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2026-08-11 - City Council

Summary

Built from the official minutes (Legistar status Final). The meeting ran from 9:00 AM to 10:07 AM.

  • All nine members present (Casey, President Crow-Iverson, Donelson, Gold, Henjum (virtual), Leinweber, Rainey Jr., President Pro Tem Risley, Williams). Leinweber gave the invocation.
  • Agenda changes: Donelson asked that items 4B.F. and 4B.G. (the two rezonings) come off the Consent Calendar, and Kevin Walker, Planning Director, asked that 4B.D. (Kettle Creek service plan) come off; Council agreed by consensus.
  • Consent Calendar approved 9-0-0-0 (motion Gold, second Casey): July 28 minutes; Resolution 69-26 declaring intent to issue private activity revenue bonds for housing for low- and middle-income families; Resolution 70-26 adopting Fire Board of Appeals rules and procedures; Resolution 71-26 authorizing Colorado Springs Utilities to enter a regional wastewater treatment agreement with the Garden Valley Water and Sanitation District; and referral of three annexation petitions (Peacock Ranch South Addition No. 1, Seller Addition No. 1 and Huber Road Addition No. 1) to the City Administration to review for substantial compliance.
  • Council appointments to boards, commissions and committees approved 9-0-0-0 (motion Gold, second Williams).
  • Kettle Creek Metropolitan District service plan postponed to August 25, 2026, 9-0-0-0.
  • Mark Dabling Boulevard rezone passed first reading 8-1 (Donelson no); Buckingham Drive rezone passed first reading 7-2 (Donelson and Gold no). Both set public hearings for August 25.
  • Claims management and workers' compensation code ordinances postponed to August 25, 8-1 (Casey no).
  • Ordinance 26-36, a 458,000 dollar supplemental appropriation from the Retail Marijuana Tax Fund for South Nevada corridor security, finally passed 7-2 (Casey and Gold no).
  • No new business, public hearing, added items or executive session.

Recognitions and appointments

  • Leinweber honored at-large resident Allen Beauchamp for decades of work on parks, trails, adaptive cycling and safe bike routes; speakers from the Trails and Open Space Coalition, the stormwater enterprise and the Richard Petritz Foundation, plus the Parks, Recreation and Cultural Services director, praised his work.
  • President Crow-Iverson presented the board and committee appointments (including a Lodgers and Automobile Rental Tax advisory committee list); Henjum thanked appointee Jack Damioli for his willingness to serve.

Mayor's Business

  • Wayne Williams, Chief of Staff, thanked the Parks, Recreation and Cultural Services Department for Colorado Day events and said the City is working with the Pikes Peak Library District on service in the community and with a non-profit group to add value to the Meadows Park Community Center (see Meadows Park Community Center Sale).

Kettle Creek Metropolitan District Service Plan

  • Resolution 72-26 (north of Old Ranch Road, east of Voyager Parkway, south of Federal Drive; Council District 2). Walker said the item was postponed to the August 25 meeting so that recording could be completed first. Motion by Risley, seconded by Williams, passed 9-0-0-0.

Mark Dabling Boulevard Mixed-Use Rezone

  • Ordinance 26-37, 5.41 acres at 5325 Mark Dabling Boulevard from MX-N/SS-O to MX-M/SS-O (Council District 1), first reading only to set the August 25 hearing; Chris Sullivan and Walker were the listed presenters. Donelson said he would vote against rezonings at first reading because he prefers that presentations be given then, as in the past. Motion by Rainey Jr., seconded by Risley, passed 8-1-0-0 (Aye: Casey, Crow-Iverson, Gold, Henjum, Leinweber, Rainey Jr., Risley, Williams; No: Donelson).

Buckingham Drive Industrial Rezone

  • Ordinance 26-38, 7.79 acres at 4290 through 4340 Buckingham Drive from BP/CR to LI/CR (Council District 1), first reading to set the August 25 hearing. Motion by Leinweber, seconded by Williams, passed 7-2-0-0 (Aye: Casey, Crow-Iverson, Henjum, Leinweber, Rainey Jr., Risley, Williams; No: Donelson, Gold).

Claims Management Code Amendments

  • Files 26-295 (Claims Management, Part 5; later Ordinance 26-46) and 26-296 (Workers' Compensation Claims Management, Part 6; later Ordinance 26-47) of the City Code were listed under Utilities Business with John Hunter and Travas Deal as presenters. Donelson asked that they be postponed to August 25 so they would not be back-to-back with the work session briefing. Motions by Donelson, seconded by Rainey Jr., each passed 8-1-0-0 (No: Casey).

South Nevada Corridor Security Funding

  • Jariah Walker, Executive Director of the Colorado Springs Urban Renewal Authority, presented Ordinance 26-36 amending the 2026 Budget Appropriation Ordinance (25-95) for a 458,000 dollar supplemental appropriation to the Retail Marijuana Tax Fund to fund a CSURA security services contract in the South Nevada corridor (Charae McDaniel, Chief Financial Officer, was a co-presenter).
  • Donelson supported it because the police chief said even with funding the department could not hire as many officers as it would like. Henjum thought the marijuana retailers that generate the money should have been invited into the discussion. Gold opposed it, believing the money should go to housing people experiencing homelessness.
  • Motion by Williams, seconded by Rainey Jr., finally passed 7-2-0-0 (Aye: Crow-Iverson, Donelson, Henjum, Leinweber, Rainey Jr., Risley, Williams; No: Casey, Gold).

Citizen discussion

  • Daniel Prutz asked for more restroom facilities at the Springs Rescue Mission for people experiencing homelessness. AJ Nienhauser opposed homeless camps throughout the City.
  • Taylor Gray and Allie Smith spoke against authorizing Project Taurus Data Center, a large data center, in the City.
  • Caleb Miller spoke against a pay raise for the Colorado Springs Utilities chief executive officer.

Consent items without an Issue page

  • Resolution 69-26 (private activity bond carryforward, presented by Katie Sunderlin and Aimee Cox), Resolution 70-26 (Fire Board of Appeals rules; Fire Marshal Kris Cooper, Blongshia Lindsay and the Public Safety Attorney), Resolution 71-26 (Garden Valley wastewater agreement; Travas Deal, Greg Luchka, Sara Yakuba) and the three annexation petitions filed with Sarah B. Johnson, City Clerk, between July 22 and July 24, 2026.

Sources