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Tri-Lakes loves its independenceClick here for a list of this year's eventsClick here or on the photos to zoom in and view more photos Below: A scene from the Monument Parade, July 4, 2005. Photo by Jim Kendrick Below: Palmer Lake fireworks July 4, 2004. Photo by Kim Makower Below: A scene from the Monument Parade, July 4, 2005. Photo by Kelly McGuire Below: A scene from the Monument Street Fair, July 4, 2005. Photo by Kelly McGuire July 4, 2003 Photos and More July 4, 2003 Photos Click here or on the photos to zoom in and view more photos Click here for a list of this year's events |
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$14,692.50 to Casselle, Inc. for the final payment for new municipal accounting software | |
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$25,134 to AmWest, Inc. for unbudgeted unexpected repairs on town Well 3, though the repair is within the contingency budget | |
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$$20,192.07 to the U.S. Department of Agriculture for a payment on a $500,000 federal rural economic and community development loan |
The board also agreed to pay engineering consultant Nolte Associates $19,290 for a combined set of standards between the town and Triview Metropolitan district roadway design and construction. Kassawara said the town and the district have been merging their infrastructure and development standards for 10 months. The more stringent standards of the two have been adopted by both entities in all cases. Triview’s consultants will have performed all the consolidation work at completion of the project. Kassawara said the first set of standards prepared by Nolte were paid for by Triview and cost $32,000. Kassawara said the unbudgeted $19,290 town payment came from the Development Services Department’s surplus rolled over from 2005.
Future joint standards yet to be developed include stormwater and drainage master plans. The town of Monument has neither. The cost should be less than the other standards that have already been paid for.
Town Attorney Shupp reported that after the District Court had dismissed the Transmit Mix concrete batch plant lawsuit against the town, a settlement was being negotiated between the plaintiff’s and town’s attorneys wherein the plaintiff would not seek any appeals of their lost decision if the town did not attempt to recover the legal fees it is entitled to after successfully defending itself against the Transit Mix suit.
Green said the staff would have a new lighting ordinance for the board to consider by the end of July.
She suggested that the town support the proposed sale of Adelphia’s cable TV assets in Monument to Comcast.
The board went into executive session at 8:45 p.m.
Afterward, the board approved a proposal to offer a four-year waiver on half the firm’s sales tax as well as a complete waiver of all the town’s construction tax of 2 percent on new building materials as an incentive to Empirical Testing Corp., a medical equipment testing company, to open a new location in Monument.
By John Heiser
The Monument Planning Commission approved preliminary plats for filings 2 and 3 of the Village Center at Woodmoor. The commissioners also approved the town’s proposed request that the county discontinue processing the Hillsong project and refer the applicants to the town for annexation and development.
Commissioners John Kortgardner, Ed Delaney, Patricia Mettler, and Kathy Spence were present. DeLaney presided.
Background: The Village Center @ Woodmoor occupies a 140-acre parcel, formerly the agricultural Wahlborg Addition along the south side of Highway 105 east of Knollwood Drive. The parcel was rezoned from rural to planned development when it was annexed by Monument in 2004.
The Village Center plan, as presented in 2004, is posted on the OCN Web site (at www.ourcommunitynews.org/v4n4village.htm ). The project consists of four filings. Filings 1 through 3 are planned for residences. Filing 4 is a planned 44-acre, 12-lot commercial development on the northwest corner of the property.
Construction is under way on filing 1, a single-family housing development on the southwest portion of the property.
Preliminary plat for filing 2 approved: Filing 2 consists of 46 single-family lots on 30.55 acres with lot sizes ranging from 11,875 square feet to 41,997 square feet. There are approximately 3 acres of open space as part of this plat.
Dale Turner represented developer Colorado Commercial Builders. He noted that the plats comply with the approved master plan for the development.
Woodmoor resident Michael Reed asked about traffic flow.
Turner said there will be access across from the Church of Latter Day Saints on Highway 105. He said acceleration and deceleration lanes will be built. He added that a signal will be added at that intersection when the traffic flow warrants it.
Woodmoor resident Joe Subialka asked about the boundary between filing 2 and the houses to the south.
Turner replied that based on an agreement with the Woodmoor Improvement Association (WIA), the 20-foot trail easement originally proposed was removed. He added that the developer is not planning to install fencing along that boundary although the residents might install privacy fences.
Elizabeth Miller, a member of the WIA architectural control committee, said the committee wanted a buffer and a fence but not a trail.
The Planning Commission unanimously voted to recommend approval of the plat for filing 2 without conditions.
Preliminary plat for filing 3 approved: Filing 3 consists of 22.37 acres for a multi-family subdivision. There are approximately 4.5 acres of open space as part of this plat. The plat shows three lots and two tracts but few details. Director of Development Services Tom Kassawara noted that a site plan for this plat showing the details of the multi-family development will be brought to the Planning Commission and Board of Trustees later.
Kassawara added that the developer has reconfigured open space tract A on the northeast corner of the plat to be easier to develop. Tim Irish of Designed Properties, LLC, has proposed developing that tract for affordable housing for seniors. As part of that project, the town would donate the open space to the developer, Kassawara said.
Spence said, "How do we know it will stay affordable?"
Kassawara replied that the rents for the units would be governed by an agreement between Irish and the town.
Monument Principal Planner Karen Griffith added that the agreement would require that some of the units have rents below market rates.
Mettler asked about landscaping plans for the open space.
Turner replied that the landscaping would primarily be concentrated along the trails.
Referring to the incompleteness of the plans for the multi-family lots, Turner said the real reason for bringing these plats forward now is to provide roads for secondary access to the filing 1 residential development that is under construction in the southwest part of the project.
Reed expressed concern that the height of structures on the northeast corner of the development might obscure views from homes to the north of the project.
Turner noted that it is open space and is difficult to develop due to the terrain.
Kassawara added that building heights are limited to 35 feet.
Reed said, "That alleviates my concerns."
The Planning Commission unanimously voted to recommend approval of the plat for filing 3 without conditions.
Griffith said the town received a request from the El Paso County Development Services Department for comments on the proposed Hillsong Village preliminary plan and zone change.
The property consists of 24 acres east of Monument Hill Road and immediately south of the Colorado Heights Camping Resort. The parcel is currently zoned as planned office complex. The proposal is for 36 single-family lots and one multi-family tract.
Griffith said the parcel is within the town’s urban growth boundaries as adopted in the comprehensive plan and so is a candidate to be annexed into the town.
Griffith’s letter requested that the county discontinue processing the application and direct the applicants to apply to the town for annexation and development of the parcel. Some reasons for that position were:
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The I-25 corridor, of which this project is a part, is a gateway to the town, and the community has an interest in preserving its scenic qualities. | |
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Developing the property through the county will have a negative fiscal impact on the town since the town would receive no property taxes from the development but the Monument Police Department would respond to calls due to "first response" agreements. | |
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If the property is not annexed into the town, it may severely limit the town’s plans to annex other properties within the I-25 corridor. |
Griffith also noted:
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The proposed plan is inconsistent with the county’s 2000 Tri-Lakes Comprehensive Plan in that it does not provide sufficient buffers from I-25. | |
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The large ponderosa pines on the property contribute to one of the most scenic stretches of I-25 within Colorado and should be preserved. | |
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There are serious traffic visibility problems at the intersection of Misty Acres Boulevard and Monument Hill Road. The access design needs attention. |
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The next meeting is at 6:30 p.m. June 12 at Monument Town Hall, 166 Second St. Meetings are normally held the second Wednesday of the month.
By Sue Wielgopolan
Classic Homes plans to propose annexation of the former Baptist Camp to Monument and build as many as 899 upscale homes on the 461 acres that compose the heavily wooded property. The site is located on Kingswood Road north of Kingswood Estates. Monument Town Manager Cathy Green said Classic has estimated homes in the area would sell for around $600,000 or more.
At the request of Kim Scherschligt, Monument staff hosted an informal meeting and invited representatives from several homeowners associations in neighboring subdivisions to review the builder’s planned development sketch plan proposal, answer questions, and take comments. Scherschligt is a member of the Northern El Paso County Planning Board (NEPCO), works as a planner for Douglas County, and owns a home in Fox Pines that abuts the Baptist Camp property.
Green, Director of Development Services Tom Kassawara, and principal planner Karen Griffith represented the town of Monument. NEPCO members Chris Makela of Gleneagle and Mike Stark of Fox Pines attended, as well as several other homeowners.
Scherschligt’s main concern was the proposed density of housing in the development. The site is currently in unincorporated El Paso County and zoned RR-3, which designates the area as rural residential and carries a recommendation for a density of one home per five acres. If annexed into Monument, the area will be zoned as planned development (PD). Green said the town’s code currently does not place a restriction on density per acre, though in the future staff would like to break the PD zoning into subsets designating maximum density per acre.
Although Classic representatives have stated in the narrative accompanying the plan that they intend to construct approximately 650 homes, the sketch plan shows a much greater maximum of 899 homes on the 461-acre parcel at completion. Scherschligt said she felt the density was too high for the parcel and would like to see the lower number spelled out on a sketch plan revision and continued on all subsequent plans.
Griffith replied that the town had asked Classic to clarify the maximum number of 650 homes by placing it on its drawings. Kassawara stated that in most cases, the number of planned homes decreases as the builder makes allowances for infrastructure and natural features, so the final number could fall even further.
According to the sketch plan, which shows the approximate locations of general features such as trails, roads and "bubbles" indicating residential groupings but not individual lot lines, the builder plans a maximum density of 3 1/2 homes per acre. Some areas will have larger lots, with projected densities of only one residence on three acres. Kassawara said density was less important than lot size, which could be minimally specified by the Monument Board of Trustees (BOT) under a PD zone.
Scherschligt, who had viewed the plans prior to the meeting, asked about local and regional trails shown on the map. Classic had previously met with the residents owning properties adjoining an existing regional trail, which follows the boundary between Fox Pines and the former Baptist Camp, eventually connecting the Santa Fe Trail to Fox Run Park. All four homeowners with lots along the trail corridor objected to the location, contending that the proximity of the trail to their homes disturbs their privacy. One homeowner, who discovered after closing that his builder had violated the setback requirement, said his home is approximately 26 feet from the trail.
Town staff said the homeowners had other options to consider. The regional trail could be rerouted to a different location and the trail eliminated altogether, but the buffer zone between Fox Pine and Sanctuary Pointe would be smaller. Or the existing trail could be used as a minor trail corridor, which would maintain a larger buffer between the two subdivisions but reduce use Staff members indicated they would continue to work with the property owners to find an acceptable solution.
Scherschligt pointed out that only 20 percent of the total acreage was devoted to open space, noting that only the perimeter appeared to be wooded. She was concerned that the town intended to allow over-lot grading, a process that requires the removal of vegetation and use of an earth-mover to level the site.
Griffith replied that the town and Classic have different visions for Sanctuary Pointe. She said that the site was unique, and one of the last remaining wooded areas available. The developer had indicated a desire to preserve as many of the trees as possible and build around the land’s natural contours. Should the area be annexed, lot layout would have to meet the town’s approval.
Green said that although the Baptist Camp site had been targeted for eventual annexation by the town in its comprehensive long-range plan, the plan and suggested zoning are merely guidelines. The project will be evaluated on its own merits. The board will determine whether annexation of the parcel is advantageous for Monument.
Griffith told attendees that the presence of such a dense stand of trees in a residential area would present a critical safety issue for the town. Should the annexation be approved, the town would recommend the developer retain a forester to create a wildfire mitigation plan for the area, and require the builder to follow guidelines.
Other concessions requested by area residents, such as parks, open space, biking and walking trails, and wildlife corridors, would be topics of negotiations between the town and the developer.
If annexed, the Sanctuary Pointe subdivision would be included in the Triview Metro District, which would provide water and sewer service, manage stormwater and maintain roads and public spaces.
Green said the PD sketch proposal could be reviewed by the Monument Planning Commission as early as July. The BOT could consider annexation at its Aug. 21 meeting, but a September hearing is probably more likely.
Green, Griffith, and Kassawara thanked community members for attending and said comments and concerns expressed by the group were appreciated and would be considered during the town’s review.
By Jim Kendrick
The Palmer Lake Town Council approved three new business licenses at its workshop meeting June 1. The council also heard a proposal by local historian Jim Sawatzki for a television show about Palmer Lake’s historic Chautauqua summer sessions of the distant past. Trustee Trudy Finan was excused.
The board first met as the Palmer Lake Liquor Licensing Authority to hear Jeff Hulsmann’s formal "modification of premises" request for Joseph O’Malley’s Steak Pub. He had given an overview of his request at the May regular council meeting. He is expanding the front and side porch to provide more outdoor room for smokers due to the state law prohibiting indoor smoking in restaurants as of July 1.
Hulsmann said the extra room on the deck is designed to keep smokers from affecting customers inside and at the door. There are no alterations to parking on the property.
Hulsmann’s request was approved unanimously, and the Licensing Authority session adjourned at 7:05 p.m.
Sawatzki told the board he is working on a half-hour show for the Denver Public Broadcasting System (PBS) affiliate on the history of summer Chautauqua meetings that were held in the Glen area just south of Palmer Lake for about 30 years, until 1910. At that time, the Glen was separate from the town, having its own post office and train depot. Sawatzki said he produced a half-hour Rocky Mountain PBS show about Palmer Lake 10 years ago.
Sawatzki and the trustees had a lengthy, wide-ranging discussion about the content of the various Chautauqua meetings and the history of the cabins in the Glen that were built for those attending these sessions. Sawatzki asked the council for:
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Access to research materials and historic sites by his staff and production crew | |
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Volunteer and in-kind support services from the town and local businesses | |
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Permits to close streets and recruit "extras" to shoot street scenes | |
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Any financial support the town can provide |
Sawatzki said he wants to re-create more dramatic scenes than regular PBS viewers may expect since there are not many surviving photos of Chautauqua sessions, the cabins in the Glen, and Palmer Lake scenes from that era. The council members all expressed enthusiasm and support for Sawatzki’s request and invited him back when he has more details and dates for his production schedule.
The council approved three new business license requests as consent items for the regular meeting on June 8. Applicants who satisfactorily answer all questions from the trustees and staff at the preceding workshop are not required to attend the regular council meeting for the formal vote on their licenses. The approved businesses are:
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Wooden Earth, Robert Gilbreath, a custom woodworking business at 685 County Line Road | |
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Mark Kirkland Photography, a photography and graphic design business at 88 Highway 105 | |
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Classic Catering by Anne & Company, Anne Jones, a catering and carryout meals business at 780 Highway 105, Unit B |
During the discussion of the Classic Catering license, Jones asked what kind of signs she could place on the roof of the building she will be leasing, noting that the town’s recent sign ordinance was difficult to understand and seemed to be very restrictive for businesses at the southeast end of the town.
Economic Development Trustee Susan Miner agreed and noted that the location of Jones’ business was technically in a "suburb" of downtown Palmer Lake and that the current sign ordinance applies only to downtown uses and their 30-mph-or-less speed limits. She said that the signs allowed are too small to be read at the higher speed limits along other portions of Highway 105.
Miner suggested that the council follow up on ordinance changes originally proposed in 2001 that would apply to businesses outside of the downtown area. She invited Jones to join a committee to study the sign ordinance revision issue and wait for resolution before coming back with a specific sign request. The council agreed to formation of a town sign committee that would meet on the third Thursday of the month. Jones’ sign request will have to be approved by the Planning Commission and Town Council.
Claire Brenneman asked to move one of the two town taps he had purchased in 1969 to a portion of his Pineview Road property that is actually in Douglas County. He noted that two neighbors had purchased town taps in the early 1970s that were installed in Douglas County at that time, outside the town limits. Town Clerk Della Gray confirmed those details of Brenneman’s statement.
There was a brief discussion about annexation of the properties across the Douglas County line. There was consensus that Brenneman’s tap request was "grandfathered" by his 37-year history of payments to the town and the two previous approvals. Because Brenneman’s request requires passage of a resolution, it could not be made a consent item for the June 8 regular meeting.
The council unanimously approved a request by former Mayor Nikki McDonald to amend a Planned Unit Development to build a four unit, 8,000-square-foot multifamily residence on a property at 95 Greeley Blvd. Roads Supervisor Bob Radosevich noted that no on-street parking would be allowed at the site. The contractor for the project is Palmer Lake Planning Commission Chairman John Cressman. The proposed amendment was unanimously approved by the Planning Commission on May 17. The formal public hearing on the amendment, which cannot be a consent item, was scheduled for June 8.
There was a brief discussion about a proposed amendment to the town’s hillside ordinance that sharply limits construction on sites with an average slope of greater than 15 percent. There was agreement to the two main features of the amendment that state that no living space can be built on stilts, columns, piers, etc., and that deck space can be no more than 20 percent of livable interior space.
The purpose of these two new restrictions is to ensure that exposed space under a home or deck is limited because vegetation that stabilizes the soil and prevents erosion will not get enough sun to live after construction is complete. There was some discussion about how the 20 percent figure was derived and when waiver requests would be referred to the Board of Adjustments and/or the Planning Commission and the Town Council. There was consensus to have the town attorney look at the proposed wording of the change to the town code before the public hearing and vote scheduled for June 8.
Miner proposed that each of the council members review and prepare presentations on the parts of the town’s comprehensive plan that they are responsible for. The presentations are to be made in the next several months as a public education process for the council and town residents. She noted that the plan was written in 1983 and had been updated in 1999 and 2001. State law requires updates at least every 10 years.
McDonald noted that the update in 1999 was paid for by a grant from the Pikes Peak Area Council of Governments. Miner asked that the town’s residents be invited again to participate in the review and presentation so the update becomes a more effective roadmap for future development.
The meeting adjourned at 8:45 p.m.
Below: Palmer Lake Police Department Senior Officer Mike Brennan was appointed interim police chief at the regular town council meeting on June 8. Mayor Max Parker pinned on the chief’s badge for Brennan immediately after the council’s unanimous vote of approval. Photo by Jim Kendrick

By Jim Kendrick
Palmer Lake Police Department Senior Officer Mike Brennan was appointed interim police chief at the regular town council meeting June 8. Brennan will take charge until a permanent replacement for retiring Chief Dale Smith is appointed. Smith is retiring on June 30. Mayor Max Parker pinned on the chief’s badge for Brennan immediately after the council’s unanimous vote of approval.
Payment of bills for May and the three new business licenses approved at the workshop on June 1 were all approved without discussion. The new licensees were Wooden Earth, Mark Kirkland Photography, and Classic Catering by Anne & Company (see the article on page 12 for more details.)
The board unanimously approved a donation of $1,000 to local historian Jim Sawatzki to become a "major sponsor" of his proposed half-hour PBS television production on the history of Palmer Lake summer Chautauqua sessions and the cabins built for attendees in the Glen. Sawatzki, a previous Emmy award nominee, said the show he is producing for PBS and the Learning Channel would also be released on a 90-minute video disc in late 2007. The disc will include this new show, his previous 30-minute PBS show on the history of Palmer Lake, plus an additional 30 minutes or so of other related historical material about area history. The town will receive 20 copies of the 90-minute disc as a major sponsor, and be listed on the front of the CD package. The $1,000 donation was composed of $500 offered by Parks and Recreation Trustee Trish Flake and Economic Development Trustee Susan Miner from their respective discretionary budgets.
Roads Trustee Richard Allen said that due to drought, heat, and strong winds, the Road Department’s dust-control efforts might be less effective this year. To date, 25,000 gallons of water and 7,800 pounds of magnesium chloride have been applied to the town’s dirt roads to help control blowing dust, but he emphasized that dust would remain a major problem for the rest of this year.
Allen also noted that the Roads Department is working hard to complete a number of projects prior to the July 4 weekend. About 250 tons of Class 6 road base were used to recrown Milton Street. Phase I of the parking lot project in Centennial Park should be completed by June 16. Roads Supervisor Bob Radosevich said that in later phases, additional fill will be added to raise the grade of the new lot to the level of Highway 105. Landscaping, lighting, islands, and perhaps paving will be added as funds become available through grants or the town’s budget.
Fire Trustee Gary Coleman reported the success of the volunteers of the Palmer Lake Volunteer Fire Department and the Fireworks Committee in making the town the focal point for rest and refreshments for the annual Elephant Rock bicycle race on June 4. The event attracts thousands of riders to the town each year.
Coleman also thanked the Bodhicitta Bakery, at 780 Highway 105, Suite B, in advance for sponsoring a pizza sale June 16, with half the gross revenue from evening pizza sales to be donated to the Volunteer Fire Department.
Allen reported for Police Trustee Trudy Finan, who was absent, that police calls for May were up to 131 from 123 in April, but down from 149 in May 2005. The biggest reported statistical declines from last year were in traffic and dog warnings, down from 61 to 13, and traffic citations, down from 29 to 19.
Parks and Recreation Trustee Trish Flake reported that the change in the town’s grant request to the Colorado Tennis Association had resulted in Community Development Committee chair Carolyn Peters asking the town to re-apply in October for a resurfacing grant for the town’s tennis courts. Palmer Lake Tennis Center manager Kim Makower had prepared the grant request in which he had offered to give tennis lessons at the resurfaced courts over the next several years, which was a condition of the grant award. However, he withdrew his offer after losing the April election for mayor to Parker.
Flake also reported that a place on the lawn in front of Town Hall had been selected for the statue of the German shepherd "Dizzy Dean," which was commissioned by the Lucretia Vaile Historical Museum to commemorate its 50th anniversary. "Dizzy" wore saddle bags that were used to transport construction materials in 1935 during volunteers’ construction of the town star. The star is illuminated at night for Memorial Day weekend and the Christmas season each year. The landmark can be seen for miles in many directions along the Front Range.
Water Trustee Jim Girlando reported that the town had consumed 7,627,000 gallons of treated water. The new south valley pipeline should be installed by the end of 2007. Resident Larry Meyer noted that the excavation had contributed to the blowing dust problem on the town’s predominantly dirt roads. Allen noted that this problem would last throughout this summer as construction continues, and the Road Department would do its best to help minimize the dust. Repaving will take place after installation is complete.
Girlando also reported that the Water Committee would start a series of meetings to evaluate the results of the recent rate increase and review how the revenue might best be allocated for future water system projects.
Miner gave a lengthy report on initial progress toward the goals of the town’s comprehensive plan. She reported the formation of a committee to perform demographic assessments on how best to solicit visitors for day trips and overnight stays. The members are Jeff Smith of Pinecrest, Al Fritts of the Inn at Palmer Divide, and Paula Johnson of Grayson’s Pineview Inn.
Miner is also working with Bill Roach of the Tri-Lakes Chamber of Commerce and Don Bennett of Big Fish Marketing to create a marketing study for the town by the end of the year. She said she hopes to increase recreational tourism and recruit appropriate supporting businesses.
Miner noted that a photographic competition called "Finding Palmer Lake" has been set up at the Tri-Lakes Center of the Arts, with categories for children, amateurs, and professionals. The photos are to focus on what Palmer Lake means to the photographers.
Citizen committee meetings on all aspects of the comprehensive plan review were to start on June 15. They will take place at Town Hall on the third Thursday of the month. Miner asked all residents to consider volunteering for the various groups that will create a new economic development plan for downtown and the commercial areas to the southeast along Highway 105. She said that the town will have little success in garnering state and federal grants for development without strong citizen participation.
Mayor Parker asked people to control their food and trash to minimize the chance for wildlife problems, particularly bear encounters. He also asked that people comply with prohibitions on fireworks and gun discharges within town to minimize the extremely high wildfire hazard during the holiday and the rest of the summer.
Awake the Lake spokesman Jeff Hulsmann suggested that the town maintain the level of Palmer Lake by digging an agricultural well in it. He said his discussions with the state water engineering department had led him to believe that this approach would present the fewest obstacles in terms of storage and water rights. Initially, he said, the untreated agricultural well water from one of the deeper aquifers would maintain the highest level achieved in summer 2005, when the lake was refilled with dechlorinated drinking water from the town’s now-depleted well. That particular water level supported the basic ecosystem of the lake and kept the temperature cool enough to sustain the stocked trout, though it is only about one-third full.
Hulsmann said the lake is back down to the level it was two summers ago, 2 feet at the deepest point, before it was partially filled with drinking water last summer. Hulsmann asked the town to provide the committee with any legal information it could from the town’s water attorney on well use and storage rights. Parker said that the town needs to move forward with a solution before people lose hope and stop buying Awake the Lake Committee memorial park pavers and T-shirts.
Town Clerk Della Gray reported that the town had proposed rerouting the planned drainage from the future Kemper subdivision on the south side of the Highway 105 opposite the "red barn." Instead of flowing north of the County Line Road intersection along Spruce Mountain Road, the drainage water would instead go under Highway 105, by the stone entrance sign south of the intersection with County Line Road and along drainages and detention ponds to be constructed in Centennial Park. Gray reported that the subdivision’s storm water would then drain into a new stub tap of the old water line under the railroad tracks that used to replenish Palmer Lake from the town’s surface reservoirs. This water used to flow into the lake through a drainage culvert under the tracks but was destroyed after flooding in that area several years ago.
As Fireworks Committee spokesman, Hulsmann asked the town to cover some, if not all, of any increase in costs for police protection for July 4. He said that the police and crowd control cost was $1,600 in 2005 and may double this year, according to a preliminary estimate interim Chief Brennan had prepared. Final police costs are not known until after each year’s event. In addition to paid police support from Palmer Lake and the Town of Monument, some 60 to 75 uniformed personnel from a variety of regional organizations will help with traffic and crowd control. Fire Rehab feeds these personnel and their families throughout the day, though a significant portion of their cost to the committee is usually offset by contributions to Fire Rehab volunteer cooks.
Attendance in Palmer Lake throughout the holiday period has risen sharply each year over the past few years, resulting in the need for more traffic and crowd control personnel. The fireworks committee’s total budget for 2006 is $17,000, of which $13,000 pays for the fireworks show.
The council unanimously approved Claire Brenneman’s request to move one of the two town water taps he has owned since 1969 and has used continuously for the past 36 years within his property, which straddles the El Paso and Douglas County line. The tap he has always used for irrigation will be moved from inside the town limits into Douglas County for a newly constructed residence. This tap will convey to the new owners of the house if it is ever sold.
After a lengthy question-and-answer period by the trustees, Town Attorney Jim Kin advised that the resolution approving the move of the tap into another county specifically state that this approval of the tap relocation into another county was "grandfathered" by two previous town approvals for town water taps on neighboring properties in Douglas County during the early 1970s.
The council unanimously approved Nikki McDonald’s request for an amendment to the Planned Unit Development plan for 95 Greeley Blvd., to build an 8,000-square foot, four-family-townhouse building.
During the public input portion of the agenda, the last agenda item, Kim Makower suggested having a public comment portion for items not on the agenda at the start of the council meeting as well as comments at the end. The meeting adjourned at 9:08 p.m.
By Sue Wielgopolan
Colorado Springs Utilities (CSU) has decided to move ahead with its plans to build a $400,000 lift station for the 49 homes Picolan is building off Doral Way. The site is near the southwest corner of the Donala district, and although it lies within Colorado Springs city limits and will therefore be served by CSU, it is isolated from other city subdivisions by the Smith Creek drainage.
Donala’s lift station near Northgate Road could easily service the area and has the excess capacity to do so. It was originally sized to serve residential and commercial development, but the commercial portion never materialized.
Donala had offered to contract with CSU to handle the small subdivision’s wastewater. Negotiations stalled over effluent.
The city will supply water to the homes. If Donala were to provide sanitary sewer service, the wastewater generated would pass through the Upper Monument Creek Wastewater Treatment Facility, and Donala would receive credit for the effluent, which Donala General Manager Dana Duthie estimates would amount to about eight acre-feet per year. Duthie offered to credit CSU for the effluent and deduct the credit from the wastewater servicing contract.
CSU stated it cannot supply water, even indirectly, to northern communities.
Duthie seemed disappointed but not surprised by the utility’s decision to move forward with a separate station, which he said demonstrates CSU’s general unwillingness to cooperate with northern El Paso County communities, even when it could benefit both entities and save the city a significant amount of money.
Duthie asked the board’s approval to recommend disapproval of the site application at the Water Quality Committee of Pikes Peak Area Council of Government hearing. He said building a second lift station within 400 feet of Donala’s was an unnecessary duplication of effort. Board members agreed to support Duthie’s decision.
Efforts by authority members to amend the establishing document for the El Paso County Water Authority to make it easier to obtain a quorum failed.
In 2005, the El Paso County Commissioners voted to require that all newly created water districts within the county join the Water Authority. Several smaller members, including Cascade Metro Districts A & B, do not attend on a regular basis, making it difficult to obtain a quorum for voting purposes.
A quorum, as defined in the establishing document, is a percentage of the total membership. Actively participating Water Authority members wanted to remove the quorum definition from the establishing document and place it in the by-laws, change the definition to a set number of individuals, and each year update the number of individuals required to form a quorum.
But to change the establishing document, 100 percent of the existing membership must ratify the new document.
Water Authority subcommittee formed to set up transit loss administration
Duthie said that a June 2 special meeting to set up administration for the transit loss model was well-attended. The Water Authority has agreed to act as administering agent.
The U.S. Geological Survey conducted the transit loss study under contract and will continue to be responsible for operation and maintenance of the computer model and the gauging stations. The model will allow participating agencies to track flows in Monument and Fountain creeks and accurately determine the amount of water lost en route to the Arkansas River. This is important in accounting to the state of Colorado for the surface water in those streams available for sale or trade.
The study is expected to be complete and the model implemented sometime in 2007. Participating agencies will be expected to split the estimated $180,000 per year the USGS will charge to keep the model up and running. One plan was to charge 20 percent of the yearly cost as a base fee and split that equally among all participants, with the remaining 80 percent to be split based on contribution to flow the previous year as measured in acre-feet.
The group also discussed how private parties wishing to participate in the model, such as the Fountain Mutual Irrigation Co., will be included. Any additional parties will be expected to reimburse the Authority for a portion of the study, as well as pay a share of annual model costs.
The committee will continue to work out the details.
Duthie told the board that Donala’s base share would run close to $1,800. The greatest value derived from the model is the ability to sell effluent credits downstream, but Donala has had only two buyers. The town of Monument purchased effluent credits to refill its lake. A farmers’ co-op purchases unused credits for about $10 per acre-foot. Duthie said the directors may need to re-evaluate whether participation in the model is presently worth the expense.
Paul Rochette of the economic consulting firm Bamberger Group updated the Palmer Divide Water Group (PDWG) on the progress of an economic study it had commissioned. Several members of the Colorado Springs City Council have stated that explosive growth outside city limits in the northern part of El Paso County drains valuable tax dollars from Colorado Springs, and have used that rationale to justify refusing to cooperate in bringing surface water to Tri-Lakes communities.
The PDWG commissioned the study to quantify the contributions of northern El Paso County communities to the Colorado Springs economy.
Rochette said that the "no growth outside city limits" policy had its origins in the 1960s, when growth outside city boundaries was detrimental. He claimed that scenario is no longer accurate. His study shows, for example, that county residents traveling into the city add $4.8 million to the city’s cost, but generate $21 million in sales tax revenues.
The draft report should be complete before July. The PDWG hopes to present the report to the City Council soon.
Dick Brown, lobbyist for the PDWG, has established a Web site for the group. In addition to providing general information for the public, group members will have their own secure passwords to view confidential information. ( www.palmerdividewatergroup.com)
Duthie told board members that Xcel plans to build a dual-generation power plant south of Colorado Springs. The plant will need approximately 4,000 acre-feet of water per year, which could be supplied by wells in a satellite field in the Greenland Ranch area. The company may use Monument Creek to transport the water south. According to Duthie, there may be an opportunity for water districts to "use" the water by pulling from the creek and replacing it with effluent from local wastewater treatment plants.
Two eastern pipelines bringing water north from the lower Arkansas may also eventually provide surface water to the Tri-Lakes region.
A company called Pure Cycle hopes to win permission from Colorado water courts to bring water from the lower Arkansas Valley to supply the Rangeview Metropolitan District, which will serve a planned new development on the old Lowry bombing range. The conceptual pipeline route lies about 40 miles east of the Tri-Lakes area; local water providers could conceivably build a pipeline to move the water west.
However, northern El Paso County needs only about 10,000 acre-feet per year; a pipeline of that length would be cost-prohibitive for a relatively modest volume of water. In addition, water quality is poor; the water is so alkaline and silt-laden that it will have to be treated before it is transported.
The Lower Arkansas Conservancy District has put themselves in the water business and is looking for customers for a second pipeline originating in the Highline area, which is in the middle Arkansas Valley. The water quality is better, and the pipeline route would probably be located closer to the region. As yet the pipeline has no customers and cannot move forward.
Duthie told board members that a 6-inch PVC pipe attached to Filter 1 in the Holbein plant burst and flooded the south pump room over the weekend. The system alerted employees when the pumps stopped working. When technicians arrived, the water was deep enough to be above the raw water pumps but below the clear pumps.
Employees drained the system and put fans on the pumps, which started up Monday morning. The district did not experience any loss in production.
Duthie told board members that the filter valve had been sticking and slamming shut, which may have created enough pressure to burst the pipe. He said that Donala could install a cast-iron pipe that would be less subject to ruptures, but the weight of the pipe would cause other problems.
Engineering consulting firm GMS finalized the design for the equalization basin. Weaver General Construction poured the footers and is pouring the walls. The next step is to build the influent station, which has almost completed the design phase.
Engineers recently discovered that the current electrical service does not provide enough power capacity for the finished plant. A second service line will be needed, which will create a second set of electrical bills, increasing the total power cost by about 35 percent. Currently, engineers for the project are considering two options for bringing in an additional line; both have drawbacks.
Duthie stated that although the equalization basin is behind, the expansion project as a whole is still on schedule.
Duthie reported that Well 2D was again operational. Technicians are still fine-tuning the computer system.
Well 2A’s production had dropped from 400 gallons per minute to 156 gallons per minute. The Arapaho well was scheduled for a redrill in 2008; Duthie said they may have to move the redrill up to this year.
Duthie announced that Triview Metro District manager Ron Simpson has given notice that he is leaving the district to pursue consulting work. Widefield manager and El Paso County Water Authority President Larry Bishop will replace Simpson as manager.
Director Dick Durham was absent and excused from the meeting. Due to an executive session presentation by water consultant Gary Barber that began at 1:30 and ended at 2:50 p.m., the regular public meeting did not begin until 2:55 p.m. The meeting adjourned at 3:50 p.m.
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The next regular meeting of the Donala board will take place on July 19 at 1:30 p.m. at the Donala office, 15850 Holbein Drive. Meetings are normally held on the third Wednesday of each month.
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The article stated incorrectly that in 1995 Mountain View Electric Association purchased what is now the Upper Monument Creek Wastewater Treatment Facility. Mountain View never purchased the plant; but had earlier leased the facility planning to diversify beyond power generation. Triview and Forest Lakes Metropolitan Districts still jointly owned the plant at that time. Mountain View then financed the upgrade of the facility to meet the state’s wastewater plant requirements and leased it to Donala. | |
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In 1999 Donala paid off the loan financed by Mountain View Electric, which made them part owners along with Triview and Forest Lakes. At that time an intergovernmental agreement was drawn up between the three districts based on each entity’s investment and capacity requirements. | |
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The article stated that Donala must receive a subdivision exemption from the County Commissioners in order to build. While normally the commissioners must approve a subdivision exemption, the owners of the facility argued that the rule did not apply, as the plant is not a housing subdivision. After many months of wrangling, the county’s planning commission signed off on the exemption without commissioner involvement. | |
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The wastewater plant expansion is expected to be complete by December, not June, of 2007. |
Click here or on the photos to zoom in
Below: Patricia Unger confers with her attorney Tim Bussey in court June 22 prior to entering a plea of guilty on the charge of embezzling funds from the Forest View Acres Water District. Unger paid the water district $300,000 as partial restitution. Sentencing is set for September 7. If the judge accepts the plea bargain agreement, Unger’s sentence will include six months of work release incarceration and 6 years of probation. Photo by Fred Malmstrom
Below (L to R): Attorney Paul Rufien, SDMS President Debbie McCoy, SDMS Manager Lisa Johnson, board members Ketch Nowacki, Barbara Reed-Polatty, Rich Crocker, Jeff Walker, Ekhardt Zimmermann, and Operations Manager Don LaFontaine. Photo by John Heiser
By John Heiser
On June 22, at the regular monthly meeting of the Forest View Acres Water District (FVAWD) board of directors, it was announced that as part of a plea agreement to settle the criminal and civil suits against the district’s former contract office manager, Patricia Unger, she had pleaded guilty that day to theft of checks, a class 3 felony. Two other felony charges were dropped. As part of the agreement, Unger immediately gave the district two cashier’s checks totaling $300,000. The sentence recommended to the judge under the terms of the agreement is six months with work release during the day, six years probation, and restitution of an additional $15,000 at $250 per month over six years. Any violation by Unger of the conditions would carry an immediate eight-year prison sentence. Unger’s sentencing is scheduled for Sept. 7.
In an unrelated action, it was announced that Dan LaFontaine of Independent Water Services, the district’s contract water operations manager, had submitted his resignation effective Sept. 15. LaFontaine has been the district’s water operations manager for the past seven years. LaFontaine is responsible for maintaining the equipment and infrastructure and for managing all aspects of water delivery.
LaFontaine said that a recent letter from the district regarding his alleged non-compliance with requirements of his contract was "the straw that broke the camel’s back." LaFontaine said, "I put my heart and soul into this district. I feel I deserved more consideration." He cited the protracted negotiations on the new contract and a lack of response from the board to concerns he raised. Noting the district’s use of management company Special District Management Services, Inc. (SDMS) for administrative, bookkeeping, billing, and accounting services, he added, "I’m too small a company. The district is going places I can’t follow." In response to a question, he said, "I’m getting out of operations." He concluded his remarks by expressing appreciation to the residents and the board for his time as the district’s operations manager.
The board consists of Rich Crocker, Ketch Nowacki, Barbara Reed-Polatty, Jeff Walker, and Eckehart Zimmermann.
Lisa Johnson, SDMS district manager, serves as facilitator and secretary at the board meeting. Deborah McCoy, President of SDMS, was also present.
Attorney Paul Rufien provided legal advice.
The following appointments were unanimously approved: Reed-Polatty, president, Johnson, secretary, and Zimmermann, treasurer. The other board members were appointed assistant secretaries.
Johnson presented a list of claims paid through June 22 totaling $7,753 that included $4,515 for LaFontaine’s services and $1,088 for supplies and chemicals.
The net cash balance for all funds as of May 31 was $46,449.
Johnson said the total for accounts payable is $155,111 consisting of $59,969 due attorneys Petrock and Fendel, $79,316 due SDMS, and $15,826 due Rufien. Johnson added that the district’s total debt is $741,532.
Johnson reported that the district had received the $150,000 negotiated tap fee for the Red Rock Reserve Subdivision, formerly known as Raspberry Ridge and located north of Pixie Peak Road and west of Red Rock Ranch. The project involves 23 single-family lots on 67 acres.
LaFontaine said a leak was reported on May 7 and repaired May 19. He noted that during the excavation to repair the leak an unexpected water line was found and two lines were found to be not where they were shown on the district’s maps.
During May, the district’s surface plant produced 2.68 million gallons, averaging 60 gallons per minute over 31 days. The district’s well in the Arapahoe aquifer produced 259,200 gallons, averaging 108.4 gallons per minute over 1.7 days. The net monthly production was 2.91 million gallons.
Water sales for May totaled 2.07 million gallons.
LaFontaine calculated the net loss from the system during May was 837,148 gallons or 28.8 percent of total system use.
Nowacki said that in addition to addressing the accounts payable, the $88,000 reserve account for the state loan should be restored.
McCoy agreed and suggested that one year’s interest on the loan be set aside as well.
The board unanimously approved McCoy’s suggestion that the district deposit excess funds in a ColoTrust account. She said the