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Contents:
Benefit race draws many residentsBelow: Kingswood resident Phil Weinert finishes strong at the 3 kilometer run/walk in Gleneagle on May 14. Weinert overcame his Parkinson’s Disease to earn a standing ovation from hundreds of participants and observers. Photo by Melissa Uhles, Aperture Wide Open Photography, www.aperturewideopen.com. |
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14 and Under |
Jeff Warren |
Cara Slovaski |
Taylor Fogg |
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15-19 |
Joel Nikolaus |
Amber Aumiller |
Chris Mellott |
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20-24 |
Peter Larson |
Dave Hutchison |
LeighAnn Maltby |
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25-29 |
Jeff Severen |
Jeremy Kipp |
Christian DeMeyer |
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30-39 |
Erica Austin |
Donna Miller |
Doug Sommer |
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40-49 |
Thomas Hains |
Craig Parlet |
Dana Surage |
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50-59 |
Steve Simon |
Jeff Larson |
Nancy VanTine |
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60+ |
Tony Liston |
Richard Schultz |
David Powell |
By Jim Kendrick
The Palmer Lake Town Council (PLTC) reviewed five business license applications and a vacation and replat of interior lot lines for a parcel of undeveloped land on the west side of Highway 105 at the north end of town. Jeff Hulsmann announced that he would step down as the leader of the Awake The Lake committee due to his arrest and felony gambling charges brought against him and his wife by the state of Colorado. Two candidates for the vacant trustee position were to be scheduled for interviews.
Community and Economic Development: Trustee Gary Coleman noted that the revised rules for lighting the star on Sundance Mountain were being reviewed again. Several residents objected to the star being lit on the night of the first town council meeting after Trustee George Reese’s death.
Water: Trustee Chuck Cornell reported that the town’s D2 well had been turned on to add 30 acre-feet of dechlorinated drinking water to Palmer Lake. The Awake the Lake Committee raised over $21,000 in donations, and the Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) approved a one-time donation of $20,000 for the water.
Parks and Recreation: Trustee Trish Flake reported that there had been an Arbor Day tree-planting celebration at the Palmer Lake Elementary School, qualifying the town once again for a "Tree City, USA" designation. The Columbine Art and Music Festival will be held on June 11 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Deahna Brown is offering yoga and Pilates classes in Town Hall at a charge of $7 per class, half the price of her regular classes. The movie discussion series she initiated led to two interesting conversations in Town Hall. She also reminded everyone that it is now bear season and to be cautious on trails and in the parks.
Roads: Trustee Max Parker reported that the 100-day project to repave Highway 105 on both sides of I-25 would not interfere with the Fourth of July celebrations and fireworks. Some of the milled waste asphalt will be made available to the town’s Roads Department for repairs of town dirt roads, once the weather warms sufficiently for effective application of sealer to stabilize the millings. Roads Supervisor Bob Radosevich noted that the work produces a "lot of black dust that is very messy."
Fire: Trustee Brent Sumner reported that in April the Palmer Lake Volunteer Fire Department’s calls included: 3 fire, 6 medical, 3 traffic accident, 1 wildland fire, 1 public assist, and 1 public contact. Jeff Edwards, a full-time Donald Wescott Fire Protection District Battalion Chief and Fire Marshall, is now serving as a Palmer Lake volunteer and fire marshal as well. Notifications of pending inspections will be sent out soon.
Also the town’s mobile chipping service will resume this summer with stops at individual addresses for up to two hours. The contribution needed to pay for the service is $30 per hour.
There were 113 police calls in April, 1 custody arrest, 17 cases, 35 citations, 30 dog warnings, and 3 dog citations. There were 21 calls that assisted the Monument Police Department and 16 calls that assisted various county agencies.
Fountain Creek Watershed Study: Town representative Bob Miner reported on the 21st Century Smarter Growth Conference in Greenwood Village and recommended that some of the speakers at the three-day event be invited to make presentations to the PLTC. He also said there may be a way to get aerial surveys of the town at no cost.
Background: On April 26, a search warrant was served on Guadala-Jarra’s Mexican Restaurant and Cantina and law enforcement officials arrested 23 people. Hulsmann was arrested and charged with allowing illegal gambling at an establishment licensed to sell liquor, a felony that could result in up to three years in prison and a $100,000 fine. Hulsmann also faces two misdemeanor charges, professional gambling and operating a gambling premises. Peggy Jardon, Hulsmann’s wife and co-owner of the restaurant, was similarly arrested and charged after the raid. The other 22 people were issued misdemeanor citations. If this was a second offense for anyone receiving a citation, that person will be charged with a felony.
The arrests were based on a month-long investigation by members of the Colorado Springs Metro Vice, Narcotics, and Intelligence Liquor Enforcement Team, in cooperation with the Colorado State Department of Revenue Liquor Enforcement Division and Colorado Division of Gaming. Action is pending by the State Liquor Enforcement Division to suspend or revoke Hulsmann’s liquor licenses for Guadala-Jarra’s and O’Malley’s Steak Pub.
Hulsmann resigns: After introducing himself as "Jeff Hulsmann, mafia don," he noted that having $41,000 of the required $42,800 on hand to pay for 30 acre-feet of water had resulted in the committee "feeling pretty flush," but the committee next needed to work on securing water storage rights to keep the lake filled in the future.
Hulsmann said the committee’s fishing derby would be held on June 4 as planned. The Colorado Department of Wildlife will stock the lake with trout based on how cold the water is on June 1; deeper water is colder and better for the fish. Decisions on boating on the lake and re-establishment of a public beach will be made later.
He added that there will be no additional county donations beyond the $20,000 and that the committee needs to establish partnerships with philanthropic organizations such as the Sierra Club. He added that the Colorado Water Control Board might support the lake due to it being a "natural formation." The county funds will be payable once the lake is completely filled and it is shown that there will be no further leakage; these are the same conditions the BOCC imposed on Colorado Springs for the $200,000 contribution for Prospect Lake.
Hulsmann then announced that he was stepping down from the committee so that the other committee members could focus on "lake issues rather than my issues," he said. "This is a very difficult thing for me to do and say." He announced he would be replaced as committee spokesman by Greg Cook and "the project needs to go on." Cornell praised Hulsmann for his committee work, saying he "had done a bang-up job." Other trustees thanked him also.
Hulsmann said he would make a statement at the regular town council meeting on May 12 about his issues with the town over his arrest. (However, on May 12, he did not enter Town Hall until moments after the meeting adjourned, and he made no statement to those in attendance.)
Water study progress report: Consultant Jason Mumm of Integrated Utilities Group said he was retained by the town to study its water system and rate structure. He distributed his report on these issues and discussed his major conclusions:
The current water rates produce revenue that is inadequate to recover actual operations and maintenance costs or normally recurring capital costs for infrastructure.
The cash reserve in the water fund is sufficient to absorb nonrecurring episodic costs, such as drilling a well on short notice.
The town is in much better shape than others its size along the Front Range.
Revenues must increase for stability and to make the water enterprise fund self-sufficient and pay known future capital costs without incurring further debt or a ballot question for a higher mill levy.
Two constraints–no new water staff or water debt–would be factored into a new rate structure recommendation that Mumm would prepare.
Mumm said development of his proposed "rate-making" plan would restore solvency to the water fund in about five years, if adopted. Board members and residents asked numerous questions about creating special rates for apartment buildings, large lawns, no lawns, and the like. Mumm advised against increasing the current limited number of rate categories since about 90 percent of the taps are residential and the system is so small.
Five business license applications were approved as consent items for the regular Town Council meeting on May 12:
ProConcepts International (a graphic design and printing business) – 707 County Line Road – Mark Freeman
Homa Real Estate, Inc. – 755 Highway 105, Suite I – John & Jacqueline Homa
Elephant Rock Software, Inc. (Custom Software Development & Consulting Services) – 84 Highway 105, Suite A – Marlu Oswald
Compact Power, Inc. (research and development for HEV and electric vehicle batteries) – 707 County Line Road - Won-Hwan Song
Colorado Power Systems, Inc. (electric vehicle applications) – 707 County Line Road – Daniel Rivers
Developer Pat Skinner and consultant engineer Richard Wray of Kiowa Engineering presented a request for a replat of the Kemper Filing No. 2 preliminary plat for the parcel owned by William Kemper and David and Linda Wilson. The 10.25-acre undeveloped parcel on the north edge of town is bounded by Highway 105, Gillia Street, Columbine Road, and Aurelia Street.
The request for vacation and re-plat of the interior lot lines would increase the number of lots from five to 23, all single-family residential. The existing dead-ends of El Paso and Academy Roads would be extended south into the parcel to form large culs-de-sac, 104 feet in diameter, which is sufficient for emergency vehicle turnaround. There will also be a large cul-de-sac on the extension of Gillia to the east.
The entire parcel lies in a flood zone. The center of the parcel is in a flood zone that the Federal Emergency Management Agency categorizes as type "AO," where peak flooding is expected to be up to 2 feet deep. The rest of the parcel is in flood zone type X, where flooding is only expected every 500 years.
Skinner agreed to a condition that would not allow any further subdivision to increase the number of lots in the future. He also agreed to create covenant restrictions that would limit the amount of water required for irrigation of the 23 lots to a greater extent than town regulations would. He agreed to retain as much as possible of the dense natural vegetation that already exists on the parcel. The large, deep detention pond projected for construction along Highway 105 would be managed by the development’s homeowner’s association. He also said there are no current plans for development, though he expected to submit a final plat soon after this request is approved.
The meeting adjourned at 8:30 p.m. Workshop meetings are normally held on the first Thursday of the month at 7 p.m. in Town Hall, 28 Valley Crescent.
Below: Newly appointed Palmer Lake Town Council Trustee Trudy Finan is sworn in by Town Attorney Larry Gaddis on May 12 in Town Hall. Trustee Finan is taking the position formerly held by the late George Reese. Photo by Jim Kendrick
Below: Bailey, Bren, and Pam Collins received certificates of appreciation from the Palmer Lake Town Council at Town Hall on May 12 for their support of the Town’s annual Easter Egg hunt. Photo by Jim Kendrick
By Jim Kendrick
The Palmer Lake Town Council (PLTC) began the meeting with an executive session to select a person to fill the vacant trustee position. The council unanimously appointed Trudy Finan to complete the term of George Reese. She was immediately sworn in by Town Attorney Larry Gaddis and took her place on the council. Mayor Nikki McDonald thanked all those who had applied for the position and asked them to place their names in nomination at the next election, when several seats would be available.
Trustee Trish Flake recognized five people for their participation in support of the town’s annual Easter egg hunt: Bailey Collins, Bren Collins, Pam Collins, Lindsey Koops, and Kevin Koops.
The council unanimously approved the five new business licenses that were presented at the previous week’s workshop. The agenda and all the town’s bills were also unanimously approved.
The council unanimously approved applicant William Kemper’s request for a vacation and re-plat of the interior lot lines that would increase the number of lots from five to 23, all single-family residential. Developer Pat Skinner said he was unfamiliar with the final list of concerns and conditions that the Planning Commission may have passed on to the town council.
After some discussion about the sufficiency of the town’s water supply, these conditions were made part of the approval:
An added plat restriction that increases the minimum lot size of 5,000 square feet for R-3 zoning to 10,000 square feet and no further subdivision of any of the lots, except for some minor leeway to slightly move lot lines to accommodate future building plans.
No building within the 30-foot utility easement for water lines.
A low water landscape plan incorporated in the covenants to be presented for review with submission of the final plat and enforced by the homeowner’s association.
After installation of upgraded water lines, the developer will re-tap all existing taps off the adjacent roads, Aurelia, Academy, and El Paso.
These existing roads and their extensions into the filing will all be upgraded to meet Douglas County specifications.
During public comment, Patrick Duffy noted that this would be the first development in the area with paved streets, curbs, and gutters and expressed the hope that the town could provide more in the future as well as maintain them. McDonald thanked the applicant for agreeing to the improvements and doubling the minimum lot size. Skinner said he hoped to submit the final plat within six weeks.
Community and Economic Development: Trustee Gary Coleman asked residents to submit names to be honored at the town’s ceremony on Memorial Day. There will be a meeting in Town Hall, July 26 at 7 p.m., for citizens to discuss possible changes in the town policy for lighting the star on days other than Memorial Day and the Christmas holiday season.
Water: Trustee Chuck Cornell reported that the filters for the reservoir and the town’s A2 well were causing some minor problems, but there had not been any problems with well D2 that has begun pumping 30 acre-feet of de-chlorinated drinking water into Palmer Lake. McDonald noted that the D2 well’s level was 950 feet when turned on and had dropped 350 feet in a week. Cornell has said at past meetings that they expect the well to recover but are unsure of how long it will take. This pump has never been run continuously for over a month in the past.
Parks and Recreation: Trustee Trish Flake reported on the Columbine Art and Music Festival to be held on June 11 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. She also announced yoga and Pilate’s classes in Town Hall would be offered at a discount price for town residents. She asked for more participation in the movie discussion series to achieve a more balanced discussion. She also reminded everyone that June 22 is "Ride Your Bike to Work Day."
Roads: Trustee Max Parker reported that discussions were moving forward satisfactorily on vacations and transfers of private property to improve school bus accessibility on Trinidad Lane.
Fire: Trustee Brent Sumner reminded the public that notifications of pending annual fire inspections would be sent out in a few days and to call the town office if no notice was received.
Mayor: McDonald announced the death of Palmer Lake Sanitation District Manager Bonnie Hanson and the memorial service on May 21.
Richard Allen read a prepared statement noting the following points:
The individuals who were arrested are upright citizens who have otherwise made many contributions to the community.
Marshal Dale Smith was doing his job.
Those arrested who attempt to shift focus from illegal gambling onto town officers do a disservice to the town marshal, the town of Palmer Lake, and the entire community.
It would be more productive if they would accept responsibility for their actions and apologize to the town if found guilty.
When awarded a liquor license, the level of personal responsibility goes up, and not knowing the law is no excuse.
"If I was the licensee, I would make an apology."
Texas Hold ‘Em is a game of chance and risk–it is gambling.
We can’t pick and choose which laws to follow and enforce.
Ed Flake, husband of Trish Flake (both of whom were arrested in the raid), asked the trustees three times what their opinion of the incident was. Gaddis said that the board was there to hear comments only and could not comment on the issue while the investigation was ongoing.
Diane Kaiser, who was also arrested that night, said the card games in Jeff Hulsmann’s restaurant were "social gambling" because "she knew 19 of the 24 people" in attendance at the raid and that she "knew everyone at her table of eight players except the undercover agent." (Only 22 players were arrested, however.)
Eddie Kinney said the raid could have been avoided if Hulsmann "had gone to the police department and asked them if what he wanted to do was lawful." He said Hulsmann had "asked a Colorado Springs policeman if it was lawful and was told it was a gray area." The police department and the town "should not be blamed." He added that the method of entering the restaurant by law enforcement personnel was appropriate.
Trish Flake made extended comments, despite Gaddis’s direction to the trustees. She said that Texas Hold ‘Em is a game of strategy, not gambling. She said that no one who was not there "could judge the scare tactics of that night." She added, "The people there were not lawbreakers or involved in the mafia." She also said that the police chief of Monument warned the Broiler Room to stop their games.
Becky Albright praised the civility of discussion in the meeting despite the difficulty of the situation, and compared it to heated discussions in the past over water rate changes and other issues. She expressed concern about Hulsmann’s remarks that had "appeared in the paper" that said there would be a serious loss of revenue if he lost his liquor licenses for Guadala-Jarra’s and O’Malley’s. She read a list of "Ten things I love about Dale Smith."
Hulsmann did not attend the session as he had said he would at the council’s workshop a week earlier. He did arrive after adjournment, however, and approached several trustees and staff members with new comments. None of the trustees could respond to OCN about these statements due to the ongoing investigation of felony gambling charges against Hulsmann and his wife and restaurant co-owner, Peggy Jardon.
The meeting adjourned at 8 p.m. The next meeting will be held June 9 at 7 p.m. in Town Hall, 28 Valley Crescent. Regular council meetings are normally held on the second Thursday of the month.
By Jim Kendrick
On May 16, The Monument Board of Trustees (BOT) modified the town organization chart and approved a resolution to change the allowed watering days and a new intergovernmental agreement to help fill Monument Lake. Trustees Tommie Plank and Dave Mertz were absent.
Ernie Biggs, owner of Lake of the Rockies Campground, asked for approval to stock the slightly refilled Monument Lake with 1,000 pounds of trout if Colorado Springs Utilities and the City Council would allow the lake to be refilled. He said that people don’t know the lake has some water in it again.
Trustee George Brown asked "What kind?" Biggs said 8 to 12 inches. Trustee Scott Meszaros asked how Biggs would ensure that the fish do not have "whirling disease." Biggs said that only small fish are vulnerable and the fish he would purchase would be too large to have the disease.
Mayor Glenn proposed Biggs be allowed to restock the small area covered with water, on the condition that Colorado Springs grants approval for the town to purchase and retain water in the lake. The board concurred.
Public Works Supervisor Tom Wall said that the partially open valve in the bottom of the lake, which controls how much of the upstream flow is discharged under the dam, makes a lot of noise and has generated complaints from neighboring residents. The noise sounds like gunfire or an unmuffled motorcycle, depending on the flow rate. It can be controlled by changing the size of the opening or closing it, if approval from Colorado Springs is obtained. Wall reported that the lake has risen to, and is being held at, a depth of 16.5 feet.
(Later in May, the Colorado Springs City Council agreed to let the town store water in the lake in return for credits the town would transfer to the city for excess effluent purchased from the special sanitation districts that own the Upper Monument Creek Regional Wastewater Treatment Facility. The districts’ effluent is discharged into Monument Creek below the dam, which is now blocking upstream flows to refill the lake.)
Cathy Green requested that the board revise five town staff positions and described the changes.
Town Manager: Green would become town manager. However, she would still be responsible for long-term town planning, zoning, and subdivision regulation overhaul.
Town Clerk: This vacant position would be separate from town treasurer duties. Green said there is enough money to pay for a town clerk. The full-time position would have the added responsibility of providing information services. The town clerk position was combined with the town treasurer position three years ago when Judy Skrzypek accepted the additional responsibility without a pay raise. The deputy town clerk/administrative assistant position occupied by Irene Walters would be unchanged.
Town Engineer: Tom Kassawara’s newly created position of town engineer under the town manager would be changed to the title of director of development services. He would take over current proposal review and approval for planning as well as for engineering. Kassawara has extensive planning experience.
Town Treasurer: This position would have its former town clerk duties replaced with new benefits specialist responsibilities. Interim treasurer Pam Smith has extensive human relations management experience in addition to her accounting and auditing credentials.
Town Civil Engineer: Tony Hurst’s new title would be civil engineer/inspector, and he would report to the director of development services rather than the town manager under this proposal. Hurst’s office would be moved from the Public Works building to Town Hall. In addition to reviewing development and drainage plans, he would be taking on the new responsibility of some of the on-site inspections that are currently performed by consultant engineering firms.
Administrative Assistant: This would become a full-time position within Public Works. Claudia Whitney, who currently holds the position, had been splitting her days, with mornings spent in the Public Works facility and early afternoons spent in Town Hall. There was no proposal for a new part-time employee to take over Whitney’s work in Town Hall during the lunch hour and early afternoon.
Discussion: Trustee George Brown said, "As far as the town clerk, I would need to see what the responsibilities are, because we had been presented information in the past that that position [sic] worked about an hour a day and spent eight hours here (in Town Hall.)" Brown then said that elections were coming up. The weeks before and after an election are a peak work period for the town clerk. State law requires all election action to be performed by a town clerk specifically appointed by the board of trustees.
Trustee Gail Drumm asked if the town clerk duties could be combined with the Public Works administrative assistant position. Green said that the proposed town clerk position was not going to be filled immediately in any case.
No action was taken by the board on Green’s recommendation. It was not continued.
Green recommended that the current restriction allowing odd-numbered addresses to water on odd-numbered dates, and vice versa, be changed to correspond to electronic watering timers that can only be set to operate on specific days of the week. She recommended that the town change its rules to align with the water restriction rules that apply in Triview Metropolitan District. She said Triview’s policy is to ask residents to meet the intent of the restrictions using their own judgment, but they do not enforce their regulations.
Green recommended that odd-numbered houses be permitted to water only on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, and even-numbered houses water only on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday. There would be no lawn watering on Sundays, though there could be car washing.
Resolution 10-2005 passed 4-1, with Drumm opposed. (On May 25, the Triview board adopted the same restrictions.)
Wall proposed that the town enter into a one-year intergovernmental agreement (IGA) with Donala Water and Sanitation District and Triview Metropolitan District to purchase, on a month-to-month basis, the rights to their excess effluent that drains from Upper Monument Creek Regional Wastewater Treatment Facility into Monument Creek. The cost for the town’s purchase of the excess effluent is set at $50 per acre-foot in the separate agreements for each of the special districts. The IGA could be renewed year by year or terminated with 30-day notice. The $50 price could be renegotiated when the IGA is renewed each year.
The town’s budget for water purchase in 2005 is $7,000. Wall estimated that the full-year annual cost for this proposal would be between $14,000 and $15,750. The cost in 2005 would be less because the peak flows have already been released downstream before the dam’s bypass valve was partially closed to start refilling the lake.
The town’s excess effluent enters Monument Creek downstream of Monument Lake from the Tri-Lakes Wastewater Treatment Facility. Much of the excess effluent from these two facilities flows downstream to Colorado Springs with the town, Triview, and to a lesser extent, Donala, forfeiting the benefit they might gain from the sale of the rights to it.
The purchase of the effluent rights from Triview and Donala will allow the town to store an equal amount of upstream water in Monument Lake, to eventually refill it. This is more cost-effective than running pipes from the facilities back to the lakes and paying the further cost of pumping the treated water so far uphill.
The lake has been nearly empty since it was drained to repair the dam. Monument Creek flows have been so low in recent years that none of the water actually in the creek is owned by the town. Monument’s water rights are less senior than those of Colorado Springs, which is entitled to at least 22 cubic feet of flow per second (CFS). There has rarely been a consistent flow above that amount for Monument to claim.
During those times in the future when flows exceed this minimum, the town would now limit the flow under the Monument Lake dam to the city’s 22 CFS entitlement and store the rest. The amount of water held back would be offset administratively by the already flowing excess effluent entering the creek from one or both of the downstream wastewater treatment facilities. In reality, the flows below the dam would be reduced, but the amount of water that downstream users are entitled to would still flow to them. .
State water authorities would measure the various flows above and below the dam to ensure that the city gets the amount of water it has the rights to and that the town pays the appropriate amount of money to the special districts for their excess effluent. The town will pay for the administrative costs of the state recording and providing all parties with stream flow information as well as the special districts’ extra administrative costs for billing.
One complicating factor is that Monument Creek flows are usually too low in the summer for the town to be able to store any of it under this plan. Moreover, most of Donala’s summer excess effluent for that period has already been purchased by the Gleneagle golf course to offset the re-use water it uses. Year-round, Triview has about 15 to 20 acre feet of excess effluent it can sell per month. Similarly, Donala has about 25 acre-feet per month for sale, when not already sold to the golf course for about five months per year.
Wall said it would take about 200 acre-feet to refill the lake to the top of the dam’s spillway. An acre-foot is about 326,000 gallons. These factors and losses, including evaporation, will extend the time it takes to initially refill the lake to nearly the end of 2006.
The issue is further complicated by the town not owning storage rights in the lake; a similar situation exists in the town of Palmer Lake. This was not a problem before the dam was repaired because flows were so high and the reservoirs in the region were still essentially full. However, the effluent exchange solves this storage dilemma for the short term.
Wall said the IGA is a long-term agreement in order to deal with future evaporation and occasional low summer and fall flows—assuming the average spring flows will return to being high enough that the town would actually own some of the water flowing in the creek above the lake. This "town water" in the creek could then be stored without cost, once the town could purchase storage rights for the lake.
The board unanimously approved the wording of the IGA that would be presented to the two special districts later in May.
The board unanimously approved the 48-page financial report and single payment of over $5,000 without any discussion.
Glenn briefly discussed the street layout proposed for the Timbers commercial development on the parcel just south of Home Depot on the west side of Jackson Creek Parkway. The current Struthers Road segment north of Baptist Road and the access to the west entry of the Foxworth-Galbraith parking lot will be left open for some time. However, they will be closed eventually and replaced by a new road between the hardware store and the west side of Jackson Creek.
The new Timbers access road runs north from Baptist, east of the Foxworth-Galbraith property owned by Mike Watt, and then weaves toward the northeast corner of his parcel and into the Timbers shopping center. Another new access road for Foxworth-Galbraith extends west from this road, along the northern fence line of the hardware store’s storage area to their parking lot.
Glenn also described his funding proposal of a voluntary public improvement fee to help finance all the improvements to Baptist Road that are needed to support the new commercial growth along Jackson Creek Parkway. Improvements to the I-25 Baptist Road interchange remain unfunded by the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT). The Baptist Road Rural Transportation Authority (BRRTA) would pay for preliminary improvements to Exit 158 by issuing bonds. The public improvement fee charged by all Jackson Creek businesses would pay only for the interest on the interchange improvement bonds, until CDOT funds become available to pay off the principal. The size of the BRRTA fee (no more than 1 percent on retail sales) and the total amount of capital improvement bonds that would have to be issued on the commercial market have not been determined.
Police Chief’s report: Chief Jake Shirk’s written report to board members, which they elected not to discuss, noted the following:
Michael Wolf has accepted the town’s offer to become a new police officer and will start his training on May 31.
Four officers will attend five days of incident command training, sponsored and paid for by the Center for Domestic Preparedness, Homeland Security.
A request for a proposal was sent to seven architectural firms, asking for costs to design a new police/court building.
Homeland Security grants for two sets of self-contained breathing apparatus and 12 Tychem Protective suits worth a total of $4,500 have been received.
The department has purchased a new handheld barcode scanner and barcode printer for the evidence room. Evidence will be inventoried and moved to the second single-wide trailer when all the trailer’s permits are obtained.
Several media outlets (not including OCN) have asked about the ongoing Internal Affairs investigation of gambling by a Monument police officer. There is no information available at this time.
In April, the 57 new cases included 29 criminal, 14 traffic accident, and 14 incident. There were 35 Monument citations, 15 county citations, and a total of 442 calls.
Public Works: Wall recommended that the board accept the proposed settlement with Fountain Mutual Irrigation Company regarding the company’s opposition to the town obtaining storage rights to Monument Lake. The settlement will simplify the town’s ability to account for evaporation in the lake in dealing with downstream users’ water rights in Monument Creek during periods of low flow.
Wall summarized the legal recommendations with this advice: "Just say yes." Town Attorney Gary Shupp concurred. After some discussion and questioning by trustees, the board approved the settlement unanimously.
The meeting adjourned at 7:10 p.m. The next meeting will held on June 6 at 6:30 p.m. in Town Hall, 166 Second St. Meetings are normally held the first and third Monday of the month.
By Jim Kendrick
Two of three major planning proposals were continued at the request of the applicants at the Monument Planning Commission meeting on May 11. The request for rezoning from R-2 to C-1 for three lots of the Monument Congregation of Jehovah’s Witnesses was unanimously approved.
The concurrent review of proposed Timbers at Monument Preliminary/Final Plat, Final PD Site Plan, and Development Master Plan as well as the Rezone, Replat, and Easement Vacation for the Briley-Smith Subdivision and Monument View Subdivision will be heard at a future meeting.
Commissioner Tim Davis was absent. Davis has never attended a meeting since being appointed by the Board of Trustees (BOT) in January. He was chosen for a two-year term over the six other candidates who attended the BOT meeting to present their credentials and answer questions from the members of the board. Davis’s qualifications were not discussed by the trustees prior to their first vote, which he won by an unspecified margin. Town Attorney Gary Shupp never announced the actual vote counts for any of the candidates in the three rounds of voting by the trustees, nor were they listed in the approved minutes for public review. Former Commission Chairman Lowell Morgan, who lost his seat was appointed as an alternate commission member and has been serving on the commission in Davis’s absence.
Scott Ahlers presented the church’s request for rezoning of its two adjacent parcels to the south of their building and parking lot at 300 Second St. to match the commercial zoning of the surrounding lots. Each of the three lots is about 10,000 square feet. The requested rezoning to commercial is consistent with the town’s comprehensive plan. Ahlers said that the congregation has no plans to move to another area and will be refurbishing their building with new paint, landscaping, and interior improvements.
The other commissioners concurred with Morgan’s favorable comments about adding commercial businesses and revenue from the three lots.
Chief Jake Shirk gave a presentation regarding the current status of planning for a new police and court room building similar to the presentation he gave to the BOT on April 18. The requested police building would be two stories of about 5,000 square feet each and have expanded document storage, evidence rooms, weapons armories, secure interview rooms and holding cells, which the current doublewide trailer building lacks, as well as more office space. The new police building would be connected by a secure passageway to a separate single-story court room building of at least 3,000 square feet with movable furniture that could also be used for community meetings, such as the bimonthly senior citizen lunches.
Shirk reviewed the efforts of the Police Advisory Committee and the recently formed Police Building Subcommittee to find an appropriate lot for construction. Their attention has shifted to a 3.5 acre downtown city block on Beacon Lite Road, south of Gallery Center and west of Grace Best Elementary School, which is owned by Tecton Corporation.
Tecton has offered to build the police and court room buildings to town specifications and then manage them during a 20-year lease-purchase agreement. The cost for the lease-purchase, about $200,000 per month, would be considerably cheaper than the alternative site on the east side of I-25.
This larger Tecton parcel is considered by the committee and department to be preferable to the alternate proposed building that was dedicated to the town by the developers when the Wahlborg parcel was annexed. The Wahlborg site is at the far northeast corner of town, on Highway 105 across from the Mormon chapel.
Shirk noted the Tecton parcel also has room for two other office buildings. Tecton proposes to build a multi-story professional office building on the parcel that, after several years, the town could convert to a new town hall once commercial revenue could support a second lease-purchase agreement. There is also room for another smaller office building, which could become the headquarters for Public Works if the town decides to build it in the future. Shirk emphasized that the preliminary sketch plan drawing he presented from Tecton was just one possible plan and not a firm proposal for consideration at this time.
Commissioner Kathy Spence asked if there are still plans for a police substation in the Monument Marketplace. Shirk said that he would call the facility a mini-station because it would not be occupied most of the time and would consist entirely of a foyer, phone, and interview room. He said a substation implies some continuous presence by an employee if only during weekday business hours. He is opposed to a substation because it would raise false expectations about what services they are able to provide. All walk-in police services for a town the size of Monument should be in a central location, by Town Hall if possible, he added.
Commissioner John Kortgardner and Morgan said they were in favor of the Tecton plan. Morgan asked Shirk to keep copies of all the proposals and financing data so that there would be a record for when the commissioners and trustees change over the next few years.
Interim Town Manager Cathy Green introduced Town Engineer Tom Kassawara and said his new title would be Director of Development Services. He will take over responsibility from Green for planning as well as reviewing development proposals and construction. Green will retain responsibility for long-term planning and subdivision and zoning regulation revisions under the latest staff reorganization proposal.
Green also reported that she had established a technical review committee to provide input from the town and other affected entities to those submitting pre-application proposals for review and comment. The committee review takes the place of pre-application presentations to the Planning Commission and Board of Trustees.
The meeting adjourned at 7:10 p.m. The next meeting is on June 14, at 6:30 p.m. in Town Hall, 166 Second St. Meetings are normally held the second Tuesday of the month.
By Jim Kendrick
The Board of Adjustment unanimously approved a request by S&S Homes for a rear setback variance at 649 Burke Hollow Drive in Saddletree. The standard 9-foot-deep rear deck would be slightly closer than the required 20-foot rear setback due to the shape of the lot and the model of home selected. The rear of the home and deck are not parallel to the back property line. The rear setback as proposed ranged from about 16 feet at one corner to 18 feet at the other corner.
The staff recommended a finding that said in part: "Based upon the size and shape of the lot, there is a practical difficulty in providing an adequately sized deck similar in size to those in other homes in the subdivision." Discussion centered on ensuring that the proposed deck did not interfere with access to rear utility easements and that the variance did not set a bad precedent for future variance requests.
Due to these two considerations, the board rejected a proposal option to make the deck a non-standard 12 feet deep. The board also found that the views of an adjacent property would not be affected in response to a letter of concern from Goetzmann Homes, the developer of the adjacent property,.
The Board of Adjustments meets only when variances are requested. The last meeting was held on Oct. 29, 2004. No future meetings are scheduled at this time.
View photos and view or download the land use and open space plans
Below: (Top, L to R) Joshua Rowland, Kenneth Puncerelli and Linda Sweetman-King discuss the Home Place Ranch project with residents. Photo by John Heiser
Below: View from Higby Road of the eastern edge of Home Place Ranch parcel. Higby Estates is to the left. Photo by Jim Kendrick
By John Heiser
The concept plan for the Home Place Ranch development was presented at a community meeting at Lewis-Palmer High School May 12. About 40 local residents attended.
Joshua Rowland and Kenneth Puncerelli of Land Architects and Linda Sweetman-King of TerraVisions made the presentation. Rowland said they had previously made a similar presentation to the residents of the Homestead subdivision in Jackson Creek.
The project plan calls for a clustered development with 976 single-family detached houses on 430-440 acres south of Higby Road and east of the Jackson Creek development.
The residential portion would cover about 290 acres at an average density of 3.4 houses per acre.
The plan calls for 149 acres (33 percent of the total area) as open space, including a regional park, drainage areas and ponds, and Preble’s meadow jumping mouse (PMJM) habitat. Including the open space, the average density is 2.2 houses per acre.
The small-scale retail component shown in prior versions of the plan has been removed. Puncerelli said that due to the location, it was concluded that the retail component is not viable.
Puncerelli said the property is under contract but has not been closed on yet. He added that completion of the project would likely take five to seven years.
The project would be bisected by the extension of Gleneagle Drive as a two-lane divided local collector road with a landscaped median and bike lane. Rowland noted that steep terrain and the location of drainage areas have resulted in an "S" shaped route for the road.
The plan shows a second road that intersects Gleneagle Drive and skirts the eastern boundary of the property to connect to Higby Road.
Puncerelli said the second road is needed due to the number of lots being proposed.
Several Higby Estates residents expressed dissatisfaction with the proximity of the second road to their properties and asked that it be eliminated or moved west.
A third possible road is shown starting opposite Fairplay and looping to the west to connect back to Higby Road.
The plan shows no road connections into the Jackson Creek or Higby Estates developments. Puncerelli said it was possible there might be a connection added into Jackson Creek on the west side of the development.
In response to residents’ questions, Puncerelli said any improvements to be made to Higby Road as part of this project would be determined by the town. He noted that a traffic study had not yet been done.
One resident said, "Traffic will be a big problem." Another added, "We have regular pile-ups on Higby Road."
The project is divided into three areas with differing densities. The eastern-most portion, which consists of 81 acres adjacent to the Higby Estates development, would average one to two houses per acre. The areas totaling 172 acres next to the Jackson Creek and south Woodmoor developments would average three to four houses per acre. The central portion, 38 acres which Rowland suggested might be patio homes, would average six to eight houses per acre.
Residents noted that the average density in the Higby Estates subdivision is more than 2 acres per house. They said the proposed density in the portions of the Home Place Ranch plan adjacent to Higby Estates is too high.
Puncerelli suggested that the lots adjacent to Higby would likely be close to 1 acre each.
In response to a question as to whether a low-density option had been considered, Puncerelli replied, "No. We haven’t crossed that bridge. We are pretty committed to these numbers."
Rowland said the project would be developed from west to east, with the areas adjacent to Jackson Creek developed first, followed by the higher density portion in the center, and ending with the larger lot portion adjacent to Higby Estates.
Puncerelli said the project would apply for annexation to the Town of Monument but had not yet submitted a formal application for annexation. He later added, "So far the town has been very receptive to annexation."
Puncerelli noted that the town would hold public hearings on the annexation and the project plans. He estimated it would be a minimum of a year to reach final plat approval.
Puncerelli said the project could obtain service from the Triview Metropolitan District, the Woodmoor Water and Sanitation District, or the Town of Monument. The Triview and Woodmoor districts have infrastructure nearby. The town’s water and sewer lines are west of I-25. Puncerelli said initial discussions have been with Triview.
Residents expressed concern that since Triview and Woodmoor depend on wells, the demand added by this project could result in wells in Higby Estates failing, which would destroy house values.
Puncerelli replied that the town would not approve the project unless there is sufficient water. One resident disagreed saying, "The town has no incentive. It is a different jurisdiction. They won’t take our concerns into account."
Puncerelli said, "State law dictates what local jurisdictions do on water, traffic, drainage, and referral agency comments."
Puncerelli said it would be a covenant-controlled community with a homeowners association.
Residents asked whether homes would be required to have grass. Puncerelli replied that the covenants and design guidelines would address landscaping.
Puncerelli noted that the plan does not include a school site. He added that Lewis-Palmer School District 38 seems more interested in receiving fees instead of having a school site in the development.
The parcel is in the Tri-Lakes Fire Protection District. Puncerelli said the development would be equipped with fire hydrants.
Puncerelli said streetlights would likely be required throughout the subdivision.
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Joshua Rowland and Kenneth Runcerelli can be reached at Land Architects, (303) 734-1777, 9137 S. Ridgeline Blvd., Suite 130, Highlands Ranch, CO 80129.
Linda Sweetman-King can be reached at TerraVisions, (303) 468-6700, 1745 Shea Center Drive, Suite 310, Highlands Ranch, CO 80129.
The developer on the project is Dale Turner, Vice President, Colorado Commercial Builders, 264-6955, 5410 Powers Center Point, Suite 100, Colorado Springs, CO 80920.
View photos and view or download the land use and open space plans
By Sue Wielgopolan
Monument will be getting help from at least one of its Tri-Lakes area neighbors in trying to refill its half-empty lake. At their May 25 meeting, Donala board members voted to accept an intergovernmental agreement (IGA) that will allow the town of Monument to buy excess effluent from Donala to use in exchange for water taken from Monument Creek. Dana Duthie, general manager of Donala, expects that Monument will take all available excess effluent through 2006.
Colorado Water and Power Authority (CWPA) will consider Donala’s loan application on Aug. 5. Donala is applying for a loan to fund its share of the Upper Monument Creek Wastewater Treatment Facility (WWTF) expansion. Duthie will attend the meeting. He invited other board members to join him and said that since he will be in Denver, he also hopes to tour the offices of Kirkpatrick-Pettis, the financial management firm hired by the district to handle its investments.
Duthie distributed copies of the 10-year capital projects list to board members. Normally, the list is distributed in July, but Joe Drew, financial advisor for Donala, wants to include it as part of Donala’s loan application, which must be submitted early to make the Aug. 5 CWPA meeting agenda. The list anticipates future projects necessitated by growth and their associated costs, such as new wells, storage tanks, and pipeline upgrades. (Growth items will be self-supporting.) It also includes some maintenance-related expenditures, such as well redrilling, vehicle replacement, and the wastewater treatment plant expansion.
Along with the 2004 Cost of Service Analysis distributed earlier, the capital projects list will be used to make adjustments in the mill levy and rate structure for the district. Other documents to be generated later, including a six-year projection of operations and maintenance expenses, and a recommendation for fee structure, will be used to assemble the proposed budget for next year.
Pat Ratliff reported that most of the bills relating to water districts had been killed. State Sen. Tom Wiens, who represents northern El Paso County as well as parts of Douglas County and Arapaho County, had been working on two bills establishing new water conservancy districts, neither of which made it to a vote. The bills did not include El Paso County.
The Colorado Water Congress will meet in Steamboat Springs Aug. 25 and 26 for its summer convention. The Congress’s mission is to promote the wise management and stewardship of Colorado’s water resources by educating water providers and the public and by providing a forum where consensus between opposing water users can be achieved. Duthie will attend under the district’s training budget. Duthie informed the board that the convention is open to the public, and members are welcome to attend.
Gary Barber, executive agent for the authority, updated the EPCWA on funding for the ongoing Transit Loss Study. Phase II has been authorized, and the shares have been collected from members to pay for this year’s portion. Barber is working on dividing next year’s costs equitably among members.
At the request of El Paso County Commissioners Wayne Williams and Sallie Clark, the EPCWA sent another letter to the City of Colorado Springs inviting them to join the group. No response had been received to date. Because Colorado Springs has always worked independently of surrounding unincorporated areas in securing its own water supplies, the city has little incentive to join the group. Members are not optimistic that the city will choose at this time to join outlying communities in creating a comprehensive long-term plan to provide water throughout El Paso County.
Dave Miller will present his proposal for high mountain water storage at the next authority meeting in June. The EPCWA and the Palmer Divide Water Group (PDWG) are actively seeking storage and water rights. However, the storage rights Miller has to offer involve the use of hydroelectric power. Though the EPCWA has agreed to listen to Miller’s presentation, the requirements and limitations of such a project probably make it unsuitable for the group’s purposes.
The EPCWA will meet again on June 1 at 9 a.m. in the 3rd floor meeting room of the El Paso County Building, 27 E. Vermijo.
The PDWG held its quarterly regional meeting in Parker on May 11. Members discussed existing possibilities and options for obtaining water now and in the future.
The group further explored the idea of setting up an arrangement with farmers, possibly within a cooperative, to buy water made available through fallowing. With the help of a co-op administrator, participating farmers would agree to not plant and irrigate a percentage of their acreage yearly on a rotating basis and to sell the corresponding percentage of their water to the PDWG. The concept would enable farmers to stay on their land by providing them with cash flow while at the same time supplying water to neighboring communities.
Frank Jaeger, District Manager for Parker Water and Sanitation, has already purchased several small local farms. The Parker district allows the farming families to lease the land and continue raising crops, with the understanding that when the water is needed, the district’s demand will take priority.
Numerous farmers in the Arkansas basin who were part of an irrigation cooperative known as the Ft. Lyons Ditch Company have sold their farms to two investors . The extreme salinity of the soil created a hostile environment for crops, and marginal farms could not compete. Some remaining farms are currently fallowing. Others are irrigating unplanted fields because agricultural water law operates on a "use it or lose it" basis; unexercised water rights expire.
The two men expect to have controlling interest in the ditch co-op soon and would like to transport the water upstream for sale to counties to the north, probably to areas east of Denver. Because of the high salinity of the water and the eastern location of the pipeline, PDWG members are not optimistic that the possibility holds promise for El Paso County as a source of supplemental water.
Castle Pines North, which is headed by former Colorado Springs Utilities staff member Jim McGrady, has indicated it would like to become part of the PDWG. Other entities, including Castle Rock, have shown interest as well.
At a meeting on May 23 in Monument, PDWG members met and discussed options with a potential financier, who may be interested in providing the finances needed to initiate water management and storage projects.
The PDWG will meet again at 9 a.m. on June 23 at the Parker Water and Sanitation office, 19801 E. Main St. in Parker.
The site application for the WWTF expansion is currently being reviewed by the state of Colorado. The facility is jointly owned and operated by three districts: Donala Water and Sanitation, Triview Metropolitan, and Forest Lakes Estates.
The engineering firm GMS, which is designing the expansion, has released a request for proposals (RFP) from local contractors. Donala, as operator of the WWTF, wants to have the winning contractor on board by the end of the summer so that construction-related input could be included in the last quarter of the design phase.
Yet to be decided is the specific ultraviolet process that will be used to disinfect effluent before release into Monument Creek. Though UV disinfection was chosen over chlorination, Donala has not decided whether to use a closed or open circuit process, or whether medium or high intensity UV would be most cost effective. The RFP outlines specific requirements; individual contractors will be asked to demonstrate which process will best meet the needs of the plant before a final determination is made.
Donala is still waiting on final word from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service approving the Preble’s meadow jumping mouse habitat plan so that construction on the new road spur and railroad crossing leading to the facility from the Old Denver Highway can proceed. Though the expansion footprint does not impinge on mouse habitat, roadway improvements to accommodate heavy construction equipment will.
Partners in the WWTF anticipate they will have to replace or reinforce the bridge across Jackson Creek in the near future. In trying to ascertain whether the bridge would support their cement trucks, Transit Mix, which is considering building on a site south of the WWTF, hired an engineer to estimate the load capacity. Transit Mix shared the results with Donala.
The engineer, using bridge span measurements and considering construction materials, estimated that the bridge could support a constant load of roughly 15 tons, more on an intermittent basis. The waste haulers used by the WWTF at present weigh about 26 tons. The engineer said infrequent higher loads could safely use the bridge.
However, during expansion, Duthie estimates that 40-ton cement trucks will cross the bridge approximately 200 times over a period of 15 months. Earthmovers will also be using the bridge. Duthie was not sure of their exact weight, but he is certain they are heavier than the waste haulers. He informed the board that the bridge’s capacity will have to be increased before construction can begin.
While the three joint owners will share the financial responsibility for reinforcement or replacement of the bridge, Transit Mix has not indicated if it will participate at this point. The WWTF partners will negotiate for some reimbursement of their costs should Transit Mix decide to build a batch plant in Forest Lakes.
Roger Sams, engineer for GMS, has proposed that the bridge be reinforced by sinking two additional cement pylons between spans and running two more I-beams across for added support. The reinforcement would not only be cheaper than construction of a new bridge, but might also avoid triggering mouse habitat restrictions. Projects confined to a total area of under 800 square feet would need only permission from the Fish and Wildlife Service and not an additional permit to proceed.
Donala will gather more information and research options to determine whether bridge reinforcement will be adequate or if full replacement is necessary.
Duthie finally received a reply from the Air Force Academy to his March inquiry regarding the possible routing of some Upper Monument Creek wastewater to the Academy wastewater treatment plant. During a Council of Governments hearing on the proposed WWTF expansion, an Academy official had said that the Academy might be interested in importing outside wastewater. He stated that additional piped-in wastewater could help the Academy utilize excess wastewater facility capacity and that the resulting effluent could be used to irrigate playing fields and landscaping on the grounds.
However, the official in charge informed Duthie that the Academy could not engage in any negotiations at this time. The Academy has released an RFP to privatize their wastewater treatment facility. Until bids have been received and evaluated, and a course of action chosen, they cannot consider other related proposals.
The anticipated tightening of ammonia standards on Monument Creek by the Environmental Protection Agency could affect the design of the WWTF expansion. Facilities at the new plant will be unable to achieve compliance if the ammonia limits are lowered for Monument Creek. Engineers will have to look at changing some of the design features if it appears that the creek will be reclassified within 5 to 6 years.
Water and sewer infrastructure to serve future development north of Chaparral Hills and south of Baptist Road is currently being designed. The pipelines will run from Struthers Ranch north along the southern extension of Jackson Creek Parkway, and will be installed before asphalt is laid for the new road. Though there are no immediate plans for development on adjoining properties, the infrastructure can be installed much more cheaply before the road is completed.
The new lines will later tie into Triview Metropolitan District’s lines north of Baptist. The plan is to eventually loop all Tri-Lakes area systems together. In an emergency, other districts in the area would be able to supply water to a district needing more than it has available. For example, should a major forest fire severely deplete one district’s resources, surrounding districts would have the ability to help. And as additional surface water sources are secured, the districts will have the distribution infrastructure already in place.
The Well 13D bore that will connect the well on Latrobe to the upper lake of the golf course is almost finished. The boring was done in sections, with only one stretch left to complete. Once the new pipeline is operational, Donala will be able to capture water used to flush the well after a period of inactivity and transport it to the lake.
The chlorinator at Well 8 has been installed. A nearby water storage tank, located on an easement inside Fox Run Park, can now be filled directly from Well 8 (located on the Brown Ranch property) and Well 12 (located in The Ridge at Fox Run). Normally, water from these two wells is transported downhill to the Holbein plant, treated, and pumped back uphill to the storage tank, which gravity-feeds homes in High Meadows (uphill from Holbein) and The Ridge at Fox Run.
The new chlorinator enables the district to pump chlorinated water directly from Wells 8 and 12 to the storage tank, thus bypassing the Holbein plant. The process will be used in the summer during periods of highest demand to ease strain on the existing pipelines. And if a major power outage occurs, the same homes can be supplied with water without having to rely on an auxiliary pump.
Donala is in the process of negotiating a contract with Classic Homes to supply its new development at the Baptist Camp site with water and sewer service. Classic is talking with Donala and Triview, and has not committed to either. Duthie told the board that the location and timing of the next well to be drilled at Fox Run Park would be determined by the outcome of the negotiations.
Duthie distributed a letter to the board written by Russ and June Gordon on Wuthering Heights Drive in response to Donala’s recent newsletter regarding growth, as well as his response.
Donala has drawn up an agreement, not yet signed, with Monument to provide the town with excess effluent at a cost of $50 per acre-foot. The effluent will be used as exchange to help fill Monument Lake. The town of Monument will retain water from Monument Creek in the lake when Donala has excess effluent credits available, and will pay the district for the amount it stores. Effluent water released from the WWTF into Monument Creek will compensate for the volume Monument keeps in the lake, resulting in no net loss for downstream users, including Colorado Springs. Donala reserved the right to determine "what is excess and available for sale."
The agreement will not affect Donala’s contract with the Gleneagle golf course, which will have first priority. Duthie anticipates that during the summer months, most, if not all, available effluent will be purchased by the golf course.
Woodmoor Water and Sanitation has also expressed interest in purchasing excess effluent from Donala. Duthie anticipates that Monument will buy all Donala’s excess effluent for 2005 and 2006, if the state approves the exchange arrangement. Duthie offered a preliminary bargaining price of $100 per acre-foot to Woodmoor, but said the figure is negotiable at such time excess effluent becomes available.
Until now, the Colorado Water Protective and Development Association, an Arkansas farmer’s co-op, purchased most of Donala’s surplus effluent for $10 per acre-foot. As of the May meeting, the co-op had still not paid its current bill, which runs from April 2004 through March of this year.
Duthie had distributed preliminary copies of the agreement in early May to board members for their comments and approval via e-mail. After reviewing the final version, the board passed a motion to accept the IGA with Monument as presented.
(Note: Board President Charlie Coble and Monument Mayor Byron Glenn signed the paperwork finalizing the agreement later in the day on Wednesday, May 25.)
Duthie told the board that Richmond and Laing Homes continue to build at a fast pace, but he had nothing new to convey to the board regarding development in Struthers Ranch II. He did comment that the waiting list for homes was three times the number of available lots.
Homeowners in Chaparral Hills who are subdividing their five-acre property are petitioning Donala to include one of the lots in the district. Harland and Latish Baker, of 310 Lariat Lane, intend to build on one of the lots, drill their own well, and install their own septic system, but want to have the other lot included in the Donala district. The owners would like to obtain water service only for the second lot.
However, state regulations mandate that any home within 400 feet of a sewer line must hook in, rather than install their own septic system, and the site for the second home lies within that distance. Under exceptional circumstances, owners may obtain a waiver from the State Department of Health allowing them to install a septic system—for example, if the lines were uphill or the establishment of the connection would be prohibitively expensive because of unusual circumstances. Since in this instance the hookup would be relatively straightforward, Duthie will not write a letter to the state requesting a waiver.
The board went into executive session at 2:30 p.m. to discuss negotiation strategies and personnel matters. The next meeting of the Donala Board of Directors will be on Wednesday, June 15, at 1:30 p.m. at the district office, 15850 Holbein Dr.
Below: Forest View Acres Water District Board meeting May 11. L to R at the front table: operations manager Dan LaFontaine and directors Brian Cross, Tom Guenther, Barbara Reed-Polatty, John Anderson, and Kevin Lonergan.. Photo by John Heiser
By John Heiser
About 20 people attended the regular monthly meeting May 11 of the Forest View Acres Water District (FVAWD) board of directors. All five directors—Tom Guenther, Kevin Lonergan, John Anderson, Brian Cross, and Barbara Reed-Polatty—were present. Guenther, president of the district, presided.
The late Hugh Nevins established the FVAWD in 1957 to provide water to 27 homes. Currently, FVAWD provides water service to 280 residences in the Red Rocks Ranch, Clovenhoof, Villas, Sundance Estates, and Shiloh Pines neighborhoods in unincorporated El Paso County. A five-member board of directors governs the FVAWD. The district has a contract water operations manager, Dan LaFontaine, who is responsible for maintaining the equipment and infrastructure and for managing all aspects of water delivery.
In February, a warrant was issued for the arrest of former contract office manager Patricia Unger on charges of embezzling more than $212,000 in district funds. That amount was subsequently increased to $315,000. Unger surrendered to authorities Feb. 16 and was released on bail awaiting a preliminary hearing, which was initially scheduled for April 18 and then postponed to May 19. (After the meeting, OCN learned that the hearing was postponed to July 12.)
The district has hired Sheri Betzer, a forensic auditor, and filed a civil suit against Unger to recover the missing funds.
District resident Michaele Duncan asked if any performance issues were raised with Unger prior to June 2004.
Guenther replied that he could not recall any. He noted that the secretary and treasurer met with her once a year and had not reported any problems. Reed-Polatty added that up until 1998, Unger presented bank statements and invoices to the board.
District resident Dan Spiegelberg asked Cross, who was appointed to the board at the April 13 meeting, for his assessment of the situation. Cross said, "We are eagerly awaiting the outcome of the trials and are optimistic of some recovery. I’m still trying to get up to speed."
In response to a question about the schedule for the court actions, Guenther said, "The civil court has ordered mediation with the district attorney participating. The results are nonbinding. We will see where it goes." He later noted that Unger’s attorney has offered full restitution in lieu of jail time. He added, "The district attorney has a problem with that."
Tom Thieme asked when the new Dawson aquifer well is expected to be on-line.
Lonergan said the technical committee set as the first priority pump replacement and maintenance on the Arapahoe well. He said, "After that, it depends on the money available." He added that maintenance work on the surface water plant is probably the second priority, with the Dawson well being third priority.
Thieme said, "The district needs to look at getting a loan."
Guenther replied that it would be considered at the next meeting of the financial committee.
Lonergan added that the Colorado Department of Local Affairs (DOLA) is holding grant money that will more than cover the cost of the service work on the Arapahoe well.
District resident Lowell Duncan asked for confirmation that no one advised the board prior to June 2004 that there were performance problems with Unger. He also asked when Unger was fired.
Guenther replied that Jeff Dull, the former treasurer, was frustrated that Unger was not supplying bank statements or financial statements. He said Unger resigned December 8.
Some highlights of LaFontaine’s report:
The plant that processes surface water went off-line April 12 due to low pH readings caused by pine needles affecting the runoff water. LaFontaine said it is an annual occurrence that lasts two to three weeks. He added that the surface water plant is now back on-line and during April produced 23.95 gallons per minute for 10.8 days, for a total of 372,400 gallons. For the first four months of 2005, the surface plant produced 4.08 million gallons.
The Arapahoe well produced 96.9 gallons per minute for 11.2 days, for a total of 1.56 million gallons. For the first four months of 2005, the Arapahoe well produced 2.82 million gallons.
Average use per customer during April was 4,114 gallons, versus 4,260 gallons in March.
509,106 gallons, or 30.7 percent of production, was lost.
All bacteriological sampling and reporting requirements to the Colorado Department of Health were satisfied.
Some highlights of Guenther’s report for April:
The district billed 280 accounts, for a total of 1.152 million gallons of water.
A total of $15,878 was billed, for an average of $56.71 per account. Of that amount, $7,280 was for debt service and the remaining $8,598 was for administrative and water usage fees. The debt service funds go to pay off an $880,000 bond issued in 1995 and a $45,000 loan obtained in 2004.
Guenther reported that the operating account balance stands at $33,878, the debt service account stands at $3,600, and the contingency account stands at $1,500. During April, $21,407 was transferred from the debt service account to the operating account to prepare for a bond payment.
Guenther noted that part-time contract bookkeeper Anne Bevis is transferring the existing bookkeeping data into the QuickBooks program.
The board unanimously approved checks totaling $33,655 for a variety of bills including the $21,407 bond payment, $4,298 for LaFontaine’s services, $2,613 as the final payment to AmWest for work done on the telemetry system in September and October 2004, $1,628 for electricity, and $1,452 for insurance. Attorneys Petrock & Fendel are owed $30,348, and Henkle Drilling is owed $22,977.
Lonergan said the district has a bid from AmWest for $24,395 to replace the pump and motor and to perform maintenance work on the Arapahoe well. He said, "I strongly recommend we do it immediately." He noted that the cost could be covered from the remaining funds in the DOLA grant.
LaFontaine said that since the surface plant is back on-line, the work, which would take at most a week to complete, could be done at any time.
Spiegelberg asked what the district would do if the surface plant went off-line while the Arapahoe well maintenance work was being done. Guenther said he would review the district’s cross-connection procedure with the Town of Palmer Lake’s water system.
The board unanimously approved Lonergan’s motion to have the work performed if DOLA funding is available and the cross-connection arrangement with Palmer Lake is adequate.
The board unanimously voted to go into executive session to discuss confidential matters regarding individual billing issues.
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The Forest View Acres Water District normally meets the second Wednesday each month at 7 p.m. The next regular board meeting would normally be held on June 8. At press time, OCN learned that the meeting will probably be postponed to June 15 and will probably be held at Grace Best Elementary School. Those wishing to attend are urged to confirm the date, time, and location by calling the district at 488-2110.
By Jim Kendrick
Treasurer Ed Delaney opened the Monument Sanitation District (MSD) board meeting with sad news that District Manager/Administrator Bonnie Hanson of the Palmer Lake Sanitation District had passed away. Delaney and District Manager Mike Wicklund listed the many times she had helped MSD in the past. Monument Trustee Tommie Plank, the town’s liaison to the district, noted that her memorial service would be held on May 21.
The board voted to unanimously accept the absence of Director Jeremy Diggins.
The district has collected 15 tap fees through April, totaling $101,600, after only four months. The total budget for tap fees in 2005 is $200,000. The final tap fee for the new Domino’s Pizza has been paid.
Progress is being made by the new accountant on converting all statements into the computer program favored by his firm.
Chairman Lowell Morgan reviewed the actions taken at the JUC meeting May 9. This committee directs the activities of the Tri-Lakes Wastewater Treatment Facility that is owned by MSD, Palmer Lake Sanitation District, and Woodmoor Water and Sanitation District. Woodmoor manages the operation of the plant.
Wicklund said that copper levels in the facility’s effluent have been about 8 parts per billion. Under the facility’s new temporary permit, average and one-time peak limits for a month are about 25 and 36 parts per billion, respectively. The minimum measurable copper level with current testing methods is 5 parts per billion. Morgan said this could be a problem when the state implements a lower permanent average limit of 8.5 parts per billion.
Morgan noted that maintaining the nitrogen levels in the facility’s aeration basins "by hand" has become more difficult. Facility Manager Bill Burks will work up cost estimates for automating the amount of air introduced into the two aeration basins currently in use for nitrification and de-nitrification of the wastewater by bacteria, which digest pollutants. The third aeration basin is not currently in use.
Wicklund reviewed the processes used in all the areas of the facility for the board members. He said solids are separated from the water taken from both aeration basins by using a clarifier. The separated processed water is disinfected by ultraviolet light and discharged as effluent into Monument Creek. This effluent is cleaner than the stream water it mixes with.
The solids are transported by a "flump" (similar to an underwater snow blower) from the bottom of the sludge lagoon, where they are completely digested by more bacteria until it becomes entirely liquid. Companies like Waste Management and Parker Agricultural are paid by the district to collect the sludge after it has been digested for about 27 months in the separate sludge lagoon. The companies then transport the sludge from the facility and spread it as fertilizer, for a fee from farmers.
Burks opened a second aeration basin last year to more effectively remove high copper concentrations that occurred on a few occasions. The combination of more aeration and longer processing of the fairly constant million gallons per day flow solved the temporary copper problems. Now that there are no longer high copper concentrations to remove, the flow rate through the aeration basins and amount of air introduced have to be more carefully managed by hand.
The board unanimously agreed not to raise rents for tenants in the district’s building. Rents were raised about 10 percent last year. Wicklund asked for permission to replace the rain gutters for the building with the accumulated rent money, and the board unanimously approved.
Wicklund reminded board members that the district’s auditor will interview board members individually, in private, as part of the annual audit. Results of the interviews will be reported to the state in the final audit summary.
The district has agreed to take over all the private sewer lines in Raspberry Point. Wicklund said that the district’s contractors have surveyed and will precisely locate all the lines to develop the new easement documentation for each of the affected residences in the development.
Although Zonta parcel owner Doug Barber has helped Wicklund make plans to run new sewer lines to the west side of the Wakonda Hills development through the vacant Zonta property, Wicklund said final planning has stalled recently. The Zonta parcel is bounded by Wakonda Hills, Beacon Lite Road, Century Park, and the Santa Fe Trail. The southern portion of the Zonta parcel, 15 acres, lies just inside the northern town boundary on the west side of Beacon Lite. The other 85 acres, along with the Wakonda Hills development, are in the county.
Over half the residents in Wakonda Hills have asked for their lots to be included into the sanitation district. The district’s long-term policy has been that sewer mains will be made available to every one of the development’s homes once half the residents have asked to be included.
There are two options for providing such service. One would involve moving all the Wakonda wastewater eastward to the existing Beacon Light collector. The other would involve running sewer mains through the center of the Zonta parcel, allowing for more gravity feed from the west side of Wakonda Hills, and would require construction of one or two less lift stations than the other option.
Wicklund and Barber have previously sought the town’s approval of the proposed sewer line in pre-application presentations to the Planning Commission and Board of Trustees. The sewer line locations would be under the planned streets of the proposed large-lot single-family home portion of the parcel. Once installed, however, the sewer lines would limit Barber’s options to later modify the preliminary sketch plan and move these streets.
The large-lot portion of the development lies entirely in the county at this time. Plans that had been developing for about two years stalled early in 2004, when the town asked Barber for about $2 million of improvements, including a new well, treatment plant, and storage tank facilities, as a condition of annexation. The town staff has turned over since this impasse was reached.
Wicklund said construction costs are about the same for either option. There are more lines that the district would pay for in the Zonta option but only two new lift stations. An extra lift station for the Beacon Lite option costs about $150,000, and operation of this extra lift station will cost a bit more in the long term.
Wicklund said that since more than 50 percent of Wakonda Hills residents have petitioned for inclusion into the district, it is time to finalize plans for the rest of the sewer system development.
If the extra lines are run through the Zonta parcel now, the district will pay for their installation. If the other option is chosen, Barber would have to pay for the installation of the sewer mains in his parcel, whether or not he annexes the remainder of the parcel into Monument.
The board unanimously approved a motion to have Wicklund initiate design planning for the Beacon Lite option—including site applications for three lift stations—by engineering consultant GMS, while giving the Barbers until Aug. 1 to decide whether to finalize the annexation and plat approval plans with the town or to move forward with plat approval from the county.
Wicklund’s narrative on sewer pumps: Wicklund gave an overview of difficulties that district staff had encountered with new construction on the Frank Puckett property at 339 Fourth St. Builder Kurt Erhardt was present for the entire discussion.
Wicklund said that the original house that had been built in 1958 has just been torn down. Although the district had been contacted by Munson Excavating requesting a sewer line "locate" for the existing 8-inch sewer collection line, construction excavation was initiated without Munson or the property owner obtaining a disconnect permit for the sewer tap. Wicklund noted that all utilities, not just the district, require disconnect permits, a standard procedure when building a new house where an old house had once been.
The excavation left a now-open 4-inch house line stub (for the original house) in the open ditch, exposing the 8-inch main to contamination and infiltration. He also noted that Puckett has done construction in the district before and should be familiar with these requirements to get disconnect and re-connect permits. Puckett’s fine for the unauthorized disconnect could be $2,000.
When Erhardt visited the district office on May 2, he asked for the cost of a sewer tap for the new home and advised Wicklund that he would be installing a sewer pump for the basement fixtures. Wicklund said he responded with information on the required fees and told him that district regulations would not allow for the proposed sewer pump.
However, Erhardt insisted he would be installing a pump because he believed that there were already "two dozen pumps installed in the district." Wicklund said he didn’t know about more than a few such pumps, and all were installed in extraordinary situations that did not apply to Erhardt’s project.
Erhardt insisted that Wicklund could not dictate what installation he made inside this house and that he would only comply with directions from Regional Building. After Erhardt left, Wicklund said he quickly realized that while the sewer line behind the building was about 4 feet deep, there was another line 8.5 feet deep in front of the house, which eliminated the need for a pump. However, the controversy was not yet resolved.
When Wicklund went out to the job site later on May 2 to inspect the manholes in front of and behind the house, and to confirm their depths, he found that a manhole had been opened behind the house with 2 feet of sludge blocking the rear sewer main. There was a long rod still in the cover. Morgan passed around pictures of the open trench and open severed line. Wicklund had the rear line blockage cleaned out immediately.
The property owner could be billed for this work, along with a fine for unauthorized access to the manhole, Wicklund said. He and Morgan then installed a plug in the open 4-inch stub to protect the 8-inch main line, along with other customers, from backups caused by contamination or mischief.
Wicklund stated that, had a sewer pump been in place in the basement of this new house, it would have likely backed up from this blockage of the rear sewer main. These backups harm the district and the homeowner because both are required to fill out federal forms after a backup as well as sewer backup disclosure forms when a house is sold—in addition to "just cleaning up the mess."
He said the district’s policy and regulations prevent sewage from blowing up out of toilets and bathtubs when pump impellers, pump motors, or backup prevention valves fail, as has happened to a rental home in Century Park.
Upon doing a records and address check, Wicklund said he learned that "Dr. Puckett doesn’t own the property." He had sent a notice May 4 informing Puckett of the problems and of the $1,000 open manhole penalty that would be charged by the district. Erhardt confirmed that the property is owned by API Properties 604 LLC of California. Wicklund said the property was sold without giving the district notice of the change of ownership.
Wicklund sent a second notice to Puckett and API properties on May 10 that was a "temporary disconnect certificate" allowing Puckett’s builders to expose the house sewer lines and a notification that they were required to "permanently disconnect" the remaining stub from the sewer main. The notice reminded the owners that they had to get permission from the district before any of their contractors could open manholes. It also reminded the owner that "no grinder pumps (lift station) will be permitted."
Erhardt opened his remarks by saying that Wicklund was dictating the architecture of new homes in the district by forcing him to build raised ranchers to eliminate a basement sewer pump. He said that sewer pumps don’t often fail and that the check valves would block a backup in any case.
Wicklund, Delaney, and Director Chuck Robinove gave several examples where pumps had failed and check valves had been blocked open by grease, rags, and paper, which build up like papier-mâché over 10 years. Erhardt replied that the district could not regulate the type of garbage disposals that are installed.
Delaney said problems such as these occurred over ten years ago in one Century Park house and three other houses—the only sewer pumps that had been approved by the district—leading to the creation of the pump and check valve regulations.
Erhardt had sent a letter dated May 10 to all the board members saying that Wicklund had denied installation of a sewage pump in the house he built at 139 Fourth St. in 2003. He said that this increased the cost of the home by "several thousand dollars" and that he had to add steps to the home when the main level had to be raised to ensure gravity feed.
Wicklund said he only enforced the regulations that prohibit the district’s installation of sewer pumps. Morgan said it was Erhardt’s job to design houses that comply with regulations based on sound experience. The board members expressed their agreement with the actions taken by Wicklund and their appropriateness.
Erhardt’s letter claimed that "only" MSD has "objections" to sewer pumps and asked the board to change its policy on them to match those of all the other districts.
Director Chuck Robinove asked Wicklund to research the other jurisdictions’ policies on sewage/grinder pumps. He added that he did not believe the Monument district should change its policy, regardless of the results of Wicklund’s research. Secretary Glenda Smith, Morgan, and Delaney expressed agreement with Robinove. Morgan asked that Wicklund also research the assessments and fines other districts charge for noncompliance.
Erhardt’s letter called for "the immediate termination of your manager" but did not cite any examples of Wicklund’s "arrogance, abuse of authority, or lack of consistency in enforcing the regulations," which were the basis of his request. Erhardt also said he had never read the district’s regulations. Morgan noted that since Erhardt had put these claims in writing, he should be able to give the board an example for each of the charges.
Erhardt wrote that the house at 129 Fourth Street he built recently had a sewer pump. Wicklund noted that although there was only a shallow sewer main serving that lot, the district was led to believe that the house only had a crawl space during the inspection, when in fact it has a basement.
Morgan showed the other board members photos that were taken at the inspection of the sewer tap for this house, where construction debris was placed over all the casement windows to hide the existence of a basement. Wicklund said the district had no idea that this house had a sewer pump until they read Erhardt’s letter.
Morgan also said that Erhardt’s letter did not say that Wicklund had approved the pump installed in the 129 Fourth Street house. Morgan added that his letter in effect accused Wicklund of being incompetent for "failing to detect that he had sneaked in a pump in the basement that was not authorized." Even though the district is now aware of the existence of this pump, the board determined later in the meeting that no action will be taken against the homeowner.
Smith said that there was a "personality conflict here" and that Erhardt should take the time to learn about regulations in each district, even if it is difficult.
Erhardt apologized "for our differences." Wicklund said that he wanted to remain friendly with everyone who deals with the district, including Erhardt. Morgan said, "Let’s call it even and get on with it." Robinove summarized by saying that if mistakes were made by Wicklund, they are not a pattern of inconsistency and that the board believes in the regulations and in Wicklund’s management. He asked for a "little bit of charity on both sides." Wicklund and Erhardt shook hands.
The meeting was adjourned at 9 p.m. The next meeting will be held on June 21 at 6:30 p.m. in the district office at 132 Second St.
By Jim Kendrick
The Triview Metropolitan District board discussed several improvements to its infrastructure and a proposal to realign its zoning and subdivision with those of the town of Monument. They also approved several payments, but offered no details to the press.
Town Manager Cathy Green said the Timbers proposal, between Home Depot and Foxworth-Galbraith on the west side of Jackson Creek Parkway, had revealed some problems in the 18-year-old Regency Park intergovernmental agreement (IGA) with the town. She said the agreement contains standards and definitions that the town no longer uses and would require commercial development to "always look like 1987," the year Jackson Creek was annexed.
For example, the definition of Regency Park Planned Industrial Development zoning is now about the same as Monument Planned Commercial Development zoning. Town regulations don’t allow commercial in an industrial development, and Green initially requested that developer Hammers Construction, Inc. add rezoning to the Timbers proposal, which caused a delay. The Timbers proposal still cannot comply with both town and district standards at the same time because of the differences that have evolved since 1987.
Mayor Byron Glenn asked why the Timbers development’s architectural standards would be different than the standards the Board of Trustees approved for the Monument Marketplace. District Manager Ron Simpson agreed, noting that former Town Planner Mike Davenport used town ordinances to set the Marketplace requirements. Simpson added that the regulation discrepancies had been ignored in the approval of the Jackson Creek Market Village shopping center and townhome development adjacent to the King Soopers center on Baptist Road, because they weren’t detrimental to the district.
Green disagreed with Simpson’s characterization, saying there were no significant issues with the Marketplace proposal, but the Timbers proposal would require an amendment of the IGA. There were several comments made on a 21-page memo regarding amendments for Jackson Creek Parkway and these four shopping centers.
Simpson also made reference to questions about a requirement for a 1-acre park-and-ride.
The district’s attorney, Pete Susemihl, said the town benefits by not having to deal with these types of issues while still collecting half of the district’s sales tax revenue. (Triview is the only special district in the state allowed to collect sales tax.) Susemihl, who specializes in creating developer special districts, said the purpose of his IGA was to keep the town from "messing with zoning to the detriment of bondholders" and to help Triview pay off its debt.
Triview continues to be unable to pay all its annual bondholder interest debt. Susemihl said that there would be no amendment of the IGA without bondholder approval. Simpson suggested the Timbers submit a preliminary sketch of the proposal so that both sides could better evaluate potential conflicts between town and district construction and zoning regulations.
Glenn said that the differences in town and district regulations might make the town "vulnerable to a lawsuit." He added that the public improvement fee that would be charged to customers by all Jackson Creek retailers, like an extra sales tax. The collected fees would help BRRTA pay for the interest on bonds for accelerated improvements of the I-25 Exit 158 interchange. The fee would have to be agreed upon by all the shopping center owners and all those who lease space in them, to prevent unfair competition.
Green added that three annexations are expected this summer: the Barber parcel that Wal-Mart sought for several years, the Higby Home Place Ranch development, and 120 acres of the Walters estate for a development called Promontory Point, just east of Jackson Creek on Baptist Road. She also said that a multifamily development is being proposed on Woodworth Street.
Consultant Chuck Ritter, of Nolte Associates, said that he expected approval of the plans for upgrading the capacity of the Upper Monument Creek Regional Wastewater Treatment Facility (WWTF) to be approved by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment in about six weeks. Ritter confirmed that the Donala Water and Sanitation District would not likely reach an agreement with the Air Force Academy to send most of its wastewater to the Academy’s treatment facility, as originally proposed a few months ago. Had Donala been able to send most or all of its wastewater elsewhere, the upgrade of the Upper Monument Creek facility could have been deferred for several years.
Ritter noted that plans were moving forward with Mountain View Electric Association to move electric utilities to allow for creation of an at-grade railroad crossing for the WWTF. Ritter started to discuss the bridge issues for the improvements, but Simpson stopped him. Donala Manager Dana Duthie had reported at the April board meeting that the railroad trestle bridge may not be wide enough for access to the facility by sludge removal trucks and that the concrete bridge on the dirt service access road may not be strong enough to support projected truck traffic.
Ritter also said that Triview and Donala would probably split the cost of extending water lines to the Promontory Point development north of Baptist and Gleneagle. The new lines would connect the two districts. The cost would be just over $100,000. Plans are also being developed for providing water and sewer service to the Barber property for the mixed residential and commercial proposal that will be proposed by developer CSI.
Group Manager Gary Barber gave the board the same briefing on the group’s actions to negotiate for purchase and delivery of surface water for the group’s member districts, which OCN reported on previously. One source of this water could be from farmers in southeast Colorado; the water could perhaps be held in the Pueblo Reservoir and sent north via the proposed Colorado Springs Utilities’ Southern Delivery System pipeline.
He also discussed alternative water storage sites for the new surface water resource. He concluded his presentation by saying that the group would be seeking partnerships for these proposals, both public and private.
Simpson discussed the inclusion of the Higby Home Place Ranch parcel into the water district. The board unanimously agreed that the developer should seek annexation, then directed Susemihl to draft a letter offering inclusion into the district, with or without annexation by the town.
The board unanimously approved lease-purchase of mobile office space from General Electric for wastewater treatment plant B.
The district will seek low-cost loans from the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment to pay for its share of the WWTF capacity expansion.
The board agreed that the district would not pay a higher rate for street sweeping until the town’s new sweeper is delivered.
Striping of Jackson Creek Parkway and Leather Chaps with thermoplastic paint at a cost of $31,700 by United Rentals Highway Technologies was unanimously approved.
The engineering consulting contract with Nolte Associates was renewed for 2005. Also unanimously approved was a Nolte proposal to produce global positioning system infrastructure maps for the district’s entire infrastructure.
The board unanimously approved contracts with Ayres and Associates to produce drainage reports for Monument Marketplace for not more than $1,000 and Remington Hills for not more than $3,000.
The board will offer ingress/egress easements to BRRTA while still reserving the district’s own easements.
Payments of $634,000 for Phase G bonds were approved. This figure does not include another unspecified bond payment. Several other payments were unanimously approved, but no specifics were stated by Stephenson or Simpson and no data were provided to OCN. (No other water or sanitation district has this policy of withholding information.)
The board unanimously agreed not to pay Ideal Concrete for its request of an unspecified amount of money for unspecified work it performed a few years ago.
The meeting went into executive session at 6:45 p.m. to discuss what the agenda noted as a "property acquisition item." There was no announcement of any decisions made during or after this executive session.
By Elizabeth Hacker
In a lively meeting, the Triview Metropolitan District board approved a contract to sell excess effluent water to the town of Monument to help fill Monument Lake. The board also agreed to provide water and sewer service to the Home Place Ranch development on Higby Road.
Tom Kassawara, Monument’s Director of Development Services, reported on the planning status of The Timbers, a proposed commercial development adjacent to Home Depot, and noted that it would be resubmitted to the Planning Commission once the Jackson Creek Parkway access issues related to the Watt property and Foxworth-Galbraith have been addressed, perhaps in another month. The other major Jackson Creek proposals that have been received are Remington Hills, Jackson Creek Commerce Center, and Ent Federal Credit Union.
Kassawara noted that the Development Services Department would now oversee planning and engineering for the town to ensure that all conditions are met prior to the Regional Building Department issuing a Certificate of Occupancy (CO). He added that for developments within Triview, the district will now also give approval before the town authorizes a CO. District Manager Ron Simpson added that under current agreements the town has more control of commercial developments, while the district has more control of residential.
Mayor Byron Glenn reported that the town was entering into an intergovernmental agreement (IGA) with Colorado Springs Utilities (CSU) to trade excess effluent water flowing to Monument Creek below the Monument dam for creek water to be stored in Monument Lake. The amount of water to be stored is 200 acre-feet, which would be offset by an equal amount of excess effluent. An acre-foot is 326,851 gallons. Glenn asked that Monument be able to purchase excess effluent water from Triview as the town has done by a contract with Donala Water and Sanitation District, for $50 per acre-foot. This would be a one-time refill.
Simpson endorsed the proposal, noting that Triview no longer sells excess effluent for agricultural purposes for $1 per acre-foot, and that $50 per acre-foot was a good price. District President Steve Stephenson asked Simpson how the price was determined. Simpson replied that this is "five times more than anyone else would pay" but would not be a money-maker, just a way to help out the town and get credit for a good use. He added that Triview’s excess effluent is 10-15 acre-feet per month.
Currently, CSU takes the credit for excess effluent water from the Tri-Lakes and Upper Monument Creek Regional Wastewater Treatment Facilities that flows downstream without compensation. The town does not benefit from it either. Glenn emphasized that this trade would only take place in years when there was an excess flow in Monument Creek and that the IGA was an effective method that avoided legal expenses.
The resolution to approve the requested IGA was passed unanimously. Glenn said he would ask that all the area districts continue to work together with the town to enhance their relationships with Colorado Springs.
Fred Borman of Classic Homes presented a slide show depicting what Classic envisions for the proposed Indigo Ranch development in Jackson Creek. Their proposal is affordable high-density housing. The slide show featured one of their developments that used this concept in the Stetson Hills area of Colorado Springs. Borman noted that it has been very popular, selling around 15 units per month. The densities are about seven homes per acre, ranging in size from 900 to 2,000 square feet with two-car garages, but no basements, and costing between $175,000 and $230,000.
The fronts of most units face a common area, and the garages are located in the back and accessed by a 20-foot-wide alley. Each home would have a small fenced-in yard and the target market would be first-time home owners. Monument Town Manager Cathy Greene noted that the town had an issue with dead-end alleys. Borman noted that the alleys would be one-way and all connect to streets to eliminate the fire hazards of dead-ended alleys. The board noted that this would be a preferred solution to apartments for this site and that there should be no parking on any of the alleys, to ensure adequate snow removal.
Chuck Ritter noted that the Consumer Confidence Report, a requirement of the Colorado Department of Health, was favorable and indicated customer satisfaction. Simpson reported that the greatest concern noted in phone calls received from residents was about fluoride levels in the water.
Watering schedule: Simpson reported on the district’s watering schedule. Board members noted that they observe district residents watering their yards every day and not following the schedule. It was recommended that a postcard be sent to residents informing them of the schedule, which calls for three watering days per week based on odd (M-W-F) and even (Tu-Th-Sat) addresses. The town and district watering restrictions will now be the same.
Detention ponds: A number of detention ponds were discussed, and Simpson noted that in the future he would like to see some of them serve as park properties as well as detention ponds. He noted that Misty Creek pond, at the corner of Leather Chaps and Baptist Road would be disturbed when Baptist is upgraded. The board asked if pond improvements could be made at the same time as road improvements.
Simpson said that the road improvement funding is not sufficient to pay for pond improvements. He said the Baptist Road alignment would alter the drainage and that would have to be addressed. The board noted it would like the ponds to be landscaped with drip irrigation. The board unanimously approved the recommended changes for the Misty Creek pond.
Home Place Ranch: The current plan is for 956 homes to be built on the Higby parcel that will be served by Triview. There would be a 50-foot easement to allow for a water service interconnection to the Donala Water District. Retention ponds to store re-use water are planned. The board unanimously approved the letter of intent to include and serve the development.
Promontory Point: The board noted concern for traffic on Lyon’s Tail Drive if it is extended through the proposed Promontory Point development to Baptist Road and asked that the extension be reconsidered.
Park-and-Ride: Simpson reported that the park-and-ride indicated on the original Regency Park master plan in 1987, which lies within the proposed Timbers development, was not included in CDOT’s or EPCDOT’s transportation plans. The board unanimously approved the request to remove it from the master plan. There was some discussion about creating a park-and-ride area at the southwest intersection of Leather Chaps and Baptist Road. However, no action was formally proposed regarding this recommendation.
Baptist Camp water tanks: Simpson noted that Triview and Donala would request a tank site on the master plan for the Baptist Camp property. He said he was not sure if this property would be developed with low-density housing similar to Fox Run in the county or annexed into the town and develop at higher densities.
Contract approved: The documents required to execute the lease-purchase of a previously approved mobile office building from General Electric were unanimously approved and signed.
Street and crosswalk striping: The board noted that the painted striping in the Jackson Creek area was very nice. Simpson reported that the thermoplastic arrows and crosswalks would be completed this summer.
Facility investment fee: Simpson reported that many water districts have this fee. Triview proposed a fee of $1,575 for a new water tap and $1,125 for a new sewer tap, totaling $2,700 for each residential unit in new developments. The projected revenue would be approximately $2.8 million from the water facility investment fee and $2 million from the sewer facility investment fee. The board asked what this would be used for. It was reported that there would be future needs such as a second water tank and water treatment plant expansion, but that the money was not specifically dedicated for any one facility. Susemihl said this facilities revenue could also be reallocated into the general fund for other purposes.
A motion was made to approve the new fees. The staff requested that the motion also state that the fees are to be collected in the plat phase for residential and in the building permit phase for commercial. The board unanimously approved the amended motion. The fees will go into effect immediately.
Financial report: The building lease for Triview office space was increased by $700 for the coming year. The renewal was unanimously approved, as were all other bills, invoices, vouchers, and draw requests.
The meeting adjourned at 6:33 p.m. The next meeting will be held at 4:30 p.m. on May 25 at the district office building, 174 N. Washington St. Meetings are normally held the fourth Wednesday of the month.
By Sue Wielgopolan
Jessie Shaffer, Woodmoor district engineer, presented slides comparing features of metering and meter reading transponder systems at the May 10 meeting. Board members are weighing cost and payback times in deciding how best to respond to the necessary replacement of old reader units. The changeover will probably cost the district more than $500,000, and members are carefully considering their options before making a decision.
Jim Wyss, board treasurer, reported that district income for the year to date was 31 percent of the budget, just slightly below expectations. However, as peak building season approaches and homeowners begin irrigating lawns and landscaping, he expects water and sewer tap fees and water use charges to catch up to projections.
Some expenditures were also lower than expected. Salaries and sewer treatment expenses were under budget. Maintenance expenses, however, were significantly over budget. General Manager Phil Steininger attributed this to the large expenditures, such as the lab building allocation and well maintenance procedures, that were averaged over 12 months instead of appearing as lump sums in the month that the money was actually spent.
Steininger reported back to the board on a $40,000 easement expenditure Wyss had questioned during the April meeting. He said that expense appeared in the 2005 budget due to a bookkeeping adjustment. The transaction had taken place late in 2004, but the paperwork had missed the auditing deadline. Once the 2004 audit is complete, the purchase will be moved back into the 2004 budget.
The board then unanimously accepted the financials.
Ron Turner, who attended the Joint Use Committee (JUC) meeting, reported that all water quality measurements remained within allowable limits during the past month. The JUC consists of representatives of the three co-owners of the Tri-Lakes Wastewater Treatment Facility (WWTF): Monument Sanitation, Palmer Lake Sanitation, and Woodmoor Water and Sanitation.
However, the operators at the plant did notice a spike in pH during May, indicating a high level of alkalinity in the water. Upon investigation, the technicians at the treatment facility isolated the source as being somewhere in the south Monument outfall line. They discovered that Synthes had accidentally discharged unbuffered high pH water from one of their vats on May 9 but had not notified the plant. Plant manager Bill Burks will discuss with Synthes the importance of immediately reporting all accidental and noncompliant discharges. Notification will enable technicians to monitor for and treat chemicals that could affect the plant’s effluent water quality.
Board president Jim Taylor inquired about developments regarding allowable copper levels for the Tri-Lakes facility. Mike Rothberg, consulting engineer with the firm RTW, stated that the plant has a permit from the state temporarily doubling the legal limits for copper in effluent water discharged by the WWTF into Monument Creek.
The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment has been conducting biweekly and monthly studies. Preliminary results indicate that copper levels two to three times higher than current maximums may not have a measurable toxic effect on aquatic life, meaning that current limits may be safely doubled without ill effects to stream organisms. Ultimately, study findings could result in the permanent relaxation of the currently proposed, stringent long-term copper limits for the plant.
Rothberg said that he expects a six-month summary of ongoing studies in mid-June, with a study completion date in November or December. Study results will be used in future negotiations of final standards for the WWTF permit.
With regard to ammonia content in discharged WWTF effluent, Rothberg also told the board that data is currently being collected for Dr. William Lewis’ study. Lewis, who is a professor at CU Boulder and the state’s pre-eminent expert in this field, has been hired by the JUC to quantify the effect of ammonia on aquatic life.
The Colorado Legislature had been out of session, so no bills dealing with water conservancy or conservation districts had been passed. Those that had been proposed would not have benefited the Tri-Lakes area; in fact, Pat Ratliff, lobbyist for the El Paso County Water Authority, had worked against several of them.
Dyad, a petroleum company, intends to conduct methane exploration operations in the Palmer Divide area and has selected two drilling sites. Because one of the sites is on National Forest land off Mt. Herman Road near the Pike Hotshot professional wildland fire team station, a Forest Service permit will be required.
Because methane-saturated underground water is a common by-product of natural gas extraction, containment and disposal of any residual underground water is a concern to surrounding water and sanitation districts. The presence of high levels of methane in effluent could create a water quality issue.
Steininger said he is concerned that contaminated water discharge could also impact Woodmoor Lake. The Woodmoor district draws water from Monument Creek to store in the lake as part of their exchange program. Steininger expects the U.S. Forest Service to consider these potential impacts to the Woodmoor district when evaluating Dyad’s drilling permit application.
Steininger announced that Well 8 has been repaired and is finally operational, after more than 18 months of downtime.
Well 17 will also be back in service for peak season. The well has been out of service while AmWest performed rehabilitation operations. Though inclement weather delayed completion, Woodmoor staff expects to have it up and running by the second week of May.
Brown Construction, the contractor selected for the Bowstring Sewer Improvement Project, has laid most of the new sewer pipe and is ready to finish the tie-in at Leggins Way. This final step will link the sewer lines to the South Outfall, which is a large pipeline that routes wastewater to the treatment facility. Completion of the larger sewer line has enabled Pulte to start townhome construction in Walters Commons on Higby Road.
Rothberg is working on plans to increase the capacity of the Central Water Treatment Facility. The original design of the plant included expansion capabilities. At present, Woodmoor wells in the area can produce more water than the facility can handle.
Steininger told the board that Woodmoor will begin prequalifying contractors in mid-May for the new warehouse. The contract will be "design and build." Prequalification will be made based on answers to a questionnaire that will be distributed to interested builders. Those contractors may then submit a bid for the project based on the district’s requirements.
Since the warehouse’s main purpose will be vehicle storage, only minimal heat and electricity will be needed. Steininger said steel or masonry construction is acceptable; cost will be a major factor in determining building materials.
Though the warehouse will be enclosed by fencing, Steininger told the board that the district intends to seek input on exterior features from the Woodmoor Improvement Association.
Woodmoor hopes to have construction of the new building underway by the end of June or the beginning of July, with a completion date before the end of December.
Steininger distributed copies of the 2004 draft audit to the board, and asked members to review the numbers and have any questions or comments ready for the June meeting. The finalized audit must be submitted to the state by July, so the June board meeting will be the last opportunity for members to suggest changes.
Taylor asked if the auditor could be present at the June meeting to answer questions, field comments, and make any necessary revisions. Office Manager Hope Winkler agreed to contact the auditor and schedule a visit.
Village Center at Woodmoor: Developer WED Construction has finished infrastructure improvements to Filing I and will be moving on to Filing II. The infrastructure plans for Filing II have already been approved by the Woodmoor district.
District Engineer Jessie Shaffer is wrapping up the design on the bulk water station, which will be located off Knollwood Drive across from the Lutheran Church. Woodmoor is negotiating an agreement with WED to build the water station according to Shaffer’s specifications. The project will be completed sometime this summer.
Walters Commons: Pulte has completed infrastructure for Phase I of Walters Commons, which will be composed of multifamily homes. They are currently working on Phase II, and upon completion will move directly into Phase III.
No announcement has been forthcoming regarding the establishment of a conservation easement by the Walters family north of the Commons. The issue had become contentious in recent months, as the 130-acre easement promised to the Woodmoor Improvement Association (WIA) by the Walters has not materialized. The disagreement between the Walters Estate and the WIA caused a brief delay in Pulte’s construction operations but is tentatively resolved. Construction has since resumed and is on schedule.
Misty Acres: The developers of Misty Acres, which is located near County Line Road east of the campground, had replatted several years ago and are ready to resubmit their utility plan to Woodmoor. The newer plat has been approved by the Board of County Commissioners.
MGP: Developer MGP has indicated to the Woodmoor district that it plans to subdivide the property located near the southeast corner of the intersection of I-25 and County Line Road. The plan calls for residential lots on the east side of the parcel and light commercial on the west side facing I-25.
Greenland Preserve: Masterbilt, the developer of the Greenland Preserve, has begun installing infrastructure on Filings 2 and 3. The preserve is located south of County Line Road and will consist of single-family homes on half-acre or larger lots.
Steininger told the board he had heard nothing from the Lakehouse Homeowners Association (HOA) regarding the property trade proposed by HOA president Curt Ormond at the last board meeting. The HOA would like to sell property to a group planning to build a small medical facility on Woodmoor Drive across from Lewis-Palmer Middle School and wants to acquire a half-acre of district land adjoining their site to include in the sale.
Steininger informed the HOA that Woodmoor could only trade district-owned property for something of equal monetary value. The board agreed to look at a trade proposal only if the HOA pays all expenses, including appraisals necessary to establish fair value of the land under consideration.
Woodmoor hopes to conduct its annual flushing of district water lines in May. Technicians try to time the flushing operations late enough to avoid freezing temperatures but early enough not to interfere with rising demand as homeowners begin irrigating their landscaping.
Taylor asked to be informed of any bad hydrants discovered during flushing. Steininger informed him that not all hydrants would be involved in the operation, so technicians would be unable to compile a comprehensive list of problem hydrants at this time. However, Steininger said that the district does conduct yearly testing and maintenance on all hydrants, flagging those that are out of service for repair.
Steininger recently attended a seminar hosted jointly by the American Water Works Association and the Water Environment Federation. The seminar, intended for administrators of water and sanitation providers, examined problems common to the industry and projections of what utilities will look like in the next 10 years. Steininger learned that large districts and municipalities face the same basic problems as small ones, which include deteriorating infrastructure and inadequate water sources.
Results of the Malcolm Pirnie survey, a national poll of water and wastewater utility providers, were presented at the seminar. The poll canvassed water and wastewater professionals to identify the major challenges facing providers and to articulate strategies for effectively managing personnel, resources, and equipment in the future.
After reviewing the results of the survey, Steininger applauded the board for its proactive management approach. Woodmoor has already instituted many of the strategies discussed. In particular, the board has planned for ongoing repair and replacement of aging infrastructure before serious problems arise, and is actively seeking new sources of water to supplement existing sources.
The district has also used new technology to its advantage, by incorporating sophisticated computer monitoring devices and software to more accurately track resources and keep equipment operational.
Steininger said the board was to be commended for being "good stewards" of district resources and managing assets well.
Concerned by recent local embezzlement cases, the board had requested that Steininger investigate what protection and assurances ADP, the company selected to handle Woodmoor’s payroll account, provides. Steininger reported that ADP is bonded and has a written "dishonesty policy" to cover cases of fraud or theft. Steininger was satisfied that ADP is making reasonable efforts to protect Woodmoor’s interests.
When the Woodmoor district was first formed, meters were read using an outside "wall clock," which was inefficient and inaccurate. Readers had to approach each home to read the meter. The process was time-consuming, and readings were often lower than actual usage, resulting in lost revenue to the district.
Woodmoor switched to Trace transponders, which were mounted on the wall or pipe above the meters. Employees reading the meter could then use "interrogators" to get the reading remotely from their vehicles. They were able to park on the street and read several meters from one location. The Trace radio readers were also more accurate. This system, though not perfect, has worked well for the district.
The Trace readers are now nearing the end of their battery life, and the entire unit must be replaced. Since the Trace units were installed, manufacturers have changed partnerships. Badger, a manufacturer, has come up with a comparable unit carrying the brand name Orion.
Rather than run dual systems, which is confusing and not cost effective, staff has proposed that the board choose one manufacturer for the entire district. Steininger asked for the board’s input in deciding whether to replace all existing meters and transponders, which would also give the district the option of switching to a different manufacturer, or to keep the current meters and replace only the aging transponders. Replacing the meters would give Woodmoor the added advantage of a higher level of metering accuracy. Aging units read progressively lower as mechanical parts wear out. Members need to make a decision soon, so that the chosen system can be installed in homes and businesses in new developments.
The board also discussed the merits of using district employees, rather than contractors hired by the distributor, to install new equipment. Steininger pointed out that district technicians could note and record, for example, which homes had backflow preventers, or whether irrigation systems had been properly tied in behind the meter. He said such information could prove valuable in troubleshooting individual homeowner problems.
Shaffer then gave a slide presentation to the board, detailing the process that district staff used to analyze the four systems under consideration.
No selection was made during the meeting. Members will study the various options presented and continue the discussion during their June meeting. The board approved a motion to authorize Steininger to begin negotiations with the distributors.
Erin Smith, attorney for the district, distributed another section of Woodmoor’s Rules and Regulations, which addresses applications and permits. She told the board that the section contained only one new concept, called "timing of connection;" the rest incorporated language changes.
Since time was short, Smith said she would postpone until June discussion of feedback and minor modifications to the Conditions and Requirements section, which had been distributed at the April meeting. She asked the board to review the new section and submit comments and suggestions on June 14.
The public portion of the meeting ended at 2:53 p.m., and the board went into executive session to consider personnel matters and negotiating positions involving water rights and/or property. No announcements were made after the session prior to adjournment.
The next meeting of the Woodmoor Water and Sanitation board of directors will take place on June 14 at 1 p.m. at the Woodmoor office, 1845 Woodmoor Dr. Meetings are normally held the second Tuesday of the month.
By Jim Kendrick
The board of the Donald Wescott Fire Protection District held a long meeting on May 18, covering a variety of issues. Chief Bill Sheldon had been excused from attending the previous board meeting, and there was a lot of catching up to do. All members of the board were present.
Administrative Assistant Ginnette Ritz reported that the carryover of funds from 2004 to 2005 budget year–initially estimated to be about $578,000– should be approximately $630,000. The actual carryover amount will be determined when the 2004 audit is complete. The district continued to receive special ownership tax revenue through the end of April, which must be reallocated to 2004. The treasurer’s report was approved unanimously.
Chairman Brian Ritz reported that construction of the additional engine bay and office space is going well. Contractor CMS will soon submit a new schedule that reflects the weather delays of the past winter and the delay with the building permit at the beginning of the project. The completion date may be extended two weeks to July 15.
There was a lengthy discussion of all current construction activity and previous minor changes in the original design. The board unanimously approved a change order to repair the deteriorating driveway pavement by the existing front garage doors, rather than just patch the portion around the new drain trap that will be installed. This complete repair would be cheaper and more efficient than repairing the rest of the potentially hazardous cracks at a later date.
The additional cost of replacing the front driveway at the same time the new driveway is installed is $4,183. The board had already approved additional funds for parking lot modifications and heating, electrical, and plumbing equipment, as well as some structural changes. The projected cost of the addition is now about $422,000, up from $410,000, but well within the plan for contingencies.
Personnel forms in place: Chief Bill Sheldon advised the board that the job descriptions, evaluation forms, and goal forms have been distributed to all paid staff. So far, all staff members except Assistant Chief Vinny Burns have been interviewed. Sheldon reported the discussions have confirmed that there are no negative trends or disgruntled staff. There have been very positive comments so far, with good goals in educational and personal areas. Reviews will be conducted three times a year. Sheldon will determine whether separate forms are needed for volunteers, particularly those who qualify to be paid for part-time work. Ritz asked Sheldon to have job descriptions and goal sheets for the latter by January 2006.
Sheldon said the original documents establishing the district called for up to 50 members, but that cap can be changed to fit the department’s needs. Of the department’s 30 volunteers, 11 meet or exceed the minimum requirements to be paid for part-time work.
The board agreed to increase the number of active volunteers. Captain Mike Whiting will set up a board to interview potential new volunteers. The district has enough extra equipment on hand for up to eight more volunteers.
Sheldon advised the board members that they should consider giving additional pay for paramedics. Other departments pay an additional $300-400 per month for the certification. Wescott firefighters agree to stay with the district for four years after the district pays the cost of books and tuition, about $7,000, for them to attend paramedic school. If there is a change in paramedic pay, Sheldon recommended it start in July. The board asked for a comparison of what additional percentage other departments offer as paramedic pay plus a payment recommendation from Chief Sheldon for the board to consider at the June meeting.
Vehicle fleet thinned: Sheldon said that the Southwest Highway 115 department is very happy with the 1982 Chevrolet pumper, the 1974 International tanker, and the 1978 Chevrolet pumper they recently purchased from DWFPD for $9,500. He also offered Wescott’s 1988 International rescue vehicle to their department for $9,500.
He asked the board if he could also give them a Ford truck chassis originally donated to the district to build a brush truck. It has been stored at Station 2 but was never used or licensed. The board accepted his offer. Sheldon noted that the 1994 Chevrolet Caprice he used to drive was used in a North Group "jaws of life" extrication training event and then junked after being destroyed during the training.
The total insurance savings for 2005 for these transactions will be $909. Although unrelated to the sales, the department will also receive an insurance refund of $1,794 from their comprehensive liability insurer for not filing any insurance claims.
Sheldon noted the district’s other 1994 Chevrolet Caprice now has 129,000 miles on it. It can be used for inspections and the light bar from the junked Impala can be mounted on its roof. Sheldon asked for $1,200 to repaint the brown 1999 Chevrolet Blazer, recently obtained from the Colorado Springs Police Department, before attaching the light bar. The command center now in the district’s Hummer will be re-mounted in the Blazer in the near future. Also, Engine One has been repaired and is back in service as a reserve second pumper.
Sheldon advised the board that it should plan for purchasing new vehicles in the future. The primary engine and tender are now three years old. He said most fire departments change out these type vehicles in about seven years. Ritz asked Sheldon to give the board a five-year plan for vehicle replacement for consideration during initial 2006 budget discussions during the October meeting.
Landscaping: The younger brother of the Eagle Scout who previously completed a landscaping project at Station 3 wants to expand the project. Sheldon said he has submitted a drawing for further landscaping that includes a gravel path and low-level lighting coming from the new parking lot. He would also like to Xeriscape the remaining area, leaving the existing trees. Sheldon also noted the need for groundcover on the hill behind the station for erosion control, once construction is complete.
Sheldon introduced a resolution to adopt the 2003 International Fire Code (Resolution 05-01), which Regional Building and the Colorado Springs Fire Department are also adopting in July. These agencies review and approve all new construction in the district. The board members received a draft letter from Battalion Chief Edwards advising business owners in the district of the change and stating that existing businesses are grandfathered and would not be affected unless they change the primary occupancy of the building.
The board tabled this resolution until further information can be obtained for discussion at the June meeting. The potential change will be also advertised and posted to allow the public to comment on it at that session.
Sheldon also introduced a resolution (05-02) to officially rename Station 3 to Donald Wescott Fire Protection District Headquarters/Station Number One. Changes to district vehicle numbers for dispatching purposes will be required. The original Station 1 has been closed for several years. The resolution was unanimously approved.
Sheldon advised the board that the cleanup of Station 2 would be complete by July, in time to provide space to store the new Pikes Peak Community College pumper.
The district’s new computer system is now in use for preparing reports required by state and federal agencies. Sheldon received a federal report confirming the district’s submitted statistics. There have been no software failures. The board asked to see if the AMR ambulance calls could be separated from the other calls to better assess fire equipment response times.
Run report: There were 138 runs in April, including 24 medical, 4 traffic accident, 4 hazardous materials, 1 electrical hazard, 1 gas-involved fire, 4 public assist, 1 carbon monoxide alarm, 1 service, 97 AMR ambulance, and 1 mutual aid traffic accident. Analysis of Molotov cocktails found by Wescott personnel on Spring Valley Drive indicated that they probably were made with paint thinner and some oil. They were disposed of properly by the county’s HAZMAT team.
FPPA 457 Deferred Compensation Plan in place: The proposed supplemental retirement plan agreements have been approved by the district’s lawyer, who also advised that three board members be appointed to the separate retirement board for this plan. The plan was unanimously approved and Ritz, Kevin Gould, and Joe Potter agreed to be on the retirement board.
The board went into executive session for discussion of a personnel matter at 9:35 p.m. The executive session ended at 10:22 p.m. with no action taken, and the meeting was adjourned.
The next meeting is scheduled for June 15 at 7 p.m. at Station 2 at 15000 Sun Hills Dr. Meetings are normally held on the third Wednesday of the month.
By John Heiser
At its regular meeting May 25, the Tri-Lakes Fire Protection District Board of Directors, Board President Charlie Pocock said Chief Robert Denboske will be going to Nebraska May 31 to take delivery on the district’s second new Smeal fire engine.
Pocock noted that purchase of the engine completes the second phase in the district’s multi-year, three phase expansion plan. He said phase 1 of that plan was construction of Station 2 at Highway 105 and Roller Coaster Road, which opened in November 2004 and phase 2 called for purchase of an ambulance and two fire engines. He added that phase 3 addresses staffing and includes enlargement of the district’s complement of paid staff.
At the close of the meeting, Pocock announced that Battalion Chief Larry Garner has applied for disability retirement.
Director Keith Duncan and Treasurer John Hildebrandt were absent. Denboske was on vacation.
Copies of Hildebrandt’s April 30 Tri-Lakes Monument Fire Authority Treasurer’s Report were distributed. The report covers the Tri-Lakes district and the Woodmoor/Monument Fire Protection District and the resulting financial status of the fire authority through the end of April, one-third of the way through the year. Some highlights:
The districts and, in turn, the fire authority have received $800,797 or 42 percent of the anticipated $1.91 million in property tax revenue for the year, and $94,362 or 33 percent of the anticipated $284,000 in specific ownership taxes for the year.
The district also received $79,053 or 26 percent (7 percent below expected levels) of the anticipated $300,000 in ambulance revenues for the year.
Administrative expense stands at $90,698 or 39 percent of the budgeted $233,635 for the year.
Salary expense is at $504,074 or 35 percent of the budgeted $1.43 million.
Overall expenses year-to-date are $810,693, which is 31 percent of the annual budget of $2.59 million.
At this meeting, there was no discussion of the status of the difficulties with the district’s 2004 audit.
Pocock said the fire authority plans to apply for a federal grant to add six full-time emergency workers and one full-time mechanic. The grant is offered under the Staffing Assistance for Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) program managed by the Department of Homeland Security. Applications are due by May 30.
Pocock said the district’s goal is to have two advanced life support (ALS) qualified personnel, i.e., paramedics or EMT-Is, per shift per station.
He added that refinement is needed in the district’s policy for accepting volunteers and for ranking volunteers for consideration as paid employees. The topic was tabled until it could be discussed with Denboske.
Pocock reported that the local fire fighters union is interested in buying the 1969 LaFrance fire engine (#2210) rejected by Pikes Peak Community College. He said the union intends to repaint it as a parade vehicle. Director Rick Barnes’ motion to give the engine to the union was unanimously approved. The donation included the stipulation that the union must remove all Tri-Lakes district markings.
Director John Hartling asked about progress on the issues raised by neighbors regarding Station 2 on Roller Coaster Road.
Barnes said, "We will never make them happy about the lights [in the apparatus bay]." He added that there is more glare from the adjacent houses.
Barnes noted that the contractor is obligated to paint the HVAC equipment and do some reseeding.
Pocock noted that the fire authority is approaching six months of operation. He suggested that a statistical study of fire authority responses for the first six months be prepared for presentation at the fire authority’s July meeting as background information for discussion of continuing the fire authority or moving toward a formal merger of the two districts.
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The Tri-Lakes Fire Protection District board normally meets the fourth Wednesday of each month. The next meeting is scheduled for June 22, 6:30 p.m. immediately preceding the Tri-Lakes-Monument Fire Authority board meeting at Tri-Lakes district firehouse 1, 18650 Highway 105 (near the bowling alley).
For more information, call Chief Denboske at 481-2312 or visit www.tri-lakesfire.com.
By John Heiser
At a special meeting May 10, the Woodmoor/Monument Fire Protection District Board of Directors Treasurer Bob Hansen distributed copies of a financial report covering January through April. This was the first financial report presented since the January meeting.
Some highlights of Hansen’s report:
District income through the end of April was $441,175 (38.9 percent of the annual budget of $1.13 million, 6 percent ahead of the 33 percent expected as of the end of April).
Expenses totaled $372,723 (33.9 percent of the annual budget of $1.1 million).
Administrative expenses totaled $44,770 or 42.1 percent of the $106,310 budgeted for the year.
Salary expenses totaled $253,451, which is 35.6 percent of the $711,356 budgeted for the year. Hansen said he was concerned that the wages for part-time employees at $16,576 stand at 66 percent of the $25,000 budgeted for the year.
As of the end of April, the total of the amounts in the district’s checking and savings accounts came to $734,179. Hansen said this is just $2,000 less than the total at the end of 2004.
The district is debt free.
Tax monies are now transferred directly to the district’s checking account instead of being deposited into the Colo Trust account and then moved to the checking account.
Hansen said, "This has been a learning process. Our job as a board is to protect the assets of the district."
Hansen said a comparison of the Woodmoor/Monument district’s payroll procedures with those used at the Tri-Lakes Fire Protection District revealed that the Woodmoor/Monument district was short 0.5 percent of the necessary pension deposits. He said for 2003 and 2004, the shortfall—including the amount mistakenly not withheld from employees’ pay and the matching amount due from the district—totaled $5,313. He said he planned to recommend the district pay the entire amount. He noted that a representative of the Fire and Police Protective Association (FPPA) would be coming to the station soon.
The board decided to postpone a decision on covering the shortfall until the FPPA submits its findings.
Hansen said Chief Robert Denboske is now using the Woodmoor/Monument district’s chief’s truck. He asked, "How is Woodmoor/Monument being compensated for use of the truck?" Denboske replied that the refueling, insurance, and maintenance costs are split 50/50 between the two districts.
District resident Marian Taylor asked if the fire marshal’s vehicle is also being split. Denboske replied that it was a good idea and should be split 50/50.
Ron Thompson, Assistant Chief and EMS Manager, reported that from January 1 through May 3, the average ambulance response time was 4 minutes and 36 seconds. He said this was for code 3, i.e., lights and siren, responses.
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The Woodmoor/Monument Fire Protection District board normally meets the fourth Wednesday of each month. The next meeting is scheduled for June 22, 6:30 p.m. immediately preceding the Tri-Lakes-Monument Fire Authority board meeting at Tri-Lakes district firehouse 1, 18650 Highway 105 (near the bowling alley).
For more information, call Chief Denboske at 481-2312 or visit www.tri-lakesfire.com.
In the article "Woodmoor/Monument Fire Protection District Board, April 27: No quorum, so no meeting" in the May 7 issue of OCN, it was reported that Bob Hansen was attending his son’s softball game. Hansen said his son was playing baseball, not softball.
By Tommie Plank
The School Board approved a compensation package for next year that includes an average salary increase of 5 percent for all district employees. The salary for a beginning teacher in District 38 will be $30,200, which includes a $700 increase at Level I, Step I. Experiential increments are increased by $35 for Levels I-III and by $40 for Levels IV-IX. There will be no increase in the health care premiums paid by employees as part of the employee benefit package.
The $42 million preliminary budget for next year was approved. It is a complex budget with 15 different funds and includes the Capital Reserve Fund Plan. This fund looks forward to account for known or anticipated capital projects for current and future budget years, while the Operating Budget accounts for general maintenance needs as approved by the Capital Reserve Plan. It may not be used to cover major rebuilding of facilities; long-term capital expenditures must be paid for by voter-approved ballot measures.
On June 16, a public hearing on the budget will be held during the board’s regular meeting, after which the proposed budget will be presented for adoption. Copies are available for review in the district’s finance office during normal working hours
The board also approved a resolution to refund Series 1995A General Obligation Bonds, which will result in a realized savings to the district of approximately $70,000 each year for 10 years (over 9 percent present-value savings when compared to the $5,975,000 that is being refunded). This is a procedure commonly approved by the board in the management of the district’s debt.
Matt and Bill Dunston, of Walden Corporation Water Company, presented the district with a check in the amount of $10,000 to be used for the renovation of the Kilmer Elementary School playground. Improvement plans for the playground include making the area a park for the community as well as for the school.
Lewis-Palmer High School student Andy Roddam discussed his experiences in a program called Colorado Close-Up. He was one of a group of students who spent two days at the state capitol learning about state government. He also presented a proposal to the school board to allow a student representative to sit on the board of education.
Karen D’Amour, outgoing District Accountability Advisory Committee (DAAC) chairman, submitted a written final report of the 2005-06 DAAC. Revisions to the bylaws have been approved to provide two-year terms for a chair and chair-elect or co-chairs. Debbie Leasure and Becky Yoder will be DAAC co-chairs for the next two years. The position of DAAC secretary has been deleted; the superintendent’s secretary will provide secretarial functions for DAAC. In addition, since site visits to all nine schools have been accomplished, additional site visits will be discontinued in order to provide more time for education and active participation of committee members.
These changes are intended to bring a fresh, new direction to DAAC. The committee also hopes to increase the active participation of DAAC in vital discussions and decisions with the school board, and to recognize the important partnership role that DAAC has in conjunction with the Board of Education in maintaining the legislative mandate of local control of the schools.
The Board accepted the resignation of Grace Best Elementary School principal Bob Wedel, who has accepted the position as principal of the new Discovery Canyon School in District 20. They approved the employment of current LPHS teacher Caryn Collette as assistant principal of Creekside Middle School, and also publicly thanked Dr. Barbara Masciarelli for her years of service to the district, and wished her well in her retirement.
Ted Belteau and Ray Blanch summarized the findings from the recently completed District Parent Satisfaction Survey. Twenty-seven percent of the surveys, representing 900 households, were returned. Results will be posted on the district’s Web site, www.lewispalmer.org.
Brandon Zahl accepted a commendation certificate on behalf of the Rotary Club of Colorado Springs, Interquest Chapter. For the past two years, the club has raised funds and purchased new dictionaries for all third grade students in District 38.
Leah Light received a commendation for being a key player in the Parent-Teacher Organization at Lewis-Palmer Middle School and for being instrumental in getting the new marquee for the school. Johnie Watkins, graduating senior and past Student Council president, was presented with a Commendation Certificate and a Starbucks gift card in gratitude for the high standard he set with his presentations to the Board of Education this year.
The next regular meeting of the Board of Education will be June 16 at 7 p.m. in the Learning Center of the Administration Building on Second and Jefferson Streets.
By Steve Sery
The meeting began with the election of officers. Steve Sery was elected chairman, and Bob Roulier was re-elected vice chairman.
The workload for the Development Services Department (formerly the Planning Department) is almost beyond the capacity of staff to handle. The average number of projects per planner is 60; 30 is the maximum they should have, and 20 is ideal. Then it was announced that Sheila Booth, an experienced planner, would be leaving. There has been difficulty filling positions due to competition from other jurisdictions with less workload, better salaries, and better benefits. The new director of the department is working to address this problem.
There was only one proposal involving the Tri-Lakes area. It was a request to rezone from RR-3 (5 acre) to RR-2 (2-1/2 acre) and approve a preliminary plan for Red Rock Preserve. This is a subdivision of 23 single-family homes on approximately 68 acres. It was formerly called Raspberry Ridge, located south of Highway 105 between Monument and Palmer Lake at the current terminus of Red Rock Ranch Road. This is within, and consistent with, the 2000 Tri-Lakes Comprehensive Plan area. The rezoning and the preliminary plan were approved unanimously.
One other item of interest was the denial of a development proposal in the Falcon area. Falcon School District 49 continues to oppose any further development until it is able to work out satisfactory arrangements with developers or pass a tax increase to build facilities to handle the increase in enrollment. One of the requirements of a PUD zone is that the existing public services and facilities are adequate for the proposed development—or that they will be provided when needed. The majority of the commissioners said they felt the lack of school facilities meant the development did not meet the PUD standards. This same logic could be applied in other areas regarding other services, such as roads and water.
By Chris Pollard
In the past, the Woodmoor Improvement Association (WIA) has called town meetings to discuss single issues such as significant new development proposals in the area. This meeting, however, was planned and organized by John Ottino, president of the WIA, to provide a venue to communicate with Woodmoor residents on a number of important present and future issues. Given the extensive promotion of the event, attendance was low, with around 30 to 40 people in the Woodmoor Barn.
In Ottino’s introduction, he emphasized that the meeting was only the beginning of a process to communicate and resolve the issues being covered. The full plan was to answer questions immediately at the meeting and then continue discussion of some issues on the WIA Web site. The open discussion would continue over a 45-day period; in the middle of July, the board will start to review the input and decide what changes to make to the Architectural Control rules, covenants, and other areas of the regulations.
Having introduced the board, the permanent staff that run the WIA, the members of Woodmoor Public Safety, and the lawyer for the WIA, Lenard Rioth, Ottino turned the floor over to Gordon Reichal, a resident who served on the board briefly but had resigned recently.
Reichal said he believed that, in regards to the Pulte Homes/Walters Commons townhome development currently being constructed in South Woodmoor, the board had granted variances to the Woodmoor covenants without approval of residents. He added that, as a neighbor of the development, Ottino had a conflict of interest in negotiating with the developer.
Regarding the variances, his primary concern was with setbacks and easements. The Woodmoor covenants, however, do not clearly address the issue of attached housing and appear to refer solely to detached housing. Given that the land is zoned for multifamily dwellings and that attached housing already exists within Woodmoor, it would appear that there was adequate precedent to allow this.
Reichal left the meeting immediately after his short prepared statement. Ottino said that because a legal complaint has been filed with the WIA on this issue, he would be unable to comment on the matter, and there was no further direct discussion of it.
Ottino then resumed his opening statements to give an overview of some important issues. In response to comments he had received about a recent decision to make Matt Beseau’s position as forestry and covenant administrator full-time, he emphasized that this was not done to increase activity in the covenants area but to provide support for the serious problem of mountain pine beetle infestations in the Woodmoor forests.
He continued with some comments on the agreement that had been reached between Pulte Homes and the WIA. Pulte had filed suit over the WIA revoking approval of the townhome development. The WIA had done this in response to the apparent lack of progress by the Walters family to get a conservation easement for the adjacent land. WIA subsequently withdrew the revocation, in part because Pulte had no control over the adjoining land. Pulte did not hold WIA liable for the work stoppage that ensued and agreed to work with the WIA to help maintain the land as open space.
Ottino added that he had spoken with Gary Walters the day before to get an update on progress of the easement. Walters had been working on a number of other projects in the local area, and having progressed on those, he would now be able to devote time to the easement issue again.
Walters had commented that appraisals received so far did not give enough value to the land to make it worth his while. Finding appraisers qualified to assess conservation easements had been difficult, but they still intended to leave it as open space. One option mentioned was for them to give the land to Woodmoor, but so far there were no plans to do anything but pursue the easement.
Water rights to the open space that were transferred to the Pulte development were thought by some to effectively limit the possibilities of developing the open space. However, Ottino reminded the audience that the Woodmoor Sanitation district would still be able to sell other water to the property.
Changing to the subject of noxious weeds, Ottino noted that patches of knapweed and Canadian thistle were an ongoing problem in Woodmoor and the Walters’ property. He encouraged residents to report noxious weeds to the WIA office.
Prairie dogs were showing a resurgence in the area, and he passed on opinions expressed by the Gazette that this might suggest a high plague year. He reminded residents that cats were particularly susceptible and should be kept in, to minimize exposure.
Ottino then turned the floor over to Laurie Healy, director of Covenants, to give an update on changes in that area. Healy reminded residents that the rules for shed wall treatments had changed to reflect the reality that not all sheds could bear the extra weight of stucco that was originally required to match the main building. Now an alternate approved siding in a matching color would be allowed.
In response to reported comments about the early appearance and late removal of garbage and garbage cans, she reminded residents that the rules so far required clean containers and their removal on the same day as trash pickup.
The board had also addressed the issue of mailbox appearance and maintenance but had so far not come to any conclusions. Clothes line rules were still the same, allowing for them but requiring them to be out of sight. Changes to these and similar covenants were difficult because they required a decision by two-thirds of all property owners.
Excessive vehicles in driveways continued to be a major issue. Many families now have five or six drivers in the household, but a survey of residents in 2002 said people were overwhelmingly against adding to the limit of two vehicles parked outside. In response to this, a suggestion had been made to allow construction of an ancillary building on a lot subject to certain rules and proper approval.
In response to criticism of the wording of covenant warning letters, Healy said there were plans to make changes to this to make it more clear and less adversarial.
Elizabeth Miller, director of Architectural Control, added more details on the ancillary building proposal. The building would be limited to no more than 350 square feet and would still need to match the house. Lots could have an ancillary building or shed, but not both. Either of these buildings would still need to be constructed within the setbacks.
She added that the Architectural Control Committee has been working on a design standards manual for multiplex developments for builders to follow in case there is another Pulte-type development of multifamily homes.
Alan McMullan, director of Common Areas, then took the floor to announce that Woodmoor Lake and the local ponds were once again full. He suggested that the mowing policy for common areas change to minimize mowing early in the year when wildflowers are blooming but keeping the late mowings to control noxious weeds. Safety concerns over ice skating on Woodmoor ponds had led to plans to research the construction of a shallow, naturally frozen skating rink.
Hans Post, director of Public Safety, then followed to give a quick update on traffic and roads. Since the acquisition of a speed measurement and control trailer, measurements had revealed that traffic was heavier in volume in some areas than previously thought. In addition, it was found that while the average speed measured in those areas was close to the posted limit, some people were driving at twice that speed.
He said that some work was being done to try to limit traffic from the high school going through areas of Woodmoor, and he had begun to coordinate that with the Lewis-Palmer School Board. In terms of driving safety near the school, he was looking to implement some ideas suggested by the Colorado Springs Police Department that are used at UCCS.
Post reminded residents that Woodmoor Public Safety employees would not report covenant violations they observed during visits to their property. WPS was not in the "covenant business."
Finally, the WIA lawyer, Lenard Rioth, spoke. He explained that while the WIA used to be heavily into covenant enforcement and using the courts, the goals now are communication and cooperation. The approach for the past ten years has been that the communities are for all. They are not "us versus you," but are for maintaining the value of the whole community. A good-sized town of 3,000 residents, as Woodmoor now has, needs to work together. The best approach is to communicate what the covenants are; most problems are due to just not knowing.
He is now working on an introductory letter for new residents so that they know that there are other rules besides what is in the covenants.
Ottino then opened the meeting to questions and comments from the floor.
What can be done about speeding motorists in parts of Woodmoor?
A: Currently Woodmoor Public Safety employees are not authorized to stop vehicles because to do that they would need to be Colorado certified police officers and that requires them to be an employee of a government entity.
Can you clarify the role of covenants?
A: Covenants have been in place for 40 years. Most homeowner associations have articles of incorporation. Under that are bylaws for operation. These two deal primarily with the operation of the association. At the bottom of the pyramid are the design standards and rules and regulations. The covenants say "no nuisances" but these have to be interpreted and change over the years.
Other comments:
Woodmoor continues to change in terms of the makeup of its residents. It has gone from having a large retirement population to being more diverse, but still changing.
One resident said that he had been informed of having infested trees but then found that these probably came from a neighboring lot with an absentee landlord that had beetle-infested trees but had done nothing to control them for three years. Other neighbors had lots that had been ruined by similar infestations. They wondered if more could be done to enforce removal of pine beetle-infested trees. Currently, the covenants don’t cover this, and the only enforcement available is through El Paso County.
Another resident added that in the 1970s, the pine beetle was very active, and for several years hundreds of trees were removed. It was a lot easier to do then because of many absent lot owners. Now the problem is that there are too many trees.
Other questions included: Can the board do something about the proliferation of large real estate and other signs? Could more trails be established beyond the present bridle paths and improve the safety of walking next to some of the roads through Woodmoor? Could something be done to improve the proxy voting policies at the annual election for the board? Could the mail-in ballots include candidates’ names in the future?
By Chris Pollard
The first item of new business was a presentation by Curt Ormond. He was looking for the response to his proposal to build a medical clinic adjacent to the Lake Woodmoor town homes on Woodmoor Drive. The lot would be created by combining a small lot currently owned by the Woodmoor Water and Sanitation District with open space from the town homes. John Ottino, President of the WIA, cautioned Curt that there was a requirement for a certain percentage of area around the town homes that needed to be maintained as open space. There would need to be further review of this proposal once the open space issue was clarified.
Ottino then reviewed the results of the WIA Town Meeting held May 19. He said he felt the issue of excessive vehicles in driveways was one of the more important ones and should in some way be combined with the discussion of ancillary buildings. He suggested that residents should consider allowing more cars in driveways or, if they did not want this, support the move to allow ancillary buildings to serve as detached garages and/or extra storage space.
He noted that the mountain pine beetle was also important, particularly with regard to the issue of tree removal by absentee property owners and owners who had not removed or inspected their trees in a timely manner. Jim Woodman, Director of Forestry, recommended changes to the procedure so that the El Paso County Forester is called in earlier to help with these delinquent properties. He said he had found the Forester’s office to be timely in issuing letters to the offending parties and that tree removal by the property owner usually occurred soon after the letter’s receipt. Woodman said he wanted to get the County referral added to any new ordinance or regulation covering this matter.
Ottino said he wanted resident feedback on the board voting procedures and also on ancillary building definition and size. A number of other board members said they wanted to be sure the definition of this building be written such that its use would be aimed at storage or vehicle parking rather than living space. They said they did not want these to be built as guest apartments.
Ottino said he was also interested in comments and suggestions on the proposal to build a small open air, naturally frozen, skating rink. Alan McMullan, Director of Common Areas, said that he had done some initial work to assess the feasibility of this and suggested the cost could be held to around $20,000. McMullan also noted that since discussion of this proposed rink started he heard some concerns about the impact on the common areas because of the construction and leveling required. Rather than using a fragile liner to create the pond, Vice President Susan Shields suggested the pond could be constructed with an asphalt base and a 2 by 4 wooden rim allowing it to be used in the summer for in-line skating.
Ottino suggested a comment could be added on the WIA web page to encourage volunteers to help plan the rink. In addition, he said the web page could solicit feedback from residents on two issues: Do they want the rink and do they want to stop regular ice skating and ice hockey on the current ponds.
Ottino also said that an item on the web page should be devoted to issues that had not been raised at the meeting. All issues would have related comments placed together so that residents could see the whole discussion.
After a short discussion of the near term use of financial reserves, the board passed a resolution that required informing new residents of the WIA rules and regulations. In addition the form of a new Covenant Violation Notice letter was approved.
Woodman then gave a quick review of the current Mountain Pine Beetle situation. He said he and his staff were currently being overwhelmed with all the work that needed to be done before beetles start flying from their host trees at the end of June. He said he had over 100 requests for lot inspections with 70 lots confirmed as having beetles present. He said 44 lot owners have removed their trees. He added that it was important to make sure people actually cut their trees down and have them removed. He said he had also requested bids to remove 50 trees in the common areas and wanted to have these cut down by June 21. He said he was concerned that the golf course had fallen behind in its cutting plans and also that it was stacking its cut trees on site with the beetles still present. Ottino said he would try contacting them directly to see if he could help resolve the situation.
Elizabeth Miller, Director of Architectural Control, presented the latest proposal for multi-unit design standards that now include 1,000 square-feet as the minimum area.
As a last minute addition to the agenda, Hans Post, Director of Public Safety, asked the Board to approve moving up by two months the date to hire an additional officer to cover the increasing demand from residents to have their homes checked while they are on vacation. After a short discussion to address the financial impacts of this, the Board voted unanimously to start the new officer on July 1.
Board meetings are normally held on the first Wednesday of the month.
The next meeting will be on July 6, at 6:30 p.m.
By Bill Kappel
The usual wide variety of weather conditions were seen during May, with winter lingering at the beginning of the month and summer-like conditions by the end. Temperatures were slightly warmer than average, and precipitation was below average, but we are still way ahead for the season.
May started off on the cold side with light snow, freezing drizzle, and well below average temperatures continuing from the end of April. High struggled to reach into the mid 30s on May 1 and low 40s on the 2nd. Tuesday the 3rd was a transition day, as sunshine returned during the morning, but the cold air aloft led to unstable conditions by early afternoon. Several showers of rain, snow, and graupel popped up around 2 p.m., but not before highs finally broke back into the 50s.
More typical May weather finally began to return for the remainder of the week, as highs climbed back into the 60s and low 70s by Friday under mostly sunny to partly cloudy skies. Each afternoon saw the typical buildup of cumulus clouds, and a few light showers and weak thunderstorms developed.
Tuesday the 10th started off mild and dry, but a cold front pushed through during the evening, with fog and low clouds developing. This low-level moisture added the necessary fuel to help spark strong thunderstorms, and Wednesday turned out to be an active weather day across the region. Strong thunderstorms developed during the late morning hours and rolled over the Palmer Divide through the early afternoon with heavy rain and pea-sized hail. Temperatures were cooler over the next few days under mostly sunny to partly cloudy skies as highs stayed in the low 60s. A few sprinkles fell around the region each afternoon as well, but overall the weekend turned out to be pretty quiet.
An early taste of summer moved into the Tri-Lakes region the next week, with temperatures reaching into the 80s for the first time since Sept. 18. The week started off with quiet and seasonal conditions as highs reached into the mid 60s and low 70s under partly cloudy skies. Temperatures continued to warm throughout the week under a building ridge of high pressure that moved in from the desert Southwest. Highs jumped into the upper 70s and mid 80s the 19th through the 22nd. Several record highs were set on Friday and Saturday. The week was a dry one, with just a few sprinkles noted during the late afternoon and evening hours on the 16th.
Thunderstorms popped up on the afternoons of the 23rd and 24th. Cooler air settled in, with areas of low clouds and a few rain showers as we headed into the Memorial Day weekend. The holiday began with seasonal conditions and a couple of thunderstorms, but ended with a return to below-average temperatures and plenty of clouds. A cold front moved through early Sunday and left behind low clouds, fog, drizzle, rain, and thunderstorms from Sunday afternoon through Memorial Day. As soon as the holiday ended, the quiet and seasonal conditions returned to end the month.
Although the previous two Junes saw a trace of snow in the Tri-Lakes region, by June, we can usually say goodbye to snow and hello to frequent afternoon and evening thunderstorms. Expect warm, sunny days along with those storms The official monthly forecast for June 2005, produced by the Climate Prediction Center (http://www.cpc.ncep.noaa.gov/products/predictions/30day/), is calling for equal chance of normal temperatures and equal chances of normal precipitation. For a complete look at monthly climate summaries for the Tri-Lakes region, please visit http://users.adelphia.net/~billkappel/ClimateSummary.htm.
Average High 66.1°
Average Low 38.1°
Highest Temperature 84° on the 21st
Lowest Temperature 23° on the 1st
Monthly Precipitation 1.30"
Monthly Snowfall 0.90"
Season to Date Snow 154.1"
Season to Date Precip 22.94"
Remember, weather affects all of us everyday and is a very important part of life for us in the Tri-Lakes region. If you see a unique weather event or have a weather question, please contact us at our_community_news@hotmail.com.
Bill Kappel is the KKTV 11 News morning meteorologist and a Tri-Lakes resident.
The embezzlement of over $300,000 from the Forest View Water District is what our current board thinks we’re all in a dither about. What they don’t comprehend is that it is simply the final straw in the gross negligence of our board for years. This includes a protracted lawsuit regarding development of adjacent state land we never owned against a developer who is now successfully pursuing his plan. Until recently the board never told us what this cost. In fact, in the past we were told we could not see the books.
Now that’s where we’re at fault. We did not exercise our rights under the Freedom of Information Act or the Sunshine Laws. Why? Nobody wanted to stir up a hornet’s nest, get an attorney and so forth. We had "lives," and as long as we could exchange dollars for running water we opted to let it go.
We were also told that if we would agree to an $880,000 bond, our board would invest those funds in the kind of infrastructure development of such that we’d never have to worry for lack of water or insufficient quality again. We decided to be pre-emptive and make the investment. What is our situation today? We’re in serious trouble with our wells, and we have alarming infrastructure issues. In addition, we have vendors waiting for old invoices to be paid that we thought our office manager had paid for years.
What happens when you bring up these concerns at water board meetings? The answers sound like spin. Sufficient records, we’re told, no longer exist.
If we dare question the action of the board as an entity, we can listen to a board member who takes it personally and becomes, frankly, belligerent. For one thing, water board meetings begin and end with the rap of a gavel. We are then given a one-time opportunity to speak for two or three minutes, when several people wish to be heard, even though Robert’s Rules of Order allow for five. Anything beyond that is met with a sharp rap of the gavel again. Going to a water board meeting is akin to going to court and expecting to have open dialogue with a judge. This board is also confused about working for the state of Colorado instead of being governed by it, having been elected by us!
What are our options now? Well, certainly, no more apathy and blind trust. The effort to recall those board members who did not adequately manage our district is under way. In addition, we are exploring avenues to best manage the technical aspects of our district in a manner of which will be directly accountable. If there was ever a critical time to organize and make effective changes, that time is now.
Anyone interested may attend the RRR Home Owners Association, which meets at 7 p.m. every second Monday of the month at the Tri-Lakes fire station on Highway 105. Though neutral, the association has agreed to be a venue for us to learn about viable management options and to be receptive to all who wish to speak.
There is no gavel there.
Micheale Duncan
The Colorado Department of Transportation celebrated the completion of all the safety improvements to the Exit 161 Interchange of I-25 with a ribbon cutting ceremony on May 25. The Monument exit and the 250 space Front Range Express Park and Ride area have been completed at a cost of $27 million, on time and on budget. The Department’s long term plan is to widen I-25 to six lanes from County Line Road (exit 161) to South Academy Boulevard (exit 135) at a cost of about $550 million. However funding has not been made available yet for the portion north of Exit 150 at the south gate of the Air Force Academy, which will cost about $91 million.
Below: Left to Right: Program Director Bob Torres, Monument Mayor Byron Glenn, County Commissioner Wayne Williams, Transportation Commissioner Terry Schooler, Project Superintendent Dean Lee, and CDOT Resident Engineer Mark Andrew cut the ribbon Photo by Jim Kendrick
Below: The newly completed Monument entrance sign at Highway 105 and 2nd Street. Photo by Mike Wicklund.
By Judith Pettibone
My fathering experiences have been on the periphery, first as a daughter and now as a mom with my girls’ dad at my side. I have, of course, observed all manner of surrounding fathers. So while I cannot speak from personal "doing" experience, I do know that wonderful fathering, like wonderful mothering, is an art. Watching great fathering unfold can be an enlightening and elevating experience.
Parenting books for dads are a relatively new phenomenon, but the challenge of figuring out what to buy for a dad has been with us since gift-buying in June became de rigueur. Here are a few selections in the parenting and gift-buying departments to help celebrate the dads in your life.
The Expectant Father
Facts, Tips and Advice for Dads-to-Be
By Armin Brott and Jennifer Ash, $11.95
Brott—a nationally recognized parenting expert and a regular contributor to the New York Times and Newsweek, as well as a host for a weekly talk show on positive parenting—offers up an example of the new fathering books. His co-author, Ash, wanted to be involved in this book because during her pregnancy her bedside table was stacked high with appropriate reading, while her husband’s remained bare. Each chapter is divided into four sections: "What’s Going On with Your Partner," "What’s Going On with the Baby," "What’s Going On with You," and "Staying Involved." The book covers pregnancy, labor, and delivery (Cesarean birth included) along with a discussion of the emotions a new dad might feel during labor and when the child is born.
The New Father
A Dad’s Guide to the First Year
By Armin Brott, $11.95
This is a perfect companion to the preceding book and together they would make a nice matched gift set. As a former childbirth educator, I often heard comments at the eight-week reunions about how bewildering some of the early baby behavior was to the new dads. Worry not: Brott has covered all the essential developmental milestones of that incredible first year. Again, he divides each chapter into his basics: "What’s Going On with the Baby," "What You’re Going Through," "What’s Going On with Your Partner," "You and Your Baby," and "Family Matters." A great book for Dad and Mom to read (maybe together?).
The Essential Guide to Geocaching
Tracking Treasure with Your GPS
By Mike Dyer, $12.95
Geocaching is hide-and-go-seek for the technically savvy; think scavenger hunt taken to a new level. You might be seeking an actual "treasure" or merely the opportunity to sign a logbook giving credence to the fact that you have solved the puzzle. This small volume gets you started on the hunt for the "geocache" or on the track for creating your own cache. Now if this doesn’t sound like a good family activity, then I must be missing something. (By the way, GPS systems have become much less expensive and can be purchased for under $100.)
Dear Dad
Father, Friend and Hero
By Bradley Trevor Greive, $9.95
From The Blue Day Book author and publisher, this touching tribute to Dad with a series of oh-so-darling animal photos would be a great choice for Father’s Day. It might be an especially good gift for the young reader as a read-out-loud book on Dad’s lap.
Zipping My Fly
Moments in the Life of an American Sportman
By Rich Tosches, $13.95
By the former Gazette humor columnist, this will be a great gift for any Dad who loves fly-fishing or laughing, or both. If the title doesn’t make that clear, how about chapter 7, "The Drivel Runs Through It." You can count on Tosches’ special brand of sarcastic but witty humor as he waxes eloquently on his unanticipated adventures via fly-fishing—like bagging a 16-pound trout that was unfortunately mounted on the front porch of the Alaskan lodge where he was staying. He’s been compared to a cross between Dave Sedaris and Dave Barry. A funny book!
Bicycling Bliss
Riding to Improve Your Wellness
By Portia H. Masterson, $24.95
This Golden, Colorado, bicyclist’s goal is to help any and all riders develop a life-long enthusiasm for recreational bicycling. With 180 clear illustrations and a well-laid out text, this book would be an asset for any bicyclist. A particularly helpful chapter might be "Riding Style Modifications Optimize Comfort, Efficiency, and Wellness," followed by a similar chapter on adapting the bicycle to your body. Chapters on exercise, nutrition, clothing, and riding in urban areas complete the book. A good glossary and appendix add to this book’s well-rounded approach.
The Encyclopedia of Trains & Locomotives
By C.J. Riley, $14.98
You might find this revised and updated, thorough exploration of the "iron horse" an unusual gift for those train buffs in your life or just the fellow who loves to follow trains. In a coffee table–size format, it has an almost equal blend of historic and modern-day photos along with interesting and illuminating text that would surely please the neophyte as well as the train experts in your family.
Happy Father’s Day to all new and not so new dads and granddads. And, as always, happy reading.
By Woody Woodworth
One of the most popular of all home garden vegetables is the tomato. Originating in Central and South America, the tomato was thought by early American colonists to be poisonous and was not recognized as a useful vegetable until the 1800s. Now, it is an almost daily part of the American diet. When grown as staked plants, tomatoes require a relatively small amount of space, yet are capable of producing 8 to 10 pounds or more of fruit per plant. Tomatoes are low in calories and a good source of vitamin C.
Tomatoes are warm-season plants and should be planted only after the danger of frost has passed. Temperature is an important factor in the production of tomatoes, which are particularly sensitive to low nighttime temperatures. Blossom drop can occur in early spring when daytime temperatures are warm but night temperatures fall below 55 degrees, as well as in summer when days are above 90 degrees F.
Tomatoes can be grown on many different soil types, but a deep, loamy soil, well-drained and supplied with organic matter and nutrients, is most suitable. As with most garden vegetables, tomatoes grow best in a slightly acid soil with a pH of 6.2 to 6.8.
Tomatoes respond well to fertilizer applications, especially phosphorus. Too much nitrogen in a fertilizer can result in plants with extremely vigorous vine growth but little fruit production. Apply a complete fertilizer with a high second letter in the NPK ratio, such as 5-10-10 or 5-20-20. An additional side-dressing of a nitrogen fertilizer may be desirable after the first cluster of flowers has set fruit.
There are probably more tomato varieties available to the home gardener than any other garden vegetable. When choosing varieties, keep in mind the different ripening periods. Tomatoes are usually categorized as early, mid-season, or late. Another consideration is whether the tomato variety you choose is determinate or indeterminate in growth habit.
Determinate (D) tomato plants grow to a certain height and then stop. They also flower and set all their fruit within a relatively short period of time. This is an advantage if the tomatoes are being grown primarily for canning purposes. Indeterminate tomato plants grow, flower, and set fruit over the entire growing season.
Due to their long growing season and temperature requirements, tomatoes are set out as transplants in gardens in the West. Tomatoes may be planted anytime after the last spring frost date. When purchasing tomato transplants, choose those with straight, sturdy stems about the thickness of a pencil. They should have four to six young true leaves, no blossoms or fruit, and be free of insect pests and diseases.
Plants in individual containers or cell packs experience little or no transplant shock and become established quickly. Tomato plants will develop roots along the stem and may be set deeply at transplanting with the first set of leaves near the soil surface. If transplants are in peat pots, remove the rim of the pot or be sure the rim is below the soil surface so that the soil ball will not dry out. A soluble starter fertilizer high in phosphorus can be applied at planting time. Use according to label directions.
Plants to be staked are planted 2 feet apart in rows 3 to 4 feet apart. Plants to be caged are planted 30 to 36 inches apart. Stakes and cages should be placed at planting time or soon after, so as to not disturb the roots. Where space is limited or soil conditions are poor, tomato plants can be grown in containers using a disease-free planting mix. Any container with adequate drainage is suitable. Pay special attention to water and fertilizer needs of container-grown tomato plants. An even moisture supply is important, especially once the tomato fruits begin to develop. If the soil becomes too dry, blossom-end rot can be a problem. If too much water is applied at one time, ripening fruit may split.
Woody Woodworth owns High Country Store and is a member of Garden Centers of Colorado and the Green Industry.
Below: Drawing by Elizabeth Hacker of a Lazuli Bunting.
Click here or on the drawing to zoom in
By Elizabeth Hacker
Two of the most interesting and colorful migratory songbirds on the Palmer Divide are the lazuli and the indigo buntings. They are delightful but somewhat shy little songbirds. While similar in size, approximately 4.5 inches in length, they vary in their coloration and habitat preference.
The indigo bunting (Passerina cyanea) migrates from Central America to Canada along the eastern portion of the North American continent, while the lazuli bunting (Passerina amoena) migrates along the western portion of the continent. Their migration patterns overlap on the Great Plains and along the Front Range, where the two species sometimes hybridize. By the way, these buntings are not related to the Colorado state bird, the lark bunting (Calamospiza melanocorys), a sparrow-like bird that is quite different from the other two.
The lazuli bunting is sometimes mistaken for a western bluebird because of its blue head and back and the rusty-orange on its chest. But that is where the similarity ends. It is about half the size of a bluebird, its chest is predominately white, and it has two rows of white wing bands. Its wing feathers are actually black and edged in blue. Its small, conical-shaped bill is efficient at cracking open and grinding seeds.
The lazuli bunting is a common summer migrant throughout most of the western United States and in extreme southern parts of western Canada. It tends to perch on the tops of bushes and small trees, and feeds on seeds near the ground. It is found in thickets where there is an abundance of scrub oak, juniper, and native grasses. Often you will hear a lazuli’s distinctive song before you see it.
The counterpart to the western lazuli is the indigo bunting. The male is a stunning deep blue when viewed in the filtered light of a ponderosa forest. But in the bright light of the midday sun, it will look almost black. It is found in a variety of habitats but especially along edges, including roadsides, woods, and brushy and weedy areas. On the Palmer Divide, I most often see the indigo along forest edges while driving on gravel roads. But I have also observed them in Castlewood Canyon State Park, on the edge of Palmer Lake, and in the Forest Preserve.
Like other buntings, the lazuli and indigo are generally reticent; but occasionally, flocks have been reported descending on backyard feeders. In spring and early fall, the buntings form flocks, but in late May through July, they break away from the flock to form mating pairs and are territorial during this time.
The lazuli and indigo buntings have a wonderful song. The male will perch on top of a small tree and repeatedly sing a melodic litany to the female while she incubates the eggs. Even though the bunting is a shy bird, it will often stay in the same tree, continuing to belt out its repetitive song while near-by bird watchers openly observe them. In midsummer, as the mating season comes to an end, the bunting condenses its song to four short notes, ending with an abrupt "click."
Fall migration begins early for the indigo and lazuli bunting as birds begin to head south by the end of July.
Please send your comments and bird finds to birdlady@adelphia.net
By Leon Tenney
This month, the Palmer Lake Historical Society welcomed Cynthia Becker, who regaled us with tales of the Ute Indians from the latter half of the 19th century. All the regulars were present: Victor Vaile, Archie Archuleta, Bonnie Allen, Rogers Davis, and Virgil and Jodi Watkins. Vaile is the new Society treasurer, and Phyllis Bowser is the new VP. Hans Post, our Estemere Committee chairman, is still looking for volunteers for July 30, when the Victorian mansion will open this year.
Becker began telling us about Chipeta, Queen of the Utes, by relating that most of her material was from the oral tradition. Becker had interesting photos of many people.
Chipeta was born around 1843, and her life revolved around two themes: She was a dedicated advocate for peace between the white man and her tribe, and she was a model of kindness, which everyone who ever met her remarked upon.
At age 16, Chipeta married a Ute named Ouray, who had been raised by Apaches in New Mexico. Most of her early life revolved around her marriage to Ouray, who learned a variety of languages. Ouray knew Spanish and English from his youth. Since very few Utes spoke English, Ouray became their translator and then their official spokesman, with a government house and salary.
By 1862, the Ute chiefs, together with Ouray, went to Washington and met President Lincoln. We know this because their picture was taken there. Chipeta did not go since she was taking care of Ouray’s son by a previous marriage.
Generally, these trips to Washington had two purposes: The Ute got a new suit of clothes and were introduced to the "white man’s ways," and they got a tour of the military installations with demonstrations of firepower (incidentally, we still do this in the present day). They then got to go to the White House, meet the president, and sign some treaty giving away part of their land.
Because gold was discovered in Colorado, miners were flocking to the mountains until there were five times as many white men as Utes. The Utes were always nice, but the interlopers never stayed; they moved on. Now they wanted to stay, and the way the two races dealt with land ownership conflicted. Generally, the Utes owned land collectively and everyone knew the boundaries. But the whites owned land privately, and you needed some piece of paper called a deed for ownership. The usual course for land disputes was war, but Ouray and Chipeta managed to keep Colorado Utes at peace for most of the early years of Colorado history. This is the real significance of Chipeta’s life and impact on posterity.
On his last trip to Washington, Ouray took Chipeta. Ouray died in 1881 after he got back. Chipeta lived until the 1920s. She took another husband and adopted some orphans, but her impact on white-Ute relations was minimal.
Following the talk was a fashion show, with many examples of beadwork as seen in old photos of shirts, leggings, and pouches. Where Chipeta was buried can be learned by reading Becker’s excellent book.
All in all, we had a great time, and we are looking to see you all at the Ice Cream Social on Sunday, June 19, from 1:30 to 4 p.m. at the Palmer Lake Town Hall.
By Janet Sellers
How do we know if we can tell if something is or is not great—or even good—art? After all, we each have our own response to art. There are art experts, to be sure, and their opinions revolve around their responses to the art.
Some viewers’ ideas about art—even pros who are art historians and museum directors—can become overly complex. Putting knowledge of the multitude of styles, techniques, and political influences aside, good fine art actually takes just seconds for personal impact, impulse, and response. We experience art on a deep, cellular memory level. In art circles, the French call it coup d’oeil (power of the glance).
In his new book, Blink, Malcom Gladwell refers to the successes of quick and intuitive thinking. "Gladwell’s book rather promotes the idea that in love and war, in food and art, the quick, intuitive decision, without verbiage, is the one worth heeding," commented Canadian artist Robert Genn recently. As an artist, I quite agree.
Thomas Hoving, former director of the Metropolitan Museum in New York, tries to help us develop an art sense using these questions from his book Art for Dummies: "Does it express successfully what it’s intending to express? Does it amaze you in a different way each time you look at it? Does it grow in stature? Does it continually mature? Does its visual impact of mysterious, pure power increase every day? Is it unforgettable?" We can ask ourselves these questions when we look at—and especially when we intend to purchase—art. The answers will offer us insight and perhaps help us discover art worth collecting wherever we may find it.
Another truly thoughtful question regarding art is, "Is it art if no one ever sees it?" The places to see art are by no means limited, and besides traditional galleries, museums, and studio tours, there are some stylish "fringe" venues appearing.
These days, the most stylish art venues are also very accessible, at home and around the globe. They include the annual and biennial art festivals that top the art scene excitement every season. Even winter resorts and tourist spots promote the art festivals as highlights to their summer season. Art walks are another summer tradition, often self-guided with maps.
Works of love, however clumsy or refined, have the power to penetrate the heart and soul of the viewer. An avid, astute art buyer once confided to me that he realized his main criterion for wanting to buy a work of art was that he would be sorry if he didn’t. So all you really need to do is keep a keen eye, look, and enjoy yourself. Ciao, Bella!
June 4: The gala opening for the Tri-Lakes Views Art Exhibit, 7-10 p.m. at the Tri-Lakes Center for the Arts (TLCA). The cost is $35, with proceeds going toward the development and installation of public art to be placed throughout the area. The exhibit runs through July 15 at the TLCA in the historic Kaiser-Frazer building, 304 Highway 105 in Palmer Lake. For information, call Betty Konarski, 481-2769.
COMoCA (Colorado Museum of Contemporary Art) Fringe Art Festival at the Monument Farmers Market: Art, cards, prints, sculptures; try your hand at the Art du Jour; join the kid’s artfest contests; foods; family fun; and more. Held every Saturday and the first and third Sundays each month, 7 a.m.-2 p.m., Second and Washington Streets.
June 11: The Tri-Lakes Chamber of Commerce is having its first Columbine Arts and Music Festival. Music, art, entertainment, and a variety of merchandise by many vendors will provide a fun-packed day in Palmer Lake. Entertainment will include karate and dance demonstrations, as well as live music.
Artists will exhibit their work on the west side of the lake, and other vendors will display wares including jewelry, candles, baked goods, and columbines on the village green between the library and Town Hall. For information, call 481-3282.
June 11: Salsa night and art at the TLCA. Enjoy Latin pop music, featuring modern-style flamenco and Cuban rhythms, performed by Julio Garcia and John Stone; sponsored by The Wine Seller, Bella Art & Frame, and TLCA. Come early for free salsa dance lessons with All About Dance Studio prior to the concert from 6:30 to 7:15 p.m.; performance will begin at 7:30. Admission is $10-12. Complimentary appetizers provided by Barracuda Bob’s of Gleneagle and TLCA; drinks available.
June 16: The Art Hop in Old Monument, 5-8 p.m. Stroll around the town and get acquainted with the local art scene. Maps are available at most Old Town merchants.
Tri-Lakes Center for the Arts (TLCA) is starting its summer schedule, with many offerings such as wood turning, painting, drawing birds, and sculpture. For more information, call 481-0475 or visit www.trilakesarts.org.
Monument School of Fine Arts: Summer art classes, mural workshops, and plein aire "paint outs" at local outdoor scenic areas and the Monument Farmer’s market locations, as well as the usual studio offerings. For details, call 488-8280 or visit www.StartMyArt.com.
Janet Sellers is an internationally known and collected artist and is director of the Monument School of Fine Arts. She can be reached at ArtSpa@mac.com
By Judy Barnes, Editor Emeritus
Although we strive for accuracy in these listings, dates or times are often changed after publication. Please double-check the time and place of any event you wish to attend by calling the info number for that event.
NOTE: For arts-related events see the Art Matters column.
Journey to medieval times with the Pikes Peak Library District for the 2005 Summer Reading Program, Dragons, Dreams and Daring Deeds. Learn about dragons, knights, and castles, and enjoy medieval revelry. Programs will be held through Aug. 1. See Our Community Calendar on pages 42 and 43 for days and times of local library events. In addition, the program encourages reading by offering prizes for books read. To participate, readers must register at their library or online at ppld.org. For information, phone Monument Branch Library, 488-2370, or Palmer Lake Branch Library, 481-2587.
The 2nd Annual Rocky Mountain Model Engineering Show will be held at the Western Museum of Mining and Industry (WMMI) June 10, 11, and 12; 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The event will feature exhibits of hand-crafted scale models of steam engines, turbines, trains, and more. Multi-ton steam engines and mining equipment will be in operation, including the belt-driven 1890s Yellow Jacket II gold ore processing stamp mill on June 12! Join in hands-on science experiments, museum tours, and "keep-what-you-find" gold panning. Enjoy outdoor displays on beautiful acres of rolling hills, trees, meadows, and streams. Take I-25 to the Gleneagle Exit (156A); the Museum entrance is immediately east of the interstate, just opposite the north entrance to the U. S. Air Force Academy. Admission: $7 Adults, $5 Students & Seniors, $3 for children 3 to 12 years, members free. For more information, visit www.wmmi.org, or phone 488-0880.
The Tri-Lakes Friends of the Library will sell books at huge discounts on June 11 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., at the Palmer Lake Village Green (next to the Palmer Lake Branch Library, 66 Lower Glenway). For information, phone 481-2587.
See colorful private gardens using water wisely. The event is sponsored by the Colorado Federation of Garden Clubs and the Colorado WaterWise Council. All tours are Saturdays and Sundays, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tickets are $15 per city (tax deductible) and are available at all Front Range King Soopers. You will have two days to complete the six garden tours in the area of your choice, in any order, at your own speed. Tour hosts, handouts, and information are available at each tour garden. The tours are in Denver, June 11 and 12; Boulder area, June 25 and 26; and Colorado Springs, July 9 and 10. For information and to see tour details and photos, visit http://www.coloradogardenclubs.org/events/xeritours.html.
Free training will be provided at Penrose Library for volunteers who want to help adults improve their reading and writing skills. Call 531-6333, x2224 for details. Training is held at Penrose Library from 5:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. Wednesdays, June 15, 22, and 29; July 6, 13 and 20.
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. Completion of the course can lower your car insurance. Attendance is required both days: June 16 and 17, from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. The cost is $10 and registration is required. To register, call Monument Branch Library, 488-2370. The library is located at 1706 Lake Woodmoor Dr.
The final program in the film series titled The Mythology of War and the Roots of Violence in the Psyche will be a panel dialogue that will explore the costs and benefits of war and look at the motivations and obstacles in the human psyche to war, violence, and killing. The panel will include military veterans and peace activists. Prior to the dialogue, images illustrating the mythic and psychological foundation of war will be shown. Sunday, July 3, 1-5 p.m. at the Palmer Lake Town Hall, 28 Valley Crescent. For information, call 481-3086.
9:30 a.m. Children’s Parade – Monument
10:00 a.m. Adult Parade - Monument
9:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m. Street Fair in Monument – Second and Washington Streets (food vendors, crafter’s, artists, jewelers, music)
Dusk - Palmer Lake Fireworks Display – over the lake
Last year more than 15,000 people visited the Tri-Lakes Independence Day Celebration. From face painting to rock ‘n’ roll to funnel cakes to beautiful art, the streets of downtown Monument were alive with the sights and sounds of a true small-town Fourth of July gala. Over 100 vendors represented various towns in Colorado and offered an eclectic array of food, art, and crafts. For more information, call the Tri-Lakes Chamber of Commerce at 481-3282.
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