Contents:

• Marshal Smith retires after 31 years

• Lewis-Palmer District 38 School Board - July 20: Board picks Woodmoor Drive site for second high school

• Palmer Lake Town Council Workshop, July 6: Council reviews three replat requests and a rezoning

• Palmer Lake Town Council Meeting, July 13: Progress reported on town streetscape plan

• Monument Board of Trustees, June 26: Board receives draft 2005 audit

• Monument Board of Trustees, July 17: New Triview special road constructiondistricts approved for November ballot

• Monument Board of Trustees Special Meeting, July 31: Board accepts 2005 audit on time

• Monument Planning Commission, July 12: Promontory Pointe vote postponed

• Baptist Road Rural Transportation Authority, July 14: Cost overruns and funding shortfalls reported

• El Paso County Planning Commission, July 18, 25: Subdivision of Chaparral Hills lots approved

• Donala Water and Sanitation District, July 19: Next year’s cost projections outlined

• Forest View Acres Water District, July 27: District proposes property tax to fund improvements

• Monument Sanitation District, July 18: Building renovation underway

• Tri-Lakes Wastewater Treatment Facility Joint Use Committee, July 11: Management of facility will change

• Winkler celebrates 25 years with the Woodmoor Water and Sanitation District

• Triview Metropolitan District, June 28: Board approves charge for effluent

• Triview Metropolitan District, July 26: Board approves refinancing $35 million

• Donald Wescott Fire Protection District, July 19: Pumper specifications finalized during plant visit

• Tri-Lakes Fire Protection District, July 28: Puzzling problem arises at Station 2

• Woodmoor/Monument Fire Protection District, July 28: District running under budget

• Tri-Lakes-Monument Fire Authority, July 28: Fire Authority receives clean audit; calls up 14 percent

• Woodmoor Improvement Association Board, July 19: Pine beetle infestation eases

• July Weather Wrap

• Letters to Our Community

  • Tri-Lakes comes together

  • An emergency for emergency departments

  • Valedictorian’s rights violated

• Between The Covers at the Covered Treasures Bookstore: Got Art?

• High Country Highlights: More on summer tree care

• Tri-Lakes enjoys a fantastic 4th

• Sibell’s Barn Dance: A July 4th tradition

• Bird Watch on the Palmer Divide: American Goldfinch

• Palmer Lake Historical Society, July 27: Lotave, the artist buried on Pikes Peak

• Art Matters: Let’s do art evenings with friends

• Special Events and Notices

  • Black Forest Slash-Mulch Site Schedule

  • WIA Meeting on New High School Aug. 7

  • Black Forest Festival Aug. 12

  • Libraries’ Old-Fashioned Ice Cream Social Aug. 12

  • Mining Museum Burro Birthday Party with Concert by Chuck Pyle Aug. 19

  • Monument Board to discuss funding for Baptist Road improvements Aug. 21

  • Dance at the Plaza Aug. 26

  • Volunteers Needed: Talk English! Facilitator Training

  • Garden advice at Monument Library

  • Wildlife Masters in El Paso County

the PDF file. This is a 16.8 Mbyte file and will take about 97 minutes to download at 28.8. To view and print the file, you will need to download and install the free Acrobat Reader Program.

Marshal Smith retires after 31 years

Below: Marshal Dale Smith (center) is flanked by his wife Pat and Palmer Lake Mayor Max Parker. Hundreds turned out June 30 to wish Smith well. Photo by Jim Kendrick

Click here or on the photo to zoom in and view additional pictures of the retirement celebration

By Jim Kendrick

A standing-room-only crowd of hundreds gathered at the Tri-Lakes Center of the Arts on the warm summer evening of June 30. A friendly buzz of conversation rose from each table and each group of people there to honor the 31-year career of Dale Smith, who was retiring from his post as "town marshal" of the Palmer Lake Police Department, a title he retained after his position was renamed chief of police. Interim Chief Mike Brennan was the master of ceremonies for the 55-minute tribute to this icon of Western small-town law and order and to his wife, Pat.

In an emotional speech, Mayor Max Parker praised Smith as "the consummate police officer. He knew his town, his people, and his job" and never let "an opportunity to grow go unmet." He said Smith displayed a "quick wit, quick smile, and also a firm hand to let the wrongdoers know who was in control. And for most in Palmer Lake, he has been such a part of the community for so long, that most of us have known no other. But there is a time to hang up the holsters and pick up the fishing rod, and for Dale and Pat that time has come. We can celebrate the many years they’ve lived in Palmer Lake and the years to come."

Colorado Assistant Attorney General Jeannie Smith, who was previously the district attorney for El Paso County, described working with Dale Smith for 22 years. She said the one word that described him best was "honorable—he is an honorable man" who "always tried to do the right thing" as a "member of the family of law enforcement." She also noted, to much laughter, that only one or two people ever went to traffic court when he gave them a ticket because "they knew it was fair and he had them." She said, "I won’t ask for a show of hands of people here who deserved the tickets he gave them."

Parker and Jeannie Smith then presented Dale Smith a Community Service Medal. She told the audience as she pinned it on that he had warned her under his breath, "This is a new shirt." She also presented him with a Meritorious Service Award. Then several others made presentations after telling stories of past experiences with Smith that had the audience laughing continuously.

Resident Bill McDonald read a framed poem he had written, titled "Sheriff Dale."

Regional FBI Supervisor Dan Bradley presented "a coin that they had made, instead of a medal, because we heard he had gotten a new shirt." Denver FBI Coordinator Keith Holland presented a certificate of recognition from FBI Director Robert Mueller for his "selfless efforts to protect the public" and his "professionalism and dedication to duty."

Retired Palmer Lake police officer John Cameron, who served under Smith for 22 years, presented a U.S. flag that had flown over the U.S. Capitol, from Sen. Wayne Allard.

Police Trustee Trudy Finan presented Smith with the new sign that renames the police department facility the "Dale T. Smith Police Building" in his honor, noting that "Dale was concerned he’d have to die before they named something after him." She also thanked Sheriff’s Office deputies who volunteered to cover the town so that all the members of Smith’s staff could attend the ceremony.

Liz Brown of the Sheriff’s Office Communications Section presented a CD of "The Best of Palmer Lake Dispatches" to Smith, including a special farewell dispatch from the day before, commemorating "31 years of working together."

Mayor Parker presented Pat Smith with a certificate of appreciation and a bouquet of flowers.

Officer James Fife, the newest member of the department, presented Chief Smith with his original seven-point marshal badge and more recent chief badge sealed in a Lucite block.

Smith gave a very brief speech that recognized all his fellow law enforcement professionals, his wife’s support of his career, and the many thanks he had received from citizens over the years. He would have obeyed her "two-minute rule" except for a short delay for horn blasts from a passing train. Smith’s final act was presenting Brennan his chief’s cell phone, signifying that he had finally and formally stepped down from what he called his "long and unique police career."

Below: Hunter Run Farm, 40 acres of the 45 acres under contract by D-38 as the site for the second high school. The asphalt roadway in the foreground is the western edge of Woodmoor Drive. Photo by Jim Kendrick

At the Lewis-Palmer District 38 School Board meeting July 20, board President Jes Raintree announced that the district is under contract for 45 aces east of I-25 and west of Woodmoor Drive north of Lewis-Palmer Middle School as a site for a second high school. After making the announcement, Raintree said the district is negotiating for additional land on adjacent parcels.

Seven potential sites were compared based on 10 criteria with a maximum score of 10 points for each criterion. The scores were totaled to calculate an overall score (maximum 100). The selected site received an overall score of 88 points, the highest score of the seven sites. The controversial Wissler property near Furrow Road and County Line Road was ranked second with an overall score of 82 points. The Wissler property scored lower on public acceptance, safety, and accessibility but higher on environment (pollution-free with an aesthetic view from and of the site) and size and shape (length-to-width ratio not exceeding 5:3 and adequate space for separate bus loading and parking areas). The comparison presentation and site selection report are posted at www.lewispalmer.org.

In presenting the results, Ray Blanch, executive director – Assessment, Research & Technology, said the highest-ranked site is already within the Woodmoor Water and Sanitation District and has potential access from multiple sides.

Bob Patha and Ron Hazeloop, who live near the proposed high school site, expressed concerns about traffic, crime, and potential impact on property values in the area. Superintendent Michael Pomarico acknowledged their comments and said, "I’m making a commitment to work with you on options and possibilities to try and meet your concerns."

The board unanimously approved a motion appointing Joanne Jensen, the superintendent’s secretary, as the election official and authorizing her to notify the county clerk that the board intends to place a measure on the November ballot. Voter approval of a ballot measure will be needed to fund the purchase of the land and construction of the school.

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

• Personnel changes – This was Pomarico’s first meeting since becoming superintendent July 1. Cheryl Wangeman was introduced as the new executive director, Financial Services, succeeding Joseph Subialka. Dr. Laura Douglas was introduced as the new executive director of Special Programs, succeeding Linda Williams-Blackwell.

• Phone System Report – Steve Endicott, manager of Technology Services, presented responses to the district’s request for information on potential replacement of the current phone service. Endicott said the current system, which has approximately 100 phone lines, is 5 to 8 years old and is a hodgepodge of different systems. Raintree said it is frustrating to call in to the school system now and it is imperative that the phone system be improved. The district received responses from seven vendors (Axess, Hi-County, Inter-Tel, ISC, Peak, Qwest, and Trillion). The proposed Voice over IP (VoIP) systems would provide a variety of services, including centralized voice mail and message broadcasting. Endicott recommended the district proceed with the Trillion proposal. He said it is a fully managed system, so anything that needs to be done can be tasked to Trillion. He added that the company would agree to be bound to no more than one hour of down time per year, offers bundled wide area network (WAN) and VoIP services with one fee for both services, and would upgrade the district’s WAN equipment.

• Facilities and Enrollment Committee – The new standing committee will be tasked to annually update the growth report and make recommendations to the board regarding utilization of existing facilities, remodeling, construction of new facilities, and planning for capital reserve projects. Raintree said the district is looking for committee members with skills in land development, retail, landscape architecture, structural engineering, mechanical engineering, and interior design as well as parents of elementary, middle school, and high school students. Information on the committee and how to apply is posted at www.lewispalmer.org. Applications are due by Aug. 31.

Raintree thanked the attendees and announced that the meeting was going into executive session to discuss negotiations.

**********

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. Aug 17. The district’s Web site is at www.lewispalmer.org.

The Palmer Lake Town Council reviewed three replat requests for residential lots and a requested change in zoning from 5-acre residential (RA) to planned unit development (PUD) for two lots on Highway 105. The council also discussed two new state requirements regarding enforcement of statutes on illegal immigration. Mayor Max Parker and Trustees Jim Girlando and Trudy Finan were absent. Trustee Richard Allen presided.

Tom Day requested a vacation and replat at 400 S. Valley Crescent in the Willow Hill Subdivision. Day said that the vacation would apply to a portion of the town’s historically platted but unused South Valley Crescent right-of-way within the northeast corner of this subdivision. The current location of the right-angle turn where the existing north-south portion of the South Valley Crescent roadway turns to the west is outside of the town’s platted right-of-way. This situation is common for unpaved roads in the historic portion of downtown Palmer Lake. The replat correctly shows the existing road being west of the unused right-of-way.

Day noted that houses have already been built on the previously created lots 1-3 within the Willow Hill Subdivision. These lots are on the south side of the east-west portion of South Valley Crescent. He said the replat also corrects the depiction of the existing driveways for these lots. Day asked the town to vacate the depicted unused, right-of-way to the east of the road. The unused right-of-way includes the existing driveway for Lot 3.

Lot 4, which is southeast of these three developed lots, is 1.71 acres. There is room for only one house on Lot 4 due to its steepness and floodplain encroachment. A note on the replat also adds a private easement across this existing driveway for Lot 2 to provide access to Lot 4. Another note says that if this shared driveway easement becomes unusable, a new access easement must be created elsewhere through Lot 2 or Lot 3.

Day also sought a floodplain waiver from the Pikes Peak Regional Building Department. The department’s code states, "All buildable lots less than two and one half (2½) acres in size are required to be located entirely outside the 100-year floodplain." The code also states that these lots "are required to have the 100-year floodplain contained in a drainage easement dedicated by plat in the name of the governing body with the restrictions of ‘No Build’ and ‘No Storage of Any Materials.’ "

Lot 4 is smaller than this 2½-acre limit. The North Monument Creek floodplain runs along the south boundary of all four lots of the Willow Hill Subdivision. The trustees agreed with staff that this Regional Building Department restriction was intended for subdivision of large parcels rather than individual lots.

Trustee Gary Coleman had numerous questions about various boundary depictions and descriptive titles on the replat drawing, as well as what would constitute appropriate documentation of all these issues in the notes on the proposed replat document. Although not a licensed surveyor himself, Coleman operates a surveying company in Palmer Lake.

There was also a discussion of the locations of various utilities in the subdivision to ensure they and their easements were accurately depicted on the proposed final replat drawing. The formal vacation and replat hearing was scheduled for the regular council meeting July 13.

Town Clerk Della Gray told Coleman that the town has already taken parts of Lots 33 and 34 of the Amended Filing Block 38 through adverse possession to gain ownership of the existing South Valley Crescent roadway to the north of Day’s property. The town also has taken southern portions of Lots 61-66 at the southwest corner of Block 38 for the western portion of South Valley Crescent, but the plat has not been updated to show that change.

Gray also noted that the land that comprises the actual location of the South Valley Crescent roadway outside the obsolete platted right-of-way must all be deeded to the town as part of Day’s replat and vacation request. Day was asked to provide completed title insurance documentation for all four lots by July 13 to verify the boundaries of the four Willow Hill Subdivision lots. That would complete the documentation for the east-west portion of the road that the town will own.

Roger Culpepper requested a replat of his two lots in Block 2 of Lakeview Heights Unit 1, Third Amendment, just east of the south end of Palmer Lake. The lots are in Block 2. Lot 10 is on Oakdale Drive and the larger Lot 8 is on Lake Dive. Culpepper wanted to add a portion of the east side of Lot 8 to Lot 10 "to make the lots more equivalent in size." There are no proposed changes to the existing utility easements for the two lots. A house has been built on Lot 10 (134 Oakdale Drive), but no construction is planned for the other vacant lot at this time. The council did not ask Culpepper for any additional information prior to the formal replat hearing on July 13.

Carrie Johnson requested a vacation and replat for Lots 19-25 in Lakeview Heights Unit 2, Block 2, 4th Amendment. These lots were originally intended to have frontages on Cathedral Drive to the south of Starview Circle. There has been no construction on Cathedral Drive and other platted roads in the Lakeview Heights subdivision because the town has no additional water capacity for a development of that size.

Johnson sought a replat to combine the seven rectangular lots into two larger rectangular lots. The new Lot 21A would include Lots 19-21 and Lot 22A would include Lots 22-25. Johnson also was seeking to change the frontages for these two new lots from the northwest side of Cathedral Drive to the southeast side of Starview Circle.

Only Lots 23-25 directly abut Starview Circle. The applicant, RFP Investments LLC, proposes using its acquisition of an easement across the northern portion of a triangular piece of land between Starview Circle and Lots 19-22 to fill the gap so that these four lots could also have an access easement to Starview Circle.

There is a substantial difference in the grade for the undeveloped Cathedral Drive and Starview Circle. The seven platted lots are steeply sloped with numerous large trees. Combining them into two large lots is intended to provide sufficient buildable space in each to comply with the town’s "hillside ordinance." This ordinance restricts construction on lots with an average slope in excess of 15 percent to help prevent erosion.

Allen advised Johnson that the town’s Planning Commission would modify the hillside ordinance as soon as the town’s lawyers finish reviewing the draft. Allen said the Town Council would consider a moratorium, probably at the July 13 regular council meeting, on land use hearings for lots that may be affected by the revision.

Allen also advised Johnson that her replat request would most likely not be "grandfathered," based on legal advice the council had received from the town’s attorney, Larry Gaddis. Allen said she should consider delaying the hearing on the proposed "re-subdivision" until she could read the final language of the modified hillside ordinance.

Gray said that a new ordinance could not make these lots unbuildable. Allen concurred but said that a building proposal for the two replatted lots would likely be affected by the proposed changes.

Starview Circle resident Brad Kesselberth said that Johnson’s proposal was turned down earlier in the year by the Planning Commission due to fire, safety, and accessibility concerns until one commissioner said the town would be sued. He said the town instead should use the criteria "what’s best for the community" as the primary deciding factor. He said the Starview Circle community would be harmed if the town allowed access to the two replatted lots from Star Circle, because those new lots would not have to comply with the community’s covenants. Gray said the town could not legally deny access from Starview Circle.

Starview Circle resident Patti Brooks asked for clarification on the moratorium. Gray said the council was making sure Johnson knew there would be no construction on the replatted lots until the hillside ordinance changes were reviewed by the Planning Commission and Town Council. Brooks said the current Lakeview Heights design guidelines are not as restrictive as the Starview Circle covenants. She also asked about requiring RFP Investments to match the Starview Circle covenants, setbacks, and building height restrictions.

Trustee Susan Miner replied that the town cannot require developers to have covenants or that covenants in adjacent developments be identical. She suggested that Brooks research the legal issue and bring her findings and suggestions for a new town ordinance regarding covenant compliance and design guidelines to the Planning Commission, which initiates land use ordinances.

Allen said the town of Palmer Lake is not in the business of requiring all subdivisions to have covenants and HOAs. He suggested that Kesselberth ask RFP Investments to adopt his development’s covenants. Kesselberth said the town should "put the brakes on development." He also said the developer should be required to provide construction plans. However, site plans and design guidelines are not required for a replat hearing. When developed, site plans for these two lots would have to be approved at public hearings. Miner told Kesselberth he needed to do the research required to make a proposal to the Planning Commission regarding changes to the town land use code.

Gray noted that the only reason that the RFP Investments replat request hadn’t already been approved was that the lot lines were incorrectly depicted on the drawing. None of the other lots in Lakeview Heights can be built on right now. Gray said the town may be taken to court if water services are not provided to Lakeview Heights.

Allen suggested that Brooks and Kesselberth attend hillside ordinance hearings to voice their views.

Construction owner Mark Ennis requested a rezone of portions of the AT & SF Depot property at 835 Highway 105. Access has already constructed a barn-like multi-use building in this development between the highway and the railroad tracks. Ennis requested that the two vacant lots on the north and east side of the property be rezoned from RA (5-acre residential) to planned unit development so two more commercial buildings could be constructed. His documentation showed that the buildings he plans to construct would look like old train stations.

Miner noted that her Palmer Lake Economic Development Committee was studying the types of businesses that would best survive in downtown Palmer Lake and encouraged Ennis to participate in the process. Coleman said he was at the Planning Commission meeting when Ennis’s proposal was first heard and opened to community input. Coleman added that he favored the PUD zoning—"so we can have some control and have a good idea of what’s going to happen"—and the train station theme. He added that he would try to make sure that Ennis "doesn’t build a building that blocks my view of the (town) star." Coleman lives to the south of the AT & SF Depot property .

Allen said the town must comply with new Colorado Senate Bill 90, which requires the board to annually direct the Police Department to report to U.S. Immigration and Customs Service any arrests of possible illegal aliens. Colorado House Bill 1343 requires the town to take measures to ensure that illegal aliens do not perform work on a public contract for services after Aug. 9.

The meeting adjourned at 8:15 p.m.

Great Outdoors Colorado has approved a grant request for playground and athletic field improvements at Palmer Lake Elementary School. The grant was announced at the regular Palmer Lake Town Council meeting on July 13. Three replats and a rezoning were approved. .

Trustees Jim Girlando, Trudy Finan, and Gary Coleman were excused.

Sue Huismann, playground coordinator for the Parent Teacher Organization, reported that Palmer Lake Elementary School had received a Great Outdoors Colorado grant for $132,874 to improve the school and community playground. The grant covers 70 percent of this amount, and the Parent Teacher Organization has already raised its 30 percent share of the grant. Huismann said contributions were raised by Serteens, the Tri-Lakes Women’s Club, and others. She said corporate grants were provided by Wal-Mart, Lowes, and Nickelodeon.

Huismann said the grant offers improvements "for all ages," most of which should be completed before school starts in August. They include: additional playground apparatus, artificial turf for the soccer field, basketball improvements (two half-courts and one full court), rubber surfaces throughout the playground, a jogging trail, and a four-lane track.

She asked the community to support a Neighborhood Watch program to help prevent further "extensive vandalism" of the new rubber surfaces that has occurred during construction. She asked the council to consider installing night lights and security cameras. The council unanimously approved a resolution supporting the grant and authorizing the funds.

Roads Trustee Richard Allen said that the town had prayed for rain for six years. However, the recent rains had damaged several of the town’s dirt roads. Allen asked citizens to be patient while they were being repaired as quickly as possible.

Allen asked for the council’s support to have the town’s attorney write a letter to the developer of the Circle Road project regarding his failure to complete required road improvements. Allen proposed having the developer establish a new line of credit to pay for the town completing the required road repairs and to deny him any future building permits until the road work is completed. The estimated cost of the remaining improvements is about $103,000 and the escrow for one year of maintenance is $4,500.

Mayor Max Parker reported that the Palmer Lake Volunteer Fire Department made 28 runs in June, 11 of which were mutual aid. Two volunteers attended the National Wildland Fire Academy in Cortez. Volunteers also supported the 24 hour bike race in the Douglas County Greenland Open Space. The Police Department completed 119 calls in June, with two custody arrests, 36 citations, and 16 traffic and dog warnings.

Parks and Recreation Trustee Trish Flake thanked all the volunteers and fire/police support for a very successful Fourth of July weekend. She said that she had met with park representatives of the Douglas and El Paso County parks departments to coordinate parking for Greenland Open Space in the town’s motorcycle park on the opposite side of County Line Road. The departments are asking for parking lot improvements and town signage to show the existing trail connections to the county’s Santa Fe Trailhead and Palmer Lake Park, in return for road crossing improvements. Signs could also be erected to urge people to use downtown shops.

Parker noted that the Fire Department building and Town Hall roofs needed to be replaced. Trustee Susan Miner said she would take the issue to her Economic Development Committee.

Miner distributed a progress report for the Economic Development Committee. She said 800 copies of a committee brochure have been distributed to solicit support for town initiatives to improve the economic climate through committee actions on the town’s Streetscape Plan. Bill Fisher is working with the Colorado Department of Transportation to survey their easements to make recommendations for sidewalk, tree, and bench improvements along Highway 105. Mary Meyer is researching the types and styles of equipment that are available for purchase. The town will seek funding support from CDOT for streetscape improvements.

Photographer Mark Kirkland and Sandra Kinchen of the Tri-Lakes Center for the Arts will conduct a photo competition to find the "look" of Palmer Lake to promote in future construction. The December competition will be open to amateurs and professionals. The center will show the entered photos for a month and use them to promote the town and streetscape program.

Miner’s committee was to meet with the Colorado State Economic Development Committee on July 24 to initiate an assessment on branding needs of the town for future promotions. Paula Johnson, Jess Smith, Al Fritts, and Don Bennett are studying visitor and customer demographics in conjunction with the state committee, with a public assessment meeting scheduled for Aug. 2. The collected data will be used, along with the branding analysis, to develop an appropriate marketing strategy and materials for the town.

Ann Jones, Mark Ennis, Jack Fry, Bill Roach, and Lee Kilbourn are studying the economic needs of businesses on Highway 105, including emphasis on updating signage ordinances and improving the image and character of the town’s commercial signs.

She also noted that Palmer Lake needed to preserve its essential character, which typifies the reasons most people have moved to the Tri-Lakes region. "We’ve still got what everyone came here for." She said the other areas are changing into "more modern communities."

Parker reported that he had attended a Pikes Peak Area Council of Governments meeting on future transportation funding. He said there is no short-term funding available to the town in the list of current priorities, but he would work to obtain funding for the town’s streetscape plan.

Bob Miner distributed copies of the agenda and minutes for the most recent Fountain Creek Watershed Committee meeting. He said that the recent heavy rains had flooded some basements in addition to damaging roads. He also said that state, county, and local elected officials are meeting to work on cost estimates for flood and erosion control for the communities in the watershed study.

Awake the Lake spokesman Jeff Hulsmann reported that the committee was working on three options to improve flow of surface water and drainage into Palmer Lake to offset evaporation. He said the level of the lake had dropped back to what it had been before the town pumped dechlorinated drinking water into it last summer, but had risen four inches due to heavy rain.

Parker noted that the town had provided the committee with copies of all the town’s documentation on easements and legal advice on refilling the lake by various methods. Hulsmann reported that the first phase of the committee’s engraved pavers had been installed near the memorial at the north end of the lake.

(Note: See Palmer Lake Workshop article for coverage of the council’s previous review of these applications on July 6.)

Willow Subdivision replat and vacation approved: Gray reported that the ordinance for vacating the town’s unused right-of-way at 400 S. Valley Crescent— within the Willow Subdivision—was not available for a vote.

Town Attorney Larry Gaddis asked applicant Tom Day if the town would get deeds for the land comprising the existing portions of the South Valley Crescent roadway within Day’s proposed plat. Day said the deeds for the roadway would be provided. Gaddis said all the easements within the subdivision and notes on the floodplain easement had to be shown on the plat. Flake said Stewart Title had given the town title insurance paperwork for each of the four subdivision lots, but there were some typographical errors in the documentation.

Pikes Peak Regional Building Department representative Kevin Stillson said his agency would accept creation of a floodplain easement within the 1.71-acre Lot 4, even though it is smaller than the 2.5-acre restriction of the new floodplain code adopted in late 2005. About 1.2 acres would be available for a single home. Stillson said Day’s donated easement allows sufficient access to emergency workers if there is flooding in the future.

Stillson answered a number of lengthy technical questions by the trustees, Gaddis, and Bob Miner regarding contingencies and the Pikes Peak Regional Building Code. Stillson stated that the Army Corps of Engineers only deals with water quality issues, not flooding or floodplain determinations, and did not need to approve the easement.

Day’s vacation and replat request was unanimously approved. After the vote, Gaddis said that this approval of the vacation and replat request was not official until the ordinance had been recorded with the county, after Day had provided the town with deeds for the land in the roadway.

Culpepper vacation and replat approved: Roger Culpepper’s request for a replat of his two lots in Block 2 of Lakeview Heights Unit 1, Third Amendment to make them roughly the same size was unanimously approved.

Starview Circle vacation and replat withdrawn: Carrie Johnson requested a vacation and replat to combine Lots 19-25 in Lakeview Heights Unit 2, Block 2, 4th Amendment to two larger lots. These lots were originally intended to have frontages on Cathedral Drive to the south of Starview Circle. Construction in Lakeview Heights has been delayed indefinitely because the town has not been able to provide water during the recent years of drought and there is no secondary access to the large parcel for emergency vehicles.

Trustee Richard Allen asked Johnson if the applicants also owned the triangular Lot 1 that lies between Lots 19-23 and the south side of Starview Circle. Johnson said someone else owns Lot 1 but has granted an ingress/egress access easement to RFP Investments LLC.

Allen also asked Johnson to confirm that the owners were aware of the pending three- to four-month moratorium on hearings for sloped lots while the town’s proposed hillside ordinance is reviewed in public hearings before the Planning Commission and Town Council, as requested of her at the council’s workshop meeting the previous week. Johnson said the owners were aware of the probable building restrictions that would be added to the town code, that the new restrictions would probably affect these lots, and that staff would notify her of the hearings.

During public comment, some residents opposed the controversial replat request. Starview Circle resident Patti Brooks said covenants existed for Block 1 and Block 2 of the development that might apply to the two homes to be built on the replatted lots owned by RFP Investments. Gaddis said the town is not in the business of enforcing covenants.

Neighbors submitted 13 letters concerning the replat. Brooks said their concerns were:

• The backs of the homes would face Starview Circle.

• The proposed multi-story homes would be built further uphill on the two steeply sloped lots in order to have driveways on Starview Circle and would damage views and property values of existing adjacent homes.

• There would be additional traffic and blowing dust on Starview Circle.

• Snow removal problems will occur when cars for these two houses are parked on the street, contrary to the Starview Circle homes’ covenants.

Brooks asked that the requested RFP Investments replat be delayed until all the access and water availability issues for the Lakeview Heights parcel are resolved. Johnson said the owners of land in Lakeview Heights had been paying taxes on the land since 1965 without being able to build on the land because the town could not provide water, yet the town was considering filling the lake with drinking water from a new town well. Johnson also said the applicants are aware of how many townhomes have to use well water due to the water system’s limitations, and are considering forming a water and sewer district for the parcel.

Brooks disagreed with Gaddis when he stated his legal opinion that the houses were entitled to Starview Circle access across the Lot 1 access easement, though she accepted his opinion that lots 19-21 were entitled to access because they directly abut Starview Circle.

Trustee Susan Miner asked if the council should grant a waiver to the applicant for access to these two lots from Cathedral Drive. Gaddis advised against doing so because it would set a precedent for others to seek a similar waiver, creating an unsafe emergency vehicle access situation since there is still only a single access to the parcel. The code requires at least two accesses for emergency vehicles.

Johnson said that Miner’s proposed waiver would lead to other Lakeview Height landowners trying to live on their lots in mobile homes until utilities were provided. Miner also said that the building heights for the two lots would not be a problem based on the existing hillside ordinances.

Brooks said there were already five homes in areas that should be prohibited ‘due to being in Unit 2. Gray said the staff would notify Brooks when the plans for the two houses were being reviewed by the town, prior to being forwarded to Regional Building.

The replat request was approved by a 3-1 vote, with Flake opposed.

Access Construction owner Mark Ennis requested a rezone of the property at 835 Highway 105. Ennis requested that the two vacant lots on the north and east side of the property be rezoned from RA (5-acre residential) to planned unit development so two more commercial buildings could be constructed. He said that the buildings he plans to construct would look like old train stations and provide space for office, retail, and restaurants. The rezoning was approved unanimously.

The council unanimously approved documents prepared by Gaddis to comply with new Colorado legislation. Colorado Senate Bill 90 requires the council to annually direct the Police Department in writing to report to U.S. Immigration and Customs those arrested for criminal offenses who may also be illegal aliens. Colorado House Bill 1343 requires the council to direct the staff in writing to ensure that illegal aliens do not perform work on a public contract for services, effective Aug. 9.

The council unanimously approved participation in the county’s November general election for a planned ballot initiative to approve a half-cent sales tax to fund the Palmer Lake Volunteer Fire Department. A standard intergovernmental agreement will be created between the town and the county for this ballot issue.

The council unanimously approved an emergency temporary moratorium, until Dec. 31, on acceptance, processing, and issuance of permits or approvals for building development within the Hillside Overlay District Zone. The moratorium does not affect any actions previously approved within the overlay district zone by the council or staff.

Below: On May 11, the Palmer Lake Town Council unanimously approved Tim Shank’s request for a preservation easement and 15-foot road easement allowing construction to begin under the limitations of the current hillside ordinance for Hallin Hill Lots 5A and 5B and the adjoining Lot 4 in the Pine-Crest Tri-District Assembly Grounds Addition No. 1. Adjacent residents complained vigorously that the excavated area exceeded the maximum allowable 15 percent slope at a special Roads Committee meeting and the regular council meeting on July 13. Mayor Max Parker and Roads Trustee Richard Allen visited the site on July 14 to hear citizen concerns. Photo by Jim Kendrick

There was a lengthy related discussion about hillside construction drainage problems, and specific problems from construction on Tim Shank’s hillside lots on the south side of Shady Lane. The construction had been approved in June. The discussion carried over from concerns also raised at the Roads Committee meeting that had preceded the council meeting.

Bob Miner asked the council to visit the site and stop the construction until compliance, safety, and damaging drainage issues could be resolved. Miner said the slope of the excavation exceeded 16 percent, above the 15 percent hillside ordinance limit. Miner also said immediate action was required because the construction crew would be building forms and pouring concrete the next day.

Thom Facinelli, whose house on Shady Lane is directly across the road from the two excavation sites, said that Shank’s lots were too steep to build on despite the dedication of a preservation easement to the town for the uppermost portion of the lots. Cindy Henson said that she was "totally appalled" by Day’s "unbelievable" plan.

Parker said the town could not act without further investigation of the site and the relevant ordinances. Gray advised the council that Shank’s site plan had been reviewed and approved by all the appropriate agencies. Gaddis advised the council that it could stop construction if a violation had occurred and to refer the issue to the town’s consultant engineer who had approved Shank’s site and construction plans.

Parker and Allen agreed to meet at the site the next morning and invited concerned citizens to meet with them there to address their specific concerns. Parker said he would have the town’s consultant engineer, Paul Gilbert, visit the site and provide his professional advice on the situation. Gaddis said the town could stop construction only if the work differed from the approved design in a manner that violates the ordinance.

The meeting adjourned at 9:15 p.m.

CORRECTION: In the July 1 issue it was reported that local historian Jim Sawatski was producing a documentary on Palmer Lake’s Chatauquas for Public Television. Sawatski is producing the documentary for the Palmer Lake Historical Society. It will be shown on Public Television.

The Monument Board of Trustees opted on June 5 to meet June 26 instead of July 3 to let the staff enjoy an extended Fourth of July weekend. This special meeting date was also picked to allow the board to receive the final 2005 audit before June 30, the deadline for submission to the trustees. However, the final audit was not completed in time for approval at this meeting.

Treasurer Pamela Smith distributed copies of the draft audit, noting that she did not expect any significant changes by auditor Kyle Logan of Swanhorst & Company, LLC. and that the final audit would be presented to the board July 17 and forwarded to the state before the July 31 deadline.

The board also approved three liquor license renewals, a new liquor license, renewal of the franchise agreement contract with Mountain View Electric Association, and the Fourth of July downtown street fair. All board members were present.

Trustee Dave Mertz thanked Town Manager Cathy Green, Mayor Byron Glenn, and the town staff for a successful presentation at the June 19 board meeting regarding road construction issues. Baptist Road has become inadequate near I-25 due to tremendous growth in the past eight years along Jackson Creek Parkway, and it will be required to handle additional traffic generated by three more annexations between Higby and Baptist roads.

The staff and trustees discussed the special road improvement districts being created to pay for road improvements within the annexing Home Place Ranch, Promontory Pointe, and Sanctuary Pointe developments via temporary mill levies. They also noted that the Baptist Road Rural Transportation Authority will propose a temporary 1-cent sales tax in the November election to finance improvements to the I-25 Baptist Road interchange (Exit 158).

The Colorado Department of Transportation says it does not expect to have funds available to improve the interchange in the near future. The narrow off-ramps and the aging two-lane bridge over I-25 would become an even worse traffic bottleneck and safety issue during peak traffic periods as Monument continues to grow in that area.

Trustee Steve Samuels said he and Trustee Gail Drumm had recently attended the annual Colorado Municipal League convention in Breckenridge. He said "the town is very blessed" to have such an exceptional staff in terms of professionalism, productivity, and cooperation in comparison to most other Colorado towns of a similar size, based on the comments by other town officials at the session.

Franchise fee contract unanimously approved

Kevin Holbrook of Mountain View Electric Association and Green discussed the changes in the utility’s new franchise agreement with the town. Green said that the new contract increases the maximum franchise fee for one year from $20,000 to $100,000. Town Attorney Gary Shupp said the new contract was better than the one that had expired at the beginning of the year because it allows for the franchise fee to be renegotiated annually. The ordinance authorizing and approving the new contract was approved unanimously.

Triview excess effluent agreement approved

The board unanimously approved an agreement with Triview Metropolitan District that lets the town purchase the district’s excess effluent from the Upper Monument Creek Regional Wastewater Treatment Facility just north of the Air Force Academy. Like the new intergovernmental agreement recently signed with Donala Water and Sanitation District, the town may purchase excess effluent at $50 per acre-foot when either district releases excess effluent into Monument Creek below the Monument Lake dam.

The price of the effluent can be renegotiated annually. Triview, like Donala, is responsible for accounting for the flows in its regular augmentation water reports to the state. However, the state has not approved either excess effluent sales agreement.

In order to store surface water in the lake, the town must ensure that an equal amount of water flows downstream below the dam for others who have adjudicated water rights in Monument Creek to use. Currently, the town must measure all water flowing into Monument Lake to ensure that an equal amount of water is released downstream through the dam until it secures storage rights through pending litigation in the state water court.

Excess effluent is available for purchase from the two special districts intermittently throughout the year. It is generated from used renewable water that flows through the treatment facility and does not include used well water from the Denver basin aquifers. The districts alone determine when and how much of their excess effluent will be sold to the town.

Once the town obtains water storage rights for Monument Lake, surface water flowing from Monument Creek into the north end of the lake could be held behind the dam if an equal amount of excess treated effluent from the wastewater facility is released into the creek from the wastewater facility below the dam.

No treated effluent water from either the Upper Monument Creek Regional or Tri-Lakes Wastewater Treatment facilities that serve the entire Tri-Lakes region would be pumped back upstream to be stored in Monument Lake above the dam under either the Triview or Donala intergovernmental agreements, as has been erroneously reported by other media.

Police Chief Jake Shirk explained resolutions regarding new state and federal laws requiring the board to direct the Police Department to enforce them and to reiterate that notification to the department annually. Shirk said, "The law is aimed at combating policies or ordinances that impede enforcement of state and federal immigration laws."

Recently passed Colorado Senate Bill 90 requires town police to notify the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Office of anyone arrested for a criminal offense if there is probable cause to believe that person "is not in the United States legally." This is only an administrative notification to the agency.

Another requirement, which is to go into effect on Aug. 9 under Colorado House Bill 1343, is that all town contracts clearly state that no contractor may knowingly employ or contract with illegal aliens to perform services for the town. If a contractor violates this, the town can immediately cancel the contract and hold the contractor liable for all actual and consequential damages incurred due to the cancellation. Sample contract clauses to implement this requirement were included in the trustees’ staff package for the resolution, which was approved unanimously.

The board unanimously approved liquor license renewals for Eagle Wine and Spirits, 1060 W. Baptist Road, and Jackson Creek Chinese Restaurant, 1054 W. Baptist Road – both in the King Soopers shopping center – as well as for La Casa Fiesta Restaurant at 230 Front St., in downtown Monument. The renewals were approved unanimously after a brief discussion with Eagle owner Randy Obermeyer about his new training program and his new mandatory ID-check contract with each of his employees.

Obermeyer requires them to card any purchaser who appears to be under 35 years old or be fired on the spot. Obermeyer said he renews this contract each quarter with all of his employees after an 80-minute discussion of training and contract issues and requires new signatures on new contracts. His employees are also offered a $500 reward for denying sales to any underage purchaser who turns out to be part of a town or state "sting operation." Typically, youths working in a sting operation present their real ID cards that show they are underage when carded, so that the sting only catches sales to youthful-looking customers when they are not required to show any ID. Owners are then informed whether they passed or failed the sting.

Also approved was a new liquor license for the Asian Garden Restaurant at 15910 Jackson Creek Parkway in the Monument Marketplace, on the condition that a state background check shows a clean record for the operators. Town Clerk Scott Meszaros and attorney Vince Linden noted that owners Ki Su and Sieu Te Su had previously operated the Mandarin House Restaurant on Highway 105 for eight years without a problem and were actually transferring that license to the new business location.

Town attorney: Shupp reported that the District Court had "granted summary judgment in favor of all defendants" in the suit filed by Lewis-Palmer School District 38 against the town and several landowners regarding a desired land dedication to the school district within Jackson Creek near Lewis-Palmer High School. He added that there were no costs to the town for the legal defense provided by its insurer and the school district had not made a decision on whether it would appeal the decision.

Director of Development Services: Tom Kassawara noted that new Monument Principal Planner Karen Griffith had started working full time in Town Hall. During the transition from her previous planning position with Douglas County in Castle Rock, she had split her time between the two jobs.

Public Works director: Rich Landreth discussed the capabilities of the Lake of the Rockies well that was dedicated to the town as part of the rezoning of the commercial campground to residential "planned development." He noted that while the well was rated at 40 gallons per minute, the 26-year-old pump had never been operated at that capacity or continuously for any extended period. Landreth added that using this well to pump drinking water into Monument Lake would only partially offset the evaporation that was steadily lowering the level of the lake.

Glenn said he was opposed to pumping any limited Denver basin drinking water into the lake because it would all evaporate. He also noted that the proposed maximum density for the Lake of the Rockies housing development used nearly all the available drinking water capacity under the parcel that had been approved by the state water engineer.

Trustee Samuels and Trustee Tommie Plank asked for additional information on the legal issues regarding use of any town well water to refill Monument Lake, before or after storage rights are obtained by the town.

Police chief: Shirk reported the recent training of 18 Monument residents for Civilian Emergency Response Training (CERT) certificates. This will be an ongoing training program by the department.

Shirk also reported on several recent cases where a detective was called in to investigate drugs, organized crime, illegal firearms, weapons, false ID production, and numerous other problems due to more aggressive questioning by patrol officers after routine arrests for other issues. The town detective’s interviews have led to increased involvement and support by several federal enforcement agencies and overtime for the department. Trustee Travis Easton asked Shirk to thank his staff for their increased effectiveness.

Town manager: Green noted progress on the redesign of Limbach Park facilities. Design of the new band shell will cost approximately $2,000. Cost for materials and construction will not be known until the design is complete.

Green also reported that she had asked consultant firm Kirkham/Michael for advice on how to implement a "quiet zone" for railroad engine horns near the Second Street crossing. The proposed consultant fee is $10,000 to help formulate a plan to submit to the Public Utilities Commission and the Railroad Administration as well as the railroad. She said the town would have to extend the medians on either side of the Second Street crossing. Plank said the state should let towns enforce their own quiet zones.

Glenn said the board should address this unbudgeted consultant cost after the mid-year 2006 budget restatement is completed. Green and Smith concurred.

The meeting adjourned at 7:40 p.m.

The Monument Board of Trustees approved two road construction special districts to raise property tax revenue to pay for road improvements to accommodate additional traffic generated by the Home Place Ranch and Promontory Pointe annexations. Residents of the developments will vote on the creation of each of these revenue-raising special districts in the November election. A third district will be proposed for Sanctuary Pointe development as well, after it is annexed by the town and included by Triview Metropolitan District.

Triview will design, construct, and maintain the road improvements paid for by dedicated property taxes from these three annexations. Gleneagle Drive will be extended north as a collector from the Baptist Road intersection to Higby Road, where it will connect with Furrow Road sometime in the future, in accordance with the county’s Major Transportation Corridors Plan.

Trustee Gail Drumm was absent.

Mayor Byron Glenn announced that the Pikes Peak Area Council of Governments had voted on July 12 to increase the priority of proposed Baptist Road I-25 interchange improvements to number 3 on its list of most important road projects, the Transportation Improvement Plan.

Glenn said he would meet with the Colorado Department of Transportation on Aug. 17 regarding a future payback of the principal for Baptist Road Rural Transportation Authority (BRRTA) bonds that are to privately finance the improvements to the state’s Baptist Road I-25 interchange. He also announced that BRRTA had voted in favor of a November ballot question, for a temporary one-cent sales tax to pay the interest on these private road construction bonds. (See BRRTA article.)

Glenn also announced that all grants to the Front Range Express (FREX) commuter bus system, which operates between Colorado Springs and Denver, were about to run out and that FREX had asked towns along the route for subsidies to help keep the company solvent. The amount requested from Monument for its share of the total subsidy, $56,000 per year, was said to be roughly proportional to the FREX ridership served at the Monument park-and-ride at the intersection of Highway 105 and Woodmoor Drive. All other communities with FREX stops have also been asked for subsidies.

Director of Development Services Tom Kassawara reported that Colorado Commercial Builders was seeking approval for its Filing 2 of the Village Center @ Woodmoor development. This single-family home filing lies along the eastern and southern boundaries of this 140-acre parcel. Construction is well under way in Filing 1 on the southwest portion of the parcel. The Village Center parcel, at the southeast corner of Highway 105 and Knollwood Drive, was called the Wahlborg Addition when it was annexed by the town of Monument.

The plat for Filing 2 showed specific home lots as well as roadways and easements. This residential filing is 30.55 acres and composed of:

• 46 single-family home lots (11,875 to 41,997 square feet)—21.55 acres

• Street right-of-way—5.86 acres

• Open space—3.14 acres

The proposed plat and planned development design guidelines are consistent with those in the originally approved planned development master plan for the whole parcel. Kassawara proposed no conditions on the requested plat approval.

Kassawara said the town and CDOT had approved the layout of the added traffic lanes and traffic signal at Highway 105 and Knollwood. Some negotiations remained to be completed with Mountain View Electric Association (MVEA) for traffic signal easements. President Dale Turner, of developer Colorado Commercial Builders, said his company had paid MVEA for the necessary traffic signal improvements but had not received a firm installation date. Turner said MVEA will not install its utilities until the plat is recorded.

The board unanimously approved the plat for Filing 2.

Filing 3 is northwest of Filing 2 in the Village Center @ Woodmoor development. Kassawara said this was a boundary plat. It did not show individual lots for the planned multifamily residential buildings. This residential filing is 22.37 acres and composed of:

• Three large vacant lots—12.84.55 acres

• Street right-of-way—3.14 acres

• Open space—5.62 acres

• Highway 105 right-of-way—0.77 acres

• Density of six to eight dwelling units per acre

Also, a land use plat note says, "2.08 acres to be reserved as open space in lot 3."

Kassawara said the property boundaries are consistent with those in the approved master plan. He reported that the "applicant has cooperated with the Town to modify the open space tract configuration in the northeast corner of the property to accommodate a future senior center, proposed to be developed by others." He added that the developer would have to return to the Planning Commission and the Board of Trustees for approval of a site plan for Filing 3.

Kassawara proposed no conditions on approval of the boundary plat. The board unanimously approved the plat for Filing 3.

The town code had previously required that a final site plan had to be approved by the Board of Trustees before vacant land could be graded. The proposed new language in the emergency ordinance includes these words:

"The Director of Development Services or designee shall have the authority in unusual circumstances to issue a grading permit prior to final site plan approval including but not limited to grading needing to be accomplished in conjunction with adjacent public improvements."

Kassawara reported that the final site plan for the recently annexed Monument Ridge development has not been approved. The Monument Ridge parcel abuts the south side of Baptist Road, southeast of the Jackson Creek Parkway intersection. The Monument Ridge landowner had already dedicated a right-of-way to the county to widen Baptist Road as well as land for acceleration and deceleration lanes. However, immediate grading on the Monument Ridge parcel was also required for MVEA to move its utility lines on the parcel and in the road right-of-way.

Kassawara said the emergency ordinance would save about $750,000 in BRRTA and Pikes Peak RTA funding if the cost of moving utility lines could be avoided. MVEA requires immediate regrading of the vacant Monument Ridge parcel for the temporary utility line relocations. Kassawara also emphasized that the grading by the landowner would be entirely at the landowners’ risk, with no implications for the town or the county. (See BRRTA article.)

Glenn and Trustee Travis Easton expressed concerns about vacant land eroding after 30 days without reseeding or a water quality and erosion plan. Kassawara said the board could direct him to resolve problems that may arise. The board unanimously approved the emergency ordinance.

The board unanimously approved an ordinance that corrected a long-standing zoning issue. No ordinance had ever been passed by the town to adopt the Regency Park zoning code during the town’s original annexation of land on the east side of I-25 in 1987. Triview Metropolitan District also formally adopted the Regency Park Zoning on June 28. Negotiations between town and Triview staff in the past several months have finally unified the zones for greater consistency and coherency of development reviews and hearings. (See Triview article.)

Consultant engineer Chris Doherty, of Ayres Associates, presented the final Downtown Monument Stormwater Master Plan and a separate Executive Summary requested by staff. The flooding that had occurred downtown recently matched the models Ayres had developed. Doherty showed several pictures he took during the town flooding that confirmed Ayres’ findings and supported the recommendations for improved drainage.

Doherty proposed three long-term comprehensive options to improve downtown drainage by use of:

• Detention ponds only—$3 million

• Underground piping only—$4.2 million

• A mix of detention ponds and piping—$3.6 million

He said the contingency factor for each option’s budget was 40 percent.

Kassawara said the Ayres drainage model could be updated as drainage improvements are installed. He added that the town’s drainage impact fee fund had paid for the Ayres study.

Monument Planning Commissioner Lowell Morgan suggested revising the recently created parking lot ordinance that now requires asphalt rather than gravel lots. He asked Doherty if a gravel lot would be as impervious to rain as asphalt. Glenn and Easton said that gravel and dirt parking lots quickly become hard-packed under tire pressure and are roughly 97 percent as impervious as asphalt once they are well used.

The ordinance "to approve the stormwater master plan and implement construction based on budgetary constraints" passed unanimously.

Triview attorney Peter Susemihl presented a service plan that would create three new road improvement special districts within the expanded Triview. The districts would raise tax revenue to fund improvements on three major roads serving Home Place Ranch, Promontory Pointe, and Sanctuary Pointe. He said separate special districts are needed because of different prices for homes and different build-out schedules.

Triview would design, build, and maintain the road improvements, using the property tax revenue raised by the three new special districts. However, Sanctuary Pointe has not been annexed by the town yet, a requirement for inclusion by Triview.

Some of the property tax revenue will be used to extend Gleneagle Drive northward, through Promontory Pointe and Home Place Ranch, to the future Furrow Road intersection with Higby Road.

Property taxes for residents of the proposed Sanctuary Pointe development will also help pay for this Gleneagle Drive extension, once the former Baptist Church Camp parcel is annexed by Monument in a month or two, because they will also heavily use that road. There is only one planned east-west collector road in Sanctuary Pointe, with one major access at each end.

Some of the property tax revenue raised by the three special districts will be used to fund improvements that Triview will build on Higby Road, a county road, adjacent to Home Place Ranch.

Some of the revenue will also be used to complete the construction of the two northbound lanes of Jackson Creek Parkway, between the Monument Marketplace and Highway 105. The two northbound lanes between Higby Road and Highway 105 are inside the town but outside of Triview.

The three special districts would be reimbursed by future developments that also will add traffic.

The resolutions stated the maximum mill levy these three new districts can charge is 35 mills, compared with the 25 mills Triview currently charges its residents and the 32 mill maximum it could charge for all routine district operations. The three special districts would dissolve once the road construction debt is paid off.

The property tax revenue to be raised by the three special districts is unrelated to and would not supplement the following:

• The recently doubled BRRTA traffic impact fees for improvements to Baptist Road.

• The proposed BRRTA one-cent sales tax for privately financed improvements to the state’s Baptist Road I-25 interchange.

The Triview rate and fee increases for 2007 used for routine district operations. The Triview board actions on July 26 to refinance Triview’s $35 million debt. (See Triview article.)

There was a lengthy technical discussion of alternative revenue-raising methods and why they were rejected in favor of road improvement special districts.

Separate resolutions were unanimously approved for the revenue-raising special districts for Promontory Pointe (Triview District 2) and Home Place Ranch (Triview District 3). Triview will petition the District Court for separate November ballot issues to create these two special districts.

A separate resolution on the proposed service plan for Sanctuary Pointe (Triview District 4) was unanimously tabled until this parcel has been annexed by the town and included by Triview. At that time it will be too late to petition the District Court for a November 2006 election, so the election for the Sanctuary Pointe special district will be requested for November 2007.

"High Country Chili Cook-off" resolution approved: The board unanimously approved a request by Woody Woodworth to close Washington Street between Second and Third Streets from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sept. 16. The annual chili cook-off will be held in front of the sponsoring High Country Home and Garden Store on Washington. Funds raised will be donated to Tri-Lakes Cares.

Town Manager Cathy Green said that the town was seeking grants for drainage improvements identified in the just-approved Stormwater Master Plan.

She added that the town had been approved for $125,000 in Community Development Block Grant money. The town’s match will be around $275,000.

Third Street was designated a blighted area, which means it "substantially impairs or arrests the sound growth of the municipality, retards the provision of housing accommodations, or constitutes an economic or social liability, and is a menace to public health, safety, morals, and welfare of the Town of Monument." Green said these are the government words that must be used to imply that Third Street drainage is "crumbling government infrastructure" creating a safety hazard. The "blighted area" designation does not apply to any private property off Third Street.

The "blighted area" resolution was unanimously approved.

The board also unanimously approved the annual renewal of the intergovernmental agreement with the El Paso County Department of Transportation concerning "the exchange of maintenance" that governs the town’s exchange of snow removal and ice control services with the county for area roads.

Treasurer Pamela Smith asked the board to schedule a special meeting on July 31 to review and approve the final 2005 audit so it could be submitted to the state on the Aug. 1 deadline. The board approved her request.

Town Attorney Gary Shupp said the Court of Appeals had dismissed Kalima Masse’s appeal of the District Court’s referral of her lawsuit back to the Board of Trustees for a rehearing on her application for renewal of an out-of-date business license for the concrete batch plant (at the corner of Highway 105 and Washington Street). Shupp also said that all three of the town’s outstanding court cases may be resolved by the end of 2006.

Kassawara and the trustees agreed to schedule a "town hall meeting" to hear community input on the proposals in the new Stormwater Master Plan. No date was set.

Kassawara and Glenn discussed the disagreement the developer of Monument Ridge was having with the county over his request for a "full-motion" traffic light at Jackson Creek Crossing and Baptist Road (the eastern Baptist Road access to the King Soopers Center). Green said the county was adamantly opposed to installing the signal.

Baptist Road will become a major arterial from Desiree Drive to Old Denver Highway after the widening project is completed. The county’s standard for minimum traffic signal separation on major arterials is a half-mile. The requested traffic signal at the Jackson Creek Crossing intersection is less than one-quarter mile east of Jackson Creek Parkway and less than one-half mile west of Leather Chaps Drive. The half-mile minimum spacing standard minimizes long traffic delays on arterials with a lot of full-motion signals for dedicated left-turn lanes in all four directions.

Glenn said that this proposed Jackson Creek Crossing signal will be installed only if the town annexes Baptist Road. He has never presented the trustees with an estimate of long-term maintenance costs the town would have to pay after annexation of Baptist Road and all its adjacent supporting utility and drainage infrastructure from the county.

Glenn believes the Jackson Creek Crossing intersection must be full motion to relieve traffic backups at the Jackson Creek Parkway access to the King Soopers Center, which will get worse after Wal-Mart opens in the Monument Marketplace and stores begin to open in the planned Jackson Creek Market Village directly east of King Soopers.

The new Market Village center’s sole access to Baptist Road will be the existing Jackson Creek Crossing intersection with Baptist. Exiting traffic from both centers will continue to be forced to go west on Baptist; no left turns will be allowed (going east on Baptist). Most of the traffic exiting from both of these shopping centers will use the Jackson Creek Parkway access. This will worsen backups within the King Soopers Center as more stores open and the parkway traffic becomes heavier.

Police Chief Jake Shirk said most burglaries continue to occur where garage doors have been left open or cars left unlocked with valuables in plain sight. Actual break-ins are way down following the department’s arrest of the main burglar. Shirk said the town could initiate Neighborhood Watch programs and continue to offer home inspections to help homeowners better protect themselves against thefts.

Green reported that processing of the loan for the new police building on the southwest corner of Beacon Lite Road and Highway 105 was being delayed until after the 2005 audit was completed, to help get the best available interest rate. A replat and environmental assessment of the property need to be accomplished before site planning can be considered.

Auditor Kyle Logan of Swanhorst & Cutler, LLC told the Monument Board of Trustees that his firm had issued a "clean" report on July 31. The special meeting was called so that the final audit could be approved and forwarded to the state on time.

Logan praised the work performed by town Treasurer Pamela Smith, who was completing her first year in public finance after a full career as a corporate CPA and audit specialist. Mayor Byron Glenn and Trustees Gail Drumm and Tommie Plank were absent. Trustee Dave Mertz, who is mayor pro tem, presided.

Logan specifically noted progress in the financial controls implemented by Smith and Finance Assistant Mary Russelavage, with the help of Town Manager Cathy Green. Logan also praised the adoption of new computer accounting software that will increase the availability and timeliness of information for individual accounts.

Smith and Green noted that the town needed to add an employee for water system billing and further separation of cash receipt, accounting, and deposit responsibilities to increase cash control. They also noted that revenues are above the amount budgeted for 2006, while expenses are lower than expected, which may enable the town to add a full-time position this year, after the budget restatement in August.

The board unanimously accepted Smith’s quarterly financial report for April, May, and June.

The board also unanimously approved a resolution that allows unclaimed and unreimbursable overpayments to individual town water bill accounts to be moved to the town water fund after all reasonable attempts to refund the money have failed for over one year.

The board unanimously approved a new ordinance that authorizes the town to appoint a hearing officer for time-consuming administrative matters that do not require hearings by the full Board of Trustees, the Planning Commission, the Board of Adjustment or any other town department or subdivision. Under this new ordinance, the appointed hearing officer will be authorized to conduct quasi-judicial and administrative hearings.

Applicants may appeal the decision of the hearing officer to the full body having jurisdiction over the matter. If that body decides not to act within 20 days of receiving the appeal, the decision of the hearing officer is final. Applicants could then appeal the hearing officer’s decision to the District Court.

Green noted that this new process will likely be implemented soon now that the Court of Appeals has dismissed Kalima Masse’s Rockwell Ready-Mixed Concrete batch plant appeal. She also noted that she expected to be the first hearing officer under the new ordinance.

In October 2002, the town clerk rejected Masse’s request to renew a long obsolete and unrenewed business license in order to reopen the long inoperative and derelict concrete batch plant on the northeast corner of Washington Street and Highway 105. Masse’s appeal of the clerk’s decision was heard and rejected by the Board of Trustees on May 12, 2003. Masse then appealed this decision to the District Court. After the court remanded the issue back to the town, Masse appealed that court decision to the Court of Appeals in 2005.

The special meeting adjourned at 7:35 p.m. The next regular board meeting is at 6:30 p.m. on Aug. 7 in Town Hall, 166 Second St. Meetings are normally held on the first and third Monday of the month.

Although the Monument Planning Commission reviewed the proposed preliminary/final plat and preliminary PD site plan for the Promontory Pointe development and heard public comments during an open hearing, the vote on these proposals was continued for one month. One of the developer’s consultants was one day late in sending out the registered hearing notification letters to owners of property abutting the parcel.

Commissioner Tom Martin was absent.

Director of Development Services Tom Kassawara presented three options for the Promontory Pointe hearings:

• Table both hearings until a new advertising cycle has been completed that complies with the 15-day registered letter notification requirement.

• Hold a public hearing to hear the developer’s presentation and public comments from citizens in attendance, but delay the vote until the next meeting so that registered letters for that hearing can be sent with at least 15 days’ notice.

• Hold the hearing and vote on the proposals despite the notification error.

Kassawara said the proposals were substantially unchanged from previous presentations to the Planning Commission. Minor changes were made in the configuration of some drainage, and the name of a road and cul-de-sac must be changed. He said new Town Planner Karen Griffith, who was hired after the last hearings, will now add her analysis of the approval criteria for the proposals.

He added that minor necessary technical corrections not worthy of the commissioner’s consideration and time would no longer be listed as conditions of approval for the Planning Commission to expedite their hearings. The staff will ensure that these minor items are corrected before the final Board of Trustees hearing. Major changes and significant technical corrections will still be listed as conditions for Planning Commission hearings.

Town Attorney Gary Shupp advised the commissioners that if they voted on the proposals without the 15-day notification, the town could be subject to a "Rule 106" challenge and possibly a hearing in District Court. If someone did object, the court would have to determine if there had been a substantive violation by the town or if adequate notice had actually been given despite the one-day violation. He noted that the Planning Commission is an advisory body and the hearing was preliminary to the final Board of Trustees’ hearing and vote on the two proposals.

The applicant’s representative, Terry Schooler, said the developer advocated that the commission vote on the proposals because the one-day delay in mailing was insignificant. He noted that there had been several previous hearings to hear citizen concerns and that the proposed development had been extensively revised to meet all their concerns, resulting in significant delays already.

Schooler said that Kassawara had noted that there had been no substantial changes since the last hearing, since there were no complaints at that time. A few lots had been eliminated to improve drainage, further lowering the density of the proposal.

Delaney suggested that each hearing proceed normally, including public comment from citizens in attendance, and then the commissioners would vote for one of the suggested procedural options. Shupp and the other commissioners concurred.

Kassawara reported that Mount Vernon Estates Land Holdings requested "approval of a preliminary/final plat to subdivide 116.86 acres into a 284-unit single family residential subdivision." The proposed land use breakdown was:

• Gross density—2.43 dwelling units per acre

• Net density—3.08 dwelling units per acre

• Residential lots—77.80 acres (67 percent)

• Road right-of-way—24.41 acres (21 percent)

• Open space and parks tracts—14.64 acres (12 percent)

• Average lot size—12,214 square feet

• Minimum lot size—7,500 square feet

• Larger lots (H-1 section)—224 lots that are larger than 9,500 square feet on 62.55 acres (84.33 percent)

• Smaller lots (H-2 section)—60 lots that are 7,500 to 9,500 square feet on 11.62 acres (15.67 percent)

In addition to two parks (3.88 acres), there are landscape buffers and an east-west trail that traverses the development to help connect the Santa Fe Trail to Fox Run Park. The developer will give District 38 cash in lieu of dedicating 4.5 acres of land for public schools. Street maintenance will be provided by Triview Metropolitan District per the Regency Park Annexation intergovernmental agreement.

The subdivision conforms to the PD sketch plan approved by the Board of Trustees on Jan. 3. Parks maintenance will be performed by the town, a change from previous policy.

Name of Gleneagle Drive extension will differ: Kassawara noted that the Enumerations Office of the Pikes Peak Regional Building Department had rejected "Ranch Pointe Road" as the proposed name for the extension of Gleneagle Drive north of Baptist Road. This road will extend through Promontory Pointe and the Home Place Ranch development to Higby Road at the future intersection with Furrow Road.

Triview Metropolitan District Manager Ron Simpson suggested the name Ranch Pointe Road to reflect these two developments as well as the proposed Sanctuary Pointe development. All three developers will pay for the now-widened extension of Gleneagle Drive.

Each of the three annexations will create a separate road improvement special district and have differing mill levies due to differing products and densities. These districts will also help pay for other improvements to Higby Road and Jackson Creek Parkway north of Higby. All new homes within these three annexations are also subject to Baptist Road Rural Transportation Authority traffic impact fees.

The Ranch Pointe name was also supposed to differentiate Promontory Pointe, now a town development, from the Gleneagle development, which is in the county. At several previous hearings, some citizens and town staff were critical of changing the name from the long-planned "Gleneagle Drive." They said or wrote that a different name would be confusing for most motorists, particularly emergency vehicle, commercial delivery, and community services drivers.

Kassawara said the developers had agreed to use the name of one of the cul-de-sacs in the development for the collector road since the Enumerations Office had already approved the name. The extension of Gleneagle Drive north to Higby Road is now to be called Old Post Road, a name that has no implied or intended historical significance. He also said no replacement name had yet been selected or approved for the cul-de-sac.

Kassawara reminded the commissioners that the issues they were to address on the plat were easements, circulation, layout, lot size, buffers, and road locations. Other matters were to be discussed during the site plan hearing.

Schooler said he agreed with Kassawara’s staff report and recommendations. He asked the board to proceed with the vote on the plat due to the number of previous hearings and lack of objections at the most recent Planning Commission hearing. He also asked them to vote favorably after hearing public comment.

Public comments: Dick Wolf spoke in favor of the proposal for the adjacent Kingswood Estates residents, who had signed a formal agreement with the developer. Wolf noted that the developer had addressed all the landowners’ concerns by changing the lot sizes, rear setbacks, lot lines, sight lines, and building heights on the adjacent Promontory Pointe lots. The developer also had agreed to pay for a screening fence that spans the common boundary of the two developments. This fence will be built on the lots of the Kingswood landowners.

Wolf said that the Kingswood residents had not seen the revised drawings presented at this hearing. The commissioners and Wolf then reviewed and discussed the drawings for several minutes.

Commissioner John Kortgardner asked the citizens in attendance if they had any concerns about proceeding with a vote on the proposed plat and site plan. Wolf said there should be no waiver on proper notification by the developer and that the commissioners should follow their own rules, "15 days is 15 days, that’s the rule." He also noted that this would further hold up a long-delayed process that started in January. Wolf added that the county residents had to follow all the town’s ordinances and needed a lawyer at the previous hearings to protect their interests and achieve the written agreement with the developer.

Though there were numerous citizens in attendance, no others spoke in favor of or in opposition to the plat, and public discussion was closed.

Traffic talk: Commissioner Vince Hamm asked Kassawara to clarify some traffic issues. Kassawara noted that the only secondary access to Jackson Creek was Lyon’s Tail Road. The other proposed secondary access, a connection from Promontory Pointe to Jackson Creek at Walters Creek Drive, had been eliminated at the request of Jackson Creek residents. A Promontory Pointe cul-de-sac will be immediately adjacent to a Walters Creek Drive cul-de-sac. The Walters Creek cul-de-sac will extend this roadway eastward, past the location of the existing dead-end barrier. The adjacent cul-de-sacs will allow emergency vehicles to safely drive between the developments, even though there will be no roadway connection for routine traffic.

Kassawara noted that the main north-south collector road connecting with Gleneagle Drive still has a 60-foot right-of-way instead of the 50-foot right-of-way initially advocated by Triview, Schooler, and the developer’s attorney, Duncan Bremer, at the initial Planning Commission and Board of Trustees hearings at the beginning of the year. Kassawara said this was a compromise with the developer reached by the town, the Board of County Commissioners, and local residents.

In contrast, the right-of-way for the extension of Gleneagle Drive farther north to Higby Road through the Home Place Ranch annexation will be 80 feet wide, in compliance with county standards for collector roads like Gleneagle Drive. Construction of the initially proposed 50-foot-wide right-of-way would have required an amendment to Triview’s road regulations to waive the 60-foot requirement. Simpson had proposed creation of a new category of collector where the road would have been narrower than the county standard and each house on this road would have its own driveway. There are no driveways on Gleneagle Drive because county collector standards prohibit them.

After further technical discussion about future hearing procedures and notification requirements, the commissioners approved a motion to continue the plat hearing until Aug. 9 by a 5-1 vote, with Commissioner Carl Armijo opposed.

Schooler asked that the preliminary PD site plan hearing proceed as well, so that the developer could know the commissioners’ views on the proposal. Shupp and Kassawara suggested that public comment should also be heard for the developer’s benefit.

Conditions of approval: Kassawara said this more detailed site plan was consistent with the sketch PD site plan previously approved by the commissioners. He said that individual Promontory Pointe builders will have to present building elevations and neighborhood identification signage to the Planning Commission and Board of Trustees before the final PD site plans for each phase will be approved.

Kassawara pointed out that, at the request of the staff, all the open space in the development, including the trail, would be created during construction of Phase 1, over half the development, at the south end of the parcel. Phase 2 is north of Phase 1, and Phase 3 is the north end of the property.

The notes on the first page of the plan codify the provisions of the signed agreement with Kingswood residents that Wolf had just discussed. There are also two sentences in the printed "Zoning Regulations" that state, "Only one-story ranch-style homes will be built along the eastern border with the Kingswood development. This regulation applies to Block 3: Lots 1-21, 54, 55, and 59." Elsewhere the maximum structural height is 35 feet. Page 3 of the PD site plan assigns maintenance responsibility for the two parks to the town of Monument.

Kassawara proposed nine conditions of approval for the site plan. Two are standard conditions for all proposed site plans, but seven of them were technical corrections that were "substantial enough to bring to your attention," he said. These include:

1. Provisions shall be added to preserve trees and rock outcroppings located outside the building area to the extent possible during the construction. All buildings would be sited to preserve as much native vegetation as possible.

2. Zoning provisions for the Triview water tank site and well site shall be included, and a zone district shall be indicated for the tank site.

3. Where provisions of the site plan do not address a particular subject, the relevant provisions of the Town of Monument Municipal Code, as amended from time to time, shall apply.

4. The site plan shall be amended to incorporate landscape islands in all cul-de-sacs as requested by staff.

5. All referral agency comments shall be addressed to the satisfaction of staff.

6. Architectural, specialty pavement, and accent landscaping details for the main entrance to the project must be provided and approved by staff. Any improvements in the town rights-of-way must be approved by staff.

7. A clear definition of the south property line along Baptist Road must be provided so that staff can determine if proposed landscaping shown is in the Baptist Road right-of-way.

8. Approval is subject to final approval of engineering plans by staff.

9. Approval is subject to technical corrections to the satisfaction of staff.

Schooler commented on Kassawara’s proposed conditions: "We appreciate working with the staff. We’ve come a long way, and I think we’re in basic agreement on all these items. Sounds like we’re going to have another 30 days … to clear up some of the technical items."

Public comment: Wolf asked that the agreement be formally attached to the hearing record, saying he had no additional comments to those he had previously made. There were no public comments for or against the proposed site plan.

Kortgardner asked Schooler to make sure that the design of their portion of Gleneagle Drive and Baptist Road comply with county arterial standards and match the current design as much as possible.

A motion to continue the site plan hearing to Aug. 9 passed 5-1, with Armijo opposed.

The meeting adjourned at 7:37 p.m. The next meeting is at 6:30 p.m. on Aug. 9 at Town Hall, 166 Second St. Meetings are normally held the second Wednesday of the month.

At a special meeting, the BRRTA board discussed surprisingly high costs, more than double the original estimate, to move Mountain View Electric Association lines in the Baptist Road right-of-way. The board also approved participation in the November election for the proposed BRRTA 1-cent sales tax ballot initiative to privately finance construction of the I-25 interchange.

County Commissioner Jim Bensberg was absent.

The purpose of this "town hall" meeting was to seek community support for a BRRTA sales tax to privately finance improvements to the state’s Baptist Road I-25 interchange (Exit 158) to match the county’s Baptist Road widening improvements that are being financed by BRRTA and the Pikes Peak Rural Transportation Authority (PPRTA).

The board unanimously approved payments of $4,787.44 to Grimshaw and Harring for legal services and $2,510.77 to R.S. Wells for BRRTA management services performed since the May 12 special meeting.

District Manager Denise Denslow reported that the start of the 2005 audit, the first audit of BRRTA’s routine annual finances, had been delayed, but would only take a few days to complete once started. She added that she had already filed for an extension to allow BRRTA to submit the final audit after the state’s July 31 deadline.

The board had previously asked the state for exemptions on all previous audits because the annual revenues and expenditures were small compared to the cost of an audit. However, the board felt that the 2005 expenditure of most of the impact fees that have been collected since the creation of BRRTA in 1997 warranted an annual audit. The board had also previously voted to conduct a separate audit for all collections of traffic impact fees since the authority’s creation.

The BRRTA cash balance as of June 30 was $444,499. The financial report was unanimously accepted.

El Paso County Department of Transportation (EPCDOT) Project Manager Andre Brackin gave an update on Baptist Road construction. The first phase of frontage road construction for the Family of Christ Church and the two homes to the east has been completed. Curbs, gutters, and the asphalt base have been installed.

There had been some delays on the main road widening due to delays in locating and moving utilities in the widened right-of-way. The Mountain View Electric Association (MVEA) estimate to move its utilities increased from $350,000 to $747,000. Brackin said negotiations with the utility took 18 months, and the large increase had been approved by PPRTA. Mountain View had just started moving its lines after the PPRTA approval.

Brackin said there have also been delays coordinating easements with the Monument Ridge developer. Monument Ridge is on the south side of Baptist Road, opposite the King Soopers shopping center. The Monument Ridge site plan has a very high retaining wall on its east boundary to separate its grade from that of the Family of Christ Church. He said there has been a change in the developer’s engineering design since the preliminary approval by Monument.

This change has also required a renegotiation of the developer’s electric utility easement with MVEA. In turn, this change in the developer’s retaining wall requires a modification of the county’s retaining wall along the south side of the widened Baptist Road. All of these changes have required additional coordination and add to the expense of the county project.

Brackin noted that MVEA has said it will not move its lines until the final design and grading for the Monument Ridge site has been determined. He said an even more expensive option is to have MVEA move its lines to allow county road widening construction to resume and then move the utility lines a second time within the Monument Ridge parcel at the landowners’ expense. Brackin added that the Monument Ridge engineer said his developer’s easement renegotiation was nearing completion.

County Commissioner Wayne Williams, the BRRTA chairman, said his patience with the Monument Ridge developer "is limited in this area because people are expecting a project we’ve told them will be done, and if they don’t want to proceed in a speedy manner, then they can pay to relocate the lines again." Brackin said the town was giving the Monument Ridge developers a special "accelerated approval process."

Monument Mayor Byron Glenn said the town would allow the developer to begin grading without town review or approval of the site plan by the Planning Commission or Board of Trustees.

Brackin said the Monument Ridge developer still had considerable design and reconfiguration work to complete that would generate significant change orders for MVEA. He added that MVEA would have to do another relocation of the lines on the parcel during final construction regardless of which immediate regrading alternative was selected. Brackin stated that a critical point would be reached in two weeks if the county cannot construct the final grade of Baptist Road before having to make costly change orders for rescheduling the contract. Williams said the county could not wait any longer for the developer to negotiate with MVEA.

Brackin said there is also a deficit of $300,000 in the county’s account for the next engineering design contract payment to consultant PBS&J. Payments to PBS&J have been late throughout the entire Baptist Road project, forcing the consultant to take out large loans to avoid default. Brackin said Vision Development "contributions" for Baptist Road had been identified for transfer to the PBS&J portion of the project, but none had yet been received by the town or transferred to BRRTA.

The Vision Development Monument Marketplace money originally was intended to pay for improvements to Baptist Road between the intersection of Jackson Creek Parkway and the I-25 interchange. Baptist Road was supposed to be widened and the storm drainage culvert under Baptist for Jackson Creek enlarged from 48 to 60 inches to ease flooding.

These two improvements were supposed to have been completed before Home Depot was given a certificate of occupancy. However, the town allowed Home Depot to open without the improvements because Triview Metropolitan District was unable to perform its portion of the project, extension of sewer collection lines under the roadway, in a timely manner. There were also substantial problems in locating the phone utility lines under Baptist Road.

Brackin suggested that money could be transferred from the county’s road construction fund to BRRTA’s engineering design fund. An immediate reallocation was necessary to prevent another delayed payment to PBS&J. Brackin said he had confirmed that Marketplace project manager Rick Blevins was ready to transfer the funds. Brackin added that if the requested transfer was expedited, the project could remain on schedule.

Glenn said that Vision Development should still pay the town per the original agreement with the Marketplace developer, rather than directly to BRRTA. The town would then transfer the money to the BRRTA account. Monument Town Manager Cathy Green concurred and said the Marketplace funds owed the town were being held in escrow.

The board unanimously approved payments to PBS&J as soon as funds become available to BRRTA.

Brackin also said that all right-of-way purchases for Baptist Road were on schedule, though problems remained for right-of-way for the county’s associated Struthers Road improvements.

Williams said that the Pikes Peak Area Council of Governments had agreed to raise the priority of the needed improvement of the state’s Baptist Road I-25 interchange on the condition that BRRTA’s temporary 1-cent sales tax is approved by BRRTA voters in November. The sales tax revenue would pay off private road construction bonds that would finance early improvement of the interchange.

The two higher priorities in the region are the new I-25 intersection for Fort Carson and widening and extension of Highway 16 from Fort Carson to Powers Boulevard to improve access to Colorado Springs Municipal Airport.

Terry Schooler, CDOT’s Roads Commissioner for this region, said there was a lot of promotional work to be done to ensure success for the ballot issue. Glenn asked Schooler to help expedite the Fish and Wildlife permitting process for the Timbers access onto Baptist Road. Glenn added that all the grading for the Timbers access had to be performed between November and April due to mouse constraints.

The board unanimously approved a letter to County Clerk Bob Balink asking for a place on the November ballot. The board scheduled a special BRRTA meeting for public comment prior to a vote on the draft ballot language for 2:30 p.m. Aug. 28 in Monument’s Town Hall. This meeting will follow the two Monument Board of Trustees meetings Aug. 7 and Aug. 21 where the ballot issue will also be on the agenda for public comment.

The first meeting last month, on July 18, had a long list of consent items and a fairly large agenda of regular items, though none involved northern El Paso County. The meeting on July 25, while short on agenda items, did have two in our area of interest.

The first was a vacation and replat of a 5-acre lot in Chaparral Hills into two 2½-acre lots. Chaparral Hills is zoned RR-2 for 2½-acre lots but was originally platted as all 5-acre lots. The covenants allow the subdivision, but water supply has been an issue because the wells were permitted for only one residence. Donala Water and Sanitation has run some lines into Chaparral Hills, allowing those adjacent to subdivide, with water for one lot being provided by Donala. The amount of water available from the existing well is reduced as half of it goes to Donala and the subdivision triggers the 300-year requirement.

The result is that the lot remaining on the well ends up with about one-third of the water initially permitted. In some cases it is reduced to the point that it is, in effect, a household well with very limited outside watering. In this case, the original well permit was large enough to allow outside watering even after all the reductions. The applicant agreed to the revised amount and the application was approved unanimously.

The second item was a rezone from POC (planned office center) to PUD (planned unit development) and a preliminary plan for Hillsong Village. This is a 24-acre parcel just east of I-25 and south of County Line Road. The plan is for 36 single-family residential lots and 8.5 acres of multi-family (up to 67 units).

Over the years, this parcel has been zoned agricultural, RR-5, and POC. No development plans were ever completed. Initially, the Town of Monument objected as they felt the property would be annexed and then the town’s master plan would apply. After numerous meetings, changes in the buffering and a decision that annexation was not likely, the town withdrew its objection. The applications were approved unanimously.

District Manager Dana Duthie gave the Donala Water and Sanitation District board his annual 10-year capital projects forecast. The board unanimously approved the final audit for 2005; this report has since been forwarded to the state. Water use in June was "the highest month ever," but use in July was expected to drop due to more rain.

Directors Ed Houle and Tim Murphy were excused.

Wastewater and Maintenance Operator Terri Ladouceur was unanimously approved as Employee of the Quarter for the second quarter by the board. She has been working for Donala for almost two years.

District financial consultant Scot Prickett, of Davidson Fixed Income Management, presented the semi-annual review of the district’s cash reserve investments. He recommended a more long-term type of structure for the district’s investment portfolio, with somewhat longer-term bonds, because the record high frequency of Federal Reserve interest rate increases appears to be moderating.

Although the following items were not discussed prior to approval of the report, the 2005 audit cited them as noteworthy during 2005:

• Total year-end capital assets increased 4 percent to $13,461,382.

• Major Capital Asset Projects during 2005 included remote sensor system, well, and meter upgrades, and a new truck.

• Large expenses in 2006 include $8 million-$10 million for expansion of the Upper Monument Creek Regional Wastewater Treatment Facility, with the cost "basically evenly split by Donala and the Triview Metropolitan District and financed by a loan from the Colorado Water and Power Development Authority."

• The district’s long-term government obligation bond ratings "remain stable at AA" (Standard & Poor’s).

• Long-term bond debt declined from $2,295,000 to $2,125,000 during 2005.

Capital projects forecast: Duthie reported that the 10-year capital projects forecast was the second step in determining annual service costs and the resulting rate and mill levy changes needed. The cost-of-service analysis for 2005 was presented in March. He will present a six-year projection of operations and maintenance expenses in August, followed by a recommendation for the fee structure in September.

These four reports will be used to build the proposed budget for 2007 in October. Projects and expected costs for growth (G) and/or repair or replacement (R) listed were:

• Baptist Road pipeline upgrades (2006)—$250,000 (G)

• New Jet-Vac truck (2006)—$250,000 (G/R)

• Redrill Well 2A in place (2006)—$400,000 (R)

• Lower Well 12A (2006)—$50,000 (R)

• Expansion of waste plant (2006-07)—$4,500,000 (G/R)

• Loop Mission Hill/River Oaks (2006-07)—$150,000 (R)

• Connections to Triview (2006-07)—$300,000 (G/R)

• New well in Fox Run (2006-07)—$800,000 (G)

• Water tank on Struthers Ranch (2008)—$800,000 (G)

• Redrill Well 3D in place (2009)—$450,000 (R)

• Redrill Well 3A in place (2010)—$500,000 (R)

• Redrill Well 7D in place (2011)—$450,000 (R)

Duthie noted the need for moving district underground lines within the Baptist Road right-of-way that will be affected by the change in grade after the road is widened, as well as the need for installing some larger water distribution lines to accommodate growth and higher flows as wells are refurbished or added.

Duthie said there would also be two water interconnections constructed across Baptist Road between the Donala and Triview districts for redundancy. The first connection will be built at the Gleneagle Drive intersection. Construction of the second interconnection across Baptist Road will begin later this year when Struthers Road is rerouted to the east to connect with the south end of Jackson Creek Parkway.

Donala and Triview will build their portions of the Gleneagle interconnections in phase with the county’s Baptist Road widening project. Donala’s portion of the Struthers interconnection will be built at the end of this year, also in conjunction with county road construction. Triview’s portion will be built later; no construction date for their lines has been set. The interconnection costs for the two water systems will be split with Triview.

Well 2A had to be redrilled rather than lowered due to an offset in the well casing found a few years ago.

Donala and the El Paso County Parks Department are working on the location of a new district well in Fox Run Park.

Duthie reported that the county Water Authority did not meet in July and the Palmer Divide Water Group meeting would be held the following day, July 20. Gary Barber, who represents the members of both groups, is working to obtain renewable water sources for member districts to supplement their groundwater resources.

Operations report: Expansion construction at the wastewater plant is "moving right along" on schedule. The influent portion of the expansion is about ready for permitting. A new electrical service is required and may take 36 weeks to complete. He noted that Mountain View Electric Association said it will take that long because of nationwide copper shortages after Hurricane Katrina.

A meeting for public comment regarding the environmental assessment of the treatment facility expansion was scheduled for July 28.

Triview has significantly reduced its estimate for total number of single-family homes it expects to serve due to reduced housing density. It now appears that the design of the already contracted hydraulic capacity expansion, based on that original higher Triview build-out estimate, may be larger than required.

Some savings for this phase may still be possible by reducing the size of the planned ultraviolet light disinfection and sludge treatment expansions. Other parts of the contracted expansion will be left intact to ensure sufficient redundancy, following the advice of the district’s consultant engineer. However, planning for a further expansion of the plant, based on expected growth of organic treatment loading, may have to begin 2011.

The board unanimously approved an emergency sewer service agreement between the district and Colorado Springs Utilities. Donala would provide emergency sewage treatment in the event of a temporary failure of Utilities’ Smith Creek Lift Station, which is adjacent to the district. The agreement is similar to the mutual agreements that Donala and the Academy Water and Sewage District treatment facility, in Pleasant View, have to provide each other emergency sewage treatment services.

The board went into executive session at 2:40 p.m. to discuss acquisition and personnel issues.

On July 27, following the regular monthly meeting of the Forest View Acres Water District (FVAWD) board of directors, the board held a community meeting to discuss a proposed November ballot measure that, if approved by district voters, would impose a property tax mill levy on all properties in the district.

Management structure: The board consists of Rich Crocker, Ketch Nowacki, Jeff Walker, Eckehart Zimmermann, and President Barbara Reed-Polatty. Nowacki and Walker were absent. Reed-Polatty presided.

The district has retained Special District Management Services, Inc. (SDMS) as its administrative manager. Lisa Johnson, SDMS district manager, served as facilitator and secretary at the board meeting. Deborah McCoy, president of SDMS, was also present.

Dan LaFontaine of Independent Water Services is the district’s contract water operations manager. LaFontaine has submitted his resignation effective Sept. 15. The district is seeking an operations manager to succeed LaFontaine.

Water system: The district water supply consists of a surface water system and two wells, one in the Arapahoe aquifer and one in the Dawson aquifer.

The water is treated with chlorine, pumped through 750 feet of 6-inch water line, and stored in a 250,000-gallon steel storage tank. The water is then distributed through 36,000 feet of distribution lines that vary from 1 to 8 inches in diameter.

ASCG, Inc., the district’s engineers, have determined that the water treatment facilities are in good condition, the water tank is in fair condition, and the distribution system is in fair to poor condition. ASCG has prepared a list of proposed improvements. (For the detailed cost breakdown see OCN June 3, 2006, "Forest View Acres Water District, May 25: Board ponders financing $6.2 million for improvements" posted at www.ourcommunitynews.org/v6n6.htm#fvawd).

The highest priority items focus on bringing the system into compliance with state Health Department standards for chlorine contact time, installing a looped pipe system to circulate water through the tank, additional water storage to meet daily flow and fire flow requirements, and replacing small and failing pipelines. Future improvements include work on the Dawson well, improvements to the surface plant and water treatment facilities, and upgrading or replacing the booster pump station.

ASCG estimated the total cost for all of the work at $6.2 million.

Crocker said the district has been operating without a maintenance program, fixing things when they break, and has not made the needed investment in the infrastructure.

McCoy said this work would have to happen eventually and is unrelated to the embezzlement by former contract office manager, Patricia Unger.

The board is proposing that a measure be placed on the November 2006 ballot to authorize issuing up to $8 million in general obligation bonds to be paid off by imposing a property tax mill levy.

McCoy introduced Thomas Bishop, senior vice president for public finance for D.A. Davidson & Co. in Denver. Bishop presented a bond issue proposal he prepared at no cost to the district. Bishop said the initial $4.6 million bond issue would raise $3.8 million for the highest-priority projects. Bishop added that in about five years, depending on the growth of the district and potential increases in the assessed values of properties in the district, additional bonds could be issued to raise an additional $2.6 million to complete the other needed improvements.

Bishop said it would require a mill levy of 32 mills to fully amortize the $4.6 million in bonds. He calculated that for someone owning residential property assessed at $500,000, the additional 32 mills of property tax would translate to an additional $1,273 per year or $106 per month.

He said the additional property tax would be partially offset by elimination of the current $26 per month debt service fee. The fee would no longer be needed because the district’s existing $586,422 in long-term debt would be refinanced as part of the bond issue.

Bishop noted that for those who itemize federal income tax deductions, the property tax could be deducted. For someone with a 20 percent marginal tax rate, the additional tax would result in a savings of about $20 per month on federal income taxes.

Bishop calculated that the result would be a net cost increase to that hypothetical resident of the district of about $60 per month.

Bishop said because property taxes are based on the assessed value of the property, higher-valued properties would pay a higher dollar amount than lower-valued properties.

Bishop added that the only alternatives for raising money to pay for the needed improvements would be to issue revenue bonds and then increase monthly fees to cover the cost of borrowing or use a pay-as-you-go approach with assessments billed as needed to fund the improvements. Revenue bonds carry higher interest rates than general obligation bonds so the cost to residents would be significantly greater and the bonds would have to be paid off over 10 years rather than the 30 to 40 years typical for general obligation bonds.

Resident Stuart Currier questioned the costs estimated by ASCG. Currier noted that the cost of PVC pipe has tripled due to the increased cost of petroleum. Currier suggested that the board see if the district could be annexed to the town of Monument and merged with the town’s water system.

Zimmermann replied, "So far Monument has not been interested until things have been fixed."

Reed-Polatty added that the district could not be included until the outstanding debt is paid off.

Currier said the current water rates charged by the district are "higher than anybody around." He suggested that parts of the district with the least functional infrastructure be allowed to leave the district and drill individual wells.

Reed-Polatty raised concerns about the practicality of individual wells, saying the district’s 800-foot Dawson well that was expected to produce about 110 gallons per minute produces only 20 gallons per minute. She said the level in the Dawson aquifer is dropping throughout the area.

Resident Fred Lanyon asked what would happen if the growth included in the bond issue projections does not occur.

Bishop said that to pay off the second bond issue, the mill rate would have to be increased to 47 mills.

McCoy said the ballot measure language is "very, very conservative." She said the measure assumes the district would need to borrow the entire $8 million and that the best interest rate obtainable would be 8 percent.

Bishop noted that the interest rate on general obligation bonds might be as low as 5.5 percent. He said some of the specific language in the ballot measure is dictated by TABOR and "is designed to scare you."

Reed-Polatty said, "The board has a fiduciary responsibility. The district is broken and needs to be fixed."

District resident Gloria Lanyon noted that the proposed additional taxes "will be a problem for seniors on fixed income."

Reed-Polatty replied, "Some seniors would have trouble affording any alternative."

During August, the district plans to hold two additional community meetings on the ballot measure and bond issues.

The regular meeting, described below, preceded the community meeting.

Johnson presented a list of claims paid through July 27 totaling $68,660 that included $26,249 for attorney Paul Rufien’s services (the first payments to Rufien since he started working for the district in October 2005), $12,508 to SDMS, $9,405 as partial payment to law firm Petrock & Fendel, $5,828 as a loan payment to the Colorado Department of Local Affairs, $4,515 for LaFontaine’s services, and $2,604 for electric and gas utilities.

In addition, Johnson reported that the district put $113,000 in a ColoTrust account. McCoy described ColoTrust as a money market account for governmental entities. It is currently paying about 5 percent. The assets can be transferred to any of the district’s other accounts within about 24 hours.

LaFontaine reported that during June the district’s surface plant produced 1.46 million gallons, averaging 54 gallons per minute over 18.7 days. The district’s well in the Arapahoe aquifer produced 1.59 million gallons, averaging 107 gallons per minute over 10.3 days. The net monthly production was 3.06 million gallons.

Water sales for June totaled 2.22 million gallons.

LaFontaine calculated the net loss from the system during June was 599,941 gallons or 21.3 percent of total system use.

LaFontaine reported that, due to storm water runoff, there was an intermittent problem with the pH of the water from the surface plant. During those times, the Arapahoe well was used to supply water to the system. LaFontaine said there are usually two to four weeks every spring when this problem occurs, but this year it lasted much longer than usual.

Resident Frank Chuba, who owns property adjacent to the Red Rock Reserve (formerly Raspberry Ridge) development, said pipes are being installed. Chuba proposed that as part of the infrastructure changes being installed for that project, a new stub be installed for the tap for his property. Chuba was encouraged to work out the details with the Red Rock Reserve developer, as long as there would be no cost to the district.

Chuba suggested the district should check to see whether the pipes being installed for the Red Rock Reserve match the district’s expectations.

In order to start the community meeting at 7 p.m., the board then postponed further discussion and continued the regular meeting to 9 a.m. Aug. 18 at SDMS, 141 Union Blvd., Suite 150, in Lakewood.

**********

The next regular board meeting will be held at 5:30 p.m. Aug. 24 at Tri-Lakes district Station 1, 18650 Highway 105 (near the bowling alley). Board meetings are usually held on the fourth Thursday of each month. Those wishing to attend should check the date, time, and location by calling the SDMS at (800) 741-3254 or 488-2110.

The board is planning two community meetings during August. Contact SDMS for details.

The Monument Sanitation District Board approved a new roof for its building on July 18. Construction on the district’s new expanded office space is on schedule.

District Manager Mike Wicklund summarized the results from the Joint Use Committee meeting on July 11, emphasizing the management changes for 2007. (See JUC article)

Two tap fees were collected in the previous month totaling $14,720, bringing the total for 2006 to date to $178,920.

During a general discussion of the monthly financial statements, Wicklund noted that a first payment of $121,684.32 was made to J&J Excavating for installation of the first phase of the Wakonda Hills sewer system expansion. Installation has been slowed by rain, but remains on schedule. The grade of Wakonda Way had to be raised to provide proper fall and depth beneath the road for the new collection lines. The existing chip and seal surface was ground up to become the new road base, with paving to occur once all the excavation in the roadway has been completed. Some dust problems might occur on hot and dry days until paving is completed.

Wicklund reported that an additional $4,500 was spent for a new French drain system in the asphalted area in front of the building that replaces the drainage between the sidewalk and the building. An additional $4,500 was spent on modifying the designs of the work stations. Wicklund said approximately $700 remained in the contingency fund for the renovation.

Renovation contractor Mark Ennis of Access Construction proposed replacing rotted plywood behind the gutters, installing new shingles on the roof, and adding ventilation for the attic. The cost of the roof repair with 50-year shingles is $8,300. The expenditure was unanimously approved, with the funds to be taken from the capital reserve fund.

After a long discussion, the board also approved an additional expenditure of $1,000 to Access Construction to build a conference table, similar to the one installed by Access after it built the new Palmer Lake Sanitation office building. Wicklund said if the final budget exceeds the amount authorized for 2006, he will prepare a budget amendment for approval by the board. He noted that planned revenue for 2006 exceeded planned expenditures by about $97,000, and he had spent only about $5,000 of the $15,000 budget for maintenance.

Also approved unanimously were leases for an improved postage machine and folding machine to automate preparation of bills.

Wicklund presented options for rental rates for the district’s tenants, Attitudes hair salon (office A) and Shani’s Café (office E). The café will expand into the current district office space (office D) after the renovation to combine offices B and C, and the district move is completed in August. After a very lengthy discussion, the directors agreed to standardize the rental agreements for both tenants by charging a flat rate per square foot and having both tenants pay their own utilities.

The board unanimously approved a resolution to change the regular meeting time from 6:30 p.m. to 4 p.m. Notice of the change will be posted at the district office, Monument’s Town Hall, and the Monument Post Office. The next meeting is at 4 p.m. Aug. 15 at the district office, 132 Second St.

The Tri-Lakes Wastewater Treatment Facility is owned in equal shares by Monument Sanitation District, Palmer Lake Sanitation District, and Woodmoor Water and Sanitation District. The facility’s board consists of one board member from each of the districts, and the facility is managed by Woodmoor staff members under an agreement by the three districts. The other two districts reimburse Woodmoor for their share of the cost of the management.

The Woodmoor district has asked the other two districts to terminate the management agreement at the end of this year. Facility Operator Bill Burks will take over management in 2007. RTW engineering, which designed and built the facility, will continue to be the consultant engineering firm.

Burks noted that the monthly discharge monitoring report was larger than usual due to the semi-annual testing results. All the monthly plant measurements were well within standards. The concentration of dissolved copper in the plant’s effluent had been high enough a few times in 2005 to cause concerns on the board about new lower permit standards that will take effect in 2008. However, the more recent copper testing results are no longer a problem; they’re barely above the minimum amount allowed.

Five metals that are tested semi-annually were detected in the plant’s effluent in June, but in such low concentrations that they were also barely measurable. There are no standards for these tests. The measurements are reported to the state Health Department and the Environmental Protection Agency.

Consultant water lawyer Tad Foster is continuing to collect data from testing to support a request for a higher standard for allowable copper concentrations for 2008-09. Tests are being conducted to determine what level of copper concentration is allowable without damage to organisms and plants living in Monument Creek. The current JUC goal is to increase the standard for the maximum amount of dissolved copper to three times the current limit.

Copper levels may have been higher in 2005 than in earlier years due to the amount of new construction. New copper water pipes tend to initially leach minute amounts of surface copper from the interior of the pipes when first connected to water systems.

Burks noted that a submersible pump that pumps water from the sludge lagoon to the plant needs repair. The cost of the repair would be about $2,000, but a rebuilt pump would cost $3,100 with a six-month warranty. Burks said a new pump would have a one-year warranty. The board authorized Burks to decide which option to take after the pump’s problem is diagnosed.

The JUC approved an Open House on Saturday, Aug. 12, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the new laboratory and administration building at 16510 Mitchell Ave. Hot dogs, hamburgers, and sodas will be provided to visitors. A tour of the facility is scheduled for 2 p.m. JUC president Lowell Morgan asked Burks to invite all members of the Monument Board of Trustees, the Palmer Lake Town Council, both planning commissions, and all town staff to the open house and the 2 p.m. tour.

The board unanimously approved postponing to September the annual August JUC meeting, but did not pick a specific date.

Due to recurring scheduling conflicts that have developed for some committee members, the JUC unanimously approved a change in the monthly meeting time from 6 p.m. to 10 a.m. on the second Tuesday of the month. The board went into executive session to discuss negotiation and personnel issues at 6:50 p.m. The next JUC meeting will be held at 10 a.m. Aug. 8 at 16510 Mitchell Ave.

Winkler celebrates 25 years with the Woodmoor Water and Sanitation District

Below: Office Manager Hope Winkler celebrated 25 years of service with the Woodmoor Water and Sanitation District at their monthly board meeting on July 13. Winkler is the Secretary for the District’s Board of Directors as well as the Joint Use Committee for the Tri-Lakes Wasterwater Treatment Facility. Photo by Jim Kendrick

District manager Ron Simpson reported on the special meeting held by the town of Monument to consider a sales tax increase to fund the construction of the I-25/Baptist Road interchange. He noted that the people in attendance who were defenders of the anti-tax movement did not seem to be residents living within the Baptist Road Rural Transportation Authority boundaries. Residents living within the boundaries generally have agreed that a sales tax would be the most equitable way to raise funds to pay for road improvement.

Board members Julie Glenn, Martha Gurnick, and Joe Martin were present at the meeting; Steve Stephenson and Chuck Burns were absent. Simpson introduced Larry Bishop, who was hired to replace him when he leaves in August.

Simpson reported that the town of Monument would like to come to an agreement with Triview and the Donala Water and Sanitation District to buy treated effluent from the wastewater treatment facility to keep Monument Lake full. The board approved the district charge of $50 per acre-foot for the release of 224 acre-feet per year, for which it would receive $11,200.

The board also approved the 5th plan amendment to the town’s development code and accepted the planned multi-use development zone, which eliminated eight conditional uses. Monument’s Director of Development Services Tom Kassawara noted that this would give developers and the town much more flexibility for commercial development.

Simpson reported that the service agreement for Promontory Pointe had been adopted at the June 16 special meeting. The agreement included play equipment, common landscaping, and fencing. Kassawara added that the linear public areas will be landscaped and lined with furniture so that it will be more like a park.

Simpson said the "bump-outs," or common driveways abutting the main roadways, are currently to be maintained by the homeowners association (HOA). He suggested that this be changed so that they are maintained by the district, adding that he thought the district was more experienced and better equipped to maintain common landscaping, street cleaning, and snow removal than an HOA. He noted that the district’s policy for parking during snow removal in other subdivisions must apply in the bump-outs, or they could not take responsibility for plowing.

Simpson recommended that Triview maintain all public areas with the exception of the wall dividing Promontory Pointe and the Kingswood Estates. Kassawara responded that the town understood that the Kingswood Estates residents would maintain the wall, since it will be on private property. The board directed the manager to include maintenance of the common areas and bump-outs in their agreement.

Simpson reported that the district is relocating trees that are in the A-4 corridor and setting them in locations where trees have died, adding that this area will be re-landscaped when construction of the pipeline has been completed. He said work on removing the iron discoloration in Homestead Park was underway. The mowing of the native grass areas along the pond and trickle channel is behind schedule, but they were working to catch up, Simpson said.

Treatment facility expansion ahead of schedule

Chuck Ritter of Nolte Consultants distributed the current schedule for the wastewater treatment facility expansion, which indicated that they would complete construction in September 2007, four months ahead of schedule. He added that because of the need for a secondary electrical service line along with a standby generator, construction would not be completed until the end of the year.

He estimated the additional cost for these to be $100,000. He expressed concern about the high operational cost that Mountain View Electric Association will charge for a secondary electrical system.

Dale Hill reported that the financial summary reflected normal expenses for May. She requested approval of payment of bills, invoices, and vouchers that included a new truck and an SUV for Larry Bishop. The board approved the financial report and expenditures.

Hill then addressed employee benefits and recommended that the district pay for short-term disability at $200 per month and for term-life insurance for about $150 per month. She added that long-term disability is not available to the district and that the short-term life insurance would not cover spouses. She noted that she will continue to look for other options.

The board went into executive session for litigation and a personnel issue. The

regular meeting was suspended at 4:45 p.m. The board came out of executive session at 5:15 p.m. and adopted a severance package for the district administrator that will include three months’ pay, 260 hours of accrued vacation time, and 260 hours of accrued sick leave. In addition, the board recognized the need to reaffirm a four-day workweek for Hill and an increase in salary.

There wasn’t an empty seat at the start of the Triview Metro District board of directors meeting at 4 p.m. July 26. It was obvious that this would not be one of the district’s "run-of-the-mill" meetings.

Board president Steve Stephenson announced that Chuck Burns had resigned. He then introduced Joe Belzer, who had been nominated to replace Burns. The board then voted to allow Belzer to serve out the term.

Red Oak Consultants is contracted by the district to annually prepare a Financial Planning Study to evaluate the financial plan, capital improvements, tap fees, and service rates. Kevin Burnett of Red Oak highlighted the findings of its 2006 study. Based on the need to add and improve the infrastructure, the study recommends that the district increase rates, tap fees, and impact fees for all properties in the district.

The board discussed the impact that the increases would have on growth. Rick Blevins of Centre Point LLC suggested that raising rates and fees for commercial properties would discourage the "junior box" stores like Petco from locating in the Marketplace. The consensus of the board and staff was that they did not want to raise tap fees on NEW commercial properties because they relied on the additional tax revenue from stores such as Petco. After much discussion, the board voted to accept the study’s recommended increases for residential impact and tap fees and water and sewer service rates. It was noted that these had not been raised in several years, the rates were lower than other area rates, and that it was necessary to raise them to cover the district’s cost for infrastructure. The increases will all take effect on Sept. 1.

The cost of a water tap will increase from $7,365 to $9,633, and a sewer tap fee will increase from $4,100 to $4,302. The residential impact fee increases include the drainage fee, which will increase from $500 to $800; the park and recreation fee, from $100 to $1,400; the road and bridge fee, from $75 to $2,000; and the lot inspection fee, from $250 to $350.

The approved rate increases include a 15 percent increase for water, which will run homeowners $3.86 more per month, and a 10 percent increase for sewer service, or $4.01 more per month. Basically, homeowners will pay $8 more per month or $96 more a year for water and sewer service beginning Sept. 1. While the study recommended that similar increases be assessed each year, the board elected to consider increases on an annual basis.

After the board had finished approving fee and rate increases, they got down to the business of refinancing the district’s $35 million in unsecured developer bonds. Steve Sharp from Compass Bank presented the board a letter of commitment for a loan of $35 million. Currently, Triview pays more than $2.4 million in interest per year. Stephenson presented the pros and cons of refinancing the debt, notably that the combined interest rate offered by Compass Bank would be 5.5 percent, reducing interest payments by $750,000 a year, a considerable savings to the district. By lowering its debt, the district would begin to pay off some of the principal, thereby freeing up the voter-established debt ceiling of $50.8 million.

Stephenson said that the payments to the bank would be scheduled and if a payment was missed, the district would be assessed a stiff penalty; whereas, currently, the debt owed to the developer is unscheduled and the district pays it when the money is available, without penalty. He pointed out that while this arrangement has served the district well over the years, it was now in the position to make scheduled payments.

Stephenson added that the district’s reserve of $4.5 million under the developer’s loan would be reduced to $3.7 million under the terms of the bank loan. This would free up money to make further infrastructure improvements. He added that if the loan were signed before the end of August, the interest rate would be locked in for 14 months. In conclusion, he emphasized that because the district is growing and collecting fees, it is able to take advantage of the lower interest rate that Compass Bank was offering and that he hoped the board would vote to accept the terms of the commitment letter.

District manager Ron Simpson reminded the board that Triview had borrowed money from the developer to finance infrastructure construction because, under the Title 32 provision, a metropolitan district charter required that infrastructure be completed before development could occur. Because the development was not built, Triview was not generating income and therefore did not have the collateral necessary to secure a bank loan at a more favorable rate. Its alternative was to get developer financing at a significantly higher rate of interest.

Centre Development LLC, the developer of the Marketplace and most of the homes in Jackson Creek, agreed to provide financing to the district to the tune of $26.7 million. Simpson added that the district spent $10 million before the first home was built and that the developer had been a generous good neighbor who was justly compensated with double tax-free bonds.

Rick Blevins, the developer’s representative, reminded the board that the developer had, at great risk, always agreed to fund the district’s infrastructure, and the interest payments were a reward for taking the risk. He added that the developer was unaware that the district was considering paying off the debt and before he could comment on anything specifically, he would have to confer with Centre Development.

The district’s legal representative, Pete Susemihl, and Simpson emphasized that the water rights now held by the developer must be transferred to the district prior to refinancing the debt. Blevins replied that he was not aware the developer had agreed to transfer water rights. Simpson pointed out that the transfer was implied when the bonds were issued. Blevins replied it might not be an issue but that he did not recall water rights being negotiated.

The board discussed the terms of the loan as outlined in the commitment letter provided by Compass Bank and generally agreed that the lower interest would free up money that could be used for infrastructure improvements. They were concerned that if they were to secure the loan and the water rights were not included, they could lose $1.2 million. Stephenson explained that they could hold the $1.2 million until the issue was resolved.

The terms of the commitment letter stated that the board must agree to the loan and close on it by the end of August. If for some reason the board accepted the commitment letter and then decided not to sign the loan, the bank would charge a $25,000 processing fee.

After much discussion, the board voted to accept the letter of commitment from Compass Bank.

After the financial report was given by Dale Hill, the meeting adjourned at 6:54 p.m.

Treasurer Dave Cross reported that special ownership tax receipts to date are well ahead of the conservative amount budgeted for the year. The department will not apply for a loan on the new fire truck until about 90 days before delivery next summer. The treasurer’s report was accepted unanimously.

There were a total of 83 runs, with 50 runs within the district and 33 mutual aid calls. The total for the first six months of the year is 521 runs, a 26 percent decrease from last year. The decrease is primarily due to a significant policy change by AMR that results in fewer ambulance runs. AMR’s Wescott ambulance is being moved to different locations less often, and the proportion of dispatches within the Wescott district has increased.

A board member asked how arson investigators are used. Chief Jeff Edwards said they are called out if the source of a fire cannot be determined by the officer in charge of the scene.

Edwards reported that the department gave a presentation to over 300 Cub Scouts from District 20 schools.

Letters of achievement were handed out at a recent training session to firefighters involved in recent fires. Full-time and volunteer members of the district also received new badges designed by Assistant Chief Vinny Burns to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the department.

Edwards said agents from VFIS and T. Charles Wilson Insurance will make sales presentations at the August meeting for the next policy year. VFIS has been the district’s insurer for several years.

Burns reported that he was accompanied by firefighters Jim Rackl and Shannon Balvanz during a visit to the Rosenbauer/Central States factory near Sioux Falls, S.D. They completed the plans and finalized all specifications for the new pumper engine that was formally approved at the board meeting June 21. The manufacturer will report the total cost of the pumper within a few weeks. The cost should not increase significantly.

Director Kevin Gould asked if the district gives recurring public relations presentations. Chief Edwards stated he would like to initiate year-round PR presentations, rather than just during fire prevention week in October. His plan is to make safety presentations at every school in the district.

President Brian Ritz advised the board that the department received an e-mail from Terri Rupert of Hanson & Co. stating that Wescott’s 2005 audit report would be delayed. Noting that there will be lengthy insurance presentations at the August meeting, Treasurer Cross will attempt to meet with the auditor before then to see if the auditor could make a minimized presentation. Alternatively, Cross could receive the auditor’s full presentation before the August meeting and give a shortened report to the board.

The meeting adjourned at 7:47 p.m. The next regular meeting will be held at 7 p.m. on Aug. 16, at Station One, 15415 Gleneagle Drive. Meetings are typically held on the third Wednesday of the month.

The Tri-Lakes Fire Protection District Board of Directors held a meeting July 26 preceding the Tri-Lakes-Monument Fire Authority board meeting. All five directors—Rick Barnes, Keith Duncan, John Hartling, John Hildebrandt, and President Charlie Pocock—were present. After receiving from Hildebrandt a short financial report that was later expanded on during the Fire Authority meeting (see article), the board discussed a problem at Station 2 on Roller Coaster Road near Highway 105.

Barnes, who is an architect and supervised construction of Station 2, reported that a stream of water has appeared on the south side of Highway 105 about 150 feet from the intersection with Roller Coaster Road, and the station’s septic system leach field is not operating because it is saturated with water. He described the amount of water involved as "millions of gallons."

In response to a question about a possible connection to the recent rains, he said the problem preceded the rains. He said the most likely source of the water is a leak in the well casing. The well is owned by the Great Divide Water Co. and is being used to supply water to the station under an agreement between the district and Great Divide.

Barnes said a well company has been contacted to investigate the problem. In the meantime, the septic tank is being periodically pumped and the station is operational.

**********

The Tri-Lakes Fire Protection District board normally meets the fourth Wednesday of each month. The next meeting is scheduled for Aug. 23, at 7 p.m., immediately preceding the Tri-Lakes-Monument Fire Authority board meeting 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.

The Woodmoor-Monument district board held a quick meeting where they reviewed the budget, then transitioned to executive session. All five directors were present.

Treasurer Bob Hansen presented his monthly report, stating the district is operating overall at 4.9 percent under budget after six months. Although a few accounts are exceeding planned expenditures and need close monitoring, the budget is doing well with $862,565 in the bank.

The board noted unanticipated heating expenses from a gas leak, which was repaired.

The general meeting, which began at 7 p.m., ended at 7:13 p.m. Directors then went into a closed executive session to cover what was described as a "personnel matter," lasting approximately 25 minutes. The meeting adjourned in preparation for the monthly Fire Rescue Authority meeting.

The next meeting of the Woodmoor-Monument Fire Protection District board will be at 7 p.m. Aug. 23, at Tri-Lakes district Station 1, 18650 Highway 105 (near the bowling alley).

On July 26, following the separate meetings of the boards of the Tri-Lakes Fire Protection District and the Woodmoor/Monument Fire Protection District, the two boards met jointly as the Tri-Lakes-Monument Fire Authority board. All 10 board members were present. Woodmoor/Monument director Tim Miller, president of the Fire Authority, presided.

Fire Authority Treasurer John Hildebrandt distributed copies of a financial report covering the Tri-Lakes district and the Woodmoor/Monument district and the resulting financial status of the Fire Authority through June 30. He noted that at the end of June, revenue and expenses would be expected to be at half of the annual budgets. Some highlights:

• As of June 30, the authority had received $1.61 million or 70.4 percent of the budgeted $2.29 million for the year. The district normally receives the bulk of the property tax revenue in the first seven months of the year. Hildebrandt said the next payment is expected in July.

• The authority had received $149,846 in specific ownership taxes, 43.7 percent of the anticipated $342,626 for the year. He blamed the shortfall on the method he used to estimate the revenue and said he now expects the district will receive $299,642 by year-end, $42,934 short of the budget estimate.

• The authority received ambulance revenues totaling $229,538 or 65.6 percent of the anticipated $350,000 for the year. He said ambulance collections continue to be strong and the additional ambulance revenue will probably make up for the shortfall in specific ownership taxes.

• Total revenue as of June 30 stood at $2.08 million or 64.2 percent of the budgeted $3.23 million for the year.

• Expenses through June 30 totaled $1.68 million or 51.8 percent of the $3.23 million annual budget. Salary expense was the largest portion at $882,226, 47.1 percent of the $1.87 million annual salary budget. Lease payments were the second largest expense category at $218,721 as of June 30. These are payments by the Tri-Lakes district on loans for its ladder truck, two new pumper trucks, and two stations. Hildebrandt said four of the five lease payments for the year have been made. The total for those payments for the year is budgeted at $255,808.

Kimberley Higgins of CPA firm Gordon, Hughes & Banks, presented the results of auditing the two districts and the Fire Authority. She said the audit resulted in a "clean" opinion. She said, "That is the best you can get."

Some highlights of her report:

• For the purposes of the audit, the Fire Authority was presented as a single enterprise fund with the two districts as component units.

• Since all the equipment and stations were transferred to the Fire Authority in January 2005, the auditors assigned the associated lease obligations and payments on that debt to the Fire Authority even though the funds for making payments on that debt came solely from the Tri-Lakes district.

• The Fire Authority and the districts did not expend more money than specified by the budgets as amended in December 2005. Over expenditure was an issue highlighted in past audits.

• There would be some savings on accounting and auditing if the two districts merged to form one district. There are currently separate sets of financial books being maintained for each of the districts and for the Fire Authority. Higgins recommended one set of books be maintained that could then be used to produce financial reports for each of the entities. She encouraged the Fire Authority to check if it is permissible to create and maintain just a Fire Authority budget and dispense with the separate budgets for the individual districts.

• The monthly financial reports should be expanded to include a reconciled balance sheet.

• Only one person should have access to write down or write off ambulance bills. Chief Robert Denboske said based on comments made during the audit that change has already been implemented.

• Delays in entering ambulance billing information should be reduced to improve ambulance revenues. Consider accepting credit card payments for ambulance services.

• Inventory control is needed for all costly office and ambulance supplies and equipment not just equipment valued at more than $5,000.

Battalion Chief Bryan Jack presented a report covering the Fire Authority’s operations from January through June:

• The Fire Authority responded to 816 calls, an average of 4.5 calls per day. The 816 calls consisted of 389 medical; 177 fires, fire alarms, and illegal burns; 160 traffic accidents; 61 public assists and utility calls, and 29 calls involving hazardous materials. Jack noted that 816 calls is a 14 percent increase compared to the same period in 2005

• An average of two vehicles responded to each call.

• 342 people were transported to local hospitals.

• Station 1 on Highway 105 responded to 48 percent of the calls, Station 2 on Roller Coaster Road responded to 17 percent of the calls, and Station 3 on Woodmoor Drive responded to 35 percent of the calls.

• The Tri-Lakes district’s ladder truck responded to only two calls during the period.

• The Insurance Services Organization representative came for an inspection in mid-July. Jack said the representative noted major improvements since his prior visit. The hauled water test was not conducted. Jack said, "We didn’t feel we were ready at this point." He added that participants at a recent North Group meeting discussed conducting a combined test with the Fire Authority, the Donald Wescott Fire Protection District, and the Black Forest Fire Protection District.

Discussion of proposed changes to the personnel policy manual, potential membership in the Mountain States Employment Council, and the 48/96 work schedule were postponed to allow time to obtain additional information and give the board members time to review the existing materials.

The board then held an executive session on personnel matters.

**********

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 the Tri-Lakes district Station 1, 18650 Highway 105 (near the bowling alley). The next meeting will be August 23.

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

Jim Woodman, director of forestry, gave a short update on mountain pine beetle control, noting that far fewer properties were reporting infestations this year and, in general, each site had fewer infested trees. A significant number of trees that were infested last year died over the winter, causing the death of larvae before they could become mature beetles. Recent tree inspections had confirmed that beetles had been leaving their mother trees, but so far no trees with new pitch tubes had been located.

Discussing progress on the Wildfire Protection Plan, Woodman said that Woodmoor had been divided into four management units based on natural or man-made wildfire breaks that appeared as gaps in the forest, common areas or roads. These four areas consist, roughly, of north Woodmoor to the north of Woodmoor Drive and to the west of the main common areas; the area to the east of the same common areas; the middle area bounded by Furrow Road, Highway 105, and Woodmoor Drive; and south Woodmoor.

The next step was to identify within each unit the hot spots where there were extensive concentrations of Gambel (scrub) oak, Gambel oak under pine trees, and seedling pines under moderate to dense pine canopies. Once the mapping has been completed and plans drawn up to remedy these problems, Woodman would start applying for more grants with a goal of completing the plans by December.

During the public comment portion of the meeting, the board heard from the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office. Those present were Undersheriff Teri Goodall, Bureau Chief Joe Breister, and the deputy assigned to this area, Shane Mitchell. Goodall said that the department had received several comments regarding the supposed slow response time and lack of traffic control and how this had been discussed at WIA board meetings.

The board said that no comments had been made recently about response times and that in the past few meetings it had expressed satisfaction with the new high level of enforcement in South Woodmoor.

Woodmoor Public Safety Chief Kevin Nielsen said that he had been giving people a 20-minute estimate, but it was now clear that the number was too high. Breister then gave a brief review of response times for the area, with an overall average time of about 11 minutes for 189 calls.

Board Secretary Terry Holmes then asked about curfews for teenagers in the area. El Paso County has a 10 p.m. limit and the town of Monument has an 11 p.m. curfew. He said this can be difficult for teenagers who drive and have late evening commitments for jobs, church activities, or other engagements. The sheriff’s response was that teenagers need in their possession letters from their employer or church. Usually this is not enforced if there is a good explanation, and, on average, there is about one violation per month.

Director of Common Areas Alan McMullen said that a new lighted information sign will be placed at the entrance to the WIA offices and will be used when a neighboring obstruction is removed.

He noted that the new runoff diversion channel in Twin Ponds had become blocked by pine needles and sand from the recent heavy rains. Hidden Pond remains dry because of the winter drought. There are still runoff issues in this area because a house has been constructed higher up the valley and now water flows down the trail, washing sand onto another property. McMullen will check to see where the trail runs relative to the easement.

Mowing has been done to take down the knapweed on the common areas and should be finished in a week. The contractor will then work to clear the Canadian thistle and other thistles.

Director of Covenants George McFadden proposed that the $25 project fee, introduced in 2004 and charged for certain miscellaneous projects on homeowners’ lots, should be eliminated. He said he felt that the fees should be covered in the regular annual homeowner’s assessment. McMullen added that there would be better compliance if no fees were charged. Vice President Bill Walters said he would second the motion but wanted clarification of which items would be affected.

Executive Director Camilla Mottl said the money was intended to fund the inspection of these projects every month and that before the implementation of the fee there was no money to do this. After a lengthy discussion as to the current state of the budget and whether action should be delayed, the motion to remove the fee was denied 4 to 3.

McMullen proposed to reduce the current HOA statement fee of $100, which carries an additional rush fee of $25. This fee is charged at closing by the WIA and is used to provide a report on the property as to whether the house is current in homeowner dues and whether it is in full compliance with the covenants.

McMullen noted that only Tall Pines’ fee is higher, at $150, and Timberview has the same charge. He argued that the property values in Tall Pines were higher and so it would be fairer to reduce the charge to, perhaps, $50 or $60 to make it more in line with other communities. After some discussion about what was being done to provide the reports, it was decided that the office staff should work on an estimate of the costs to provide these reports before further action be taken.

Below: Grand canyon: Heavy rains combined with inadequate detention of runoff from new developments to the east led to large water flows beside and across Jackson Creek Parkway north of Lewis-Palmer High School. Photo by John Heiser

Moisture finally returned in earnest to the Tri-Lakes area during July with over 5 inches recorded at most locations for the month. In fact, rainfall has been above average since the official start of summer on June 21.

July began with 11 days in a row of measurable rain, adding up to over 3 inches for most of us. The dreaded "drought" word was replaced by "flooding" for many residents along the Front Range as the rain came fast and heavy day after day. Fortunately, the rain that fell during the first two weeks of the month was accompanied by warm air and high freezing levels, a modified tropical air mass.

Why is this good for us? Because for the most part, we didn’t have to deal with any hail or severe weather in conjunction with the heavy rains. This was definitely the best of both worlds for us—moisture without the damaging hailstorms.

Of course, flooding was a real problem with the slow-moving, heavy rains. Remember, any time you come to a flooded roadway or creek, and you are unsure of its depth or the surface below, "Turn Around, Don’t Drown."

The moisture was associated with an early start to the Southwest monsoon season. However, high pressure again shifted into the region during the middle of the month bringing a brief respite from the heavy rains the 12th through the 16th.

It’s hard to believe, but most residents were happy to see a break from the rain, clouds, and cool temperatures that were prevalent for the first week and a half of the month. The pattern changed quickly on the 11th—the area of high pressure cut off the monsoonal moisture flow from the southwest. This left the Tri-Lakes area hot and dry for the rest of the week and through the weekend. Temperatures soared into the mid-80s and low 90s from the 12th through the 17th, peaking at 91degrees on the 16th.

After a brief break from the rainy days of early July, we moved back into the moisture for the week of the 17th. Thunderstorms popped up each afternoon from the 17th through the 20th, producing anywhere from a half inch to over 2 inches of beneficial rain. This latest round of moisture has now brought monthly totals to the above-average category, with 4 to 5 inches common throughout the Tri-Lakes. As usual with summertime thunderstorms, the amounts vary widely across the region, but everyone has enjoyed plenty of rain.

Be sure to check out www.rain-check.org and click on the "reports" or "map" tabs to get a sense of how much rain has come down this month and where the heaviest rain has fallen. Several of your neighbors have been ardent volunteers, logging their rainfall data every day for several years. This gives scientists and water managers a much truer picture of the water situation across not only the Tri-Lakes area but the entire state.

After the wet start to the week of the 17th, conditions dried out just in time for the weekend. Temperatures also climbed back to average and slightly above by Saturday the 22nd and Sunday the 23rd. A few weak thunderstorms did pop up late Saturday and early Sunday, but these only brought some brief showers and didn’t affect daytime outdoor activities.

The final week of the month saw a little bit of both worlds, with strong thunderstorms on the 25th and 31st dropping rain and some hail, with dry and warm conditions from the 26th through the 30th. Temperatures remained a little above average to end the month, with highs holding in the 80s from the 23rd to the 31st. However, this July was nothing like last summer when we hit record highs on several days, peaking at 99 degrees on July 21st, 2005. And what a contrast that was to July 2004 when we saw record cold and wet. Nothing like living in the Tri-Lakes area, where we can experience such a wide variety of weather conditions from minute to minute and year to year!

August is the last true "summer" month for the Tri-Lakes. We are often greeted with sunny, pleasant afternoons, and highs from the mid 70s to mid 80s. Temperatures at night get more comfortable as well, often dipping into the 40s, making for better sleeping weather. Thunderstorms are still common during the afternoon and evening, as moisture moving out of the desert Southwest helps to add to the activity. August 2004 was a wet month for us, while August 2005 started warm and dry and ended on the wet side. Hopefully we will see above-average rain as we head into fall.

The official monthly forecast for August 2006, produced by the Climate Prediction Center (http://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/predictions/30day/), is calling for a better than equal chance of above-normal temperatures and above-normal precipitation. For a complete look at monthly climate summaries for the Tri-Lakes region, please visit http://users.adelphia.net/~billkappel/ClimateSummary.htm.

Average High 80.7°
Average Low 52.9°
Highest Temperature 91° on the 16th
Lowest Temperature 45° on the 10th
Monthly Precipitation 5.10"
Monthly Snowfall 0.0"
Season to Date Snow 0.0"(the snow season is from July 1 to June 30)
Season to Date Precip. 5.10" (the precip. season is from July 1 to June 30)

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

Letters to Our Community

Many thanks are due to the community members of the Tri-Lakes area for their support of the area’s Fourth of July activities. The people from Monument, Palmer Lake, Gleneagle, Jackson Creek, Woodmoor, and Black Forest came together with enthusiasm and financial support to work and play during the Fourth of July Parade, Monument Street Fair, Palmer Lake Fireworks, tractor pulls, car and motorcycle shows, and Palmer Lake 5K race. Hundreds of volunteers from all these communities cooperated to make these traditions a reality again this year.

I was involved with the Fourth of July parade. For the 13th year, the parade was organized by the Monument Hill Sertoma Club. In the past, the parade lost money every year. The organizers always paid the bills. This year parade insurance increased by $1,500 and the cost of the 2006 parade was estimated at $4,000. Something had to be done to cover the costs. All 120 entries, other than fire and police groups, were asked to pay a $35 entry fee to partially offset the costs of the parade. Several requests for fee waivers were considered by the Parade Board. Every cent of the parade entry fee is spent on parade costs. Remaining funds, if any, will be saved for next year. Offsetting parade costs by charging fees frees up thousands of dollars for local youth programs and other charities within the Tri-Lakes and El Paso Counties.

Thank you again for your continued support of community and the Fourth of July events. Together, we can celebrate and help families and individuals not only to meet essential daily needs, but offer a new opportunity to thrive.

Bill Walsh

A few weeks ago, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) released three groundbreaking reports that confirm what many emergency physicians know firsthand: The nation’s emergency medical system is fragmented and overwhelmed. The strained system is unprepared to handle disasters. It lacks funding and is dangerously overcrowded. In our own community, emergency physicians face the same conditions outlined by the IOM—patients waiting for hours for hospital beds and patients arriving by ambulance delayed by unavailable stretchers in our emergency departments (EDs).

On the surface, the fact that two new hospitals are opening in the next few years in northern Colorado Springs might appear to mitigate these major issues for Tri-Lakes residents. While there is benefit in having hospitals located closer to our area, as well as the increased beds, the fact is that there are very limited numbers of qualified medical and nursing staff in the region to support the new facilities.

Unfortunately, simply adding more hospitals and beds does not address the extent of the problem. Even though we might add more beds, we can’t use them if they are not staffed—and the net result is the same as if we did not have the beds.

Why are things so desperate? Quite simply, supply can’t keep up with demand. Nationally, the number of emergency department visits increased from 90.3 million to nearly 114 million from 1993 to 2003. At the same time, the number of emergency departments nationally decreased by 425, and the number of hospital beds fell by 198,000.

When hospital beds are filled, emergency patients can’t be transferred to inpatient beds, leading to "boarding" patients in emergency departments, typically lined up in hallways, until beds are free. These boarded patients don’t receive prompt care or privacy.

In addition to significant changes in hospital staffing, we need federal leadership. Congress must hold a hearing on the crisis in emergency medicine and should pass the Access to Emergency Medical Services Act, which would address problems, such as boarding, declining payments for emergency care and the liability risks faced by emergency physicians.

The disastrous news about the treatment of the Lewis-Palmer High School’s recent valedictorian, Erica Corder, is rocketing around the nation. The school system must define accountability for this gross violation of scholastic freedom, and fire people.

That young lady was treated like she was in some society dominated by Al-Qaida, not a free citizen of our country. NO ONE has the right to censure religious speech by an individual. Americans are dying in combat to sustain this basic right, while this treason occurs in our homeland.

To deny an earned diploma to an outstanding student, for her free thoughts, is the grossest breach of responsibility by the school. Your community owes Erica, and the students, a firm rejection of this vile coercion. People should be shunned; and careers terminated.

The world will watch.

Have you been to downtown Monument for Art Hop? It has become the "place to be" on the third Thursday evening of the month—a vibrant, social event with friends and couples exploring the galleries and shops, and enjoying a little food and drink and our glorious summer evenings. So in honor of Art Hop, this month we are featuring some art-oriented books:

I Ain’t Gonna Paint No More
By Karen Beaumont and Illustrated by David Catrow, $16

"A dash of blue–here! A splash of red–there! A goopy smear of green–everywhere!" As one reads this lively, vibrantly illustrated picture book, one quickly picks up the tune of "It Ain’t Gonna Rain No More". As the young child’s mother finds her child painting on every imaginable surface in the house, she yells that there will be no more painting. The paints are put up high on a closet shelf but this determined child finds a way to continue to paint the house brilliant hues of color. The pages start out black and white with just splashes of color but as the book progresses, the book comes alive with joy and abundance of color. This book is fun to read and a sheer pleasure to the eyes.

Seen Art?
By Jon Scieszka and Lane Smith, $16.99

"It all started when I told my friend Art I would meet him on the corner of Fifth and Fifty-third. I didn’t see him. So I asked a lady walking up the avenue, ‘Have you seen Art?’"

With comical text and playful illustrations, young readers are introduced to some of the world’s best works of modern art housed at MoMA (New York’s Museum of Modern Art). Full-color reproductions of the pieces give young readers a taste of the art on exhibit—and, of course, he does find his friend Art as well!

Imagine
By Norman Messenger, $17.99

Imagine . . . a ladder without steps, a clock with a mouth. Imagine a world where the hills have faces and wherever you went, you’d have someone to talk to. Imagine flipping a series of flaps to form fantastical creatures or turning a wheel to fit the top of one face on the bottom of another. Imagine that Norman Messenger’s quirky, humorous suggestions, ingenious visual puzzles, and beautifully crafted illustrations will open your eyes and mind and reveal that with little imagination the world can become a different and mysterious place, where anything is possible.

From the Mixed-up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler
By E.L. Konigsburg, $5.99

When Claudia and Jamie (she feels under-appreciated, he has the money!) plan to run away from home, they decide that the Metropolitan Museum of Art would be a very comfortable place to live. So they settle in, appreciating all the art the museum has to offer and soon find themselves in the middle of a controversy over the authenticity of a new statue. A great light summer mystery for young readers.

Chasing Vermeer
By Blue Balliett, $6.99

An art scandal and a lost Vermeer painting have Petra and Calder sleuthing and digging into clues. No one is above suspicion—not even their parents. Can these two young detectives solve the mystery of the missing Vermeer painting when even the FBI is baffled?

Girl with a Pearl Earring
By Tracy Chevalier, $14

History and fiction merge seamlessly in Chevalier’s luminous novel about artistic vision and sensual awakening. Through the eyes of 16-year-old Griet, the world of 1660s Holland comes alive in this richly imagined portrait of the young woman who inspired one of Vermeer’s most celebrated paintings. Pull an art book on Vermeer on the cushion beside you as you read, for an even richer reading experience.

Girl in Hyacinth Blue
By Susan Vreeland, $13

This book begins in the present day when a professor invites a colleague from the art department to his home to see a painting that he has kept secret for decades. The professor swears it is a Vermeer—why has he hidden this important work for so long? The reasons unfold in a series of stories that trace ownership of the painting back to World War II and Amsterdam, and still further back to the moment of the work’s inspiration. As the painting moves through each owner’s hands, what was long hidden quietly surfaces, illuminating poignant moments in human lives. Vreeland’s characters remind us, through their love of the mysterious painting, how beauty transforms and why we reach for it, what lasts, and what in our lives is singular and unforgettable.

Western Traditions: Contemporary Art of the American West
By Michael Duty and Suzanne Deats, $85

This gracious volume is a lively and informative look at art of the American West. There are essays on the history of painting and sculpture, as well as interviews with the artists, all of whom are living and working today. Our own local artist Joseph Bohler has a five-page spread of his watercolor works. This will be a fine addition to the art library of anyone who admires art, and this genre in particular.

Until next month, enjoy the art all around you; and happy reading!

Have you taken time this year to check the trees in your landscape for signs of stress or disease? Earlier, when trees fully leafed out and started growing, they endured one of the hottest spring seasons on record. Temperatures soaring to near 100 degrees caused trees to wilt, and some may have experienced the onset of scorched leaves.

It’s especially important this year to give your trees a good, deep drink during these prolonged periods of heat, without overwatering them. While some may choose to use a root-feeding probe to water trees, it is often not the most efficient way to get water to percolate deep to the root zone. My favorite method of watering trees is to attach a "frog-eye" or circle sprinkler to the hose and water at and beyond the drip-line of your trees. (The drip-line is the area of the tree where the outermost branches extend, or the area where rain drips off the outer branches of a tree after a storm.) This is the region where the most active root growth occurs and is also where the feeder roots are growing.

Allow the sprinkler to run 10 to 15 minutes in one spot to apply 1/4 to 1/2 inch of water over the area, then continue moving it around the tree in a circle to moisten the entire drip-line region. It should soak down to a depth of 6 inches or more. During hot weather and extended periods without rain, trees need to be watered every two to three weeks to help ensure their survival.

What about fertilizing trees in the summer? For trees growing in lawn areas, an adequate supply of nutrients is usually provided through lawn fertilizers. It is imperative not to use weed-and-feed combinations around the root zones of trees, as this can eventually build up herbicide levels that can be damaging to trees. If weeds are a problem near trees, it is best to hand pull or dig the offending weeds.

Many trees, shrubs, and herbaceous perennials throughout our region suffer from iron deficiency. It’s not so much that we don’t have any iron in our soils, but that plants can’t take it up readily due to a variety of conditions such as poor drainage, high soil calcium content, and improper pH. Symptoms include yellow leaves, slow growth, and branch dieback.

Iron deficiencies commonly occur in soils that are high in pH, calcareous, or have heavy clay, which tie up iron. Plants that have a limited root system due to environmental, pest, or disease stress are more prone to deficiencies. Some soils high in sand content lack iron due to poor nutrient-holding capacity.

Iron deficiency generally causes yellowing of the newest foliage. The leaf veins remain green while the tissue between the veins turns a pale yellow. This leaves a colorful network of dark green veins on a light green or yellow background. When this chlorosis is severe, the entire leaf may become cream-colored, while the leaf tips and margins turn brown. Eventually, numerous brown, dead spots speckle the leaf surface.

There are a few treatments for cases of moderate iron deficiency that may need to be repeated every few years. Some of these include altering soil pH, applying a chelated iron compound to the soil and root zone, or spraying the foliage with a solution of iron (ferrous) sulfate.

The trees in your landscape represent a major investment that deserves your attention on a regular basis. Take time this summer to protect these assets, as they not only provide needed shade and a cooling effect, but they are a living legacy that can outlast your lifetime.

The festivities in Palmer Lake 

Below: The car show July 2. Photo by Dick Cissell

Below: Family fun - sack race and shooting demonstrations. Photos by Joseph Kistner

Bottom: Palmer Lake resident, Leisha Kribs, about to ride out on an Ultra 2001. The rare, limited edition motorcycle was displayed in the motorcycle display at the Tri-Lakes Center for the Arts. Photo by Joann McNabb

Monument Parade

Below: Photos by Mike Wicklund of the July 4th Parade in Monument.

Below: In three frames, Bart Phillips captured the massive storm approaching from the north. The storm caused the shortest, most action-packed Palmer Lakes fireworks show ever.

Si Sibell’s barn, located on Front Street in Monument, was the location for the annual barn dance held July 3. At the entrance, Dorothy Sibell and Kelly McGuire cheerfully accepted donations for the Fourth of July fireworks.

By 8:30 p.m., the barn was filled with local residents who greeted each other as longtime friends. Interstate Cowboy entertained the enthusiastic crowd with their music, which included honky tonk, western swing and rockabilly. People of all ages and walks of life enjoyed an uninhibited environment as they danced with what seemed to be the nearest willing participant, some extremely talented and others just having fun.

Safeway and Sara’s Sausage contributed to this barn dance celebration. Safeway donated the food and paper goods, while the whiff of freshly cooked brats by Sara’s Sausage invited those present to dinner. Mary Russelavage remarked that she hoped the barn dance would clear about $600 or more.

There was some talk of an Oktoberfest at the barn sometime during the autumn of this year.

Drawing by Elizabeth Hacker

The goldfinch (Carduelis tristis) is among the most colorful birds that migrate here in late spring. The male is strikingly yellow with a black cap, wings, and tail. Though it can move quickly from branch to branch, that flash of bright yellow is unmistakable—or is it? It could be the yellow warbler, which briefly migrates here on its way north. If, by some stroke of luck, you did spot a yellow warbler as I did a few weeks ago, you might notice that while it is similar in size and color, it is more of a yellow-orange color and does not have a black cap.

The largest of the finches, the diminutive American goldfinch, is only about 5 inches in length and is sometimes referred to as a wild canary. While in the spring and summer the male is distinctive with its black cap and bright yellow breeding plumage, in winter its plumage changes to a brown and olive color, and it loses its cap. This lesser coloration essentially allows it to better blend into the flock.

During the summer mating season, the male must leave the flock to attract a female. In spring, he begins to strut his stuff and as summer approaches, his intentions become obvious to the ladies! How could any female resist his dapper velvety-black cap, tail, and wings, his gorgeous bright lemon-yellow body, or his melodic song? Because this virtual Romeo is persistent in his pursuit of a female, modification of her drab olive-colored plumage or the cultivation of a black crown or other distinguishing markings would be pointless. And in the animal kingdom, there are almost always reasons for everything.

The goldfinch nests in colonies. This may explain why in years past many of them would appear at our feeder at the same time. Its nest is located in an upright fork of a shrublike scrub oak, in a tree, or occasionally in a dense weed. The industrious little female builds a tidy woven compact cup of stems, twigs, and webbing and then lines it with the soft down of a milkweed or thistle flower. The female incubates four to six tiny eggs for about 14 days. The male brings her food until shortly after the chicks are hatched.

After that, the romance changes to chaos as both parents tirelessly take turns watching the nest and bringing food to the chicks. The chicks fledge the nest about 15 days after hatching, but the parents continue to feed the young until they learn to forage for food on their own, generally about two weeks. American goldfinches can produce two broods a year if weather conditions are favorable.

The goldfinch consumes vast amounts of seed, and it is easy to attract them into your yard. In addition to a thistle seed planter especially formulated for the goldfinch, we have planted vegetation that will provide a seed source for many birds. In the wild, it most commonly eats dandelion, thistle, sunflower, and elm seed, but I have seen it devour seeds from sunflowers, lilac, and potentilla plants.

When nesting, the goldfinch supplements its diet with various insects. Since we moved the thistle feeder near our flower garden, the problems we had with aphids and other pests have virtually disappeared. With its brilliant golden color and cheerful song, the American goldfinch is a flicker of light even on the darkest day.

This year, however, I have noticed a significant decline in the number of goldfinches in our area. I have spotted a few pair while hiking area trails and noticed but a single goldfinch at our thistle feeder, where in past years many of them fought for space. Other birders have mentioned that they too have noticed a decline.

While the West Nile virus may take a toll on birds, the more credible reason for this decline is habitat loss due to the significant number of large land parcels being developed on the north end. On each of these sites, native landscape is being completely stripped by over-lot grading practices. Hopefully, as the landscape is repaired, continuous tracts of the bird’s habitat will be reestablished so that the goldfinch’s numbers will be replenished and they can once again find their way here.

Recently, while spending time in a dentist office, I read in the July/August 2006 edition of the Fortune Small Business magazine that bird-watching tours are a rapidly growing industry that increasingly provides significant economic benefit to many communities around the world. The tour companies declined to provide specific financial figures, but the writer estimated that their profits were on the rise.

If you think bird watching is a hobby for the graying population, you are half right. It is actually a sport enjoyed by all ages. We took it up when our children were young because, as busy working parents, it was a way we could spend time with them, enjoy the great outdoors, and not spend a fortune. Believe it or not, some people spend a lot traveling just to add one bird to their list. It is not uncommon to see groups on motorcycles pulled over on the side of a road with their $3,000 viewing scopes and $800 binoculars pointed at some bird in the distance.

The Front Range flyway has an incredible diversity of birds. Is it short-sightedness that precautions have not been taken to retain or reestablish our native habitat as land is developed? Personally, I think it has more to do with the area developing at such a rapid rate that little thought is given except to the bottom-line.

But the bottom-line could actually be reduced. With all due respect to the landscape industry, it is just as easy to replace native vegetation that requires less water and provides a food source for birds than it is to plant the standard nursery plants that often are nonnative but look green if there is a vast supply of nonrenewable water. Certainly we can do more to conserve our water while at the same time support the birds in our area. All it takes is a community vision and the will to do the right thing.

At the Palmer Lake Historical Society meeting on July 27, Jan Pettit spoke about Carl G. Lotave, whose grave marker is atop Pikes Peak where Lotave’s friend Calvin H. Morse sprinkled his ashes. Since the summit of Pikes Peak is a National Monument, the Pikes Peak Rangers questioned the historical story connected to the marker and considered removing it from the summit. They asked Pettit, who was involved in other Pikes Peak research projects, to discover the facts. She said she did nothing for two years but research the life of Lotave.

One of 11 children, Lotave was born in Jonkaping, Sweden, in 1872. He entered school at age 10, which was normal for that period. Pettit said his grades were good but his conduct was "impertinent." At the age of 19, he studied with painting masters in Stockholm. Later, he studied in Paris before coming to the United States to teach art and languages at Bethany College in Kansas. In summer 1899, Louis Sotter—hired as director of art at Colorado College—Artus Van Briggle of the famed pottery, and Lotave—all friends since they were students in Paris—came to Colorado Springs to be part of a maturing, sophisticated, cultural society.

In 1900, Lotave’s paintings, part of an elegant art exhibit attended by 200 guests attired in formal dress, received recognition. Known as a portrait, figure, genre, and historical painter, Lotave was described by Gilbert McClurg as "an artist with a meteoric career flashing across Colorado’s sky for a brief period."

Pettit said Lotave was a prolific painter and speculated that he produced a few hundred paintings. But she could account for only 81 of his paintings and murals through advertisements and art periodicals and could verify only 17 of those. Since 1926, Lotave originals have hung in the Puye Room in the Palace of the Governors in Santa Fe, N.M.

Lotave never married and remained a temperamental artist until his death in 1924. What about Lotave’s marker atop Pikes Peak? Thanks to Pettit’s research, the Pikes Peak Rangers feel comfortable with Lotave’s credentials as a solid, historical figure. The marker stays.

Below: Roger and Kim Ward, seated on their porch, greeted about 400 people who toured their home and the grounds of Estemere on July 29. Since the Wards purchased Estemere in 1998, the grand old Victorian has undergone extensive renovations. The Wards now feel they can relax a bit and enjoy this unique home first built by Dr. William Thompson in 1887-1890. The yearly tours have been sponsored by the Palmer Lake Historical Society; however, the next open house at Estemere will not be until 2008. Photo by Dee Kirby

Below: One White Calla - Black and White Photo by Linda Hauff

Each month, we have really fun opportunities to bring friends, family, visitors, and colleagues to see original art and meet the artists here in our community at the Art Hop., 5-8 p.m. the third Thursday of every month through October: Aug. 17, Sept. 21, and Oct. 19. To be honest, we can do it nearly every day, but the monthly event makes it easy to plan for.

I invited a new neighbor, Lisa, to the Art Hop evening to introduce her to the local arts scene. We walked the town, enjoying the perfect, lightly breezy weather, the friendly gallery ambience and the convivial pursuits as well as the fine arts. There are fine arts and fine crafts including the paintings, photography and sculpture, jewelry, furniture and more to look at, and artists to get to know, and the adventure of collecting to begin.

The vibrant photography show includes Linda Roth, Stephen Weaver, and R.D. Stucky.

While Lisa investigated the Weaver’s work and the gallery at large, I spoke with Roth about her innovative use of the watercolor inks and papers for her nature photography. The colors are luminous, imaginative works of art that connect the traditional intimacy of watercolors with state-of-the-art photography. Linda avails herself of the latest printmaking methods to create a new genre of imagery not possible until now.

The luminous quality of digital color photography is a true breakthrough due to the way light interacts with the colors and the substrate, in this case, paper. In the bubble jet techniques, the color, or pigment, actually falls onto the page in microscopic balls that fill with light, colored light. Seen under a microscope, the balls of color, filled with air, allow light to flow through, much like a gem.

Traditional painting techniques with a brush and paint lay on the colors in flat flakes, at times blocking the ability of light to travel through it and achieve luminescence. Similarly, traditional color photography uses dyes in layers of gelatin on a page of paper. The dyes are not as permanent as pigments, and therefore are considered "fugitive." That means the staying power is limited. Silver gelatin prints for traditional black and white images, however, have a very long archival life due to the silver as colorant. That is one reason why even very old black-and-white prints survive well, and even relatively recent color prints have color shifts. Many fine art photographers are turning to the archival stability of the newer printing techniques because of longevity as well as the new luminous achievements in color.

Art collectors and art lovers are captivated with watercolors – originals and the new "giclee" prints – for this reason. The originals are exciting because they are exactly what the artist created, and the transparent colors let the light through to the white of the page and the light bounces back through the pigment, which gives watercolor paintings their famous glow. The giclee prints have a heightened luminosity that may actually best the beauty of the original work.

Weaver photographs large-format landscape images, which are available in two forms: giclee (ink-jet) prints with pigment inks on archival acid-free paper, and large prints (16 by 20 to 40 by 50) output on the Lightjet 5000 printer to Fuji Crystal Archive paper. His ability to include subtle colors and textures in nature are truly worth the visit to Winter Gallery. Weaver is a geologist by profession, and he has the remarkable ability to bring out a vast array of interesting textures and colors of the earth in its rocks and formations, along with the natural living things nearby. Lichen takes on a new vibrant aura under his lens, as do meadow grasses, trees and clovers.

Stucky has been shooting photos for over 20 years. Although there are many technological advances such as digital photography and computer manipulation, he has found it very important to remain faithful to his art of traditional black-and-white photography. Adjusting images by using the darkroom lights and a negative to manipulate the outcome is a long-standing practice and frequently necessary in the genre. However, all of the R.D. Stucky photos on display at this show at The Winter Gallery were created using traditional film (negative) to paper processing techniques, with no manipulation, and are gelating silver prints hand-printed in a "wet" darkroom.

Speedtrap: Apprehended: paintings and photographs by baristas from the Speedtrap Coffeebar in Palmer Lake. Featured baristas: Peter Kavanagh, Nate Hebenstreit, Monika Reitmeyer, and Erin Easton.

The art for Pankratz’s July opening is Barbara Hochstetler Fentress. Her credits include Denver International Airport and Invesco Field at Mile High. Fentress’ work fills the walls with large canvases in abstract rays of colors. She calls them cubist-inspired, and the show, "Kinetically in Kind," is her premiere exhibit of paintings. The gallery’s ongoing show of plein aire, marble sculptures and glass traditions mingle with Richard Pankratz’s angel sculptures and pottery. The current exhibits are colorful and textural.

I talked to owner Marce, who recently returned from Asia, about her recent travels. I will go back again soon to enjoy more of those Asian weavings and that tactile silk luxury. There is something about the intricacies of the patterns and the rich, smooth, sensuous feel of those silks that calls for another look-see.

Going farther west on Second Street, we enjoyed Sharon DeWeese’s enormous watercolors and acrylic paintings. Sharon is such a delight to visit; we always feel welcome and enjoy our time with her at her gallery. This time, as we sipped sangria and chose favorite artworks, Sharon related her wonderful travel stories that go with each painting. My current favorite is the sea turtle on the northwest wall. Her new (and adorable) puppy, a golden poodle named Lucy, greeted us with cheerful calm.

We are planning an "all levels of artists" evening to paint and make mono-prints this summer, so plan on joining us at the Buffalo Blues Gallery and Studio. Stay tuned online or drop by her gallery at 135 Second St. The gallery will be open just about every summer evening until 9 p.m. or so.

Contact TLCA at (719) 481-0475, visit www.trilakesarts.org, or e-mail info@trilakesarts.org.

July 21-Aug. 25

July 21-Aug. 25

The Gift Gallery is always looking for new artists to consign their work. Contact TLCA today and schedule an appointment to show us your work. Hours of the Gift Gallery are Wednesday through Saturday, noon to 4 p.m. Closed Sundays, Mondays and Tuesdays. Open during special events.

Teaching/studio hours are 1-10 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday, with special daily, weekend, and evening event hours. Summer class openings; call for details: 488-8280.

Special Events and Notices

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. 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 Solid Waste Management at 520-7878 or Ruth Ann Steele at 495-3107, or visit www.bfslash.org.

The Woodmoor Improvement Association is hosting a meeting between Woodmoor residents and members of the Lewis-Palmer Board of Education Aug. 7 at 7 p.m. at the Woodmoor Barn, 1691 Woodmoor Dr. (Check for a possible change of venue.) This is an opportunity to discuss the new high school planned on land north of the current middle school, between Woodmoor Drive and Monument Hill Road in the general area of Hunter Run Farm. Info: 488-2693 or wia@woodmoor.org.

The annual Black Forest Festival takes place Aug. 12, 6:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., at the corner of Black Forest and Shoup Roads. A pancake breakfast kicks off the event, 6:30 to 9:30 a.m. At 10:30 a.m., the parade will commence, progressing west on Shoup Road from the bridge between Herring and Black Forest roads, then turning north on Black Forest Road to White Fire Lane Road. The festival will also feature food vendors, children’s activities, live entertainment, and more. Off-site parking is available at the gravel lot on the northeast corner of Burgess and Black Forest Roads, with shuttle service available to and from the festival site 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Enjoy an afternoon at the Village Green in Palmer Lake (beside the Palmer Lake Branch Library) listening to the Daytime Singers of the America the Beautiful Barbershop Chorus, and eating delicious Rock House ice cream. This free event on Aug. 12, 1:30 to 5:30 p.m., is hosted by the Monument and Palmer Lake branch libraries. Families are encouraged to bring their elders to this event, which honors the community’s seniors. Info: 481-2587.

The Western Museum of Mining & Industry’s burros are turning 5 and the museum is celebrating by throwing a party Aug. 19, 1-9 p.m. Meet and greet burros Oro and Nugget and take part in the numerous activities, including gold panning, tours, goat cart rides, and learning how mining and music relate. Bring a lawn chair and stay for an evening of music by local folk singer Chuck Pyle in WMMI’s apple orchard. This is also the last time of the year to see outside machinery operations–don’t miss out on the shrill whistle of the Osgood steam shovel and all of the excitement! Food and drink vendors will be on site, or bring a picnic. Admission for this all-day event is $10 for WMMI members, $12 non-members, free for children 15 and under with a paid adult. WMMI is located at 225 North Gate Blvd., just off of I-25 at the Gleneagle exit, #156A. Info: 488-0880.

The Monument Board of Trustees and the board of the Baptist Road Rural Transportation Authority (BRRTA) will meet Aug. 21, 6:30 p.m. The public is welcome to attend and participate in a discussion of Baptist Road improvements and the Baptist Road/I-25 interchange. Construction schedules and financing mechanisms, such as the temporary 1-cent sales tax proposed by BRRTA, will be discussed. The meeting will be held at Creekside Middle School located at the intersection of Creekside Drive and Leather Chaps Drive. For more information, phone 884-8017.

All are welcome to Monument’s street dance on Aug. 26, 5 to 11 p.m. Activities for the entire family include children’s carnival fun, a food court, a silent auction (5-8:30 p.m.), and live music. Tunes from the ‘50s to ‘70s will be featured 5 to 7 p.m., with big band, swing, country and western, Latin, etc. after that. Dress in costume from your favorite dance era–there will be a costume contest with prizes awarded at 9 p.m. The cost of the event is $5 per person over 16, $10 for the whole family. Proceeds will benefit Tri-Lakes Cares and other Tri-Lakes nonprofits. Monument Plaza is located at 481 Highway 105, on the west side of I-25. For more information call Karen Evans, 650-2659.

Volunteers are needed to lead informal social conversation groups for adult English language learners with intermediate or better English skills. Be a facilitator; meet the international community. Conversation groups meet at libraries for two hours once a week for 14 weeks. Fall Talk English! groups will meet from Sept. 11 to Dec. 15. Training takes place at Penrose Library in Colorado Springs Aug. 26, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Call 531-6333, x2224 or x2223 to register.

Local Colorado Master Gardeners staff a help desk at the Monument Branch Library, 1706 Lake Woodmoor Dr., 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.

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.

Home  About  Advertise  Archive  Calendar  Contact  Donate  Help  Links  Maps  Subscribe  Topics  Updates

Contact us at (719) 488-3455, ads@ocn.me, editor@ocn.me, or P.O. Box 1742, Monument, Colorado 80132-1742.

This page was last modified on January 11, 2012. Home page: www.ocn.me. 

Copyright © 2001-2012 Our Community News, Inc. All Rights Reserved.