that they’ve spoken with the consultant for the study, who advised them to ask for the mill levy. The conclusion was that the mill levy request wouldn’t jeopardize anything. The Tri-Lakes Fire Protection District has a mill levy of seven mills, and Woodmoor-Monument district has a mill levy of 9.5-mills.

The following items discussed at the February 7 workshop were approved: The request for vacation and replat of lots 5, 6, and 7 on Oakdale, Ordinance 2-2002, Peoples Gas Franchise Renewal, and Ordinance 3-2002, the El Paso County Regional Building 2002 Fee Schedule.

The council also approved Resolution 1-2002, Ratification of El Paso County Regional Building Codes; and Resolution 2-2002, authorizing the town clerk to appoint election judges for the April 2, 2002 municipal election.

Next, the council discussed and then passed Ordinance 5-2002, an emergency ordinance amending the construction and use of telecommunications facilities within the Town of Palmer Lake. The ordinance was directed back to the Planning Commission for further rewriting.

The final agenda item addressed a change to ballot Issue No. 5, the fire department mill levy issue. Since residents of Forest View already pay a mill levy to Tri-Lakes Fire Protection District, they wish to be exempt from Palmer Lake’s mill levy for fire protection. The board is awaiting a legal opinion from the town attorney, Larry Gaddis, about whether or not Forest View residents can be exempt. Only one Issue No. 5 will be placed on the ballot; the other will be withdrawn at the March 14 meeting.

Whose running: The following was the response to a question as to which trustee chairs are up for election in April and whether the trustees presently occupying those chairs were running again: Randy Jones’s chair is open, and he intends to run; Alan Bockhaus’ chair is open and he does not intend to run; Scott Russell’s chair is open, and he is undecided [Russell has since decided to run for reelection]. Mayor McDonald intends to run for reelection. As of our deadline February 22, no one had picked up an application at the town clerk’s office for the open positions.

Palmer Lake sharpens its pencil for fire department funding

Among the many stories recently emerging about emergency services in the Tri-Lakes area (see “Automatic mutual aid works for fire in Palmer Lake” elsewhere in this edition), one of the most challenging issues is the lack of resources now available to the Palmer Lake Volunteer Fire Department.

The PLVFD is funded as an item in the Palmer Lake town budget. This year it received about $40,000 for annual operations -- a sum most observers agree is barely adequate to the task. In contrast, Tri-Lakes Fire Protection District receives seven mills on a district-wide assessed valuation of $107.9 million (or about $755,000 annually); and Woodmoor-Monument receives 9.5 mills on its assessed valuation of $96.1 million, or about $918,000 annually.

Palmer Lake Mayor Nikki McDonald agrees that PLVFD funding is woefully inadequate. She says, “Palmer Lake’s volunteers are incredible. Their training is on a par with that received by firefighters in every other district in our area; and they are always there when needed. But even the very best volunteers can’t replace outdated or inoperable firefighting equipment, nor can they be expected to pay to rehabilitate a fire station. That takes money the town doesn’t have.”

Among the town council members most intimately involved with the fire department, the Mayor and Trustee Scott Russell have come up with a creative solution that could go far in addressing the problem. They propose a six mill levy to fund the fire department. At the same time, they note that a four mill sanitation district bond levy will expire this year; thus softening the impact of the new tax for town residents in the sanitation district. Most town residents will see only a modest increase in their tax bill, while funds made available to the PLVFD would increase from the current $40,000 per year to about $118,000.

Some argue that even this amount is too low, but a distinct advantage of the plan is that it would put property taxes levied on a per resident basis for emergency services in Palmer Lake on a par with neighboring fire protection districts. If this measure is approved and a ‘unified district’ involving Palmer Lake, Woodmoor-Monument and Tri-Lakes is proposed and placed on a future ballot, Palmer Lake voters would not be confronted with ‘sticker shock.’ Rather, they will benefit by being able to spread their emergency service requirements over a much broader tax base, and, since a better-equipped PLVFD also benefits the surrounding area, everyone wins.

Automatic mutual aid works for fire in Palmer Lake

Automatic mutual aid between the Palmer Lake Volunteer Fire Department and many of its neighboring fire protection districts was put to the test early in the afternoon of Friday, February 1. A fire broke out in a home on Aurelia Street in Palmer Lake, and it was reported through the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office 911 dispatcher.

As soon as the fire call was ‘toned’ by the 911 dispatcher - sent out by radio for action, the Palmer Lake department responded in a little over five minutes - a very respectable response time according to various fire chiefs in the area. Five other fire districts having automatic mutual aid agreements with Palmer Lake were alerted, with three departments responding to the scene, assisting Palmer Lake in extinguishing the blaze.

Automatic aid means that when a fire report is phoned in to the dispatcher, all fire protection districts and departments in the area not otherwise engaged automatically respond to the call. Even in the absence of an auto aid agreement, neighboring districts will respond if called, but the ‘automatic’ feature saves time. Given the swiftness of an automatic response, it can also limit property damage.

This fire caused damage to the home but, thankfully, no injuries. Several fire protection districts worked together to get the job done. Specifically, Woodmoor-Monument, Donald Wescott, and Larkspur districts all responded to the scene ‘automatically,’ augmenting the Palmer Lake fire crew within minutes. The Black Forest Fire Department responded to Woodmoor’s station to cover the north end during the fire; and the Woodman Valley Fire Department had another crew standing by at their station.

One district not represented at this fire was the Tri-Lakes Fire Protection District, the subject of several articles in OCN concerning Palmer Lake’s ambulance service. They were not represented because several months ago, members of the North End Group of Fire Chiefs -- a group representing all fire services in the area except the Tri-Lakes district -- voted to discontinue automatic mutual aid with Tri-Lakes. They reportedly took this step because the Tri-Lakes chief would not consistently participate in group meetings, and because district personnel did not participate in training conducted jointly under the North End Group’s sponsorship.

According to the North End Group chiefs, the training and the meetings are designed primarily to develop, adopt and provide for equipment standardization and training of personnel in procedures necessary for joint responses to fire emergencies. Because emergencies often require quick, almost instinctual responses to ensure the safety of potential fire victims and firefighters, it is imperative that all who will ultimately fight a fire as a team also trains together as a team.

A few weeks prior to the North End Group vote, Woodmoor-Monument terminated its automatic mutual aid agreement with Tri-Lakes for reasons beyond those cited above, but automatic mutual aid was reinstated by Woodmoor-Monument in view of the on-going emergency services study jointly undertaken and financed by Palmer Lake, Tri-Lakes, and Woodmoor-Monument.

Tri-Lakes Chief Keith Jensen agrees that the study effort is well worth pursuing. He also believes that the North End Group’s standardization and training objectives are important, but that the sessions have been scheduled at times when Tri-Lakes could not attend without jeopardizing Tri-Lakes’ own district training program and fire coverage in the overall Tri-Lakes area. In rebuttal, members of the North End Group believe the benefits of the training sessions to the area are more than worth making the time. They fear that the lack of joint training could put their firefighters in jeopardy were they to respond to an emergency with Tri-Lakes firefighters who have not had that training. Moreover, automatic mutual aid provided to Palmer Lake by the three districts that did respond to the February 1 fire was more than adequate to the task, even without Tri-Lakes. Others disagree. One Palmer Lake resident who asked not to be identified, but who lives near the Tri-Lakes district firehouse, wonders how any fire response to her neighborhood could be faster than Tri-Lakes’ response.

However the argument is resolved, residents in the Tri-Lakes area hope the emergency services study mentioned earlier, now nearing completion of its first draft, will provide a solution for the entire Tri-Lakes area. Perhaps that solution will be a unified district for the whole area - or, at the very least, a better-coordinated and more cooperatively managed system of separate entities.

Monument Board of Trustees meeting February 4

Mayor Betty Konarski called the February 4 regular meeting of the Monument Board of Trustees to order at 6:30 pm. In attendance were Trustees Glenda Smith, Faye Elbaum, Byron Glenn, Christopher Perry, and Katy Page. Trustee Ed Delaney was absent. As the first order of business, the minutes from the January 22 and 24 board of trustees meetings were approved.

Douglas Herzberg was approved as the substitute town judge. The unsolved shooting and wounding of regular town judge, John Ciccollela, at his Colorado Springs office on January 23, necessitated the appointment. Trustee Page made a motion to accept Mr. Herzberg for the remainder of the present two-year term. This was seconded by Trustee Perry, and was unanimously approved.

Monument Chief of Police Joe Kissell officially promoted Officer Steve Burke to the rank of Sergeant. Town Manager Rick Sonnenburg previously authorized the promotion of Sergeant Burke, who is now the second member of the present force to be at that rank. Officer Rick Tudor is the town’s senior serving sergeant.

Becky King, of the town planning department said the amended application by Foster Storage for increased on-site internal storage met the department’s approval guidelines. Scott Foster, the owner of Foster Storage, stated that he had dropped an earlier request for external storage at the site, and had reduced his total proposed internal storage area from 64,000 square feet to 41,200 square feet. Town Manager Sonnenburg pointed out that Mr. Foster was asking for the flexibility to have different size buildings within the town’s overall size limitations. After Trustee Perry was assured the application met local fire codes, the amended application was unanimously accepted.

The mayor then invited public comments. Ernie Biggs, a resident of El Paso County and a Monument businessman, stepped forward. He asked if the board would reveal the salary and length of contract the Town Manager would be seeking when his present contract is up for evaluation. Although salary issues are confidential, Trustee Perry suggested that other information might be obtained as a matter of public record. Mayor Konarski agreed.

Mayor Konarski sought approval from the board to draft a letter of congratulations to the members of the local Olympic Torch Committee. This was unanimously approved. Trustee

Glenda Smith commented that the presence of so many citizens along the relay routes clearly showed how hard the committee members had worked to organize the successful event.

Trustee Page expressed concern about the February 11 scheduled meeting between the board of trustees, the Triview Metropolitan District Board of Directors, and the Monument Planning Commission. She pointed out that the town’s original announcement on January 7 mentioned only the board of trustees and the Triview board as participating. She was worried that the general public would not be aware that changes to the town’s comprehensive plan are now part of the meeting’s agenda. In addition, the town manager stated that other groups, including property owners and Jackson Creek developers, were invited by the town to attend the meeting. Trustee Perry suggested that only the two boards be allowed to actively participate, and all other interested parties be included as part of the audience.

The board unanimously approved disability and life insurance plans for the town’s employees. The long-term disability plan provides for 60 percent of regular salary beginning after 90 days. The life insurance policy will provide one year’s salary to the worker’s beneficiary. Mayor Konarski said this is the first time the town has provided such benefits to its employees.

The board unanimously approved $7,500 as part of the local participation in a Great Outdoors Colorado (GOCO) parks grant. This contribution is expected to be combined with a GOCO award of $10,000, and the total will be used for a parks, trails, and open spaces plan for the town. GOCO will also provide staff to assist with developing the plan. The original grant application was submitted in the fall of 2001.

Sonnenburg reported that funding budgeted for a town treasurer was for 11 months. Trustee Glenn asked about the status of the search for a treasurer and was informed that only one candidate had applied to date. The town manager was confident, however, that more applications would be received as notice of the vacancy is nationally published.

Town clerk Anne Holliday requested approval for a mail ballot election. The mail ballots are needed for Monument’s regular Municipal Election on April 2. She stressed that only election judges handle mail ballots and that the deadline for receiving the ballots is 7 pm on election day. The ballots may also be cast in person at the town clerk’s office in the town hall, or hand delivered to the town hall. They cannot be counted, however, if they are placed in an incorrect receptacle at the town hall (e.g., mistakenly dropped into the slot for utility bills). In response to a query from Trustee Perry, Ms. Holliday said the town is prohibited by law from paying the ballot postage for the voter. Trustee Perry then made the motion to approve the ordinance authorizing a mail ballot election for April 2, 2002. Trustee Glenn seconded the motion. Ordinance 06-2002 was unanimously approved.

Two contracts between Monument and the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) were approved. The first one authorizes $14,600 from the town to be matched by $58,400 from CDOT for the construction of bike lanes on Mitchell Avenue. The second one commits $29,200 from the town to be matched by $116,800 from CDOT for Santa Fe Trail crossings at Second and Third Streets.

Four FY2002 CDOT application grants were approved. Three of the proposed grants involve the construction of sidewalks, gutters, and curbs. The fourth application grant is for a feasibility study for an I-25 pedestrian/bicycle crossing. Dr. Lowell Morgan, a planning commission member, addressed the board and suggested it may be possible to use existing cattle tunnels under the interstate as pedestrian/bicycle crossings. He said this is an option that has been discussed in the past.

Roger Sams of GMS Engineering, and Ed Toms of Boyle Engineering, outlined the current situation regarding the project. An unanticipated need to establish a corridor for the Preble’s meadow jumping mouse (PMJM) requires a modification of the original 404 permit for the Monument dam project. Such a change will ensure that the PMJM has a natural land bridge to transit through the dam site, but will involve an added expense of at least $242,000. The new permit is expected to require a placement of 1.34 acres of dredged material along the west shoreline to create a 60-foot wide habitat along with a 15-foot wide pedestrian path. A motion that the Town sign the 404 permit contract unanimously passed but with some reservations. Trustee Glenn made a second motion to authorize the mayor to write El Paso County officials and ask the county to pay half of the new charges. This also was seconded by Trustee Smith and unanimously passed by the remaining board members.

A related issue concerned a request by Sams for a change order with ASI-RCC, Inc., to relocate a sewer main through the Monument dam site. Toms said a new pipeline would be required and the size would need to be upgraded from 12 inches to 18 inches. Because the Town of Palmer Lake is interested in connecting to this new line, it has made an offer to pay the differential cost of the upgrade. This would amount to about $5,000. Trustee Page expressed her frustration over the cost increases and extended timeline in the repair project. Trustee Elbaum presented the motion to accept the proposed change order not to exceed an amount of $46,732 and minus the Palmer Lake deduction. This was seconded by Trustee Glenn and passed unanimously.

Police Chief Kissell commended Sgt. Rick Tudor for his key role in organizing and coordinating the town’s traffic plan during the Olympic Torch relay. The chief added that it was, “the best crowd I have ever worked with.” Chief Kissell also announced that he had contacted local property owner Robert Brody, and that an issue regarding an unsightly lot next to the La Casa Fiesta Restaurant was now resolved. The need for a possible after-hours curfew in town parks was mentioned. A decision on this matter is pending a recommendation by the parks and landscape committee. Gary Shupp, town attorney, answered questions about the uncertain jurisdiction of local law enforcement on the section of Highway 105 that passes through town. He said he is reviewing statutes that might remedy this situation. Shupp also stated that the use of the Rite Aide parking lot Highway 105 as a sales lot is a violation of the zoning ordinance, and that he would contact the owner regarding this persistent problem.

Trustee Smith questioned Tom Wall, the public works director, about the town’s winter policy in regards to sand removal at intersections. Wall said this is always done as soon as possible, usually within two to three days. He further reported the controversial water usage at Monument Meadows Mobile Home Park on Beacon Lite Road decreased during the month of December. Town Manger Rick Sonnenburg reported that the owner of the mobile home park is preparing to make a “substantial” payment on his water bill. Wall noted that public works employee Ron Rathburn had been professionally recognized recently by the American Water Works.

Attorney Shupp informed the board that the town could charge interest on unpaid water bills. It was decided that after 60 days, the town will begin charging a late fee of 10% per annum on the monthly balance of unpaid bills. An automatic late fee of $5 will remain in effect after the first 30 days. The town attorney will prepare an ordinance to reflect this change.

Monument Planning Commission postpones decision on Sundance Centre

The Monument Planning Commission met on Wednesday February 13. The single item on the agenda was the Sundance Centre Combined Preliminary Plat/Preliminary PD/Final PD and Final Plat. This is a dance studio, currently in the Woodmoor Center, to be built on Lot 1 of the Valley Vista Subdivision on the west side of Knollwood Boulevard, south of Highway 105.

The Planning Commission heard a presentation by the developer, D.D. Greer, and one of the owners, Lonnie Wheeler, and asked numerous questions. The Planning Commission delayed a decision until their next meeting, Wednesday, March 13, due to issues concerning drainage, the status of Knollwood Blvd. as a town road, and because, due to lack of a quorum at their recent meeting, the Public Works Committee had not reviewed the development.

Monument Board of Trustees meeting February 19

Mayor Betty Konarski called the meeting to order at 6:30 P.M. The following people were present: Mayor Konarski, Trustees Ed DeLaney, Glenda Smith, Byron Glenn, Christopher Perry, and Katy Page. Trustee Faye Elbaum was absent. Town Staff: Rick Sonnenburg, Town Manager; Gary Shupp, Town Attorney, Mike Davenport, Assistant Town Manager/Town Planner; Anne Holliday, Town Clerk, Joe Kissell, Police Chief; Tom Wall, Public Works Superintendent. Also present were: Judy Barnes, Joe Beggs, Matt Berg, John Dominowski, Paul Duccomun, Jeff Featherston, Janet Giese, Scott Lauck, Steve Marks, Skip Morgan, Sally O’Brien, Tommie Plank, John Sidor, Sam and Sandy Whittier, and Anthony Yannett.

The minutes of the January 22, February 4, and February 11 meetings were unanimously approved.

Police Chief Joe Kissell introduced Anthony Yannett and Matt Berg from Mrs. Mann’s Civics class at Lewis-Palmer High School. The young men have worked with the Police Department and attended this meeting to fulfill their Civics requirements.

John Sidor asked when a current accounting of the town’s finances will be presented. Town Manager Rick Sonnenburg explained that due to staff delays, this information would not be available until the next board meeting, March 4. Trustee Smith asked Mr. Sidor how he can claim to be a legal resident of the Town of Monument if, in 1998, he was the president of the Shiloh Pines homeowners association. Mr. Sidor replied that he has two residences, but his legal residence is on Jefferson Street in the town.

Town Clerk Anne Holliday presented the application for a liquor license and stated that the business owners had met all the state and local requirements for a beer and wine license. The applicants, Sally O’Brien and Janet Giese, described their dining plans for the restaurant at 65 Second Street, which will be open Tuesday through Sunday, from 8 am until 5 pm.

Mayor Konarski asked the trustees for their views on charging interest on overdue water bills. Trustee Page expressed concern that if someone were having a hardship, paying fines on late water bills would make it harder for them to catch up. Trustees Smith and Perry found the wording of the ordinance unclear. Discussion followed concerning how to age the overdue amount, how often the $5 late fee would be imposed, and how the calculation would be handled after that. Several members of the board felt that since the real problem is the large overdue balance with Monument Meadows Mobile Home Park, perhaps the solution would be to find a way to effectively deal with this particular case, and not to enact an additional ordinance.

Public Works Director Tom Wall and Town Manager Rick Sonnenburg discussed their meeting with Patrick Shannon, the owner of the mobile home park. Mr. Shannon has reduced the amount he owes from $17,000 down to $7,000. The highest water use by the park was in the range of two million gallons. Last month, usage was 1.6 million gallons. Before the leak, the park used between 300,000 and 400,000 gallons per month. In April, when people begin irrigating lawns, usage is expected to increase. Trustee Glenn made a motion to give Mr. Shannon 30 days to stop the leak, or else the water to the park will be shut off. Trustee Smith seconded the motion. Mayor Konarski felt that 60 days was more reasonable, and Tom Wall agreed considering the problems inherent to leak detection and scheduling problems. Trustee Delaney pointed out that the PVC piping is probably 30 years old, and that there were quality control problems with PVC at that time. Normal lifetime of PVC is around 20 years. He recommended that Mr. Shannon replace the main lines. Following a suggestion by Trustee Perry, Trustee Glenn amended his motion to say that within 60 days Mr. Shannon has to have brought his water use down to 600,000 gallons per month or less, or the town will shut off his water. Seconded by Trustee Smith, the motion passed unanimously by roll call vote.

Gary Shupp, town attorney, recommended the town submit a memo to the Colorado Department of Transportation indicating it intends to begin enforcement of traffic regulations on that portion of Highway 105 that is within the town limits. The memo should say that enforcement is to begin sixty days from the date of the memo and will be done in accordance with the model traffic code that has been adopted by the town. A motion was unanimously passed directing the Police Chief to submit the memo.

Five projects were presented with refined cost estimates by Roger Sams of GMS, Inc., the town’s consultant engineering firm:

Entity, Planning Commission; Project, Feasibility study for I-25 Ped/Bike crossing near Higby Road: Cost Estimate, $25,000; 20% Match, $5,000; Grant Request (80%), $20,000.

Entity, Public Works Committee; Project, Sidewalk along north side of new section of Second Street; Cost Estimate, $172,588; 20% Match, $34,518; Grant Request (80%) $138,070.

Entity, Parks and Landscape Committee; Project, Corner curb extensions at three intersections of Second Street; Cost Estimate, $137,490; 20% Match, $27,498; Grant Request (80%) $109,992.

Entity, Public Works Superintendent, Tom Wall; Project, Curb/gutter/sidewalk section at Limbach Park (Front Street Frontage); Cost Estimate, $76,623; 20% Match, $15,325; Grant Request (80%), $61,298.

Entity, Public Works Superintendent, Tom Wall; Project, Curb/gutter/sidewalk section at Lavelett Park (Beacon Lite Road Frontage); Cost Estimate, $175,572; 20% Match, $35,115; Grant Request (80%), $140,457.

Mr. Sonnenburg pointed out that Pikes Peak Area Council of Governments will want the town to prioritize the projects. The board decided to send the projects back to the committees for prioritization. There was a separate motion for each project, and each was unanimously approved.

Dirty Woman Creek Park – Restroom - $136,000

Monument Skate Park – Restroom - $136,000

Lavelett Park – Shelter - $14,000

The Parks and Landscape Committee recommended that the board drop the skate park restroom and the Lavelett Park shelter projects, and use the match money for the Dirty Woman Creek Park restroom project. Public works director Tom Wall told the board that GOCO indicated that one problem with past grant applications was that the matching funds the town offered were too low. Trustee Perry wondered how old the estimate figures are, and whether they needed to be re-examined. Trustee Perry made a motion for the grant application for the Dirty Woman Creek Park restroom at a total cost of $150,000, with a local match of $60,000, and seeking a grant of $90,000. The motion passed unanimously.

Planning commission member Bonnie Butler has told Mayor Konarski that she intends to resign. Mayor Konarski asked the board how they would like to fill the position. The last time there were openings, the town filled the positions with people who had been interviewed but were not accepted to the board of trustees. The board agreed to run an ad in the paper, as they have in prior years.

The town has received four applications for the town treasurer position. Mayor Konarski and Trustee Smith agreed to meet February 22 to review the applicants’ resumes. Trustee Perry said the town treasurer job description, currently just a list of duties and responsibilities, needs to be more detailed. Trustee Smith wants a monthly report that shows expenditures against the budget. Mayor Konarski thinks the town treasurer should report directly to the board and that risk management should be the town treasurer’s responsibility. Trustee Perry noted that the treasurer might not have experience with risk management. Town manager Rick Sonnenburg said he would like to keep the risk management duty because he has a decade of experience working in that capacity. Trustee DeLaney prefers that the town treasurer report to the town manager who, unlike the board of trustees, is there every day. “We’ve had problems in the past with people going their own way,” Trustee DeLaney commented. Town attorney Gary Shupp reported that the norm in Colorado is to have all town employees report to the town manager, “but that’s because almost everybody has home rule,” Shupp added. When asked by Trustee Perry, Mr. Sonnenburg said his experience was with having the town treasurer report to him. Trustee Smith made a motion that the town treasurer report to the board, seconded by Trustee Glenn, with the caveat that the town manager and the town treasurer coordinate their activities. The motion passed five to one, with Trustee DeLaney dissenting.

Discussion centered on safety issues, the litter of signs not removed after the election, and problems with enforcement of the town code in the past. Police Chief Joe Kissell said he wants to enforce the ordinance fairly, applying it also to such signs as real estate signs that are in the public right of way. Trustee Perry requested that signs be ten feet or more from the edge of the roadway or curb. He felt using a uniform measure would be easier to follow, as opposed to trying to guess the size of the easement in any given part of town. Mr. Sonnenburg suggested six feet because it is easy to approximate by standing with both arms outstretched to each side. Since there is not enough time before the election to enact a new ordinance, the Board decided to interpret the existing ordinance as follows: the signs have to be six feet from the road/curb, not tall enough to obstruct a driver’s visibility, may not be put up prior to 90 days before the election, and must come down within seven days after the election. The town manager and clerk will draft guidelines to distribute to candidates and to publish in the town newsletter.

Trustees Smith, Page and Perry attended the Colorado Municipal League legislative workshop.

Police Chief Joe Kissell reported that the property on the corner of Front St. and Second St. has been mowed, and will continue to be regularly maintained by Falcon Mowing. Also, Mr. Brody, owner of the property, said he would have the fence repaired, but wanted to know what would happen if customers of La Casa Fiesta restaurant knock down the fence again. Also, the police department is close to filling the open position for a new officer. The number one candidate is currently undergoing a background check. If that is favorable, drug and psychological screening will follow. The police department is also putting together a schedule for a school resource officer (SRO) for Creekside Middle School. The town has not yet heard about their request for federal funding to pay for an SRO, but with the new staffing schedule, Sgt. Rick Tudor will be at Creekside Middle School for two hours every Friday.

Public works director Tom Wall reported a problem with the Monument Sanitation District’s billing/use with some commercial water customers, which is currently being investigated. As identified during a routine inspection by Colorado Intergovernmental Risk Sharing Association (CIRSA), guardrails need to be installed in four parts of the skate park.

Town clerk Anne Holliday reported on election preparations, the newly upgraded computer system, and computer classes being taken by staff to establish a town database. Regarding the April election, which will be by mail-in ballots, the ballots will all be counted on the day of the election.

Grant Thornton, the accounting firm conducting an audit of town finances, submitted an invoice for $21,440. Trustee Glenn requested the town manager provide the board with an itemized accounting of how Grant Thornton and GMS spend their time on town business. He also requested copies of the contracts to see if there’s a “not to exceed” amount.

Town Attorney Gary Shupp reported that the only outstanding lawsuit regards acquisition of the Second Street right of way. All other suits have been dismissed.

Trustee Page explained that Ernie Biggs had invited her and Trustee Perry to visit the dam. She asked Mr. Biggs why he had invited only the two of them. Mr. Biggs replied that he didn't want an illegal meeting of more than two trustees. Trustee Page then asked Biggs to explain to the rest of the board what he wanted to tell her about the dam. Biggs replied that there are big problems down there. For one thing, nobody wants the material from the dredging, as they cannott build on it. Mayor Konarski commented that this was not the right venue for Biggs' descriptions of the problems, that discussion of the dam problems required a context. Mayor Konarksi then suggested that the board have a tour and briefing at the dam repair site. She reported that the county has agreed to pay half the cost up to $165,000 for Preble’s meadow jumping mouse habitat mitigation as part of the Monument dam project and that she'd like to invite the El Paso County Commissioners to join their tour. The Board decided to have a comprehensive briefing and tour of the dam project at 4 pm prior to the March 4 Board meeting. The town manager will post that as a special meeting.

At 9:10 pm, the board went into executive session to conduct a performance evaluation of the town manager.

Baptist Road Rural Transportation Authority Meeting

School board gives superintendent highest rating, plans meetings on high school configuration

Members of the Lewis-Palmer Board of Education expressed their appreciation for Superintendent Ted Bauman’s leadership and untiring efforts on behalf of District 38 when they renewed his contract for another year at the February 21 board meeting. His evaluation had been conducted at a special meeting held February 7, and the Board rated him “Excellent” in all areas. His salary will be determined after the Colorado General Assembly makes appropriations.

The Board heard a progress report on the implementation of enhanced services of the Gifted and Talented Program adopted last summer. Building principals stated that they are generally pleased with the ways in which identified students are being served and tracked. This is a continuing effort as the district strives to meet the individual needs of its high ability learners.

Approval was given to two items that had been presented for consideration at the January meeting. The new Evaluation of Learning teacher evaluation model and the Professional Development model were adopted as presented.

Discussion continued from last month’s meeting concerning the District’s Code of Conduct and student discipline policies. Additional information has been received concerning legal issues that govern the interview process used with students who violate the current policies; legal advice was also obtained about some other forms of discipline, including deferred expulsions. The Board and administrators will continue to examine the ramifications of the policies over the next few months. They want to be certain discipline policies are being equally applied across the district, and that suspensions have a less severe impact on grades than expulsions.

Several dates have been scheduled over the next two months for presentations and the gathering of input from the community concerning the future high school configuration. Presentations for the next four weeks include:

March 7; 7:30 am, Key Communicators Meeting, LP High School

March 12; 7:00 pm, District Accountability Committee, Administration Building

April 2; 7:00 pm, Accountability Committee, Kilmer Elementary

April 8; 7:00 pm, Accountability Committee, Palmer Lake Elementary

A complete list of the presentations currently scheduled through May is available at the Administration Building, and is posted at Covered Treasures Bookstore. Any person wishing to schedule a presentation for a community group should contact Superintendent Bauman at 488-4700. All District 38 residents are encouraged to attend a presentation; the Board recognizes the impact this decision will have on the entire Tri-Lakes area, and is requesting community participation.

CDOT presents five concepts for Baptist interchange redesign

Representatives from the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) hosted an open house for the public at Lewis-Palmer High School February 11. Displays with aerial views depicting information about the project and five conceptual Baptist Road interchange designs proposed by the design firm PBS&J, were on display for public scrutiny and comment. Staff members from CDOT were stationed at the displays to answer questions posed by the sometimes skeptical residents.

The goals of the project were listed as 1) Increasing capacity on I-25 from two-through lanes to three-through lanes in each direction, 2) Replacing and reconfiguring the existing interchange, 3) Improving safety and mobility in a growing urban area, and 4) Balancing various stakeholders needs to provide the best solution

Some of the issues and constraints of the project include Preble's meadow jumping mouse habitat, prairie dog habitat, frontage road location, access to local businesses, future and planned development in the area, accommodation for local road improvements, Town of Monument future growth and annexation, Santa Fe Trail, and floodplains and wetlands.

A variety of criteria will be used to evaluate the alternatives and select a design. These criteria include

Traffic measurements made in May through December 2001 concluded that the I-25 on and off ramps and the intersection with the Struthers frontage road are at level of service (LOS) E or F morning and evening. LOS E represents unstable flow near capacity. LOS E often quickly changes to LOS F because of disturbances (road conditions, accidents, etc.) in traffic flow. LOS F represents the worst conditions with heavily congested flow and traffic demand exceeding capacity, characterized by stop-and-go waves, poor travel time, low comfort and convenience, and increased accident risk. About 7,400 vehicles per day in each direction were measured between I-25 and Jackson Creek Parkway.

All the designs include a new bridge over I-25 and three lanes in each direction on I-25, with longer lanes for the on and off ramps to provide more capacity than currently available for merging.

Design 1 includes a diamond interchange and the Struthers frontage road would be moved east. The entrances to Brookhart’s and the Total station would be moved farther from I-25 to improve intersection spacing.

Design 2 would eliminate left turns, and therefore left turn lanes, by using a partial cloverleaf configuration. The frontage road would be realigned to the east. This design has the highest cost for right-of-ways because it would require purchase and demolition of the Total station.

Design 3 uses a tight urban diamond interchange with two signal lights and a third signal light possible at the entrance to Brookhart’s if a road is built there to provide access to new development. The frontage road would be realigned, and the entrance to the Total station would be moved west. The ramps for this design appear shorter than in other designs.

Design 4 is like design 3, but would keep the existing frontage road and require a third signal light.

Design 5 is the most radical of the designs, as it employs roundabouts instead of signal lights. This design would keep the existing frontage road where it is. One guest commented that the roundabout at Lake Street in Colorado Springs was the scene of frequent accidents.

According to the summary display below, design 3 scored the highest marks, ‘good’ in Traffic Operations, Project Cost, Right-of-Way Needs, and Access; and ‘average;’ in Constructability and Environmental Resource Issues.

Note that Public and Agency Acceptability for the alternatives has not yet been determined.

The remaining schedule for the project is as follows:

All of the materials from the open house including the configuration of the other four concept plans are posted at http://www.interstate25.com/ncdot/bapt/bapt21102.htm.

Comments on the project and the conceptual designs should be sent to Wilson and Company, 455 E. Pikes Peak Avenue, Suite 200, Colorado Springs, Colorado 80903. For more information, call Cheryl Everitt, Community Relations Manager, Wilson and Company, at 520-5800.

Residents raise concerns about Adelphia's upgrade

Citizens Conference on Growth: Shaping Livable Communities in Colorado

According to the 2000 Census, Colorado is the third fastest growing state in the country. Colorado’s communities are experiencing increased traffic congestion, loss of open space and farmland, and increasing housing prices. Colorado’s rate of growth and absence of growth management policies and practices threaten to undermine the quality of life Coloradans enjoy.

Shaping Livable Communities in Colorado is a daylong conference for citizens interested in policies, tools, and skills you can use to better implement growth management tools. Community leaders will address the different policies and tools available for communities to preserve open space, create affordable housing options, increase transportation options, and make better land-use decisions. Emphasis will be given to how citizens can go back and implement these policies and tools in their communities. The citizen conference will be held on Saturday, March 23, 2002, 9 am to 6 pm, in Denver at the Denver University Law Center, 7039 E 18th Ave.

This year’s conference is sponsored by Colorado Environmental Coalition, Colorado Public Interest Research Group (COPIRG) Sprawl Action Center, Livable Communities Support Center, Colorado Mobility Coalition, ColoRail, Sierra Club, the Colorado Affordable Housing Partnership and numerous local groups.

Cost: $20 in advance, $25 at the door. To Register on-line: http://www.sprawlaction.org, follow the links to the registration page.

For more information or to have a flyer mailed to you, contact Sam Sager, Colorado Environmental Coalition 303-534-7066 x218 sam@cecenviro.org , Michelle Kramer, COPIRG’s Sprawl Action Center 303-573-7474 x217, mkramer@copirg.org, or Rich McClintock, Livable Communities Support Center, 303-477-9985, rich@livablecenter.org.

Tri-Rec 'opt-outs' opt back in

The Tri-Lakes Parks and Recreation District was approved by the El Paso County Board of County Commissioners for voter consideration in the election of November 2000. At that time, residents who objected to being a part of the district were permitted to ‘opt out’ -- that is, to voluntarily exclude themselves and their property from the district and any taxes it might be authorized to levy. 852 property owners availed themselves of that opportunity. At the November election, the voters approved formation of the district, but all funding issues failed.

At its February 19 meeting, the Tri-Rec Board of Directors approved placing three questions before the voters. The first two, Issues 5A and 5B, would authorize the construction and operation of a 43,000 square foot community center designed for all age groups in the community. It would include a competition-length pool and many other athletic and fitness amenities. Additionally, it would feature space with kitchen facilities for meetings of seniors and other groups, space for community service groups that wish to be headquartered there, and space for child care for community center users.

Finally, Issue 5C would authorize funds for the construction of a previously planned trail network, as well as the acquisition of Ben Lomond Mountain and other parcels as publicly accessible open space. The trails and open space will be maintained using Conservation Trust Funds and monies from other non-tax sources.

The literature the district recently distributed to residents as a paid insert in the February OCN edition spells out its policies for non-resident use of the facilities. While the trails and open space will be accessible to the general public, only tax-paying district residents will have free use of the community center, athletic fields, and other closed-use facilities. Those living outside the district’s service area will be permitted to use the facilities on a space available basis, and then only after the payment of a user fee. Those who live within the service area, but who have previously opted out of the district (the ‘opt-outs’), will not be permitted to use the facilities at all until they have petitioned to rejoin the district, been accepted by the board, and paid all fees and back taxes.

To date, nine previous ‘opt-outs’ have decided that now is the time to opt back in. The chief objection of these residents was that they didn’t think it was fair to have to pay taxes for a rec center, as well as the YMCA’s subscription and capital fees. With that objection removed, they want to rejoin the district before they owe any back taxes. The District Board of Directors voted on February 19 to process the petitions of the nine residents who have applied to rejoin. Any others interested in ‘opting in,’ should request a petition form from the Tri-Rec District at P.O. Box 2246, Monument, CO 80132, or send an email to info@tri-rec.com. The District will do the rest.

Letters to Our Community

Concrete batch plants - They're back

Two years ago, our community thought it had seen the last of the proposal presented by Transit Mix, Inc. for a concrete batch plant on North Washington Street. This company, however, sued the Town of Monument because the board of trustees did not approve its proposal. There are a number of reasons why this proposal was denied in the public hearings held two years ago, in particular, the developer was unwilling to adequately address the plant’s impact on traffic on Highway 105 and North Washington Street as well as some other matters identified at those public hearings. The town won the first round in this lawsuit in 2001, but Transit Mix would not let it drop and the next court date, which had been set for March 5, 2002, has been reset to June 25, 2002.

Oddly enough, new witnesses may be deposed in the next few weeks. They include Leon Tenney, former mayor of Monument, Betty Konarski, current mayor of Monument, John Heiser, Ernie Biggs, John Dominowski, and several others. It is not clear what new information these people can provide that is not already part of the transcribed public hearings when the people of our town spoke out for or against this Transit Mix Proposal. Curiously, the plaintiffs’ (Transit Mix and William Simpson) claim that my own website contains information relevant to the pleadings. I would be interested in knowing what that is all about.

For what reason does this company pursue the town and those residents of the town and Tri-Lakes who spoke against the Transit Mix proposal two years ago? The proposal was treated fairly during the process and was considered on its merits and demerits. During the public hearing process, the Transit Mix proposal was found by the Board of Trustees to be wanting. Could not Transit Mix Company come back with a new and improved proposal that could be acceptable both to the neighboring residents and the Town’s ordinances and comprehensive plan? Given the size of the Town and choice of many different locations, there possibly exists a suitable site.

In short, although the concrete batch plant issue has had a low profile for the past couple of years, it has never reached closure and is going to reappear in the forefront of the news again in the near future.

Historical perspective on Triview's objections to the comp plan

I recently attended a joint meeting of the Monument Board of Trustees, Monument Planning Commission, and the Tri-View Board of Directors. The purpose of the meeting was to air Tri-View’s concerns about the Comprehensive Plan the Town of Monument is considering. Tri-View asserts the proposed Comprehensive Plan will cost them millions of dollars in lost tax revenue. I would like to point out to the Monument Board of Trustees that Tri-View’s Board of Directors was certainly not concerned about Monument’s loss of tax revenue when they decided to provide the Wal-Mart site with utilities even though the site is not in the district or the town. It is amazing to me Tri-View has the nerve to complain to Monument about a potential loss of tax revenue given their Wal-Mart decision. Concerned citizens spent many hours on the new Comprehensive Plan. I urge you to pass the Plan as proposed.

Water, water everywhere

Water is life in our climate. It is the difference between living well and barely surviving. In the Tri-Lakes area, most water districts must use deep wells to bring water up to the surface. Water from this source is usually non-renewable, since it is not recharged from rain or snow each year. Much concern has been expressed that the water in the Denver Basin Aquifers is being rapidly used up. 25 years from now will there be enough to go around? Therefore, water has become expensive to the producers and expensive to the residents. It should not be wasted.

Water systems consist of many parts. The first part is legal. Does the town or district have the legal ownership of the water beneath the ground and the water that runs off the surface? The amount of water per acre that potentially can be drawn from the aquifers each year is limited by the State of Colorado. The second part is soil mechanics and pumping capacity. The amount of water that can be physically pumped from any given location is limited by the permeability of the surrounding soil at that depth and the size of the pump. This draw-down volume may need to be allowed to recharge during any 24-hour period or the pump sucks dirt or air. This well drilling gets most of the attention of the public, but it is not most of the cost of the project. Most of the cost of any new well is the treatment facility to make the water potable for the public. Finally, the Town or district must distribute the water in pipes under pressure to each and every household for its use.

As our community grows, many of these water distribution lines have become old and spring leaks, spilling much of our precious treated water, and no one gets the use of it. It is just lost. Now some water losses can be expected since very few human engineered systems are 100% efficient. However, when these losses exceed over 1,000,000 gallons a month, that is too much.

The Town of Monument loses over one million gallons every month in leaky distribution lines in the mobile home park. This problem may have gone on for years, but due to the efficiency of our present Public Works Superintendent, Tom Wall, it was discovered last fall. Now to put this amount in perspective, the Town pumps approximately 7 million gallons per month in the winter and over 11 million gallons per month in the summer. This extra amount is due to people watering their lawns. Therefore, this amount is near 14% of the total during the low months and almost 10% during the critical months. Further, the Town of Monument recently spent about 1.8 million dollars drilling its latest well, located near Beacon Lite and 2^nd Street.

At the February 19, 2002 Town Board of Trustees Meeting, a motion was passed that requires the owner of the mobile home park to fix the leaky distribution system within sixty days to a point that the total water use of the mobile home park is 600,000 gallons or less per month. If the problem is not fixed within sixty days, the town will shut off the water to the 300 residents at the mobile home park.

If the cost of fixing the water distribution lines in the mobile home park is $200,000 and if the amount of water being lost is what is pumped from one of the Town’s well, then we can cost avoid the next well by fixing the distribution lines to eliminate this 1.0 million gallon per month loss for one-tenth of the price. Why not do it?

Unfortunately, this solution has legal difficulties. These water distribution lines are owned by a private party, which rents the spaces at the mobile home park. The Town of Monument owns up to a certain point and its responsibilities end. But can we leave at that? I think that the Town spending 1.8 million dollars so water can be dumped into the ground by leaky pipes is not right. Certainly, the rest of the Town does not want to spend this money and the residents and owner of the mobile home park do not want to buy this amount of water at $6.00 per 1,000 gallons. Some middle ground is needed such that the lines are fixed and the costs are pro-rated. If the owner does not have the money, the Town as a public service for the nearly 300 residents in the mobile home park could fix the lines and assess over a 10-year period the recoupment of this from the mobile home park owner. The main advantage to the Town as a whole is to cost avoid the money needed to produce 1 million gallons a month.

Finally, though this discussion is about the latest water leak in one area, this situation of old, leaky pipes could be in Palmer Lake, Woodmoor, or Gleneagle. Should these residents pay 10 times the price of fixing leaky lines in constructing new wells? These questions should be addressed before the knee-jerk reaction of drilling a new well. These districts may want to study the problem via the Water Master Plan before spending the money on new wells as the Town of Monument has.

Letters from law enforcement: Steve Burk promoted to Sergeant

By Joe Kissell, Chief, Monument Police Department

At a ceremony on the 4th of February, in front of the Board of Trustees, Officer Steve Burk of the Police Department received a promotion to the rank of Sergeant. Sergeant Burk is a 7½-year veteran with the Police Department, starting his employment with the Town of Monument in September of 1994.

Sergeant Burk was selected for the promotion after successfully completing several phases of a promotion process that included submitting a letter stating why he should be considered for the promotion along with a resume. The process also included appearing before an oral board made up of two lieutenants, one from the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office and one from the Colorado Springs Police Department, along with citizen/business owner Tim Watkins from Balanced Rock Bike and Ski.

The candidates were also required to answer questions designed to address their thoughts on how the Police Department should look to future needs of the community. Finally, the candidates completed an interview with the Chief. Sergeant Burk’s responses to the questions, the review boards and his record with the Police Department placed him as the top candidate for the promotion.

The other officers applying for the position also did well supporting the fact the community can be proud of the Police Department and the people wearing the badge. Our focus is and will continue to be preservation of citizen rights and law enforcement designed to improve the quality of life we enjoy here in the Tri-Lakes area.

Our thanks to the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office, the Colorado Springs Police Department and Mr. Tim Watkins for taking time to help us select our new Sergeant.

Beware of "E-Audit" fraud

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) has issued an alert concerning a fraudulent scam being conducted by e-mail. Some taxpayers have received e-mail from a non-IRS source indicating that the taxpayer is under audit and needs to complete a questionnaire within 48 hours to avoid the assessment of penalties. The e-mail refers to an “e-audit” and references IRS Form 1040. The taxpayer is asked for social security number, bank account numbers and other confidential information.

The IRS does not conduct “e-audits” nor does it notify taxpayers of a pending audit by e-mail. This e-mail is not from the IRS. Do not provide the requested information. This may be an identity-theft attempt. If you receive e-mail of this nature, please contact the IRS office in your area.

Jackdaddy concert benefits Tri-Lakes area fire departments

Tri-Lakes area band Jackdaddy held a concert at Pinecrest Event Center on February 22 to benefit the Tri-Lakes area fire departments. The members of Jackdaddy, a popular local band, wanted to do something special in tribute to the dedication of the area fire departments. Brian Jack, Lee Williams, Kane Cotton, and Mitch Spirer thought that after the support shown for the New York fire departments by the Tri-Lakes area, it would be nice to show support for the local fire departments.

Approximately 200 people attended the concert and enjoyed four hours of excellent music and great community fellowship. With the community sponsorship from Pinecrest Event Center, The Cork and Bottle, Monument Pizza, Tri-Lakes Printing, and the Tri-Lakes Tribune, the band was hoping to net at least $200 for each fire department. Singer Brian Jack said he thought they had reached and possibly exceeded their goal and added, “Jackdaddy would like to thank everyone who helped with and attended the concert. We felt it was important at this time to show our support for the firefighters of our area and thank them for all they do for the Tri-Lakes area.”

The Woodmoor-Monument Fire Protection District, Tri-Lakes Fire Protection District and the Palmer Lake Volunteer Fire Department will be the beneficiaries of the net proceeds. The money will be used to help purchase needed equipment.

"Have a Heart, Save a Life" raised more than $7,300

“Many thanks to all the fine teens, business owners, and civic groups who gave of their time, service, and energy to help raise money for the purchase of the MSA 4000 infrared viewing device. Without the help of our community minded citizens the fundraiser would never have been successful. We have a lot of wonderful people in the Tri-Lakes area.” said Karen Evans, fundraiser coordinator and owner of A Chick & A Windshield.

Jil Tilitz, manager of the Jackson Creek King Soopers, and Russ Novotney, manager of the Safeway store in Monument, opened their arms in support of the fundraising drive allowing the stores to be used for donation centers on Saturdays.

Palmer Lake Fire Department made a cash donation. Chief Jensen at the Tri-Lakes Fire Department will be submitting a grant request for $5000.00 to Mountain View Electric Round Up Fund. The grant money will be applied toward the purchase of the camera. Marshall Blake and Chief Youtsey of the Woodmoor/Monument Fire Department contributed postage for several mailings to business owners. All three of the fire departments dedicated trucks and firefighters to visit with the community on the four Saturdays during the fundraiser. They gave tours of the fire trucks and answered questions about the infrared camera. Some families took photos with the trucks and firefighters.

Jim Lipper of the Pikes Peak Fire Buffs brought his antique fire truck to King Soopers to share with the community for three Saturdays during the fundraiser. The truck had last been in service in Central City, CO. It was originally owned by the Boulder County Rural Fire Protection District and was first placed in service there in 1959. Jim Lipper purchased the truck and displays it in memory of his late uncle, Martin Lipper, who died in the line of duty on March 10th, 1941 fighting the Strand Theatre fire that took the lives of thirteen fire fighters in Brockton, Massachusetts. “We very much appreciate Jim’s support and caring for this community. Jim helped staff tables and brought the fire truck down even when it was snowing. He is a very special man” said Karen Evans, fundraiser coordinator.

Chief Crenshaw, the former fire chief of Woodmoor-Monument Fire Department, died during the drive. Several of his friends made donations in lieu of flowers to the Have A Heart; Save A Life fundraising drive at the request of his family.

Darlah Kapusta of ComSer-Co, Inc. in Palmer Lake donated the printing of flyers and posters for the drive.

The Women Business Owners & Managers club of Tri-Lakes supported the effort with many of the members staffing tables at the grocery stores. Mary Feldmann and Karen Evans of A Chick & A Windshield, Bonnie Biggs of Lake of the Rockies and Colorado Heights Campgrounds, Cheryl Rogers of Chyann’s Pet Care, Linda Cook of Liberty Heights, Camilla Mottl of Woodmoor Improvement Association, Mary Russelavag of the Town of Monument, Maureen Haigh and Tanya McSwan of Adelphia, and Margo Gasta of Nutrition for Life all helped out by taking two hour shifts. Some ladies took several shifts to supply the needed coverage.

The Monument Hill Sertoma Club assisted the effort with Mike Wicklund staffing a booth and Max Williams organizing the Serteens to staff booths. The following Serteens donated their time and service: David Motta, Kelly Bryant, Blair Luber, Ryan June, Matt Miller, Andrew Shahan, Philip Taylor, Mike and Matt Ziemke, David Rieseling, Katie Shahan, Jessica Byrd, and Rachel Green.

Other students from Lewis-Palmer High donated their time to fulfill a community service requirement of a civics class. Mr. O’Connor has his students participate in community service each year as part of their studies. Mike Schreier, Ian Irish, and Ian Smith all chose to staff tables as part of their class requirement. Lewis-Palmer Middle School got involved by placing a donation jug at their school.

The Kiwanis club donated several hundred of their annual historic calendars to give away to donors at the grocery stores. Chuck Hardy helped staff a booth as well, sharing smiles and handshakes with those who entered the store.

The following people gave of their time and service by distributing, checking, and returning collection canisters: Dee Bates of Stone Mountain Trading Post, Cheryl Rogers of Chyann’s Pet Care, Cathy & Woody Woodworth of High Country Feed, The Tri-Lakes Fire Department, Ian Irish, and Jim Crawley.

The drive was successful in raising $7,313.00. The desired goal was $15,000.00. Although the $15,000.00 goal was not met, the Woodmoor-Monument Fire Department made the decision to purchase the infrared camera. It is now being employed on all structure fire calls. “This particular piece of equipment is so vital we felt we really needed to have it. Since we were so accustomed to using the previous device, we really felt the loss not having the benefit of this camera,” Chief Youtsey said. He is hopeful the grant from Mountain View Electric will be made through cooperative efforts with the Tri-Lakes Fire Protection District. The 2002 budget for new equipment will help make up the shortfall.

Donations to the Woodmoor-Monument Fire Protection District can still be made and are gratefully accepted to help defray the cost of the infrared camera. “We had several people donate $100.00. It was a special feeling to reach into the donation buckets at the end of the day and find sizeable checks and one hundred dollar bills.” said Karen Evans. “People who took the time to stop and ask questions learned about the device and how it would be used. Once they understood what we were doing and why, they were very supportive of our efforts and made generous donations,” said Karen. “We even had a recording artist stop and visit. He sent us several of his CD’s in support of our efforts. We will be giving these to our top donors as a thank you for their generosity.” “If there’s one thing I’ve learned from this fundraiser,” said Karen, “It’s this: Not everyone can give a lot of money, but if we all give a little we can accomplish big goals. A little from a lot goes a long way.”

National Quilting Day comes to Monument March 17

The Palmer Divide Quiltmakers and the Monument Hill Branch Library will celebrate National Quilting Day on Sunday, March 17 at the library. National Quilting Day was established in 1992 through the efforts of the National Quilting Association. It has become an annual event that is celebrated by quilters all over the world, and the Palmer Divide Quiltmakers hope to make it an annual celebration here in Monument.

 The main idea of the day is to celebrate the pleasure of quilting in some way by sharing quilting knowledge and talents with others. There are as many different types of activities on National Quilting Day as there are different types of quilting groups. The plans range from small to large, from simple to complex. Some quilting bees may simply set aside the day to do what they enjoy doing most - working on their current quilting project. Sometimes quilt guilds and quilt shops sponsor the equivalent of quilt-a-thons to make as many quilts as possible in one day. The quilts will be given to various groups, individuals, and organizations that need them for the work they do throughout the community. The quilts are made for those in need whether that is a hospital crisis nursery, some type of shelter, or someone in the community who needs a little extra comforting. Many groups also sponsor quilt shows, classes, and demonstrations.

The Palmer Divide Quiltmakers and Monument Hill Branch library have a fun afternoon of learning about quilting planned for Sunday, March 17 at the library in the Woodmoor Center on Lake Woodmoor Drive. There will be quilting demonstrations from 1 pm to 3 pm. Members of the guild will be demonstrating hand quilting and hand piecing for all ages. In addition, there are several activities planned for children. There will be a storyteller at 1:30 pm, a class for preschoolers to make a “paper quilt” at 2 pm, and a children’s hand quilting class at 2:30 pm. The older children in the hand quilting class will be working with needle, thread, and fabric. The grand finale for the afternoon will be a lecture by Bobbie Aug at 3:30 pm. Bobbie is a wonderful and knowledgeable speaker. She is a quilt historian, a quilt book author, and a certified quilt appraiser. Bobbie has served three terms as President of the Colorado Quilting Council. In addition to this day of quilting celebration, Palmer Divide Quiltmakers will have a quilt show on exhibit at the library March 11 through 24.

Palmer Divide Quiltmakers is a new quilt guild that started in the area early in 2001. PDQ is a charter group of the National Quilting Association. The guild has about 65 members that meet once a month at the Church of Woodmoor. Members come from Castle Rock to Colorado Springs, from Palmer Lake to Falcon, and all in between. Palmer Divide Quiltmakers is devoted to learning more about the art of quilting and to encourage an appreciation of the art by providing educational meetings, sharing ideas and information, and the promotion of a variety of activities. Please stop in the library to enjoy the beautiful quilt exhibit and come help celebrate National Quilting Day. Everyone is welcome and we hope to see you there!

Friends of Ben Lomond Fitness Fun a success despite weather

Statements by candidates for the Monument Board of Trustees

The April 2 Monument municipal election will fill five of the six positions on the Monument Board of Trustees. OCN attempted to contact all the candidates that had declared their intention to run for Monument trustee. We gave each candidate a list of questions. Below are the responses received by our deadline February 22. The candidates responses are listed alphabetically: Byron Glenn, W. Lowell Morgan, Christopher Perry, Kristi Schutz, and Doug Warner.

I moved to the Jackson Creek community of Monument in April 1999.

Born and raised in San Diego, CA; graduated from San Diego State University with a BS Degree in Civil Engineering; moved to Las Vegas, NV in 1993; moved to Colorado Springs in 1996. I was a retail clerk through high school and college and have been a civil engineer since. I am a licensed Professional Engineer in the States of Colorado, California and Nevada. I am a current member of the Town of Monument Board of Trustees, Vice President of the Baptist Road Rural Transportation Authority (BRRTA), serve on the Pikes Peak Regional Building Commission, the Monument Economic Development Committee, and I previously served on the Planning Commission.

In my opinion, the Comprehensive Plan, in its current state, is incomplete. The plan needs to reference and discuss the needs and desires of the Districts within the Town of Monument’s corporate limits, and should reference requirements outlined in the Intergovernmental Agreements between these Districts and the Town. The Districts within the Town include Triview Metro, Monument Sanitation, Forest Lakes Metro, Woodmoor Sanitation, Tri-Lakes and Woodmoor-Monument Fire Protection, Tri-Rec, and School District 38. The Comprehensive Plan should outline the development needs required within these Districts for estimates of future revenue generation, which allow the Districts to fund the required services. I believe the plan should be completed with the cooperation and coordination of these Special Districts, before adoption by the Planning Commission. The plan also needs to revise future land uses around Monument Lake, Highway 105 and the Washington Street area, and Jackson Creek. Owners of the vacant land should also have the ability to give input on what they would recognize as feasible zoning for their property. Recreational issues such as parks, ball fields, trails and recreational centers also need to be better outlined and addressed. One thing we all need to remember, at this time (future State legislation may change this) the Comprehensive Plan is just a land use plan and guide for future rezoning of property, should a property owner request a zone change. The land within Monument is already zoned, with a vast majority of land zoned within a Planned Zone such as a Planned Commercial District (PCD) and Planned Industrial District (PID). These zones are similar to a PUD zoning, which requires extensive land plan submittals for review prior to approval. Commercial development is a vital necessity for generating revenue within the Town. This revenue is then utilized to pay for future water supplies, sanitary sewage collection and treatment facilities, drainage, roads, parks, police and fire protection. Without good and well planned commercial development, property taxes may increase to offset the cost of these services.

Again, the Comprehensive Plan is not a zoning document and, therefore, does not designate a building footprint size height, or setback requirements. These items are all outlined in the approved zoning requirements of the property. As far as the potential development of these types of retail stores, I believe the Town should keep its options open. There are many things that we all need to consider as a development site plan or zone change request is submitted to the Town for review and approval, including transportation issues around the proposed site, landscape buffers, lighting, architecture and building height. As a Town, we need to ask questions like: How will this proposed development benefit or potentially hurt the Town? What are the property rights of the landowner and what do the zoning regulations and land use laws say about the proposed development? There is really no easy ‘yes’ or ‘no’ answer; each application needs to be thoroughly reviewed and a decision has to be made based upon its individual merit.

The Town of Monument is the commercial hub of the Tri-Lakes area. I believe that everyone impacted by the decisions of the Town should have the right to voice opinions and concerns regarding any issue that may impact their life, health or finances. I also believe that the residents of the Town, and the individuals who own land within the Town and pay property taxes to the Town, have a greater right and, therefore, a greater responsibility to voice their desires. It is these people whose property tax dollars help to pay for required services the Town provides.

I know there will be many compelling and important issues through the next year, but at this time I believe that the issues at hand include the immediate appointment of a Town Treasurer, and the development and implementation of a balanced budget for the year 2002. Land use applications are always important issues that need to be handled in an unbiased, thoughtful and legal fashion. The Comprehensive Plan is an important issue facing the Town, however, it will be adopted by the Planning Commission with only an endorsement from the Board.

As a current member of the Board, I have learned a great deal regarding the Town and its daily operations. I have learned not only how the Town functions, but also how the Special Districts in the area work. I know how the 2002 budget was derived and potential changes it may have to undergo in the next few months. I am familiar with the current status of all capital improvement projects and various litigations. As a professional civil engineer, I have extensive experience with zoning, land planning and development, infrastructure requirements, construction management and contract administration. Most importantly, however, I vote my conscience. I am not influenced by any individual or special interest group. I vote on the facts and weigh those facts with what I believe is best for the Town of Monument and its residents.

With the completion of the Comprehensive Plan, Monument Dam, Beacon Lite Road, Second Street, and with the I-25 interchanges planned in the near future, I see Monument as becoming a very viable town with a diverse economy, population and land use. I see children growing up and staying in the area, working and living in a very attractive and sound community.

I am not a politician, but an average person with a family to support and a mortgage payment. I want the best for my family and a future for my children. Since I have been on the Board of Trustees, I have discovered that no issue is trivial. Each issue needs to be resolved with factual information and sincere thought.

I live on Jefferson Street in the old part of the Town of Monument and have the good fortune of having a short commute to my office on Washington Street. I moved to the Tri-Lakes area from Castle Rock in 1988 and have lived in the Town itself for four years.

I have B.S. degrees in physics and in engineering and a Ph. D. in physics. I have been a professional physicist since 1968. I moved to Boulder, Colorado from Ann Arbor, Michigan in March 1976 to work at an astrophysics institute there. I then was a nuclear weapons physicist at a national lab in Livermore, California between 1979 and 1986 before coming back to Boulder and then to Castle Rock and finally to Monument, where I started my own applied physics company in 1988. I have been involved in school district advisory committees for a number of years and was chair of the District Accountability Advisory Committee for four years. I have previously been on the public works committee and planning commission as well as being a Trustee of the Town of Monument.

I envision the future Town of Monument as comprising a vibrant Historic District plus, in the newer areas under development, a mix of residential, retail, and office & light industrial some of which would, hopefully, be high technology. It would be wonderful to have businesses in Monument that would pay employees a wage such that they could also live in Monument. Office & light industrial would do that; retail will not. Many people move to this area because of its scenic beauty and ready access to outside activities. I would work at not only preserving those features of this area, but also expanding access to trails and parks.

As a high tech entrepreneur I know the value of long term planning. The Town Comprehensive Plan will eventually be a valuable document. In its present very rough draft form it serves to focus discussion but is far from being a polished complete and final document.

I have mixed feelings about “big box” stores. I’m aware of their popularity but I’m also aware that every major chain has a store within a 15-minute drive of here. What needs to be decided upon is whether the residents of the town and our neighbors, who may not be within the town limits, want parts of Monument, e.g. Baptist Road or the future Jackson Creek Parkway or Highway 105, to have the look and feel of North Academy Boulevard in Colorado Springs. That’s not an easy decision and, once made, it’s an irreversible decision. Such developments will change the character of this area for the remainder of our lifetimes. There is a mythology that we frequently hear, which is clearly self-serving for certain people, that small towns cannot survive financially without embracing big box retail stores. This is more disinformation and hyperbole than truth. I would work to sort out the truth from the myth and to help plan a financially viable future for the Town of Monument.

Since most people in the Tri-Lakes area live outside the Town limits but are, nevertheless, affected greatly by decisions made by Town government, their voices should be heard and listened to.

The most important role played by the Board of Trustees is to try to promote a vision of the future of the Town that is amenable to those of us who plan on calling Monument home for years and decades to come. This involves not only tools like the Comprehensive Plan but ensuring that Town ordinances, which have evolved over the years, are adhered to in development, water usage, and so on.

I would view my role as an alternative voice to that of the Mayor, who is herself a commercial realtor, and her patrons who may have a vision for the future of Monument that is at odds with that of many town residents, especially newer town residents, who have come here to escape places like the Briargate area of Colorado Springs. I think many people would like to have such voices on the Board of Trustees but are themselves, understandably, reluctant to run for election. It takes vast amounts of time and as a candidate or public official one is always fair game for the slander, innuendo, and character assassination that have become the norm in politics at all levels. Nevertheless, I believe that people want representatives for their points of view.

My life and interests are documented on my personal Web log (known as a Blog in the Internet community) at www.leptonic.com. I am listed in the phone book and my email address is morgan@kinema.com.

My wife and I chose to move to the John Laing Community off Old Denver Highway 2 years ago.

I have a BA in Psychology from the University of New Hampshire (UNH). I attended NY Medical College for a MPH in Epidemiology until I moved to Colorado. Health Management Systems (HMS), a subsidiary of Anthem, Inc, recruited me to Colorado in 1998. I am currently a Business Analyst at HMS. I have been actively involved in my community since High School. At UNH I was a member of Durham Ambulance Corps, a founding member of UNH Search and Rescue and a Co-Coordinator of Cool-Aid, a crisis intervention hotline. After college, I continued community involvement as a volunteer Firefighter and EMT in NY and with Black Forest Fire/Rescue here in Colorado. In October 2001 I was appointed the Board of Trustees to fill a seat created by the recall election.

I see Monument as the ideal family community with a good mix of residential, business, retail, office space, and green space. The small town charm of Monument will be preserved in our neighborhoods and that will make this a premier community in southern Colorado.

I feel that this advisory document is critical to the future of the town and the planning process. As it currently stands, in its draft stage, it is a good first draft. There are some items that need to be looked at again, and compromises will need to be made. Overall I commend the effort and I look forward to the completion of the process. I think the biggest issue land owners need to understand is that the plan, in its current format cannot change zoning. Unless there is new legislation passed, this is a guide to help us evaluate new zoning change requests and possibly streamline development proposals that meet the plan’s criteria. It is only through the cooperation of all parties involved that we can develop a comprehensive plan that will work for everyone.

I feel that ignoring the ‘big box’ retail concept would be a mistake due to the current zoning in Regency Park (Jackson Creek) and what is perceived as the intent of the landowners and developers in that area. As this is an advisory document, it does not guarantee that ‘big box’ retail can come to town nor does it keep us from fighting a development request that is not in the town’s best interest. We need to look beyond today and acknowledge that there may be some retail concepts that may be desirable in the future. That is what the Comprehensive Plan is designed to do, look beyond today and help us guide the future.

Clearly we cannot write a Comprehensive Plan without our neighbors who live outside the town limits. I feel that their input is critical in producing an accurate and livable plan that we can all follow. While I think areas outside the Town should be consulted in the development of the plan, it is the Monument residents, businesses and landowners that should have the main role in developing the content of our Comprehensive Plan.

We need to find ways of attracting quality commercial developments that will enhance the Town and its financial position. Developments that stress our water supply, damage our roads, and pollute our environment are not a good decision for the town. I hope the newly formed Economic Development Council will find ways that we can attract these new businesses and retain existing business that we value so much. Monument will not survive without growth, but that growth can be controlled so that it enhances our community. I want Monument to be a place where I would want to live 10 and 20 years in the future.

I will continue to provide open communication and provide the “out of the box” thinking that is needed in 21^st century management. I will make decisions that are the best for this town and its residents, businesses and landowners.

I am honored to serve as your Trustee and look forward to continuing my service to this community. My only special interest is making this a community I want to live in 10 years down the road and beyond. Please visit my new website for additional election and position information at www.christopher-perry.com 

I live, along with my husband and four children, in the West Oak Ridge subdivision near Mitchell Ave. and Mt Herman Rd. We have been Monument residents since 1987.

I was born and raised in Minnesota. I am a high school graduate. My husband and I have four children. I enjoy being a stay at home mom/homemaker.  Over the years, I have served in a number of volunteer roles. I have enjoyed room parent parties, monitoring lunchrooms and classroom activities. I first became involved in Monument politics when I was appointed to the public works committee. I then enjoyed serving on the Board of Trustees for a number of years. I have served on the Monument Cemetery Board, Baptist Road Rural Transportation Authority (which deals with the issues of traffic and safety on Baptist Road) and also on the Board of Adjustments, which addresses zoning issues.

This is my vision of Monument: a small town atmosphere, an arts centered business district, family neighborhoods, a sense of safety, and great schools. In our land use decisions, we need to keep these values in mind. It is important that we maintain a modern and well-staffed police force. Town officials need to work closely with school administrators to ensure that the community maintains its excellence in education. We need to carefully protect our limited water resources, and ensure that our road system is safe and well planned. Road safety will continue to be a critical issue along Baptist Road, particularly at the I-25 intersection. Monument Lake is an asset that must be preserved and at the same time can provide a valuable recreation opportunity for our town. We need to promote our existing business, while attracting new business activity that provides a solid tax base while not compromising those basic ideals that make our community unique.

I feel the plan needs some more work. I’m concerned about the extent and location of “Planned Industrial” zones adjacent to residential areas. For example, the proposed draft of the plan contemplates the location of “Planned Industrial” directly adjacent to the John Laing and Santa Fe Subdivisions. That is not good planning. In addition, there is too much “Planned Industrial along type I-25 corridor. This is the gateway to Monument and the surrounding communities. We need uses that are consistent with the small town feel of the area, not intensive industrial uses. Most of us have chosen to live in Monument to enjoy the small town atmosphere. I think we need to be mindful of that when working with the comprehensive plan.

We need to plan for a solid tax base, which includes viable commercial activities. At the same time, I believe there are many alternatives to big box type stores.

Residents should clearly have the most input in the Town’s comprehensive plan. That is a privilege of living in Monument. However, we all shop at the same stores, attend the same schools, drive the same roads. Therefore, since the plan effects the greater community, our neighbors should also have a voice in the process.

 Clearly, the comprehensive plan is critical. We have an opportunity to shape our future growth. Water will always be concern. Making sure we can safely travel in and out of town continues to be a challenge; Baptist Road is an immediate concern.  We need to work at keeping a balanced budget.

I can contribute the experience of fifteen years of living in Monument. I am familiar with the D-38 schools, as all of our children have been educated here. The knowledge of being on past boards and committees gives me some insight to the strengths and weaknesses of the Town.

I would be proud to represent the residents of Monument as a Trustee. I have been honored to participate in Town government in the past. In my past service I have always tried to consider the best interest of the community. These convictions have lead me to vote against proposed developments such as concrete batch plants and RV storage and repair. At the same time, I voted for a number of ordinances that promoted our local businesses and protected our limited resources. If elected to the Board of Trustees, I would pursue the same objectives in the future.

I have lived in the Jackson Creek subdivision since November of 1999.

I attended the University of Kansas from 1976 to 1979. My major of study was physical education. I was born in a small town in south central Missouri and grew up in Lawrence, Kansas. I currently am a self-employed business owner. Prior to that as General Manager for 24 Hour Fitness operating a 1.5 million dollar annual budget. Currently I am a member of the Parks and Landscape Committee.

To preserve historical Monument while maintaining responsible growth.

The current proposal is under review and I would like the opportunity to hear citizen feedback before making any decisions.

All future stores should comply with Monuments master plan.

Anyone being affected by change should get a chance to be heard and with the information presented to the board logical decisions can be made.

Developing a consensus that works for the betterment of Monument and it’s citizens.

An open mind capable of assessing information and making quality decisions.

I am from a small town for the preservation of a small town...recognizing the need for responsible growth.

Monument Election Information

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