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2026-05-26 - City Council

Summary

Built from the official minutes (Legistar status: Final). No video is posted.

  • All nine members present: President Crow-Iverson, President Pro Tem Risley, and Councilmembers Casey, Donelson, Gold, Henjum, Leinweber, Rainey Jr. and Williams. Called to order at 9:20 AM after the 2026-05-26 - City Council Work Session; adjourned at 4:55 PM. Invocation by Pastor Pat Hartsock of the First Presbyterian Church.
  • Henjum had item 4B.A (the May 12 minutes) pulled from the Consent Calendar so the minutes could reflect her recognition of Marc Smith, Acting City Attorney, who is leaving the City after twenty-two years; Council agreed by consensus and the minutes were approved as amended 9-0-0-0.
  • Consent Calendar approved 9-0-0-0 (moved by Gold, seconded by Rainey Jr.): Ordinance 26-19 (Reagan Ranch park rezoning) and Ordinance 26-20 (Unified Development Code Article 5 procedures) finally passed; Resolutions 44-26 and 45-26 and first reading of Ordinances 26-21 and 26-22 for two West Cheyenne Mountain State Park acquisitions; Utilities Resolutions 46-26, 47-26 and 48-26; and Resolution 49-26 on the Kettle Creek annexation.
  • Palmer High School: Ordinance 26-06 vacating East Boulder Street was finally passed on reconsideration 6-2-0-1 with three conditions (Donelson and Gold no; Risley recused). Council would not take new information or public comment.
  • Utilities regional agreement with the Southeastern Colorado Water Conservancy District adopted 8-0-0-1 (Casey recused).
  • HOME-ARP Allocation Plan amendment adopted 9-0-0-0.
  • PTAA Addition No. 1 annexation resolution setting a July 14 hearing adopted 8-0-0-1 (Risley recused).
  • Single exit and single stairway building code ordinance failed for lack of a motion.
  • Child care center zoning ordinance approved on first reading 8-1-0-0 (Donelson no).
  • Elevate Downtown Neighborhood Plan approved 8-1-0-0, and the companion Plan of Development resolution (54-26) adopted 8-1-0-0 (Donelson no on both).
  • Recognition of May 2026 as Preservation Month (9-0-0-0) and Council appointments to boards and commissions (9-0-0-0).
  • Mayor's Business: Chief of Staff Wayne Williams said the City's second furlough day was Friday, May 25, 2026 and sales tax revenue is up 4.1 percent against a projection of 1.4 percent, with the 2027 budget being prepared conservatively.
  • One hour of citizen discussion: speakers raised Project Taurus and a large data center, Council pay, the Colorado Springs Utilities chief executive's pay increase and Honor Flight support.
  • Second presentation items finally passed on the Consent Calendar: Ordinance 26-19 (ZONE-26-0003), rezoning 9.04 acres off Marksheffel Road southeast of Space Village Avenue (Council District 4) from MX-M/AP-O/APZ-1 to PK/AP-O/APZ-1 (Public Park), the Reagan Ranch Community Park, presented by Chris Sullivan and Kevin Walker; and Ordinance 26-20 (CODE-26-0002) amending Article 5 (Administration and Enforcement) of the Unified Development Code on procedural process, presented by Daniel Sexton and Walker.
  • First presentation items: Resolutions 44-26 and 45-26 authorizing TOPS acquisition of about 40 acres each (West CMSP Parcels 1 and 2) and Ordinances 26-21 and 26-22, each a supplemental appropriation of up to $162,000 to the Trails, Open Space and Parks Fund, approved on first reading (see Cheyenne Mountain State Park West Expansion). Presenters: Kim King and staff.
  • Colorado Springs Utilities items presented by Travas Deal: Resolution 46-26, a special contract for augmentation service with Cheyenne Mountain Space Force Station; Resolution 47-26, abandoning conditional water rights associated with the Sugar Loaf Reservoir; Resolution 48-26, an intergovernmental agreement with Colorado Parks and Wildlife and others on aquatic nuisance species at Twin Lakes and Turquoise Lake. All adopted.
  • Resolution 49-26 (ANEX-25-0002R), finding the Kettle Creek Addition No. 1 annexation petition (19.88 acres) in substantial compliance and setting a hearing for July 14, 2026; presented by Sullivan and Walker. See Kettle Creek Annexation.
  • Consent motion by Gold, seconded by Rainey Jr., passed 9-0-0-0 (Casey, Crow-Iverson, Donelson, Gold, Henjum, Leinweber, Rainey Jr., Risley, Williams).

Recognitions and appointments

  • Resolution 50-26 recognizing May 2026 as Preservation Month, read by Henjum. Tim Boddington, President of the Preservation Historic Alliance, spoke about the importance of recognizing the community's history; Donelson thanked him. Moved by Gold, seconded by Casey, 9-0-0-0.
  • Council appointments to boards, commissions and committees (attachments cover the Historic Preservation Board, the PPRTA Citizen Advisory Committee and the PPACG Community Advisory Committee), presented by Crow-Iverson. Moved by Gold, seconded by Henjum, 9-0-0-0.

Utilities Business: Southeastern Water Conservancy Regional Agreement

  • Item 8.A (file 26-203, Resolution 51-26): an intergovernmental agreement between the City, for its Colorado Springs Utilities enterprise, and the Southeastern Colorado Water Conservancy District for regional water service agreements. Casey recused himself to avoid the appearance of a conflict, on guidance from his federal employer's ethics office and the City Attorney's Office; he works for the Department of the Interior, parent agency of the Bureau of Reclamation, though not on water issues.
  • Jenny Bishop (Colorado Springs Utilities) presented the District, the Reclamation contract, IGA provisions and next steps. Henjum asked who uses the regional southeast water facility (Security, Fountain and Stratmoor Hills, served through the Southern Delivery System); Leinweber asked how water from across the continental divide relates to the IGA (Southern Delivery System water is pulled from Pueblo Reservoir, an important storage vessel for exchanges).
  • Motion by Donelson, seconded by Gold, adopted 8-0-0-1. Aye: Crow-Iverson, Donelson, Gold, Henjum, Leinweber, Rainey Jr., Risley, Williams. Recused: Casey.

Unfinished Business: Palmer High School Boulder Street Vacation

  • Item 9.A (SUBD-25-0076): reconsideration of second reading of Ordinance 26-06 vacating about 0.92 acres of East Boulder Street between North Nevada Avenue and North Weber Street (Council District 3), tied to the School District 11 Palmer High School zone change and land use plan, which had a first reading February 24, 2026 and were approved at a public hearing March 10, 2026. Presenters: Ryan Tefertiller and Walker. Risley recused because his firm is engaged on another District 11 project.
  • Crow-Iverson asked whether new information could be presented; City Attorney Stefanie Boster said Council can refuse additional information, otherwise it must open the hearing to public comment. Council would not open the hearing. Donelson later asked why new information had been presented; Boster said no additional evidence should come in unless Council asks for it.
  • Applicant team: Chris Lieber (NES, for the applicant) and Brandan Comfort (Deputy Superintendent, School District 11). Key answers: the utilities would be relocated in Phase 1B except the storm drain (a tunnel would need to be two stories underground, a skybridge three stories up); the existing underpass tunnel would be removed; the school, not the City, pays to move the gas lines (Deal); crossings reduced, protected left turns with pedestrian buttons at six intersections, bump-outs and a median extension; school zones (20 mph, active forty minutes before and ten after the bell) to be installed this summer on Platte, Weber, Wahsatch and Nevada by City Traffic Engineer Todd Frisbie, limited by funding to four or five new school zones a year; 262 on-site parking stalls at completion under the approved Land Use Plan, with 200 to 250 projected needed and a church lot used during construction; about 180 students use the Boulder Street tunnel per course selection (Principal Krista Burke).
  • Bond: Comfort said a bond of about $775 million (the last was $425 million) may be considered; the District had not decided on the November 2026 ballot; funding for the track and field and the move of students from the Erps Gym site already exists. The District intends athletic facilities on the Erps lot and has had no recent talk of selling or donating it.
  • Henjum said she would vote yes because concerns were addressed, that Council was voting on a street and path, not on District leadership and culture. Donelson said the loss of medical transport on Boulder Street was not addressed so he would vote no; he also asked whether the General Palmer statue must move (Frisbie: nothing suggests so) and about business owners opposed to the vacation (the applicant said no further discussion, citing eighteen months of master plan outreach).
  • Motion by Leinweber, seconded by Williams, to finally pass Ordinance 26-06 under City Code 7.5.522 with three conditions: (1) an agreement requiring School District 11 to allow public egress over the property when unused for construction or District activities; (2) a request that D11 collaborate with the City on public egress during the PPRTA-funded Platte Avenue Improvements (Wahsatch to Circle) project; (3) an agreement requiring the District to return ownership to the City if it disposes of the property. Passed 6-2-0-1. Aye: Casey, Crow-Iverson, Henjum, Leinweber, Rainey Jr., Williams. No: Donelson, Gold. Recused: Risley.

New Business

HOME-ARP Allocation Plan Amendment

  • Item 10.A (file 26-152, Resolution 52-26): amendment to the HOME-ARP Allocation Plan for submittal to HUD. Aimee Cox, Chief Housing and Homelessness Response Officer, presented. Leinweber asked what a non-congregate shelter is (a private room) and whether other shelter funding would fall (no); Casey asked when the money must be spent (by 2030). Beth Roalstad (Homeward Pikes Peak) and Artie Lehl (Colorado Springs Housing Authority) spoke in support. Moved by Gold, seconded by Rainey Jr., adopted 9-0-0-0.

PTAA Charter School Annexation

  • Item 10.B (ANEX-23-0027R, Resolution 53-26): PTAA Addition No. 1 annexation, 14.12 acres; resolution finding substantial compliance with C.R.S. 31-12-107(1) and setting a July 14, 2026 hearing. Sullivan explained the item was approved in August 2025 but at recording it was found that the owner and the City (Public Works) had exchanged property during review, including land for widening Marksheffel Road, with the City not a petitioner; the process must restart at the hearing-date resolution, with a City ratification affidavit and petition. Risley recused (his firm is engaged on the project). Moved by Henjum, seconded by Rainey Jr., adopted 8-0-0-1.

Single Exit Stairway Code Adoption

  • Item 10.C (CODE-26-0003): ordinance adopting Pikes Peak Regional Building Code standards for single exits and stairways in Section 1404 of the Unified Development Code, in response to state House Bill 25-1273. Presented by Sexton, Walker and Building Official Roger Lovell. The ordinance failed for lack of a motion (see the issue page for the discussion).

Child Care Center Code Amendments

  • Item 10.D (CODE-25-0006): the day care center ordinance, presented by Allison Stocker and Walker. Seven speakers supported it; three (Historic Neighborhoods Partnership and Old North End representatives) opposed. Donelson's three amendments (one parking space per 400 square feet; removing large commercial day cares from Residential and OR zones; changing permitted use to conditional use in Residential and OR zones) each failed for lack of a second. Motion by Henjum, seconded by Gold, approved on first reading 8-1-0-0. No: Donelson. (Finally passed on 2026-06-09 - City Council.)

Elevate Downtown Neighborhood Plan

  • Items 10.E (NPLN-26-0001) and 10.F (file 26-213, Resolution 54-26): approval of the plan, an update to the 2016 Experience Downtown plan, and its Plan of Development. Each passed 8-1-0-0 on motions by Henjum, seconded by Gold. No: Donelson.

Citizen discussion (items not on the agenda)

  • Charles Barber asked everyone to keep hair out of the drain and Colorado Springs Utilities wastewater system. Renee Gonzalez and Peter Hernandez spoke for higher Council compensation; Hernandez and Kyle McGuffy spoke against Project Taurus (Project Taurus Data Center); McGuffy also spoke against Flock red light cameras. Caleb Miller spoke against the pay increase for Utilities chief executive Travas Deal, asked that he resign immediately, asked for a larger CSU COPE fund match and for higher Council pay.
  • Roger Fortin thanked the Police and Fire Departments and others who supported the Honor Flight for veterans. Taylor Gray spoke against data being taken from people. Steven Lightfoot sang a song. No Public Hearing items, added items or Executive Session.

Sources