2026-07-13 - City Council Work Session

Summary

Built from the official minutes (Legistar status: Revised, treated as approved). No video is posted.

Called to order 9:00 AM by President Crow-Iverson; adjourned 1:08 PM. All nine members present; Gold and Henjum attended virtually. The June 8 work session minutes were approved by consensus.
No executive session. The regular meeting followed the next day (2026-07-14 - City Council).
Presentations: the Olympic and Paralympic Museum's update (Olympic Museum City Support) and the City Auditor's 2027 Audit Plan (2027 Audit Plan Review).
Introduced for the regular agenda: the Terra Mesa Metropolitan District service plan, the 458,000 dollar South Nevada corridor security appropriation, the Southeast Strong Neighborhood Plan, and the Old Colorado City DDA dissolution and boundary ordinances.
Under study: the City Auditor's review of concerns involving an elected official (Elected Official Audit Findings).
No votes were taken.

Marisa Wigglesworth reported attendance of about 84,000 to 85,000 in 2024 and 72,000 to 76,000 in 2025; the City gives 500,000 dollars every other year; expenses about 6 million dollars against 4.2 million in revenue; 24 full-time staff; the museum has applied for LART funding.

Natalie Lovell presented the plan. Airport audit hours rose on a changed risk profile; the office's future staffing is 15.5 positions.

Item 8.A. Drew Foxx presented a plan for 42 acres east of Powers Boulevard and Research Parkway. No City agreements are required because districts own the areas; the park will be private.

Item 8.B. Jariah Walker (Urban Renewal Authority) presented a 458,000 dollar supplemental appropriation to the Retail Marijuana Tax Fund for a security contract in the South Nevada corridor, with Charae McDaniel. Questions on success measures, a cancellation clause, contact with police and drone feeds. See the issue page for the full exchange.

Item 8.C. Kevin Walker presented the District 4 neighborhood plan; known City investment of 350 million dollars over eight years.

Items 8.D and 8.E (dissolution and boundary correction). Emily Evans introduced; Williams gave the history and said the mill levy did not pass. Trevor Gloss explained that passing the dissolution would moot the boundary correction, which would remove seventeen properties. Donelson was reluctant to dissolve a board created by voters, said the Plan of Development was about six months from completion with no debt risk, and asked Allison Daniell for a promise not to incur debt before the vote; she said the DDA does not intend to, though Laura Gardner said the board would have to vote. Ryan Tefertiller described the Plan of Development process.

Item 9.A. Natalie Lovell presented audit 26-11. Discussion covered the use of a City vehicle, staff watching children, retaliation monitoring and the Administration's work on telematics reporting; Wayne Williams said the Administration would respond after reviewing the reports.

Donelson said the City Branding item set for July 27 is a proposal, not an update; Risley said it was requested to be withdrawn. The Unified Development Code recodification will not be ready by July 27 (Kevin Walker). The AnnexCOS plan was just presented to the Planning Commission (AnnexCOS Annexation Plan). Donelson and Rainey asked that the police and fire presentation on leaving the El Paso-Teller County 911 Authority follow the Authority's own update on August 10; the Chief of Staff agreed.

Casey: five-hour police ride-along on June 27 and a town hall at Fire Station 19 on June 30 (about forty attendees); next town hall October 14 at Library 21c.
Rainey: Colorado Municipal League conference, a small business forum with over thirty-five businesses, a Cheyenne Mountain tour and the Rodeo Parade on July 11.
Donelson: noted June 2026 Council meetings were cancelled for the conference; tours and ceremonies.
Leinweber: at-large town hall July 27 at Library 21c, facilitated by Braver Angels.