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2026-04-27 - City Council Work Session

Summary

Built from the official minutes (Legistar status: Final). No video is posted. The work session began at 9:00 AM and adjourned at 1:15 PM. No votes are taken at work sessions; items proceed by consensus.

  • All nine members attended: President Crow-Iverson, President Pro Tem Risley and Councilmembers Casey, Donelson (arrived 9:16 AM), Gold, Henjum, Leinweber (arrived 9:27 AM, left 11:52 AM), Rainey Jr. and Williams (attended virtually, left 10:39 AM).
  • Planning Director Kevin Walker asked that item 10.C of the April 28 Council meeting be postponed to the May 12 meeting; Council agreed by consensus. The April 13 work session minutes were approved by consensus.
  • JustServe volunteer-matching program presented (information only).
  • Lodgers and Auto Rental Tax (LART) 2025 year-end contract updates from Visit COS and from the Colorado Springs Chamber and EDC, whose City contract is 750,000 dollars. See LART Tourism Contract Update.
  • City Auditor Natalie Lovell presented report 26-03, a review of hotline concerns involving an elected official, including use of a City vehicle. The Administration is developing a policy. See Elected Official Audit Findings.
  • Four resolutions introduced for the April 28 and May 12 meetings: Brookside Realignment eminent domain, Army Corps memorandums of agreement for the COS Creek Plan feasibility study (about 3.7 million dollars), acceptance of the Pikeview Quarry donation (about 100 acres, closing May 15) and natural gas rates from the March 2026 rate case.
  • Councilmember reports covered Colorado Springs Utilities (CSU) time-of-day rates and the Horizon Power Plant, Space Symposium events and a Washington trip on the Land and Water Conservation Fund.
  • Executive session: Council agreed by consensus to authorize the City to defend an employee in a lawsuit, and at least two-thirds agreed to hold a closed session on a litigation settlement in excess of 250,000 dollars.

Procedural items

  • 3: Kevin Walker requested that 10.C (on the April 28 Council agenda) be postponed to May 12, 2026; consensus agreed. See Development Code Procedural Process Update.
  • 4.A (file 26-173): minutes of the April 13, 2026 work session, presented by City Clerk Sarah B. Johnson, approved by consensus.
  • 6.B (file 26-172) Agenda Planner Review: Henjum asked for more information on the Forestry items coming to Council, and Acting Chief of Staff Travis Easton agreed to provide it. Donelson noted that the Boulder Street vacation and the adult and child daycare item were expected before Council on May 26, 2026.

JustServe presentation

  • 5.A (file 26-148): Tamie Farris (Pikes Peak Area JustServe Specialist), Erica Carter (Fountain JustServe Specialist) and Deinse Selleck (West Colorado Springs and Teller County JustServe Specialist) described JustServe's mission, beginnings, impact, projects and funding, how to get started, the types of organizations that can join, and volunteer initiatives and days of service.
  • Henjum asked whether organizations can recruit volunteers through it; Farris said yes, by posting volunteer requests rather than directly. Casey asked about high school clubs; Carter said they are teacher sponsored and student run.
  • No action requested.

LART contract updates: LART Tourism Contract Update

  • 5.B (file 26-094) Visit COS: Doug Price, President and CEO, presented the 2025 year-end contract update covering vendor collections through December 2025, revenue per available room (RevPAR), trade shows, estimated group room nights and economic impact. Melissa Williams, Director of Marketing, covered website KPIs, social media, value of tourism, ad placements, 2026 short-term meetings and events, winter campaigns and the "250/150" campaign.
  • Henjum asked whether the international travel statistics cover only United States citizens; Price said only American travelers are included. Rainey asked about plans for the City's 150th birthday; Price said events will include a drone show. Rainey asked about ad placement effectiveness for recruitment; Williams said placement is more business oriented. Crow-Iverson asked when shoulder season is; Williams said early October through early March.
  • 5.C (file 26-093) Colorado Springs Chamber and EDC: Dani Bolling, Chief Operations Officer, covered LART, the organization's mission, the 2026 Space Symposium, a community campaign, a national and international media briefing, the Amicus Brief PR strategy, high-impact national outlets (including Sports Illustrated articles), economic development attraction and the branding initiative (Source Colorado Springs, brand manifesto, tone of voice).
  • Henjum asked why a rebrand was needed; Bolling said to align everyone in telling their story. Leinweber asked how they collaborate with other tourism agencies; Bolling said with the airports and Visit COS, and that they bring key industries to the area. Leinweber asked for a list of organizations being brought in, and Donelson asked for a list of events the Chamber and EDC brought in; Bolling agreed to provide both. Donelson asked the contract amount; Bolling said 750,000 dollars.

City Auditor report: Elected Official Audit Findings

  • 6.A (file 26-186): Natalie Lovell, City Auditor, presented report 26-03 (Review of Concerns Involving an Elected Official): purpose, authority, allegations, findings, conclusions and recommendations.
  • Henjum confirmed the hotline report was anonymous and asked what the Administration is doing about the recommendation; Easton said it is developing a policy.
  • Rainey asked who reported the fringe benefit to the Internal Revenue Service; Lovell said the official reported it to the Payroll Department.
  • Risley asked whether sworn police officers drove the Mayor in a City vehicle; Lovell confirmed they did. He also asked how the audit differs from the Ethics Commission; Lovell said it was based on a Fraud, Waste, and Abuse Hotline report, not a report of an ethics violation.
  • Donelson asked whether other employees' spouses are authorized to drive a City vehicle; Lovell said not to her knowledge. Leinweber asked about liability if a spouse drives; Senior Attorney Sara Brewen said potentially, a question for the Risk Department.
  • No action taken.

Items for introduction

  • 7.A (file 26-144) Resolution authorizing possession and use agreements and eminent domain to acquire real property, permanent easements and temporary easements for the Brookside Realignment Project, with PPRTA funds. Gayle Sturdivant, City Engineer and Deputy Public Works Director, presented a location map, property need and Procedure Manual information (Kellie Billingsley, Real Estate Services Manager, was co-presenter). Donelson asked about the properties; Sturdivant described existing conditions and structures. See Brookside Realignment Eminent Domain.
  • 7.B (file 26-167) Resolution authorizing the Stormwater Enterprise Manager to execute memorandums of agreement with the Department of the Army for the COS Creek Plan Feasibility Study. Erin Powers presented. Henjum supported the project. Donelson asked the anticipated study cost (about 3.7 million dollars) and whether it is appropriate for the Stormwater Enterprise to pay; Powers said the study allows the federal government to cost share improvements. See COS Creek Plan Feasibility Grant.
  • 7.C (file 26-109) Resolution accepting a donation of about 100 acres known as the Pikeview Quarry. Lonna Thelen and David Deitemeyer presented the site, land acquisitions, timeline, reclamation, trailhead and land management cost. Answers: the Leica monitoring system is donated with the land; only about ten acres are inside City limits; the property was inspected by Granite Engineering Group; the City must close on May 15, 2026; staff will seek rezoning and annexation of the other ninety acres and open a dialogue with the community; monitoring is expected for at least two more years; the County zoning is believed to be agricultural. Kim King was a listed presenter. See Pikeview Quarry Donation.
  • 7.D (file 26-156) Resolution setting natural gas rates for the Colorado Springs Utilities March 2026 rate case. Chris Bidlack presented (Travas Deal was a listed presenter); no comments. See Natural Gas Rate Case.
  • 8: no Items Under Study.

Councilmember reports

  • Leinweber was in Washington, DC April 21 to 23 working with the Trust For Public Land to protect the Land and Water Conservation Fund, and planned to attend the Partners in the Outdoors conference that afternoon.
  • Donelson attended the Anzac Memorial ceremony on April 25, joined Crow-Iverson and Casey on a CSU tour of proposed Horizon Power Plant locations, and met with the HeyNeighbors group; his Town Hall focused on CSU time-of-day rates.
  • Rainey attended Space Symposium and Japanese space exploration events and the 2C Season Launch with Mayor Yemi and Chief of Staff Wayne Williams; his Town Hall also focused on CSU costs, and he was assigned as an observer to the Safety Risk Management Board for the Horizon Power Plant.
  • Henjum attended a Family Promise function (Safe Parking Program with local churches) and the Safe Passage luncheon, and will host a Town Hall on May 7 at Edison Elementary School on Flanagan Park improvements.

Executive session

  • 10A.A (file 26-181) Donald Dunn, et al. v. City, et al., Case No. 2026CV30177: with the recommendation of the Civil Action Investigation Committee, Senior Attorney Sara Brewen asked for authorization to defend the employee. Crow-Iverson polled Council; consensus agreed. Presenter: Acting City Attorney Marc Smith.
  • 10B.A (file 26-185): closed session for legal advice on negotiating a litigation settlement in excess of 250,000 dollars in El Paso District Court Case No. 2024CV30729, Estate of Canett v. Scott, et al. Crow-Iverson polled Council on holding an electronic closed session and at least two-thirds agreed. Nothing from the closed session is recorded.

Sources