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Wescott firefighters receive Medal of Valor

Below (L to R): The audience at the Donald Wescott Fire Department awards ceremony gives a standing ovation to Capt. Scott Ridings, Firefighter/EMT Curt Leonhardt, Firefighter/EMT Roger Lance, Driver/Engineer James Rackl, and AMR paramedic Douglas McIntyre moments after they received the Donald Wescott Medal of Valor on Jan. 22. Photo provided by Valerie Marshal of Wescott Fire Department.

On Jan. 22, the Donald Wescott Fire Department awarded the Donald Wescott Medal of Valor to Capt. Scott Ridings, firefighter/EMT Curt Leonhardt, firefighter/EMT Roger Lance, volunteer driver/engineer James Rackl, and AMR paramedic Douglas McIntyre. This is the first time this award has been given in the 27-year history of the department.

The medal is named after El Paso County volunteer firefighter Donald Wescott, who tragically lost his life while fighting an apartment fire on May 7, 1976. Wescott is the last firefighter in the county to die in the line of duty.

The five men were recognized for their actions during the New Life Church shooting incident of Dec. 9, 2007. They were the first emergency medical services providers at the unsecured site. The crews of Wescott Engine 1 and AMR Medic 18 knowingly entered a dangerous and unknown situation to provide rapid medical triage, patient care, and transport of the victims to a Level 2 trauma facility at Penrose Hospital.

The citation given to the men reads, in part: "For their courage in an extremely dangerous situation with total disregard to their personal safety and for acting within the Donald Wescott Fire Department’s mission statement of risking a life for a known life. Their actions bring great credit upon themselves and exemplify the values and mission of the Donald Wescott Fire Department and the fire service."

David Works and his daughters Stephanie and Rachel were gunned down by Matthew Murray in the parking lot at New Life Church. David was shot while trying, unsuccessfully, to reach Rachel, 16, after hearing the first shot. Mother Marie Works was trying to help Stephanie, 18. Stephanie died before she could be transported. The Wescott personnel treated David and Rachel and transported Rachel to Penrose Hospital. Rachel also died.

Judy Purcell, 40, was shot in the shoulder. Larry Bourbonnais, 59, was wounded in the left arm. Purcell and Bourbonnais were treated and released.

The shooting incident was stopped when Murray was wounded by Jeanne Assam, a volunteer security guard. Murray then took his own life. After an extensive search to secure the scene, no other shooters were found. Wescott and other emergency personnel stayed on scene for about eight hours.

After the Wescott awards ceremony, David Works said to the medal winners, "Thank you." He added, "They did what they were trained to do and they did it perfectly. These kinds of acts need to be rewarded and honored and respected. We needed to be here."

The award ceremonies took place on Jan, 22 at Wescott Station 1 on Gleneagle Drive. Dignitaries and guests present included Pastor Garvin McCarroll, Pastor Ted Whaley, Pastor Justin Spicer, and Wanda Moore of New Life Church, as well as David and Marie Works. Operations Manager Ted Sayer represented American Medical Response.

Access roads approved across Santa Fe Trail

Below: A portion of the Future Land Use Map from the 2003 Monument Comprehensive Plan shows the area immediately west of I-25 as Business Park (BP), Open Space (OS), or, near Baptist Road, Regional Commercial (RC).

A new agreement between El Paso County and the owner of property west of Interstate 25 may be good for the new interchange but will create up to six access roads crossing the Santa Fe Trail from Old Denver Highway, between Baptist Road and Highway 105. The crossings could be at-grade, meaning that neither the trail nor the proposed roads crossing the hiking and bicycling trail would be elevated at those access points.

A Memorandum of Understanding between the El Paso County Commissioners and Phoenix Bell Associates regarding the acquisition of right-of-way for the Baptist Road and I-25 interchange—and granting access across the trail—was approved 4-0 at the Jan. 14 Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) meeting. Commissioner Doug Bruce was considered absent by his fellow commissioners since he had not yet submitted a letter of resignation.

Phoenix Bell owns the stretch of land from Baptist north to Highway 105 and between the interstate and the Santa Fe Trail, on the east side of Old Denver Highway. It is divided into six parcels that are currently zoned industrial. To develop it, however, each lot must have access to the Old Denver Highway, which can only be obtained by crossing the trail, which sits in between the property and the road. The trail right-of-way is county property.

A residential development called The Meadows has been proposed, with 891 dwelling units on 750 acres on portions of that land.

Lori Seago, assistant county attorney, told the commissioners that in exchange for receiving up to six access points across the county’s trail, Phoenix Bell is dedicating two parcels and two easements that are necessary to complete the improvements to the interchange.

Commissioner Wayne Williams said the two parcels are for widening Baptist Road. The two easements provide a new access for the Diamond Shamrock fuel station from the west, which lies within the Phoenix Bell property.

The current Baptist Road access for the fuel station will be eliminated when the new southbound I-25 dual lane off-ramps are constructed, leaving the station landlocked without this new access.

Williams said, "What this provides is an ability for the county to work with the developer and the Town of Monument in locating those accesses appropriately and designing them appropriately so that both the trail can function and the folks who own the property on the right can get into their property. …There’s no other way to get to those parcels."

He added, "We were going to have to provide the access anyways. This simply recognizes that but also provides a donation of what would cost hundreds of thousands of dollars possibly." He said he was not aware of any appraisals of these parcels and easements.

Safety issues concerning the access points were not addressed at the BOCC meeting, nor was there any discussion about improvements to the Old Denver Highway in anticipation of the extra traffic that would be generated by the development.

When asked if there was any opposition to the agreement, Tim Wolken, director of the county Parks Department, said, "There were certainly some concerns from trail users about the number of crossings…. Within the agreement, we talk about below-grade and above-grade (crossings) as well, and we should share in the cost of that if we elect to do those. But we’ve assured the trails community that we’ll hold public meetings and get their feedback."

Wolken noted, "There has been some discussion of moving part of the trail next to I-25 to eliminate some of the crossings" and that "we’re really at the beginning stages of discussion on how the trail’s going to be impacted by the development."

The Board of County Commissioners approved a Memorandum of Understanding with Phoenix Bell Associates on Jan. 14 for dedication of right-of-way on the north side of Baptist Road, west of I-25, between the Diamond Shamrock fuel station and the Santa Fe Trailhead. This right-of-way will be used as part of a second westbound Baptist lane between I-25 and Old Denver Highway.

The commissioners also approved the donation of two easements from Phoenix Bell to provide a new access on the west side of the Diamond Shamrock station. The current access on the southwest corner to the station will be eliminated by construction of two additional westbound lanes of Baptist Road along the south frontage of the fuel station. The new through lane, as well as the new acceleration lane for cars turning right onto Baptist from the new dual lane southbound I-25 off ramp, will block the current station entrance. Without the easements donated by Phoenix Bell, the Diamond Shamrock station would become landlocked. (See article above for more details on the agreement.)

Right-of-way has not yet been obtained from Valero Corp., owner of the Diamond Shamrock station, for the new southbound off-ramp and westbound acceleration lane. This negotiation should be concluded soon, now that an alternative access has been secured for Valero.

The Baptist Road Rural Transportation Authority (BRRTA) and the county can now go ahead with advertising for construction contracts for expanding the west side of the I-25 interchange now that the Phoenix Bell parcel has been dedicated, even though the Valero parcel is still needed. If the interchange construction contract can be awarded in the next few months, this project will get started about the time the county is finishing up work on widening Baptist Road eastward from Jackson Creek Parkway past Desiree Drive. The remaining widening improvements to Baptist Road west of the interstate would be accomplished through development interests in the Town of Monument through the annexation process or by a combination of contracting and funding through the Pikes Peak Rural Transportation Authority in the next five years.

Work continues on the Family of Christ Church retaining wall on the south side of Baptist Road. When work on that wall is completed, work can proceed on the final grading and installation of the remaining pipe culverts and drainage systems in the eastbound lanes between the parkway and Leather Chaps Drive. As weather permits, Rocky Mountain Materials & Asphalt, Inc., can resume paving the bottom layers of asphalt, perhaps as early as March or April. The top layers of paving will be installed in the May to June time frame and all elements of the contract should be completed by the end of June, weather permitting.

Some issues regarding ownership and maintenance of the noise wall to be installed on the south side of Baptist between Gleneagle and Desiree Drives have not been resolved. The original tract owned by the Gleneagle HOA, where the noise wall is proposed to be built, has been apparently deeded back to the lot owners, meaning that an additional easement or permission should be obtained from each lot owner prior to work on private property.

The height of the manhole covers that are currently below or above the grade of the base layer of asphalt on Baptist Road will be adjusted with new rings to match the final layer of asphalt when it is installed along the full length of the project. Many residents have complained about the temporary manhole levels. The posted speed limit in these areas of concern has been kept at 25 mph for driver and worker safety as drivers maneuver around the manholes. The key is to adhere to the posted limit for everyone’s safety.

The payment total for contracted work invoiced to date is $7,580,331of a $10,157,435 contract, or about 75 percent. There are 182 contract working days remaining.

Below: Donala board president Ed Houle (left) congratulates Troy Vialpando, Maintenance Operator, on being named Employee of the Quarter. Photo by John Heiser.

At the Donala Water and Sanitation District Board of Directors meeting January 22, Dana Duthie, Donala’s general manager, distributed copies of portions of the draft Water Infrastructure Planning Study (WIPS) report funded by the Pikes Peak Regional Water Authority (PPRWA). Some highlights:

Recommendations from the report:

Duthie noted that the report should be revised to reflect current growth rate projections, which are less than when the WIPS study was started, increased conservation, and implementation of the backbone pipeline. Even so, Duthie noted that water supply shortfalls could become a problem by 2013.

The final report is scheduled for release in February.

Total revenue for 2007 was $1.6 million from water sales, $780,000 from sewer service, and $1.0 million from property taxes.

Donala’s 2007 expenses for operations and administration were $3.2 million.

Capital project expenses were $2 million.

Revised 2008 budget appropriated

The board unanimously approved the revised 2008 budget and appropriated the funds.

Total projected annual revenue for 2008 is $11.6 million including $1.5 million from water sales, $870,000 from sewer service, $1.2 million from property taxes, and $7 million from Colorado Water and Power Authority loans to fund the ongoing wastewater plant construction project.

Donala’s 2008 expenses for operations and administration are projected at $3.7 million.

Capital project expenses are projected at $7.75 million of which $7 million is for the continuing wastewater treatment plant expansion.

With the required $113,577 TABOR reserve and an additional $100,000 in contingency, the ending total fund balance at the end of 2008 is projected at $10.8 million, about the same as in prior years.

Following the public meeting, the board went into an executive session to discuss personnel, negotiations, and water purchase issues.

After executive session, the board reconvened in open session. The board unanimously approved offering the Academy district $1,200 per acre foot for their Arapahoe aquifer water in excess of the amount of water needed to serve the Academy district customers. Duthie was directed to prepare a letter giving that and other conditions to be part of an agreement to include the Academy district into the Donala district.

Duthie was also directed to prepare a letter to the Triview Metropolitan District offering a way to accelerate the consolidation of districts in the Pikes Peak Regional Water Authority and to lessen the immediate fiscal impacts on the Triview district.

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The Donala board will hold its next regular meeting on Friday, February 22 at 1:30 p.m. at the Donala office, 15850 Holbein Drive. Meetings are normally held at 1:30 p.m. on the third Wednesday of each month. The district’s Web site is at www.donalawater.org.

Below (L to R): Robert Fisher, newly appointed board member; Tom Repp, the district’s engineer; temporary disrict manager Ron Simpson; board members Mark Veenendaal, Bob Eskridge, Julie Glenn, and Joe Martin; district administrator Dale Hill; Peter Susemihl, the district’s attorney; and Monument Mayor Byron Glenn. Photo by John Heiser.

At the Triview Metropolitan District Board of Directors meeting January 22, Robert Fisher was appointed to fill the vacancy created by Joe Belzer’s resignation.

Board president Bob Eskridge and members Julie Glenn, Joe Martin, and Mark Veenendaal were present.

All the members are up for election in May except Glenn. Self-nominations must be submitted to the district by February 29.

District manager Larry Bishop resigned last month. Former district manager Ron Simpson has been hired to work two days a week until a full-time manager is hired.

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The Triview Metropolitan District Board of Directors normally meets on the fourth Tuesday of each month. The next meeting will be held February 26 at 5 p.m. in the district conference room, 174 Washington St. in downtown Monument. For information, phone 488-6868.

Reports with good news on the district’s accomplishments and investments in 2007 were presented to the Woodmoor Water and Sanitation District board on Jan. 10. The staff has made several upgrades to operating systems and equipment. Long-term investments will be re-evaluated to ensure additional liquidity in the coming year.

All board members were present.

District Manager Phil Steininger noted that a substantial amount of the construction work that had been planned and budgeted for in 2007 has been extended into 2008. The costs that have been rolled over to 2008 are about $1.7 million. This rollover will require the board to formally amend the 2008 budget at the end of this year once the exact costs are known.

Director Jim Whitelaw reported that the Monument Sanitation District had another comparatively very high dissolved copper concentration in one of its weekly samples in the district’s south vault.

Whitelaw added that Home Depot is still selling root removal products that use large concentrations of copper sulfate. Since the Home Depot is in the Triview Metropolitan District, "There’s nothing we can do about it and Triview is struggling."

Board Chair Jim Taylor asked if the Town of Monument, or just the Monument Sanitation District, was concerned about copper in water samples. Whitelaw said it was just the district. Director Benny Nasser said the town should be more concerned. Steininger confirmed that Home Depot was still selling copper sulfate products and said the Monument district was working with the town to adjust the pH of town drinking water. He noted that Triview’s wastewater is treated at Upper Monument Creek Regional Wastewater.

Steininger noted that the Joint Use Agreement for the Tri-Lakes facilities’ operations and cost sharing should be amended to deal with issues more logically. He added that this might increase costs to Monument and Palmer Lake Sanitation Districts.

Nasser asked Steininger to inquire whether consultant environmental lawyer Tad Foster could obtain help from the state to prohibit the sale of copper sulfate products for killing tree roots.

Operations Manager Randy Gillette reported a couple of water line breaks to start the new year. The level of the water in Lake Woodmoor is being lowered at a satisfactory rate.

Civil Engineer Jessie Shaffer reported good progress on construction of new Well 20. Also, the contractor’s final design proposal for renovations of the Lake Woodmoor project was to be completed by the end of January and submitted to the state’s review authority in Pueblo. The state will take 30-45 days to approve the design.

The district gave conditional acceptance to Lennar Homes for the installation of water and wastewater infrastructure in filing 1 of the Misty Acres development just north of Palmer Ridge High School.

The water line for the commercial project on the northeast corner of Highway 105 and Knollwood Drive is about 50 percent complete.

The developer of the Arbor Mountain senior citizen residence has not obtained the additional water he needs to build such a high-density residence.

The Colorado Department of Wildlife has proposed a draft agreement for removing and replacing the fish in Lake Woodmoor that are necessary for water quality. The cost is about $6,000. The department would like to raise breeding fish, a mix of sawger and walleye, in the lake. Attorney Erin Smith was given the draft to review.

Steininger recommended against a one-time fishing event on this private property to remove the current fish because fishing will again be prohibited when the lake is refilled after the emergency drain hardware is replaced and the dam is reinforced. There was a lengthy discussion about the loss of goodwill versus the difficulty that would be encountered to reinstate the prohibition of fishing on others’ property. No final decision was made. Steininger said he would obtain additional information.

The board unanimously approved continuation of the policy on current watering restrictions and rebates for low-use appliances in 2008. The board will formally approve a resolution on the continuation at a future meeting.

Randy Rush of Integrity Bank gave a lengthy year-end summary and described 2008 goals for investment of the district’s cash reserves. Integrity Bank has been performing investment services for two years. He emphasized the safety of the various investment categories, the dispersal of money over several institutions, and the availability of funds with short-term investments for any financial emergencies the district might encounter. A synopsis of Rush’s presentation will be distributed in the February billing to the district’s 3,500 homeowners.

Members of the staff then took turns giving a detailed presentation on their 35-page year-end report for 2007.

The meeting adjourned at 3:45 p.m.

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The next meeting is at 1 p.m. on Feb. 14 at the district conference room, 1845 Woodmoor Drive. Meetings are normally held on the second Thursday of the month. Information: 488-2525.

On Jan. 16, Board Chairman Brian Ritz swore in Wayne Krzemien (above) and Greg Gent. Photos by Bryan Ackerman.

Donald Wescott Fire Protection District Board Chairman Brian Ritz swore in Wayne Krzemien as a full-time firefighter and emergency medical technician Krzemien was one of three new employees who started working full-time Dec. 27. Volunteer firefighter Derek Townsend will be sworn in at the next meeting on Feb. 20. Townsend was attending wildland fire training in Sterling. Firefighter Jonathan Urban was sworn in at the Dec. 19 board meeting.

Ritz also swore in newly appointed Director Greg Gent to fill the vacant board seat. Gent was one of four candidates. Gent’s position will be up for election on May 6.

The board unanimously approved a new Policy and Procedures Manual after a year of discussion and review.

All four sitting board members were present: Ritz, Treasurer Dave Cross, and Directors Kevin Gould and Joe Potter. Chief Jeff Edwards and Assistant Chief Vinny Burns were on vacation. Capt. Mike Whiting represented them.

Four district residents submitted letters of interest for the four-month appointment to the vacant board position. They are: Gent, Scott Campbell, and former Wescott board members Dennis Feltz and Bill Lowes. Ritz said that he had asked each of the four to attend the meeting if possible or submit a letter detailing their background. Campbell was unable to attend, and board members noted that they had read the letter he had sent them.

Gent, Feltz, and Lowes told the board why they were interested in volunteering for the short-term appointment. After noting that they had four well-qualified candidates, the board discussed whether it would be preferable to have a new community member or an experienced board member for this short-term situation. Gent received three votes and Feltz got one vote. Gent was then sworn in by Ritz.

Cross advised the board that the department has enough cash reserves carried over from 2007 to pay current operating expenses until 2008 property tax revenues begin to be forwarded by the county. Cross noted that the final payments for the lease-purchase agreements for the 2001 pumper engine and the 2001 water tank engine (called a tender); as well the addition for the third engine bay, staff offices, and conference room to Station 1 would be paid off in 2008.

Wescott received over $20,000 for deployments of its brush truck and several firefighters to California to fight wildland fires last year.

The district also received a workers’ compensation group dividend check in the amount of $4,667 at the end of 2007, a benefit of having an accident-free year. The dividend will be used to help pay for the purchase of the eight new Kevlar vests and individual Kevlar helmets for all paid staff. The equipment was added to the 2007 budget by the board at the December meeting. The body armor has been ordered and is due at the end of February. The helmets are on back order. The invoices will be paid in 2008 but will be part of the amended 2007 budget.

Whiting reported 93 runs in the month of December. The total runs for 2007 were 1,113, a 2 percent decrease from 2006. There were 11 more calls in the district in 2007.

Wescott had a fire loss in the district in December. There was only $10,000 worth of damage at a $400,000 town house off Struthers Road due to the quick response. The owner set a box on the stove, accidentally turned on the stove, and then went outside for awhile before it was discovered. A previous district fire loss of about $2,000 occurred during an apartment fire in May 2007, for a total loss of $12,000 for the year.

Whiting reported his attendance at an after-incident debrief on Jan. 9 for the New Life Church shooting. He noted that the five Wescott members who responded to the New Life incident would receive the Medal of Valor award at a special ceremony on Jan. 22. The crews in Wescott’s American Medical Response (AMR) ambulance were AMR paramedic Doug McIntyre and Wescott firefighter Roger Lance. The Wescott firefighters in Engine 1 were Capt. Scott Ridings, Curt Leonhardt, and volunteer Jim Rackl. (See article on page 1 for details.)

Wescott will be placed on the regional board in Pueblo for wildland deployments. Administrative Assistant and board Secretary Ginnette Ritz will receive training on wildland fire participation finances. Nine firefighters were in Sterling attending a wildland academy at the time of this board meeting. Five firefighters attended a hazardous materials operations class.

Five personnel will also attend an Emergency Vehicle Operations Course and an intravenous injections class in February. These classes are sponsored by AMR, the district’s ambulance services provider.

The board asked that the 2001 pumper engine be driven more often as part of a rotation of the new and older pumpers. When a sufficient number of volunteers are on duty, both pumpers respond to calls where a second pumper is appropriate.

Cross advised that he had met with directors Ritz, Gould, and Potter, and with department personnel within the past month, going over remaining issues on the extensively revised district Policy and Procedure Manual. Cross said he felt that there was a consensus among the members of the board on all but one portion of the manual regarding paid time off for holidays. The two remaining pay issues were inclusion of Colorado Day as a recognized holiday in which employees get paid time-and-a-half for working and paid time-off on holidays for executive staff and administrative staff.

The consensus of board members was to eliminate Colorado Day from the list of paid holidays. There was some discussion of the amounts of paid time-off allowed for regular paid personnel and executive staff. The board decided to allow executive staff to take off recognized holidays, but if they do not take a holiday as a paid day off, they cannot take another day in its place.

The sole unresolved policy issue was whether to reimburse staff for travel and training through flat per diem rates or reimbursement for submitted receipts. The board determined that the firefighters who worked on New Year’s Day would not receive retroactive pay for that holiday, subject to a specific request for additional pay from Chief Edwards. The board will clarify these two issues with Edwards at a later board meeting.

The board unanimously approved the new Policy and Procedure Manual.

Cross asked that the next Volunteer Pension board meeting, which is currently set for May 21, be held sooner to discuss current developments regarding the Volunteer Pension Fund.

The board went into executive session to discuss a personnel matter at 9:05 p.m. The executive session ended at 9:30 p.m. The board announced that they would like to discuss a revision of the Policy and Procedure Manual regarding board eligibility at the February meeting. No decisions or votes were made prior to adjournment at 9:31 p.m.

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The next board meeting will be at 7 p.m. on Feb. 20 at Station 1, 15415 Gleneagle Drive. Information: 488-8680.

Board Vice President Rick Barnes welcomed everyone to the first meeting of the Tri-Lakes Monument Fire Protection District, which has replaced the former Fire Authority and the two districts that comprised it (the Tri-Lakes Fire Protection District and the Woodmoor/Monument Fire Protection District). It was a full house, as nearly the entire crew of firefighters was present. Only Directors John Hartling and Charlie Pocock were absent.

After board members were sworn into office, there was discussion about whether to keep the same officers that had held positions on the Fire Authority board. Tim Miller was nominated to be president and was voted in, replacing Pocock, who had been the Fire Authority president. Barnes was elected vice president, the position Miller had held. Treasurer John Hildebrandt and Secretary Rod Wilson retained their former positions. After the May election for two board positions, new officers will be selected again. Chief Rob Denboske was approved as the election official for 2008.

Also because of the recent merger, 22 members of the Fire Department were sworn in to the new fire district. Denboske announced later that Curtis Kauffmann was promoted to fire marshal.

Doug Neilsen, president of the Pikes Peak Radio Amateur Association, and Mike Anderson, the group’s event coordinator, presented the department with a plaque in appreciation for its support of the annual Amateur Radio Field Day, held at Station 1 in June 2007. The event is a contest for ham radio operators, and the local group wound up placing first in the state and 21st nationally.

The event "has become one of the largest emergency exercises in the world as far as communications goes," said firefighter Elliot Linke, who coordinated the event from the Fire Department side.

Neilsen said that Field Day gets the radio operators "out of our houses, out of our normal radio rooms, and we take our equipment out into the field." They’ll set up "in an emergency operations center environment … and get the opportunity to interface with emergency services folks."

In return, Linke said, the group "brought a great pool of resources to the communications program up here. They’ve been a tremendous help to the community." Neilsen and Anderson expressed their gratitude to Linke for his efforts.

The older ladder truck has been delivered to Cripple Creek and a down payment has been received. Battalion Chief Mike Dooley said because of a "change in management" in Cripple Creek, the Town Council "is trying to get us the rest of the money" (around $290,000). Tri-Lakes Monument’s newer ladder truck is being repaired and should be back in service in a few weeks.

The new water tender will not be ready until the middle or end of March, leaving the district without a tender. Formerly a construction tender, the new one is being retrofitted for Fire Department use. The department is saving money, he said, and "for what we’re getting, a little bit of time is worth it." When Director Bill Ingram expressed concern about not having a tender, Dooley said, "We’ve depended on outside organizations anyway" for a tender.

Dooley is also researching options for selling the Pierce engine, which is currently in "reserved status" at Station 3. He is hoping to replace it with a brush truck. He said he would have a proposal with numbers for the next meeting.

Hildebrandt noted that as of Dec. 31, 2007, 99.69 percent of the property tax revenues ($2.6 million) had been received. The rest is expected to arrive in January. The Specific Ownership taxes collected were short by $25,062 (6.54 percent). Ambulance revenues, on the other hand, were over budget by 14.51 percent, bringing in $59,403 more than budgeted.

"There’s always a stickler in the budget somewhere," Hildebrandt said, and Station 2 (on Roller Coaster Road) was it, with various maintenance and supply costs running higher than planned. But overall, the district revenues were higher than budgeted by $25,369 (0.64 percent).

Wilson and Director Harv Simms recommended postponing, for cost reasons, any discussion of using Pioneer Lookout Water District supply water for Station 1. Wilson was told it would cost $50,000 to tie in to Pioneer’s water system.

Before adjourning, Miller said he wanted "to recognize all the hard work done by numerous individuals, perhaps first and foremost Charlie Pocock, for all the hard work and a lot of the drive behind the move to get it all done, over a number of years." He commended the fire chief and board members as well.

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The Tri-Lakes Monument Fire Protection District meets the fourth Wednesday of each month at 7 p.m. at Station 1, 18650 Highway 105 (next to the bowling alley). The next meeting is Feb. 27. For more information, call Chief Denboske at 481-2312 or visit www.tri-lakesfire.com.

Below: On Jan. 7, Monument Police Chief Jake Shirk (center) presented Officers Michael Wolf (left) and Steve Lontz the department’s Distinguished Service Cross for exceptional bravery during an incident Aug. 31, 2007. Photos by Jim Kendrick.

On a night when the Monument Town Hall meeting room was packed with family, friends, and fellow police officers, Police Chief Jake Shirk presented Officers Michael Wolfe and Steve Lontz the department’s Distinguished Service Cross, the second-highest award presented to police officers, for exceptional bravery in disarming a suicidal father during a physical struggle with his son.

Town Manager Cathy Green presented Trustee and Mayor Pro Tem Dave Mertz a Spirit of Monument Award for 2007 for his work as chairman of the Monument Planning Commission in developing the town’s Comprehensive Plan as well as his years of service as a trustee and a member of the Baptist Road Rural Transportation Authority board.

Mayor Byron Glenn also announced that former Mayor Si Sibell and his wife, Dorothy, had also been selected to receive Spirit of Monument Awards.

Town Clerk Scott Meszaros received his Colorado Certified Municipal Clerk Designation certificate from Green recognizing his years of education, experience, and participation in numerous state activities.

All seven board members were present.

In presenting Wolfe and Lontz with their Distinguished Service Crosses, Shirk said it was an honor to share the stage with people who exhibit courage and bravery in the face of danger, then explained in great detail the selfless actions they took on Aug. 31, 2007:

Wolfe and Lontz also received pins to wear on their uniforms to note the awards.

Shirk presented a Chief’s Commendation award from all the officers to Leonard L. Lamer, Wal-Mart’s asset protection coordinator for Monument, for his outstanding work for the community of Monument and Colorado Springs in prevention of theft, fraud, and robbery. Shirk noted that Lamer had carefully and thoroughly analyzed a multi-state theft ring that was stealing baby formula from regional Wal-Mart, Kmart, Albertson’s, Safeway, King Soopers, and Walgreen’s stores.

Lamer’s remarkably accurate predictions and the department’s quick response time led to the nationally recognized felony arrests of three members of the criminal gang. Seizure of their vehicle led to numerous arrests of their "Mexican Mafia associates" in several other states. Lamer has since been assigned to other Wal-Mart stores in Colorado Springs that need his crime and loss prevention skills. Shirk said Lamer’s work protected the safety and security of retail personnel and customers and led to the felony arrests in Monument and related arrests in Colorado Springs.

Shirk presented Monument Police Explorer Cadet Jason Summerfield with a Certificate of Appreciation for his 516 volunteer hours of service to the department in the previous two years. Summerfield performed 258 ride-along hours, 132 training hours, and 126 community service hours. In addition to his mother, several fellow police cadets attended the award presentation.

The board conducted the following routine business prior to presenting awards and having a reception for those being honored.

The board unanimously approved a resolution designating the official posting places for town notices during 2008 as the bulletin boards at Town Hall and the Monument Post Office on Third Street.

The board approved a liquor license renewal for Rotelli Pizza Pasta owner Rotelli Store Partners No. 2, LLC, 15910 Jackson Creek Blvd. The vote was 6-0-1 with Trustee Tim Miller abstaining.

The board unanimously approved a liquor license renewal for Hikari Japanese Restaurant owner Roka Family Restaurants, Inc., 271 Highway 105.

Trustee Travis Easton was unanimously appointed to represent the Town of Monument on the Monument Chamber of Commerce’s board of directors.

The board unanimously approved the following payments over $5,000:

Following the reception for the recipients of the evening’s awards, the board unanimously approved a motion to go into executive session to discuss contract and real estate negotiations at 7:15 p.m. The board came out of executive session at 7:35 p.m. and immediately adjourned with no further votes or actions taken.

At the Monument Board of Trustees on Jan. 22, Mayor Byron Glenn announced donations of some of the right-of-way needed for expansion of the I-25 Baptist Road interchange. Trustees Gail Drumm, Dave Mertz, and Steve Samuels were absent.

Mayor Glenn reported that all the paperwork had been completed by Tim Holman of Valero Corp. for donation of right-of-way from the Diamond Shamrock fuel station property for expansion of the northwest corner of the I-25 Baptist Road interchange. The new Baptist Road bridge will be eight lanes wide. The Valero right-of-way is needed for the new dual lane southbound off-ramps and the additional lanes for bridge traffic.

Though not discussed by Glenn, a memorandum of understanding with Phoenix Bell Associates was unanimously approved by the Board of County Commissioners on Jan. 14 for obtaining the rest of the needed right-of-way and easements on the northwest corner of the interchange. (See article on page 1 for more details on this agreement.)

Glenn said that Allen Brown of ADK Monument Developers LLC would complete the paperwork to donate right-of-way on the south side of the vacant Timbers at Monument parcel by Jan. 25. The ADK property is on the northwest corner of Baptist Road and Jackson Creek Parkway.

THF Realty has not donated any of the former Foxworth-Galbraith property on the northeast corner of Baptist and the old Struthers Road to the county for interchange right-of-way. THF bought the now-vacant hardware store parcel on July 9 from former owner Mike Watt. THF Realty has not yet concluded its planned purchase of the adjacent vacant Timbers at Monument property. The boundary between the THF and ADK properties is the former Foxworth-Galbraith storage yard fence to the east and north of the vacant hardware building.

Donation of right-of-way by THF Realty to the county is necessary because the portion of Struthers Road south and west of the THF parcel, from the Baptist Road intersection up to the existing entrance to the closed hardware store, will be used to build the new dual lane northbound I-25 on-ramp.

Glenn noted that Bob Torres, the county’s consultant for managing the interchange contract, had said the county may be able to advertise for contract bids in February, despite not having received any right-of-way from THF Realty. Glenn said this may mean that interchange construction could begin in April. Torres recently retired from the Colorado Department of Transportation, where he was the director of Region 2, which includes this section of I-25.

Torres will give another update on the status of advertising for contract bids at the next meeting of the Baptist Road Rural Transportation Authority on Feb. 8 at 2:30 p.m. in Monument’s Town Hall, 166 Second St. (See article on page 5 for an update from the county Transportation Department on construction progress on Baptist Road.)

Glenn stated that Pikes Peak Area Council of Government’s Highway Economic Resource System rated Monument-area roads drivability as:

The council’s Military Impact Report stated that by 2012, it anticipates 48,000 new individuals for a total Fort Carson population of 77,500, including dependents. This will require lots of new infrastructure construction and may affect funding for projects in Monument.

Trustee Tim Miller asked if the town could coordinate repainting of white lines on Baptist Road with the county as well. Miller asked that the town’s Public Works Department apply more sand on westbound Lyons Tail Road, particularly on the slope just uphill from the intersection with Jackson Creek Parkway. Miller noted he had seen a recent accident at the parkway intersection.

Two citizens attending the meeting who did not identify themselves asked that the town coordinate with the county to eliminate the double yellow line in the eastbound lanes of Baptist Road between Gleneagle Drive and Desiree Drive and to use more sand on Furrow Road near the intersection with Highway 105.

Event coordinator Dick Cissell asked the board to approve a resolution for closure of portions of Second, Washington, Front, and Third Streets from 6 a.m. to 4 p.m. on June 8. The requested closure is for the annual Tri-Lakes Cruiser Club Car Show.

Town Clerk Scott Meszaros told the board Cissell had submitted all the required forms, including a certificate of insurance and a traffic plan. One off-duty police officer will be assigned to the show. The officer’s overtime pay will be paid for by the car club. If there are vendors for goods or services, it is the organizer’s responsibility to control such vendors and to take care of appropriate tax information and coordination as part of the event. Food will be provided by Shani’s Café, the Coffee Cup, and La Casa Fiesta.

The resolution was unanimously approved, (4-0).

Membership in Internet crime task force approved

Below:  Colorado Springs Detective Sgt. Bill Dehart and Monument Police Chief Jake Shirk. Photo by John Heiser.

The board unanimously approved an intergovernmental agreement with the City of Colorado Springs to join the regional Internet crimes against children task force. Detective Sgt. Bill Dehart of the Colorado Springs Police Department gave a brief summary of the benefits of task force membership. As a member of the task force, the Monument Police Department will be eligible to receive free training, money for overtime pay, computers, and other equipment designed to specifically investigate these crimes.

Tom Kassawara, director of Development Services, reported that Centennial Services, Inc., would not be able to complete its contract with the town to design and construct the new Town Hall/Police Department building on the southwest corner of Highway 105 and Beacon Lite Road. Currently, John P. Nelson Associates is the architect and Alexandher Building Co., Inc., is the contractor for the project. Town staff proposed that Centennial Services conclude the design phase of the project and that Development Services contract directly with Nelson and Alexandher for the construction phase.

Kassawara said that construction time should be approximately 10 to 12 months, once commenced. Nelson and Alexandher have significant local experience in building design and construction and have excellent references. They have worked together on a number of projects in the area and are familiar with each other’s work. The board unanimously approved a resolution that amends the original 2004 resolution that reassigns construction from Centennial Services to town staff.

Meszaros stated that Thomas and Diane Wisdom were seeking approval for a new beer and wine liquor license for the Wisdom Tea House at 65 Washington St. Joel B. Pinson will be the manager. All fees have been collected and proper notice and publication requirements have been met. Their fingerprints and backgrounds had been filed. Issuance of the license is contingent upon clear Colorado Bureau of Investigation checks on the owners and manager.

The State Liquor Enforcement Division informed Meszaros that a separate retail warehouse alcohol storage permit was necessary for using a garage instead of an area inside the main establishment. Meszaros will process the separate storage permit.

Thomas Wisdom said their intent is to have musical events, film showings, and art in a relaxed artistic environment where desserts, savory foods and hors d’oeuvres will be sold. They wish to complement this theme with tea, beer and wine products. Lunch, and eventually dinner, may be served. During winter and inclement weather, patio festivities will be conducted inside. They plan to open for business by the end of February.

Police Chief Jake Shirk said the storage facility doorjambs and locking systems should be upgraded to industrial quality. He stated that additional security systems and upgrades would be a good idea and his staff would be happy to provide a security check and recommendations to the owners.

The board unanimously approved the new liquor license with the additional condition that the Police Department inspect and make recommendations on the additional retail storage warehouse for security issues.

The board unanimously approved a payment of $102,323 to Triview Metropolitan District for November sales taxes and December motor vehicle taxes. Payments of $25,000 to the Pikes Peak Regional Water Authority and $21,332 for Monument Creek flow measurements by the El Paso County Water Authority were tabled at Glenn’s request, pending analysis of the authorities’ studies currently being conducted by Public Works Director Rich Landreth.

Town Attorney Gary Shupp reported that he had researched how Colorado towns have contracted for joint use of church parking lots. Shupp said that St. Peter Church attorney Scott Mickalekee had learned that the Town of Woodland Park helped pay for a church parking lot and is paying annual maintenance and insurance costs as well. The board instructed Shupp to investigate what an appropriate town contribution would be for use of the church lot next to Town Hall.

Oral arguments before the District Court will be held on Feb. 8 regarding Kalima Masse’s latest lawsuit to renew a long-expired business license for the abandoned concrete batch plant on the northeast corner of Highway 105 and Washington Street. (For details on the lawsuit’s specifics, see: www.ourcommunitynews.org/v3n6.htm#rockwell)

Kassawara reported that Walgreen’s is considering building a store on Highway 105 between the 7-Eleven and Rocky Mountain Oil Change and Carwash. Walgreen’s would demolish the two existing buildings on these two commercial lots. Unresolved issues are access to the site and likely elimination of part of the alley west of these four existing buildings. Walgreen’s has firm plans to build a store in Monument Ridge, across Baptist Road from the King Soopers center.

The town has met with Mountain View Electric Association and engineering consultant Nolte Associates regarding the town’s request to have the association’s overhead electric lines along Third Street buried before the Fourth of July parade.

Kassawara noted that the board will be considering the serial annexation of two filings in the Willow Springs Ranch development between the Synthes plant and the west end of Baptist Road. If they are annexed, the board will then consider a request for town Planned Development zoning and approval of a Sketch PD Plan. The Planning Commission had voted 4-2 to recommend approval of all three items. Patricia Mettler and Glenda Smith voted against all three requests due to issues regarding potential traffic problems on Mitchell Avenue. There is a long-term plan to extend Mitchell Avenue south to connect to Baptist Road via Forest Lakes Drive.

Trustee Travis Easton asked Landreth if Public Works was having issues with the service and maintenance of Triview Metropolitan District’s water system. Triview District Manager Larry Bishop resigned in early January. Landreth said his staff has had quite a few issues that it has been dealing with, but staff members are able to handle the system.

Glenn inquired about the status of the intergovernmental agreement with Triview. He asked that the staff re-initiate discussions with Triview on revising the existing agreements or creating replacements.

Landreth reported that work on Wells 8 and 9 has been completed. Well 7 is still down, waiting for delivery of new filter media.

The staff is working directly with the Forest Lakes Metropolitan District to start up the district’s water system. The town is also providing construction inspection services to the district.

Town Manager Cathy Green said that the town will hold a polling place election in April at Town Hall and Creekside Middle School.

Green said signage is being installed at Monument Lake that prohibits swimming. If the lake is used for storage, swimming would not be permitted, though fishing and use of non-motorized boats could continue.

The on- and off-ramps at Highway 105 are not illuminated because the copper has been stolen from the light poles. Landreth has called the state many times to complain about the lighting because of safety concerns.

Glenn suggested creation of a town flag. He asked the board members to determine whether to use the flag designed in 1892 or use the new town logo.

County resident John Sarkisian of Doolittle Road commented on his perception of new safety and traffic issues at the intersection of Mitchell Avenue and Arnold Road. He complained about patron parking on the west side across from the Colorado Juniors Volleyball facility harming sight lines for drivers turning from Arnold to go north on Mitchell. He also questioned the legality and utility of the stop sign at the corner of Synthes Avenue and Mitchell Avenue, and stated that he believes that the Town of Monument sign on northbound Arnold Road is not in the town’s right-of-way or on town property.

The board went into executive session at 7:35 to discuss real estate and contract negotiations. After returning to regular session, the board unanimously approved a motion to have staff notify the owners of the vacant property between the current south end of Mitchell Avenue and the current north end of Forest Lakes Drive that the town wants to begin negotiations to obtain right-of-way to connect the two roads. The board adjourned after passing the motion.

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The next meeting will be held at 6:30 p.m. Feb. 4 in Town Hall, 166 Second St. Meetings are normally held on the first and third Wednesday of the month. Information: 884-8017.

Below: Planning Commissioners Patricia Mettler and Tom Martin were sworn in by Town Attorney Gary Shupp (left). Photo by Jim Kendrick.

On Jan. 9, the Monument Planning Commission approved the serial annexation of two filings in the 259-acre Willow Springs Ranch development just west of the railroad tracks, between the Synthes plant and the west end of Baptist Road. Also approved were requests for town Planned Development zoning and the requested densities for a maximum of 450 houses in the sketch PD plan.

This development is part of the original Watt family ranch with driveways that access Baptist Road and Old Denver Highway. However, the portion of the Watt property east of the railroad tracks, between the hockey rinks and the Trail’s End development, is not included.

The Planning Commission voted 4-2 to recommend approval of all three items. Patricia Mettler and Glenda Smith voted against all three requests, primarily due to issues regarding the potential of worsening existing traffic congestion problems on Mitchell Avenue at the Second Street railroad crossing.

Commissioner Ed Delaney was unanimously elected to be the chair for 2008. Commissioner Kathy Spence was unanimously elected to be vice chair. Commissioners Tom Martin and Patricia Mettler were sworn in by Town Attorney Gary Shupp for another two years. Commissioner David Gwisdalla was absent.

Monument Principal Planner Karen Griffith asked that the staff and applicant presentations for all the Willow Springs proposals be combined prior to four separate votes on annexation of each of the two filings, the town’s Planned Development (PD) zoning, and the PD sketch plan.

The applicants are land owners MHW, LLC and Paul Howard, Todd Evans, and Charley Williams of Infinity Land Corp. of Colorado Springs. The applicants’ consultants are:

Griffith said extensive details on PD zoning and residential PD site plans will not be available at this first stage of development but will be available at the next stage. There are extensive wetlands on the parcel. The applicants plan to include two parks.

Annexation comments: Each annexation meets the requirements of the Colorado Revised Statutes, lies within Priority Area 1 of the Urban Growth Area specified in the Monument Comprehensive Plan, and conforms to each of the comprehensive plan’s annexation policies.

The project can be readily served by existing roads. The town will provide water, and Monument Sanitation District will provide sanitary sewer.

The applicants will form a metropolitan district to provide storm drainage, road improvements, and maintenance of parks, trails and open spaces. All of these will be dedicated to the town. The town will maintain the roads.

A development agreement between the town and the landowner will detail the rights and obligations of each.

Town water consultant Bruce Lytle of Lytle Water Solutions determined that there is a deficit in available water rights for the project of 67.05 acre-feet, assuming construction of 433 houses. Forest Lakes Metropolitan District is willing to sell the applicants the needed additional water rights. The town asked the applicants to provide a letter of intent from Forest Lakes and recommended that the commissioners approve a condition lowering the proposed maximum number of houses from 450 to 433.

PD zoning comments: Griffith reported the following land use breakdown:

The proposed zoning conforms to the comprehensive plan’s recommendations for growth and land use. The zoning will protect floodplains, Preble’s meadow jumping mouse habitat, and drainage way. A trail system will be incorporated in the development.

There were no major comments or concerns from referral agencies on the proposed PD zoning.

PD sketch plan comments: Griffith reported that the plan gives the town and the applicants’ assurances that the land uses, densities, and major road configurations are acceptable. The overall density for 450 homes is 1.73 dwelling units per acre. The sketch plan complies with the town’s comprehensive plan’s land use principles and policies.

Right-of-way will be provided to extend Mitchell Avenue southward, though not far enough to connect with the existing north end of Forest Lakes Drive. The land that would be needed to connect the two dead-ends lies in El Paso County and is largely protected mouse habitat that would require construction of a long and expensive bridge. Initially, the project will be divided into two unconnected segments, with the north portion using Mitchell Avenue and Second Street for access to I-25 and the south portion using Baptist Road.

Public Works wants the potable water supplies for the north and south residential areas to be connected through the mouse habitat and wetlands surrounding Monument Creek as a condition of approval.

The county and Forest Lakes Metro District have asked the town to ensure that equitable cost-sharing agreements for all required infrastructure improvements, including necessary road improvements to Mitchell Avenue, Forest Lakes Drive, Baptist Road, and the proposed county bridge over the railroad tracks, are part of the town’s annexation agreement with the applicants.

The county also asked the town to ensure that internal development trails have adequate connections to the county’s existing and proposed trails.

Lewis-Palmer School District 38 has expressed concerns that town approval of the Willow Springs Ranch development far exceeds the district’s ability to pay for building additional school capacity needed for the children that would live there. There is no existing school capacity to serve them. The district is at its statutory limit for bonding and cannot bond for additional facilities to serve the development. The district is asking for usable land within the development for building a school.

This lack of capacity could be partially mitigated if the county were to agree to donate the proposed county school site within the adjacent Forest Lakes development to D-38. However, if the county were to donate the site, the town would still have to require a substantial increase in the currently required cash-in-lieu amount payment from the applicants to D-38. That cash payment would have to be equal to the actual market value of land within the district for a school site. The current town policy for the amount of cash-in-lieu vs. donated land does not provide enough money to the school district to pay for the necessary additional facilities for new developments within Monument.

(Note: The district has had problems obtaining sufficient usable land from the landowner to build an elementary school within the currently stalled Home Place Ranch development on Higby Road.)

The other additional conditions for the PD sketch plan proposed by staff are:

Applicants’ comments: Maynard and Tasha Norman of NES gave the applicant’s presentation. Much of the presentation was summarized in Griffith’s reports to the commissioners summarized above. Some of the other main points made by Maynard were: