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Superintendent Pomarico resigns

Below: Lewis-Palmer District 38 School Board President Jes Raintree and Superintendent Dr. Michael Pomarico at Pomarico’s first board meeting July 20. Pomarico resigned effective Dec. 15 for "extenuating personal circumstances" but will remain on administrative leave through June 30 and will receive $94,262 in compensation and a severance payment of $150,000. Photos by John Heiser

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At the Lewis-Palmer District 38 School Board meeting Dec. 22, the board unanimously accepted a letter of resignation from Dr. Michael Pomarico. Due to inclement weather and prior commitments, board members Stephen Plank and Gail Wilson were absent. President Jes Raintree said that due to the absences of the two board members, many of the agenda items were postponed to the Jan. 18 meeting.

Raintree said the superintendent’s resignation Dec. 15 was due to "extenuating personal circumstances." Pomarico started work July 1.

A subsequent press release quoted Raintree as saying "The Board of Education and Dr. Pomarico have reached a mutually agreeable separation." The press release went on to say "The Board and Dr. Pomarico have agreed that he will accept paid administrative leave through June 30, 2007. (The remaining balance of the total 2006-07 superintendent compensation package is $94,261.54.) Dr. Pomarico will receive a severance payment of $150,000 on or before June 30, 2007. The Board of Education unanimously agreed this action was in the best interest in pursuing excellence for all our students. The superintendent position will not be filled for the time being. The Board of Education is reviewing leadership team positions and delineation of responsibilities for the coming months."

After concluding the 8-minute board meeting, the board went into an executive session to discuss personnel matters. Raintree asked Assistant Superintendent Ray Blanch and Chief Financial Officer Cheryl Wangeman to attend that executive session.

In a separate press release issued Dec. 13, the district reported the sale of $57 million in general obligation bonds to fund the construction of the second high school and improvements at Lewis-Palmer High School. The reported true interest cost is 4.307 percent and the bonds have an average life expectancy of 15.853 years. The average coupon is 5.54 percent. Groundbreaking for the second high school is scheduled for April 2007. Improvements to Lewis-Palmer High School are scheduled to begin in the first quarter of 2007.

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The Lewis-Palmer School 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. Jan. 18. The district’s Web site is at www.lewispalmer.org.

Blanch named finalist to succeed Pomarico

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Below: Assistant Superintendent Ray Blanch during the Sept. 28 District Accountability Advisory Committee meeting on plans for the second high school. Photo by John Heiser

The Lewis-Palmer School District selected Assistant Superintendent Ray Blanch as "the finalist" for filling the vacant superintendent position during a special board meeting on Jan. 3. The board also gave Blanch the powers of the office until the formal appointment, which is scheduled to take place on Jan. 18 at the next regular meeting. The board also unanimously approved the formation of an Educator’s Advisory Group consisting of one elementary, middle school, and high school principal to lighten the workload carried by the new superintendent.

The 11 a.m. meeting started off with a 40-minute executive session by the board with Blanch. After returning to open session, the board and numerous staff and committee members of the district discussed options for appointing an interim or acting superintendent, as well as selecting a new superintendent with or without a search. Numerous specific prioritized leadership goals were also recorded. After this work session, Board President Jes Raintree visited each school to discuss the results with the staffs.

At the special board meeting at 5 p.m., the board unanimously passed a motion declaring Assistant Superintendent Ray Blanch the finalist for filling the currently vacant position of former superintendent Michael Pomarico and that the final decision on the next superintendent will be made at the next regular board meeting on Jan. 18. The board also gave Blanch, by acclimation, the authority to exercise all the authority of the superintendent to carry out the duties and responsibilities of the position in the interim.

Board Treasurer Gail Wilson said she had re-read the list of qualities and special considerations in the brochure advertising for the previous search and found that Blanch met or exceeded every one. Board Secretary LouAnn Dekleva said the board had a good discussion "on how not to burn out a superintendent" and how to provide support and better information directly to the next appointee. Director Steve Plank thanked Blanch for "taking on this and understanding where we’re going."

Raintree reported that in accordance with district policy, the board would appoint a committee to name the second high school, which will be built on the Hunter Run Farm property. She pointed out that the mascot and colors for the new school would be selected by the future members of the school as a team-building process. She added the committee members will be appointed soon so a name can be selected prior to breaking ground on Apr. 1. Committee membership will include community members from Palmer Lake, Monument, Black Forest, plus one retired person who has lived here for a long time and no longer has children attending D-38 schools. Input on the name will also be sought from students who will attend the new school.

Plank formally suggested formation of an Educator’s Advisory Group to advise and assist the new superintendent in performing the duties of the position. He said they would be a resource for Blanch, because the position now has "way too many things for them to do and the things that they do are pretty weighty," leading to turnover every two to three years throughout Colorado. The board approved formation of the committee, then appointed Principals Mark Brewer of Lewis-Palmer High School, Terry Miller of Lewis-Palmer Middle School, and Alexis Miller-Gibbore of Grace Best Elementary School to this group.

Raintree said she needed to note that this group would not replace or affect the operations of the Superintendent’s Council or the Administrative Council. She said the advisory group would "represent the voice of all the educators at that level for discussion and decisions" so "information is flowing all the way through." Plank added, "As we’ve been growing larger we’ve lost some of that. In the last few months we lost quite a bit of that."

The meeting adjourned at 5:20 p.m.

After adjournment, Wilson reiterated to reporters that the board was trying to restore the level of communications and access to the superintendent that had been a strength of the district before it started to grow so rapidly as well as understand the causes of the rapid turnover in this office.

On Dec. 4, the Monument Board of Trustees (BOT) approved the mill levy certification, budget, and appropriation for 2007. The board also approved an intergovernmental agreement (IGA) with the newly formed Pikes Peak Rural Water Authority, and two plats for Monument Marketplace. Trustees Travis Easton and Steve Samuels were absent.

2007 mill levy certification resolution approved: The town’s 2007 property tax mill levy will be 6.4568 mills, an increase of 0.586 mill from 2006. Treasurer Pamela Smith said the mill levy increase was needed because it had been temporarily lowered for 2006, the certification had to be submitted to the Board of County Commissioners by Dec. 15, and the town has millions of dollars of capital projects to complete including the new Town Hall/Police Station building, Skate Board Park, and the Stormwater Master Plan. The maximum tax raised on the town’s net assessed valuation of $75,753,550 is $489,279. This rate meets the state’s 5.5 percent revenue limit and TABOR restrictions. The board unanimously approved the certification.

Smith said that during a preliminary 2006 budget review, the town’s auditor had suggested creating a new capital projects building fund to better track construction expenditures for the new Town Hall/Police Station to be built at Beacon Lite Road and Highway 105, segregating those transactions from the general fund. Revenue for this new major fund will come from the 1 percent sales tax that had been restricted to capital water projects and purchase of water and water rights. In 2005, town voters approved ballot question 2A, which authorized use of some of the accumulated sales tax revenues for building the new Town Hall/Police Station building in 2007.

After opening a public hearing during which there were no citizen comments, the board unanimously approved an ordinance creating the new major fund in the 2007 budget. This ordinance did not increase the size of the budget but only shifted some of the existing line items to the new fund.

Smith noted that the draft 2007 budget was presented to the board on Sept. 18. Each department head made a presentation on accomplishments, short-term and long-term goals, and specifics of each portion of the budget. A public hearing was held Nov. 20 for citizen comments on any aspect of the budget. After opening a public hearing during which there were no citizen comments, the board unanimously approved the ordinance for the 32-page 2007 budget, which included the new capital projects building fund.

Total revenue is $3,334,026. Total expenditures are $3,667,882. The beginning fund balance is $902,993. The ending balance is $569,137. After reductions are made for the TABOR reserved fund balance of $95,890 and the 15 percent reserve fund recommended by the General Accounting Standards Board of $463,440, the end-of-year reserve is $9,807.

The board unanimously approved an ordinance that appropriated the specific amounts required for each fund within the 2007 budget. There was no public comment on the appropriation during the open hearing. The amounts appropriated in the eight funds were:

Board meetings are normally held on the first and third Monday of the month. If a meeting date falls on a holiday, the meeting is normally held the following day. The board concurred on cancellation of the first regular meeting in January. The other scheduled Tuesday meetings for 2007 are Jan. 16, Feb. 20, and Sept. 4.

The Palmer Divide Water Group has been converted to the Pikes Peak Rural Water Authority. The board had previously approved a Memorandum of Understanding to convert the water group into the new entity. The intergovernmental agreement establishes the rural water authority. Membership fees and required funding are the same. All funds held by the water group were transferred to the authority.

The other members of the new rural water authority are: Town of Palmer Lake, Cherokee Metropolitan District, Triview Metropolitan District, Academy Water and Sanitation District, Donala Water and Sanitation District, and Woodmoor Water and Sanitation District.

Monument resident Claudia Whitney, an alternate member of the town’s Board of Adjustment, was appointed to replace former Planning Commissioner John Kortgardner, who has moved out of Monument to Colorado Springs. Town Attorney Gary Shupp said that there would be no conflict of interest due to Whitney being a town employee, because the board’s actions are reviewed by the District Court rather than by the Board of Trustees. The resolution to appoint Whitney passed unanimously.

Trustee Gail Drumm was unanimously appointed town representative to the Rocky Mountain Rail Authority by resolution. Town Manager Cathy Green was unanimously appointed as the alternate representative in this resolution. These two appointments expire after the April 2008 municipal election

Filing 11 of the Monument Marketplace is a single lot of 0.903 acre, adjacent to Jackson Creek Parkway. A fast-food restaurant, Carl’s Jr., will build on this site. Filing 13, a single lot of 2.7 acres on the west side of the center near I-25, will be a Texas Roadhouse. Both filings had been unanimously approved by the Planning Commission on Nov. 8. There were no conditions to the board’s unanimous approvals.

The board had asked the staff to draft a restriction on overnight parking of recreational vehicles in off-street parking, particularly at Wal-Mart. Wal-Mart objected to being singled out in the third amendment to the Monument Marketplace Site Plan, the method initially proposed for implementation of the policy. The corporation asked the town for an ordinance that would apply town-wide. During recent Planning Commission and BOT discussions on this topic, Town Attorney Shupp had also recommended an ordinance applicable throughout the town.

The staff offered a draft amendment to the town ordinance at this meeting that would prohibit the overnight parking of occupied recreational vehicles in off-street parking lots, from dusk to dawn. Some of the unresolved issues were safety, enforcement, and town aesthetics.

Some of the comments made by trustees and st­aff during a very lengthy discussion follow:

Trustee Drumm asked that an exception be made for church parking lots and residential private driveways. He said the town would lose revenue from Wal-Mart and other nearby stores and restaurants to the Castle Rock and North Academy Boulevard Wal-Mart shopping centers that allow overnight parking. He noted that Wal-Mart requires drivers to sign a list within the store when they stay overnight and could restrict the number allowed.

Town Manager Green said that unlit office building parking lots had been a concern in drafting the language. She suggested that the board could consider designating specific locations on parking lots in town where RVs and campers can park, based on them not fitting in normal size spaces, to control illumination and their visibility to police patrols. However, she said it might be unfair to change parking requirements after Wal-Mart’s final plat and PD site plan have already been approved and the town would have to pay for signs designating authorized RV/camper areas or prohibiting overnight parking.

Trustee Miller said that he was considering withdrawing support for the proposed ordinance due to all the complexities it may raise for the town’s Police Department. He added that people plan their trips around these overnight stays at Wal-Marts and did not see how the department could enforce the new ordinance fairly. He questioned the safety of awakening people and requiring them to move their RVs in the middle of the night.

Trustee Tommie Plank said she would like to have Police Chief Jake Shirk tell the board what the Police Department’s issues and concerns would be if RVs could park overnight at the Marketplace Wal-Mart.

Trustee Dave Mertz said allowing Wal-Mart parking would hurt existing campground businesses in the area and harm the aesthetics of Jackson Creek. Other trustees noted that the RVs could probably not be seen from I-25 or any Jackson Creek homes.

Monument Police Detective Mark Owens said that RV owners typically do not present problems. Due to other duties, police would be unlikely to ask owners to move until after midnight.

The ordinance was continued until Chief Shirk could be present.

The board unanimously approved a one-year renewal for the liquor license of Brinker Restaurant Corp., owner of the Chili’s Grill and Bar in Monument Marketplace. There had been no liquor violations during the preceding year.

The board unanimously approved a new liquor license for the Rotelli Pizza Pasta restaurant in Monument Marketplace. Attorney Larry Gaddis and surveyor Sue Duffy-Schwall of Liquor Licensing Professionals, LLC, gave very brief presentations for the applicant, Rotelli Store Partners No. 2, LLC. The board unanimously approved the new license with a single condition for a clean report from the Colorado Bureau of Investigation on the corporate officers’ and registered manager’s fingerprints.

Green presented a draft Capital Improvement Program document that listed 14 projects that the town should consider completing within approximately 10 years. She suggested that the board should pick the projects it would fund within the next three to five years. Smith said a capital expense would be any item that exceeds $5,000 and that may be depreciable. Green asked the trustees to review her draft list after the meeting and suggest any additions to her.

Town Attorney Shupp reported that the Masse/Rockwell business license issue has been revived. Kalima Masse has again asked for "renewal" of a business license for the concrete batch plant on the northeast corner of Highway 105 and Washington Street. The plant has not been operated for nearly 20 years. A previous denial of the application led to a lawsuit that Masse lost.

Shupp noted that the second license application was also denied. Masse asked for an appeal 25 days later. The ordinance allows only 10 days for an appeal. Masse has submitted another application. The attorney provided to the town by the town’s insurer has suggested mediation of the issue to Masse rather than a formal town hearing. Green would preside over the appeal hearing if the mediation offer is not accepted by Masse.

Director of Development Services Tom Kassawara said he hoped to have a recommendation for the general engineer and design-builder for the new Town Hall/Police Station project at the next BOT meeting.

The meeting adjourned at 7:45 p.m.

On Dec. 18, during the last board meeting of the year, the Monument Board of Trustees (BOT) authorized town staff to begin negotiations for engineering services contracts for 2007 as well as for the design and construction of the new Town Hall/Police Department facility. The board also discussed the current status of the proposed town-subsidized senior center on Highway 105. Trustee Tim Miller was absent.

Mayor Byron Glenn announced that expansion of the state’s I-25 Baptist Road interchange would begin in March. He said a construction manager for the project would be selected at a Baptist Road Rural Transportation Authority (BRRTA) meeting that was scheduled for Dec. 21. (The BRRTA meeting was actually delayed until Dec. 22 due to snow. The $1,692,703 construction management contract was awarded to Carter and Burgess, Inc.)

BRRTA voters passed a temporary 1-cent, 20-year sales tax on Nov. 7 to pay for private funding of the interchange expansion with $21.5 million of general obligation revenue bonds. The construction contract will be awarded early in 2007. This sales tax will begin July 1. The El Paso County Department of Transportation will administer the construction contract for BRRTA, in coordination with the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT).

CDOT has promised to pay back BRRTA $15 million in principal for the cost of construction if and when Colorado Senate Bill 1 funds become available. The sales tax will end, probably in fewer than 20 years, once the interest and principal are paid off from generated tax revenue, or if CDOT pays BRRTA the $15 million as promised in the next five to 10 years. (See BRRTA article on page 26 for more details.)

Trustee Gail Drumm, the town’s representative to the Front Range Rail Authority, said the authority and CDOT were initiating a study on where high-speed passenger rail lines should be installed along the Front Range.

State Sen. Tom Wiens, who represents the Tri-Lakes region, offered his assistance on local matters during the upcoming 120-day legislative session. He thanked the town for its efforts to get the Baptist Road interchange privately funded well before the state could pay for the construction. "It’s a big deal you can all be very proud of."

Director of Development Services Tom Kassawara said 11 requests for qualifications were sent to engineering firms on Sept. 19 that the staff had identified for consideration for future on-call service contracts for 2007. He said nine responses were received, and the staff selected the four most qualified firms for contract offers. Kassawara said their expertise overlapped, which would give the staff choices for particular services at the most reasonable cost. The negotiated contracts will all have maximum fees listed so that no bids will be required for work and the staff can pick the consultant firm that will give the best service for the best price.

Kassawara’s proposed resolution asked for approval to enter contract negotiations with four firms for the following engineering services:

Trustee Travis Easton, a civil engineer who works for Nolte Associates, Inc., stated he would recuse himself. Glenn said he works with Stantec Consultants and would recuse himself on that vote. With these two abstentions, a resolution authorizing all four contract negotiations by staff was unanimously approved by the other four trustees.

Kassawara said he had advertised for contractors who could design and construct the two-story, 17,000-square-foot Town Hall/Police Department facility on town-owned land on the southwest corner of Beacon Lite Road and Highway 105. Only one proposal was submitted on Dec. 6, by the team of developer Centennial Services, Inc., general contractor Alexander Building, Inc., and architect John P. Nelson Associates. Kassawara said the team had the qualifications necessary to build the facility within the $2.9 million budget and complete it within 12-14 months. He asked the board for permission to begin negotiations with Centennial Services for a design-build contract that establishes a guaranteed maximum price, a schedule for completion, and a "B+" level of quality. The board unanimously approved a resolution for the negotiations. Kassawara will bring the negotiated contract back to the board for final approval.

The board unanimously approved a resolution appointing Public Works Director Rich Landreth as the primary town representative to the new Pikes Peak Regional Water Authority (which recently replaced the Palmer Divide Water Group) and former Mayor Betty Konarski as the alternate. The first authority meeting is scheduled for Jan. 9.

During public comment on items not on the agenda, President Maureen Poirier of the Tri-Lakes Health Advocacy Partnership asked for information on the proposed senior residence facility to be built on a town-owned lot on Highway 105, east of Knollwood Drive. She said the board had approved the donation of the land for this facility a year ago, but the transaction had not yet taken place.

Poirier said it was her understanding that grant money for the new facility would be jeopardized if the land was not transferred to the developer by the end of 2006, when the available funding would expire. She said that the town-appointed attorney for the donation had not responded to the developer’s contract proposal after four weeks. She asked the board to advise the community on how the situation would be resolved before the end of the year.

Green said she had prepared an additional packet for the trustees on this item, which was then added to the agenda by unanimous approval of the board.

Green noted that last fall, the board had passed an ordinance that authorized donation of a lot in the Village Center at Woodmoor development on the southeast corner of Highway 105 and Knollwood Drive that was dedicated to the town as a condition of the annexation of the 140-acre Wahlborg Addition. She said a condition of the donation requires the developer to provide lowered rents on at least 10 percent of the units for people with incomes below the median regional income. Another condition for the donation was for the developer to provide construction plans for the staff to review and approve as well as financial statements that show financing plans are in order, which had not occurred.

Green said that she was told on Dec. 15 that the developer would lose its federal grant if the land was not transferred by Dec. 31. She said she then checked with the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development on why the developer’s grant might be in jeopardy and learned that no such grant application had been submitted by the developer. Green added that she then learned that there may be some tax break for the developer if the land donation is made in 2006 and some private investors "may possibly walk away" if the proposal is not finalized very quickly.

Town Attorney Gary Shupp said that if the town was to transfer the deed with a "reverter clause" and something occurs that was not foreseen, there is a strong possibility of litigation for the town to reclaim the land if the developer failed to fulfill its contract. He suggested deeding the property in escrow, with appropriate conditions on the developer for completion, before it would be released, signed, and transferred.

Shupp added that all of the details on the escrowed transfer had not been worked out with the developer’s attorney. He said the board could conditionally approve the escrow proposal. If the developer’s attorneys were not to approve Shupp’s proposed contract, then the board’s approval to transfer the land would be revoked.

Green said the resolution she had presented to the trustees would be changed after the meeting based on final negotiations. "There’s quite a bit of ‘Trust me here’ in order for this to happen before the end of the year. Otherwise we would definitely not have brought this to you. We would have cleaned this up and would have brought it to you in January."

A time limit of nine months for good faith negotiations on a final plat and engineering and development plans was discussed. Green said there was a lot of engineering work to get done in that short a period. The board unanimously approved a nine-month negotiating period with the developer and the immediate, though escrowed, transfer of the property with the other conditions noted above.

Treasurer Pamela Smith asked for approval of four payments over $5,000. One payment was to Triview Metropolitan District for its share of the town’s October sales taxes and November special ownership taxes on motor vehicles. Three of the payments were money held in escrow by the town for the future construction of a traffic signal at Knollwood and Highway 105 by WED, LLC, the developer of the Village Center at Woodmoor. Smith noted that these three checks were not the town’s money, not an actual payment, and had no effect on town fund balances.

The traffic signal construction is one part of the cost allocation agreement that also calls for Highway 105 widening, turn lanes and intersection improvements. The other parties to the agreement are Copper Knoll Investments, LLC for the Knollwood Center; TKO Development/HWY 105, LLC; Paisano LLC for the Tuscany Center; and WED, LLC for the Village Center at Woodmoor.

Green said the town’s new cost-recovery ordinance would prevent the town from being a party to this kind of private agreement in the future. Kassawara said there will still disputes between the county and state departments of transportation over transfers of roadway between the two and further delays in the required approvals for actual construction of the needed traffic signal.

The board unanimously approved the four payments.

Smith proposed an additional early payment of $250,000 to pay down principal on the town’s loan for the Monument Dam to save over $200,000 in interest and pay off the loan three years earlier. This money was part of the recent budget restatement showing surpluses due to increased revenues and decreased expenditures in the water enterprise fund. Trustee Gail Drumm had asked Smith at the Nov. 20 BOT meeting to consider using the money instead for purchasing of water rights. Green said the town’s water attorney, Bob Krassa, had since advised her there was no need to purchase water rights in 2006, and only $40,000 was needed in 2007 to buy a water right necessary for future negotiations on others. Smith noted that this $40,000 had already been included in the approved 2007 budget and there was a large contingency fund balance should water rights be available at the right price.

The pre-payment of the water loan was approved 5-1, with Glenn stating that the money should be held in reserve to "keep options open" in the future.

Smith summarized a 29-page financial report for the first 10 months of 2006. She reported that general fund revenues were 17 percent ahead of budget and water enterprise fund revenues were 8 percent behind, after setting aside the $2.5 million for the new Town Hall/Police Department facility. General fund expenditures are 5 percent over the budget and water enterprise fund expenditures are 42 percent under. Sales tax revenues through August were 7 percent ahead of budget. The report was unanimously approved.

Shupp reported that Kalima Masse had rejected the town’s offer of mediation on her third application for renewal of a business license that expired 19 years ago for the inactive concrete batch plant on the northeast corner of Highway 105 and Washington Street. The town then sent her a third denial.

Masse recently abandoned her unsuccessful three-year appeal of the town’s rejection of her first application. Masse then resubmitted the same request. The town also denied that renewal request. Masse did not appeal this second denial within the new 10-day limit enacted by a recent amendment of the town’s business license ordinance.

Shupp said that the town currently has no minimum time limit on when an applicant can resubmit a new application for a previously rejected use. The town is unable to stop her from immediately re-applying after each rejection.

Shupp added that if she appeals the third rejection, the town would be obliged to hold an appeal hearing for her. Green would be the hearing officer for the appeal under another new amendment of the town’s business license ordinance

Kassawara reported that he had hired Joe Otkean, an engineering inspector with over seven years experience in this field, to start work on Jan. 8. The current inspector, Ron Rathburn, will return to the Water Department.

Landreth gave a report on the first skateboard park meeting he had held with area youths and parents. He said the kids did not like the current location of the park. They wanted a larger park built within Dirty Woman Creek Park, which would cost about $500,000. A park of this size would require two years to design, plan, and fund through grants and fundraising events. He asked if the board wanted to go ahead with reconstruction of the existing park; the board did not make a decision. The next committee meeting will be held on Jan. 10.

The committee also proposed building a skateboard park on the YMCA parcel northwest of the Higby intersection with Jackson Creek Parkway. Kassawara said that the current site plan proposal was "already packed."

Police Chief Jake Shirk introduced Palmer Lake’s new Police Chief Dan Gilliana. Shirk described an "exciting" first joint venture that was conducted with Palmer Lake after Gilliana took office.

In early December, Monument PD Officers arrested Trenton McCall of Palmer Lake on suspicion of theft and other violations after receiving a report of shoplifting from Wal-Mart. Monument detectives obtained a search warrant for McCall’s residence in Palmer Lake.

The El Paso County SWAT Team searched the home Dec. 16 and officers and deputies seized drug paraphernalia, a small amount of marijuana, and one ounce of crystal methamphetamine with an estimated street value of $3,500. Robert McCall was arrested on drug counts and jailed. An arrest warrant was issued for Jerry Lynn McCall. Anyone with knowledge of his location should call the Monument Police Department at 719-481-3253 or Palmer Lake Police Department at 719-481-2934.

Shirk said the united efforts of area law enforcement agencies will prove more successful in combating illegal drugs and their role as the underlying source of many crimes in the Tri-Lakes area. Gilliana said the policies and procedures manuals for the two towns were being aligned and streamlined for more effective joint actions. He said the towns will also standardize rules and training.

Green suggested the town consider initiating a recreation fee to help pay for little-league fields for players 5-17 years old.

She proposed leasing the current Town Hall building for $1 senior center lunches for the first year after the staff move out of the building while working out the building’s future uses and the ability to fund its continued operation with grants.

Glenn said the town should form a charter committee on a proposal for home-rule status. Shupp said he would research the timing of the committee’s requirements.

During citizen comments, Margaret French thanked the board for moving forward on the resolution for the land donation for the senior center on Highway 105.

The meeting adjourned at 7:45 p.m.

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The next meeting will be at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 16, in Town Hall, 166 Second St. Meetings are normally held the first and third Mondays of the month. Information: 481-2954.

Below: Location of the Monument Ridge Development.

Below: Planning consultant Perry Thomas of Thomas & Thomas discusses plans for the Monument Ridge commercial and residential mixed use development on the southeast corner of Baptist Road and Jackson Creek Boulevard to the Monument Planning Commission on Dec. 13. The commission approved the plat and site plans for a Fairfield Inn hotel, a Walgreen’s drug store, and a Chase bank. Photo by Jim Kendrick

On Dec. 13, the Monument Planning Commission approved plats and site plans for the Monument Ridge mixed-use center on the southeast corner of Baptist Road and Jackson Creek Parkway and the Copper Heights residential development on the northeast corner of Leather Chaps and Bowstring Drives. The commission also approved Filing 14 of the Monument Marketplace and a proposed minor wording change in the town’s ordinance on land use public hearing notifications that would allow separate Planning Commission and Board of Trustees public notice cycles.

Commissioner Kathy Spence was absent. Commissioner John Kortgardner had resigned and had not been replaced.

Prior to the first hearing, the commission voted unanimously to continue the scheduled hearing on the fourth amendment of the Monument Marketplace Final Planned Development (PD) Site Plan until the next regular meeting on Jan. 10.

Background: Wal-Mart first proposed construction of a supercenter on this Baptist Road site, coupled with annexation of the 30-acre parcel by Monument, in 1999. Discussions never led to any town hearings, and eventually Wal-Mart applied to El Paso County.

A modified Wal-Mart Supercenter proposal was rejected by the county Planning Commission (7-1) on May 11, 2004, after a six-hour hearing. This Wal-Mart proposal was unanimously rejected by the Board of County Commissioners after an 11-hour hearing on July 15, 2004.

Some of the issues raised at the Wal-Mart hearings were:

These issues shaped the Monument Ridge proposal by developer AP Baptist Road LLC. The new Monument Ridge proposal called for annexation, PD rezoning, and a mix of smaller scale commercial buildings (retail stores and offices) plus multi-family housing on the southeast corner of the parcel as a buffer for the adjacent Chaparral Hills five-acre residential lots. While most concerns expressed by citizens at the county Wal-Mart hearings were addressed, concerns about traffic loading on Baptist Road and the interchange remained.

Prior approvals: Annexation and PD zoning were unanimously approved by the Monument Planning Commission on Sept. 28, 2005.

The PD sketch plan only defined the land uses and maximum allowable densities being proposed. Until recently, all Monument annexation requests were accompanied by final PD site plans. The only written comments received by staff were from the town’s traffic engineering consultant, SEH, Inc. The SEH report recommended against approving the developer’s request that the Jackson Creek Crossing intersection on Baptist Road be converted to a full-motion intersection with left-turns allowed in all four directions. Jackson Creek Crossing is the existing private road that is the right-in/right-out-only access to the King Soopers center from westbound Baptist Road.

A private internal road, aligned with the existing Jackson Creek Crossing, will extend southward from the eastern Monument Ridge access to Baptist Road. This interior road, called Monument Ridge Road, will extend through the commercial and future residential areas to the southern full-motion access on New Struthers Road. It will also be the primary access to the undefined residential area. The northern access to New Struthers Road and the western and eastern accesses to Baptist Road will be right-in/right-out-only.

There will be no traffic signal at the Jackson Creek Crossing/Monument Ridge Road intersection. County standards require a minimum of half-mile spacing between traffic lights on major county arterial roads. The separation between Jackson Creek Crossing and Jackson Creek Parkway is only 870 feet—much less than the required half mile (2,640 feet.)

A median will be installed on Baptist Road that extends from the I-25 bridge to east of Desiree Drive. Dedicated left-turn lanes will be built to allow vehicles turning left from eastbound Baptist Road to go north on Jackson Creek Crossing or from westbound Baptist Road to go south on Monument Ridge Road. Left turns from Jackson Creek Crossing and Monument Ridge Road onto Baptist Road will be blocked by the new median structures.

At the Sept. 2005 hearing, Commissioner Lowell Morgan voted against the PD Sketch Plan, noting there was no resolution of the limited capacity of the state’s two-lane Baptist Road bridge over I-25. (See www.ourcommunitynews.org/v5n11.htm#monpc for details)

The Board of Trustees (BOT) approved annexation, rezoning, and the PD Sketch Plan on Dec. 5, 2005.

At that hearing, Town Manager Cathy Green’s staff report noted that the town’s traffic consultant, SEH, Inc., "had expressed concern over the location of the full movement turn on Baptist Road" at Jackson Creek Crossing. Green said that the town would support the Monument Ridge developer’s attempts to have the county reverse its position against a traffic light and full-motion intersection on Baptist Road at Jackson Creek Crossing.

Mayor Byron Glenn has also advocated this plan at a variety of town and county public and private meetings. He has often said that Monument would annex Baptist Road after all of BRRTA’s and PPRTA’s improvements are completed and install a full-motion intersection and traffic light at Jackson Creek Crossing. This proposed new traffic light would also relieve loading of the western access of the King Soopers Center on Jackson Creek Parkway.

A condition was added to the annexation ordinance that required the developer to escrow the parcel’s share of future costs for a full-motion intersection at Jackson Creek Crossing.

Green’s report also noted that Triview Metropolitan District "has issues with water, which is deficient on this site, as well as questions about topography and site layout." However, Triview has included this parcel because of its sales tax revenue potential.

Conditions added to the Monument Ridge annexation ordinance were:

At its March 10, 2006, meeting, BRRTA abandoned its proposal for a voluntary 1 percent public improvement fee to expand the interchange due to the refusal of Wal-Mart to allow its Monument Marketplace store to participate. Wal-Mart’s new corporate policy was that BRRTA and/or Monument voters should vote to impose a 1 percent sales tax rather than have Wal-Mart ask its customers for a 1 percent fee, contrary to its previous agreement to collect a 3 percent fee for road improvements during its county hearings in 2004. Home Depot and Kohl’s also refused to participate voluntarily. (See http://www.ourcommunitynews.org/v6n4.htm#brrta for details.)

There have also been construction delays in both the Baptist and New Struthers Road projects adjacent to the Monument Ridge parcel, primarily due to Mountain View Electric Association and Qwest not moving their underground utilities on schedule, particularly at the northeast corner of the Monument Ridge property. Final determination of the grading of the steep slope along Baptist Road at the property line between Monument Ridge and Family of Christ Lutheran Church was delayed by the utilities’ concern over its new easements. Other utility delays are expected in all three road projects. The county’s construction contractor, Rocky Mountain Materials and Asphalt, has worked on other aspects of both road projects during these utility delays.

Bridge funding logjam broken: BRRTA’s property owners voted for a 1 percent temporary sales tax by mail-in ballot during the recent November election to privately finance interest payments on road construction bonds for a new eight-lane interchange bridge and widened ramps that will be built by the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT). Expansion of the interchange will now be performed in conjunction with the ongoing county improvement projects for Baptist Road and New Struthers Road, saving millions of dollars by avoiding temporary Baptist Road construction and demolition work between the interchange and the Jackson Creek Parkway intersection.

On Nov. 20, BOT passed an ordinance defining a cost-recovery mechanism for required infrastructure (including new traffic signals) that benefits developers who do not build on their properties until after the infrastructure is installed.

Director of Development Services Tom Kassawara and Principal Planner Karen Griffith presented the staff report on the proposals. Kassawara said the developer had addressed all staff inputs. Griffith then reviewed the plat and site plan proposals.

The plat depicts 10 commercial lots, one office lot, one large medium-density residential lot, and a separate detention pond lot. No plans have been made regarding the residential area; it will be subdivided in the future. The landowners will dedicate land to the town for a half-acre pocket park, similar to those in Jackson Creek developments. The location and design of the pocket park will be determined at future hearings on the site plan for the residential lot.

The gross commercial area of the parcel is 17.8 acres, the gross residential area is 8.1 acres, the right-of-way area dedicated to the county for Baptist Road and Struthers Road is 3.1 acres, and the detention pond on the southwest corner of the parcel is 1 acre. There are 4.5 acres of open space throughout the property. The initially proposed gas station has been deleted; no users were identified by the developer.

The exterior designs of the three proposed buildings, a Fairfield Inn hotel, a Walgreen’s drug store, and a Chase bank, were included in the PD site plan.

Public access to the parcel will be provided by internal private roads, sidewalks that connect all 13 lots to Baptist Road and Struthers Road, and a trail. A cash-in-lieu payment will be made to School District 20 rather than a land dedication. All required public utilities are available.

Griffith said the proposed plat and PD site plan meets all town requirements. The design guidelines for the preliminary PD site plan call for common:

There were no significant issues referred to the town by other agencies. Griffith proposed the town’s standard condition that all necessary technical corrections are to be made to the final plat and approved by the staff prior to recording.

Griffith noted that U.S. Fish and Wildlife had expressed some concerns about lighting and activity levels affecting nearby protected Preble’s mouse habitat. She said the new town ordinance requiring a photometric grid and lighting plan for the parcel would resolve the issue. She also reminded the commissioners that none of the Monument Ridge property is mouse habitat.

Another Jackson Creek Crossing issue is raised: Kassawara said one minor issue between the developer’ traffic consultant, LSC Transportation Consultants, and the town’s traffic consultant, SEH, Inc., had not yet been resolved. Kassawara said that SEH was concerned that motorists exiting Monument Ridge to go east on Baptist Road from the western right-in/right-out-only access would try to make a U-turn at the Jackson Creek Crossing intersection to go west on Baptist Road. There will be three westbound lanes at this uncontrolled intersection after the widening construction is completed, two through lanes and an acceleration lane, which would provide enough room for a U-turn.

Temporary barriers have recently been installed in the center of the current temporary roadway at this intersection to try to prevent left turns from eastbound Baptist into the King Soopers center, as well as outbound left turns to go east on Baptist Road. Vehicles turning left through them have knocked down several. Previously, a concrete median physically prevented these left turns into and out of the center.

Kassawara said he had proposed internal signage throughout the 30-acre parcel that would direct motorists wishing to go west on Baptist Road to exit at the southern Monument Ridge Road access onto northbound New Struthers Road, then turn left at Baptist Road. Kassawara added that this issue needed to be resolved prior to the hearing for the final PD site plan.

Griffith and Kassawara added that there were no developer issues with any of the many staff comments. The six conditions they had proposed for the preliminary PD site plan were technical in nature.

Planning consultant Perry Thomas of Thomas & Thomas gave the formal developer presentation. The developer’s consultant architect, Jim Nikai, described the design elements that are required to provide a common theme when future development on the parcel is proposed. Marriott consultant Kevin Inglehart described the franchising process for its two proposed hotels.

Commissioner Tom Martin asked numerous detailed questions about the appearance of the three proposed buildings, shielded exterior building and parking lot lighting, pedestrian circulation, infrastructure, and the pedestrian plaza. Developer consultants and town staff pointed out where the information had been provided in the plat and site plan. Martin also asked staff to summarize the Jackson Creek Crossing traffic signal controversy.

Commissioner Carl Armijo expressed concerns about having both hotels so close together, sharing a single parking lot. Kassawara noted that this has become a standard industry practice over the past five years. He listed several Colorado cities with similar side-by-side configurations. He also noted that the town had no legal options, much less retail expertise, to force the developer to move either hotel or any other use on the parcel.

Commissioner Patricia Mettler said she was concerned about the viability of the proposed hotels, given the failures of Falcon Inn under several owners. She also asked why the drug store on Highway 105 had failed. Kassawara said there is a lot more activity on Baptist Road and better access than for Falcon Inn. He noted that this Rite Aid drug store was successful but was closed due to a Rite Aid corporate policy decision to pull out of this region.

The preliminary/final plat was unanimously approved with a single standard town condition that all the remaining minor technical corrections must be made and approved by town staff before the final plat is recorded.

Citizens comment on site plan: During the public hearing on the preliminary PD site plan, Chaparral Hills resident Pete McKinney asked for details on the retaining wall between the Lutheran Church and the parcel. The light brown keystone retaining walls will be built in 6-foot-tall sections, with landscaping buffers between each successive wall. Fencing will be composed of cast stone pillars with aluminum fencing. Griffith said that landscape buffers will be provided along the eastern and southern boundaries of the parcel.

Chaparral Hills resident Debbie Grandia asked if the natural topography of the parcel would be leveled. Thomas said that each of the building pads would be terraced in a stair-step fashion to follow the existing contours of the parcels.

Martin initiated another lengthy discussion of changing the design of the pedestrian plaza. After considering several options, there was consensus that a proposal from the developer would be required for the next site plan hearing. Armijo asked for a separate condition to have an additional traffic analysis performed to resolve the two issues raised by SEH regarding the Jackson Creek Crossing intersection on Baptist Road.

The preliminary PD site plan was unanimously approved with eight conditions:

1. More landscaping will be added along Baptist Road; the changes made by staff must be added to the landscape plan portion of the PD site plan; specifications will be added to the preliminary PD site plan for a colored and patterned concrete strip to be installed between the sidewalk and curb along Baptist Road and Struthers Road.
2. Numerous technical changes must be made to the design guidelines for the parcel and then be approved by staff.
3. Documentation will be provided showing that all minor issues raised by several referral agencies have been resolved to the satisfaction of staff.
4. A master signage plan will be submitted and approved by staff before any sign permits are issued.
5. All minor technical corrections to the preliminary PD site plan, design guidelines, and zoning regulations shall be made and then approved by staff prior to final approval of the site plan.
6. Approval is subject to final approval of engineering plans by staff.
7. A revised design proposal for the pedestrian plaza will be submitted before hearings are conducted on the fourth lot to be developed.
8. A traffic analysis for Baptist Road at the Jackson Creek Crossing intersection will be performed prior to hearings on the site plan for the next lot to be developed.

Griffith gave the staff report on both proposals. No citizens were present for these public hearings.

The 53-lot, 13.67-acre Pulte Homes subdivision is on the northwest corner of Leather Chaps and Bowstring Drives. The first phase of the Remington Hills development is adjacent to Copper Heights to the east. Bowstring Drive separates the two residential areas. There are two accesses to Bowstring at the north and south ends of the parcel.

Land use breakdown:

Lot sizes range from 6,050 square feet to 13,318 square feet, with an average of 7,536 square feet.

The pocket park on the southeast corner of the parcel has street frontages on Leather Chaps, Bowstring, and Butte Circle (the southern access) to the north. This park and two other open space tracts will be dedicated to Monument and maintained by Triview Metropolitan District

Griffith said staff had asked the developer to add a fence around the perimeter of the pocket park.

Griffith said that the developer and MVEA had not agreed on the width and location of electric utility easements. Originally, MVEA requested 10-foot-wide easements. The developer submitted a letter to staff saying MVEA had verbally agreed to 7-foot-wide front yard easements. After that, MVEA submitted a letter to staff that if the requested easements are not provided, MVEA "may not be able to provide services to the subdivision." She reported that all the other unresolved issues raised by referral agencies are technical and not significant.

Griffith reported Pulte had proposed some minor changes to the road alignments adjacent to the development and in the vicinity. The staff asked Pulte to request the changes to the Regency Park master plan via a PD sketch plan application to be in conformance with the town’s review and approval process for planned developments.

Griffith reported the site plan was consistent with the Regency Park PD and the town’s Comprehensive Plan, citing 11 review and approval criteria.

Griffith proposed two conditions for the preliminary/final plat:

1. Documentation shall be provided that referral agency comments have been resolved to staff’s satisfaction prior to recording.
2. Any necessary technical corrections shall be made to the satisfaction of staff.

Commissioner Armijo asked if the proposed lot sizes were consistent with those for existing houses in Remington Hills. Griffith said that the Regency Park zoning for the first filing of Remington Hills is PRD-4 (four houses per acre). The Regency Park zoning for the Copper Heights parcel is PRD-6 (six houses per acre). The Regency Park zoning for the undeveloped Remington Hills filing adjacent to the north half of Copper Heights is PRD-6. The adjacent parcel to the west is zoned PMD-10 (multi-family) and will probably be a townhouse development.

Project Manager Darsey Nicklasson of Pulte Homes gave Pulte’s developer presentation. She said that MVEA’s request for an exclusive 10-foot easement would unduly restrict options for front-yard landscaping. MVEA has not required that large an easement in any other Jackson Creek development.

Pulte Vice President Todd Levitt said that gas and electric lines are installed in a common 7-foot easement everywhere else in Jackson Creek. He noted that the water and sewer easements were under the roads, and phone and cable easements are in the back yards.

Jackson Creek Land Co. Development Manager Rick Blevins confirmed Levitt’s statement and added that the town would create significant problems for all future Jackson Creek development if it allowed a precedent to be set for an exclusive MVEA easement, particularly with how close pad-mounted transformers might be installed to individual homes. He noted that MVEA had not asked for an exclusive 10-foot easement in the adjacent Remington Hills lots under construction, even though these lots are much larger.

Kassawara said the staff agrees with Pulte, saying as little as 3 feet would be adequate for electric and gas lines in a single trench.

Commissioner Mettler asked why the pocket park was located near traffic on Leather Chaps and Bowstring Drives

Nicklasson said the location would make the park more visible as a public park to all residents of Jackson Creek similar to the public park adjacent to Creekside Middle School Moving it away from Leather Chaps would make it seem like it was exclusively for the use of Copper Heights residents, as has occurred in other Jackson Creek subdivisions. Also, it would be far more visible to citizens and patrolling police, particularly at night, promoting prompt reporting of problems. The major play areas are in the rear of the park and are buffered by landscaping and a detached sidewalk.

Martin said that the Copper Heights lots were confined in a manner unlike the other Jackson Creek developments. He said a community of exclusively two-story houses would be unique. He noted that the existing semi-custom Remington Hills homes adjacent to Copper Heights are much larger and most are ranchers. Blevins said that the Remington Hills homes being built are much bigger than expected. Martin asked if Pulte had a rancher product that would fit on the proposed lots to provide greater variety. Levitt said no, and that no developer could build a rancher in a similar development at an acceptable price, because ranchers of the same square footage are more expensive to build.

Armijo said the development would "feel packed in" because all the models are two stories and "in my opinion the exterior lots are too small." He also said, "I’m not quite sure that this is what the town of Monument should look like." He said the park should be moved to another location, away from the two collector roads.

Consultant Land Planner John Maynard of NES, Inc., disagreed, saying that Copper Heights was a transition area between PRD-4 and PRD-10 parcels. Levitt said the cost of building ranchers in a PRD-6 zone next to a collector road is prohibitive to buyers. Kassawara said that houses in the mid-$300,000 range are appropriate to ensure a variety of housing prices in Monument, "the best you can do" from a town planning standpoint. Levitt said the prices of these homes would be considerably below the average price of Monument homes, meeting the objective of the town’s comprehensive plan. Griffith said all the other projects recently approved by the town were for even larger lots, creating a shortage of smaller lots to meet the existing demand.

After considerable further discussion about various land planning philosophical issues, the preliminary/final plat was approved (5-1) with Armijo opposed. After more discussion about these same issues, the preliminary/final PD site plan was approved (4-2) with Armijo and Martin opposed.

The preliminary/final plat for filing 14 of Monument Marketplace was unanimously approved. Blevins said this 3.54-acre 3-lot property on the southeast end of the commercial center will be an auto service complex, including a parts store and a lube center. There has been no interest in building a gas station on the parcel.

Public notification ordinance revision narrowly approved: Inconsistencies exist in the town code regarding whether or not a Board of Trustees hearing can be advertised in a newspaper before a Planning Commission hearing has been completed. There was a lengthy discussion about legal and technical requirements, recent advertisements of hearings not being published on the date requested by staff, efficient and expeditious scheduling of hearings, and giving citizens full 15-day notice for a board hearing after the recommendations of the Planning Commission are known. The proposed ordinance revision to allow concurrent notice of Planning Commission and Board of Trustee hearings was approved (4-2) with Armijo and Morgan opposed.

The meeting adjourned at 9 p.m.

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The next meeting is at 6:30 p.m. Jan. 10 in Town Hall, 166 Second St. Meetings are normally held the second Wednesday of the month. Information: 481-2954.

The Palmer Lake Town Council held a special meeting at 6 p.m. for an executive session on personnel issues on Dec. 7, before the regular workshop meeting at 7 p.m. In addition to discussions of alternatives for refilling Palmer Lake and the draft 2007 budget, the council received a lengthy presentation on a proposed certified identity theft risk management service program.

Donna Jack and Peg Richardson of the Kroll Risk Consulting Co. gave a 50-minute presentation on options they could offer town staff for training on how to prevent identity thefts within the town’s daily operations, certification of this training, and legal services for defending the town from claims for civil and criminal liability. They said identity theft is the fastest-growing crime in the country. Although they said their basic coverage would cost $13 per employee per month, they left no documentation for their presentations or proposed fees for service for the trustees and staff to analyze, due to what they said was the proprietary nature of their offer in a very competitive industry.

The Awake the Lake Committee asked the town for water production records and a meeting with town water attorney Ronnie Sperling to discuss the committee’s proposal to purchase new water storage rights in Palmer Lake for the town. Chairman Jeff Hulsmann said the committee would pay for a meeting with Sperling if it could set the agenda and list of questions proposed to her. While the committee expects this session to be an open public meeting, it wants enough control of the discussion to be sure its questions are presented to Sperling.

The committee also offered to pay for filing for water storage rights in the lake. Sperling would prepare the filing at the direction of the council. Hulsmann said the filing fee would be $500 but the committee did not know whether to budget $2,000 or $20,000 for the proposed hearings in water court.

Hulsmann said the committee also wants to develop a strategy for water augmentation and expanded water production to refill the lake. He presented a letter to Mayor Max Parker and Water Trustee Jim Girlando that asked for production statistics for four years (2003-06) for the town’s A2 and D2 wells, and surface production of Anchor Ditch, the town’s water system, and the Glen Park reservoir. The committee also asked for a tour of the town’s water facilities. Hulsmann asked the council to commit to filing for storage rights in the lake at the regular council meeting on Dec. 14.

Roads Supervisor Bob Radosevich said that developer Tim Shanks and other residents on the south fork of Shady Lane had asked the town to plow this private road. Shanks is building a development at the top of the hill on this one-block dead-end road and has regraded the road to withstand the loads of heavy construction vehicles. Asphalt millings were to be laid down in late November to stabilize the dirt road and minimize rutting and erosion. However, spreading of the asphalt millings was cancelled due to recent blizzards. They will not be applied until the spring. The town has not accepted ownership of the road yet due to it not meeting town standards.

Radosevich said that there is more ice on the road now than in previous years due to more traffic. The council approved plowing of the still-private road on a time-available basis as a priority 3 roadway. Parker reminded citizens that they use the private road at their own risk whether the town plows it or not.

Parker said that consolidations of unnecessary line items had reduced the length of the proposed 2007 budget from 31 to 22 pages. Estimated sales tax revenue will increase from about $227,000 to about $248,000 due to the temporary 10-year half-cent sales tax approved for the Palmer Lake Volunteer Fire Department in the last election. The half-cent tax began on Jan. 1.

Town Clerk Della Gray said sales tax revenue for October was up to $22,000 from previous years where the October revenue was $10,000 to $12,000. Gray asked for any changes immediately so the final budget could be approved on Dec. 14.

Fire Trustee Gary Coleman reported that the fire department would be hiring an emergency medical technical for the new paid position for weekdays from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. He also said there were two recent calls for urgent emergency medical care at the southwest end of town. Both were immediately assigned to the Tri-Lakes Fire Protection District ambulance for treatment and transport.

Parker said the council needed to go into executive session to discuss staff pay increases for 2007. The meeting went into executive session at 8:30 p.m.

Below: Dan Gilliana (right) describes his plans for the Palmer Lake Police Department to the Town Council on Dec. 14 prior to being unanimously approved for appointment as the new police chief. Photo by Jim Kendrick

Below: Palmer Lake resident Travis Fisk, 13 (#44) was a member of last year’s Colorado State champion hockey team (pee wee division). He joined his friends Jeremy Aquino, 13 (in the middle) and Malachi Colebank, 14 (closest to the net) also from Palmer Lake to give a hockey demonstration for spectators on a cleared portion of Palmer Lake on Christmas Day. The Palmer Divide Community Sport Association sponsored this free skating event. The Town of Palmer Lake intends to continue this trend by hosting the Winter Fest. The first one will be held at the lake on Jan. 26 from 5-8PM. Details about this event can be obtained from Trish Flake, Palmer Lake Trustee of Parks and Recreation at 481-4810. Photo and information by Kim Makower

The Palmer Lake Town Council approved ordinances for the 2007 budget and appropriation and certified the 2007 mill levy on Dec. 14. The council also approved two additional appropriations for 2006 and an intergovernmental agreement converting the town’s membership in the Palmer Divide Water Group to membership in its successor, the Pikes Peak Regional Water Authority.

Police Trustee Trudy Finan introduced Dan Gilliana as the new Palmer Lake police chief. Officer Mike Brennan had served as interim chief since Dale Smith’s retirement after more than 30 years in this position.

Gilliana has served in the police community since 1977 and has been a part-time officer in Palmer Lake since 1999. He is leaving his job as Criminal Justice Department chair at Colorado Technical University He also served on the advisory board for the Pikes Peak Community College criminal justice curriculum and related training programs.

Gilliana said he would continue the community-oriented police program created by Smith long before it became a popular and commonly accepted approach to relationships with citizens. Gilliana said his staff would add an officer, participate in El Paso County Sheriff’s Office in-service training, work with Douglas County on vehicle maintenance, and have a closer working relationship with the Monument Police Department.

Gilliana’s appointment was unanimously approved by the council. He was sworn in by Finan to a warm round of applause.

Since Gilliana’s selection, Brennan and administrative assistant Mary Kay Reed have resigned from the department for personal reasons.

The council unanimously approved two ordinances that amended the appropriations for the 2006 budget. Unused funds from the administration budget ($4,860) and police budget ($11,811) were re-appropriated to the fire budget for Palmer Lake Volunteer Fire Department (PLVFD). The fire budget was increased by $16,671, from $42,140 to $64,256, to cover planned expenses through the end of the year. Then the council approved a transfer of funds received from a state grant of $5,445 to be paid to the Fire and Police Protective Association pension fund by the town. This further increased the 2006 fire budget to $69,701.

Town Clerk Della Gray said the increases were used to purchase the new roof installed on the fire station. Additional funds were also required to pay for part-time emergency medical technician coverage during working hours on weekdays beginning in October after Tri-Lakes Fire Protection District cancelled its emergency services agreement with PLVFD.

The town had also purchased an RV to provide temporary on-duty living quarters for volunteer firefighters and medical personnel and Larkspur Fire Protection District personnel under a new emergency services agreement with that district. The RV has been installed behind Town Hall and connected to the building’s utilities.

The council unanimously approved a resolution that certified each of the 2007 property tax mill levies that will raise the following maximum revenues:

The certification had to be filed with El Paso County by Dec. 15.

The council unanimously approved the ordinance for the 2007 budget. While several of the funds have small reserves that were rolled over from 2006 to 2007, only the general fund has an end-of-year balance for 2007. The 2006 general fund end-of-year balance brought forward was $234,204. The balance general fund balance drops slightly at the end of 2007 to $233,710.

The council unanimously approved the ordinance for the 2007 appropriations. The 14 appropriations (total) were:

Total $2,338,771

The council also unanimously approved the audit for 2005, an unconditional/clean report.

The council unanimously approved an intergovernmental agreement to become a member of the Pikes Peak Regional Water Authority for 2007. Unlike the predecessor, the Palmer Divide Water Group, an authority can purchase water, water rights, storage, and storage rights, as well as accept grants. All funds held by the water group were transferred to the authority. The water authority membership fees are identical to those in 2006 for the water group. Palmer Lake pays $2,500 per year.

The other members of the new rural water authority are: Town of Monument, Cherokee Metropolitan District, Triview Metropolitan District, Academy Water and Sanitation District, Donala Water and Sanitation District, and Woodmoor Water and Sanitation District.

The Town of Palmer Lake is also a member of the El Paso County Water Authority, which covers a much larger geographical area.

Roads Trustee Richard Allen reported that the total cost of asphalt repaving for Middle Glenway and sealing of Epworth Highway and Lover’s Lane was $55,397. The magnesium chloride sealing and dust control program has also been completed. Roads Supervisor Bob Radosevich also had $4,000 of preventive maintenance work performed on the town’s dump trucks.

Radosevich attended a workshop on new county asphalt specifications, which should standardize and improve repairs. The city of Colorado Springs is also adopting these specifications effective Jan. 1. Town Attorney Larry Gaddis and Town Engineer Paul Gilbert will prepare an ordinance that adopts these new specifications as the town standard before the town begins repaving in 2007. Currently the town uses Douglas County road standards in its construction manual.

Allen also reported that the construction and landscape issues regarding developer Brad Kunkel’s property on Circle Road appeared to be resolved as dirt and debris have been removed from three culverts. Allen proposed rescinding the letter the town had sent Kunkel saying he would not be allowed to start any more building in the development, even though he was issued a town land use permit, until this issue was resolved.

Gaddis said the town should wait at least a year before accepting Circle Road from Kunkel to see if there are any construction defects. Ordinarily, a contractor would give the town a surety bond that would pay for repairs of defects if the contractor failed to make them after one year. However, Kunkel’s letter of credit to the town for this purpose has expired since the town told him he could not start any new construction until this issue was resolved.

The council unanimously agreed to the letter rescinding the building ban and a one-year delay in taking ownership of Circle Drive within the development.

Fire Trustee Gary Coleman reported that PLVFD had 15 calls in November, 8 of which were for mutual aid of other fire districts.

PLVFD has established its program of providing paid part-time daytime weekday coverage at the town’s fire station to provide better service. He said the new emergency services agreement with Larkspur was working well.

The department had turned on the town star for the first time for Veterans Day on Nov. 11 and will do so in the future. The star is also lit from Dec. 1 to Jan. 1. Maintenance of the star is paid for with funds raised by the annual chili supper held the Saturday after Thanksgiving.

Coleman requested that property owners prominently place house numbers in front of their homes to ensure prompt attention during a medical emergency; there would be no smoke or flames to help guide PLVFD drivers.

Coleman also reported that his model electric train Christmas layouts were being displayed throughout December at the West End Center on Highway 105. Donations made by those visiting the display will go to PLVFD. (See photo on page 35.)

Finan reported that there were 93 police calls for November, down from 113 last November.

The board unanimously approved a one-year renewal of the town’s annual contract with the Pikes Peak Humane Society to pick up stray animals reported to the Palmer Lake Police Department.

Parks and Recreation Trustee Trish Flake said she had met with her committee on Dec. 5 and that a small park will be built at Greeley Boulevard and Walnut Avenue. Evening ice skating from 5-8 p.m. at Palmer Lake will start during the holiday season. The town’s collection of ice skates was to be available for rental.

The town’s contract with athletic program consultant Great Starts should be finalized soon. Great Starts will organize a wide variety of athletic and exercise programs in Palmer Lake beginning in early 2007.

Flake asked the council to discuss a medical emergency call that had occurred on Oct. 24 on Westward Lane with a list of dispatch calls and times for that incident. She passed out an incident summary faxed from the Tri-Lakes Fire Protection District that included information that should have been protected by HIPAA procedures to protect the individual’s privacy. Flake said 9 minutes elapsed before Tri-Lakes was asked to respond to the call. She said Tri-Lakes board member Rick Barnes told her Larkspur could not respond to a Palmer Lake call in less than 12 minutes.

Flake said she had not received information on the first month of dispatches from Larkspur, including this call, that she had requested of Larkspur Chief Jamie Bumgarner on Nov. 6.

She said, "I don’t think the decision to go to Larkspur was a good one."

Coleman said he had reported at the Dec. 7 workshop that Tri-Lakes had been called for all dire emergencies near Tri-Lakes Station 1 in November and that the town had hired part-time medical personnel for daytime readiness in response to the previously unannounced road closures of Spruce Mountain Road. Coleman said he had just been handed her listing and was not prepared to respond to it. He questioned whether it was appropriate to pass out this kind of private information at a public meeting or for the sheriff’s dispatch center to provide it to anyone other than emergency medical service personnel. Coleman said it was inappropriate to talk about private information such as people’s names, addresses, and medical problems in a public meeting, something the Palmer Lake volunteer firefighters and town staff would not do.

Trustee Susan Miner said that there was nothing unusual about this kind of incident from time to time. She said when the decision was made to go with Larkspur there had been five reported cases where there were near fatalities of Palmer Lake residents due to TLFPD medical technicians’ care. She said that no decision should be made on a single incident.

Flake said that Larkspur does not have anybody nearly as qualified as personnel in TLFPD. Allen said that the situation has changed since the agreement with Larkspur, which now cannot provide a daily paramedic due to the Spruce Mountain Road construction. He said it may be time to adjust the Larkspur decision, based on these two new circumstances.

Miner said she had asked Allen and Flake to perform a comprehensive long-term study, and they had refused to do so.

Mayor Max Parker said Flake should have requested an agenda item so that the issue could be discussed in a more formalized manner rather than being part of a Parks and Recreation report. Parker said it should be tabled until Flake had supporting data and a proposed plan of action and it could be advertised as an agenda item.

Coleman said PLVFD Chief Phillip Beckman had already solved the transition problem discovered during this call.

Water Trustee Jim Girlando said the town should hold a joint public meeting with the Awake the Lake committee to encourage citizen participation on action items by interested and knowledgeable volunteers for lake restoration. He said another topic for the town to analyze is whether the town’s water capital fund reserve was growing fast enough under the current rate structure to be able to pay for expected repair and replacement of aging water mains.

Later in the meeting, Awake the Lake Committee Chairman Jeff Hulsmann asked the town to support the committee’s efforts to obtain new water storage rights as soon as possible. He renewed his request made at the Dec. 7 workshop for statistics for all aspects of water production for the past four years to be better able to ask questions about potential committee options of town water attorney Ronnie Sperling. He said the committee would pay for 1-2 hours of Sperling’s time if they could set the meeting agenda. Miner said the trustees should be provided this production data before the Sperling meeting as well. She said her requests for this data had also been denied by staff. Allen concurred with Miner.

Gaddis said that the Sperling meeting should be public and it was acceptable for the committee to ask all its questions first. Girlando said he wanted to have a separate special council meeting with the committee to discuss these issues before meeting with Sperling. There was consensus on providing this data to all concerned prior to the meetings proposed by Girlando and Hulsmann. Hulsmann said "We’re making progress. We’re on the same page."

Economic Development Trustee Miner reported progress made by the streetscape committee on identifying potential sources for grant money to add curbs, gutter, and drainage along Highway 105 in front of all the buildings. Hulsmann said he had been asked by PPACG to provide a draft Colorado Safe to Schools grant applications on Dec. 19 so they could propose suggestions in time for the town to submit them not later than Dec. 29. The grant would help pay for sidewalks to promote children’s safety while walking to and from school.

Miner reported that all the artwork submitted for the "Face of Palmer Lake" art competition for inclusion in town promotional materials would be displayed for a month at the Tri-Lakes Center for the Arts on Highway 105 starting Dec. 15.

The meeting adjourned at 9:10 p.m.

Donala general manager Dana Duthie announced at the board’s Nov. 29 meeting that the three new equalization basins within the Upper Monument Creek Regional Wastewater Facility are almost fully functional. Completion of the basins will mark the first milestone of the plant expansion.

The basins will store incoming wastewater during periods of extremely high flow (such as those experienced during holidays) for processing at a later time. In essence, this ability allows the facility to handle a larger volume of wastewater at any given time. The plant is less limited by short-term capacity, as peak flows that come in faster than they can be processed can be diverted and handled during slack periods.

Duthie expressed concerns over the rapidly rising costs of concrete, steel, copper, and other building materials. He said that the expansion had already cost about $2 million, or roughly one-quarter of the budget, but was only one-sixth complete.

Board members passed several important resolutions during their last business meeting of 2006, including mill levy certification, approval of the 2007 budget, and a resolution approving an addendum to an agreement with El Paso County Parks waiving the requirement that parks deed over remaining water rights to Donala in exchange for a tap. Members also voted to establish and join a new regional water authority, and approved the authority’s first tentative agreement with a water storage contractor.

Board President Ed Houle opened discussions regarding the 2007 budget. Director Dennis Daugherty asked why the repair estimate for 2006 was so much lower than the amount actually spent. Duthie replied that the district had to redrill two wells; in a normal year Donala budgets for two well repairs, which are less expensive.

Duthie told the board that suspension of the district’s status as an enterprise would change the way Donala does its budget in subsequent years. The district will no longer operate two separate accounts. In the past, it divided income and expenditures into an enterprise fund and a government fund. The enterprise was formed on the advice of Donala’s attorney at the time, who felt account separation would be the best way for the district to conform to TABOR requirements.

While eliminating the enterprise account will have no real effect on the way money is collected and spent, consolidation of all district funds into one account will simplify bookkeeping and auditing.

Duthie also announced that the district will have sufficient cash in its debt fund account to retire the 1999 loan for the purchase of and improvements to the wastewater plant in February 2007. The debt cannot be legally retired until 2009; funds will be held in a type of escrow account until that time.

Donala customers voted in May to continue the temporary 12.810 portion of the mill levy earmarked to pay off the old waste plant debt, converting it into a permanent mill levy dedicated to operation and maintenance expenses. The money collected will be used first to pay off the loan for the current waste plant expansion, then to fund projects to acquire and transport surface and supplemental water to the district.

After Duthie answered questions, the board unanimously passed a resolution adopting the 2007 budget. Duthie reminded them that since final figures for the year would not be in until after Jan. 1, they would have to pass a second resolution in January readopting the amended budget.

The directors also unanimously certified the mill levies for the year. Most Donala residents will pay a mill levy (tax) of 16.296 mills in 2007, which will help cover operating expenses for water and sewer. Customers receiving only water service, such as those in Chaparral Hills, will pay a lower mill levy of 8.148 mills.

Duthie told the board he had received several comments on the district’s proposed watering restriction program, which is scheduled to begin this summer. Most were against the use of watering schedules; however, one applauded the move and stated that it was time Donala joined Colorado Springs and other areas of the county in instituting conservation measures. Copies of a few e-mails were enclosed in each board member’s monthly information packet.

Some homeowners associations in Gleneagle have requested that a Donala representative speak to their respective groups to explain how to comply with the restrictions, the reasoning behind the new rules, and what Donala hopes to accomplish.

Duthie said he welcomes the opportunity to educate district consumers about the new program. Speaking engagements will also give Duthie and/or board members the chance to talk publicly about the success of similar programs in other Front Range communities, as well as address the larger issue of conservation, the future of water in the region, and actions the new Pikes Peak Regional Water Authority is taking to provide a sustainable water supply.

Duthie said he would like to see the same issues addressed regionally, and distributed an article he wrote for the Donala newsletter in response to comments he had received regarding the overall water situation in the Palmer Divide area, particularly as it relates to growth. In it, he assures consumers that the Palmer Divide Water Group (PDWG) has been quietly working behind the scenes to secure surface supplies.

Duthie stated that public awareness and support is important to the success of future water projects, and he would like to see the activities of the new water authority publicized. Board members then made suggestions to refine the wording of the article before giving it their approval for publication.

At present, Donala only has two customers for its effluent credits. The district has an agreement to sell credits to the town of Monument at $50 per acre-foot. The town has applied to use credits for the water released into Monument Creek by Donala through the Upper Monument Creek Regional Wastewater Facility in trade for water it takes from the creek and stores in Monument Lake. Any effluent credits not bought by Monument are sold to a farmers’ cooperative for $25 per acre-foot.

Now that the transit loss model is operational and will track water on a daily basis rather than monthly, the possibility for sales to other customers has emerged. Cherokee Water District, which is a member of the PDWG and will also be a member of the new water authority, may wish to purchase water. A pipeline between Colorado Springs and Cherokee already exists. However, any arrangement to sell water to Cherokee will involve the use of the city’s lines, which will require the city’s cooperation.

Duthie said that the price discussed for the sale of water to other authority members was $400 per acre-foot, including the agreement with Monument. The asking price for customers outside the authority would be higher, possibly $500 per acre-foot.

Board members unanimously approved the intergovernmental agreement establishing the new Pikes Peak Regional Water Authority (PPRWA), and authorized membership in the group. The authority will replace the Palmer Divide Water Group (PDWG), which will be dissolved upon official establishment of the authority by a majority of participating member districts and municipalities. Transition was expected to take place Jan.1. Members will probably elect officers and determine other essential matters such as meeting place and dates at the (former) PDWG’s Jan. 9 meeting.

The directors nominated and approved Duthie to be their representative.

As a state-sanctioned governmental body, the authority may enter into contracts and fund projects. Representatives feel the collective financial resources and political power provided by the formation of a single entity is essential to the success of any plan to bring surface water to the region.

The authority will be subject to many of the same rules to which other governmental agencies must adhere, including open-meeting laws. The group will need to select an administrative agent (Gary Barber, who managed the Palmer Divide Water Group, is the likely candidate) and may also wish to hire its own attorney and engineer.

The Donala board also unanimously approved the memorandum of understanding (MOU) between Mark Morley’s corporations (Stonewall Springs, LLC, Phantom Canyon Ranch Land & Cattle Co., and Morley Family Development, LLLP) and the Pikes Peak Regional Water Authority. The MOU commits the group to co-sponsorship of a feasibility study examining the cost and physical practicality of building infrastructure to and modifying Brush Hollow Reservoir for use as a storage and hydroelectric facility. The study includes Stonewall quarry as part of the conveyance and storage system. In addition, the memorandum states the authority’s intent to purchase storage capacity in the two reservoirs for water the group hopes to acquire in the lower Arkansas.

While the agreement does not legally obligate the PPRWA to purchase storage capacity at a price that is, at present, impossible to determine, it does offer assurance of future inclusion in the project. The approximately 15,000 acre-feet of storage needed by the authority represents only a fraction of the total capacity of both reservoirs. By opting in at an early point in planning, the PPRWA is assured that other larger customers will not be able to exclude it at a later date.

However, Morley must have other buyers interested in purchasing storage space in order to proceed with development. Colorado law forbids speculation in water. In other words, a private individual is not permitted to buy up water rights and sell later at a profit. Although the PPRWA is a valid customer, the relatively small proportion of the total storage capacity represented by northern El Paso County’s needs will probably be insufficient in the eyes of Colorado’s water courts to justify approval of the project.

The cost estimate provided by hydrologic consulting firm Bishop Brogden Associates (BBA) for a study identifying possible Tri-Lakes region cooperative projects was much higher than the Palmer Divide Water Group anticipated. Water districts and municipalities in the area want to identify projects that would maximize reuse and water credits, as well as consolidate and share expensive infrastructure such as storage and treatment facilities as part of an effort to become more efficient in using area resources.

Group members had originally estimated that the study would cost $70,000 to $75,000. BBA submitted an estimate approaching $340,000. A major portion of that cost was attributable to the billable hours that would be submitted by the contract engineers representing each participating district at meetings.

Several options were discussed to reduce those expenses, including the suggestion that each district select which meeting its own engineer should attend and absorb those costs within its budget.

BBA agreed to re-examine and adjust cost figures and submit a new proposal at the PDWG’s Jan. 14 meeting. The directors voted to authorize Duthie to commit up to $50,000 for Donala’s share of the study.

Duthie told members that, as expected, the facility experienced very high flows during Thanksgiving. All eight cells in the denitrification room were working. Though mixers had not yet been installed, incoming wastewater was diverted into one of the unused new basins to avoid overflowing the clarifier. The time lapse in radio communications between the clarifier and the denitrification filters may have been part of the cause of delays which resulted in backup in the clarifier. He said that once installed, the new hardwired fiber-optic connection would permit almost instantaneous communication and faster reaction times in transferring wastewater between processes.

Duthie said the waste in the basin would have to be emptied before contractors could install the mixers, which are the last pieces of equipment needed to complete all three basins.

Weaver Construction had hoped to finish the equalization basins before Thanksgiving weekend, but the mixers had been delivered from Holland without elbows necessary for operation. Duthie said the elbows had to be fabricated, and were scheduled for delivery on Nov. 30. The basins were expected to be fully operational by Dec. 7.

Duthie told board members that the influent station and preliminary treatment area would be the next stage to be constructed. He complained that Regional Building had twice returned the plans to consulting engineers at GMS; once because the inspector "couldn’t find the restroom" in the mechanical building. Duthie blamed the lack of inspector expertise and the fact that inspectors were frequently unavailable for consultation with the engineers for the numerous building-permit delays.

The contractor is unable to lock in prices for building materials until the plans for the foundation and sequencing batch reactor are approved. Meanwhile, costs continue to skyrocket. Duthie stated that the prices of concrete and steel together had risen approximately 22 percent in the past 15 months.

Because the expansion is "design and build", the owners of the wastewater facility will not see hard prices until the design is finished. Duthie said he hoped to have a final design by the end of December.

Duthie expressed concern that the cash-pressed Triview Metropolitan District will not be able to absorb the additional costs, and Colorado Water and Power may not agree to increase its loan.

Payments to the contractor have also been slower than Duthie would like. Because the loan from Colorado Water and Power did not cover construction costs for the equalization basins but will cover "soft" (design-related) costs, engineer Roger Sams of GMS has been breaking the expenses into those categories to maximize the amounts that can be reimbursed through the loan. This has resulted in about a month’s delay between the time Weaver submits its bill and the date the treatment plant owners send in their request for a loan reimbursement check.

Meanwhile, Weaver is paying for expensive items out of its own funds. The mixers for the basins alone cost about $240,000.

Duthie hopes that with completion of the equalization basin, the length of time between billing by the contractor and payment will be shortened. He said that he wants to avoid mechanic liens, which could delay the project and place it behind schedule.

Dirt work for the southern extension of Struthers Road is under way. Due to restrictions related to Preble’s meadow jumping mouse habitat, construction was delayed until November. Engineers with GMS are working with Rocky Mountain Materials and Asphalt to install Donala’s portion of a pipeline linking the district with Triview.

Duthie said Layne-Western had performed additional development on Well 2A, and was successful in placing the casing to the desired depth. The walls of the well had swelled after the initial hole was drilled, preventing the casing from being placed properly.

Pumping tests indicated a short-term yield of 600 gallons per minute; Duthie had expected at least 400 gallons per minute.

The well should be operational in January or February.

Donala received the deed from Keller Homes, Inc., for two acres behind the Robert Hull treatment plant where the district would like to place a storage tank. Struthers Ranch Development Co. had promised to give the land to Donala as part of the inclusion agreement for the development, but had neglected to do so before selling to homebuilders John Laing Homes and Keller. After several months, staff was successful in acquiring the deed.

Initially, the district had planned to build a storage tank for drinking water on the site. Duthie told the board that Donala would wait until the scoping study for the Palmer Divide area headed up by BBA was complete before making a decision regarding the most efficient use of the site.

Engineers from GMS will draw up preliminary plans, but remain flexible. A tank could be used for drinking or reuse water, and the connecting pipeline routes would depend upon intended use. Consolidation of resources in the region could also make the tank unnecessary.

Possibility for use of Jake’s Lake water discussed: Board members discussed approaching Gleneagle Golf Club owners to negotiate the use of Jake’s Lake as a drinking water source during the months when the lake is not being used to water the course, possibly in trade for irrigation water. More stringent water treatment standards imposed by the state on surface sources would have to be adequately addressed. Sources of contamination, such as fertilizer and runoff from asphalt, can significantly affect water quality. The expense associated with treatment could make the idea economically unfeasible.

Duthie also mentioned the possibility of enlarging a privately owned pond off Pristine as a small reservoir site, as it is connected to Jake’s Lake. It could be expanded to about five acres. However, mouse habitat and wetland regulations might prohibit such significant alterations.

Duthie distributed the schedule for 2007 after conferring with members as to potential conflicts. The board will meet on the fourth Wednesday of January (Jan. 24) and November (Nov. 28); meetings for the other 10 months will be held on the third Wednesday. All meetings will begin at 1:30 p.m. Any further changes will be posted a minimum of 24 hours prior to the new or cancelled meeting at one of three locations: the drop box at the Holbein office, the drop box near Loaf ‘N’ Jug or People’s National Bank on Gleneagle Drive.

The board went into executive session at 3:22 p.m. to discuss the purchase, acquisition, lease or transfer of water, and personnel matters.

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The Donala board will hold its next regular meeting on Jan. 24 (the fourth Wednesday) at 1:30 p.m. at the Donala office, 15850 Holbein Drive. Meetings are normally held on the third Wednesday of each month.

At the Triview Metropolitan Board of Directors meeting Dec. 13, the board excused President Steve Stephenson’s absence, and Vice President Joe Belzer led the meeting.

District administrator Dale Hill presented the financial summary for November and December. She reported that the district had issued two commercial permits since the last meeting, one for a small retail business and the other for Ent Credit Union, but that no housing permits had been pulled. Director Julie Glenn asked if the requests for residential water taps had fallen below the projections for 2006 and Hill responded that the housing market was flat and that the district supplied about 75 fewer water taps than had been projected for 2006. The board authorized funds for payment of the December bills.

The board opened and then closed the public hearing on the proposed 2007 budget, as there was no public comment.

District manager Larry Bishop reported that the total Triview Metropolitan District operational 2007 budget with contingencies was approximately $3 million, which was an increase of 11.5 percent or $317,000 over the 2006 budget. He noted that the budget had been slightly modified to reflect the sluggish housing market but otherwise remained consistent with what the board had reviewed in November. He explained that of the list of itemized anticipated 2007 projected expenditures, only funds for the water storage tank and the wastewater treatment plant expansion were actually committed. The other capital projects would only be considered if funds were available.

Total: $5,929,100

After reviewing the budget, the board had no further questions and approved the resolution appropriating funds for the 2007 budget.

District administrator Dale Hill noted that the district’s mill levy would remain at 25 mills. She reported that to balance the 2006 budget, an additional $178,534 was needed for the general operating budget and $650,250 was necessary to balance the budget for bond payment and interest, thereby increasing the final assessment for the 2006 budget to $3.3 million, or approximately a half million dollars over the approved 2006 budget. She added that this increase was largely due to the cost of refinancing the bond debt, which in the long run would save the district millions of dollars.

In addition to those additions to the 2006 budget, Hill reported that an emergency fund of $100,000 was included in the amended budget to cover any potential unforeseen problems that might occur before the end of the year.

Bishop thanked Hill for her work on finalizing the amendments to the 2006 budget and added that it was important to be as close to reality as possible because any expenditure not accounted for in the budget would be closely scrutinized by the state auditor later. The board adopted the resolutions to amend the 2006 budget and to certify the district’s mill levy.

The board then adopted a resolution to enter into an intergovernmental agreement with the Pikes Peak Regional Water Authority (PPRWA), committing $10,000, which was Triview’s share of the cost for the PPRWA to pursue studying the viability of surface water from Brush Hollow. The board appointed Bishop as the primary and Hill as the back-up representative for the PPRWA and El Paso County Water Authority boards.

In his manager’s report, Bishop reported that the pumping statistics were at 82 percent, reiterating that until they were at 85 to 90 percent, he would not be satisfied. He noted they had tested the residential meters and concluded that the loss was not at the consumption end and that the biggest problem in determining where the loss was occurring was the lack of meters at the wells. Because the outflows between the wells and the water treatment plant were not being metered, there was no way to determine if there was backwash in the system or leaks in the lines. The engineer was evaluating the situation and would recommend well meter placement and cost at a future meeting. Bishop added that some loss was to be expected and that pumping efficiency of over 85 percent was considered to be in the normal range.

Bishop reported that he had met with Rick Blevins of the Market Place at Jackson Creek and reiterated that he could not support the request for 3.2 million gallons per year to operate Big Wave Carwash. He said that they were discussing methods to reduce the amount of water necessary and to determine a cost that would offset the loss of tap fees from single-family equivalents and other businesses due to the large water allocation necessary to operate a carwash. He noted that no specifics had been worked out but that he would have more to report at a later meeting.

Bishop reported that he heatedly walked out of the first meeting regarding the cost for a sewer line along Baptist Road when they told him that Triview would be assessed $290,000. He subsequently met with County Commissioner Wayne Williams, County Administrator Terry Harris and County Department of Transportation Director John McCarty, the general construction contractor, and the developer of Sanctuary Pointe. Bishop said he was able to negotiate the cost down to around $60,000, adding that he may be able to reduce Triview’s cost even further as negotiation continues.

Bishop reported that the rolling terrain at Sanctuary Pointe was challenging and that they were looking for tank and well sites. He noted that at one time the developer had proposed running sewer lines between 10 to 20 lots to Donala but said when the developer came back and proposed that 40 percent of the lots be serviced by Donala, he respectfully declined and requested that they build a lift station to the Triview wastewater treatment plant. He added that as yet, the developer had not signed the agreement to come into the district.

Bishop reported that the Wastewater Treatment Facility expansion would come in approximately $200,000 over the $8 million budgeted for the project and that he had requested a final cost estimate from the engineer. The money that they expected to save on the proposed lower-cost alternative design to the concrete-lined tank did not work out so they were going with the original design. They also looked for other cost savings such as replacing the copper wiring with aluminum but were subsequently informed that there were more maintenance problems with aluminum wiring, so the idea wasn’t practical.

Bishop noted that the Monument Board of Trustees had requested a joint meeting on Jan. 31 and that the board’s next regular meeting would be at 4 p.m. Jan. 24.

The meeting adjourned at 5 p.m.

Below: 1,800-foot deep Woodmoor Water and Sanitation District Well 20 being drilled near the intersection of Higby Road and Fairplay Drive. Photo by John Heiser

The Woodmoor district is currently involved in the planning stages of the new Lewis-Palmer District 38 high school. As part of Woodmoor’s conservation emphasis, D-38 officials and Woodmoor staff are engaged in talks to provide non-potable irrigation water to the school.

During an executive session at their Dec. 14 meeting, Woodmoor board members discussed ongoing talks to install a non-potable water line. The directors continued to weigh options and costs at a special executive session meeting on Dec. 27. Though the board has not yet offered a contract, Manager Phil Steininger is confident that the two parties will reach an agreement.

The board also reviewed and finalized the 2007 budget, which had been discussed in detail at several meetings during October and November.

Randy Rush of Integrity Bank gave a year-end summary of the district’s investments. He reported that the current yield on investments is 5.14 percent. As specified by the board, Integrity is locking in short-term investments for the district with three-, six-, and 12- month maturity dates.

Rush said that rates will probably decline next year. So far, the investments managed by Integrity have been doing at least as well as those the district has in C-Safe and Colo Trust. (Woodmoor previously had invested all its cash assets in the two funds.)

He told members they could expect to see a greater difference in a falling rate environment, because the district would benefit from being able to lock in short-term investments for up to two years, whereas C-Safe and Colo Trust return at the current rate.

He cautioned against maturity dates exceeding two years, stating that because of the volatility of the market, he considered longer-term investments risky.

Secretary Jim Wyss reported that income for 2006 continued to fall below projections. The district had realized approximately 74 percent of expected income. By the middle of December, the district should have collected just under 92 percent to be on track. He said that sewer use fees were lower than expected. Water use fees, which had also been low, had "come back up," and were reasonably near projections.

However, professional fees were significantly higher than budgeted. He concluded by stating that overall, most other projections seemed to be in line with actual figures.

Steininger distributed budget packets and finalized budget numbers with the board. He had made several revisions as actual figures became available.

He noted that inclusion fees were substantially higher than originally anticipated, while activations on water reservations were less than one-third what staff expected.

Members then passed the required resolutions approving the budget, setting the district’s mill levy and appropriating funds.

Officer elections: Benny Nasser, Woodmoor’s delegate to the Joint Use Committee (JUC), reported that last year’s officers had been re-elected, with Lowell Morgan of the Monument Sanitation District again serving as president, Nasser as vice president, and Todd Bell of the Palmer Lake Sanitation District serving as secretary. The JUC consists of one representative from each of the three districts that own the Tri-Lakes Wastewater Treatment Facility (Monument and Palmer Lake Sanitation Districts and Woodmoor).

Cash Fund increase approved: In other business, all three districts voted to add $7,000 each to the original $10,000 that each district placed in the facility’s cash-flow escrow account. The money is used primarily to pay bills, but may also be used for emergencies.

As executive agent, Woodmoor had previously handled bookkeeping and on occasion paid bills from its own account when a bill due date fell before a member board’s monthly meeting, during which payments were approved. Now that the facility is self-managing, participating agencies agreed that the plant needed to retain sufficient funds to cover monthly bills.

The Woodmoor directors authorized board President Jim Taylor to sign an amendment to the cash-flow escrow agreement increasing the amount each of the three owning districts must keep in the account to $17,000.

Concern over copper testing: Representatives also discussed the limitations of copper level testing. Nasser said that samples vary, and because the copper limits specified by the state are so minuscule, the committee felt it was important for the testing labs to specify standard deviation when submitting test results. Facility manager Bill Burks will ask the two labs used by the facility to include standard deviation in future test result statements.

Woodmoor’s management of wastewater plant ends: Woodmoor had been the executive agent for management of the Tri-Lakes Wastewater Treatment Facility. The JUC has now assigned management duties to facility manager Bill Burks. Nasser distributed copies of a final draft job description for facility manager Burks’ position for the directors for review and comment prior to the next JUC meeting on Jan. 9.

Steininger told the board that the Palmer Divide Water Group met that morning and had decided to establish the new Pikes Peak Regional Water Authority by January 2007. Taylor asked if delegates had to be an elected member of the board; attorney Erin Smith answered no.

The Woodmoor board then voted unanimously to approve the intergovernmental agreement establishing the Pikes Peak Regional Water Authority, and authorized Taylor to sign the document. In signing, the Woodmoor Water and Sanitation District also becomes a member. Woodmoor directors had previously attended a program along with directors and trustees from other local districts and municipalities to hear the reasoning behind the establishment of an authority and plans for dealing with the approaching water shortage in northern El Paso County.

The PDWG will dissolve when the new authority officially convenes, which will probably take place at the water group’s next meeting on Jan. 9. Board members appointed Steininger as their representative to the authority, and Shaffer as alternate.

As a state-recognized entity, the new Pikes Peak Regional Water Authority may enter into contracts and develop water projects to bring surface and supplemental water into the region. Board members believe that by consolidating effort and resources, they can accomplish collectively what districts could not afford to do individually.

Smith reserved discussions regarding the memorandum of understanding with Mark Morley’s corporations for executive session. Morley and his associates own Brush Hollow Reservoir and Stonewall quarry; the new authority is interested in purchasing storage space for water it hopes to acquire in the lower Arkansas Valley.

One of the first issues the authority will address is whether to authorize a region-wide study headed by Charlie Stanzione of the hydrologic consulting firm Bishop Brogden Associates (BBA).

The study would identify and examine the feasibility of projects intended to use the area’s water resources as efficiently as possible by maximizing augmentation and reuse credits, consolidating storage and treatment facilities, and constructing interconnecting infrastructure to link districts in anticipation of future supplemental and surface sources. The authority will also consider the feasibility of a satellite well field.

The favored proposal for appropriating the cost among participating districts and municipalities is to divide the total according to each district’s buildout projections for 2020. Steininger budgeted $50,000 for Woodmoor’s share. BBA will present a reworked estimate at the meeting.

Operations manager Randy Gillette told board members that one of three filters at the South Filter Treatment Facility has developed a problem. At least one of the underdrains within the filter failed, allowing filtering media (sand, gravel, etc.) to clog 18 to 20 adjoining underdrains.

The underdrains are protected openings along a pipe that lies in the bottom of a large filter. Raw water enters on top of the filtering media, and the water moves vertically downward through various layers of filtering material, penetrates the pipe through the underdrains, and is carried out of the filter.

Gillette said district technicians were pulling the filter apart and emptying the media, which would be put back in and the filter reassembled after the fouled underdrains were replaced.

Gillette told the board that even with one filter down, lake water could be properly treated for drinking using the other two.

Gillette reported that contractors will continue lining sewer pipes through December and into 2007. Folded PVC is placed in the older clay pipes, heated and inflated to provide an impermeable plastic surface that is resistant to tree root infiltration and leakage. Lining existing pipes is significantly faster and cheaper than excavating a decaying pipeline and replacing it.

Steininger told members that at the time of the meeting, contractor Henkel Drilling needed to drill about 100 more feet to the desired depth for Well 20. BBA hydrologic engineers had decided to drill to a depth of 1,860 feet, then 50 more feet into the Laramie shale below the Arapahoe aquifer to allow space for "sluff" (substrate dislodged from the well walls).

That evening, technicians were scheduled to begin well logging, which involves lowering sonar equipment into the hole to find the depths of the most conducive sands for the placement of the screens. Casing construction (fabrication of the tube with alternating solid and screened sections) and placement was set to begin about Dec. 15, with well development (cleaning out of the "mud" used in drilling and readying the well for pumping) starting on Dec. 18.

Taylor asked if the team had found water. Steininger said yes, they had hit water, but would not know yield numbers until after the pump tests. (See photo to the left.)

District engineer Jessie Shaffer updated board directors on the progress of the meter replacement program. He said that only 15 or 20 residential meters had not yet been changed out. He said that technicians were rebuilding commercial meters; only 20 remained to be done out of a total of 80 meters.

Shaffer expected to complete work on all commercial meters by the end of December, but cautioned that a few commercial or residential jobs could carry over into the new year. He promised to present a rundown of the program, including budget numbers and response rates, at the January meeting.

As expected, contractor work has slowed during the winter months. Shaffer ran through a status list for the board.

The Lake Woodmoor dam is a 1960-70s-era earthen dam classified as Class I because failure could result in loss of life. As a Class I, it is subject to yearly inspections by the state dam engineer.

A slide gate at the base of the dam allows water to drain from the reservoir, and several underdrains penetrate the interior to channel leakage. Silt and sand has collected in some of the pipes. A district crew tried to use a television camera to examine the interior of the pipes, but the diameter of the underdrains are too tight to permit passage of the camera. The inspector expressed his opinion that the dam’s safety should be evaluated.

Steininger has allocated $100,000 in 2007 for a full inspection of the dam’s mechanical parts and drain system. He would like to hire engineering firm URS, which specializes in dams, to conduct the evaluation.

Steininger is also considering digging out the north end of the lake to increase depth.

Steininger told the board that he would like to host a community meeting for Woodmoor residents in late winter to educate the public about ongoing conservation programs in the region and the district, and to talk about long-range plans to provide supplemental and surface water to the area.

Among the subjects he would like to see addressed:

Steininger asked board members to help put together a community meeting outline for the January meeting. The directors liked the idea and suggested that the district use the middle school to avoid the appearance of collaboration with any other community group.

The public portion of the meeting adjourned at 3:02 p.m. and the board went into executive session to discuss the purchase, acquisition, or sale of water rights; to consult with their attorney on specific legal questions related to negotiating positions; and to discuss personnel matters.

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The next regular meeting of the Woodmoor board will take place on Jan. 11 at 1 p.m. at the Woodmoor office, 1845 Woodmoor Drive.

The Donald Wescott Fire Protection District (DWFPD) board approved the mill levy certification, budget, and appropriations for 2007 on Dec 6. Unlike the Tri-Lakes Fire Protection District (TLFPD) and Woodmoor/Monument Fire Protection District (W/MFPD), Wescott will continue to finance its operations with only 7 mills and has no plans to increase its property tax rate. Wescott had an operating surplus of $8,070 in 2006. All board members were present.

The DWFPD Pension Board met before the district board. The pension board unanimously approved its annual contribution to Wescott’s volunteer pension fund from $50,000 to $75,000 in 2007 to take advantage of short-term matching funds of 90 percent from the state. Pensions are administered by the Fire and Police Protective Association. The board agreed that increasing the contribution for three years would guarantee program viability and allow lower funding levels after 2009. The pension board also unanimously adopted the 2007 pension fund budget.

The DWFPD board unanimously approved an amendment to the 2006 budget that increased the district’s estimated revenue of $1,297,573 to match actual revenue of $1,395,070 reflecting increases in:

The starting fund balance for 2006 increased from $350,650 to $450,443. The ending fund balance for 2006 increased from 276,323 to $458,513.

The board unanimously approved the 2007 mill levy certification for 7.0 mills. The certification was forwarded to El Paso County by the Dec. 15 deadline.

The board unanimously approved the 2007 budget. Total revenue is $1,381,502. Total expenditures are $1,368,100. The fund balance is projected to increase by the end of 2007 to $471,915.

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The next board meeting will be held at 7 p.m. on Jan. 17 at Wescott Station 1, 15415 Gleneagle Drive. Regular board meetings are normally held on the third Wednesday of the month.

The Donald Wescott Fire Protection District (DWFPD) Board of Directors held their regular monthly meeting on Dec. 27, due to postponements caused by snow. Directors Joe Potter and Kraig Sullivan were excused.

Treasurer Dave Cross and Recording Secretary Ginnette Ritz reported that all the district’s radios were being upgraded to add channels for the new APCO 25 standard to improve communications between all types of emergency service providers. The money will come from the 2006 budget, which will be adjusted to reflect that. Approximately $80,000 worth of new capital equipment has been ordered.

Chief Jeff Edwards reported there was a total of 81 calls in November, 58 in the district and 23 automatic aid or mutual aid calls. Total runs for the year are at 1,019 which is a decrease of 26 percent from last year. The department responded on 69 rescues during the last storm. Wescott responded to a call that the Colorado Springs Police Department had received regarding over 40 cars stranded on Voyager Parkway. There were 17 people on shift during the storm—4 full-time employees and 13 volunteers. The district’s Hummer and brush trucks were the main vehicles used for rescues. The engine or tender were used only for fire calls.

Edwards reviewed the lengthy list of projects that were completed during 2006:

The board once again set meeting dates for 2007 as the third Wednesday of each month at 7 p.m..

Chief Edwards advised that the district’s new attorney, Tim Schutz, will be attending the January meeting, the auditor should have estimates for 2006, and he would present an update on the staff performance appraisals for 2007.

The meeting was adjourned at 7:45 p.m.

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The next regular meeting is scheduled for Jan. 17, at 7 p.m. at Station 1, 15415 Gleneagle Drive.

The Dec. 13 meetings of the boards of the Tri-Lakes Fire Protection District and the Woodmoor-Monument Fire Protection District occurred during a recess part-way through the joint meeting of the boards as the board of the Tri-Lakes-Monument Fire Rescue Authority. This was done so the boards could receive a joint briefing on the 2007 budget and then vote on that budget in their separate meetings.

After reclassifying several items as operational rather then capital improvement expenses, the budget was approved by both boards and the combined board. Bob Hansen, treasurer of the Woodmoor-Monument district, voted against the 2007 budget because the projected operational expenses were greater than the anticipated income, that is, the budget was not balanced and would require expenditure from the Woodmoor-Monument district’s approximately $800,000 in reserve funds to cover the shortfall of $13,080.

Both boards passed motions to start a merger of the two districts along the lines suggested by firefighters at the November meeting. The proposal was for dissolution of the Woodmoor-Monument district and inclusion of those residents into the Tri-Lakes district. A committee of representatives from the two boards was formed to negotiate a pre-inclusion agreement. Topics to be addressed by the committee are expected to include composition of the Board of Directors of the expanded Tri-Lakes district and disposition of the reserve funds of the Woodmoor-Monument district.

All directors of both boards were present except Keith Duncan of the Tri-Lakes district board.

Fire Authority Treasurer John Hildebrandt said the authority had received 99.7 percent of expected property tax revenue anticipated for the year.

As of Nov. 30, ambulance revenues were $386,576, 110 percent of the $350,000 projected for the year. Hildebrandt added that as of the Dec. 13 meeting, ambulance revenues stood at about $415,000.

Specific ownership taxes of $287,104 lagged at 83.8 percent of the budgeted amount for the year. At the end of November, revenue and expenditures would be expected to have reached 91.7 percent (eleven-twelfths) of the yearly amounts.

As of Nov. 30, total revenue stood at $3.2 million or 99.0 percent of the anticipated total for the year.

The expenses for the Tri-Lakes district were 6.4 percent over budget. The expenses for the Woodmoor-Monument district were 8.9 percent under budget. Overall expenses stood at $2.98 million, 92.2 percent of the budgeted total for the year, 0.54 percent ($175,396) greater than the anticipated amount at the end of November.

Hildebrandt noted that a large part of the Tri-Lakes district’s excess expenses could be attributed to the unanticipated $89,573 spent on repair and maintenance of Tri-Lakes Station 2 on Roller Coaster Road near Highway 105. That station started operation November 2004. Hildebrandt also noted that the district anticipates receiving $60,000 in grant money associated with the purchase of an ambulance and added that the districts have adequate reserves or an adequate bank line of credit to cover expenses through the early part of 2007 until they begin to receive property tax revenues in February and March.

The board unanimously approved holding fire authority meetings on the fourth Wednesday of each month with the exception of the December meeting, which will be held on Dec. 12, one week early to permit approval of the 2008 budget prior to the Dec. 15 deadline.

Battalion Chief Bryan Jack presented the revised 2007 budget. He noted that the staff has been working on the budget since July. Some highlights:

Hansen said that to balance the operational budget, some items had been improperly moved from the operational budget to the capital expenditure budget. He said, "I reject that." He said the budget should have been balanced by reviewing needs vs. wants. He also objected to e-mails from other fire authority board members directing that the changes be made to the budget. He left the meeting in protest and did not return until the fire authority board reconvened following the separate district meetings.

Hildebrandt replied, "We tried our darnedest to make the operational side balance."

Woodmoor-Monument district Director Tim Miller said, "The property tax revenue to the Woodmoor-Monument district increases very little year to year." He added that the Denver-Boulder consumer price index is increasing about 3.5 percent per year but the district’s revenue is increasing only about 2 percent per year. He said the district is reaching a point where to balance the budget it must dip into its reserves or go to the voters for approval of a mill levy increase.

The board unanimously adopted the revised pay and allowance schedule and then took a recess to allow the individual districts to discuss the 2007 budget.

When the fire authority board reconvened, it unanimously approved a revised 2006 budget with the items adjusted to reflect the actual expenditures for the year. It also unanimously approved appropriation of the funds in accordance with the revised 2006 budget.

The board then approved a revised 2007 budget with items totaling $13,080 moved from the capital expenditure budget to the operational budget. The vote was 8-1 with Hansen opposed. Appropriation of the funds in accordance with the revised 2007 budget was also approved 8-1 with Hansen voting no.

Woodmoor-Monument district President Si Sibell reported that the Woodmoor-Monument board approved a motion to proceed with dissolving the district and seeking inclusion in the Tri-Lakes district.

Tri-Lakes district President Charlie Pocock reported that the Tri-Lakes board approved a motion supporting inclusion of the residents of the Woodmoor-Monument district into the Tri-Lakes district.

Each of the boards agreed to appoint two board members to a committee to develop a pre-inclusion agreement defining the terms and conditions of the merger.

The authority board then went into executive session to discuss personnel issues.

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The Tri-Lakes-Monument Fire Rescue Authority board normally meets the fourth Wednesday of each month following the meetings of the boards of the Tri-Lakes Fire Protection District and the Woodmoor-Monument Fire Protection District. The next meeting will be held Jan. 24 at Tri-Lakes district Station 1, 18650 Highway 105 (near the bowling alley).

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

President Charlie Pocock opened the Dec. 13 Fire Protection Board (TLFPD) meeting, with Keith Duncan as the only absent member. Battalion Chief Bryan Jack was also in attendance. This meeting was held during a recess of the Tri-Lakes Monument Fire Rescue Authority meeting.

The board reviewed the financial report and the 7 percent overage in the 2006 budget, which came mainly from expenses for Station 2 groundwater saturation and new ambulance expenditures, and outstanding grant reimbursements. However, the district has assets in the bank to cover end-of-year expenses and two lines of credit to cover the first part of 2007 outlays. The board approved the amended 2006 budget and also approved a state-mandated resolution to highlight the unanticipated changes to the budget authority for 2006.

The board also approved a 2007 appropriation resolution of approximately $2.3 million for the TLFPD spending authority and a budget resolution for 2007 calendar year. Treasurer John Hildebrandt noted that 2007 budget process was "superb," with all the departments coming together to produce a well-balanced proposal. Hildebrandt also responded to questions about the budget’s personnel pay estimations and explained the budget’s revenue estimation process. Overall, Hildebrandt projected that the department will be in the black, the first positive initial projection in 10 years. The board unanimously approved the 2007 budget proposal.

The board also approved a 2007 appropriation resolution of approximately $2.3 million for the TLFPD spending authority and a budget resolution for the 2007 calendar year.

Looking to the future, the board approved a three-part motion to form a working group for a proposed merger of the two Tri-Lakes and Woodmoor/Monument fire protection districts into one district. The purpose is to improve overall management and operational efficiencies by decreasing to one combined board.

To prepare the merger proposal, a joint working group from both districts will craft a merger agreement providing for one district for the entire Tri-Lakes Woodmoor fire coverage area. The board unanimously approved the motion.

The meeting adjourned at 8:30 p.m. and the board members rejoined the Fire Authority board meeting.

By John Heiser

At the Dec. 13 meeting of the Woodmoor-Monument Fire Protection District board, after approving the 2007 budget, the directors unanimously voted to commence dissolution of the Woodmoor-Monument district and inclusion into the Tri-Lakes Fire Protection District.

Treasurer Bob Hansen stated that the district is facing a 1.78 percent increase in revenue but a 4.66 percent increase in expenses. He added that part of the increase in expenses has resulted from an 8.72 percent increase in salaries. Noting that the reserve funds have been set aside to cover capital expenditures, he objected to the transfer of items from the operational side to the capital expenditure side to balance the 2007 budget.

Director Tim Miller made a motion to move items totaling $13,080 for fire station administration, personnel training, and medical equipment from the capital expenditure budget to the operational budget. The motion was approved 4-1 with Hansen abstaining.

Miller noted that with the change, expenditures would exceed revenues by $13,080.

Hansen said, "This unbalanced budget goes against everything I believe in."

Miller said, "Revenue increases are not keeping pace with inflation. The day is fast approaching when to maintain the level of service, we must go to the reserves or ask the voters to increase the mill levy."

Hansen added, "Or do the merger."

On a motion to approve the revised 2007 budget, the board voted 4-1 with Hansen voting no.

Director Bill Ingram said, "Starting Jan. 1, we need to look at what we can do to bring the budget into balance."

Motions to appropriate the funds and approve the budget message summary were approved 4-1 with Hansen voting no.

A motion to certify the property tax mill levy at 9.921 mills was unanimously approved.

Director Rod Wilson said that inclusion into the Tri-Lakes district would mean a reduction in property taxes for Woodmoor-Monument residents from 9.921 mills to 8.5 mills. He said, "It is a 14 percent savings with no decrease in services."

In response to a question from Miller regarding the merger timeline, Battalion Chief Bryan Jack said the Woodmoor-Monument district would appoint one or two members to meet with representatives of the Tri-Lakes board to work out the details. Once agreement is reached, the matter would be presented to a district court judge, who would hold a hearing within 45 days. After the hearing, if the judge is satisfied that the matter should be presented to the voters of the Woodmoor-Monument district, an election would be scheduled within 50 days.

Hansen asked, "What if the voters turn it down? Where are we?"

Jack replied, "You still have the district and the fire authority."

Hansen said, "I have always been for this."

The board unanimously voted to seek dissolution of the district and inclusion into the Tri-Lakes Fire Protection District.

The meeting then adjourned and the Tri-Lakes Monument Fire Rescue Authority board meeting reconvened.

The Baptist Road Rural Transportation Authority (BRRTA) discussed construction delays caused by installation of a sewer collection line required for Promontory Pointe and Sanctuary Pointe at its meeting on Dec. 8. The board also approved an audit for 2005 and scheduled selection of a construction contract manager for the I-25 Baptist Road interchange. Commissioner Dennis Hisey was absent.

Project Manager Andre Brackin of the El Paso County Department of Transportation gave a comprehensive engineering report on the Baptist Road, Struthers Road, and Baptist Road interchange construction contracts. He also discussed future projects to be performed on Baptist Road west of I-25 using BRRTA and Pikes Peak Rural Transportation Authority (PPRTA) funding.

Relocation of utilities for the Baptist Road and New Struthers Road projects "continues to be a real challenge" for the single contractor, Rocky Mountain Materials and Asphalt, Inc. (RMMA). Only half the utilities have been moved so far.

Brackin provided diagrams of the Triview Metropolitan District sewer main lines that will be installed within Baptist Road for John Laing’s Promontory Pointe development and Classic Home’s Sanctuary Pointe development. He said that the county has always known these Triview sewer lines would be an issue due to the timing of the development projects.

RMMA initially estimated that delays caused by Triview not being prepared to install the sewer lines on time will cost $232,000. All sub-grade paving materials have been delivered to the site for final grading of the westbound lanes. Reopening of the Kingswood Drive and Leather Chaps Drive intersections has also been delayed. RMMA cannot do the final grading as planned because Pate Construction Contractors, Inc., had not yet begun to dig the sewer line trench, which is up to 19 feet deep. This scale of excavation will require major OSHA safety precautions in the center of the westbound lanes, precluding final grading work.

Brackin asked the BRRTA board to work with Triview and its contractors to expedite the excavation and prevent a loss of PPRTA funding due to major construction schedule delays. Brackin also asked the board to help work out the major discrepancies between the initial and final sewer line drawings submitted to the county and who would pay for the required changes. He said the required Triview construction should be completed within four weeks.

Pate Construction will negotiate a contract to perform Triview’s trench work as a subcontractor to RMMA and will do so under RMMA’s existing construction permits, rather than Pate having to wait for the same permits it would need to do the work independently. (See Triview article on page 20 for other details.)

Brackin showed photos of the two sets of side-by-side 5-by-6-foot box culverts for stormwater drainage under the Baptist Road and Gleneagle Drive intersection. The culverts have been completely installed under the two westbound lanes of Baptist Road. The continuation of the two drainage culverts under the eastbound lanes will begin in the spring when the Gleneagle intersection will be closed.

He also said that acquisition of the new Struthers Road right-of-way within Chaparral Hills had not been completed. Acquisition of right-of-way for the interchange will be the most significant problem affecting the award of a construction contract, as CDOT will not approve the bidding until all right-of-way purchases are completed.

Brackin said environmental issues "have been taken care of" by the county providing substitute Preble’s mouse habitat it owns as mitigation of state protected mouse habitat within the interchange property that will be destroyed by the expansion.

Brackin said that every type of utility is installed under the county’s existing Baptist Road bridge over Jackson Creek, between the interchange and Jackson Creek Parkway, due to all the utility companies avoiding the protected mouse habitat in the state’s interchange. Three large box culverts must be installed at the bridge location for stormwater control. All the utilities in this location must be moved from their current location under the bridge. The only alternative location is within state mouse habitat, which will require U.S. Fish and Wildlife and Army Corps of Engineers environmental and floodplain permits.

Coordination of these utility relocations will be performed by the contractor selected to perform interchange contract management. Typically, CDOT does not allow construction contract bidding to begin until all utility clearance letters have been provided by the affected companies and all environmental permits are in place.

his problem prevented the Monument Marketplace developer from temporarily widening this bridge and installing a 60-inch culvert to minimize flooding. These temporary upgrades to Baptist Road had originally been a condition for Home Depot to obtain a certificate of occupancy in July 2004. Neither Home Depot nor any other Marketplace store was ever held to this condition by Triview Metropolitan District or the town. Traffic congestion and delays at the interchange have steadily worsened since then.

This I-25 interchange approach work that would have been performed by RMMA under the BRRTA contract will now be done under the future interchange expansion contract, shifting about $200,000 of work.

Brackin reported that the county’s evaluation panel had selected the firm that had "submitted the best proposal at a reasonable price value for the county’s needs" to manage the interchange construction contract for BRRTA and was ready to begin contract negotiations.

Brackin noted that PPRTA would provide $3,348,800 in the 2011 budget for the planned four-lane Baptist Road bridge over the Denver-Rio Grande railroad tracks and Monument Creek. However, engineering design consultant PBS&J has estimated the cost for the bridge is about $13 million, not counting already known mouse habitat and wetlands impacts.

The 2007 PPRTA budget includes $966,000 for roadway capacity and widening of Baptist Road west of I-25. There will be mouse habitat and wetlands impacts for this widening project as well. Brackin recommended development of a work statement for engineering and utility relocation by PBS&J.

Monument Mayor Byron Glenn suggested that the town will ask Team O2 Investments to pay for the widening as a condition of approval for the Outrageous Oasis water park development in return for the town granting it a 10-year sales tax rebate incentive. This would allow the PPRTA funds to be reallocated to other projects. County Commissioner Wayne Williams supported the proposal and suggested that Glenn write a letter suggesting the reallocation to county DOT Director John McCarty.

Dan Hunt, CDOT’s project manager for coordinating the interchange expansion with BRRTA and the county, said CDOT would waive its customary requirement for completion of all utility relocation planning prior to award of the construction contract. This concession will prevent many months of delays and millions of dollars of unnecessary duplicated Baptist Road temporary construction between the interchange and Jackson Creek Parkway.

Michael Scott of John Laing Homes said his company had been asked by Triview Metropolitan District to facilitate installation of Triview’s sanitary sewer line under Baptist Road. John Laing will pay all costs for the installation of both phases of the collection line.

Scott added that negotiations among the county, John Laing, Triview, and Classic Homes had reduced the projected price of the sewer line phases and estimated RMMA impact costs from a total of $550,000 to about $400,000. Scott said his firm would enter into a cost recovery agreement with Triview to receive payment from Classic Homes for its share of costs when it begins construction of Sanctuary Pointe.

Jerry Novak of Classic Homes said that during these negotiations, RMMA had been offered a management fee for supervising Pate personnel. In return, RMMA has agreed to implement different work schedule changes than originally proposed. These RMMA changes cut in half its estimated Triview impact costs of $232,000. Novak said he believed that further cuts in the estimated costs for traffic control during sewer line construction may also be possible. Novak did not say how payment of the additional costs would be divided among Triview, John Laing, and Classic.

Novak also noted that Classic had not participated in the sewer line design because it would not need to use it for another four to five years and that the Sanctuary Pointe parcel had just been annexed by Monument a few weeks earlier.

Monument Director of Development Services Tom Kassawara said he had coordinated with county project engineer Kim Reliford on the preliminary site plan for the Monument Ridge development at the southeast corner of Jackson Creek Parkway and Baptist Road. He said that the county’s emergency services personnel had rejected the name Olde Post Road for the main collector road through Promontory Pointe. It will be called Gleneagle Drive.

Hunt asked the board for confirmation on how PBS&J would be paid $200,000 from BRRTA bond proceeds for performing post-design services for CDOT. BRRTA is paying all construction and design costs. Steve Sandvik of PBS&J said CDOT would approve the bills and pass them to the county Transportation Department, which would in turn submit them to BRRTA. Once approved, BRRTA would pay PBS&J from the $200,000 set aside in the CDOT post-design services account.

Hunt added that the state had approved the previously controversial state stormwater discharge and floodplain permits.

BRRTA attorney Jim Hunsaker said the county’s evaluation panel for the construction management contract had met and ranked the five submitted bids. Brenda Gordon of El Paso County procurement said the panel would next negotiate a contract proposal from the selected contractor and bring it back to BRRTA for final approval and award. The board scheduled a contract committee meeting to review the proposal at 8 a.m. on Dec. 21 and unanimously approved a motion directing Gordon to begin contract negotiations.

The bond resolution will be approved by BRRTA at its meeting on Feb. 9. The bonds will be marketed Feb. 12-22. The board should have a firm interchange construction bid price before that date to be sure of the required size of the bond issue—up to $21.5 million––prior to setting the price of the bonds. The board will authorize the bond sale before March 6, the bond closing date. Hunsaker noted that the sales tax will not go into effect until July 1.

CPA Dawn Schilling presented the draft 2005 BRRTA audit. She noted that it was an unqualified or "clean" audit. BRRTA’s accounting firm, BKD, did not sign Schilling’s management representation letter. Shilling said it was not unusual for third party entities to not want to be responsible for audit results. The 2005 audit was unanimously approved. Commissioner Williams and BRRTA Manager Denise Denslow signed the letter for BRRTA.

BRRTA Manager Denise Denslow noted that the board had held a public hearing and unanimously approved final drafts of the 2007 budget and appropriation documents with the condition that changes be made to reflect the fact that the proposed bond issuance would not occur in 2006. The final budget and appropriation documents were unanimously approved.

The board also unanimously approved payment of 12 claims totaling $46,982.

The board recessed the meeting at 3:50 p.m. until 8 a.m. on Dec. 21.

The Dec. 21 meeting was continued until Dec. 22 due to a blizzard. The BRRTA contract evaluation panel recommended a negotiated construction management contract for $1,692,703 with Carter & Burgess, Inc. The contract was approved and awarded to Carter & Burgess by contract selection subcommittee members Williams and Glenn.

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The next BRRTA meeting will be held at 2:30 p.m. Feb. 9 at Monument Town Hall, 166 Second St. Information: 481-2954.

In the Dec. 2 issue of OCN, it was reported that the MGP subdivision preliminary plan was approved at the El Paso County Planning Commission meeting Nov. 21. In fact, the plan was denied by the Planning Commission because of drainage issues and, in particular, the question of who would be responsible for the detention pond. The applicant wanted the county to be responsible and the El Paso County Department of Transportation disagreed. When the Board of County Commissioners subsequently considered the proposal, the applicant agreed to take responsibility for the pond and the project was approved. OCN regrets the error.

Below: Controversial gate on Doewood Drive. Photo by Chris Pollard.

The first major item on the agenda was to resolve the final issue of the gate on Doewood Drive. Originally put in to block off a construction road, a review of fire evacuation procedures by local fire marshals deemed that it should be open to allow evacuation. A memorandum of understanding had been signed between the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office and the WIA providing that Woodmoor Public Safety now carried keys to the gate. Brian Osterholt, director of Public Safety, said the gate could be opened only under authority of the sheriff or the county fire marshal.

As part of the process of installing new stop signs in South Woodmoor at Bowstring Road, Caribou Drive West and Fairplay Drive, El Paso County had requested that follow-up traffic surveys be run to check their effectiveness. Terry Holmes, secretary of the WIA, distributed an analysis of the results from data taken by the WIA SMART trailer. In all three locations, there was a significant reduction in both the volume (cars per minute) and speeding. In addition to fewer people going over the limit, the highest speed recorded was 15 mph less. This was despite additional construction in the Monument Marketplace.

Residents of Woodmoor are reminded that the Woodmoor Improvement Association’s Annual General Meeting will be held on Monday, Jan. 29 at 7 p.m. in the Lewis-Palmer Middle School cafeteria.

Photo below by Bill Kappel.

Photo below by Jim Kendrick.

It’s been an interesting beginning to winter and end to 2006 around the region, with two major snowstorms within the span of a week. These storms brought the usual dichotomy to the area, with travel headaches and life-threatening conditions juxtaposed against awe-inspiring beauty and the power of Mother Nature.

December started off on the cold and snowy side with just over 8 inches accumulating on the 2nd. This was accompanied by some seriously cold air, as lows dipped well below zero late on the 2nd through the 3rd as our first arctic air outbreak of the season moved in. This was short-lived however, as skies cleared through the 6th, and temperatures slowly warmed back to above normal, reaching into the upper 40’s on the 5th. Another weak cold front on the 6th brought some low clouds and fog, then warmth quickly returned by the 8th and 9th, with highs hitting the 50° mark. Cooler conditions returned by the next day and some light snow greeted us on the morning of the 11th. Overall, conditions during the first three weeks of the months were quiet and mild. This was about to take a big turn however, just in time for the holidays.

Well, a white Christmas was an understatement this year, as a major blizzard slammed the Tri-Lakes area, along with most of the Front Range and Eastern Plains, from the 20th to the 21st. The first signs of a pattern change began to take shape during the early morning hours of the 17th, as the first in a series of cold fronts pushed into the region. These initial surges of cold air were not accompanied by any lift or moisture, so no more than flurries and fog formed over the next couple of days. Temperatures did remain on the cool side however, with highs holding in the 20’s and low 30’s for the next few days.

During this time, our first big weather-maker gathered strength and turned through the desert Southwest. As this ball of energy approached the Front Range, a new area of low pressure rapidly developed in southeastern Colorado. The counterclockwise flow around this low drew moisture into the system and pushed it upslope against the Rockies and Palmer Divide Several other factors came into play that allowed this storm to become so strong and damaging. One major factor was that it slowed down and stayed nearly stationary for more than 24 hours. Also, the pressure gradient between the center of low pressure and the area of high pressure building in behind the storm was steep and this allowed winds to really howl for an extended period.

So what did all that add up to? Blizzard conditions for more than 24 hours, snowfall totals of 24-40 inches, cancellations and closure throughout the region, and yes a beautiful winter landscape just in time for Christmas.

But Mother Nature wasn’t done with the Christmas giving just yet, as the second major storm quickly followed on its heels. This one followed a similar life cycle; however its positioning in relation to the Tri-Lakes area was not as conducive for heavy snow as in the previous storm. Because of this, we "only" received 15-20 inches of fresh snow, while the southeastern plains, southern I-25 corridor, and southern foothills received 3-4 feet! Nonetheless, this was quite a storm and when added to all the snow and headaches produced just a week prior made for some spectacular scenery around the region.

It’s been quite an eventful second half of the year, with near record amounts of rain and snow since back in June. It’ll be interesting to see what "fun" Mother Nature has in store for us as we head into 2007. Look for the 2006 weather "Year in Review" in the next issue of the OCN.

January sees the coldest temperatures of the year, but precipitation is on the low side, with average amounts of less than an inch. The month generally sees numerous sunny and windy days, with quick shots of snow in between. The last few Januarys have generally been warmer than normal, with near normal precipitation and snowfall, and after the December we just had, many residents are probably hoping for a return to quiet weather The official monthly forecast for January 2006, produced by the Climate Prediction Center (http://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/predictions/30day/), is calling for better than average chances of slightly above normal temperatures and precipitation. For a complete look at monthly climate summaries for the region, please visit http://users.adelphia.net/~billkappel/ClimateSummary.htm.

Average High 35.8° (-4.1°)
Average Low 14.0° (+1.3°)
Highest Temperature 56° on the 15th
Lowest Temperature -12° on the 3rd
Monthly Precipitation 4.80" (+3.45)
Monthly Snowfall 62.6" (+42.6)
Season to Date Snow 108.1" (+60.5)
Season to Date Precip. 21.03" (+9.04)

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

Remember, weather affects all of us every day and is a very important part of life for us on the Palmer Divide, and 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.

Below is a list of the most extreme weather events during 2006 around the Tri-Lakes region. We’d like your help in deciding which was the most extreme. Please read through the list below and add any comments and/or pictures you have of the events and include your vote as to which one was the most extreme. Then in our February issue, we’ll include some of your choices for the most extreme weather event in 2006 as part of the overall weather summary.

Please e-mail your comments and pictures to bill_kappel@yahoo.com or if you don’t have access to e-mail, mail them to OCN, P.O. Box 1742, Monument 80132.

Letters to Our Community

Regarding the employment termination of Superintendent Dr. Michael Pomarico, it is clear from the accounts in the local press that he did not actually resign. Rather, his employment contract with D-38 was terminated for the convenience of the district. That is clear because D-38 bought out the remainder of his first contract year and then paid him another year’s salary equivalent, as severance.

When an employed person simply resigns, he/she is not customarily entitled to any further compensation. When a person’s employment is terminated for cause, or for any other default of their contract, they are customarily not paid any further compensation.

D-38 taxpayers, without any explanation from you or the board, now have to bear the $244,000 cost of this employment termination for the convenience of the district—an amount equal to 1.5 years’ additional salary. And that compensation, after he performed as superintendent for less than six months!

How can you and the board justify this unreasonable expenditure of tax dollars? Why are you telling the press that the superintendent resigned, while your actions clearly demonstrate that D-38 terminated his employment for the convenience of the board?

D-38 voters deserve better governance than you and the board are demonstrating in this matter, and we also deserve a full explanation for your actions. When will this be forthcoming?

Jim Forman

Even with the loss of two days of bell ringing as a result of the December blizzard, Monument Hill Sertoma and Lewis-Palmer Serteens collected $35,553 during the 2006 Salvation Army Red Kettle Campaign, exceeding the 2005 Red Kettle Campaign by $3,071.

Of the Salvation Army Red Kettle total collections in El Paso County, approximately 10 percent comes from contributions placed in the kettles located in the Tri-Lakes community. All of the donations to the red kettles are used to help those in need in El Paso County.

Salvation Army, Monument Hill Sertoma, and Lewis-Palmer Serteens thank all of you who so generously donated money as you passed the bell ringers at the red kettles located at Safeway, King Soopers, and Wal-Mart.

A Perspective on Our Community: A Life Saved!

Below (L to R) Kathy and Ron Lance, Karen and Glenn Bethany, Battalion Chief Greg Lovato. On Dec. 4, acting on behalf of the Tri-Lakes Monument Fire Rescue Authority, Lovato presented a Community Valor Award to Glenn and Karen Bethany for their life-saving response and actions Aug. 7, 2006. Photo by John Heiser

Ron and Kathy Lance invited two couples for an early dinner on Aug. 7 in their Woodmoor home. Their guests were close friends with whom they had enjoyed many shared memories: Jim and Jenanne Jenkins, from Kansas City – prior residents of Colorado Springs, and my wife Karen and I– longtime residents of Monument and the Gleneagle areas. Jim and Jeneanne brought their 9-year-old granddaughter and her best friend to dinner with them.

The two girls finished eating early and asked Ron if they could watch a movie while the adults finished eating. Ron agreed and led the girls downstairs. In about three minutes the girls came running upstairs and called out, "The man fell down! The man fell down!"

Jim and I went downstairs to check on Ron. We found him lying on the floor – his eyelids open but his pupils rolled upward. We aligned Ron’s torso and legs, and checked for a pulse and any sign of breathing. Neither was evident.

The wives asked if everything was okay. Jim replied "No, Karen please call 911 and request help." He looked at me and said, "Let’s start CPR, Glenn. I’ll hold Ron’s head to keep his throat open and clear." I started CPR – practiced in a class some 25 years earlier as part of my training as an Air Force pilot. Jim continued to monitor Ron for a pulse and any sign of breathing.

Karen briefed 911 on the incident and relayed questions she could not answer to Jim. I continued to administer CPR and Jim maintained liaison with 911 through Karen. The fire and EMS teams arrived – approximately seven minutes after alerted. The eight trained technicians immediately began to execute their assigned tasks. One member took over CPR; one unpacked the portable oxygen system, fitted the mask over Ron’s face and initiated the flow of oxygen into the mask; another adjusted the controls of the portable EKG equipment; one began to apply the various leads to parts of Ron’s body as two other team members cut clothing away from his body.

Over a period of 20 minutes, the eight members of the team worked with the precision of a clock. Ron and his heart were the central focus of all activity and effort. When Ron’s heartbeat was sufficiently stable and functional, the team prepared him for transport to Penrose Main Hospital.

Fire department personnel remained behind to clean up debris from an amazing and awe-inspiring demonstration of what can be achieved by the perfect combination of fire and EMS team commitment, expertise, and exceptional professional training.

Retired physician Dr. Tom Davis, Ron and Kathy’s next-door neighbor, observed the fire and EMS teams in action. As the team carried Ron to the ambulance, Tom turned to me with tears in his eyes. He slowly nodded his head in disbelief and said in a soft but broken voice, "I have worked in many emergency situations in my career as a physician, but I have never witnessed a team of medical technicians accomplish what this team has accomplished under these conditions in a period of 20 minutes. They revived Ron’s heart and restored his life against all odds."

A life was saved from certain death.

At the moment cardiac arrest occurs, breathing and all heart function stop. Unless CPR is initiated within four to six minutes, the probability for recovery is diminished by ten percent every minute treatment is delayed. Even if CPR does not result in re-establishing regular breathing prior to the arrival of a fire or EMS team, the CPR procedure supplies oxygen to the brain by circulating the existing blood supply until additional help arrives.

Cardiac arrest is not limited to older adults. It can happen to anyone subject to irregular heartbeat or to those involved in accidents or situations that may induce heart arrhythmia. Without timely CPR, 95 percent of cardiac arrest patients die en route to the hospital.

Cardiac arrest is only one of many conditions that require immediate CPR. CPR training is invaluable for a number of other emergencies, including choking, drowning, emotional and physical stress, genetic abnormalities, and excessive physical exertion.

The local fire departments will arrange CPR training classes for the public by request. Everyone should have a basic knowledge of what to do in an emergency. "Hands-on training" gives us the confidence to begin CPR at a moment’s notice. Time is of the essence and whoever is present must begin CPR.

Call your local fire department to schedule training. Let’s be prepared to help sustain life—wherever and whenever the need arises.

Between The Covers at the Covered Treasures Bookstore: Book highlights for 2006

By the staff at Covered Treasures

As the New Year begins, we always enjoy reviewing the past year’s news, weather, health, and, of course, books. We at Covered Treasures wish you all a year filled with many hours of reading pleasure, as we look back at some notable books of 2006.

Intuition
By Allegra Goodman, $25

"A nondescript building in the shadow of Harvard holds multiple intrigues—and, perhaps, a cure for cancer." Goodman’s young, eager researchers are sincere and bright but are subject to carelessness and poor judgment in this modern-day thriller. This is a novel of rich character development with much suspense.

Thirteen Moons
By Charles Frazier, $26.95

Like Cold Mountain, Thirteen Moons is both an epic history and love story told in alternating chapters in authentic language. Frazier paints a vivid picture of 19th-century America. Will Cooper is a white boy adopted by the Cherokee Indians and his voice is elegant, humorous, and profound as he relates his life experiences.

The Glass Castle
By Jeannette Walls, $14

Walls grew up with parents whose stubborn nonconformity was both their curse and their salvation. As the dysfunction of the family escalated, Jeannette and her siblings had to fend for themselves, supporting one another as they weathered their parents’ betrayals. Hers is a story of triumph against all odds, but also a tender, moving tale of unconditional love.

Snow Flower and the Secret Fan
By Lisa See, $13.95

A must-read for anyone who enjoys entering a different world, Snow Flower will transport you to China in the late 19th century, and you’ll be fascinated by the characters you meet and the cultural history you learn. This is an ideal book club choice.

Case Histories
By Kate Atkinson, $13.95

Here’s an opportunity for book groups to read a mystery—something they don’t often do. Atkinson introduces three mysteries that are seemingly only connected because the same private detective investigates each one. At turns comic and poignant, this is a lively thriller with literary panache!

March
By Geraldine Brooks, $14

Brooks’ novel follows the wartime experiences of the father of the March girls from Little Women. This deeply moving story about the often unspeakable horrors of war, even one fought for a good cause, leaves the reader with a depth of understanding of a man’s struggle between his principles and his own human limitations.

Never Let Me Go
By Kazuo Ishiguro, $14

Once again, Kazuo Ishiguro has written a haunting, mystifying novel of friendship, memory, repression, and love. The reader enters the world of Ruth, Kathy, and Tommy, who live at a remote English private school, Hailsham, where they are sheltered from the "real" world. When they do eventually enter the outside world, they must explore and face the underlying purpose of their lives at Hailsham. This is a mesmerizing novel from the first sentence.

On Beauty
By Zadie Smith, $15

This remarkable novel tells the story of two families—one American and one English—each of whose paternal characters are rivals in the academic world. When romance sparks, trouble ensues. Written with humor, this story of race, national identity, gender, and class grabs you from beginning to end!

Any Bitter Thing
By Monica Wood, $13.95

This is an absolutely haunting novel that even contains a few laughs. In fact, the story of a young woman searching for her life’s meaning after having been wrenched from her priest uncle and guardian at age 9 encompasses a full range of emotions. What a great novel.

When Madeline Was Young
By Jane Hamilton, $22.95

An ordinary family is changed by a tragic accident, which leaves Aaron Maciver’s young wife mentally challenged. This event’s consequences on two generations of families make for a fabulous read. There are unforgettable images and some laughs in this totally engrossing novel.

The greatest joy of a bibliophile is not only to reflect on past reads, but to anticipate the next novel or nonfiction title to be discovered and explored. May the books of 2007 entice readers to open the covers and find new, exciting and thought-provoking stories to share and devour. Until next month, happy reading.

High Country Highlights: Winter entertainment

It’s easy to stir up commotion in the back yard and transform it into a feeding frenzy for the wildlife in your area. At our house, we have several feeding stations. Most stations are within viewing distance of a window and have as few as one feeder, but most are multifaceted and hold two or three feeders.

My main feeders are attached to a 4-by-4-inch pole I set in the ground for stability. I screwed a couple of 1-by-2-by-16-inch arms perpendicular to the pole at about 5 feet up from the ground to create a shelf that houses a plastic saucer from the bottom of a pot. Then, I screwed the saucer to the arms and drilled some ¾-inch holes in it for drainage. Near the top, I attached a metal hanger with a hook on the end that extends at an angle about 2 feet to hold a cage with suet cakes for downy and hairy woodpeckers and flickers.

I fill the tray with raw peanuts and whole kernel corn and before I can turn my back, blue jays, scrub jays and stellar jays are flying in like bombardiers to grab the prizes out of the tray. They quickly fly off to bury their food in the leaves near the woods, only to return for another and another until the food is gone. Their commotion arouses the fox squirrel, and he effortlessly scales the pole to get his share of one of his favorites, only he doesn’t leave. He sits up in his "throne" with his tail curled over his back and munches on a couple of peanuts as the jays try to brave getting close enough to grab yet another piece to bury. Catherine and I believe other animals find the peanuts that the jays bury, and we consider them helping to feed the creatures in the woods.

One of my favorite stations is also my most colorful. Outside a back window that views the morning sun, I hang two thistle feeders. One is a tube feeder that is about 2 feet long and has six stations with perches and within a couple of feet of that, I hang an eight-station octagon thistle feeder that is quite a bit larger. When the goldfinches and house finches (red polls) all gather on the feeders, they’ll fill up every station and others will be waiting on nearby tree branches to take the place when one bird leaves. As spring approaches and the birds go into mating season, the goldfinches turn vibrant yellow on their breasts and have contrasting black-striped wings. The house finches turn shades of purple during the same time and fill that feeding station with color.

I have two more suet feeders hanging in the back. One is attached to the arbor and another is hanging off a 36-inch branch hook. Although the squirrel can get to the one on the arbor, most of the time he is satisfied with other areas in and around the yard that have easier access to feed. The suet feeder on the branch hook is outside an office window, and it’s common to see a couple of black-capped chickadees on it or have it completely covered in pine siskins. The suet feeders are visited frequently by woodpeckers, flickers and nuthatches.

In the far back, by the creek bed, we throw whole kernel corn, a wild bird mix and black-oil sunflowers on the ground for the juncos, canyon towhee, brown thrasher, squirrels and deer. I am a firm believer that this feeding station keeps the deer out of my yard and away from eating my bushes to the ground. It also keeps the pesky squirrels off the other feeders. Nearby is a wire sunflower feeder full of black-oil sunflowers and, of course, fresh water. An occasional fox strolls by for a meal to catch, or a bird of prey may sit in the tree, waiting at their feeding station, too.

Wildlife feeding can be an enjoyable and inexpensive winter entertainment.

January’s a peculiar month. It’s cold, holiday excitement has evaporated, and while the days are getting longer, it’s still dark enough to crave hibernation. An excellent remedy to the winter doldrums is to attend the Palmer Lake Historical Society’s annual potluck at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 18. The Society will provide the meat, Joe Bohler will entertain us with piano-playing, and area residents will share stories. It’s free and open to the public, so bring a dish to the Palmer Lake Town Hall and spend an evening with new friends.

The Historical Society presents free programs with refreshments in the town hall the third Thursday of most months. Upcoming programs include:

Feb. 15, 7 p.m.: A sing-along of Civil War songs, plus a few words on Abraham Lincoln and a recitation of his second Inaugural Address by the Rev. John Snyder.

March 15, 7 p.m.: "Monument Tree Nursery," with Brian Grossman, who may be joined by Chip Fleming, former nursery superintendent.

April 19, 7 p.m.: "Come Dizzy," with Donna Arndt.

May 17, 7 p.m.: Portrayal of Emily Griffith by Debra Faulkner.

June 17, 2 p.m.: Father’s Day ice cream social with the Brass Quintet in the gazebo.

July 19 and Aug. 16: Unconfirmed.

Sept. 20, 7 p.m. "John Albert, Mountain Man," talk by Sam DeFelice about his ancestor

Oct. 18, 7 p.m. "Colorado Springs Cold Case Files," talk by Dwight Haverkorn

Nov. 15, 7 p.m. "Chuggin’ Through the Divide," Palmer Lake trains by Gary Coleman

Membership in the Society is $10 per year for an individual, $15 for families, and family membership comes with two mugs. (plhist@aol.com. 559-0837) The Society maintains the free Lucretia Vaile Museum in the basement beneath the Palmer Lake library across from the Town Hall. Winter hours are 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturdays. (www.ci.palmer-lake.co.us/plhs/)

Below: Drawing by Elizabeth Hacker

"What is that beautiful bird with the long tail?" is a question we are often asked by visitors from the eastern United States who are fascinated by the coloration and grace of the black-billed magpie.

I still remember the first magpie we saw after moving here in 1990. It was standing its ground by sparring with a rabbit in our back yard. First the rabbit kicked its hind legs at the magpie and then the magpie hopped in front and pecked at the rabbit’s face. This went on for sometime, and while magpies still frequent our yard, I haven’t seen a rabbit for many years, so we assumed that the magpie was the victor in this sparring match. At first I thought this behavior most unusual until I began hearing stories of bold magpies harassing cats and stealing food from owls and hawks, traditionally their predators.

The black-billed magpie is found in open country, but needs large trees for shelter and nesting. It avoids densely forested areas and is especially suited to the terrain of the Palmer Divide with its stands of ponderosa pine, cottonwood and willows, interwoven with small streams, wetlands, and open ranchland. The black-billed magpie is a member of the corvid family of birds that include ravens, crows, and jays. Like its cousins, it is an intelligent and resourceful opportunist.

The magpie forms large, noisy communities sometimes numbering over 700 birds. One of my most interesting observations of this bird was in Woodmoor, after a magpie had been struck by a car and died. It was not unlike a human memorial service. Within seconds, a magpie flew to the dead bird to examine its mangled body and begin to loudly call out and within minutes, what seemed like hundreds of magpies begin to gather in the nearby trees, encircling the body. The birds loudly called back and forth to each other. From their perch, each magpie took its turn flying down to and walking around the dead magpie, pecking at it and loudly shrieking as if expressing its grief over losing a dear friend. I felt I had stumbled into a secret ceremony and still today wonder if I was not imagining it.

Black-billed magpies are omnivores and feed primarily on insects, especially during periods of breeding and nesting. During the winter, its diet is higher in carbohydrates and includes seeds, berries, and pine nuts. It also eats carrion. Most often, it eats on the ground by flipping leaves and branches to look for food. It also eats ticks from the backs of large mammals like bison, cattle, deer, and horses, and will clean out open sores on those animals’ bodies. It uses scent to find food, an unusual trait because few birds have a sense of smell. While often very bold, it becomes wary in areas where it has been harassed and while nesting.

Black-billed magpies are monogamous and form long-term pairs. Each year, the pair builds a huge new nest in the top branches of a large tree, which in subsequent years is used by other bird species, often an owl. The nest is dome-shaped and made of sticks. The nest is strong enough to protect the nestlings from weather and predators and has entrances on both sides. Inside the stick canopy is a cup-shaped nest with a mud base and lined with soft grasses, hair, and cottonwood seeds. The typical clutch includes six to seven olive-colored eggs, but it is not unusual to find as many as 11 eggs in a nest. The male brings food to the female while she incubates the eggs for about 18 days. Once the eggs are hatched, both parents take turns feeding and caring for the nestlings. In three to four weeks, the young fledge the nest to join other broods. The parents feed their own fledglings in these large social groups for another three to four weeks. We often see the adults teaching a fledgling to fly, and it is truly comical.

The blacked-billed magpie is found only in the western half of this continent from Mexico to Alaska. It is also found in Europe and Asia. It generally does not migrate long distances but will move about in the winter foraging for food.

The magpie has become a symbol for many cultures. In our Native American culture, it has symbolized cunning and survival, while in Chinese lore it symbolizes good luck and happiness. Because it has long been known as a thief, in other cultures it has come to symbolize dishonesty.

For many years, early settlers tried to poison the magpie to prevent it from stealing chicken eggs. For the most part, this practice has ended. The magpie has protected status in the United States but not in Canada.

Holiday Festivities

Below: 2006 finders of the Yule Log (L to R): John Cleve 14, Owen Braley 11, Collin Rue 14. It took the boys about 1/2 to find the log. They are shown here in front of Palmer Lake Town Hall after the yule log drag. Photo by Elizabeth Hacker

Below: Palmer Lake Fire Trustee Gary Coleman held a fund-raising Christmas Trains display at the West End Center for the Palmer Lake Volunteer Fire Department from Dec. 8 to Dec. 30. Display Space was donated by Kurt Erhardt. A highlight was Coleman’s layout commemorating the Christmas movie "Polar Express." Photo by Jim Kendrick

What memories are we creating in this New Year? Whatever we are doing—or not doing—is what ends up building our lives. Our community is growing in people, horses are being replaced with houses, and mellow fields are filling with shops, streets and busy-ness. We can watch progress happen, but we can also choose to make our progress suit us.

In my case, I grew up in the ‘50s in a really small town. It came complete with hills and mountains beyond its grassy meadows, which supported cattle and even buffalo. My birth hometown had one food market, a lumberyard, a theater stage, and a little library. For its size, it was home to a big population of artists. Every summer, we enjoyed the art festivals after we swam and played at the beaches of the Pacific.

The town became famous for its art, its artists and its beauty, but what helped it to stay healthy was a band of strong community members who championed the water rights and reined in growth to protect the little community.

It was a group of all kinds of people who loved where they lived and took care of it. They encouraged public art, galleries, and arts events. Besides the natural scenic beauty, the art and artists attracted tourism, success and fame, which ultimately supported the town. Too bad my dad’s company transferred us away from there. Oh, to have kept my Nana’s little house in Laguna Beach.

With my own children, I moved here to the Tri-Lakes area when it had one tiny food market, a tiny library, and the kids swam, fished, and played at the beaches of our lakes. In Tri-Lakes, we have lots of art and artists, too. And we have art events to enjoy.

Can we build a rich life of beauty here in our community? We are building our community in one way or another, but simply letting a community happen to us is not an option. We vote with our support. We will get out of our community much more than we put into it, especially as we work toward enrichment of the people, the families, workers, visitors and businesses that are here.

The secret is to engage our selves in our community. As new endeavors enter, and old ones retire, we can support them to be changes that are good for all of our lives.

This isn’t new for the modern person. A century ago in the days of Monet and Renoir, people were impacted by the Industrial Revolution. While many people flocked to factories for paying jobs, others looked at the quality of their lives and factored in certain qualities to build their future goals. These ideals supported communities as they built their homes and shops and recreation areas. Their efforts are still treasured today.

In our Tri-Lakes community, we’ll have some opportunities to put public and private art and enrichment into the suburban eye this year. Using the foresight of incorporating quality with progress, we can build a good life for ourselves today that has an enriching future.

One particular venue is with the Tri Lakes Views. It’s one of many local art groups. It has begun to offer a program in our community for public art. The current program will benefit artists’ works outdoors, encourage tourism, and enrich us all each day. Contributions to the program are, happily, tax-deductible, so donors benefit doubly well. It is a way to enrich our community via the cultural integrity we currently have and the cultural wealth we intend to build.

Tri Lakes Views supports efforts to preserve and disseminate information about history, and they would like to promote the fine arts in our area as well. In sponsoring events, creating annual events, and soliciting sponsorships and donations, they plan to make this happen. By supporting Tri Lakes Views, we make our public art happen.

This month, let’s brave the elements for local adventures—take in a gallery walking or driving tour through Tri-Lakes. You could begin in Historic Monument along Second Street, down to the park and west to Third Street. Then ride over Highway 105 to Palmer Lake and make the café/gallery tour finishing at Tri-Lakes Center for the Arts.

Pankratz Gallery to retire: For 30 years, Pankratz Pottery and Art Gallery in Historic Monument has graced the Tri-Lakes area with art and artists.

Linda Pankratz said they’ve had a "phenomenal 30-year run and have met many kind, loving and appreciative people. The people we have come in contact with through the gallery have truly blessed and enriched our lives. We started gallery life 30 years ago on a very small scale and created one of the most successful galleries in Colorado."

Richard Pankratz will continue to create and sell his art pieces and sculptures through galleries in Santa Fe, Sedona, and others. Linda plans to enjoy the freedom to travel with Richard and to spend time with their grandchildren. Best wishes to them on their new adventures!

"The Face of Palmer Lake" art exhibit is sponsored by the Economic Development Committee. Show on view through Friday, Jan. 19, Tri-Lakes Center for the Arts, 304 Highway 105, Palmer Lake. An exhibit of works from the art contest of the same name. Winning artwork will represent the town and its people to promote Palmer Lake tourism and increase awareness of the town’s parks, trails, lake, and businesses.

Call for Artists, Tuesday, Jan. 23, in the Carnegie Reading Room at Penrose Library, 20 N. Cascade Ave: The Pikes Peak Library District Art Evaluation Committee will jury wall art for exhibits in its local branch library galleries. These branch galleries each have an enormous viewing audience of up to 18,000 patron visits per month. Artists submit 5 framed, recent works, between 10 a.m. and noon, picked up the same day from 4:30-6 p.m. For more information, contact Cathy Genato at cgenato@ppld.org or 531-6333, x2338.

Below: Susan Miner and Sandra Kinchen with "Best of Show" artwork "Lake Collage" by photographer Steve Carter at opening night of the "Face of Palmer Lake" art show at the Tri-Lakes Center for the Arts on Dec. 15. Carter’s photo will be the primary logo for the town’s new promotional literature for encouraging new down businesses. The show continues through January 19. The Center is on Highway 105 in downtown Palmer Lake. Info: 481-0475. Photo by Jim Kendrick

Special Events and Notices

Below: The Rocky Mountain Music Alliance presented its second of four concerts for the winter season at Forestgate Presbyterian Church, 970 Northgate Rd on Dec. 9, featuring Daniel Lochrie, clarinet, Margaret Miller viola, and Michael Baron, piano. Baron, a distinguished musical educator from the Florida Gulf Coast University will perform a solo concert on Feb. 9 and then team up with Julliard’s Renato Premezzi on Apr. 21. Cost: $22 general admission, $18 students. Info: Pam Brunson @ 484-0192.  Photo by Jim Kendrick

Volunteers are needed to lead informal social conversation groups for adult English language learners. 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 Jan. 15 through April 20. Training will be held Jan. 6, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., at Penrose Library, 20 N. Cascade Ave., Colorado Springs. Call 531-6333, x2224 or x2223 with questions or to register.

The U.S. Federal Population Census enumerated the residents of each state every decade beginning in 1790, with 1930 being the most recent census available. These records are essential to researching one’s family history and, until now, were sometimes only available at distant libraries and only on microfilm. Today, many of these census records can be searched or browsed via the Internet from home. Learn how to use this new resource effectively with the guidance of experienced Special Collections staff. Basic computer skills are required. The training is Jan. 12, 10:30 a.m. to noon, at Monument Branch Library, 1706 Lake Woodmoor Dr. Seating is limited and reservations are required; call 531-6333, x2253.

The Tri-Lakes Women’s Club will be accepting applications for grants from Jan. 15 until March 15. This year, the TLWC will consider grant requests up to $10,000. Qualified organizations that provide services to residents within the geographic boundaries of Lewis-Palmer School District 38 are encouraged to apply.

Qualified organizations are 501 (c)(3) non-profit organizations, public service agencies and organizations, and public schools. Grant applications and instructions will be available after Jan. 15 at www.tlwc.net. Applications will also be available by sending a self-addressed stamped envelope to TLWC Grant Committee, P.O. Box 669, Monument, CO, 80132.

The TLWC sponsors Wine & Roses, a wine-tasting event in October, as well as the annual Pine Forest Antiques Show and Sale in April. Proceeds from these fundraisers benefit the Tri-Lakes community through this grant process. Last year, over $30,000 was granted to non-profit organizations, schools, and public service organizations. In the past 30 years, $470,000 has been awarded to benefit residents within the boundaries of School District 38.

This free homework help program is offered to Tri-Lakes students in grades 3-8 for assistance with reading, writing, math, science, and social studies and to students in grades 9-10 for math assistance. It meets on Monday evenings, 6:30 to 7:30 p.m., from Jan. 22 to April 30 at Monument Community Presbyterian Church. For more information call 481-3902 or 488-8928, or visit www.mcpcusa.org.  

The AARP Mature Safe Driving Program is the nation’s first and largest classroom driver refresher course specially designed for motorists age 50 and older. Upon successfully completing the course, graduates may present their course completion certificate to their insurance agents for a discount. The cost for the eight-hour course is $10. Class size is limited and registration is required. The course will be held Jan. 25 and 26, 1 to 5 p.m., at Monument Branch Library, 1706 Lake Woodmoor Dr. You must attend both days. To register, phone 488-2370.

Join Children’s Literacy Center in providing individual tutoring to children reading below grade level at no cost to families! Tutors are trained in the Peak Reader curriculum and matched with one child for twelve weeks. Tutoring will be held at the Monument Branch Library, 1706 Lake Woodmoor Dr., beginning Jan. 30, Tuesdays and Thursdays from 5:30-6:30 p.m. For more information, call Pamela Polke at 471-8672 or e-mail Pamela@peakreader.org.

The Black Forest Fire & Rescue and the Black Forest AARP Chapter 1100 are sponsoring a class on Heart Attack and Stroke Recognition Feb. 14, 9 to 11 a.m., at the Black Forest Fire Station #1 located at 11445 Teachout Rd. The public is invited to attend at no charge. Please call Gwen Burk at 495-2176 or the Fire Station at 495-4300 to reserve a seat for the class. This is a great Valentine’s gift to protect your loved ones and yourself. The easiest way to find the station is from the corner of Black Forest and Burgess Roads. From this intersection, go east on Burgess to Teachout, turn south and park in the fire station parking lot on the south side of the station. Enter through the door on the south side of the station.

The Friends of the Library will be holding a huge book sale at the Monument Library, 1706 Lake Woodmoor Dr., Feb. 23, 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. (Friends Members only Preview Sale at $3 a bag, memberships available at the door) and for the general public on Feb. 24, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., at $4 a bag. Come early for the best selection during this very popular sale. Call the library, 488-2370, for further information.

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

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