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Our Community News - Home
 Vol. 6 No. 6 - June 3, 2006


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Tri-Lakes enjoys pushing and pulling!

Below: Jane and Greg Jznik and their kids enjoy a beautiful day at the Gleneagle Spirit 5K Run/Walk for Fun May 19. Photo by Jim Kendrick

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Below: Jim Marion’s 1937 John Deere A at the antique tractor pull at Monument Lake May 20. Photo by JoAnn McNabb

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Triview Manager leaving

Below: Triview Manager Ron Simpson. Photo by Elizabeth Hacker

By Elizabeth Hacker

Triview Metropolitan District manager Ron Simpson announced at the May board meeting that he would be leaving the district at the end of August. He submitted his 90-day notice and said he had been offered an opportunity too good to pass up. He told the board that while he had enjoyed his 25 years at Triview, he was looking forward to his role as a consultant/project manager on small- to medium-scale projects that will offer him an equity-share of the action.

Simpson has worked as a certified planner, designer, and manager in Colorado for more than 35 years and in northern El Paso County for 30 years. After graduating with a degree in landscape architecture from Iowa State University in 1972, Simpson and his wife Suzanne moved to Pueblo where Simpson worked for the Pueblo Regional Planning Commission. He then moved to Colorado Springs to work in the El Paso County Planning Department, where he worked his way up to assistant director. It was here that he met Vernon Walters and became a consulting partner for the developer most responsible for establishing Triview, which, according to Simpson, was originally called Trilands.

Triview Metropolitan District, established in 1985, provides water, wastewater and drainage services, roads, traffic control, lighting, signage, parks and recreation, and landscaping within Jackson Creek. Simpson remembers the rough times of establishing the service district in the early 1980s when interest rates hovered around 20 percent, and the difficulty in securing financing and developers to commit after the savings-and-loan debacle of the early ‘90s. Through it all, Simpson persevered and is proud of his role in establishing and managing Triview.

Currently, Triview is a rapidly growing district of 1,660 acres, with planned expansion of 60 percent. It serves approximately 1,000 residential units and 200,000 square feet of commercial uses, with an additional 300,000 square feet of commercial currently under construction.

Simpson told OCN there is never a good time to leave a job like his and that he wished he could have accomplished more during his tenure with Triview, noting the need for securing a bigger commercial tax base and identifying and purchasing alternative sources of water. Simpson acknowledged the complexities of these issues and noted that it may take many years to address them in a way that will best serve the community. He stated that while he will not be at Triview’s helm to address these issues, he felt confident that the board would find the right person to succeed him and continue its mission.

Simpson said he had planned to resign two years ago if Wal-Mart had been approved at the original Baptist Road location, but because of the delay due to the store’s location change, he felt compelled to see it through until construction was under way. He said Triview would immediately begin to advertise his position so he could spend a few weeks training his successor.

Simpson noted that his new duties will require him to travel to projects in the central Western states and that he hopes this will give him an opportunity to visit his son and his two grandchildren in Utah.

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Monument approves Home Place Ranch annexation

By Jim Kendrick

On May 15, the Monument Board of Trustees (BOT) approved annexation of the 431-acre Home Place Ranch parcel on the south side of Higby Road, between the Remington Hills and Higby Estates developments, as well as a request to rezone the annexed parcel to planned development (PD) and a proposed PD sketch plan that defined the maximum density allowed as 990 dwelling units.

Approvals of the 15-lot Meadows at Monument Lake development on Monument Lake Road, east of the Raspberry Point townhouses, included: rezoning from R-3 to PD, preliminary plat, and final PD site plan.

The board also approved the third amended final PD site plan for Monument Marketplace.

Michael and Joshua Nielson of Boy Scout Troop 524 led the Pledge of Allegiance.

Roadwork meeting June 19

Mayor Byron Glenn announced that the BOT meeting on June 19 would be held at Creekside Middle School and will include a community meeting on three separate but integrated road improvement projects to improve access to town and adjacent county areas on the east side of I-25. County Commissioner Wayne Williams, who is also the current chair of the Baptist Road Rural Transportation Authority (BRRTA), will attend this "town hall" meeting to join BRRTA members Glenn and Monument Trustee Dave Mertz in presenting information and answering questions about an ambitious program of integrated road construction. Funding for the initial phase of improvements will come from BRRTA, Pikes Peak Rural Transportation Authority (PPRTA), and, now, from the county’s Department of Transportation.

The current proposals are:

Baptist and Struthers Road improvement: Baptist Road is a county road that will be widened, regraded, and repaved from the eastern edge of the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) I-25 property at the Baptist Road interchange eastward to Desiree Drive. Widening of Baptist between Desiree and Tari Drive is not part of this construction project but may be part of a future BRRTA-PPRTA improvement project. The existing four-lane portion of Struthers Road that begins at the intersection with Northgate Road will be extended northward to connect with the intersection of Baptist Road and Jackson Creek Parkway. The existing two-lane Struthers frontage road south of Baptist Road will be abandoned. Both are also county roads. While Glenn and Mertz are on the BRRTA board, the BOT voted not to participate in PPRTA and Monument is not a participant in this joint construction contract.

Monument road improvements: The town of Monument is coordinating three other road improvements that will be administered by Triview Metropolitan District:

  • Widening of Jackson Creek Parkway to four lanes from Monument Marketplace to Highway 105; the parkway is a town road.

  • Construction of Ranch Pointe Road, to connect the existing intersection of Gleneagle Drive and Baptist Road to the future intersection of Furrow Road and Higby Road; Ranch Pointe Road will be a town road, while Furrow Road and Gleneagle Drive remain county roads. Furrow Road, Ranch Pointe Road, and Gleneagle Drive will become a minor north-south collector parallel to the major north-south Struthers Road-Jackson Creek Parkway collector.

  • Widening of Higby Road from the new intersection with Jackson Creek Parkway to the southwestern boundary of Higby Estates; Higby is a county road and will be re-routed to the southwest of its current east-west alignment, away from Lewis-Palmer High School to a new intersection with Jackson Creek Parkway, south of the existing Higby Road traffic light. The exiting segment of Higby between the Parkway traffic light and the driveways to the high school’s south parking lot will become a dead-end west of Bowstring Road.

Funding for these three improvements is planned to come from road construction bonds that will be issued by three separate new road improvement special districts for each of the new proposed Home Place Ranch, Promontory Pointe, and Sanctuary Pointe developments. Sanctuary Pointe, formerly the Baptist Church Camp, has not been annexed yet, but the application was referred to the Planning Commission later in this meeting.

Each of these three separate special districts will sign intergovernmental agreements with Triview and the town. The road districts will give Triview the tax revenue raised by a mill levy on each home to pay for the expansions of these roads. The three independent mill levies as well as the specific funding percentages provided by each new special district for each of these three town road improvement projects have not been determined.

Baptist Road Interchange expansion: Also to be discussed is BRRTA’s plan for early improvement of the CDOT Baptist Road I-25 interchange by issuing privately financed road construction bonds that will be paid off by CDOT sometime in the future. Interest payments will be made until then by a public improvement fee (PIF) or a BRRTA sales tax. The PIF would be a voluntary fee collected by some BRRTA retail stores, though Home Depot, Wal-Mart, and Kohl’s have already refused to participate. The sales tax, which could be no more than 1 percent, would have to be initiated by a BRRTA ballot question.

If the Exit 158 interchange was improved by this private financing method at the same time Baptist Road is widened west of the Jackson Creek Parkway intersection using PPRTA funds, at least $1 million in temporary road construction costs could be avoided. The grade of the new bridge over I-25 will be 7.5 feet higher than the existing two-lane bridge. If not replaced this coming year, the new temporary Baptist Road paving to the existing bridge and northbound ramps would have to be demolished to raise the road to the new bridge and ramps when the interchange is expanded using CDOT funds sometime between 2012 and 2019. (See BRRTA article on page 10 for related news.)

Glenn also said the Public Works Department plans to complete several town park projects by July 4. Town staff will be working on obtaining renewed Pikes Peak Area Council of Governments funding for senior transportation from Silver Key.

Glenn announced that the board had established the following top budget priorities for the next 18 months at its retreat on May 6:

  1. Baptist Road and the I-25 interchange improvements

  2. Upgrade of the town’s water system

  3. Construction of a new Town Hall facility

  4. Third Street improvements from Beacon Lite to Front Street.

Trustee Tommie Plank announced this year’s Art Hop would begin on the evening of May 18 and continue on the third Thursday of the month through Oct. 19, with downtown stores staying open until about 8 p.m. She also reported that the summer concert series at Limbach Park will start this year on July 5 and be held each Wednesday night until Aug. 2.

Sanctuary Pointe annexation plan referred to the planning commission

Town Manager Cathy Green discussed her proposed referral of three annexation petitions to the Planning Commission that were submitted to the town by Douglas Stimple of Classic Homes for this project east of Home Place Ranch and north of Fox Run. Classic Homes has created a company called Baptist Road Investments for this project.

Very little of the Sanctuary Pointe parcel is contiguous with the town of Monument, far less than the state’s statutory requirement that one-sixth of the perimeter of the property to be annexed must be contiguous with the town’s boundary. The Sanctuary Pointe property will be split into three pieces called "additions" to avoid this otherwise disqualifying prohibition. Each of the three additions will be annexed in turn so that each can meet the "one-sixth contiguity" requirement for legal annexation.

Addition 1, the westernmost portion, is the smallest of the three and the only addition that is actually contiguous with the new eastern town boundary just created by the recent annexations of the Home Place Ranch and Promontory Pointe properties. The Addition 1 perimeter is small enough so that the common boundary with the eastern boundaries of Home Place Ranch and Promontory Pointe is more than one-sixth of its tiny perimeter.

Addition 2, which is not contiguous with the town, is configured to have at least one-sixth of its boundary contiguous with Addition 1. Once Addition 1 is annexed, Addition 2 to the east will be considered for annexation because it will have become contiguous with the just-created new eastern town boundary on the east side of Addition 1.

Addition 3, which is also not contiguous with the town, is configured to have at least one-sixth of its boundary contiguous with Addition 2. Once Addition 2 is annexed, Addition 3 to the east will be considered for annexation.

Each of the three Sanctuary Pointe addition annexation requests will be separate agenda items requiring separate annexation applications and separate artificially constructed votes by the Planning Commission and then the Board of Trustees to avoid the contiguity constraint.

The board unanimously approved referring each of the three annexation requests to the Planning Commission for hearings on June 14.

Hope Place Ranch Annexation approved

The board held a public hearing on a resolution that stated that the Home Place Ranch annexation request had been found to be in "substantial compliance with State Statutes for Annexation" that require:

  • That 100 percent of the landowners of the proposed annexation must have signed the petition.

  • The annexation must be in the best interest of the community.

  • The proposed parcel must have one-sixth contiguity with the town boundary.

  • This hearing was posted at least 30 days prior to this hearing.

  • All required notifications had been sent by registered letter at least 25 days prior to this hearing.

  • The impact report was sent to the Board of County Commissioners at least 25 days prior to this hearing.

Green reported that the financial impact on the town was slight because the town would only have to provide police and administrative review services to Home Place Ranch. There is no other financial impact to the town because Triview will provide all other municipal services to this annexation. "The ability to control the development and collect road improvement fees will be of greater benefit to the Town," she said.

The board unanimously approved the resolution.

Santa Fe Trails settlement agreement approved

Director of Development Services Tom Kassawara reported that the developer of Santa Fe Trails, Front Range Interests, Inc., had not performed all the tasks required of him as a condition of town approval for this subdivision prior to getting a release form signed by the former town planner. The cost for the remaining required improvements—installation of a street light at the entrance of the subdivision, raising the berm another 6 inches at the edge of the detention pond on the southwest corner of the development, and cleaning out the bottom of the pond—was negotiated at $18,950. This developer has agreed to pay the town to have the work done by a contractor rather than do it himself. After payment, the developer would be released from any further obligations by the town per an "Agreement and Release" of May 4. In response to a question by Trustee Travis Easton, Kassawara said he will have an engineering consultant verify that the proposed changes to the existing pond installation are correct and appropriate to solving the problems. Kassawara said the development’s HOA could not maintain the detention ponds as required by the agreements. Glenn asked about the financial responsibility of the developer’s professional engineer of record who had incorrectly signed off the work as being completed. He also asked Kassawara to file a complaint with the State Board of Engineers.

Trustee Gail Drumm said that the detention pond at the north end of Santa Fe Trails should be inspected again because when filled to the 100-year flood level, it had flooded basements of nearby homes. He added that the engineering analysis performed on the ponds by former Town Engineer Tony Hurst should be reviewed and assessed by another engineer at the developer’s expense.

Kassawara replied that the developer’s engineer of record on the project was "a guy who worked out of his car." When contacted about the discrepancies, the engineer had refused to accept any responsibility and he said, "Sue me, I don’t have anything anyway. I have a computer and a car and I don’t have anything else." Town Attorney Gary Shupp said the settlement amount was all the town would get because the developer had built the installed detention pond to his engineer’s specifications. He added that if the professional engineer’s license number could be found, then the town could report the discrepancies to state licensing officials.

Trustee Steve Samuels said that Kassawara had negotiated the best possible voluntary settlement from the developer and learned a valuable lesson about the inability of an HOA to maintain critical drainage and storm-water infrastructure. The resolution to accept the settlement passed unanimously.

Meadows at Monument Lake townhome development approved

Kassawara presented his three separate reports on the request for rezoning from R-3 to PD, the preliminary plat, and the final PD site plan for the development before the three separate public hearings. Justin Tabone of Delford, Inc. was seeking approval of all three proposals for his 15-unit 3.9 acre townhome development.

The average lot size is about 3,200 square feet and the smallest proposed lot is 2,855 square feet. The minimum lot size for R-3 is 3,630 square feet. Tabone asked for PD zoning with a minimum lot size of 2,800 square feet and offered considerable compensating open space behind all 15 lots. Each house will have its own lot to make financing more straightforward.

While the rear setbacks on the lots would only be 5 feet, the actual distances between the rear of each house and the development’s east and west boundaries would more than meet the 25-foot R-3 rear setback requirement. The dedicated open space behind many of the houses is steeply sloped and cannot be used for park space, which also requires a specific PD waiver. A portion of the open space is in floodplain, which also requires a waiver from the Board of Trustees. The board has to approve this waiver because the town will receive no cash or useful park space; the assessed value of the dedicated open space for calculating a cash-in-lieu fee would be nil. Kassawara said this dedicated open space will require little if any maintenance and it would be better to let the HOA maintain it than the town’s Public Works Department.

Side setbacks were requested to be only 5 feet instead of the R-3 requirement for 10 feet, because a few houses would be closer than 20 feet to each other at angles that would produce an average side separation of more than 20 feet.

Front setbacks were requested to be only 20 feet instead of the R-3 requirement for 25 feet to allow for more open space to the rear. Driveways to the private cul-de-sac street would still provide for two parking places in addition to those in the two-car garages. On-street parking would be prohibited to ensure the ability to clear snow and provide emergency vehicle access.

During the public hearing Raspberry Point resident Judith Novak asked about drainage and preserving trees on the property. Kassawara said he would personally review and approve the drainage plans and Tabone would preserve as many trees as possible. He added that Tabone would also have to get a variety of permits from several agencies before he could begin construction.

In response to trustee questions Tabone and Kassawara noted that:

  • All new impervious surface areas had been factored into the drainage and detention pond designs within the open space.

  • The plat and site plan drawings show that homes cannot be built on lots 11-13, which currently lie within the FEMA 100-year flood plain, until their grade level has been raised above the 100-year flood plain. Pikes Peak Regional Building Department would inspect the infill prior to issuing a Letter of Map Revision (LOMR) and building permits for these three lots. Tabone’s geotechnical studies show no problems with this plan.

  • The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWL) has certified by letter that no Preble’s mouse habitat will be disturbed by the proposed construction.

  • At the town’s request, Tabone has added a trail from Monument Lake Road to Monument Lake, though USFWL has not yet certified it. Further discussion was deferred to the site plan hearing.

  • Kassawara said that the private cul-de-sac access road meets all town specifications and construction standards in case the town must take over its maintenance at some point.

  • Peak traffic on Monument Lake Road and Mitchell Avenue from the development during rush hour is insignificant—five cars per hour (one car each 12 minutes.)

  • There will be no large trash bins; each home will contract for private trash collection.

Drumm said he was opposed to any future construction on lots 11-13, even if Regional Building issues a LOMR to Tabone prior to issuing him the three building permits. He also said the town should never be under any potential obligation to have to maintain the open space, particularly in the floodplains.

Easton and Glenn asked that two conditions be added to the preliminary plat ordinance. They were a requirement that town staff review and approve all future drainage and water quality detention pond plans prior to construction and that a LOMR for each of the three lots has been issued by regional building prior to final staff administrative approval of the final plat.

The ordinances to authorize the rezoning of the property from R-3 to PD and the preliminary plat with the two conditions noted above both passed 6-1, with Drumm opposed to each.

The ordinance to authorize the final PD site plan, with four conditions, also passed 6-1, with Drumm opposed. The conditions for the final PD site plan were:

  • Pikes Peak Regional Building Department approval of the LOMR prior to construction on lots 11, 12, and 13.

  • The Board of Trustees allows the public land dedication to be within the 100-year floodplain.

  • Final approval of all engineering plans by town staff

  • Approval of the proposed trail in the open space by USFWL.

Monument Marketplace third amendment to PD site plan approved

This amendment updated the plan with the most current information on final configurations of lots not yet built upon. It also allowed paint colors from alternative paint manufacturers to the few brands currently allowed in the shopping center’s PD design guidelines. A few subdued trademark colors for national chains that have recently purchased land—Village Inn and Kohl’s, for example—were also added to the permitted palette.

There are 49 more available parking spaces. Retail space has decreased from the 658,000 square feet originally approved in 2003 to 654,681 square feet.

Kassawara said this particular amendment was also an opportunity for the new town staff to "improve" some aspects of the design guidelines. He noted that Monument Marketplace Inc. project manager Rick Blevins had agreed to many of the recommended changes. Kassawara said that those he thought the BOT should consider adding, even though Blevins opposed them, were listed as proposed conditions to the amendment.

The staff’s list of proposed conditions was modified after the Planning Commission hearing on April 12. The new list included seven of the previous nine conditions:

  • Except for outdoor public address systems that only play music, outdoor public address systems are limited to fast-food restaurants.

  • Delete the sale or renting of trailers as a primary use. Sale of trailers shall be allowed as a secondary use.

  • Require that all "non-transient" outdoor storage be screened from public view. Trailers can still be unloaded in parking lots for up to 24 hours before the contents are moved indoors.

  • Provide a new project-wide specification for specialty pavements in pedestrian areas in front of large stores and in cross-walks for all future new construction.

  • A one-time increase in the size of new installed landscaping trees to more closely match the size of maturing previously installed adjacent trees.

  • Delete Jackson Creek Parkway, perimeter buffers, and internal landscape areas as space that meets the town’s open space requirement. The future clock tower and adjacent plaza on the west side of the center would still count as open space, however.

  • Revise the street name Rowdao Drive to another street name, subject to board approval, at the town’s expense for filing a name change with Regional Building’s enumerations office and filing a plat amendment with the county that shows the changed street name. Rowdao Drive is part of the planned public right-of-way that will be the future dual access for the southeast corner of the Marketplace and the northeast corner of the Timbers at Monument.

Kassawara said that Shupp had suggested that the town adopt a town-wide ordinance that eliminates "overnight parking of trailers and recreational vehicles of all types" in all commercial parking lots rather than the condition previously proposed to the Planning Commission intended to prohibit it in the Wal-Mart parking lot of the Marketplace.

Shupp noted that there was no exception to the new public address system restrictions. Blevins noted that Wells Fargo Bank’s drive-through intercom wouldn’t be affected because it is an existing system. He added that no other bank is allowed in the Marketplace due to its agreement with Wells Fargo, so it shouldn’t be a problem.

Shupp also said there was no condition limiting the number of fast-food restaurants within the Marketplace.

Planning Commissioner Lowell Morgan said a book for RV owners lists all the Wal-Marts that are not allowed to permit overnight camping in their parking lots and that Monument could specifically prohibit overnight parking in the Wal-Mart lot if the board didn’t want to pass a townwide ordinance against parking.

Drumm said there was no problem with overnight RV parking at Wal-Mart because they couldn’t be seen from any nearby residences or the highway. They bring business to town when they stay over. Kassawara replied that they take up more than one parking space and when parked in groups they use up many spaces and are not being in character with the intent of the town’s design guidelines for the Marketplace.

Police Chief Jacob Shirk said that overnight sleeping at a highway rest stop or a Wal-Mart was a somewhat dangerous choice.

Plank, who initiated the board complaints about the choice of the spelling of the name "Rowdao," asked why the proposed condition put the financial burden on the town. Kassawara said the name had already been approved by the county enumerations and recorded. Blevins said that it is hard to get a street name approved for use within the county now that it is becoming more developed. The spelling "Rodeo" was no longer available from the enumerations office. Name changes are also more complicated than they might initially appear because they require changes in many government databases, particularly those for dispatch of emergency vehicles by 911 operators.

Plank was not satisfied and said that Rowdao is not a word. "Spelling Rowdao like that looks juvenile at best or uneducated and insulting and I don’t think the town of Monument should bear the expense of whoever made such a mistake. I will not approve the amendment."

Blevins suggested changing the name when the alignment of the new joint access is negotiated with the Timbers developer and becomes a public right-of-way. Currently Rowdao Drive is only an access easement owned by the developer. Blevins reiterated that he lacks the authority to agree to a name change for something he does not own. Plank suggested the name "Blevins-Rowdao Drive" for the future negotiations with the Timbers.

The proposed third amendment to the final PD site plan with the seven conditions proposed by Kassawara passed unanimously without any change to the seventh condition regarding changing the street name to something other than "Rowdao."

Home Place Ranch annexation, PD zoning approved

Trustee Easton, a civil engineer who works for Nolte and Associates, recused himself from the hearing because he is the engineer of record for developer HPR LLC on this project. The other six members of the board unanimously approved the annexation and PD zoning.

Green reported that the board had previously determined that the 431-acre development was in "substantial compliance with state statutes" regarding annexation. Her proposed ordinance would authorize the annexation and assign PD zoning to the parcel. "While police service and (land use) review services have an expense associated with them, the ability to control the development and collect road improvement fees will be of greater benefit to the Town." The Planning Commission unanimously approved the proposed annexation and PD zoning March 8. The annexation agreement has not been completed.

Home Place Ranch lies within "Priority Area #1: The Monument Urban Growth Area" of the town’s comprehensive plan. The Tri-Lakes Comprehensive Plan "acknowledges Monument’s expanding planning sphere of influence" and the likelihood that adjacent areas will become suburban rather than remain rural with municipal services provided by Triview. The Tri-Lakes plan also calls for a major north-south transportation corridor through this particular parcel as well as an east-west regional trail.

The single condition for the annexation and zoning ordinance was that "an Annexation Agreement is finalized and signed by all required parties."

PD sketch plan also approved: Easton remained recused for this hearing as well. The other six members of the board unanimously approved the sketch plan.

Green distributed an updated collection of written citizen comments on the proposed annexation and PD sketch plan. She also noted that a representative of the Woodmoor Improvement Association had visited Town Hall earlier in the day and asked that Fairplay Drive not be extended south of Higby into Home Place Ranch.

Green also noted that the sketch plan called for a gross density of not more than 2.3 dwelling units per acre. Most of the 990 proposed homes would be built in higher-density clusters with large open areas between them. The proposed gross density is lower than that of most adjacent and nearby residential developments. An elementary school will be built on 10 acres of land in the center of the parcel that have been dedicated to District 38. There are 4.3 miles of trails and 16 acres of parks proposed.

Land planners Linda Sweetman-King and Josh Rowland gave essentially the same comprehensive presentation on the project that they had presented to the Planning Commission in March. (This presentation has been reported in detail in previous editions of OCN. See page 23 of the April 1 edition or http://www.ourcommunitynews.org.)

Public comment: Robert Fisher spoke in favor of the proposals for the Homestead HOA. Homestead is the established Jackson Creek development adjacent to Home Place Ranch along the west side of its southern border. Fisher said that HPR LLC President Dale Turner had worked with his HOA to satisfy concerns about the proposed development regarding views, grading, adjacent lot sizes, variety of models, and drainage.

Higby Estates resident Pat Levarnick said he was representing the land use committee for NEPCO, a coalition of northern county HOAs. He said his group does not oppose the project but still has concerns with the density, water, schools, lowered adjacent property values, and the lack of any proposed road or traffic improvements on any of the county portions of Higby Road east to Roller Coaster Road.

Homestead resident Bonnie Cove asked the board to consider the collective impact on limited groundwater of all the town’s recent annexations and the thousands of new houses they were approving.

Colonial Park resident Erick Nelson expressed concerns about the doubling of traffic in both directions on Higby, which will likely overwhelm the currently proposed widening of Higby and Jackson Creek Parkway.

Triview District Manager Ron Simpson said that there would be no water problems for the annexations due to the construction of a new storage tank and treatment facility in Sanctuary Pointe. He said the Triview wells would tap the deeper Denver Basin aquifers and not contribute to the problems of county well owners who use the upper aquifers. He also said the Denver Basin is not in "dire straits."

Drumm disagreed with Simpson, saying Triview had never tapped the lowest Laramie-Fox Hills aquifer and may not have as much water as he thinks. Simpson countered that the district owns all the water in that aquifer and can use it later.

Simpson also suggested a condition of approval for annexation regarding the 35 percent of the parcel that is restricted as potential Preble’s mouse habitat. He said that if the mouse were de-listed, HPR LLC could not come back to the town and propose additional home construction in the areas that are currently restricted.

Board comment: Mertz, a strong advocate for small and regional parks within Triview, asked who would outfit the parks proposed for Home Place Ranch. Simpson said Triview outfits them when they can but has not supported pocket parks in recently approved Jackson Creek developments. Classic Homes donated the playground equipment opposite Creekside Middle School.

Later in the meeting, Turner agreed to the proposed restriction on future plat or site plan amendments if the mouse were de-listed. He also noted that the developer would provide playground equipment for Home Place Ranch pocket parks. The initially proposed neighborhood commercial area within the project had been abandoned when no interest could be developed through initial marketing and neighboring HOAs and residents raised complaints. A few small retail stores could be reviewed again prior to final site plan approval but they are difficult to market with Monument Marketplace so close by. Green said that the typical 7-Eleven store had a disproportionately high volume of traffic and need for parking. Night lighting was usually objectionable as well.

Staff reports

The board unanimously approved all seven expenditures over $5,000 and the new format for the quarterly financial summary for January through March. Treasurer Pamela Smith reported good progress on the 2005 audit.

Shupp reported that the District Court had thrown out the Transit Mix lawsuit against the town. There has been no word on appeal of that decision.

Kassawara gave a presentation on the five phases of the BRRTA improvements that will take about 19 months to complete. The details are given on page 12.

Public Works Director Rich Landreth reported that Forest Lakes Metropolitan District had begun re-drilling its well in the horse pasture on the south side of Baptist Road by the Old Denver Highway intersection.

The meeting adjourned at 9:42 p.m. The next meeting will be at 6:30 p.m. on June 5 at Town Hall, 166 Second St. Meetings are normally held on the first and third Monday of the month.

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Monument Planning Commission, May 10: Flurry of filings approved retroactively

By Jim Kendrick

The Monument Planning Commission approved ordinances for 10 plats, though seven were retroactive ordinances for previously approved plats. The commissioners also approved three town replies to county referrals that each adjacent development proposal had no effect on the town. Commissioner Kathy Spence was absent. Alternate Commissioner Lowell Morgan took her place.

8 Monument Marketplace plats approved

Filings 1-6: Director of Development Services Tom Kassawara reported that the application for the first six filings of Monument Marketplace was to correct a "procedural oversight" by former town staff "which allowed for administrative approval of plats." Monument Marketplace is located east of I-25 and north of Baptist Road, at the intersection of Leather Chaps and Jackson Creek Parkway.

The application was initiated by current staff, rather than developer Vision Development, Inc., "to retroactively process filings 1-6 through the Planning Commission and the Board of Trustees. In response to an inquiry from Town Staff, the Town Attorney has recently determined that the administrative approval of plats is not permitted under State statutes." In this particular case, filings 1-6 were administratively approved and the plat was recorded in 2003. "All future Marketplace plat applications will be heard by the Planning Commission and Board of Trustees." The six plats were unanimously approved without public comment, discussion, or conditions.

Filings 7 and 8: A new 1.42-acre filing on the northeast corner of the Marketplace for a new Village Inn Restaurant and a new 1.02-acre filing on the southeast corner of the Marketplace for a new 10,000-square-foot retail building were separately approved with the same condition: "Applicant must provide an analysis of water availability vs. demand prior to the Board of Trustees meeting." Kassawara noted that the site plans for the filings will be administratively reviewed and approved for compliance with the previously approved design guidelines and overall Marketplace Planned Development (PD) master plan. Vision Development Project Manager Rick Blevins reported that "infrastructure improvements internal to the Marketplace for Filing No. 7 are being constructed at this time in conjunction with site work development for Marketplace Filing No. 3, Wal-Mart Store." Both were approved unanimously, bringing the total gross retail space up to 654,681 square feet.

Village Center Filing 1 plat retroactively approved

The commissioners also unanimously approved the plat for Filing 1 retroactively. The application was initiated by current staff rather than developer WED, LLC. The plat had been administratively approved and recorded in 2004. Kassawara noted that "all future Village Center plat applications will be heard by the Planning Commission and Board of Trustees." The Village Center development is located on the southeast corner of State Highway 105 and Knollwood Drive. Filing 1 is located at the south end of Knollwood and home construction in this portion of the development is nearing completion.

Villani Industrial Park replat approved: Villani Partnership, LLC submitted a plat replat request that subdivides its vacant 8.2-acre parcel at 730 Synthes Avenue into seven lots, ranging from 1.09 to 1.4 acres. The parcel is between Monument Rock office park to the north and the Ashton Industrial Park to the south on the east side of Synthes.

The application also requests that an existing 60-foot right-of-way be vacated for a planned street. There is an existing east-west dirt road between Synthes Avenue and the railroad tracks within this right-of-way. Kassawara noted that the town’s platted street right-of-way assumed that a bridge would be built over the railroad tracks. He also said that the town staff did not want open space in this parcel.

Kassawara proposed two conditions of approval:

  • Applicant must submit an appraisal to determine the amount of the required cash-in-lieu fee for open space before the Board of Trustees meeting.

  • Applicant must provide an analysis of water availability vs. demand prior to the Board of Trustees meeting.

Commissioner Tom Martin asked if there would be fences around the lots. Kassawara said no, but the railroad’s existing barbed-wire fence between the rear of the parcel and the tracks must remain in place. The property owner will move and replant trees on the lot.

The Villani plat was unanimously approved with the two conditions noted above.

New complaint about Monument Rock office park dumping

Mitchell Avenue resident Steve Werth asked where Villani would place excess dirt during construction. He said the town had never required former Mayor Betty Konarski to "rehabilitate" the berm or plant the two rows of light-screening trees behind the Monument Rock office park that she had agreed to as a voluntary condition of approval for her development. He said that the berm was leveled and trees were taken from the town’s property between Synthes and Trumbull Lane and transplanted onto the Monument Rock property. All the excess dirt from the leveled berm had been dumped on the town’s adjacent property to the north of her project continues to create a serious blowing dust problem for Trumbull Lane homeowners to the north of the town’s land and for Santa Fe Trails homeowners to the east. He said he "didn’t have a problem" with the buildings or other landscaping.

Commissioner John Kortgardner noted that he had discussed this issue at previous Planning Commission meetings and that nothing had been done by the staff. Kortgardner also said Konarski had agreed to build the berm and plant the trees. Kortgardner noted that the other two Monument Rock buildings have not been built yet, giving the town potential leverage in the future. The purpose of the berm and trees was to screen the garage doors along the back of the buildings and eliminate glare from delivery truck headlights when backed up to these doors.

Kassawara said again that there were no town inspection programs before he initiated them within the past year. Once the certificate of occupancy has been issued, he said, there is little the town can do about it. However, no certificate of occupancy will be issued for any new construction unless dust and dirt are controlled and the berm is built in accordance with the plans. He asked Werth and Kortgardner to report any additional Monument Rock or other erosion control plan violations to him. "This is the best I can offer."

Morgan said that Konarski had claimed that the berm and the land that belonged to the town weren’t her problem and that Public Works should deal with the blowing dirt. Kassawara said he would talk with Public Works Director Rich Landreth to get the town property seeded.

Three county referrals approved

The three referrals were approved by consensus. Kassawara said they were all "plain Jane" referrals without "significant implications to the town."

Donala Water District had asked the county for a subdivision exemption for its expansion of the Upper Monument Creek Regional Wastewater Treatment Facility. The land for the facility is owned by the Forest Lakes Metropolitan District. Triview Metropolitan District is the third co-owner of the facility. The specific exemption requested is to not have to replat the 7.1-acre parcel into specific lots as required by Senate Bill 35 for parcels smaller than 35 acres. The county and state have already approved the expansion of the plant that was created before the subdivision requirement was enacted.

Developer Alexandria Corp. had asked the county for approval of an Administrative Plot Plan to build 42 single-family patio homes on the 15.97-acre Lot 27 of the Misty Acres development. This lot is located just east of I-25 and south of County Line road. The primary access to this county development, zoned Planned Unit Development, will be Doewood Drive to the east. Water and sewer service will be provided by Woodmoor Water and Sanitation District, instead of the town.

Michael and Catherine Bullock had asked the county to subdivide their 5.06-acre Chaparral Hills Lot 4 at the northeast corner of Leather Chaps Drive and Lariat Lane into two lots. Their home is on the southern proposed lot 4B and is not connected to Donala for water or sewer. The proposed northern lot 4A is currently vacant, and the Bullocks propose a separate well and septic tank and leach field for that single-family residential lot.

The meeting adjourned at 7:10 p.m. The next meeting is at 6:30 p.m. June 14 at Town Hall, 166 Second St. Meetings are normally held the second Wednesday of the month.

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Baptist Road Rural Transportation Authority Special Meeting, May 12: Construction funding sources and amounts clarified

By Jim Kendrick

At a special meeting of the Baptist Road Rural Transportation Authority, BRRTA attorney Jim Hunsaker of Grimshaw and Harring, P.C., clarified the method of handling funding shortfalls for the county’s contract to improve Baptist and Struthers Road that were identified to the board at the regular April 14 BRRTA meeting by county Department of Transportation project manager Andre Brackin. BRRTA manager Denise Denslow of R.S. Wells LLC also updated the board on the election schedule that must be followed if BRRTA moves forward with its proposed temporary 1-cent sales tax to pay for construction bond interest for privately financed improvements to the Baptist Road I-25 interchange. The Colorado Department of Transportation will not have funds available until sometime between 2012 and 2019 at the earliest.

At the April 14 BRRTA meeting, Brackin had pointed out that the combined available BRRTA and Pikes Peak Rural Transportation Authority (PPRTA) funding for the joint county contract to widen and re-grade Baptist Road from I-25 to Desiree Drive and complete construction of the four-lane Struthers Road to the intersection of Baptist and Jackson Creek Parkway was short about $2.5 million. Brackin said the Pikes Peak Rural Transportation Authority (PPRTA) had approved the combined Baptist/Struthers Road construction contract with Rocky Mountain Materials and Asphalt, Inc. (RMMA) for $10,173,996 on April12.

Brackin also noted that the agreed-upon cost for an extension of the existing construction management contract with design/engineering consultant firm PBS&J for managing the RMMA contract was $380,000. Voting to approve the PBS&J contract extension was also scheduled for the Board of County Commissioners meeting on April 17 and the PPRTA meeting on May 10.

Brackin said the budgeted amount for a separate contract for system utility and easement agreements with Mountain View Electric Association (MVEA) was $150,000. MVEA will install the new cable for its power line relocations along Baptist Road and coordinate its work with RMMA through PBS&J. Brackin said that the cost of MVEA’s first proposed contract was $500,000, though negotiations may lower that figure before signing. The contracts and documentation for the relocated utilities and easements would be voted on by the BOCC on May 25 and PPRTA on June 14. The Notice to Proceed for Baptist Road was to be issued to RMMA on June 16. Construction will take 12 to 19 months.

Shortfall in available funds determined

Brackin distributed copies of his March 29 memorandum to El Paso County Department of Transportation Director John McCarty on the RMMA contract. The total cost listed in the memo for the project is $10,703,996. The five schedules in the contract are:

  • Schedule 1: $235,980 — Widening/regrading of Baptist Road between Jackson Creek Parkway and I-25. This figure does not include the $650,000 cost for roadway improvements to the Jackson Creek Parkway intersection or traffic signal modifications for four-way traffic that the town of Monument will be pay for. Monument’s funding comes from previously agreed-upon traffic impact fees paid to the town by Vision Development for Monument Marketplace and other new commercial and residential construction in Jackson Creek.

  • Schedule 2: $6,647,417 — Widening/regrading of Baptist Road between Jackson Creek Parkway and Tari Drive.

  • Schedule 3: $101,188 — Construction of a frontage along the south side of Baptist Road between Family of Life Church to Leather Chaps Drive. The church and adjacent houses to the east will lose their driveway access to Baptist due to it becoming a major arterial with a median between Leather Chaps Drive and I-25.

  • Schedule 4: $3,039,561 — Construction of four new lanes of Struthers Road from Struthers Ranch development to the south end of Jackson Creek Parkway.

  • Schedule 5: $149,850 — Noise wall along the south side of Baptist Road between Gleneagle Drive and Desiree Drive.

Funds available for widening Baptist Road (Schedules 1, 2, 3, and 5) are:

  • PPRTA is providing $6,944,000 for the RMMA contract and utility agreements; spending to date is $937,950 for engineering and $575,514 on property acquisition. Remaining PPRTA funds are $5,430,536.

  • BRRTA is able to provide about $200,000 in current funds and $260,000 in 2006 revenue for the RMMA contract, utility agreements, and the PBS&J management contract.

  • Monument reported at the March 10 BRRTA meeting that it can supply about $800,000.

The total funding available for Schedules 1, 2, 3, and 5 is $6,690,536. However, these four schedules cost $7,134,435, a shortfall of $443,899.

Funds available for Struthers Road are:

  • Only PPRTA is providing funding for new construction for Struthers Road, a total of $2,464,000.

  • Spending to date for schedule 4 is $953,775 for right-of-way purchases and other expenditures.

The remaining PPRTA funds available for Struthers Road are $1,510,225, a shortfall of $1,529,336 for the schedule 4 cost of $3,039,561.

The total available funds for the $10,703,996 project are $8,200,761, a shortfall of $2,503,235. Brackin noted that this shortfall figure did not reflect the higher-than-expected utility system cost from MVEA. Brackin said this additional $350,000 in costs had increased the total project to just over $11 million, making the shortfall in available funding about $2.85 million.

On April 14, BRRTA unanimously approved sole payment of the PBS&J contract extension, the sixth amendment to the contract, without discussion. The costs for Task Order 27 and Task Order 28 were actually $5,000 and $389,017 respectively, for a sixth amendment total of $394,017. The total cost of the PBS&J contract to date is now $1,331,968.

After that BRRTA meeting, Hunsaker and Brackin exchanged e-mails that indicated there was still some confusion over how BRRTA would contribute to the RMMA construction contract shortfall. BRRTA is not a party to the construction contract between RMMA, PPRTA, and the county. Hunsaker asked for the special meeting to formally document a formal agreement between BRRTA and county DOT for payment of future RMMA construction invoices in this order:

  • PPRTA payments until their funds for this project are exhausted.

  • BRRTA payments until its cash reserves reach some minimum for continued administrative operations.

  • El Paso County Department of Transportation unused construction funds from other road projects.

Hunsaker said the meeting should also clarify what the minimum amount of funding to be retained by BRRTA for its other requirements would be before Brackin gave a notice to proceed to RMMA.

Hunsaker listed BRRTA’s cash reserve as of March 31 as $442,421. The sixth amendment to the PBS&J engineering and design contract calls for the $394,017 payment to be made by PRRTA and requires an additional amendment for BRRTA to pay it, as requested by Brackin after the April 14 meeting. Some other short-term projected BRRTA expenses in 2006 are:

  • Administrative expenses – about $20,000

  • Villano right-of-way State Land Board interest – about $1,365

  • Villano acquisition – about $8,800

  • Villano appraisal – about $5,000

  • Independent audit – about $4,000

  • Fee audit – about $3,000

Hunsaker estimated that the remaining BRRTA balance would be under $10,000 after these are paid.

Hunsaker said that "because governmental entities are not allowed to sign contracts for which they don’t have funds appropriated, El Paso County stepped in and said ‘We will, if necessary, free up money from other El Paso County DOT contracts that haven’t been committed to but are planned and make that (RMMA) contract whole if it is necessary.’ " He said that Brackin had assumed that BRRTA may be able to contribute up to "about $750,000" to the PPRTA funding shortfall for the RMMA contract, but no official BRRTA decision had been made for that $750,000. Brackin wanted that BRRTA commitment formalized prior to the county’s notice to proceed being given to RMMA. Hunsaker noted that BRRTA does not actually have enough money to pay for the sixth amendment to the PBS&J contract and cannot commit to that amount because its revenue stream is widely variable. It is administratively difficult for BRRTA to pay for portions of it and keep the accounting straight.

Brackin said that reducing the scope of the RMMA contract was the last option that his office would wish to use. Contingency options from RMMA, called a value engineering change proposal, have been prepared if additional BRRTA funding is not obtained. There are potential PPRTA savings that could be applied to the RMMA contract. Brackin said that the Akers project, for example, was about $1.5 million under the PPRTA budget projection.

Brackin said he would prepare a list of specific savings for potential temporary deletions such as the noise wall, patterned concrete in the median, the top two inches of asphalt, and a box culvert in the drainage under Jessie Drive. Brackin noted that all of these items are mandatory construction items that should be completed as soon as possible.

Monument Mayor Byron Glenn noted that BRRTA doesn’t specifically know when funds from future traffic impact fees would be available to pay for part of the RMMA contract, but should pay whatever it can toward the construction funding shortfall that the county had agreed to attempt to make up. Glenn said that Monument may be able to redirect a contribution of $250,000 to $500,000 to Baptist Road improvements from its 2006 budget later in the year after a formal mid-year budget year.

County Commissioner Wayne Williams noted that no government entity can promise or make a binding agreement to pay back another entity in future years without "a vote of the people." Moving PPRTA money from another project to Baptist Road would require a revision of intergovernmental agreements.

Brackin noted that there is a $1.4 million funding shortfall for the Baptist Road extension east from the Roller Coaster Road intersection to the Hodgen and Highway 83 intersection. That need would be competing for savings from other PPRTA projects. Brackin asked if Monument and BRRTA could set up escrow accounts with the county or PPRTA for funds donated to the RMMA contract. Williams said that a PPRTA escrow account is preferable because PPRTA is de-TABORed while the county is not.

Brackin said that the notice to proceed would have to be limited to available funds until an arrangement could be made between the BRRTA and PPRTA attorneys. He suggested deferring the Jessie Drive box culvert and sidewalk expenses to the end of the project. He also noted that there needed to be a list of specific construction items that would be deferred until the next year or be moved to the county’s routine road maintenance budget. Williams said that there should be no delays for actual roadway construction.

After lengthy further discussion about how the county’s Transportation Department would decide what parts of the contract it might eliminate without full funding and future revenue that BRRTA was certain to be receiving in 2006, the BRRTA board unanimously approved a motion to pay the $394,017 cost of the sixth amendment of the PBS&J contract with PPRTA and the county. The board also authorized drafting and signing of amendments to all pertinent contracts and intergovernmental agreements by BRRTA officials.

Interchange sales tax initiative approved

After a lengthy discussion, there was consensus for seeking a temporary 1-cent sales tax within BRRTA with a November ballot initiative. The revenue would be used to pay the interest and principal on private construction bonds for improvements to I-25 Exit 158. This initiative is expected to accelerate construction and save at least $1 million in construction costs by coordinating the widening of Baptist Road between Jackson Creek Parkway and construction of the new bridge over I-25. The cost of administering the election will be $5,000 or less.

Denslow asked if the public improvement fee financing option was still in play. Williams said that BRRTA should firmly commit to the sales tax initiative and drop the voluntary fee proposal. "I think we run the risk of being perceived as not definite in what we’re going to do."

A "town hall meeting" on the privately funded interchange project and the available financing options will be held at Creekside Middle School on June 19 at 6:30 p.m. in conjunction with the regular Monument Board of Trustees meeting. The position of the Pikes Peak Area Council of Governments and PPRTA on the BRRTA contribution proposals will be clarified by then. Williams noted that a June public meeting would give BRRTA time to learn of public concerns and write a better ballot proposal after that exchange of views.

The special meeting adjourned at 4:15 p.m. The next BRRTA meeting is at 3:00 p.m. June 16 at Monument Town Hall, 166 2nd Street.

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Baptist Road improvement schedule announced

By Jim Kendrick

At the May 15 Board of Trustees meeting, Director of Development Services Tom Kassawara described the five phases of road construction announced by the El Paso County Department of Transportation for widening Baptist Road east of I-25. Baptist Road construction will last 13-19 months. Major road construction for connecting the four-lane portion of Struthers Road to the intersection of Baptist Road and Jackson Creek Parkway under the same county construction contract will not begin until Nov. 1 due to restrictions for adjacent protected Preble’s mouse habitat.

Phase I: (four months)

  • Construct temporary four-inch thick pavement north of Baptist Road from Gleneagle Drive to Kingswood Drive

  • Construct west half of new frontage road that will connect the Family of Christ Church parking lot to Leather Chaps Drive south of Baptist Road, in front of the adjacent houses.

Phase II: (four to six months)

  • Construct eastbound lanes of Baptist Road from Jackson Creek Parkway eastward (1700 feet of roadway)

  • Construct eastbound lanes of Baptist Road from Gleneagle Drive eastward past Desiree Drive to the eastern limit of the project

  • Construct westbound lanes of Baptist Road from east of King Soopers shopping center eastward to Gleneagle Drive

  • Access from Baptist Road to northbound Leather Chaps Drive closed – a detour will be set up on Lyons Tail Road

  • Access from Baptist Road to Desiree Drive closed

  • Single-lane traffic in both directions on Baptist Road using existing pavement and Phase I temporary pavement

Phase III: (four to six months)

  • Construct westbound lanes of Baptist Road from Jackson Creek Parkway eastward to east of King Soopers shopping center (1700 feet of roadway)

  • Access from Baptist Road to east end of King Soopers shopping center Jackson Creek Crossing closed (right-in/right-out access closed) – detours will be set up

  • Construct westbound lanes of Baptist Road from Gleneagle Drive eastward past Desiree Drive to the eastern limit of the project

  • Construct eastbound lanes of Baptist Road from east of King Soopers shopping center eastward to Gleneagle Drive

  • Access from Baptist Road to southbound Leather Chaps Drive closed

  • Construct east half of new frontage road that will connect the Family of Christ Church parking lot to Leather Chaps Drive on the south side of Baptist Road.

  • Single-lane traffic in both directions on Baptist Road using new pavement, existing pavement and temporary pavement with crossover access on Baptist at Gleneagle Drive

Phase IV: (four to six months)

  • Construct remaining portions of Baptist Road (small sections) and Gleneagle Drive transitions

  • Access from Baptist Road to Gleneagle Drive closed and detours set up

  • Single-lane traffic in both directions on Baptist Road using new pavement.

Phase V (one month)

  • Construct final asphalt layer and striping

Future BRRTA/PRRTA construction projects on Baptist Road between Desiree Drive and Tari Drive and west of I-25 to the railroad tracks are not part of this contract. Baptist Road is a county road.

Proposed improvements for the I-25 Baptist Road interchange (exit 158) are not included in the list of planned BRRTA/PRRTA projects because the interchange belongs to the state rather than to the county.

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Palmer Lake Town Council Workshop, May 4: Opposition continues to Fritts’ subdivision request

By Jim Kendrick

The new Palmer Lake Town Council (PLTC) continued to deny Al Fritts’ request to subdivide the 27.2-acre lot of the Inn at Palmer Divide into two halves as requested by the Small Business Administration and Fritts’ bank to help ensure financial viability. Trustee Gary Coleman, who owns property in the four-lot Rancho IRACEMA subdivision, continued to call for reviews of the neighboring Mission Training International and Inn properties that are unprecedented.

The council approved a business license for the new pet-grooming products mail-order business proposed by Barry Peterson and Lori Megginson.

Study of Police Department merger proposal postponed

Background: At the Monument Board of Trustees (BOT) meeting May 1, Monument Police Chief Jacob Shirk received the board’s endorsement to extend his discussion with Palmer Lake Police Chief Dale Smith on options for various levels of increased cooperation between the towns’ police departments. Shirk told the BOT that several trustee candidates had suggested a feasibility study during a pre-election Candidates’ Night. He said dual police powers would be an advantage for both departments by curbing criminal activity that now eludes police by moving between the two towns. Shirk suggested that one option Palmer Lake could consider is merging the two departments, eliminating the need for a new Palmer Lake chief to replace the retiring Smith, then using the freed funds to pay for another Palmer Lake officer and management fees to Monument.

Shirk also told the board some other possible advantages of various levels of consolidation are:

  • Improved relationship between law enforcement officials and the community they serve

  • Less duplication of effort

  • Standardized training

  • Improved response to calls for services

  • Streamlined operations and administrative functions

  • Coordinated and more efficient use of manpower

  • Enhanced scheduling flexibility

  • Reduced operating costs

  • Increased agency status

  • Enhanced availability and use of resources

  • Improved quality of policing

However, Mayor Max Parker told the PLTC that he had cancelled Shirk’s scheduled presentation on "a closer manner of cooperation" and to form a feasibility committee. "As we are in the process of searching for a candidate to replace Chief Dale Smith here, we felt that it would be extremely premature to entertain this presentation at this time." He added that Shirk "had politely accommodated us."

Groom Star license approved

Parker noted that it was customary for new business license applicants to come first to the workshop for more casual conversations about their proposal. He said that if there are no trustee or staff concerns, it is also customary to make the formal approval of the new license a consent item at the regular council meeting a week later, without requiring the applicant to attend that second meeting.

While there will be a showroom for walk-in customers within the new location at 730 Highway 105, Peterson said his 18-year-old business would primarily be a shipping operation that sends pet-grooming products to professional groomers and veterinarians. There should be no noise or obstruction issues for neighboring property owners because there will be little walk-in traffic to the small showroom. He currently has 10 employees and all will be moving from the current Colorado Springs location to Palmer Lake. They agreed to make the license a consensus item at the regular meeting on May 11. Parker told Peterson he need not attend that meeting.

O’Malley’s Pub front porch expansion approved

Owner Jeff Hulsmann received preliminary approval to begin construction to make the Pub’s front porch larger in response to the new smoking ban inside restaurants. Hulsmann noted his request is similar to those for projects at other restaurants in the area. The porch will be 8 feet deeper in the front and 10 feet deeper on the south side. Smoking on the porch will be continued, but farther away from the entrance doorway as required by the new law. Final approval of Hulsmann’s request for a town liquor license for "modification of the premises" to resume liquor service on the porch after expansion is completed was scheduled to take place in a Palmer Lake Liquor License Authority meeting on June 1, after the 30-day public notice requirement is fulfilled.

The larger porch will have no impact on setbacks or the number of available parking on the property. Hulsmann noted that a representative of the Colorado Department of Transportation had met with him and Palmer Lake Roads Supervisor Bob Radosevich at the Pub and had approved the proposed changes to the existing "perpendicular head-in parking slot configuration" along Highway 105. The town is also creating a new parking lot on the east side of Highway 105, between the Pub and the Depot Restaurant, for safer expanded visitor parking prior to the summer peak season. The new town lot will help relieve continuing CDOT concerns about compliance with the state’s often-ignored requirement for parallel parking only on Highway 105 opposite O’Malley’s.

Hulsmann also said the number of restaurants in Palmer Lake is increasing from seven to eight, making Palmer Lake "a great place to eat. Come to our town and spend money." He also noted that all the restaurants are locally owned and they will have to aggressively market themselves to compete with all the new chain restaurants being built in Monument. To raise money for the July 4 fireworks, Trustee Susan Miner suggested a "progressive dinner" at the town’s restaurants to encourage people to sample food in each of the restaurants.

Fireworks update

Fireworks Committee Chair Carol DeBlois asked the town to consider an "in-kind donation of police services to the committee," a 501-C-3 organization independent of the town, now that the size and scope of the Fourth of July celebration have grown so much. Hulsmann noted that Palmer Lake police proposals for the show are estimated to be about $2,800, much higher than $1,000 in 2005. The total budget for the event is now up to $17,000, with $13,000 for the fireworks. Town Clerk Della Gray said the town staff donates about $4,000 of "in-kind" services already, and the specific costs for Monument and Sheriff’s Office personnel were not yet known.

Hulsmann thanked the trustees for sponsoring the fireworks each year and the staff for its in-kind services, as well as for mailing out fund-raising literature with town water bills. He said the Fireworks Committee needs to plan for the proposed $3,000 increase in police services and know how much more money it needs to raise through the 60 sponsoring retail outlets currently selling T-shirts and bracelets, as well as numerous other fund-raising activities by several organizations.

New Trustee Richard Allen urged support for the request if the costs of overtime for the Palmer Lake Police Department "are not outrageous." New Trustee Susan Miner and Parker agreed and asked for a formal resolution and list of proposed police services costs at the June council meetings. Fire Trustee Coleman thanked the Fireworks Committee for serving breakfast in Town Hall during the Easter Sunday fund-raising breakfast for the Palmer Lake Volunteer Fire Department.

Coleman continues opposition to subdivision of Inn at Palmer Divide lot

Background: Over the past six months, Fritts has repeatedly requested a subdivision of the 27.2- acre Inn at Palmer Lake lot 4 of the Rancho IRACEMA subdivision into two roughly triangular lots. The Inn would be on a 14.2-acre lot to the north. The vacant 13-acre lot to the southwest would include the complete Inn frontage along the east side of Highway 105 and share the access road to the Inn and the adjacent Mission Training International (MTI) development built on the combined lots 2 and 3 of the four-lot subdivision. While the Planning Commission eventually gave a slight majority approval to the lot subdivision request, the Town Council has refused to make a decision month after month, saying it does not have enough knowledge of the history of the already approved Inn project or its own Planned Unit Development ordinance.

Coleman, who lives on lot 1 of the Rancho IRACEMA subdivision, initially supported the proposed Inn and adjacent Mission Training International (MTI) development on lots 2 and 3 in 1999, when the lots were rezoned from R1E (2.5-acre rural) to Planned Unit Development (PUD). Coleman has opposed each of Fritts’ requests for amendments to the two developments as well as his requests for a town commercial water taps and fire lines for mandatory sprinkler systems in the Inn and MTI. Coleman does not have a town water tap, has no direct access to Highway 105, and requires an easement for his driveway across the MTI property to the highway, next to the Rancho IRACEMA sign. More recently, Coleman has also opposed the liquor license for the Inn as well as the subdivision of lot 4 into two parcels. Coleman has never been required to recuse himself for direct financial involvement in decisions during any votes on requests for the Inn or MTI while he was previously a planning commissioner or trustee over the past four years.

Fritts congratulated the six council members who won elections in April and once more summarized his lot 4 subdivision request:

  • The Small Business Administration and his bank had asked that he seek the subdivision to "allow us some flexibility down the road should we need it being able to leverage the property to ensure the financial success of the project currently under construction."

  • Both new lots will have two accesses from the main Inn/MTI access to Highway 105.

  • The MTI well, which has a capacity to produce 200 acre-feet per year, will supply water to both of the subdivided lots. The Inn and MTI will use about 10 acre-feet and 3 acre-feet per year respectively.

  • Although there had been concerns about compliance with the town’s hillside ordinance, studies presented to the Planning Commission and Town Council showed that all slopes on lot 4 are well below the ordinance limit.

  • There are and will be no setback issues on either of the two new lots.

  • The Inn’s attorney and Town Attorney Jim Kin have stated their formal opinions that there is no legal reason to deny the requested subdivision into two lots.

  • There is no request to amend the PUD master plan other than to create the two lots to create two deeds to separate the 13 acres.

Allen asked Fritts "Are you aware of anything that you owe the town to facilitate and to make that subdivision possible?" Fritts said that his engineering consultant, Colorado Engineering, was working with the town’s engineering consultant Paul Gilbert on the relocation of the detention pond for the two parcels and stormwater run-off on the north and west side of the ridge on lot 4. Gray confirmed that this was the only remaining request.

Allen noted, "We visited your new business down there and I’ve got to tell you that is a classy operation and it appears that you’re here to stay." He added, "I think this has gone on for so long and is so rife with rumor and innuendo that it would be good, I believe, to get everything finalized as early as possible and as completely as possible to just put all the discussion and the rumors to bed so you can start your business in a really upbeat manner. I’m optimistic that you’ll be very successful."

Coleman said, "I’ve lived through this since it started." He said he called Mike Betzer at North American Title to verify Fritts’ statements about getting clear title to the 13-acre lot. Coleman said, "None of us own clear title to our property. There’s exceptions for water rights, mineral rights, and deeds of trust." He said the main reason to subdivide the lot would be to sell it to someone else. He asked if Fritts would agree to make the second lot a "no-build area." Fritts said, "Absolutely not."

After a long review of his perspective of the MTI and Inn projects, Coleman noted that they were not bad neighbors and were attractive buildings. He said the town’s attorney had told the council "a number of years ago" that a vacant lot is not a PUD plan. However, the town approved the PUD zoning with no specific development plan, prior to the MTI and Inn proposals being presented. Coleman said an unnamed property owner had recently asked for rezoning to PUD and that the town had rejected his proposal due to not having a master plan for development.

Coleman said the vacant lot could be sold to a nonprofit, which would mean a loss of tax income and that the town needed to see the finalization of the Inn project and see what would be built on the 13-acre lot before granting the subdivision of lot 4. He added that the town would get no benefit from sales of water taps and water to the 13-acre lot if MTI provided well water. However, the town has refused to provide taps or town water to Fritts for the Inn or MTI since 1999.

Fritts reiterated that his mortgage broker had requested subdivision of the 27.2-acre lot because it was "the cleanest way" for Fritts to get clear title to the 13-acre lot. He said that his repeated statements that "We have no current development plans for that excess (13-acre) property" had been "interpreted by several people as a promise that we would never develop, but it’s my recollection that we never made that promise." He said that local restaurants, with the exception of O’Malley’s, had benefited by the presence of MTI visitors, despite MTI being exempt from property and sales tax. "We’re not planning on selling to a nonprofit. We’re not planning on doing anything at this point." He added that the Inn is "a significant project that will be a benefit to the town" and in keeping with the town’s long history as a resort.

Allen said that the town "should steer away from divining. Divining means I hear what you say but here’s what you mean." He added that the town still retains control over future development proposals on the vacant lot within the PUD process. "It’s really dangerous to imply that we know what you’re going to do with that property when you don’t know yourself."

Fritts replied, "Our preference would be that we retain that property forever with its view and the ambience that it helps create." He said the vacant land was too big of an asset for his partners to allow him to give it away forever. He added that construction of the 24-room building would begin in about five weeks once ongoing reviews of the plans by the Pikes Peak Regional Building Department are completed.

Coleman said he had received a postcard on May 3 from the Fox Meadow Church saying that there would be a meeting at MTI on May 7 to discuss acquisition of land for a new church location in Monument. He asserted that the church was the potential customer for the proposed 13-acre lot because the post card did not note that MTI is located in Palmer Lake. He said he was particularly annoyed that it appeared that the church group did not even know that MTI and the adjacent 13-acre it wanted to buy from Fritts were in Palmer Lake.

Fritts flatly denied Coleman’s assertion, noting that one of his current Inn partners is a member of the Fox Meadows Church, that the church had only begun looking for land within the past six weeks, and that the three previous church meetings on the issue had been held elsewhere, all well after his December request for subdivision of lot 4. He said MTI is a nonprofit that hosts about 100 meetings a year and none of those organizations had been approached as customers for the land. Fritts said twice that Coleman’s assertion that he was using MTI to market the 13 acres "is not even close to being true."

Miner suggested that Fox Meadows Church look at the vacant 100-acre lot next to her Palmer Lake property just down Highway 105.

Resident Sherry Brown said, "If Mr. Coleman is worried about a nonprofit, maybe we ought to make our town a little more conducive to profit-making businesses." She added, "If I were coming here to start a business and you put what you’ve put in front of them in front of me, I’d say ‘bye and take my hat and money and go elsewhere. You don’t have a right to tell me I can’t sell my property or develop it or as Mr. Allen says divine what he’s going to do with it." Coleman said that the subdivision would mandate the town’s approval of future development after previous promises that it wouldn’t be developed. Brown replied that Coleman’s assertion was a "moot point" because the town had not allowed Fritts to open in 2002 when the Inn was supposed to open, leading to his previous loss of financing in 2003.

Brown was referring to the town’s refusal to extend MTI’s town fire line to the Inn in 2002. Fritts initially requested on June 14, 2001, that the town install an extension of the town’s ten-inch water main along Highway 105 to the Santa Fe subdivision southward to the MTI lots along the east side of Highway 105. The town approved the water main and a six-inch fire line tap from the highway to the MTI building but denied a commercial water tap from the water main for MTI on Aug. 9, 2001. Fritts paid all costs for the water main and fire line installation.

The new 10-inch water main extends along the entire frontage of Coleman’s Rancho IRACEMA Lot 1 in the Colorado Department of Transportation’s (CDOT) right-of-way. Trees that had grown in the CDOT right-of-way in front of the Coleman home and had helped screen his house from highway noise and dust were removed during installation of the town water main extension. Coleman had objected to the water main installation because CDOT regulations do not allow replacement of trees within its right-of-ways. Fritts planted seven trees on Coleman’s property to replace those removed from the CDOT right-of-way after the installation of the town’s water main was completed.

Background: On Oct. 10, 2002 Fritts requested to extend the new 10-inch water main another 0.2 mile along Highway 105, with hydrants every 400 feet, at his cost of $75,000, to the northwest corner of Lot 4. He also proposed a new six-inch fire line tap from this extension for the Inn. The request was tabled by the council.

On Nov. 7, 2002, he offered the council a second alternative, extending the existing fire line to MTI 870 feet to the adjacent Inn.

On Nov. 14, 2002, the council was given sharply conflicting professional advice from Glenn Bodnar, a professional engineer from the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment; town consultant Melissa Wetzig, a professional engineer from RTW Professional Engineers and Consultants, Inc.; and Town Water Supervisor Steve Orcutt on bacteria issues for the standing water in the two fire lines and the amount and frequency of flushing required to maintain adequate chlorine levels, the council formed a committee to study Fritts’ fire line request. Bodnar said a dead-end fire line needs to be flushed every 6-12 months while Orcutt said he had to flush the MTI fire line every two weeks to sustain a minimum chlorine concentration. Wetzig reported, "Hydraulic modeling done by RTW show the existing system does not have adequate capacity, even if looping is used, to supply fire flows at the Inn at Palmer Divide or at MTI without serious impacts in other areas of the town." The council indefinitely tabled the issue on Dec. 5.

At the council meeting on Aug. 13, 2003, Fritts reported that the death of one of his original Inn partners had led to the cessation of Inn construction due to bankruptcy. Coleman was the only town Planning Commissioner who voted against Fritts’ proposal to convert the use of the Inn project to an assisted-living facility on Sept. 17, 2003. The council never voted on the change of use.

After he had received new financial backing from a different partnership, Fritts asked for council approval to expand the Inn from 24 to 39 rooms on April 14, 2005, and offered to pay for a commercial water tap if the town wanted the tap fee and revenue from sales, in lieu of connecting to the MTI well. Coleman, now a trustee, opposed both of these proposals. He voted to extend Fritts’ PUD permit for the Inn so the town could retain complete control over every aspect of construction.

Coleman voted against a sign permit for the Inn that the council approved on Oct. 13, 2005, and against a liquor license for the Inn that the council approved on Dec. 8. He has opposed every Fritts request and proposal since then.

After Brown’s concluding remarks, Fritts said he would obtain Gilbert’s approval of his drainage and detention pond plans prior to seeking the building permit for the 24-room building to the east of the main Inn building. Construction of the detention pond will be completed before the certificate of occupancy is issued for this second building. Allen said that everyone will benefit from his continued cooperation with town staff.

Other business

The council gave a preliminary approval by consensus to Tim Shank for a preservation easement and 15-foot road easement for Hallin Hill Lots 5A and 5B and the adjoining Lot 4 in the Pine-Crest Tri-District Assembly Grounds Addition No. 1. Adjacent business owner Thom Facinelli said he had no problem with this request, which would widen the existing driveway to his auto repair business on County Line Road. Parker told Shank he should expect no problems at the hearing on May 11.

Roads Supervisor Bob Radosevich noted that Herman Spielkamp owned a small piece of property by the town entry sign at Highway 105 and County Line Road that he wanted to swap for a town alleyway near Gilia Street that he wanted to have vacated. Gray asked for permission to schedule the proposal for a Planning Commission hearing. Radosevich concurred, saying the proposal would help clean up historic town plats for that area. The council agreed by consensus, then adjourned at 8:15 p.m.

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Palmer Lake Town Council Meeting, May 11: Williams named new police chief

By Jim Kendrick

At the start of the regular Palmer Lake Town Council meeting, Trustee Richard Allen announced that he wanted to make a special presentation to a citizen who had attended more meetings and spent more hours than any other citizen on the very hard folding chairs for the audience. He then presented a thick green seat cushion to Mary Coleman, wife of Trustee Gary Coleman.

Trustee Trudy Finan was excused to attend her daughter’s graduation.

New "arts" liquor license approved for Tri-Lakes Center for the Arts

Meeting first as the Palmer Lake Liquor Licensing Authority, the Palmer Lake Town Council finally approved the permanent "arts" liquor license that the Tri-Lakes Center for the Arts had requested on Jan. 5. Town organizations are allowed to seek a maximum of 10 temporary liquor licenses per year, and the center would like to hold two fundraising events per month, with a cash bar for beer and wine, from now on.

Chief Dale Smith suggested to the members of the center’s board, who all were in attendance, that they and any bartenders at their events attend the state liquor control board’s free course for occasional volunteer bartenders to learn problem-solving tips for the occasional unruly drinker. Smith assured the council that there had been no problems at the center, and this was a precautionary recommendation. The board approved the "arts" liquor license with the condition that all board members show certificates of completion of this service course prior to being issued the license. The Liquor License Authority meeting was then adjourned and the regular council meeting began at 7:05 p.m.

Groom Star license approved

The council unanimously approved, without discussion, the consent item for the new business license for Groom Star, LLC, a pet grooming supply distributor. The new license had been previously discussed and approved at the workshop meeting on May 4.

Committee reports

Mayor Max Parker stated that the standard "payment of bills" agenda item would no longer be a consent item, because there are occasional questions by trustees about some of these checks. Town Attorney Larry Gaddis said that this was no reason to change the standard check consent item procedure. Gaddis said that any checks called into question by a trustee could be pulled from the consent list and made an agenda item for separate discussion and approval. He added that a minor question or discussion about any check could still fall under the consent item framework. Payment of bills for April was unanimously approved.

Parker noted that committee reports would only be presented at regular meetings in the future and eliminated from workshop agendas to avoid redundant presentations.

New Roads Trustee Allen reported that the town’s Roads Department would be prepping all the town’s numerous dirt roads for applications of dust control agents for the dry summer season.

Fire Trustee Coleman reported 20 calls in April for the Palmer Lake Volunteer Fire Department, seven of which were mutual aid in other fire districts. He said the Elephant Rock Bike Ride will take place on June 7. He asked again that people post their house numbers on the streets for the residents’ protection on medical calls. The town’s fire ban continues to be in effect. The Bodhicitta Bakery will host a pizza night on June 16 and half the proceeds from the $11.99 pizza sales will go to the town Fire Department.

Allen reported for Police Trustee Finan on the completed search for a replacement for retiring Chief Dale Smith. He noted that the committee—led by Finan and Smith, along with Parker, Allen, and Trustee Jim Girlando, and local resident, Regional Transportation District Police Chief and part time Palmer Lake police officer John Tarbert—had worked for six months to make the selection of Michael Williams. There were five finalists out of seven highly qualified applicants. Allen said the town should be confident in the process and the selection.

Allen said Williams will move to Palmer Lake from Albuquerque, N.M., and that he is "very intelligent, well-educated, and highly decorated and motivated." He added that Williams had the "credentials to work well with the community, business owners, and children to make Palmer Lake a better place to live, work, and raise our families."

Smith said all the committee members had dedicated a lot of time to the search. He was "struck by the breadth of police experience" Williams had, including a strong criminal investigative background and a history of implementing community policing projects." Smith also said, "I firmly believe he will continue the traditions and the style of enforcement that we have here in Palmer Lake." He asked that Williams "be given space to create his own style." Smith asked for a conditional appointment to the department for a turnover period of about a month.

Williams said he was "very humbled to be the selectee" and that he is a police officer more than a law enforcement officer. He added that he was glad Smith would continue to be a town resident and available for advice after 31 years as chief when the average tenure is only three years nationwide.

The council unanimously approved his conditional appointment as chief of police. The town is awaiting final physical, psychological, and drug-screening examination results. Miner thanked Smith for giving the town enough time for a thorough and complete selection process and turnover period as well as time "to find room in our hearts for a new chief."

Special Agent Williams currently works for the New Mexico Department of Public Safety’s Special Investigations Division and is a member of the Governor’s Mobile Strike Team. He grew up in a military family and graduated from high school at Clark Air Base in the Philippines. He has a dual bachelor’s degree from Stephen F. Austin University in Criminal Justice and Forestry. He did graduate work in forensics and physical medicine before starting his police career as an honor police academy graduate. He has also worked for the Army in the Marshall Islands and for Colorado town police departments in Frisco and Silt. He has been named "Officer of the Year," Chamber of Commerce "Citizen of the Year," and has received the FBI Rocky Mountain Region Community Service Award.

Parks and Recreation Trustee Trish Flake reported that tennis pro and Lewis-Palmer High School tennis coach Paul Cardell had given the town suggestions for an amendment for the resurfacing grant from the Colorado Tennis Association (CTA.) Also proposed were special one-day tennis promotions, exhibition matches, a new court reservation system, and lighting repairs at the courts in lieu of Kim Makower’s withdrawn promise to give CTA-sanctioned tennis lessons for the next five years. There had been no reply to the grant amendment from CTA.

Flake reported that Chuck Pyle and Gordon Berg would give a concert at 1 p.m. on June 10 at Town Hall for the Columbine Festival. There will also be a plant exchange at the festival. The town has purchased a gas-powered extended logger to improve the appearance of town parks. Town Clerk Della Gray noted that drought-resistant plants donated to Town Hall that day will be noted with name tags noting the donor, the type of plant, and the type of care required.

Flake asked the town to participate in senior centers and the county’s master plan for lakes, and to consider a nature center at Palmer Lake for seniors. She said the town should assist area historian Jim Sawatski in re-establishing the Rocky Mountain Chatauquas held in Palmer Lake from 1887 to 1910, the origin of the summer cabins in the Glen. Community and Economic Development Trustee Susan Miner endorsed Flake’s recommendation to provide $500 for advertising of these "summer sojourns."

Water Trustee Girlando said he was working with Water Supervisor Steve Orcutt on a new water system monthly report format.

Miner said she was working with Bill Roach, the new executive director of the Tri-Lakes Chamber of Commerce, on an update of the town’s Streetscapes Plan. Roach said he was eager as a property owner in Palmer Lake to work on "developing a vision that could be emulated throughout the area."

Parker reported that the town was reviewing enforcement of the town’s fire ban ordinance and would be more aggressively promoting compliance with the town’s ordinance prohibiting fireworks. He encouraged people to help prevent further "the bears are back" interactions by keeping trash indoors until the morning of trash pickup. He reported that the Pikes Peak Area Agency on Aging had given a presentation to the Pikes Peak Area Council of Governments (PPACG) on senior transportation issues. Miner said it was hard to get support for seniors and Tri-Lakes agencies because the region has done such a good job in the past "taking care of its own." Parker said people need more options than placing their aging parents in nursing homes.

Bob Miner, town representative to the 3 1/2-year Fountain Creek Watershed Study, reported that there are still funding issues for the next few years, but the Army Corps of Engineers and PPACG are continuing the study at a slower rate within the constraint. A bridge over Monument Creek in Palmer Lake has been vulnerable to flooding in the past. Miner noted that Colorado Springs and other entities are instituting new fees for construction of impervious surfaces – such as roofs, driveways, and patios—in new developments. The fees are supposed to mitigate stormwater drainage problems by allowing for drainages to be enlarged or improved.

Greg Cook reported that the Awake the Lake Committee has $18,725 still available from the $31,910 collected to date. He thanked the town for mailing flyers for the committee along with town water bills. He gave a list of questions that the committee would like the town to submit to its water attorney to guide planning for filling and sustaining Palmer Lake. Cook thanked the town for getting the railroad to respond to proposals to restore a culvert under the tracks by County Line Road to restore drainage into the lake. The previous culvert was destroyed several years ago in a train wreck at the north end of town.

Roads Supervisor Bob Radosevich noted that the town’s wood-chipping program would begin a fourth year at a fee to residents of $30 per hour.

Fritts denied approval for Inn replat

After giving a summary of the details of the four months of town meetings on his proposal to subdivide the 27.2-acre Inn at Palmer Divide lot into two parcels, Al Fritts said he would provide a copy of the just-completed drainage and detention pond study conducted by Colorado Engineering to town consultant Paul Gilbert. He asked if the board had any further questions.

Coleman said, "I do of course." He asked for a written water plan for the vacant 13-acre lot in the event it is sold and there are two separate owners for the two subdivided lots. Coleman said that if the subdivision were approved and the MTI well that currently provides water to the Inn property went dry, a new owner could claim that the town would be required to provide water to the new 13-acre lot, along with a building permit. Coleman said that Water Supervisor Steve Orcutt had just told him that the town has no water available for that contingency.

Coleman also said that the town should require that the Colorado Department of Transportation certify in writing that it was acceptable for a new owner of the 13-acre vacant lot to have access to the existing state-approved access to Highway 105. Coleman did not demand that a traffic study be conducted for the vacant lot as he had repeatedly done in the past, however.

Coleman said the requested subdivision should not be allowed until Fritts has a buyer for the 13-acre lot and that buyer submits plans for replatting and amending the existing PUD plan before the sale is closed. He reiterated that Fritts should be required to keep the currently vacant land "open" while he still owns it. He said that the town should turn down all requests for rezoning to PUD without a completely detailed development plan.

Coleman claimed that he was not slowing down the financing of the project and that Fritts should seek another method of financing, such as a legal description, rather than separating the 13 acres from the Inn’s long-term mortgage. He said that the Pinecrest replat request included submission of a complete development plan 18 months before construction began.

Parker replied, "Just for your own edification, we did sit there and send a correspondence to Ronnie Sperling, who is our town water attorney, and her response was that from a water rights perspective there is no requirement to form a water district to sell water." Coleman reiterated that the MTI well may not perform as expected in the future. Parker replied that this concern "was incumbent on the buyer" of the proposed 13-acre lot, not on the council.

Allen said he had thoroughly reviewed the town’s comprehensive plan and municipal code "looking at reasons why this proposal shouldn’t be supported, and I couldn’t find any unless Larry Gaddis can enlighten me." He added, "If we’re making our decision based on the documentation that exists today that’s one thing, but if we’re making our decision on what we wish that the document said, that’s another. It’s my position that I can see absolutely no reason why this cannot be and should not be approved. Quite frankly it’s not there."

Susan Miner asked Gaddis to confirm that the PUD would still apply and no building could occur without town review and approval. "If we don’t like what they want to put there, we could say no." Gaddis concurred, said Coleman’s concerns would be addressed if a construction proposal was presented in the future, and noted that PUD zoning puts a lot of pressure and stress on town councils. Flake said that if there weren’t adequate water on the property in the future, the law would require Fritts to notify a potential buyer.

Bob Miner said that there was no prohibition for drilling a well into any of the aquifers on the lot in the future.

Resident Janice Reece asked if she could rezone her Highway 105 property to PUD and from residential to commercial. Gaddis said she could if she followed the town’s procedures. The council subsequently approved the request, noting that PUD is a developer’s least favorite zoning compared to commercial or residential. Parker added that the town needed to review the PUD ordinance to ensure there are provisions for adequate documentation of projects in the future.

After public comment was closed, Fritts noted that the town’s Planning Commission had recommended approval of the replat request several months ago. Allen made a motion to approve the replat contingent upon the town consultant engineer’s concurrence on the drainage and detention pond plans submitted by Fritts. The motion was seconded by Flake.

Coleman said that the drawing submitted by Fritts did not meet code requirements for a formal replat regarding ownership and easements. Gaddis agreed. Gray asked Gaddis if Fritts would have to undergo a new hearing process for a more complete document. Gaddis said, "That’s up to this board." Coleman said that the drainage plan and detention pond location had to be reviewed "at length" by the Planning Commission before the town could consider Fritts’ replat proposal. He asked that a note be required on the replat document that the town would not provide any water to the lots or ever give permission to drill wells on them.

Gaddis said that if the council only approved a PUD plan amendment, it would not help Fritts if he wanted to sell the 13-acre lot. He said a recorded replat would be required. Gaddis advised the board that the town ordinance explicitly says that if the town refuses to sell water to a town property owner, it cannot prevent the owner from seeking state approval for a well. "I don’t recommend Coleman’s restriction."

Gaddis reiterated that Allen’s motion only applied to a PUD amendment, not a replat, and that if the board wanted Fritts to go through a new replat process, "It’s up to the board." Susan Miner asked Gaddis if the council needed to require a replat request from Fritts if it approved a PUD amendment for subdividing the lot into two parts. Gaddis said no. Fritts couldn’t sell the lot until it was formally re-platted.

Fritts said he needed to replat lot 4 to obtain financing and that his only concern is that the first time he could get Planning Commission approval would be in June after the two council meetings had taken place leading to the earliest possible replat approval in July. Fritts said, "If the intent is to not allow us to have formal approval until we come back through the Planning Commission and the Council, which is a minimum of two months down the road, then you’re really tying our hands in an unreasonable manner to proceed with the bank and our financing. Keep in mind we started this process almost nine months ago. If the replat was an issue it should have come out ahead of time. This in my opinion appears to be just another way to keep us from being able to achieve what we’ve been asking to for nine months." Fritts has complied with every request made by staff and the council to date and has not been asked to submit a replat request.

Parker replied, "I’m not sure that I was savvy enough to sit there and to really understand that there might be another statutory requirement for what you were asking for." Susan Miner said that the replat "is his problem, not ours." Parker said discussion should be limited for a quick turn-around. Coleman said Fritts could tell his bank that he had started the replat process. Allen said his motion was not for a conditional approval of a replat based on subsequent submissions of the required documentation and told Fritts, "Whatever you need to do, you need to do." Coleman withdrew his proposed amendment to prohibit drilling wells on the 13-acre lot due to lack of a second. The amendment of the PUD passed (5-1) with Coleman voting no.

Other business

The council unanimously approved Tim Shank’s request for a preservation easement and 15-foot road easement for Hallin Hill Lots 5A and 5B and the adjoining Lot 4 in the Pine-Crest Tri-District Assembly Grounds Addition No. 1. A new drawing for the road easement will be prepared and submitted to formally document the revisions.

Parker said that the council needed to appoint a mayor pro tempore. Coleman nominated Susan Miner. Girlando nominated Allen. Miner was unanimously elected.

During public discussion, town resident Kurt Erhardt asked that the town extend its domestic and fire water lines down Highway 105 to the West End Center. He noted that he had paid water taxes for 20 years without benefit of town service, while having to maintain his well for the center. The town has denied Erhardt’s similar requests of this type for extending domestic service to MTI and the Inn at Palmer Divide on several occasions in the past six years. The town had also denied an earlier proposal to drill a town well in this location for local distribution. Erhardt also noted the amount of money the town could collect for tap fees and that the town had to have a comprehensive plan for the time that all the wells go dry.

Shank said well owners who would benefit from the water main extension had watered their lawns quite openly during town watering bans for years, posting signs that said "We’re well water – don’t bitch at us" while using the same groundwater as the town. Shank said the town should ban watering for well owners as well. Erhardt said that some homeowners with wells may flaunt them. However, those with wells that are restricted to in-house use only had to water new lawns and shrubbery for a short time to keep them from dying before they were established. Gaddis noted that the water law restricting wells to in-home use passed in 1985, allowing towns to take water under every new home built after 1975. Parker said that any water system expansion would be "sticky," expensive, and problematic at best. Gray noted that the town is a member of the El Paso County Water Authority and the Palmer Divide Water Group so that it can be part of any regional water project to solve the groundwater shortage problem.

Mark Halber asked the council to approve a future request to expand his home in the Glen in return for his cooperation with the town on road encroachment. Parker asked Halber to meet with Bob Miner, chair of the Board of Adjustments, to plan a proposal.

The meeting adjourned at 9:35 p.m.

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Williams declines appointment

The Town of Palmer Lake released the following statement:

"On May 23, 2006, Palmer Lake Chief Dale T. Smith received notice from newly appointed Palmer Lake Police Chief M.C. Williams, stating "…I hereby withdraw / decline my appointment for the welfare of all concerned". Williams further stated "…the reasons were based on what is best for my career, my family, and the Town of Palmer Lake…and that the choice was mine alone." Chief Smith acknowledged how difficult Williams’ decision was, and appreciated the fact that Williams’ decision was best for all involved. The Palmer Lake Board of Trustees was notified of Williams’ decision.

"On May 24, 2006, the Board met to discuss how to plan for both, the short-term leadership of the Department, and how to prepare for the next search for a new Police Chief, since Chief Smith intends to retire June 30, 2006.

"The Board elected to appoint an interim Chief, and will announce that selection, once the appointee has responded to the appointment."

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Donala Water and Sanitation District, May 17: Donala swears in new board members; discusses wastewater plant expansion progress

By Sue Wielgopolan

At the Donala board’s May 17 meeting, Ed Houle, outgoing vice president, administered the oath of office to newly elected directors Dennis Daugherty, Dick Durham, and Tim Murphy. The three men ran unopposed.

Durham brings experience to the position, having served on the Woodmoor Water and Sanitation board until 2004, when he moved to Gleneagle. Murphy has been a resident of Gleneagle since 2005 but has owned rental property in the district for several years. Durham and Murphy are new to Donala’s board.

Daugherty was originally elected in 2002. This will be his second term.

All three will serve four-year terms.

The board then elected Houle to replace Charlie Coble as president; Coble was term-limited and ineligible to run. Daugherty will serve as vice president and Dale Schendzielos as secretary/treasurer.

Bookkeeper Betsy Bray was named employee of the quarter in recognition of her outstanding work on the budget and cost-of-service analysis. Bray was rewarded with Sky Sox tickets and a gift certificate to Chili’s.

Buried conduit maze complicates equalization basin excavation for waste plant expansion

Excavation for the equalization basin has uncovered a maze of at least 14 electrical conduits. The contractor, Weaver General Construction, hit power lines three times while digging. General manager Dana Duthie told the board that engineers have been unable to ascertain the purpose of several of the conduits underlying the area. There is also an iron pipe running under the location, which may have been intended as a natural gas line. Engineers have decided not to disturb it.

Construction on the original plant was halted in 1987 when owners Triview and Forest Lakes Metro Districts went bankrupt. The plant remained idle until 1995, when Mountain View Electric, which had plans to diversify beyond power generation, financed the recommissioning of the facility. Mountain View then leased it to Donala. Because state wastewater treatment requirements had changed, this involved several upgrades, including the installation of denitrification filters and repair of the blowers.

In 1999 Donala paid off Mountain View’s loan for the improvements. Donala, Triview Metropolitan District, and Forest Lakes Metropolitan District created an intergovernmental agreement based on each entity’s investment and capacity requirements. The plant is now jointly owned by all three districts. However, because of contract disputes over unpaid bills between the original owners, engineering firm CH2M Hill, and contractor DCCI, updated plans including changes made during initial construction were never provided. Part of the engineering cost of the project will be spent to create a complete set of plans for the entire facility.

Regional Building Department delays issuing permits

Duthie estimates that GMS engineer Dave Frisch has spent approximately 80 hours so far shepherding the paperwork for the expansion through the county and regional permitting process.

According to El Paso County Development Services, formerly the Planning Department, the plant must obtain a subdivision exemption before building, as the expansion covers seven acres within a larger plat that is not being subdivided. The county commissioners must normally approve the exemption. After many months of wrangling, the Development Services department signed off on the exemption without commissioner involvement.

The Regional Building Department required that each of the six separate buildings in the compound have its own address. After the department issued the numbers, it then decided they were incorrect. As of the date of the Donala meeting, no permits had been issued.

The lack of a permit has not slowed construction work on the equalization basin as yet; Duthie said that general contractor Weaver Construction has been working on it for weeks. However, concrete cannot be poured until the Regional Building Department has issued a permit for the basin. Further delays could impact the work schedule at that point.

Duthie also said that Regional Building requires each of the buildings to go through the lengthy permitting process individually. Although work on the equalization basin is about two months behind, the project as a whole is ahead of schedule. Due to the fact that the basin was moved up, Duthie still expects the expansion to be completed by December 2007.

Members discuss senior discount request

Board members discussed a request by Donala resident Lee Pomroy that the district offer discounted rates to senior citizens over the age of 60. In Pomroy’s e-mail to Duthie, he said that as a senior citizen living on a fixed income, he found it increasingly difficult to maintain his lifestyle as the cost of utilities and gas go up. Pomroy said seniors in general had learned to conserve, and that a household of one or two elderly citizens obviously used less water than a large family and therefore should be rewarded with lower rates. He also enumerated the positive contributions seniors make to the community.

Duthie had forwarded copies of Pomroy’s e-mail and his response to the board members for their review prior to the meeting. Duthie said during the meeting that the cost of the volume of water used was actually a very small part of the cost of service; lower use accounted only for a small reduction in pumping and chemical treatment costs. He explained that costs for running and maintaining the facilities and infrastructure, insurance, salaries, legal fees, engineering, as well as office and other expenses are also rising and are independent of the amount of water used.

Duthie also pointed out that it would be impractical for the district to attempt to track and bill water use according to age, and that many residents of the district were over 60 years old.

Donala changed its rate structure in 2003 to reward lower use and fairly charge customers whose homes are vacant part of the year. Until that year, the district charged a $22 base rate, which included the first 6,000 gallons of water, whether the customer used that amount or not. Residents paid a charge of $3.25 for every additional 1,000 gallons or fraction thereof on any volume over the original 6,000. Now customers pay a service charge of $11 per month, which does not include any water, and a volume rate starting at $2.60 per 1,000 gallons and increasing to $3.45/1,000 gallons after the first 10,000 gallons. The rate increases again at 20,000 gallons. The result is that lower-water users’ bills went down, and higher-water users’ bills went up.

Duthie added that sewer rates have not increased for 11 years.

After discussion by the board, members unanimously decided to deny Pomroy’s request. President Ed Houle will send a letter to Pomroy explaining the board’s position.

El Paso County Water Authority

Duthie reported that El Paso County Water Authority (EPCWA) lobbyist Pat Ratliff discussed the status of several bills in the Legislature of interest to members.

  • House Bill 1400 forms a new organization within the state government to administer the roundtable process. The formation of the nine river basin roundtables and the Interbasin Compact Committee, which is composed of representatives from each roundtable and several gubernatorial appointees, was mandated by HB05-1177, also known as the "Colorado Water for the 21st Century Act." Roundtable participants are expected to propose compromises between basins and users for the equitable distribution of Colorado’s water resources.

  • SB06-193, which provides funding for underground storage (aquifer recharge) studies in the Arkansas and Platte basins, passed in the Senate and went on to the House for approval.

  • A recreational diversion bill limiting the amount of water that may be claimed for kayak courses and one water quality bill were likely to pass.

  • An eminent domain bill championed by former El Paso County Commissioner Duncan Bremer and opposed by the Water Authority was tabled.

The Transit Loss Study has progressed to the point of determining administrative costs to the participating agencies. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) is conducting the study. The USGS will use the information gathered from gauging stations outfitted with monitoring and recording devices to construct a computer model that will more accurately track stream flows, and particularly the amount of water being returned as treated effluent to the Arkansas by Colorado Springs and upstream water providers.

The Water Authority will consider accepting a larger role in providing the manpower for ongoing repair and maintenance of the USGS gates and responsibility for reporting the recorded flow information to the state engineer.

Black Forest residents and the organization Protect Our Wells, which represents homeowners with individual wells, continue to press El Paso County to hire a hydrologist to study the condition of aquifers supplying the Black Forest area. The county is revising its comprehensive plan, and may reconsider the effectiveness of the 300-year rule.

A hydrological study paid for by the Water Authority did not include individual wells, which is the primary source of water for most homes in Black Forest as well as residences on larger lots of 2½ acres or more in subdivisions such as Sun Hills, Bent Tree, and King’s Deer.

In order to gather data, the wells would have to be equipped with meters to measure the volume of water being used and air lines to determine well depth. Most owners are unwilling to provide access and/or assume the expense of installing measuring devices. Without such information, hydrologists cannot estimate the existing supply or determine the rate of depletion.

The next meeting of the EPCWA will take place at 9 a.m. June 2 in the third-floor hearing room of the El Paso County Office Building, 27 E. Vermijo.

Palmer Divide Water Group will present stormwater timeline

To foster cooperation with Colorado Springs Utilities and the city of Colorado Springs to solve stormwater issues in northern El Paso County, Palmer Divide Water Group Manager Gary Barber has assembled a stormwater action timeline, which he will present to El Paso County and the city. The timeline proposes a framework and deadlines for identifying problems and possible solutions through a public process, with the result being formation of a county stormwater entity with a specific mission and passage of a ballot issue to provide funding.

Colorado Springs has stated that assistance with a stormwater program is a prerequisite that must be fulfilled before it will consider negotiating for conveyance of surface water through its planned Southern Delivery System to northern El Paso County communities. Barber’s proposal is the first step in establishing a working relationship with the city for stormwater control.

Thornton may buy lower Arkansas Valley Water

Duthie told the board that the city of Thornton has signed up as a customer with a Fort Lyons group that seeks to bring water north from the lower Arkansas Valley. The group had previously bought up several farms around Fort Lyons, intending to use the associated water rights, but without a customer was unable to move forward with its plans. State law forbids water speculation.

The group hopes Colorado courts will approve the plan, which was formerly proposed by High Plains A & M, thus clearing the way for negotiations for a pipeline right-of-way to begin. The water is far from ideal; due to its high salinity it will have to receive preliminary treatment before entering the pipes. Although tentative plans call for the pipeline to pass 40 miles east of the Tri-Lakes area, the PDWG is looking at the project as a possible surface water source for the area.

Donala and Triview will link water systems

Duthie told the board that Rocky Mountain Asphalt, which is the contractor widening Baptist Road, will also move Donala’s water line and install the new 12-inch line that will loop Donala’s and Triview’s systems.

Tri-Lakes area water districts plan to eventually connect all their water systems to provide backup supplies to each other in case one should experience a catastrophic event, such as a large fire or large-scale water system failure. Donala and Triview decided that since Baptist Road will be torn up for construction, installing the pipeline now would be cost-effective.

The required trench work will be too deep for Donala’s staff to do themselves, and the uncertainty of Rocky Mountain Asphalt’s time schedule make hiring a different contractor impractical.

The cost of looping the two districts’ water lines will be $90,000. Triview and Donala will split the cost.

Wells 2D and 3D operational again

Duthie said that work on Well 2D, which had been down for redrilling, was nearly complete. AmWest will install the new pump soon.

Rehabilitation work on Well 3D, which included acid flushing, is finished. The operation cost the district $40,000 to $44,000, and the well is yielding only 40 to 50 more gallons per minute. Duthie did concede that "there is a lot more water over the pump" since it was also lowered during the procedure, indicating that good production could be expected to continue for a longer period.

Duthie told the board that he would postpone rehabilitation of other Denver wells until he could observe the performance of Well 3D over time and better assess whether the marginal increase in production was worth the cost.

Baptist tank painting has begun

Eastern Colorado Builders, the contractor that won the bid to paint the two water tanks south of Baptist Road, has commenced work. Duthie assured the board that he has taken precautions to make sure neighbors’ homes and vehicles will not be affected. The painters will tent the area being treated or use vacuum sanders should sanding be necessary. Paint will be brushed or rolled on to prevent overspray. A rust-colored primer will be applied before the final coat. The district decided to again use "Nintendo green," which blends well with the surrounding trees. The job will cost $61,600.

District to loop Mission Hills and River Oaks lines

Presently, water lines servicing Mission Hills Way and River Oaks dead end. This creates two problems. Water line breaks interrupt service to homes on the dead-end side of the break. In addition, flushing cannot completely empty iron accumulation at the far ends. Donala will bore across the golf course to loop the two lines. By connecting pipelines, the district will be able to provide water from either side in case of a break.

The public portion of the meeting ended at 3 p.m., and the board went into executive session. The meeting date for June has been changed to Monday, June 26, to accommodate members’ schedules. Although the meeting will begin at 1:30 p.m., the board will hold an executive session first. The public portion of the meeting is expected to start between 2 and 2:30 p.m. at the Donala office, 15850 Holbein Drive.

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Forest View Acres Water District, May 25: Board ponders financing $6.2 million for improvements

By Jim Kendrick

Engineering consultant ACSG Inc. gave a list of prioritized recommendations for repairing and upgrading water system infrastructure at the Forest View Acres Water District. The total cost for the ACSG multi-year capital improvement plan was $6,189,000. The board discussed a two-phase construction bond program to pay for some or all of the ACSG recommendations as well as options to pay for the bonds with a voter-approved mill levy or board-approved fee increase. The meeting started at 5:40 p.m.

The board unanimously approved "a resolution to communicate sincere thanks and appreciation to Brian Cross for time and expertise contributed to the Forest View Acres community." President Barbara Reed-Polatty also presented a plaque to Cross, noting his dedicated leadership on the board. Director Jeff Walker, who is replacing Cross, was sworn in.

Financial matters

The board unanimously approved the list of routine district payments for May, which totaled $26,943.97. Reported revenue of $59,718 for the first four months of 2006 exceeded expenses of $51,982. The board unanimously accepted the financial report for April.

During a discussion of some specific categories of reported expenses, district Operations Manager Dan LaFontaine noted that the district’s professional management firm, Special District Management Services Inc. (SDMS), has changed some of the nomenclature for classifying expenses from the previous year. Discussion of the 2005 audit was deferred until next month while the auditor, Dawn Schilling, learns more about the district’s water rights.

Billing matters

The board unanimously approved a policy giving SDMS the latitude to determine whether to waive late payments "once a year for a rolling 12-month period" based on the circumstances for each customer. The change will be added to the new rules and regulations for the district. The board also discussed some individual late payment requests for April.

The district’s attorney, Paul Rufien, reported that a lien had been filed on 18650 Cloven Hoof Drive.

Rufien also said, "There is no meaningful response" from Lee Wilde on his billing dispute with the district. Rufien had not been able to talk directly to Wilde’s attorney since the last board meeting about Wilde’s claims that he is entitled to up to 15,000 gallons of free water each month due to a previous agreement with the Nevins family, the creators of the district. Rufien has sent a letter to Wilde denying this assertion and noting that the district may choose to disconnect Wilde’s service if he continues to make no payments on his substantial and growing bill. "Billing as normal" is continuing.

Legal matters

The board approved sending an invoice immediately to the Raspberry Ridge/Red Rocks Reserve development’s bank for a payment by June 1. Also unanimously approved was the amount of the final settlement due to Dan Spiegelberg for $280, for a district contract for repair work on a faulty saddle connections to main distribution water pipes in the Sundance Estates Subdivision. Spiegelberg had served as the resident point of contact for the subdivision bidding process and coordinated system repairs by the contractors with the district through LaFontaine. A motion to terminate that contract, now that it has been settled, was unanimously approved. Spiegelberg said he would still be available for advice to neighbors who haven’t repaired their saddles.

The board voted, 4-0-1, with Walker abstaining, to engage Paul J. Zilis of Vranesh and Raisch as the district’s water attorney. Three candidates had been interviewed by board members at a board work session in the SDMS offices in Denver on May 12.

Water losses high in April

LaFontaine reported that the surface plant produced 2.58 million gallons in April, an average of 60 gallons per minute. The backwash amount is higher than normal because only one of two filters is being used at a time and all water is coming from the surface plant now that icing has ceased. This causes more contamination due to the doubled flow rate and higher turbidity in the spring.

Losses for April were about 900,000 gallons, about 38 percent, due possibly to new leaks that haven’t been discovered. Typical district losses have been 550,000 to 750,000 gallons per month, roughly 25 to 30 percent. LaFontaine said some leaks take a long time to show at the surface due to the types of soils in the foothills. Normally water systems lose 5 to 15 percent.

There was a lengthy discussion about why a variable frequency drive replacement should be purchased for the main treatment facility pump. This kind of drive reduces the cost of starting surges of electricity, provides smoother torque to extend pump life, and makes the pump more efficient, paying for itself after about half the pump’s normal life cycle of 10 years.

Director Eck Zimmerman and consulting engineer Doug Meurer of ASCG verified LaFontaine’s justifications. The drive costs about $9,000, and the current pump was installed in 1995. A decision on the replacement will be made later this year. Johnson said she is resubmitting the district’s insurance claim on the shorted drive with additional information suggested by the claim’s adjustor.

The board unanimously approved purchase of a new turbidimeter and a one-year supply of related expendable recording components at a cost of $3,312. LaFontaine said the major long-term benefits will be compliance and less Arapahoe water use.

LaFontaine and the directors discussed a policy to create district accounts with Home Depot for items under $500 and to hold emergency meetings with SDMS for emergency repairs in excess of $500. A decision was deferred until a workshop discussion.

Curb stop project

A total of 74 cross-connections and curb stops have been inspected. There was one cross-connection violation, six curb stops could not be found, and nine curb stops could not be accessed. Curb stops are water shutoff valves, typically at the edge of the street, used to discontinue flow to a specific tap. A goal of scheduling 20 curb stop appointments at a time and setting a deadline for constituents to have the appointments completed before starting to charge for delayed inspections was discussed and continued to be part of the district rules and regulations update.

Inspection sheets will be distributed to customers. The water quality report will also be mailed to customers by SDMS in the July mailing.

Reed-Polatty asked if production tests should be performed on the Dawson well before a decision was made on drilling a new Dawson well. LaFontaine said he would get a cost estimate for a water analysis on the district’s existing Dawson well. Ketch Nowacki suggested that the estimate would be valid for no more than a year.

A district irrigation line for the Red Rock Ranch HOA was installed, but a meter has not been installed and the HOA has not connected to the tap.

ACSG report

Meurer’s report analyzed the existing infrastructure owned and operated by the district and developed a proposed capital improvement plan. The proposal listed new and upgraded facilities required due to regulatory issues, system upgrade, and deteriorating facility replacement. His costs were for equipment only and did not included contingencies. The actual depreciated value of the district’s infrastructure is $2,837,000. The fire flow requirement is 1,500 gallons per minute for two hours.

Regulatory costs, listed as urgent, were:

  • Chlorine contact disinfection improvement—$150,000

  • Additional water storage for fire flows—$200,000

The storage requirement is 1.5 days of demand at peak use rates.

System improvement costs were:

  • Looped water lines throughout—$1,700,000

  • Dawson well—$150,000

  • Intake facility—$10,000

  • Variable Frequency Drive and chlorine system for Arapahoe well—$25,000

  • Upgraded surface plant control systems—$50,000

Replacement costs of undersized facilities (prioritized need) were:

  • Villas system (critical)—$249,000

  • Clovenhoof system (critical), $250,000

  • Forest View Acres neighborhood system (moderate), $1.02 million

  • Shiloh Pines System (fire flow only), $209,000

  • Sundance system (fire flow only), $158,000

  • Replacement of water delivery pipes within five years, $547,000

  • Booster station upgrade or replacement within five to eight years, $40,000

Meurer added 10 percent to these costs for contingencies and 20 percent for engineering, administration, and inspection for a total of $6.189 million. He added that all the work should be done within a maximum of 10 years for the district to meet expected regulatory requirements in that interval.

SDMS President Debbie McCoy suggested breaking the capital improvement plan in two parts of $4.4 million and $2.5 million, four years apart, to keep maximum capital debt at $6.5 million. She urged the board to work toward a November ballot issue if it chooses to finance the program with a mill levy. The next available opportunity for a mill levy election will be in November 2007. She said a levy of 45 mills would produce about $397,000 per year for interest and principal payments. Denver investment banking firm D.A. Davidson and Co. has been engaged to make a bond proposal to the board at no cost.

The board discussed issues and options on the choice between financing some or all these capital items by tax-deductible mill levies that require voter approval versus non-tax-deductible fees that the board could impose without a vote.

The board then went into executive session at 8:20 p.m. to discuss the civil suit against Patty Unger. There were no announcements after the board came out of executive session at 9:40 p.m.

**********

The next regular meeting will be at 5:30 p.m. June 22 in the Tri-Lakes Fire Protection District Station 1, 18650 Highway 105, Monument.

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DeLaney honored for service to Monument Sanitation District

Below: Ed DeLaney, term-limited member of the Monument Sanitation District Board of Directors, displays a certificate expressing the district’s appreciation for his service on the board since February 1993. DeLaney has also served on various other town bodies including the Monument Board of Trustees and the Monument Planning Commission. Photo by Mike Wicklund

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Woodmoor Water and Sanitation District, May 11: Board plans conservation measures

By Sue Wielgopolan

The Woodmoor board discussed plans to implement conservation measures this summer. Rocky Wiley, consultant with RTW, outlined a water demand management program that is intended to change customers’ lawn-watering habits. By reducing peak daily and annual demand, the district hopes to postpone the drilling of new wells or reduce the number needed.

Periods of highest demand occur during the summer when overall water use doubles, with irrigation accounting for more than half of total water consumption. The decision to drill additional wells is often determined by the maximum amount of water needed each day rather than the total volume of water used over a year. During peaking condition, which is the highest use day of the year, consumers in Woodmoor use approximately 2.9 times the daily average.

Even when pump and treatment facility capacities are ample to meet demand during the other eight or nine months of the year, high peaks during irrigation season can drive the need to add a new well, which in the Woodmoor district could cost up to $1 million.

By reducing the number of households watering their yards on any given day, the district hopes to spread use enough to significantly reduce peak demands.

Each home and business will be assigned one of three watering schedules, to be symbolized by a diamond, circle, or square according to numerical address. Residents will be asked to water only every third day according to their assigned symbol, and limit irrigation to the cooler hours between 6 p.m. and 10 a.m.

At the end of the summer, district staff will evaluate the voluntary program’s success by collecting customer comments and comparing use figures against those of previous years.

Wiley, who worked with the Denver Water Board for 36 years, said similar efforts in other areas of Colorado, including Aurora and other areas in the Denver Metro region, reduced peak demand 15 to 25 percent.

Surprisingly, overall use was also reduced by about 10 to15 percent. Wiley stated that most homeowners water their landscaping more frequently and use a greater amount than is necessary. By following the program, homeowners may learn how to effectively use a smaller volume of water.

The demand management program is one facet of the Woodmoor district’s conservation efforts, which will also include the future use of Lake Woodmoor as a drinking water source to offset peak demand periods. Wiley said that similar programs along the Front Range sparked the interest of residents, who turned to their water providers for more information on additional ways to conserve. He encouraged the district to serve as a resource where customers can go to learn about water-saving high efficiency appliances, water-conserving devices such as rain sensors, and efficient techniques such as drip irrigation systems.

Planned use of Lake Woodmoor water for drinking source postponed

The Woodmoor district had planned to begin using water stored in Lake Woodmoor as a drinking water source this summer, but has delayed startup until after the summer season.

General Manager Phil Steininger reported that due to the lack of precipitation, the water level in Lake Woodmoor had not reached the depths projected for this year. The Woodmoor Golf Course and Lewis-Palmer High School will be using lake water for irrigation, further impacting water volume in the lake. In addition, the state of Colorado has requested additional information about water quality test reporting procedures to be used when both well water and surface water will be used.

Operations Superintendent Randy Gillette will wait until September to operate the surface water system, thus avoiding the critical high-use season. The district hopes to have surface water operations fully functional by the spring of 2007.

Woodmoor investment portfolio reviewed

Randy Rush of Integrity Bank presented his quarterly report to the board on the status of approximately $4.7 million in investments. Last fall, the Woodmoor board decided to shift its cash assets from Colo-Trust and C-Safe investments to Integrity Bank. Though Color-Trust and C-Safe investments may be withdrawn at any time with no penalty, members were convinced they could get a higher return and still maintain sufficient liquidity through laddered investments managed by Integrity.

Rush told directors that his bank would begin monthly shifting a portion of the district’s short-term investments into those with two-year maturity dates to take advantage of rising longer-term interest rates. He fielded questions from the board before concluding his update.

Basin roundtables wrestle with conflicting perceptions of user groups

Steininger is El Paso County’s representative to the South Platte River Basin Roundtable. It is one of nine such roundtables created by HB05-1177 in response to recommendations of the Statewide Water Supply Initiative. The roundtables, composed of divergent water interests, including water providers, municipalities, recreation, agriculture, and natural resources, are intended to help craft compromises to fairly allocate Colorado’s water resources.

Steininger reported that at the April meeting of the South Platte River Basin roundtable, Kathlene Lyn summarized her study sponsored by the Colorado Institute of Public Policy at Colorado State University and titled "Beliefs and Values as a Means for Cooperation". The paper, published in January of this year, examined attitudes and opinions about water and its use in Colorado. The roundtable used the study as a starting point for discussions on establishing dialogue between groups with what appear to be conflicting goals.

MaryLou M. Smith, consultant for Aqua Engineering, Inc., of Steamboat Springs, will follow up at subsequent meetings and act as facilitator. The roundtable will break up into small groups to deal with specific conflicts. Collectively, the roundtables hope to create a process for dealing with the larger issues between user groups such as agricultural and municipal, and Eastern and Western Slope.

Steininger expressed his optimism over the fact that conflicting water users had begun the difficult process of discussing their positions and perceptions, which he felt was the first step toward easing longstanding animosity and creating mutually acceptable compromises to help solve Colorado’s complex water problems.

Woodmoor Improvement Association asks for fishing and shoreline access

Allan McMullen, common areas director for the Woodmoor Improvement Association (WIA), appeared before the board to request that Woodmoor Water and Sanitation open Lake Woodmoor to fishing. The group would also like to provide greater opportunities for access to the shoreline for walking or picnicking. The association already owns some land bordering the lake; it asked the district to allow use of Water and Sanitation property as well.

McMullen said that the WIA wanted to keep the opportunities low-key and limit use to Woodmoor residents. He told the directors that the WIA had no intention of installing facilities such as restrooms, picnic tables, or parking areas; the only planned improvement was minor repair of walking trails.

Steininger, in conversations with McMullen prior to the meeting, had informed him that the WIA would have to provide indemnity insurance before the district could consider such a proposal. In addition, access would have to be open to all customers of Woodmoor Water and Sanitation, some of whom do not reside in Woodmoor.

The board expressed concerns about trash accumulation, public safety issues, shortage of parking, and the impracticality of trying to limit access to WIA residents and Woodmoor Water and Sanitation customers.

McMullen told members that the WIA could provide a trash pickup, and its public safety officer could monitor lake use, though not full-time. Attorney Erin Smith recommended the board reserve further discussion for executive session.

After the executive session, the board announced it had decided to deny the WIA’s request for several reasons, chief among them liability and water quality issues. Steininger will write a letter answering the WIA’s request and explaining Woodmoor’s position.

Water conservation poster contest a hit with elementary schools

Steininger told the board that 670 elementary school students had submitted entries for the district’s water conservation poster contest in celebration of National Water Week, which took place May 7-13. Students attending kindergarten through sixth grade in any of the Monument area schools serving the Woodmoor district were eligible. Participants were asked to create original designs illustrating the theme "Water Is Life."

Steininger asked for volunteers for judging, which was scheduled for May 12. All children received a small prize for entering; stuffed animals with ribbons signifying first-, second-, and third-place designations will be awarded to the winning entries for each grade in participating schools. Winning posters will be displayed at the Woodmoor district office throughout the year.

Steininger declared the contest a success; he said the number of entries and understanding demonstrated in the posters indicated a growing awareness and knowledge of water issues. Steininger told the board he had already received inquiries from teachers interested in participating next year.

The district had allocated $1,000 for the contest; Icenogle, Norton, Smith & Bliesener (Erin Smith is the attorney for Woodmoor), National Meter & Automation (distributors of the Badger meters used in the district), and Rothberg, Tamburini & Winsor, Inc. (Woodmoor’s consulting engineers) also contributed.

Xeriscape class sparks homeowner interest

Steininger told the board that 14 people attended the April 20 xeriscape class, during which Woodmoor residents created individualized landscape plans for their properties using plants with low water requirements. Don Claussen served as instructor and consultant.

Steininger said that the participants were enthusiastic and asked intelligent questions. Several homeowners who were unable to attend indicated they would be interested in attending a similar class next season.

The Woodmoor district sponsored the class at a total cost of about $300. Steininger indicated that he thought it was a worthwhile service and would like to continue providing educational conservation classes to district customers.

Hacker, Whitelaw elected

Elizabeth Hacker and Jim Whitelaw were elected to the Woodmoor Water and Sanitation District Board of Directors. The election, originally slated for May 2, was cancelled. According to state statute, special districts may cancel an election when there are no other ballot issues and the number of candidates equals the number of board vacancies.

Whitelaw has served on the board since January 2005. He was appointed to replace Dick Durham, who moved to Gleneagle and was no longer eligible to serve on the Woodmoor board. He will serve a four-year term. (Durham was elected May 2 to the Donala Water and Sanitation District Board of Directors.)

Hacker was initially appointed to the board this past January to replace Ron Turner, who had passed away. Hacker will also serve a four-year term.

Nasser was originally elected in May 2002. This will be his second term. Nasser’s application was deemed invalid due to an error. Nasser was appointed by the board but may only serve until the next election in two years.

Independent auditor gives Woodmoor books stamp of approval

Tim Cusick of the accounting firm of Reynolds, Henrie and Associates appeared before board members to report that his firm found the district’s 2005 budget to have "no reportable conditions", which means that the budget was free of omissions or errors. Cusick stayed to discuss details and answer questions from the board regarding the audit.

District looks at developing emergency preparedness plan

Steininger told the board that in keeping with health department recommendations, the district needed to develop contingency plans for a possible avian flu epidemic. Though the virus is not water-borne, an outbreak could significantly impact the number of personnel available to run necessary equipment, and affect the ability of Woodmoor to provide basic services.

Members agreed that the district could make provisions for a small crew to live on site. Since in a quarantine situation delivery trucks could be prohibited from traveling the I-25 corridor, the board also considered stockpiling critical chemicals.

Staff will work on a detailed plan and make recommendations to the board.

Wells, facilities readied for summer season

Steininger told members that the district had replaced the pump motor in Well 11, which was back in the ground. The well is located off Winding Hills Road. He expected it to be operational within a few days.

Well 2, near the Woodmoor Drive/Furrow Road intersection, is down. The district will pull the pump and motor, which are 10 to 12 years old, and replace them. Steininger expects to have the well operational before peak season.

Wiley said that work on expansion of the Central Water Treatment Plant and accompanying pump station was essentially complete. Programmers were working to solve a few remaining software problems, and the contractor will add additional structural support for the stairs. The expansion will enable the treatment plant to keep pace with pumping capacity. Wiley expects the facility to be up and running before summer.

Plans for new well moving forward

Woodmoor has decided not to pursue its original plan to drill a new well on a strip of land currently owned by the WIA. During the initial exploratory phases of the project, a private landowner contacted the district and offered to sell a suitable lot on Ox Yoke Way. Neighbors had voiced numerous objections to the WIA site at a public meeting the Woodmoor district hosted at The Barn; the new lot is more isolated. Steininger told board members that the district had sent out notices to families who own homes nearby.

Woodmoor is going through the subdivision process with El Paso County to re-establish a vacated lot line. The owner had combined two adjoining lots and must go through the county process to have the larger lot split back into two. Steininger expects to close on the purchase in July. At that time the land will be surveyed and a contract to drill an Arapaho well put out for bid.

The seller wanted the Woodmoor district to sign a covenant stating that the property will be used only as a well site; no warehouses or other structures will be located there. Though the district agreed to limitations, Woodmoor retained the right to resell the property should the well be abandoned in the future. The original owner will be offered first right of refusal under those circumstances.

Highway 105 improvements

Steininger reported that WED Construction, developers of the Village Center, are adding turn lanes at Highway 105 and Knollwood. The intersection will eventually be wider and have stoplights.

Mountain Desert Investments, LLC, which is developing Brookmoor, is working to put in a properly sized culvert on Woodmoor Drive below the Woodmoor Lake dam. The original culvert was undersized for flood conditions. Instead, the previous contractor had built what is frequently referred to as a "Texas crossing," which is a reinforced low point designed to allow water to flow over the road during unusually heavy rains. When installed, the new larger culvert should be sufficient to handle most runoff.

The public portion of the meeting adjourned at approximately 4 p.m. and went into executive session to discuss a damage settlement, the WIA’s proposal regarding lake and fishing access, and negotiations related to property acquisition.

The next meeting of the Woodmoor board will take place at 1 p.m. June 8 at the Woodmoor office, 1845 Woodmoor Drive. Meetings are normally held the second Thursday of the month.

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Donald Wescott Fire Protection District, May 23: New fire engine bids reviewed

By Jim Kendrick

Five bids for a new pumper engine were evaluated at the Donald Wescott Fire Protection District board meeting on May 17. Returning board members Dave Cross and Kevin Gould, along with new board member Kraig Sullivan, were sworn in by Chairman Brian Ritz. Sullivan replaces Dennis Feltz, who did not to run for a second four-year term. Feltz still serves the Wescott district as a volunteer firefighter and paramedic.

Treasurer’s report

Special ownership tax revenue is higher than what was budgeted for the 2006 year, and $200,000 was transferred to the Colotrust savings account to earn interest. Ritz noted that Cross had been serving in the secretary and treasurer positions for over a year. The board unanimously appointed Sullivan as secretary of the board. Cross will continue as treasurer.

Bid presentation

Firefighters Jim Rackl and Shannon Balvanz described the bids for a new fire engine that had been opened a few hours earlier. Rackl noted that the specifications sent to the participating vendors were developed over a two-month period by the district’s apparatus committee: Assistant Chief Vinny Burns, Capt. Mike Whiting, and firefighters Shannon Balvanz and Rackl. All members of the district were invited to submit their suggestions for the specifications to the committee prior to the bid process.

Specifications were sent to six manufacturing plants. Some of the major specifications were: four-door custom cab, 400 bhp engine with Jacobs engine brake for steep downhill stops, multi-plexed electrical system, 1,250-gallon-per-minute fire pump, 500-gallon water tank, foam system, special compartment configurations, and lowered hose bed for more effectiveness on the fire ground. Rackl said the larger engine and slightly smaller water tank than the current Freightliner engine has are a better compromise for climbing the steep Baptist Road grade, over 10 percent, from the Gleneagle Drive intersection to Roller Coaster Road. If purchased, the Freightliner would become the secondary engine.

Bids were submitted by Central States ($321,721), Crimson ($331,026), General Safety ($352,076), Pierce ($393,231), and Smeal ($331,490). Central States and General Safety are separate manufacturing plants of Rosenbauer America. Sutphen chose not to bid after receiving the district’s specification requiring installation of a multi-plexed electrical system.

Rackl recommended that the bids from General Safety and Pierce should not be considered at this time due to their relatively high price for essentially the same equipment. The committee had recommended the bids from Central States and Smeal as best value as well as having the closest manufacturing plants. Rackl said some components on the Crimson engine had not had the same fit and finish as those on the two recommended trucks. Balvanz noted that he had operated a Smeal pumper in his previous department with trouble-free reliability since 1989.

Rackl noted that the Colorado Springs, Black Forest, and Falcon departments have had success with Rosenbauer America engines. He added that the committee would need a few days to compare the two bids to the specifications in depth due to their complexity.

All the vehicles have similar warranties because most of the component equipment—such as the Cummins 400-horsepower engine, Allison transmission, axles, chassis, Waterous pump, warning lights, automatic tire chains, and roll-up equipment doors—are the same on all the proposed vehicles due to the very specific Wescott specifications. Service locations for the trucks would be easily accessible in Commerce City or Castle Rock. Each of the three shifts could be trained on the new engine within 20 days of delivery.

Balvanz said additional new equipment needed to put this proposed vehicle into service would total about $35,000: approximately $10,000 for hose, and $25,000 for firefighting and emergency equipment. Burns said the only desirable equipment not requested in the bids, due to the additional cost, would have been a remotely controlled deck gun on top of the engine. Rackl added that the National Fire Protection Agency has recommended remote-controlled nozzles so that firefighters don’t have to work on top of the truck when the surfaces are wet and slick. It would cost an additional $15,000.

The Smeal bid will increase by about $7,000 after June 1 due to changes in EPA regulations for all diesel engines. Smeal would need five working days to process a Wescott order date before the June 1 deadline, and it would take approximately 360 days to construct and deliver their vehicle. The Central States bid will not go up by the $7,000 amount until approximately the end of July, and it would need 295 days to manufacture a truck.

Cindy Slawson from Wells Fargo Bank stated the district could get a lease-purchase loan for a period of up to 15 years. She said she could pre-qualify the department for a loan of up to $400,000 to meet the Smeal deadline and also finance the additional $35,000 for supplementary equipment. This process would not commit the district to taking out the loan. The board unanimously approved a motion to have Slawson start the pre-qualification process.

The board held a special meeting May 23 to review the committee’s further in-depth bid analysis. No decisions were made at that meeting, which adjourned at 9:18 p.m. after a 90-minute executive session. The issue was continued until the June 21 board meeting.

Chief’s report

Burns filled in for Chief Jeff Edwards, who was attending National Fire Academy training with Whiting, Capt. Scott Ridings, and Capt. Sean Pearson in Estes Park.

New attorney selected: Burns read a letter from Chief Edwards stating that he had checked all references from Monument attorney Tim Schutz and had received nothing but positive comments on his performance for other special districts. The board unanimously appointed Schutz.

April run report: There were 80 calls, for a total for the year to date of 358 calls. This is a 24 percent decrease from the previous year. A portion of the decrease is due to a change in AMR policy allowing the ambulance to remain in the district more than before.

Second grant sought: Burns stated that Pearson and firefighter Elyze Wermel have been working on grants to purchase a Life-Pac 12 to meet an upgraded county standard. A $5,000 grant from Mountain View Electric Association, supplemented by a potential second grant from the Tri-Lakes Women’s Club, would give Wescott enough money to purchase a new machine. Otherwise a refurbished one would be purchased with the MVEA grant. The new standards for CPR training and equipment must be met within the next two years.

Air trailer warranty repair still pending: Burns noted that a replacement panel has been ordered and is being shipped to replace the panel on the district’s new air bottle trailer that was damaged in shipping. The vendor will install the replacement.

Wescott supported the Gleneagle Fun Run on May 20 with a static display and golf carts along the route.

The meeting was adjourned at 8:40 p.m.

The next regular meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m. June 21 at Station 1, 15415 Gleneagle Drive.

Below: Smokey the Bear is joined by the crew from Donald Wescott Fire Protection District in supporting the May 19 Gleneagle Spirit 5K Run/Walk for Fun and reminding residents to be safe during wildfire season. Front Row (left to right): Roger Lance, Valerie Marshall, Paul Bonacci. Back Row: Curt Leonhardt, Brian Gardner, Bryan Ackerman, AMR Paramedic Ashley Overholt, Smokey, Justin Chavez, Byron Hays. Photo by Jim Kendrick

Click here or on the photo to zoom in and view additional photos

Click on the photo to zoom in and view additional photos

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Tri-Lakes Fire Protection District, May 24: Problems arise with potential site for Jackson Creek station

By John Heiser

The Tri-Lakes Fire Protection District Board of Directors held a meeting May 24 preceding the Tri-Lakes-Monument Fire Rescue Authority board meeting. Four of the five directors, Rick Barnes, John Hartling, John Hildebrandt, and President Charlie Pocock, were present. Director Keith Duncan was absent. Minutes for the March 22 meeting were unanimously approved. There was no meeting in April due to lack of a quorum.

Issues with the potential Jackson Creek station site

Director Barnes, who is an architect and serves as the district’s representative for planning a potential fire station in Jackson Creek, noted several problems with the proposed site adjacent to the Mountain View Electric Association (MVEA) substation near Jackson Creek Parkway:

  • Barnes said he was working on the assumption that the district would receive about a 1-acre tract. The plans now show only about a half acre available.

  • The station site must accommodate an access easement for a 100-foot MVEA tractor-trailer to deliver electric transformers to the substation.

  • The overhead lines create a conflict with servicing the ladder truck.

  • Due to the proximity to the electric substation, there is electromagnetic interference that could disrupt emergency communications.

Barnes concluded by saying, "I see no way of making this facility work on that land."

Financial report

Treasurer Hildebrandt reported that as of the end of April, the district’s expenses were 29.8 percent of the year’s budget, 3.5 percent less than the 33.3 percent expected at the end of April.

Hildebrandt added that the district has received about $980,000 or about 43 percent of the anticipated property tax revenue for the year. He noted that ambulance revenues have reached about 42 percent of the budgeted $350,000 for the year. He said that at the current rate, total ambulance revenues for the year would be about $437,000 or about $87,000 more than budgeted.

Impact fee on growth suggested

Battalion Chief Bryan Jack suggested the board consider imposing an impact fee on new developments. He said the purpose of the fee would be to fund construction of stations and acquisition of fire engines and other equipment relieving some of the current demand on tax revenues.

Jack noted that even though the district can impose the fee, it must rely on the Town of Monument and El Paso County to collect the fees. He said he has spoken with Monument Town Manager Cathy Green about it. She suggested that the district present to the Monument Board of Trustees for their approval a resolution calling for the collection of a fire district impact fee. He said the Board of County Commissioners must take a similar action to collect the fee in the unincorporated parts of the county.

Jack added that it might cost about $20,000 to hire a consultant to help prepare the paperwork and present it to the two bodies.

The consensus of the board was that more information should be collected on the proposal.

Ladder truck update

Hildebrandt noted that the City of Leadville might be interested in purchasing the district’s ladder truck.

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The Tri-Lakes Fire Protection District board normally meets the fourth Wednesday of each month. The next meeting is scheduled for June 28, at 7 p.m., immediately preceding the Tri-Lakes-Monument Fire Authority board meeting at Tri-Lakes district firehouse 1, 18650 Highway 105 (near the bowling alley).

For more information, call Chief Denboske at 481-2312 or visit www.tri-lakesfire.com.

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Woodmoor/Monument Fire Protection District, May 24: New truck approved; firefighters will provide elbow grease for station remodel

By Susan Hindman

Woodmoor/Monument’s firefighters will receive a new Smeal rescue pumper, after board members at the May 24 meeting agreed to allocate money for the purchase. The decision came after a presentation by a competing company and lengthy discussion, culminating in an executive session. Final negotiations with the Smeal representative continued after the meeting.

Director Bill Ingram was absent.

Finances continue strong

Treasurer Bob Hansen reported that the district is operating at 4.9 percent under budget, spending an average of $98,199 per month—less than the $103,305 per month budgeted. The three bank accounts total $934,492 after having received $443,104 in property tax revenue, $47,115 in specific ownership tax revenue, and $7,481 in interest income so far this year.

Several accounts were running over budget, such as auditing, subscriptions, communication (cellular), and health and vision insurance. The building supplies account is 20.7 percent over budget due to upgrades made at Station 3. A phone system for Engine 13 and tires for Engine 33 put the account for vehicle parts over budget as well.

The insurance numbers should be exact, Hansen said, but they’re not—the numbers are 16.2 percent over for health and 15 percent over for vision. "The chief (Rob Denboske) is looking into why we paid more than we should have paid," he said.

Hansen was concerned about an e-mail he had received from the Fire Authority’s bookkeeper, Linda Ousnamer, that said Woodmoor/Monument owed the authority around $33,000 for a transfer that was never made in January 2005. Hansen said he wasn’t in charge of fund transfers early last year and has to go through a stack of papers to find out what happened. There was a question about another $30,000 that wasn’t transferred, but he was going to study the problem. "It’s a paper trail," he said.

Price of pumper a point of contention

Capt. John Vincent had presented a proposal for the class A rescue pumper at the April board meeting. The truck would replace a troublesome 1997 pumper and would be housed in Station 3 on Woodmoor Drive.

Hansen had expressed concern over whether Smeal was the right company to go with, as two new trucks Tri-Lakes has are Smeals and "they have been down quite a bit." But he was told that one problem involved a warranty issue and the other an operational error.

Vincent named companies he had spoken with and the downsides to each. Customer service is what sold him on Smeal, along with the "confident feeling" the rep gave him that "we’re gonna get the truck we need, and it’s gonna do what we need it to do—what the taxpayers need it to do."

The 30-day quote Vincent had been given from Smeal was for a 2006 motor, the last year that motors won’t be subject to new EPA standards (and the resulting higher cost). At the April board meeting, he had said there weren’t many ‘06 motors left, so a purchase decision had to be made soon. At the May meeting, Vincent said he had been told there weren’t any ‘06 motors left and the price had gone up by $6,167. This annoyed Hansen, who insisted that Smeal honor the quote with the lower price, since 30 days had not passed. Vincent continued negotiations with Smeal into the evening.

Meanwhile, Nate Marshall of Lake City Emergency, a dealer for E-One fire trucks, offered board members an alternative. He said his is the only company that will buy used fire trucks, so the price he offered included trade-in for the engine that would be replaced. (With the Smeal arrangement, Woodmoor-Monument would have to sell the truck on its own.)

Board members decided they would need to discuss all the details in executive session after the regular meeting. At that time, they voted to approve spending $323,144 for the purchase of the Smeal truck, $16,300 for loose equipment, and an extra $5,000 as a buffer for anything that might come up during the building of the truck. An additional motion passed that allowed the purchase to go through in case the price could not be lowered by $6,167.

Firefighters help keep station renovation costs to a minimum

Because firefighters will do most of the labor, work on Station 3 will cost less than originally expected. The station will get some new windows, new carpet and tile, walls for separate male-female bedrooms in the bunk room, rubber matting in the "p-t room" to prevent floor damage from weights, new beds, new paint for the bay floor, six new recliners, minor maintenance to the boiler, and a few other repairs.

The work would begin after board approval and be done during the firefighters’ shift time. The board approved spending the $20,965 requested for the upgrades.

Director Tim Miller said this should get the station "in top-of-the-line condition. Hopefully we won’t need to do anything major to it for a number of years."

The meeting was adjourned at 8:13 p.m.

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The Woodmoor/Monument Fire Protection District board normally meets the fourth Wednesday of each month at 7 p.m., preceding the meeting of the Tri-Lakes-Monument Fire Rescue Authority. The next meeting is scheduled for June 28 at Tri-Lakes district Station 1, 18650 Highway 105 (near the bowling alley).

For more information, call Chief Denboske at 481-2312 or visit www.tri-lakesfire.com.

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Tri-Lakes-Monument Fire Rescue Authority, May 24: Proposed schedule change debated

By Susan Hindman

Firefighters and the Fire Rescue Authority board had a spirited debate May 24 over the merits of going to a shift schedule that would have crews working 48 hours straight and then off 96 hours. Firefighters filled the meeting room; directors Keith Duncan and Bill Ingram were absent.

The meeting began with a moment of silence in honor of a Denver firefighter who had passed away that week.

Budget holding steady

Treasurer John Hildebrandt reported that 43 percent of the property tax and 29 percent of the ownership tax revenues have been received so far this year. Ownership taxes are 4 percent short of what he had predicted; if it stays at this level, he predicts a shortfall of around $42,000. Ambulance revenues, however, are doing well, he said—nearly 8 percent over projections—so "even though we’re short on one, we’re up on another." Overall, the district is 4 percent under budget.

There were unplanned expenses to repair the septic system at Station 2. Other accounts to watch included books, tuition, and subscriptions; auditing; and medical and dental insurance.

Pros and cons of the 48/96 plan

Ryan Graham, a firefighter and representative of Local 4319, gave a PowerPoint presentation about the work schedule proposal. The two-days-on/four-days-off scenario is a major change from the current modified Kelly schedule, which has firefighters working in an alternating day-on/day-off pattern The 48/96 schedule is currently used by 50 to 80 stations around the country, and its results are still being studied.

At a recent union meeting, 83 percent of firefighters voted for the 48/96 plan. Graham said he is hoping the board will approve one six-month trial period and then another; after a year, the schedule would be brought up for a vote. During that year, there would be an escape clause for labor and management if it wasn’t working.

Some of the schedule’s benefits noted were more family time, a 50 percent increase in actual days off (while still working the same number of hours), a shorter commute time, less fuel and maintenance costs for personal vehicles, less duplication of work, and the convenience of having 48 hours to complete a project. One firefighter added that with this schedule, he would have less trouble arranging his hours for a second job, which he said many firefighters currently have.

Some of the concerns include the number of weekends that would be worked—those currently not working any weekends would now have to work nine per year—and some communication, operations, and billing issues. But by far the most serious concern was the effect of fatigue on firefighters who could potentially be awake for 48 straight hours, and this issue was discussed at length.

Battalion Chief Bryan Jack, while not opposed to the schedule change, researched the subject at length and said he wants to wait to see results of studies by other departments using this schedule before making a decision—"instead of trying to reinvent the wheel."

Contrary to the impression that this is a national trend, he said, out of the more than 8,500 departments in the nation that are full-time career or combination volunteer/career (comparable to the Fire Authority), "only 0.5 of 1 percent are going to, or have gone to, this schedule." Of that, 83 percent are in California. Closer to home, he said, Northeast Teller (the Woodland Park area) is doing a one-year trial, and Red, White and Blue (Breckenridge) and West Metro (Denver) are using the schedule.

In addition, he said, "I couldn’t find in any medical journal or medical study where any fire department has ever had an independent sleep study done by a medical professional." West Metro is conducting a sleep study, and Jack said he’d like to wait until those numbers come back to see the effects of sleep deprivation on those firefighters.

He noted that an independent military report shows a decrease in cognitive ability by 50 percent after 36 hours.

He also said he went to the online National Fire Fighter Near-Miss Reporting System (a voluntary system) and pulled "four reports that all said that fatigue and fatigue resulting in human error were causal factors in either a death or injury and they were all cited to be from extended shift periods."

"I’m not against it (the schedule)," Jack said. "I’m just saying let’s wait till the data is out."

Battalion Chief Mike Dooley had abstained in the union vote. "Personally, it’d be great," he said, "but as management, I need to look at it from a different point of view. It’s a safety concern. Occasionally we’ll be up all night long, and we can make a time allotment for sleeping. But if we do that, productivity is going to suffer."

Capt. John Vincent said, however, that the two districts don’t have the call volume that would require them to be awake for 48 hours straight. Still, he said, "I can’t say it won’t happen."

In addition, Dooley said firefighters would need to be trained to do the day-to-day operations of those who are off work.

One of the firefighters asked if management was afraid of change. Dooley replied no, and Jack added, "We’re afraid of uninformed, knee-jerk-reaction change."

Hildebrandt reminded the firefighters that the board is responsible if something bad happens while firefighters are on duty. He also questioned whether the schedule change would affect insurance rates.

Director Charlie Pocock said he would like to get opinions from the Fire Authority’s physician adviser, the internal safety committee, and insurance carrier. "I don’t think we’ve studied this issue well enough," he said.

Saying, "There’s a lot to absorb," Tim Miller, Fire Authority president, suggested the issue be tabled in order to have more time to think about it. "This is a major substantive change, and we’ve only had the packet of information since Sunday or Monday. The bulk of this is from the union’s perspective, but in fairness to our constituents and those we serve, I propose we table this. We need more input from management and from those who had a problem with it."

The motion to table included the statement that the board would not be prevented from gathering more information from firefighters on the issue, per a request by one of the firefighters. The motion passed 6-2, with directors John Hartling and Bob Hansen voting no to tabling the matter but yes to allowing firefighters to be able to discuss the matter with board members.

Training academy holds first graduation

Capt. Joe Yordt reported that the first group of trainees in the authority’s Fire Training Academy would be graduating at a ceremony June 1 at Lewis-Palmer High School. All 11 who took the basic state Firefighter 1 class—the culmination of five months of instructional classes and rigorous physical training—passed the state tests with scores of 90 percent or above. They will become probationary firefighters for the Fire Authority. All but one of the graduates are certified EMT-Basics. As volunteers they will be certified to respond to both fire and medical emergencies in the Tri-Lakes area.

The meeting adjourned at 9:35 p.m.

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The Tri-Lakes-Monument Fire Rescue Authority board holds regular monthly meetings on the fourth Wednesday following the 7 p.m. meetings of the Tri-Lakes district board and Woodmoor-Monument district board at Tri-Lakes district Station 1, 18650 Highway 105 (near the bowling alley). The next meeting will be June 28.

For more information, call Chief Denboske at 481-2312 or visit www.tri-lakesfire.com.

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Lewis-Palmer School District 38 Board of Education, May 18: Board responds to some school site comments

By John Heiser

Near the end of the Lewis-Palmer District 38 School Board meeting May 18, Jes Raintree, school board president, said the board has been compiling information and preparing responses since the April 12 community summit on the controversial issue of locating a site for a second high school.

Each of the school board members presented a portion of what Raintree termed fundamentals adopted by the board.

Director Stephen Plank said the board is committed to avoiding a situation where the students at one of the two high schools would come from more affluent families than those at the other high school. He said that to accomplish that, the growth study dictates a north-south division at Highway 105. That would require the second high school to be located north of Highway 105. Several possible high school sites are north of Highway 105, including the two controversial 60-acre sites on Marie Wissler’s 814-acre ranch near Furrow Road and King’s Deer Point. The 70-acre site the district owns at Highway 105 and Highway 83 is on the southeast corner of that intersection.

Board secretary LouAnn Dekleva responded to suggestions that the grades might be reconfigured by, for example, moving grade 6 from middle school to elementary school and grade 9 from high school to middle school. This change would take advantage of current excess capacity in the elementary schools while reducing by 25 percent the student population at Lewis-Palmer High School (LPHS). Dekleva said, "The board is committed to keeping [the grade configuration] as it is." She said, "It works best for students."

In response to suggestions that district residents would be willing to pay higher taxes to avoid use of eminent domain, Plank said the board is committed to fiscal responsibility. He said the board intends to spend tax money on education and not spend more than necessary on a second high school.

Raintree added that the board members are stewards of public funds. She noted that seven potential sites have been identified for detailed analysis. She said a side-by-side comparison of the seven sites will be ready by June or July.

Treasurer Gail Wilson added that the data will be arranged in a user-friendly matrix listing the core elements to be used in comparing the sites.

Board Vice President Dee Dee Eaton noted that to complete the matrix, secret negotiations are being held regarding the various sites. She said that maintaining secrecy as to which sites are being considered and the progress of the negotiations is the proper way to proceed.

During citizen comments, several residents addressed the high school site issue:

  • Dick Berry said that due to traffic conditions, the Highway 105/Highway 83 site and the Wissler site are unsafe locations for a high school. He added that construction costs are increasing and it is urgent the board do something about the overcrowding at LPHS.

  • Eric Wall expressed skepticism that eminent domain is the only viable option.

  • Steve Sutton said the Wissler property is the safest, cheapest and most logical location. He urged the board to vote this month or next month.

Earlier in the meeting, the board addressed a number of other topics, including:

  • Student musical performance – The LPHS Jazz Concert Choral Group under the direction of George Douthit, and accompanied on the piano by Kathleen Coulup, presented Smack Dab in the Middle and Love Me Like a Rock.

  • Commendations – Grace Best Elementary School (GBES) parents Barbara Huey, Betty Hutchinson, and Melinda Reichal received commendation certificates for their work on GBES Parent Teacher Organization (PTO) and Building Accountability Committee (BAC).

  • LPHS Student Council report – Mike LaBand completed the year’s Student Council reports by thanking the Board, teachers, principals, and volunteers for his four years at LPHS. He said the new Student Council officers for next year will attend a retreat in July to prepare for next year.

  • Building activity report – Huey presented what PTO means at Grace Best and Betty Hutchinson presented what the BAC does at Grace Best. Huey noted that volunteers contributed 3,620 hours so far during the 2005-06 school year. Huey also performed a song she wrote for Grace Best teachers, accompanied by a slide show of the staff and students.

  • District accountability report – Debbie Leasure and Becky Yoder reported on the last District Accountability Advisory Committee (DAAC) meeting of the year. Superintendent Dave Dilley offered his personal, as well as the district’s, thanks to them for their leadership of DAAC this year.

  • Textbook and resource materials presented – Maryann Wiggs and teachers presented proposed new textbooks for middle school math and science, and high school English, physics, and advanced placement European history. A Glencoe representative presented electronic textbooks and technologies to help parents go online to assist their children with homework.

  • Performance Evaluation Committee recommendations – Members of the Evaluation of Learning Review Committee discussed recommended changes to the current evaluation system for licensed staff.

  • Distance learning report – A committee of LPHS, Lewis-Palmer Middle School, and Creekside Middle School (CMS) educators was established to standardize use of distance learning for credit recovery, remediation, and advancement. Five members of that committee discussed the vision, criteria, options, and grading aspects of developing and implementing a program for use at the secondary schools.

  • Gifted/Talented programs report– The board received the annual report regarding the district’s G/T program and recommendations for improvement next year; 673 students, 16 percent of the district’s students in grades 4-12, receive services under this program.

  • Textbooks adopted – The board approved textbook adoptions for High School German, High School Conceptual Chemistry and 8th Grade United States History. These textbooks were presented to the Board last month by Wiggs and LPHS teacher Michelle France.

  • New High School Athletic Participation Fees Set – The board approved the following participation fees for high school sports, effective with the 2006-07 school year: ice hockey, $130; swimming and golf, $85; all other sports, $65.

  • Kingsland named principal of Creekside Middle School – The board approved Dianne Kingsland as principal of CMS for the 2006-07 school year. Kingsland is currently assistant principal of Pupil Services at Troy High School in Fullerton, Calif. She also has 16 years of middle school experience.

  • Preliminary 2006-07 district budget approved – The Board approved the 2006-07 preliminary budget and capital reserve plan as presented. The proposed budget is based on a projected 3 percent increase in student enrollment and is a total of approximately $72 million in 14 funds. The board will be asked to approve the final budget following a public hearing at the June 15 meeting. During the budget discussion, Dilley said, "I never felt so precarious about enrollment projections." He said that if the district grows at less than 3 percent, it will limit the districts ability to issue bonds. Dilley noted that elementary school enrollments have been flat and that the district has been advertising to bring in elementary school students from south Douglas County.

  • 2006-07 salary and wage schedules approved – The Board approved salary and wage schedules for teachers and classified employees, as presented. The compensation package is based on an average increase of 4.7 percent for licensed and classified employees. Level I, Step 1 of the teachers’ salary schedule will be $31,100. A new schedule for LPHS supplemental assignments was also approved.

  • Staff sick leave policies changed – The Board approved revisions to district policies eliminating the annual sick leave payout. Payouts will occur only at termination of employment. The amount of the payout for licensed staff will be $50 per day; the amount for classified staff will be $25 per day.

  • Retiring administrators recognized – Board members thanked retiring administrators Joseph Subialka, Linda Williams-Blackwell, and Prairewinds Elementary School Principal Dr. Ida Liebert for their contributions to the district. Board members expressed their disappointment in the resignation of Creekside Middle School Principal Dr. Susan Hansen. The Board applauded the accomplishments of Superintendent Dilley.

Raintree thanked the attendees and announced that the meeting was going into executive session to discuss negotiations and an issue with a student.

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The Lewis-Palmer District 38 Board of Education normally meets on the third Thursday of each month at the Learning Center of the Lewis-Palmer Administration Building, Second and Jefferson. The next meeting is 7 p.m. June 15. The district’s Web site is at www.lewispalmer.org. Meeting highlights from the Web site were used in preparing this article.

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Retiring Principal Liebert honored at Prairewinds track dedication

Below: Retiring Prairiewinds Elementary School Principal Dr. Ida Liebert with her son Jonathan at the May 21 dedication of the school’s new running track.  Photo by JoAnn McNabb

Web site exclusive: Jonathan read the following tribute to his mother:

There are many that set out to change the world and find that this is impossible and cannot be done. And yet, when we find that the world will not change for us we come to understand that it is possible to change the world around us simply by changing the lives of those we encounter...

There are rare few that seek to change the lives of others so that they may find their potential and shape the world around them. You are one of whom I speak for you are of the quality that creates change within each individual you encounter, persistently remind them of their unique talents and gifts.

You have contributed to the development of many lives and thus you have helped shape the world. This endeavor has been successful for it is written on the faces of those you have taught and your lessons are evident as I watch those whose lives you have touched. 

You have taught love, patience, tolerance, kindness, laughter, persistence, respect, balance, peace and knowledge of the self. You have taught us to laugh and to learn, how to appreciate life and all it has to offer, yet truly you have taught us how to live!

You truly are a teacher of the soul, for each life you touch, for each person you change, you impact their live in such a way that I wonder, how can the soul not respond?

And yet, now your journey begins anew as you begin the next chapter in your book. In this your new chapter I know you will have the opportunity to travel to new places and create new experiences so that you can observe and enjoy what you have given the world. I also know that as you take time for yourself and experience all that life has to offer, you will be taking notes for the rest of us for you will continue to teach unselfishly to those around you.

Thank you for your willingness to show the way. Thank you for your dedication and calm approach through life. You have touched many lives and have changed a great deal of children, so they may continue to grow with the foundation that you have helped create so that they may help shape the world.

If there is one thing that you have taught me, it is not that the world is impossible to change; rather what needs to change is my perception of it; For if I seek to change myself, then my vision of the world shall change and I will have succeeded and the world will have moved of its own accord.

Written for my Mother for her Retirement
May 21, 2006
Jonathan Liebert
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El Paso County Planning Commission, May 16: Commission recommends approval of three local projects

By Steve Sery

The county Planning Commission dealt with three proposals in our area of interest:

  • A vacation and replat of a tract in the Struthers Ranch subdivision. The tract is designated commercial and was part of filing No. 2. It is being replatted into four commercial lots now called filing No. 4. Only one lot can be accessed until Struthers Road is completed from its connection with the existing Struthers at the south end of the subdivision. According to the request, Decorating on a Dime will be locating on this one lot. There was one response from an adjoining landowner who was concerned about how the project would affect the view and traffic. Since this parcel was always commercial in the PUD zoning, the proposed use was allowed. It was approved 8-0.

  • A variance of use and subdivision exemption by T-Mobile for a 55-foot "stealth" telecommunication tower in the Woodmoor Pines Golf and Country Club. This would enable improved and extended cell-phone coverage for their customers south of Woodmoor Drive and east of White Fawn Drive. The tower would be made to look like a pine tree. It was approved 8-0.

  • Final plat approval for Cathedral Pines Filing No. 3. This created a lot of discussion and opposition by the Black Forest Land Use Committee. The main point of contention was a condition tying this approval to two agreements worked out between the developer and the county attorney with no input from the public. They dealt with parklands and the Milam Road extension and Shoup Road realignment. The opposition believes the agreements changed the PUD enough that it should have to be brought forward as an amended PUD with a full public hearing. It was generally agreed that to implement the parkland agreement, which would reduce the acreage set aside by 35 acres and increase the density by 13 lots, there would be a full hearing. It was approved 6-2.

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Woodmoor Improvement Association Board, May 17: Board addresses fire risk and fees

By Chris Pollard

At the start of the meeting, Allan McMullen, director of Common Areas, was complimented by Hans Post, president, on the recent flea market held in Woodmoor. McMullen said that because of its success, he was considering holding a second one in late September. He added that over 50 booths had been set up and the whole enterprise was profitable.

Proposed charge for vacation checks considered

After last month’s discussion about charging residents for vacation checks, Kevin Nielsen, chief of Woodmoor Public Safety, said he had reviewed the costs of these checks and found that, counting such items as fuel, labor, and postage, it worked out to about $1.60 per check. It is currently performed as part of normal police patrols, so officers end up patrolling the whole area of Woodmoor due to the random nature of these checks. Nielson said he wanted to minimize charges so residents will continue to use the service. It is quite effective at preventing crime, because occasionally doors are left unlocked initially and even during the vacation, when neighbors might go in to feed animals.

About $9,500 has been received under the voluntary system, with over 400 people using the service for a total of about 11,000 checks each year. Officers do not necessarily walk around the house every day during a long vacation, but they still drive by every day. McMullen said a $2 charge should seem very reasonable. George McFadden, vice president, disagreed, saying the service should be included as part of the public safety assessment fee.

The concern was raised that if the check service became more popular, there should be some way of limiting it. Suggestions included reducing the frequency of checks and later increasing the charge. Nielson said that the log sheet that people get after their vacations noted that donations are accepted. When this sentence was removed, donations were reduced by 75 percent. He said he felt that very few people "abuse" the system and only one person had been approached directly for a donation. In the end, no motion was proposed to change the status quo.

Ways to reduce fire risk discussed

Jim Woodman, director of Forestry, said that there were only 45 days left to get the total grant of $45,000 for fuels reduction in Woodmoor. Not all people are turning in their grant forms, and Woodman said he would work with the WIA staff to remind people and to figure out ways to spend more of the money on open-space work. Some clearing has already been done to increase space between tree crowns and reduce scrub oak underneath pine trees.

Woodman said that working with the county Planning Department, he has been able to generate a complete map of vegetation types and their associated fire risk. He can now proceed to identify those areas that are high risk. Currently, over 50 percent of Woodmoor is preliminarily rated as being high-risk, mostly in the high-density old ponderosa pine forests in north Woodmoor. He said he was still unsure as to how to motivate people to do something to correct the problem.

Woodman’s other concern was escape access from Woodmoor and said he would be discussing this further with local fire departments and regional forestry officials. One item under consideration was to implement a reverse 911 system. Brian Osterholt, director of Public Safety, suggested that a flag or other system could be used to indicate the current fire risk level. Nielsen pointed out that with the current fire risk level, sales of fireworks are not allowed in the county.

Road improvements on the way

Hans Post had e-mailed board members a report on the recent NEPCO meeting at which members of the El Paso County Department of Transportation and Commissioner Wayne Williams were present. Post detailed a timeline for improvements to Baptist Road. Widening from I-25 to the end of the current developed area would start in June. However, the Baptist Road/I-25 interchange would not be improved until well after 2010, unless BRRTA gets a ballot issue passed in the November election to raise sales taxes. If the issue passes, the interchange improvements could start in 2007-08.

There was some thought that because the Baptist Road improvements starting this year would include linking Baptist to Northgate via Struthers, there might be some load taken off the main interchange. To the east, Baptist will connect to Hodgen and Hodgen will be improved from Highway 83 to Eastonville as an arterial.
To the north, County Line Road from I-25 to Furrow Road will be improved with wider shoulders. From Higby Road to Baptist Road, Furrow will be extended to become a collector road put in by the developers of Homeplace Ranch, Promontory Pointe, and other areas.

Highway 105 will change from being under state control to county control. The county’s road maintenance budget has grown from $1 million to $5 million, but there is a five-year backlog of maintenance projects. Roads scheduled for maintenance this year can be found on the county DOT Web site at: http://adm.elpasoco.com/Transportation/ or http://adm2.elpasoco.com/transprt/pdf/2006%20Roads%20to%20Pave.pdf.

Post noted that the county will do some more speed studies on the recently installed stop signs in Woodmoor. The information will be used to prepare a report later this year for the commissioners.

Proposal to eliminate some Miscellaneous Project Fees tabled

George McFadden proposed eliminating some or all of the fees charged to residents for the approval of miscellaneous projects on their properties. Currently, there may be filing fees of $25 for the addition of or modifications to playgrounds, decks, and driveways, and other alterations.

McFadden likened the fees to confiscation, given that residents already pay a homeowner’s assessment to the WIA. Liz Miller, director of Architectural Control, pointed out that there was some effort required on the part of the WIA for these projects because a review of the property was required before and after the changes were made. In addition, playground equipment is checked every two years. All but the most minor changes also required review by the Architectural Control committee.

McMullen said reducing or eliminating the charges would lead to better compliance. Other members of the board suggested eliminating charges for some types of projects. Camilla Mottl, executive director, pointed out that the WIA fees were comparable to those charged by other associations. Post was concerned how the fee reduction would affect the budget and suggested a review of current fees and projects that they covered.

Although McMullen had originally seconded the motion to review the fees, he subsequently withdrew his second and suggested that the matter be tabled until the next meeting. McFadden said the WIA should be able to make do with less than the usual 3 percent annual increase in homeowner assessments and that the board should aim for no increase. Post pointed out that over the years, assessments have not kept up with inflation and other increases in such things as insurance and fuel cost.

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May Weather Wrap

Bill Kappel

Warm, windy, and dry was the story for May 2006. The month started off promising enough, with at least a trace of moisture falling every day from the 1st through the 10th of the month. The most significant moisture teased us to start off the week of the 8th as a storm moved through the region and was able to tap into cold, unstable air from the 9th through the 10th.

More widespread precipitation moved into the region as this storm moved through, starting as graupel, then changing quickly to snow around 11 p.m. on the 9th. Snow continued to fall off and on through the next morning, with 1-2 inches accumulating above 7,000 feet. This was welcome moisture for our area, but still not enough to bring us out of our deficits from this dry spring. However, it sure was a pretty morning and early afternoon on the 10th, with the blue skies and fresh snow. Unfortunately, never was the amount of precipitation substantial, with .08 inch the biggest single day amount.

And that was about it for the rest of the month as temperatures steadily climbed into the 70s and 80s, with little or no rain until the afternoon of the 22nd. The month ended on the warm side with the exception of Memorial Day and the 30th and 31st when highs returned to seasonal levels. Also, a few thunderstorms finally popped during the afternoon on those days. The strongest storms occurred on the last day of the month, when severe storms rolled through the area in two rounds, one during the mid-afternoon hours and a second around 8 p.m. Both produced large hail up to 1.75 inches in diameter. Enough hail fell to cover the ground and roads and also damage vegetation. These storms also brought some much-needed rain to the Tri-Lakes.

Overall, thunderstorms were also few and far between, with the only severe weather outbreak occurring on the 22nd and the 31st. These storms were the ones responsible for the damaging straight-line winds near Ellicott. Most areas around the Tri-Lakes received around one inch of rainfall for the month, only enough to put a small dent in our deficits so far this year. Be sure to check out www.rain-check.org to see just how varied the precipitation patterns are this time of the year when scattered thunderstorms dominate our precipitation patterns.

Fire dangers also became extremely high during the second half of the month, as the warm temperatures, a dry landscape, and gusty winds put many residents on edge. Conditions are currently very similar to the 2002 (Hayman) fire season with one exception: Most mountain locations from the Pikes Peak region northward received abundant snowfall this winter.

Of course, the dreaded word "drought" has crept back into the lexicon of most conversations recently, but it is always important to remember there are several definitions of drought and to keep perspective of what this really means for us in the Tri-Lakes.

First of all, drought can be defined in several ways; it all depends on your particular needs concerning water (check out the following link for more information about drought http://www.drought.unl.edu/dm/monitor.html). Drought is a normal, recurrent feature of climate. It occurs almost everywhere, although its features vary from region to region. For example, there is hydrologic drought, which relates to the amount of water flowing through rivers and streams or held in reservoirs versus normal. Then there is agricultural drought, which concerns the amount of water available for agricultural interests versus normal. Next there is meteorological drought, which relates to the amount of precipitation recorded at a particular location versus normal. Finally, there is socioeconomic drought, which is human consumption of water versus how much is available.

When we look at our current situation, we have seen below-normal precipitation so far this year, so in a strict sense, one could say we are in a meteorological drought, although not that severe, since the previous two years we received above normal precipitation. Hydrologically speaking, we are doing just fine, as the abundant snowpack from this past winter in the high country has filled reservoirs and kept rivers and streams flowing. Most important, we are constantly dealing with a socioeconomic drought because of the climate we live in and the amount of demand on Mother Nature to provide water.

Remember, we live in a semi-arid climate, where 18-24 inches of precipitation in a year is normal. Therefore, we are always on the verge of being too dry under the best circumstances. Now, throw in the fact that we have a steadily increasing population, putting ever more demand of the limited amount of water available, and one can see that there will never be enough water available for all our needs from naturally occurring precipitation only. Even if we were to have normal precipitation for the next 10 years (as we did from the late 80s through the late 90s), we would still be in a constant state of socioeconomic drought. Therefore, it’s important that, no matter where we are in the amount of precipitation received versus normal, we continue to look for ways to conserve water as much as possible.

A look ahead

By June, we can usually say goodbye to our chance of snowfall, but hello to frequent afternoon and evening thunderstorms. The previous two Junes have seen at least a trace of snow in the Tri-Lakes region, but most of the time we can expect warm, sunny days with afternoon thunderstorms. June 2004 was much cooler and wetter than normal, and we had several days of hail. June 2004 also produced a tornado on Father’s Day, which touched down just north of Hodgen Road and moved through the northeastern section of High Forest Ranch. Last June was right on average temperatures and precipitation; let’s hope this June brings plenty of moisture but without any damaging hail.

The official monthly forecast for June 2006, produced by the Climate Prediction Center (http://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/predictions/30day/), is calling for a better than normal chance of above normal temperatures and equal chances of normal precipitation.

May 2006 Weather Statistics

Average High 71.2°
Average Low 36.5°
Highest Temperature 86°F on the 19th, 27th
Lowest Temperature 19°F on the 11th
Monthly Precipitation 1.06"
Monthly Snowfall 1.3"
Season to Date Snow 91.1"
Season to Date Precip. 12.87"

For more detailed weather information and Climatology of the Palmer Divide and Tri-Lakes region, please visit Bill Kappel’s Weather Web page at http://users.adelphia.net/~billkappel/Weather.htm.

Remember, weather affects all of us every day and is a very important part of life for us in the Tri-Lakes region. If you see a unique weather event or have a weather question, please contact us at our_community_news@hotmail.com.

Bill Kappel is a meteorologist and Tri-Lakes resident.

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Letters to Our Community

Take another look at school site

I would like to thank the Lewis-Palmer school board and Superintendent Dave Dilley for all of their efforts collecting and presenting information at the High School Site Selection Summit on April 12. Plenty of information was presented for the Wissler Ranch site and for why the 83/105 site was not suitable for a high school.

Based on the information I heard, no other alternative sites were thoroughly investigated or presented. Other potential sites were immediately dismissed by the consultants due to lack of utilities, road access, or they were away from the projected geographic center of student density.

All of these factors are not insurmountable—a number of citizens at the meeting indicated they are willing to pay extra to overcome these issues. Nothing is impossible when you get people working together. Due diligence needs to extend to other alternatives, not just to the Wissler site. I would like to put forth the following suggestions; some were already made at the summit:

1. The rate of growth needs to be studied again to get current numbers.

2. One citizen stated that there are several different ways to calculate the geographic center of student density. If Strategic Resources West is not willing to do these recalculations, perhaps an independent growth study could be completed.

3. Looking at the projected student density numbers on Strategic Resources’ map, it looks like most of the growth is in the southwest corner of the district, in the Forest Meadows area. I heard that higher density housing is planned there, so I would ask that further study be directed there as a potential alternative.

4. Finally, I would implore you not to consider use of eminent domain. Until I am fully convinced this is the only feasible option, I will vote against any bond issue where the property was obtained this way. Eminent domain is a government power that should only be used in the direst of circumstances, and I do not believe at this stage it is justified. Please do not bully Mrs. Wissler with eminent domain.

Glenn Whiteside

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Students call for civil debate

We, the members of the Lewis-Palmer Student Council, are disappointed by the tenor of the debate surrounding the issue of using eminent domain on the Wissler Ranch property. On the night of April 12th, a meeting with District 38’s Board of Education on the issue inspired a group of parents to hang a 5-feet-6 by 2-feet-6 nylon poster on the main office window. The poster depicted a rat dressed as a burglar with the large caption, "THUG HIGH," with the commentary, "Even Teens Know Stealing is Wrong". This poster implies that the student populace is against the use of eminent domain and labels teenagers at Lewis-Palmer "thugs". The student body, much like the community, is divided on this issue and has no clear stance. In debating the issue, we hope that the debate does not make puppets out of the high school population to further either side’s beliefs. We understand the magnitude of the issue but do not believe this necessitates an uncivil debate.

Lewis-Palmer Student Council

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Thanks for recognizing the Women’s Club

I always enjoy articles written by Elizabeth Hacker as well as her beautiful drawings of birds and information she shares.

Her article "Reflections: My quest for an umbrella stand" (OCN, May 6) outlined her experience at the Pine Forest Antique Show, which is sponsored by the Tri-Lakes Women’s Club. Because of the vast circulation of Our Community News and her informative and accurate article, I want to commend you for publishing her work and thank her for sharing her great experience.

As a past president of Tri-Lakes Women’s Club and twice co-chairman of the antique show, I know how much our club does for our community. We aren’t just another social club, although we do have many social activities, which enable our members to get to know one another and share information about the Tri-Lakes area. Our members are wives, mothers, daughters, professional women, educated women and active women. Requirement for membership is one must simply live in School District 38, pay annual dues and bake three recipes for the bake sale at the antique show.

In the past it has been very difficult to get publicity and recognition through the local newspaper about our activities I find this so hard to understand when Elizabeth’s last paragraph summed it up by saying "They (Tri-Lakes Women’s Club) continue to annually give back to the community through grants to schools, fire and police departments, and many other nonprofit organizations within the District 38 boundaries. In 30 years, they have raised upwards of a half million dollars for Tri-Lakes."

We support our local merchants and they have been good to us too, but mainly it is in the giving back to our community through proceeds of our annual Pine Forest Antique Show that Tri-Lakes Women’s Club shines.

Thank you for publishing this excellent article and giving recognition to Tri-Lakes Women’s Club for a job well done.

Peggy Lilly

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The Stoopers

My wife and I walk down our road every week,
With our trash bags in hand, and we don’t have to seek
Very hard to find plenty of trash by the road
To keep us quite busy. We get a big load
Of paper and plastic and cigarette butts.
Sometimes we feel like we could bust a few guts
Of those who dispose of their butts while still lit.
Whoever does that’s a despicable (add your own word),
Especially now when the weather’s so dry.
They could burn down the forests and smoke up the sky.
Litterbugs are pervasive we’ve learned through the years
So we know an appeal will just fall on deaf ears.
But if one thing makes walking each weekend worthwhile,
It’s when cars that go past give a wave and a smile.

Jesse and Audrey Gatlin

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Between The Covers at the Covered Treasures Bookstore: Children’s books that never go out of style

By the Staff at Covered Treasures

Summer vacation—the chance for children to cozy up on the porch swing and discover that amazing experience of starting a book, and looking up to find several hours have passed. And aren’t our children lucky? On any given day, there is a plethora of fabulous titles on the market for children of all ages. On the other hand, maybe your children will revisit or discover those tried-and-true best-sellers. Careful, you may find yourself pulled into the magic of these classics.

Little House on the Prairie Series
By Laura Ingalls Wilder, $6.99

Laura, the narrator of this charming series, is the girl everyone loves. Her inquisitive nature provides the reader with a genuine feel for pioneer times. As we look to our vast vistas to the east, we can only imagine the difficulties the pioneers endured on their journey west. We, and our children, will wonder if we could have survived intact. This series brings the era to life with the quintessential family—they become "our" family. Laura’s love for her family shines through the happy and sad times the family experiences. A great read-aloud for the whole family or where your young ones can immerse themselves for the entire summer.

The BFG
By Roald Dahl ,$6.99

To the uninitiated, BFG stands for Big Friendly Giant. Luckily for Sophie, she is kidnapped one night by the BFG and not one of the other horrible, malevolent giants pillaging her country. Without the BFG, she would have been just a giant’s tasty breakfast morsel. The BFG is not a bone-crunching, people-eating giant, but a sweet fellow who agrees to help Sophie save the "chiddlers" from being "swollomped" by Bloodbottler, Fleshlumpeater, or Bonecruncher. Not only is the storyline suspenseful and enticing, Dahl’s liberties with the English language make for hilarious reading. Expect many big belly laughs when reading The BFG—and not just from your kids.

Because of Winn-Dixie
By Kate DiCamillo, $5.99

Opal goes to the store for some macaroni and cheese and comes home with a dog she names Winn-Dixie. So simply starts the story of a little girl, her dad "The Preacher" and most importantly, her dog. This was the summer of the move to Naomi, Fla., so Opal’s dad could head the local Baptist church. Opal’s mother had left them and though her dad never speaks of her, Opal knows he still loves her mom. One day, Opal, now 10, comes up with a plan for her dad to tell her 10 things about her mama to acknowledge her age. This highly acclaimed novel tells of a lonely little girl, an ugly, lonely dog and a lonely father. Opal is funny, Winn-Dixie is adorable and Daddy is sad but loving. Meet Opal’s eccentric friends and follow her as she matures throughout the book. So enveloping is this book that one can’t help but wish that he or she was the one to find the ugly, smelly dog knocking over the apples, oranges and plums in the local grocery also known as Winn-Dixie.\

Charlotte’s Web
By E.B. White, $6.99

Fern, Charlotte, Wilbur, Templeton—if you know "Charlotte’s Web" those endearing names fill us with such warm memories. It is truly a classic for any age. Follow Fern as she rescues Wilbur, the runt of a litter of pigs, from her father’s ax. Continue with her as she raises him to be "one fine pig" and on that journey learns a good deal about life—friendship, protection of the planet, trust, and treachery while wiling away the days in Mr. Zuckerman’s barn. One can’t forget that the core of the story is Charlotte, the educated spider, and Wilbur, who become fast friends while savoring each other’s lives. What an amazing story.

So when the yellow buses pull up to your stop for the last time this school year, make sure there is a pile of fun, interesting, and exciting books for your children to devour over the lazy days of summer vacation. You won’t hear "I’m bored!" at your house. Until next month, happy summer reading!

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High Country Highlights: Perennial Garden Ideas

By Woody Woodworth

If trees, shrubs, and vines are the main cast in the garden, then perennials are the scene-stealers. You can achieve months of long-lasting color, with ever-changing landscapes that include beautiful cut flowers.

Here are a few suggestions to help stimulate your imagination for planning a perennial garden. When choosing perennials for a flower garden, select varieties with medium to long stems with a succession of bloom times. Foliage is equally important as well as flower shapes to maintain interest. Use your favorite colors and include fragrance, to add your own personal touch. Roll your landscape with small hills and boulders. Curve pathways of mulch and flat stone to achieve a relaxing flow through your garden paradise.

Get a jump-start with some late spring and early summer bloomers that are sure to get early cuttings from your garden. Oriental poppy, bearded iris, foxglove, lupine and salvia will all combine well with the branches of late spring flowering shrubs and trees. Plant plenty of these "sure bets" too—columbine, Siberian iris, painted daisy, allium and coral bells.

You’ll see a dazzling exhibition in mid-summer when garden perennials are at their best. Nonstop blooms and growth patterns are impressive to say the least. Use agastaches, liatris, delphinium, Russian sage and penstemon to obtain sharpness and contrast. Shasta daisy, purple coneflower, monarda, valarian and yarrow will soften the bouquet with rounded petals.

In your new garden, remember to add fillers like ornamental grasses and boulders for contrast. Garden fillers take your eye away from seeing only flowers and soften the landscape. Use three of the 5-foot "Karl Forester" ornamental grasses in a cluster, then border them in a semi-circle with smaller clumps of "Elija Blue" fescue. The contrast is amazing when the short, blue clumps send their plume up in midsummer against the green, bushy taller grass.

Some medium-size perennials to be used in clusters are "Brilliant Red" dianthus, soapwort, "Goblin" gaillardia, gazania, and spurge. Use them against boulders or small rock walls and ledges. Plant them in numbers by each other to achieve the color and effect you want.

Remember to use sedum in your hot, dry areas. They take a lot of neglect and will reward you with yellow, pink and red flowers. Sedum tolerates poor soil and is perfect for filling in between rock wall areas and along pathways. Acre, dragon’s blood, bronze carpet and autumn joy are a few of the common sedum. They are available in variegated, short and stubby and fern-like shapes that are as hardy as the most common of varieties.

Eventually summer will blend to autumn and the change in the season will bring the fall colors to your garden. Mums, fall asters, and autumn sedum are great for this elevation and will provide a different crop of flowers and color pallet.

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Palmer Lake Historical Society: Dizzy takes a trip

Below: Palmer Lake Historical Society members and town employees moved the 500 pound statue of "Dizzy the Dog," from the basement of Donna Arndt, who sculpted Dizzy, into a truck for his journey to the foundry. When Dizzy returns as a bronze statue, he will have a permanent home on the Village Green Park in Palmer Lake. Dizzy, who played a role in helping to build the Star on Sundance Mountain, is a donation to the community from the PLHS to commemorate its 50th anniversary. He will stand on a sandstone base donated by the town of Palmer Lake.

(Donna is pictured with Dizzy in the truck)

Photos by Dee Kirby

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Western Museum of Mining & Industry: Mining museum like an undiscovered nugget

Below: Brad Poulson, director of education for the museum, instructs Cameron Ball, 5, of Colorado Springs how to crush ore, a job of the assayer around the turn of the century. Photos by Jackie Colburn

Below: Randy Ball assists his son Garrett, 8, with the milling process. These are the beginning steps in breaking down the ore in search of gold. 

By Jackie Colburn

The Western Museum of Mining & Industry is like an undiscovered nugget as it speaks to the hearts of young and old. The museum offers exploration of technical history and partners with Cool Science, a nonprofit organization that teaches a hands-on approach to science and exposes children to physics, optics, sound, and chemistry.

Just around the corner from the gold-mining exhibit stands Jennifer Rivers, secretary of Cool Science. She and others offer their time as they teach a love of science in local schools and other organizations. This partnering exhibit at the museum presents children with an occasion to touch the experiments and ask questions. Wide-eyed children watch as experiments are explained. Their "Wow" response informs all around that they are intrigued and curious about what they see.

Why do the packets full of ketchup float to the top of a bottle filled with water? And why do these same packets sink if we squeeze the bottle? How can you make a xylophone from different-sized crescent wrenches? These questions and more come from children who want to learn more about science and the world around them.

Cool Science will continue the exhibit at the museum through July 1. The Web site at http://www.coolscience.org offers experiments. On the last Tuesday of every month, at 6:15 a.m., Channel 13 KRDO hosts a new Cool Science segment.

The dual blend of the museum and Cool Science is a great field trip for a group, family, or individuals. People of all ages walk away with a far greater appreciation of science for this generation and times past.

The museum will also host the third annual Model Engineering & Innovation Show June 9-11. State geologist Vince Matthews will give a special presentation June 10 that will cover International Competition for Colorado Mineral Resources. June 11 will feature the operation of the belt-driven, 1890s Yellow Jacket II gold-ore processing stamp mill. This is the only time of year to see this at the museum.

For inquiries of other upcoming activities at the museum, check out the Web site at http://www.wmmi.org/html/index.htm, e-mail info@wmmi.org, or call 488-0880. Museum hours are 9 a.m.-5 p.m. daily. The museum has a store and picnic tables to complete a relaxing afternoon.

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Bird Watch on the Palmer Divide: Crossbills

By Elizabeth Hacker

In late spring, while some birds migrate to the Palmer Divide to reproduce, others pass through on a journey elsewhere. This is an exciting time of the year for birdwatchers along the Front Range flyway because you never know what you might see. I enjoy peering out my windows at our feeders and waters and am sometimes rewarded when I spot one of these uncommon wanderers. In mid-May Randy and I were elated to see a red crossbill. With the exception of the house finch and western tanager, red feathers are uncommon here, especially compared to other regions of the country, so it was especially gratifying to see that red body and black wings of a male red crossbill.

The crossbill we observed was a sparrow-sized bird about 5 inches long, but its size can range from 5 to 6.5 inches. Its beak crosses at the tips. If you can get close enough to see the mandibles, it looks a little like a bird with an overbite. The male is generally a dusky brick red with black wings but during mating season, its colors become even more vivid. The female is a dull gray with a green cast to her feathers, with the lightest feathers on her rump.

The crossbill’s mandibles are specialized for opening pine cones. It holds the cone with one foot and inserts its closed bill between the cone and the scales to pry the scales apart, then it extracts the seed with its flexible tongue. Its reliance on pine seeds must build up a thirst because when we see it in our yard, it’s not at a feeder but at one of our watering stations.

The red crossbill we observed was alone. That is odd because crossbills generally are an erratic and nomadic species associated with large flocks that may appear one year and then not again for several years. When the cone supply fails, these birds gather in flocks and may wander far from their normal haunts. It will breed almost anywhere when pine seeds are available and it commonly begins nesting as early as January. But it has been found nesting in every month of the year.

We also observed a flock of yellow-rumped warblers migrating through Fox Run Park in May. Last year we saw it feeding on the ground, but this year it was up in the trees. It is a difficult bird to spot because it is so small and quick. But if you listen, its unique song will give away its location.

I’m sad to report that two birds we’ve seen in past springs have not yet arrived. The goldfinch should be here by now, and the evening grosbeak should have flown by in late April. I’ve asked several birders who e-mail me regularly if they have seen these beautiful yellow birds, and they have not. This is truly disturbing. Some have speculated that it might be due to the west Nile virus, which might reduce the number of birds but would not eliminate them. These birds are seedeaters, relying on thistle and native grasses, and their absence is more likely due to the loss of habitat from the practice of over-lot grading or, in layman’s terms, bulldozing all vegetation off large properties for development. Because I’m from a part of the county where over-lot grading is the exception and wildlife corridors are on a plan that is adhered to, it is a little disconcerting to see that over-lot grading continues in areas such as Briargate, Gleneagle, and Tri-Lakes. And the same thing will continue with the large properties coming on line for development.

Without postulating too much, I wonder if it would be possible to replace some of the native habitat. It would be beneficial to migrating birds if a north-south corridor of continuous areas of natural habitat could be left or restored within large new developments. Rather than installing costly high-maintenance lawns that rely heavily on irrigation, why not plan for areas of native grasses and wildflowers that are naturally xeric and therefore use much less water. If planned correctly, these landscaped corridors could be absolutely stunning and would have the added benefit of providing habitat for migrating songbirds along the Front Range. My parents always taught me that a proactive approach is much more economical than having to react to an endangered-species designation by the feds, but that’s another story for another time.

On a more upbeat note, we’ve begun to scope out the many small ponds on the Divide for waterfowl and have been truly amazed at the diversity. In addition to the common Canada geese and mallards, we’ve spotted an American coot, a pair of cinnamon teal, eared grebes, common mergansers, and a ruddy duck, and I’m excited to start writing about them. Next month, I’m on a quest to spot the coveted blue grosbeak.

Before I close, I must share an interesting bird story. Bill O’Connor is a professional photographer who lives in the Spruce Mountain Ranch subdivision along Highway 105 in Douglas County just north of Palmer Lake. This area has high cliffs that abut the open grassland of the Greenland Ranch where raptors soar on thermal air currents. His daughter has three caged doves that she often sets out in the yard in a cage before she goes to school. Bill makes the limited editions giclee prints of my bird art so I see him often. One afternoon while Bill was printing my drawing of a peregrine falcon, he heard the caged doves making uncharacteristic flapping sounds. He looked out of his studio and saw a peregrine trying to get into the cage. The falcon flew off as soon as it saw Bill, but wasn’t it serendipitous for him to be making a print of my peregrine drawing when a real live one was just outside his studio? Bill’s only comment: "That would have made a great photo, why didn’t I have my camera!"

Elizabeth Hacker is a nature artist and writes about birds. Her bird prints are available in the gift shop of the Tri-Lakes Center for the Arts in Palmer Lake. E-mail your questions and bird finds to her at OCN.

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Monument Hill Sertoma SERTEEN club honored

By Jim Kendrick

On May 4, Ted Bauman announced that the Lewis-Palmer High School SERTEEN club of Monument Hill SERTOMA received three pairs of awards for the southern Colorado District and the Mountain West Region that spans westward from the Front Range all the way to Hawaii.

Bauman said Kalyn Peterson, activities director for the Lewis-Palmer club, has received the district and regional "SERTEEN of the Year" awards and is competing for "International SERTEEN of the Year." She will take over as president of the club for her upcoming senior year. Colorado Springs Mayor Lionel Rivera chose Peterson for "Top 100 Teens of Colorado Springs."

Lewis-Palmer SERTEEN Club advisor Max Williams—who nominated Peterson along with advisors Steve Plank and Mark Swanson—has received the district and regional "SERTEEN Advisor of the Year" awards.

The club has received the district and regional "SERTEEN Club of the Year" awards as well, to complete a "triple crown" of distinction.

There was more good news a few weeks later when the club was then selected as "International SERTEEN Club of the Year."

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Special Events and Notices

By Judy Barnes, Editor Emeritus

Although we strive for accuracy in these listings, dates or times are often changed after publication. Please double-check the time and place of any event you wish to attend by calling the info number for that event.

Youth Symphony Concert at LPHS

The Tri-Lakes Music Association presents its first community concert featuring the Colorado Springs Youth Symphony at the Lewis-Palmer High School auditorium June 4, 3 p.m. Tickets are $7.50, $5 for CSYSA members and children under 12, and free to at least the first 50 Lewis-Palmer students. To reserve tickets, phone Robert Manning at 232-4114, or visit www.trilakesmusic.org.

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Palmer Lake’s Blue Columbine Festival, Concert in the Park, and Paperback Book Sale

The Town of Palmer Lake is hosting its Blue Columbine Festival on June 10 from noon to 3 p.m. at the Village Green, across the street from Town Hall, 28 Valley Circle. The festival will feature an exchange of drought-resistant plants. People are invited to bring in their favorite drought-tolerant flower to plant in the commons area. Participants will receive a blue columbine. Chuck Pyle and Gordon Burt will give a concert at 1 p.m. For information, phone 481-2953.

At the same time as the festival will be the library’s paperback book sale in Town Hall. Book donations are welcome. For information, phone 481-2587.

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Car show June 11

The Tri-Lakes Cruisers Car Club will present its fifth annual benefit car show June 11, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., in historic downtown Monument. This free family event includes a DJ with ‘50s music, games for the kids, and door prizes. Proceeds from the show will go to Tri-Lakes Cares, a charity that supports families in the area. In the past two years, the Tri-Lakes Cruisers has raised more than $6,000 for Tri-Lakes Cares.

This year, the show is limited to 225 classic, muscle, street rod, and antique cars from 1900 to 2006. More than 40 trophies will be given in 18 categories. Breakfast will be provided for those who register a car. Pre-registration fee is $20 per car (postmarked by June 3) and $25 on the day of the show. To download a registration form, log onto www.TLCruisers.org and click on Registration Form. For more information call Dick at 481-4533 or Bill at 481-2465.

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Community meeting on Baptist Road and interchange improvements June 19

The Mayor and Board of Trustees for the Town of Monument will host an informational meeting and discussion on Baptist Road improvements and the Baptist Road/ I-25 interchange June 19, 6:30 p.m. at Creekside Middle School, 1330 Creekside Drive, Monument. Residents, neighbors, business representatives, and concerned citizens are welcome to attend and participate. Construction schedules and details will be presented for the Baptist Road widening project. Financing mechanisms, including a potential sales tax initiative, will be the focus of discussion. For information, call Scott Meszaros, 884-8014.

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Xeriscape garden tours in June and July

This sixth annual series of tours sponsored by Colorado Federation of Garden Clubs, Inc. and Colorado WaterWise Council will celebrate 25 years of Xeriscape gardening in Colorado. The gardens will demonstrate water conservation principles in home landscapes. The tour for each city includes six successful private gardens with ideas to help your garden and landscape survive Colorado’s dry conditions. Hostesses and expert gardeners will be on hand at each tour stop to answer questions and help guide you through Xeriscape principles and ideas. The tours are in Arvada June 10-11, Boulder-Longmont June 24-25, and Colorado Springs July 8-9, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The cost is a $15 per person/per city (tax-deductible) contribution to Colorado Federation of Garden Clubs, Inc., a 501(c) (3) nonprofit, charitable organization. Tickets are available at all Front Range King Soopers as well as on site the date of the tours. Visit www.coloradogardenclubs.org for ticket purchasing information and garden photos.

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Fourth of July weekend events

Motorcycle Show at Palmer Lake, July 1, noon to 4 p.m., Centennial Park (between the lake and Highway 105). Prizes, live band, local vendors.

Automobile Show at Palmer Lake, July 2, noon to 4 p.m., Centennial Park (between the lake and Highway 105). Prizes, live band, local vendors.

Family Day–Old Fashioned Town Fair at Palmer Lake, July 3, noon to 4 p.m., Centennial Park (between the lake and Highway 105). Sack Races, carnival, games; fun for free!

Pancake Breakfast, July 4, 7 to 9 a.m. in front of St. Peter Catholic Church at First Street and Jefferson in Monument.

Fourth of July 4-Mile Run, July 4, 7:30 a.m. The race starts at the Santa Fe Trailhead-Palmer Lake Regional Park and finishes at Limbach Park on Front Street in Monument. Come early for the parade in Monument and cheer on the runners! Pre-register June 15-July 1 at Tri-Lakes Printing, 1756 Lake Woodmoor Dr. Race day registration begins at 6 a.m. at Palmer Lake Elementary School; follow the signs from I-25 exit 161 and Highway 105.

Fourth of July Parade in historic downtown Monument

The Monument Fourth of July Parade traditionally is made up of over 100 entries and draws an estimated 20,000 spectators. The parade is known as the "Biggest small town parade in Colorado!" The theme for the 2006 parade is Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness. The Monument Hill Sertoma Club is proud to have sponsored the parade for 13 years. This year, U.S. Rep. Joel Hefley has been selected as the Parade Grand Marshal. Hefley serves Lake, Chaffee, Park, Fremont, Teller, and El Paso counties and is retiring after 20 years in the House of Representatives and over 10 years in the parade.

Parade entry forms are available at the Monument Town Hall, the Tri-Lakes Chamber of Commerce, Tri-Lakes Printing, or e-mail Bill Walsh, Chairman, at July4parade@adelphia.net or download a registration packet on the Sertoma Web site at www.monumenthillsertoma org.

Parking is available at the local schools with free bus shuttles running until 1 p.m.

Children’s Parade, 9:30 a.m. Youngsters participating should assemble in the south parking lot of St. Peter Catholic Church, First Street and Jefferson, by 8:30 a.m. No entry form is required; just show up with decorated tricycles, bicycles, wagons, animals, etc.

Main Parade, 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m, starts at the intersection of Jefferson St. and Lincoln St., goes south on Lincoln St., north on Front St., east on Third St. and ends at the intersection of Highway 105 and Beacon Lite Rd.

Street Fair in Historic Downtown Monument after the parade: Food, art, crafts, vendors, live music, fun!

"What a Blast!" at Palmer Lake, July 4, 3 p.m. to dusk

Live music, inflatable park, Celebrity Dunk Tank, games, rides–this year featuring the fabulous "Mind Bender" at the Palmer Lake baseball field opposite the Rock House on Highway 105, all followed by "The Best Small Town Fireworks Show in America."

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Music in the Park returns July 5

Beginning July 5, this popular series of concerts will return to Monument. A concert is held every Wednesday evening 7 to 9 p.m. at the corner of Front Street and Second in Limbaugh Park. The concerts are free. Bring your own chair. Food is available for purchase. For information, contact Woody at 481-3477. Here is the current schedule:

July 5 - Dick Foust with Ocean Jazz.
July 12 - Woody Woodworth and Sweet Revenge also Joe Uvegas and Steve Houke
July 19 - Bob Turner and Sandy Reay also The Mitguards
July 26 - From Denver, a cappella group Groove Society
August 2 - The String Dudes

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Teen Summer Reading Program

Get lost in a good book, discover lost civilizations, and lose yourself in art! Teens will learn the lost art of magic, how not to get lost in the wilderness, and find lost caches throughout Colorado Springs during the Teen Summer Reading Program, May 27 to Aug. 1. Read to win books, journals, food, T-shirts, and more. Also, applications for teen volunteers are now available. For more information, call Monument Branch Library, 488-2370, or Palmer Lake Branch Library, 481-2587.

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Help fill Palmer Lake

The Awake the Lake Committee is installing a memorial walkway dedicated to Medal of Honor recipient and World War II veteran and Palmer Lake resident, Bill Crawford. Engraved pavers are $75 each and proceeds will go to help keep Palmer Lake full and healthy. Order forms can be picked up at the Rock House ice cream store, 24 Highway 105 in Palmer Lake, or ordered online at awakethelake.com.

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Black Forest Slash-Mulch site schedule

Have you been thinking about making your wooded property more "fire-wise?" Do you want to reduce the risk of mountain pine beetles infesting your ponderosa pines? The solution to your problems could be thinning, and the slash-mulch site will take your slash.

The Black Forest Slash-Mulch Program is a wildfire mitigation and recycling program of the El Paso County Solid Waste Management Department. The slash-mulch recycling site is located in Black Forest on the east side of Herring Road, between Shoup Road on the north and Burgess Road on the south. You may bring slash up to 6 feet long and up to 8 inches in diameter to the slash-mulch site, where it will be ground into mulch and recycled.

Slash is being accepted through Sept. 17, Tuesday and Thursday evenings 5 to 7:30 p.m.; Saturdays, 7 a.m. to 4 p.m.; and Sundays, noon to 4 p.m. The cost is a donation of nonperishable food for nonprofit Black Forest organizations. No stumps, roots, lumber, railroad ties, dirt, weeds, or household trash will be accepted. Loads must be covered and tied, and children and pets must stay inside the vehicle while at the site.

Mulch will be available until Sept. 23. Bring your own tools and load mulch free of charge. The mulch loader schedule for June and July is Saturdays only, 7 a.m. to noon. In August and September, the mulch loader will be available Saturdays, from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. The loader fee is $4 per bucket. For more information, call El Paso County Solid Waste Management at 520-7878 or Ruth Ann Steele at 495-3107, or visit www.bfslash.org.

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Jim Sawatzki and Jan C.J. Jones receive award for outstanding video

Jim Sawatzki and Jan C.J. Jones received a Telly Award for co-producing the Tri-Lakes Today series segment featuring The School in the Woods located in Black Forest. The Telly Awards is an international competition honoring outstanding TV commercials and programs and video and film productions. Sawatzki, owner-operator of Palmer Divide Productions, has produced over a dozen documentaries on local and regional history topics including Treasure of Cripple Creek, which received an Emmy nomination and was shown nationally on A&E Biography Channel. Currently, Sawatzki is producing a second show on Palmer Lake titled Summer’s Sojourn, a history of Glen Park and the first Rocky Mountain Chautauqua. Jones, co-owner and co-executive producer of Forest Rose Productions, LLC, has worked with the Kennedy Center’s Imagination Celebration, the Sports Corp.’s "Colorado Springs Festival of the Arts in Sport," the U.S. Skating Museum & Hall of Fame, as well as the Walt Disney Co.

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Garden advice at Monument Library

Local Colorado master gardeners staff a help desk at the Monument Branch Library, 1706 Lake Woodmoor Drive, Tuesdays throughout the summer, 3 to 9 p.m. You are welcome to walk in with any questions about gardening in the Pikes Peak Region. Bring in examples of disease or insect infestation from your garden that you need help identifying. Any other questions can be answered by contacting the CSU Extension Office/Master Gardener Help Desk, 636-8921, or e-mail csumg2@elpasoco.com.

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Wildlife masters in El Paso County

Do you wonder how to keep the deer from munching your freshly planted garden, how to get the skunk out from under your deck without getting sprayed, or how to get the squirrels out of the attic? Colorado State University Cooperative Extension in El Paso County has a staff of trained wildlife masters to help you. Call the Master Gardener Help Desk, 636-8921, and you will be called promptly with an answer. A fact sheet will be sent to you by e-mail or regular mail. For more information, call 636-8921 or e-mail csumg2@elpasoco.com.

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Report county road problems online

You can report a road problem quickly and easily online or by phone. You can report problems such as potholes, traffic light outages, fallen stop signs, drainage, or even dead animals. Visit the county’s Web site, www.elpasoco.com, and go to the Transportation Department page. The section called "How to report a problem" will tell you how to send your concern, and link you to the online form. You can also report a problem directly at http://adm.elpasoco.com/transprt/service_request.asp. If you prefer to speak to someone, phone 520-6891. For an emergency road problem, call 520-6460. Department of Transportation dispatchers are on duty 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

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