>> Good morning. Welcome to
Colorado Springs City Council
meeting for AUGUST. 25th 2026.
>> Will the clerk please call
the roll? Councilmember kc
Councilmember Crow Anderson,
here, councilmember Donaldson
here, councilmember gold. Here
I am councilmember Present in
person. Councilmember line
Weber. On his way excused.
Councilmember raining here.
Councilmember Risley here,
Councilmember Williams here.
Present one en route. Please
stand for the invocation. We
have the pleasure today.
>> With MR. Gene or Pastor
Chaplain, actually, it's
chaplain James to occur from
Stone Church. Thank you. Thank
you.
>> Before I offer scripture
and prayer. We had to Socorro
State Patrol officer shot this
morning. On highway 24. Few
pass. Please keep there. Their
families and Good morning to
city council and the staff
into all you in this room.
Trump's homes I would like to
read the Lord is my light and
my salvation whom shall fear?
The Lord is the stronghold of
my life of whom shall I be
afraid hero Lord. When I cry
aloud, be gracious to me. An
answer me. You have said seek
my face. My heart to you your
face, Lord, I do seek MAY we
bill? Our heads in prayer.
Almighty GOD, as we gather in
this room today. Seeking the
presence of the spirit. Over
Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
And as I have commissioner
servant to pray for City
Council and staff. We can not
run. A government or lines
without the presence of our
Lord. Made this council. All
of us Sheikh your face daily.
Seeking the wisdom to
strengthen the purpose of life
through Jesus Christ. And as
the city Council governs the
city. Maybe they do so as you
guide and direct each one. We
asked this blessing now. Upon
this gathering in the name of
our Lord Christ. Amen. And
then.
>> pledge allegiance to the
flag. United States of America
and to the Republic for which
it stands. One nation under
GOD, indivisible, with liberty
and justice for all.
>> We will now consider the
consent calendar. These items
will be acted upon us a whole
unless a specific item is
called out for discussion by
councilmember a citizen.
Wishing to address council. Is
there anyone who wishes to
pull an item off of the
consent calendar? Can I get a
motion? And a motion from
council members, Lea second
from COUNCILMAN Casey all in
favor. Please say Aye. In the
Post. Moving on to item Will
the clerk please read item
into the record?
>> City council appointments
to boards, commissions and
committees.
>> This morning, we have
several appointments starting
with the airport Advisory
Commission. A vacancy occurred
on the airport advisory
commission due to complete a
term. Council members. Roland
Iranian Kimberly Gold
recommended elevating Mike
Bird. He was served as an
alternate member since OCTOBER
of 2025. To a voting member
position. Additionally, they
recommended a reappointment of
John Eastman Council members
to have anything to
>> Thank you, MADAM PRESIDENT.
And good morning. All that are
in Rome and of course, online.
The one thing I will say is
airport. The advisory
commission is always that
quiet group in the background
and a lot of people don't get
to see their interactions and
what they're doing for us. On
behalf of the citizens of
Color Springs at our airport.
And the people that volunteer
their time its to
professionals. And what I mean
by that is some are just
regular volunteers, but
majority of them are
individuals that have career
in aviation have ran a small
general aviation airports. So
we're getting the best of the
best on these commissions and
it was a very easy decision to
recommend individual to level
from primary on the
commission. Matter of fact,
that individual ran a small
out in Kansas City. And and of
course, now he's here. Former
Airflow Marine retired. So I
think a phenomenal choice.
Great individual and more than
happy and excited to actually
have him be active member on
the commission. Now.
>> Thank you, MADAM PRESIDENT,
I'd like to echo councilmember
Remy statements and just give
a big thank you to John and
Mike for their continued
service. The airport is the
front door of Colorado Springs
and they're doing a lot of
unglamorous behind the scenes
things to really elevate our
airport. So thank you,
everyone for their service.
And thank you, MADAM
PRESIDENT.
>> Next we have Pikes, Peak
Area Council of Government
Community Advisory Committee.
A vacancy occurred on the
Pikes Peak Area Council of
Government Community Advisory
Committee due to a complete a
term on JULY. 24th Council
real and rainy, interviewed
applicants. Gregory Charter is
recommended for appointment as
a voting member council. Of
have any comments.
>> Thank you, MADAM PRESIDENT.
And once again, this is
another commission that I'm
liaison to.
>> And I will tell you, the
speaker calls for government
Community Advisory committee.
>> Their role and
responsibility is you to
integrate? Find out what's on
your mind and bring that back
to the advisory committee
granted to have very specific
areas that they focus on
dealing with transportation,
military land use. Entering
But these are folks that are
out there engaging with all of
you in the community. And I
know they're going to continue
to do that. Lot of great that
was tough. One of the probably
most tough interviews that
I've had 13 well qualified
applicants Merritt at down
made this election and the
individual that we end up
selecting is someone who's
really integrated into the
community. And I'm looking
very much forward. Not think I
see him in the room. I thought
I did that Gregory is going to
represent you all well. So
thank you very much, MADAM
PRESIDENT.
>> Next, we have county city
drainage board. A vacancy
occurred on the county city.
Drainage were due to a
complete a term on AUGUST 18
Councilmember Kate and Casey
in Paso County Commissioner.
Bill, why someone with a Paso
County drainage plan planning
manager and engineering
manager the City Public works.
Division manager, an
engineering technician and the
board chair. Interviewed
applicants. Tim Martin was
recommended for appointment as
a voting member council Casey
comments.
>> Just that, MISTER Tomorrow
will be ago. Excellent
addition to the to the
transport.
>> If there are no additional
comments, we have a motion
from COUNCILMAN Gold in a
second from councilmen, rain
or Casey. Let's bow.
>> The motion passes 8 to 0.
Moving on to item 6. Is there
any mayor's business today?
>> Yes, just a few just
reminder that this is so cold
start of week. And so we've
got a host of events and their
community celebrating in
assisting folks that are
starting small businesses and
a number of members of council
been involved in small
businesses starting up and
continuing. Want to make sure
that folks have an opportunity
get to start up week. You'll
see. About a dozen more events
still to take place this week.
And at the end of the week, we
have the legislative barbecue
down at Colorado State. Fair.
And so those are a couple of
special things going on and
then Thursday morning there is
a special announcement Weidner
field and that'll be great for
our community. Thanks.
>> Uganda item 8, a will. The
clerk please read item 8 a and
8 be into the record.
>> It an ordinance amending
part 5 claims management
article Finance management
procedures. Chapter one
administration, personal
finance, the code of the city
of Colorado Springs in upper
teens claims management ab in
ordinance amending parts. 6
workers compensation article 5
finance management procedures
to provide administration
personal finance the code of
the city cars from 2001 is in
the Upper 10. You to workers.
Compensation claims
management. Good morning,
John.
>> Good morning. PRESIDENT
Kerr Iris and pro temp Risley
and members of City Council.
My name is John Hunter. With
Car Springs Utilities. And I'm
here this morning, too.
Present on the proposed city
code amendments. This
presentation will cover both
items to 95 2.96. If we go
ahead and go to that site.
Should work. There's really 2
key points to these code
amendments. The first is a
more formal separation between
the city and the utilities for
their claims and workers comp
funds. They are currently
separate funds that are
tracked separately. But this
code change would formalize
that separation. And secondly,
the transfer of the management
of these 2 funds from their
current state with the city
cfo being the manager overall
funds to amending that to have
the utility cfo manage the
claims and workers come fund
for utilities. And that's all
I have. Unless you have any
questions. At this time, I'd
like to Tim Shriver are from
the city attorney's office to
tweak to one of the
ordinances. Good Morning City
Council. 10 shatter the city
Attorney's office and the
Tribune Office.
>> And Item 8, a we're
amending Article 5 Chapter one
section 1, 5, 5, 0, 3, The
very first line, it says
currently says.
>> The city and utilities show
investigate. It should say the
city or utilities. And so we
asked when you make the motion
to prove this, that
acknowledge that amendment. So
that portion. Thank COUNCILMAN
Dawson.
>> Yeah, MADAM PRESIDENT, sir,
if you could say up there.
I've made the motion
electronically. So I would
just like to clarify that for
the city clerk to amend its my
motion is amended to states.
Rather than and. That. That's
correct, right? Correct. And
Section 1, 5, 5, 3,
>> COUNCILMAN Hinton, are you
good, sir?
>> I am. I would just request
the email that to so that we
get the right line. Number
page number cited in the
minutes. Please. Yes, I'll do
that.
>> Yes, thank you, MADAM
PRESIDENT it. Could you just
explain the importance says
because the each fund is being
managed. Separately, each.
>> Utilities and city will
each investigate and settled
or compromise their own
claims. So as it's currently
it's just really reading is
basically saying that both
city and utilities well
investigate both claims. And
so we're just making a
distinction that. Both
entities are going to
investigate, settle compromise
their own claims separately.
>> Have a motion from council
Madonna Senate, a second from
COUNCILMAN, rainy. Let's vote
on item 8, a
>> and the motion passes 8 to
0.
COUNCILMAN Donaldson. It went
away. Okay.
>> 8 have a
>> motion from COUNCILMAN
Donna Son in a second from
COUNCILMAN, rainy. Let's vote
on item 8 b. And the motion
passes 8 to 0. Moving on to
item 8 c will the clerk please
read item 8 c into the record.
Public hearing for the
consideration of proposed
changes as provided in colors
from she till it is JULY 2026.
Net metering rate case.
>> Good morning. Thank you.
Good morning. I'm Chris Widlic
senior attorney with the city
Attorney's Office Utilities
Division.
>> I'm going to get you
started on utilities rate case
this morning by running
through the instructions
explaining the process that
will be followed in today's
hearing. The City Council's
authority to establish reach
charges and regulations for
utility services. It's
contained in the Colorado
Constitution. Cars, statutes,
city Charter City Code
Council's rules and
procedures. Article 20 of the
Colorado Constitution provide
City Council with the
authority to establish
electric, natural gas, water
and wastewater rates, charges
and regulations. Article 6 of
the city charter also provides
the 30 to operate those
systems. The power to
establish tariffs for electric
and natural gas services
provided inside municipal
limits lies exclusively with
City Council. City Code
Section 12, 1, 1, 0, 8, e
directs the city council to
establish rates for electric
and natural gas service that
are just reasonable sufficient
and not unduly discriminatory.
Under Colorado revised statute
section 43.5, 102, the city
council's rate setting
decisions for electric natural
gas customers outside
municipal limits are not
subject to review by the
Colorado Public Utilities
Commission so long as the
rates and charges are dental
those inside municipal
Typically rates or consider
just unreasonable if the rates
balance one, the utilities
interest recovery of
legitimately incurred costs
and a reasonable return on
investment, dedicated utility
service and 2, the customer's
interest in being assessed
charges that approximate the
cost associated provision of
utility service. Part 4, the
rules and procedures of City
Council together with Section
12, 1, 1, 0, 8, of the city
code set forth a process that
govern City Council hearing
hearing today. In setting
rates charging regulations for
electric service, utilities,
rules and regulations. City
Council is acting in its
legislative role. The written
materials you have received as
well as the oral presentations
and testimony of this public
hearing will constitute the
record of that hearing. Today.
You'll hear the JULY 2026 net
metering rate case which
involves tariff proposals to
the electric service and
utilities rules and
regulations. At the conclusion
of the hearing. I will assist
determining what issues have
identified and asked for a
preliminary decision on those
issues. Based on that, I will
draft a just decisions and
orders for your review. Those
decisions and orders will be
reviewed at your work session
meeting on SEPTEMBER. 21st.
And you'll be asked to adopt
the resolutions at the regular
meeting on SEPTEMBER 22nd. For
an effective date as was to
his proposals of APRIL. First,
27. At this point in the
proceeding. I would ask that
of any city council members
had any material
communications related to the
rate case. Prior to today's
hearing that they be included
for the record. Council.
Michael Williams. Good
morning. Thank you. PRESIDENT
I'm just curious as to why
that's question us because got
rid of
>> the expert, a portion of
this. But does this to play a
role?
>> There's no prohibition on
those communications. We do
ask that they be included now
so that all councilmembers are
aware of all material
communications related to the
rate case.
>> So that all councilmembers
are working from the same
collection of facts and making
your decisions. How much time
do you have for us to list all
those communications? I mean,
we've all had.
>> Communications right with
countless individuals. So how
would you like us to? That's
why we asked for it to be
material or a summary of.
>> For example, I received a
number of communications firm
constituents concerned with x,
y z so that it's understood
that everybody's aware of what
communications have happened.
Okay. Maybe I speak for all 9
of us name but it can object
that we have received.
>> Countless emails. Had
meetings with constituents and
communication, Kerr Springs
utilities as well. So I'm
pretty sure that holds true
for myself and probably the
other 8 of us. As Williams
>> that's COUNCILMAN Line
River. Yes, I've countless
meetings emails and I've
talked to utilities and all
stuff that Brandi said.
>> COUNCILMAN Donaldson.
>> Yeah, thanks, MADAM
PRESIDENT and also received
I'm not sure dozens, maybe
maybe 50 to 100 emails and I
tried to reply to every one of
those except the ones from
this morning. Very few
in-person meetings. That's it.
>> Thank COUNCILMAN
>> I thank you, MADAM
PRESIDENT. Yes, I too, have
received dozens and dozens of
I don't know. Since the
beginning probably well over
100 emails. I have had
conversations with numerous
rate pairs with a net metering
customers. I have spent
probably more time than
Tristan would care to remember
with the cfo seeking to
understand the rate case. And
I've done a fair amount of
research and reading on my own
as well. Thank you. Thank you.
Okay. Moving on to the council
in kc.
>> Yeah, participated in all
Coral Springs, Georgia board
meetings and discussions
regarding that received read
all of the all council e-mails
regarding that bitter.
>> COUNCILMAN Gold. COUNCILMAN
Remy, I mean, this Sorry,
Risley same as everybody else.
>> I also received many emails
and I have met with
constituents utilities.
>> And so did I just want to
make sure for the record that
I stated it.
>> Are you on the record a
long record? All 9 on the
record. I have a down. Thank
you. Next up, turnover to
utilities for their
presentation. Utilities has
requested that questions be
held until the end of the
presentation. If possible, so
they can be efficient in
presenting their material as
quickly as possible. Thank
you.
>> COUNCILMAN, whenever have a
comment or used, have your
name up. Yeah. Let's that
continues to happen this
morning. Thank you.
>> Good morning. Good morning.
Members of City Council. My
name is Tristan. You're hurt
and the cfo, Colorado Springs
Utilities. Diving right into
the great options that we
would like to be able to
discuss today. I wanted to
start with the underlying
issue. We're trying to solve.
The net metering program has
been successful helping our
customers adopting rooftop
solar and bring renewable
energy to our system. This
proposal is not about the
value of solar energy. Our
current rain challenge is that
solar customers can earn
energy credits. 4 d time
production. When powers
cheaper. Well, still relying
on the utility's grade when
solar production is reduced or
unavailable in our cost of
powers more expensive. The
helpful analogy. Is your line.
Blackout dates. The airlines
know that they have a small
number of travel days but are
their busiest of the entire
year. The plan for those days
and terms of infrastructure
employees, all of the things
that they have to be able to
support those days and the
price, according. Our utility
system. Electric System
operates in a similar fashion.
We have a small number of
hours that we build our system
forward to be able to handle
our peak capacity. We have to
make sure that we maintain
enough generation substations,
transformers transmission. And
distribution facilities to our
highest on demand. Peak hours
for all of our customers. The
difference is that airlines
use those peak periods to
maximize profits. As a
municipal utility. We're
focused on equitable
allocation of costs. Our goal
is to ensure all customers who
depend on the grand
contributed appropriate share
of the cost required to
maintain the road reliability
for our grid infrastructure.
District. This graphic in
front of you shows why the
peak demand matters. Utilities
builds 22% of our electric
infrastructure for 4% of the
time get any given year.
That's almost a quarter of our
infrastructure that's there to
support 4% of the time in any
given year. And most of that
is a very focused time from
really around 03:00pm until
09:00pm that we're building
that 22% of our system. We
cannot build our system for
average. Get for only average
conditions. Our system must
support moments when everyone
wants power. At the same time.
The need for peak capacity is
what drives a significant
portion of our costs. The key
takeaway is that while daytime
net metering energy credits
reduce energy purchases, they
do not eliminate peak
infrastructure that we must
build maintain. Approximately
7 per cent of total
residential peak demand comes
from that metering customers.
Based on our cost of service
analysis serving that 7% of
net metering customers cost
about 6.5 million dollars a
year. In infrastructure costs.
Under the current net metering
rate structure, only about
2 million of that 6.5 million
is recovered from net metering
customers through kilowatt
hour charges. The remaining 4
and a half million. It's not
recovered from those net
metering customers whose usage
does contribute to the peak
demand that we must serve.
Those costs don't disappear.
They're built into into total
rates, passed on to non that
metering customers. As an
organization 4 and a half
million dollars is effectively
a starting in the hole. And we
look at other virtual power
plant programs and demand side
management programs. This
hampers our ability to fund
programs that can bring more
value from renewables.
Batteries, powered batteries
paired with solar. A game
changer as they have the
ability reduce peak demand. In
all of the discussions we've
had as we've been going the
net metering conversations.
I've discussions with many
customers on that have solar
some customers that have solar
and battery seeing the way
that the battery operates with
that solar is truly a
game-changer for us as a
utility company. It allows
those solar installations
truly reduce the need of that
peak infrastructure. And
that's where we would like to
be able to get to as a utility
as being able to encourage all
those things. But when we look
at the dollars that are
available and we're starting 4
and a half million dollars in
the hole, it is hard to be
able to get the math calculate
out for those programs. That's
a quick overview of the rate
case of why we're bringing
this before City council. With
that, I'm going to turn over
some of the details of the
case to our pricing rates
manager, structural.
PRESIDENT
Cry Ruston PRESIDENT Pro 10
risley members of City Council
enterprise rates. Happy to be
here this morning. And before
we dive into the really the
details of the case.
>> Want to state for the
record that are filing does
comply with city code and the
rules and procedures as
outlined by the time line and
the procedural compliance.
Particularly and we'll go
through all the states. But
with our pulmonary filing to
the office of the city
auditor, our distribution of
our rate filing to the city
clerk, members of council
posting it for the public as
well as the city attorney's
office on JULY 14th City
Council did set today's rate
hearing date and then MR. Win
over the cap. The schedule for
the decision in orders.
Proposal does include changes
to our electric rate schedules
as well as rules and
regulations. Go over the
changes to electric rate
schedules in more detail on
the next slide. Before I leave
this light, I wanted to cover
the proposed changes to
utilities are rules,
regulations. Particularly our
proposal always gives net
metering customers the benefit
of their own production. So
that always are able to use
their own generation to offset
their consumption from the
grid. Clarifying that in our
rules and regulations for rate
options that have a demand
charge. We're adding a
statement in our rules and
regulations under the building
demand definitions to clarify
that for net metering options
with the demand charge that
demand is measured off the net
demand. So the demand really
pulled from utility system.
The other change to utilities,
rules and regulations is
clarifying that for our
commercial industrial dynamic.
Great stretch with Switching
its part me that that also
applies to net metering
customers. So utilities.
Commercial and industrial rate
classes are defined by the
size of the customers load,
for example, small commercial
customers. Our customers under
kilowatts, medium commercial
customers are between 10 and
50 kilowatts, large commercial
or are between 1500 kilowatts
and industrial customers start
over 100 kilowatts demand as
customers loads naturally
change over time through
expansion or other drivers. If
they grow from a from a load
10 kw 2, 12 kw, for example,
or from 12 kw. 22 w they moved
to the appropriate rate class.
And we're just adding that
clarification that works for
our non solar customers over
clarifying. That also works.
And what we're proposing is
that same principle apply to
net metering commercial and
industrial customers. MR. Bit
like indicated that our
proposal is for these rates to
take effect. APRIL. First in
the filing that we provided to
counsel and to the clerk's
office on JULY, 7th, of
course, contained the full
detail of our proposal,
including our reports
resolutions, tariff sheets and
all the support of materials
and worksheets. Really diving
into detail of the proposed
changes to the electric rate
schedules. You see there
really categorized into the 6
main categories with the
predominant one being the
addition of new rate options
for residential and commercial
net metering customers and
we'll go over those. Yeah, a
little more detail in the next
few slides. But both energy
wise, great options for
residential and small
commercial customers as well
net metering demand options
for residential commercial
customers. Probably. Our
proposal does include
establish an of a 5 year
grandfathering. Period for
existing net metering
customers so that they can
stay on the current frozen
rate schedule for a period of
5 years. So any customer that
has a net metering agreement
dated prior to APRIL of 27 can
maintain can remain on the
frozen rate schedule that
they're currently on until
2032 at which time maybe
transition to one of the new
great options of their choice.
Additionally for industrial
customers that are currently
on a frozen industrial rate
schedule for proposing that
they be moved to the standard
energy wise, right option for
that class to customers that
they're in. Additionally,
we're proposing the removal of
the indefinite Kerry for
adoption currently. Electric
rate schedules provide a net
metering customers. The option
of choosing to. Continually
roll forward their excess
production credits not only
month to month, but at the end
of the calendar year. The
standard is for customers to
receive Bill credits at the
end of the calendar year for
their bank of excess
production credits. Our
proposal is to in that
indefinite Kerry for option
that customers currently
elect. We do propose that
customers that have made that
selection prior to APRIL 27.
It can maintain that option as
long as they remain on the net
metering demand option of rate
as the energy wise, net
metering option does not have
that carryforward aspect to
the kilowatt hours.
Additionally, we're proposing
increasing the current limit
on system size which is
currently limited at 120% of
the customers annual Killen.
Our usage we're proposing to
increase that to 200%. And as
MISTER, your heart indicated,
this increasing system size
peers very nicely with future
battery programs. Also
proposing to broaden net
metering in the industrial for
industrial customers to
include availability 2 meters
that are total lies or
aggregated loads. There's a
small number of industrial
customers that are on a campus
type setting. So they have a
large facility continuous
campus and they MAY receive
electric service for multiple
points and for their billing
purposes, we total lies those
individual meters and
aggravated loading, do them
appropriately so that their
overall campus is being billed
for their total usage and not
having to build each
individual meter. Currently,
our net metering rescheduled
does limit. Net metering
service to U.S. Servicemen are
so they only be able to
receive service at one of
those individual meters. We're
proposing to broaden that in
the circumstances so that the
whole aggravated lower the
Custer customer can be net
metered. We've included table
here just as a reference of
which rate options we're
proposing to be available for
different customer Class s
particularly you can see for
residential and small
commercial customers. As I
indicated, customers that have
net metering dream. It's dated
prior to APRIL. First of 2027
MAY remain on the frozen rate
schedule for 5 years. Honoring
there. Previous investments in
their solar system. That is a
default grandfathering. So no
action is needed on the
customer's behalf to be
grandfathered if approved by
City Council. And that is true
for both residential small
commercial customers as well
as medium and large commercial
customers remain on their
frozen rate schedule through
2032. New net metering
customers. Customers with
agreement after APRIL. First
2027. The standard option for
residential and small
commercial customers. Is that
an energy wise net standard
option, which provide more
details on that on the next
slide. And then in addition to
that standard option, they
have alternate choice option
of the net metering demand
option for customers in the
residential and small
commercial customer Class s.
4, medium and large commercial
classes. Proposing that any
new customers. So again,
customers with net metering
agreement stated after APRIL.
First 27, their standard rate
would be the net metering
demand option. And as I
mentioned on the previous
slide, there's a small number
of industrial customers that
currently our net meter. But
on the frozen industrial rate
schedule for proposing that
they moved from the frozen
rate schedule to the standard
energy wise rate schedule.
Apply couple to that rate
class. Really going over more
detail on our proposed rate
options and the rates shown on
this slide are really
applicable to the residential
net metering customers. And
this again, the standard
option that's being proposed.
For new customers starting
APRIL first. 27, if approved.
The rate design for would be
the standard for grandfathered
existing customers starting
APRIL. 2032. I would add that
grandfathered customer with
the next 3 meter new agreement
dated prior to APRIL. First,
27 wants to go on one of these
new options. They're free to
do so. But they're able to
maintain remain on the frozen
rate up until APRIL first. 32,
if they choose. The rate
design for the energy, why
standard option includes the
access and facilities spurred
a charge. The great access
charge. It really covers the
cost MR. Gearhart described
that infrastructure cost of
serving the people odes is
included in that one dollar
per day charge of the new grid
access charge. Again, rate
option includes the energy
wise on and off peak rates. So
customers are only build the
on and off peak rates for
their next consumption, energy
that their polling from the
grid during the applicable on
or off peak periods and any
excess production that they
have during those. On and off
period. So any production that
they have in addition to what
their their systems generating
addition, what they're using
compensated in terms of. In
terms of monthly bill credits
at the applicable on an off
peak rates as well. So it does
maintain that one to one value
between what is being charged
for energy and what is being
credited for energy based on
the applicable on an off peak
period rate. And then just
like all customers, these rate
schedules are subject to the
electric cars to adjustment as
well as the electric capacity
charge. Some advantages of
this rate are that they are
consistent with the energy
wise rates that likable
broadly residential and
commercial customers really
all customers with the on and
off pricing windows, the great
access charge does provide
Bill stability. There's been
some comments concerns about
the demand option and how MAY
have bill volatility because
of the 15 minute Grays peak
demand. The grid access charge
really does provide a
averaging effect of that
infrastructure cost across
time frames across across the
whole set of customers. So it
provides great they'll
stability but still recovers
that infrastructure costs that
utilities incurs to serve the
people oats. There are
opportunities for this rate
option to work with a battery
in terms of avoiding those net
consumption on charges. But
also being able to just shift
usage to peak period to
minimize the amount energy
customers pulling from the
grid during those on peak
hours. And again, the the key
distinction between this
option in the next option that
will cover is that this option
credits a customer for their
excess production monthly in
terms of dollar amount. Bill
credits to their electric bill
and those excess Cohen hours
do not carry forward to the
subsequent month. Covering the
next option. So again, this is
a alternate rate that's
available by choice for
customers and the residential
small commercial classes. This
rate design is also that is
the one that is standard for
medium and large commercial
customers. The rate shown here
again are the residential and
small commercial customer
rate. But it does feature the
access and facilities charge
per day covering all that
customer related costs. That
the man charge is based on the
greatest 15 minute demand in
the billing period. It is
seasonally differentiated. So
it has not a lower winter
demand charge rate and a
higher summer 8 really
nearing. That's the cost of
our system cost. And the
demands in our system which
are highest during the summer
period. It also features the
access and facilities per kwh
charge. So this is the energy
Charge Bay Street portion so
this charge along with
electric cost adjustment and
the guests, the electric
capacity charge are those net
meter charges that are
essentially when there's
excess production, the value
of these energy charges is
carried forward from month to
month, similar to under the
current rate structure. So
this operate just as the
current net metering rate
options do with that monthly
carryforward in for customers
that have elected that
indefinite carryforward option
prior to APRIL. First, 27.
Continues to carry forward
indefinitely. That distinction
here between this rate in the
current rate again is really
that new demand charge
covering that system.
Infrastructure costs for
certain picked a man. The
bandages with rate is at the
customer, really values that
one to one carry forward, an
offsetting future usage with
previous excess production.
This rate option allows them
to do that. And again, this
option can complement the
battery program and really
help a customer offset
minimize that the man charged
if they're using a battery to
mitigate the amount of demand
during those on peak periods.
But even without a battery, a
customer can have opportunity
for Bill savings either
shifting usage to the off peak
period just as all of our
solar customers can try to do
under energy wise. But also by
staggering usage of appliances
across the Olympic period and
not stacking appliance use on
top of each other, which is
what drives demand to kind of
add incrementally on top of
each other. Those 2 things
help even demand through
through the month in lower
demand charges. Slide
illustrates the estimated bill
impacts. We did utilize
comprehensive set of data of
over 8400 net metering
customers to complete this
rate design has really
documented in our work sheets.
And this table really
illustrates estimated impact
of these proposed rates. Or
and and these these are shown
in 2027 terms. But again, with
the 5 year grandfathering
period, these are the
estimated impacts after that
five-year period when the
customer transition to one of
the new rate options, you can
see that the under either
option, the estimated impact
is to be approximately $38 per
month again, that's average
throughout annual period. So
averaging 12 monthly bills.
And it's really if you look at
the different colors on the on
the chart, it's really
distinguish between the the
great option, the energy wise
with the grid access being
option that blue portion of
the bill being that great
access charge. Really? That
average unit that average
impact. Of that infrastructure
costs being recovered that
charge. But through a stable
rate and then through option,
too. It's really the demand
charges making up the the cost
of that infrastructure cost
again, subject to customer
control of that demand. In
both cases recovering that $38
per month, which is that
estimated amount that
infrastructure costs currently
not being recovered and are
pure volumetric charge. So
with that just wanted to
highlight. Not only did
utilities engage in public
outreach to. Explain and
promote our proposal. But we
engaged in extensive customer
research and engagement in
developing this proposal
really started really started
last fall, but really
accelerated this JANUARY with
comprehensive customer both
solar customers and non solar
customers in an open survey
really to collect feedback
what's important to net
metering customers. And then
narrow the focus there with
some focus groups on to
collect some additional
information as we started to
draft this proposal that
included really the 3 pillars
of, you know, great access
option, grandfathering,
period. And then the demand
charge as an op alternate
Customer choice, provide an
opportunity for customers
provide input on our on our
draft proposal, we engaged in
extensive outreach to
utilities board with
presentations at the Working
Committee meetings really
through this spring and into
the summer. And once we had a
proposal, maintain
communication with our
customers through the net
metering newsletter posting
information on csu dot org as
well as social media postings
and other forms of
communication. So with that,
that concludes my
presentation. And there's an
opportunity here for the city
auditor to make comments on
their on it. Great. Thank you.
Good morning. Natalie. Level
City auditor.
>> And we the office of the
City Auditor's mandate under
the city charter is to review
the rate changes for
mathematical accuracy and
consistent methodology not to
recommend or oppose changes.
We completed our review and
concluded that overall
modifications included in this
rate case filing report and
the supporting schedules,
we're prepared accurately and
consistently methodology
changes were properly
disclosed. In the utilities
filing report changes were in
alignment with the rate design
guidance approved by the
utilities board and were
supported by the five-year
rate case approved by City
Council effective JANUARY one
2025, you can take any
questions or any. I don't see
questions. So we'll move on to
public comment at this time. I
have a list of. Public comment
signed up in opposition.
We are now doing public
comment. And if you signed up
for public comment, you will
have 3 minutes. You'll have to
go sign up for public comment.
Just want to clear name.
Please come forward. Make sure
the green button is on.
Introduce yourself and limit
your comments to 3 minutes.
>> First up, we have John
Lindsay.
>> MR. And John Lindsay, I'm a
retired teaching professor of
electrical engineering Uccs 2
are from this. I'm proud that
some of my former students now
work for utilities. I'm here
today as engineer and as a
customer and as a voter. And I
want to point out right off
the bat though, how solar
panels and our net metering
rate is grandfathered in for 5
years. This fund rate. Is
still going to be fought 5
years from now. Sometimes I
like to think of the great is
a victory with central power
plants at the base and the
trunk and branches going up.
The leaves and customer own
rooftop. Solar sits out on
those leads and when we
produce excess energy and
export it, it goes right our
neighbors. In fact, the trek
to neighbor across my driveway
shared driveway is John Hunter
and I know that when we're
exporting power, John's using
it. That that. Tip to leave to
transmission of power is an
advantage and offer some
advantages that his central
power plant 20 miles away can
match. By relying on a cost
based study. Csu found a
4 million dollars subsidy of
customers like me from non
solar customers. But if you
look at cost benefits, the
cost benefit study, it looks
very different. So 2, totally
independent methodologies,
both scale to csu size
suggests millions of dollars
of savings. 2021. Very
technical peer reviewed
engineering study. Suggest
7 million dollars of annual
savings mostly due to
transmission and
infrastructure costs. That's
not generation. That's
transmission and distribution.
Infrastructure. But the study
noted props, solar increases
even modestly, there could be
up to 25% annual savings
generation costs. That's
really eye-popping number that
you MAY be able to roll around
in your head, thinking about
this plan for planned
infrastructure, that utilities
hats. That's why it what do we
need to do to ensure fiscal
Fairness? City Council should
the proposed net metering
changes and tell us, yes, you
can make a transparent
independent. Comprehensive
cost-benefit analysis of just
what these changes too. Thank
you for your time. I had
another side to never
>> COUNCILMAN Donaldson,
nothing's been present. And
I'm right Dave, Donald sites
have a question for you,
especially considering your
background.
>> kind of highlighted
transmission. Distribution
benefits because it goes
neighbor to neighbor. But
07:30pm, tonight, when the sun
sets.
>> Will your system be
transmitting any electricity
Mr? Hunter?
>> It won't right now because
my batteries not configured
explore tech energy. Okay. If
we have a virtual power plant,
it could be configured to
that. So if if all the solar
customers had batteries, then
what year? Describing, seems
to me? That would be accurate.
But without the batteries.
That that is absolutely true.
You know, at noon at 1
o'clock, 2 o'clock up to that
point The problem is when we
hit our peak Biden 9 is one of
the solar producers rooftop
solar goes offline.
>> MR. Gearhart touched Cs
used desire to come up with,
say I'm working on it, come up
with a battery program for.
>> For the rooftop solar
customers. But I think the
issues currently we don't have
that yet. And so that happens
every day.
>> Is there is small Spahn
second meant If you look at
the actual consumption of what
houses are using, the peak is
not. I don't believe 5 to 9. I
believe it's a little bit
earlier. But at that time my
house generate using the power
regenerate and peak now
appearing a little bit later.
It's Howard Solar is falling
off. The actual peak of usage
was a little earlier in the
day. And that does reduce the
distribution and transmission
costs.
>> You know, ask Mr Your heart
address when that when the
peak occurs, we have that data
for every 15 minutes. So get
to that. The reason we have
peak rates from 5, 9, is
that's that's what our peak
sucker. But thank you very
much, especially with your
background. Thank you for your
comments. Thank you. Thank
you.
>> Next step we have Rona
cope. Thank you for your time.
My name is Rana Cope and I'm
an engineer as well. What I
did was I took my actual bill
and built a model so that I
can compare my current rates
versus.
>> Option. One option, too.
And make an informed decision.
Next slide. We do that. That
in building that model iPhone
3 problems. Number one was
that after 28 days and 3
hours, your we're told,
download gives you 0 data. And
so if you're not looking for
that, you get Ron de Gea
download model, doesn't work
garbage in garbage out. Second
problem is my bill doesn't
match my date. So when I
download the data and I
compare it to the date on my
bill. It's not accurate in for
the last 6 months. If it's not
accurate and the dates than
the number of days off. And
when you go to this proposal,
it involves a number of days
being accurate. The 3rd
problems little more
insidious. Will this one shows
the actual data down there the
4 months where the data does
not match my bill over 6
months accurate. For the 6
months, my bill doesn't match
the dates. So there's
something off there. The last
polls, Lou, more insidious.
And that is if you look at
JUNE, I'm actually in producer
between 5, 9 and obviously
producer and the off hours.
And my bill is still higher
than it would be. So the model
is not right. That shifted
some way. So I said, ok, I'm
customer. I understand that.
But let's just take that to an
average cost of an average
customer. We'll be producing
at great of what they're
using. And their bill came out
3 times what it was. So this
broad a study that said that
it will be only $38 higher.
Believe this is bogus. When
you look at actual
conservative data. So my
recommendation is, c#
#
. Can
go back. So I don't have a
glass slide. My recommendation
is fix that. Fix the process
so I can get good day to in a
good data out. Make it
accurate. Second thing is
really look at this because I
think I've given you enough
fear, uncertainty and doubt to
say that the model is not
correct. Have customers use
this model? It's free. I'll
give it to anybody wants to
use it. Look at your Look at
your bill compared to actual
data and you'll see that that
model is underestimating
drastically. Amount of money
you're going to be charged.
Are there any questions,
COUNCILMAN Hinch him?
>> Yes, MADAM PRESIDENT, thank
You simply thank you for your
sides. And I would like to ask
staff if I could have printed
copies of these these slides
as well as the previous lights
and and probably any other
sites that come up in
presentation. Go ahead and
e-mail those out to the full
count. Ok, perfect. Thank you.
Next step we have Bob one
>> I guess my concerns over
the whole grandfather issue.
We installed a system few
years ago. And size the system
because it was bigger than
what we actually needed.
Excuse me at the time, as you
know, over 20 years, the
financing for the panels, the
amount of output will go down
5 to 10%. And so we deliver
really want to bank kilowatt
hours that we would be able to
tap into. So put a limit on
those are undervalued and
those.
>> Down the road really
disturbs the whole financial
decision that way. The other
one make sure you understand
that the kilowatt hours that
we banked, I think should be
on a peak peak basis. We cause
continually go home. And we
will turn off the ear to ear
way up. So it's not pulling a
lot of power at the time
during the peak. It will use
it at night. And if we're not
a county for that properly,
they were really waste our
time. Had to say peak energy.
>> So that's that's it.
>> Thank u next step. We have
Kathy, one
>> Hi, I'm Cathy Worley. And
just to add to his we've had
our system for 3 years. We
have never want. Used more
than we produce. So the net
metering fee would just be
punitive for us. I sent a
letter out to everybody. I
hope they got it. They didn't.
I'm just going to read it. I
think she issues over
complicating the issue. Their
goal is to was the payments
made by both solar and non
solar customers by charging a
net metering fee for the peak
in non peak hours. Very simple
solution for this is to make
both solar and non solar
customers pay the same rate
without a net metering fee.
Number one, csu buys all the
energy solar customers produce
at the current kilowatt hour
charge, which is what they
would pay to purchase it from
an independent producer at the
hour rate. It is produced
rates peak our rates. Number
2, the amount paid for solar
customers. Energy will be
banked and their accounts as
credits. Then number 3 csu
will then charge all
customers, including us for
their usage for the current
kilowatt hours peak and non
peak that we were up in
exactly the same thing you're
using our solar that we're
producing. And we're just
banking at no money exchanging
hands. Never It is not
necessary. Everybody pays the
same rate. See issues able to
use the powers produced by the
solar customers. Solar
customers will be compensated
for the energy they produce is
credit to their counts from
which their monthly uses will
be subtracted and they will be
billed for any over. It's just
as any non solar customers
would be. Keep in mind that,
you know, we have an
additional $195 a month that
we're paying for the solar
panels that we purchase and
good faith that we would be
able to use them in the
future. The net metering fee
is definitely going to
discourage future solar
customers because why would
they want to get solar if
they're going to have to pay
an extra fee anyway. Also,
Denver and Pueblo, neither of
them charge net metering fees
and they all have much more
customers and csu csc. You
need think of a better way.
And I think this is the best
way, but I just causing it
completely across the board
for Peak and Non peak and
again, to reiterate, we have
never use more during peak or
non peak hours. And then what
we are producing. And that's
without a battery. So I think
this metering fee is just
punitive. Thank u next step.
We have mentors cut could ask
one question. And yes, the
nice lady.
>> No, ma'am. Are you saying
that in DECEMBER you're
producing more energy from 5
to 9 from your solar panels.
Then you use.
>> If I count what I have.
>> Produced during the year.
Yes. Because I am banking what
I'm producing. I'm making more
than I'm using for the whole
year.
>> And I just point ask Mr,
Trusting your heart to address
this. That's the problem we
have to build our
infrastructure to cover you
and everyby else from 5 to 9
in DECEMBER. Also. So if
you're exactly right, perhaps
in JUNE is your pre seeing,
you know, solar energy that
whole time. But the problem
is, we're just trying to
really identify why do we need
to change rates as we have to
build or buy contracts to
provide energy to everyone
from 5 to 9. DECEMBER. So we
have to do it. We can't just
do it, you know, for some
months because you'd be in the
dark and
>> we are not using your
energy and DECEMBER were still
using our energy. Colorado's d
second most highest state for
daytime out daylight hours for
Sunshine.
>> Alright, all are going to
clarify that in Worth.
>> Courtney Grant. Okay. Hi.
Good morning. My name is
cutting grant and that meter
customer and also work local
solar installer. The company
work for has been installing
solar in El Paso County since
2013. And we're deeply
concerned about the economic
impact. This proposal will
have on our business and the
local solar industry as a
whole with the elimination of
the federal tax credit. 25 d
we've already seen a 55%
decline in sales this year
from last year. And it's not
just our company. It's we've
heard similar sentiments
throughout the solar industry.
I spoke with our local
distributor last week and they
echoed sentiment saying that
their sales are 50 to 60% down
this year as well. In 2025,
there were 850 solar permits
polled at Pikes, Peak Regional
Building Department this year.
As of yesterday, there have
only been 290 permits pulled,
which echo what we're
experiencing. And so we're not
just concerned about the loss
revenue from new sales. The
proposed rate structure state,
any existing solar customer
who chooses to expand system.
After APRIL 2027 will no
longer be grandfathered in and
will be considered a new net
metered customer since current
rates are more favorable to
the proposed ones, customers
will opt out of expanding
their systems. Otherwise they
be financially penneast
penalize for doing so. We're
worried that the proposed net
metering rate structures will
exacerbate the decline in
sales we've already seen and
will force even more companies
to downsize and or file
bankruptcy. We saw 3 companies
closed their local offices
just last month. If our
company had to close 8 people
were directly lose their jobs.
And many of the sub's that we
use would be negatively
impacted as well. The solar
industry works with
electricians, roofers, energy
consultants, banks,
distributors manufactures,
nonprofits, cetera. The
financial ripple effects. This
rate proposal have been El
Paso County, a greater than
just the solar installers one
solar installers go out of
business. That leaves their
customers orphaned. We've
noticed an uptick in adoptions
this year as more installers
close their doors, folks are
left scrambling to find
someone local in qualified to
help get their systems back up
and running. If no one is left
installing in Paso County, the
existing 11,000 plus, net
metered customers will have an
even harder time finding a
qualified, affordable and
timely installer to help
service them get their system
back up and running, expand
its or with every roof. So in
short, the tax credit going
has already have a drastic
effect on the solar industry.
And if this proposal passes,
as is, it would likely be the
nail in the coffin for
industry as the demand for
energy increases faster than
we can keep up with. We should
be training policies and rate
structures that incentivize
solar and other sources of
clean energy, not penalize it.
I'm asking town council
members vote no on the 2026
years. You net metering right
proposals. Thank you. Next
step we have Brian staff on.
>> MADAM PRESIDENT, MADAM
Mayor and members of council,
my name is Brian Safin and I
live in the rock from a
neighborhood of Colorado
Springs. I'm asking you to
vote no on the net metering
rate proposal from Colorado
Springs utilities because of
economics in real estate.
First, this proposal will have
a negative impact on our local
economy because of the
disproportionate change in
monthly bills for net metering
versus 9 net metering
customers given the still
relatively small number of net
metering customers amongst all
utilities, customers. If an
average net metering customers
bill were to increased by $38.
The noon on net metering
customers. Bill would decrease
by only $2 per month. The
problem is that a $38 increase
is far more noticeable. Then a
small to dollar reduction and
much more likely to result in
adjustments to monthly
spending habits. That means
that net metering customers
could annually spend 5 million
dollars less in our local
economy. 5 million dollars
less to local businesses,
small and large tips to
restaurant servers. Servers
and local charitable
donations. 5 million dollars
less spending on which city
taxes can be collected and
then take out the secondary or
flow through spending that
will never happen. Asking this
council to avoid creating
these economic headwind for
local economic growth.
Secondly, while utilities
proposal includes 2 options,
they don't actually offer a
choice to customers if they're
both intended to raise a net
metering customers, bills.
Average of $38 per month.
That's an illusion of choice.
So really we have no choice.
Related to that false
Optionality. I didn't think of
my solar panel system as a
speculative investment. It was
an investment in my home where
raise my children and made
family memories. We made this
huge investment because we
thought it would protect us
from rising electricity rates
while utility certainly has
the right to change the net
metering rate structure from
the status quo. I'm obligated
to pay the loan every month
for another 20 plus years far
longer than the 5 year
grandfathering proposal in
that respect. This a totally
different situation than
energy. Wise rates for non
solar customers. While
utilities can change its rules
and even apply different rules
for different groups of
customers. I have no choice
and don't have the luxury of
changing the rules as elected
officials. I'm asking you to
protect folks like me from
utilities attempt to devalue
my home. In closing, please
support our local economy and
home values. Vote no on this
net metering proposal. Thank
you.
>> Next step we have Darrell
Cooper.
>> My name Earl like the.
That's great Belt. I'm here to
sathat. I think the what the
utilities wants to do is very
complicated and still is not
well understood. By vast
majority of the rate payers.
So I sent a note to each and
every one of you in email
explaining that I had visited
with utilities department and
then I is listen to what they
had to say. And then I sent a
response back. Never got a
response back from them. So
then I. You a copy of that
letter and let me explain that
very simple terms. I used to
have a business and I know the
difference between fixed costs
and variable cost. Utility
rates, the stuff that you pay
for you paid for by Kilowatt
basically. Fixed rates are the
infrastructure to get that
there and not everybody pays
not over, but he benefits from
the same sort of. Of. Benefit
from the utility from those
fixed rates that you charge.
That's an average across all
the people. And so some people
are in paying more. Some
people are paying less for
that. So that's not any
different than what we have
now. So what I'm suggesting is
utility keeps all their rates.
They're fixed rates in the
fixed rate bag. Not. Mixing
them in because I think that's
part of what happens. And
giving us credit if we
generate electricity during
period of time when. When
utilities are very cheap to
buy, then give us what you
have to purchase. I mean, act.
Users or customers as your
suppliers, which they are,
they're supplying you with
electricity. If that's the
case, then. Those dollars, not
the hours, not the kilowatt
hours, but banks, the dollars
that we saved you that the
utility since they didn't have
to purchase that from somebody
else, they they got it from
the solar panel faults. So.
Let that be the rate that you
re reimburse us with that way.
Everybody is treated equally
in my opinion and as equally
as possible. So that's my
position. Questions. I don't
see any.
>> I don't see any Next step
we have Lonnie and Linda.
Pillsbury.
>> My name is Linda. Pillsbury
and I live in Colorado
Springs. Last year we
installed solar on our roof.
We did it because it was the
right thing to do. Decreasing
air pollution, reducing our
carbon footprint, generating
electricity for ourselves and
our neighbors. We also did it
because it was a smart thing
to do. We could invest in the
upfront costs and then
producer own electricity at a
cost that would be consistent
over time. We spent a lot of
money. The system cost over
$37,000 asset by the federal
tax credit of about $11,000.
I'm very upset about the
proposed changes to net
metering under these changes.
We will not recoup our
investment. We are 71 years
old in the 10 year timeline
matters. We have an
all-electric house which is
healthier and we cannot shift
our need for heat and cooking
into non peak hours. The
proposed changes also
represent a breach of trust
less than a year ago. We based
our decision on the
relationship. We thought we
had and signed with our
utility. It does not seem fair
that the utility wants to go
back on their agreement and
more than double the rate of
the 11,000 solar customers. No
other individual customers are
having their rates and fees
increase as much. The proposed
changes will also destroy the
local solar market as a very
few people will buy a system.
They can't recoup their
investment and work will dry
out for the local contractors
who supply solar. I thought
Colorado Springs was an area
where protection of the
environment and open spaces
was not a partisan issue. That
virtually everyone believes we
need to. But here is a
proposal that actively
discourages solar with 240 to
250 mostly sunny days a year.
We are ideally suited to
promote solar, not destroy it.
They urge you to vote no on
this proposal and instead to
do mo research, look at it
analyze the community benefits
as well as the costs of
rooftop solar benefits like
grid, resiliency and local
production. Use the you pack
and other clean energy experts
to help identify what other
cities and community utilities
are doing as they face similar
problems come up with a
proposal that is fair to the
11,000 solar customers who
have already made an
investment in our community,
clean energy production come
up with a proposal that
encourages rather than
discourage is future solar
investment come up with a
proposal that actually
benefits or community vote no
on this one. Next step. We
have windy Crawford. Was
windy. Crawford has been I've
lived in this city for 32
years.
>> We're live on the northeast
side. We added solar to our
home 2019.
>> We made this decision and
significant upfront, financial
investment. As a way to
control our electricity costs.
As we look towards retirement
and a fixed income. The
proposed csu changes to our
net meaning agreements. Tony
the cost benefit that we
relied on when we made this
decision. We would not have
made the $40,000 investment in
solar. If we knew then csu
would not stand behind their
net metering agreement. The
proposed see issues changes
make fools of all solar
customers.
>> I attended the public event
last AUGUST. I attended the
entire day Long session here
last SEPTEMBER. I'm here again
today. At this point, this
feels like harassment from
csu. Is there part of their
strategy to wear us down? If
csu has decided to move on to
move from one of the most
solar friendly utilities in
the state to a hostile one
that allow them to amend the
net meeting agreements going
forward for future homeowners.
Homes in Color Springs
turnover on an average of
every 5 to 8 years. This in
effect will cause most current
net metering agreements to
sunset. Naturally. See issues
new agreement can be put into
place with the new homeowners
them. The csu proposal changes
to solar are not fair, but at
least the new homeowners. What
have the facts before they
made their investment? This
change in net metering will
significantly solar home
sales. We're not going to see
the appreciation. We expected.
The solar, local solar
industry has not recovered
since covid. Today there are
less than a handful of
installers in El Paso County.
To last issue to make this
change retroactively is not
fair. It's wrong and it's flat
out dishonest. This is wrong
to do last DECEMBER by
SEPTEMBER. It's wrong to do
now and it'll be wrong in
2032. As fun. It is as it is
to be with you guys. I'd like
to not have to do this again.
Please make a decision and put
this to rest. If the council
also feels solar should not be
encouraged going forward.
Well, I disagree. But if you
decide that's the direction we
want to take the city, at
least uphold the current
meeting agreements,
grandfather the existing solar
customers, the made their
investment based on the
promises that csu made to us
do not pull the rug out under
us now. Thank you.
>> Next step I have a mandate.
Romero seeding time to John
Hopkins. Amanda. Yes,
PRESIDENT, how you spend your
city your time to John
Hopkins. Yes, thank you. You
have 6 minutes. Thank you.
>> I thought it was going to
need 6 minutes today, but
everybody that spoke before me
did such an excellent job and
I'm not going to rehash
everything that they are. He
said, but I'll just bring up a
couple new points for you. I
do have a couplerocers. Can
I give these 2 guys? So for
the record, name is John
Tompkins. I'm a resident here.
I moved here in 2010 about a
house in 2014 when we bought
our house, my wife and
basically we the primary
reason we bought the house. We
did is because the house had a
south facing roof so we could
put solar panels on as fast as
possible. In 2016, our house
was destroyed by And we lucked
out because we did the roof
and the solar at the exact
same time. So it helped
electrical engineer by trade.
I've been a part of this
process since last year. I
appreciate everybody voting no
against this last year. And I
encourage you all to vote no,
again, this year. A couple of
the new things that will bring
up that nobody else brought up
is the fairness factor that
everybody keeps talking about.
This is absolutely unfair and
it's especially unfair when
you compare certain solar
users to other solar users.
Solar panel user with 6 panels
will pay the same fees or
fines that a solar panel user
with 50 solar panels will pay.
Those people are the people
that were trying to protect
here. I have 32 solar panels.
I have 32 solar panels on
Meyers. I also have batteries
both of these plans option
option to actually save me
money. The about 20 or $30 a
month. I'm still asking you to
vote. No. Because solar should
be encouraged, not
discouraged. Open the
conversation on this with
everybody including csu of
spoken Scott directly have
spoken with Tristan through
emails. We're trying to come
up with better solutions.
There are a few better
solutions out there. One of
them would be meter colors,
which I don't think we're
using it. But we might be
thinking about using in the
future. Meter will reduce the
cost to install the systems,
the battery systems, the solar
systems and therefore provide
and said incentive to get
through that peak 5, 9,
period. Right now. I don't run
my batteries too much from 5
to 9. We're on kilowatt hour
for killer water credit. I've
heard a lot of other people
already talk about. Compromise
here. And that's what I'm
asking for is a little bit of
compromise. If we went to a
dollar for dollar system, I
feel like it doesn't. And csu
said it doesn't complete
completely negate the cost
shift, but it does help a lot.
And whenever I talked to
people, my friend when I talk
to them and say, hey, there's
a cost shift, but $2.3,
dollars a month. They're more
like why are we even talking
about this? Why are we wasting
time? I was surprised by the
csu studies and the the
outreach when they actually
did it this year that the non
solar users were just kind of
like I would. What are we
talking about? Like 2, we're
talking about $2 cup about
pennies here. The entire grid
built on cost shift. I right
next to a transmission plant.
It doesn't cost as much to
deliver electricity to me than
it does somebody 20 miles away
from away from a transmission
plant. So what I'm asking here
is just for a little bit of
compromise. And then the last
2 minutes of my time, open to
conversation or questions or
anything like that. If anybody
had anything, they want to
chat about. COUNCILMAN Remy.
Thank you, MADAM PRESIDENT, I
thank you for the brochure
that you provide it.
>> Quick question I have
there's an example. But then
the brochure of unattached
Bill model is like a qr code
at the bottom. Think it Is
that something that you build
because you mentioned that you
spoke with csu. Is that
something that you
collaborated on a little bit?
Yeah. So the originals Excel
spreadsheet.
>> If you don't trust qr
codes, you shouldn't. But I
promise you can trust me. It's
not a virus but if you don't
want to scan the qr code to
get to my Excel spreadsheet, I
did what another resident
already did that built an
actual cost model to figure
out what this is actually
going to cost people. A couple
examples of just I'm not
speaking. Too far out. So a
heat pump as 5,000 Watts.
That's $37 on demand charge
clothes, dryers. 3500 Watts.
That's $38 on the man charged
air-conditioners or 4,000
wants. That's 43 minutes. $43
on demand charges. If you do
any of these things in
combination, you're looking at
$100, easy on-demand, churches
along and csu solution. As by
a $23,000 battery. Spent
$23,000 on solar panels. I
don't want to spend another
23,000. I didn't saw batteries
because they do see the
writing on the wall. I do see
the advantages to peak load
shedding and everything like
that. I understand that there
is I need to get rid of that
demand usage between 5, 9, and
I do support that. To your
question. The Excel
spreadsheet was by Nice, Ali.
And I did send it to Scott
Scott Peer reviewed it for me,
made some notes and some
changes on the rates because
the rates this year a little
bit different than last year.
So with that, I did it just
it. But you can go in and you
can put your bill into this
and I have brochures for
anybody else who wants it. You
can put your actual usage in
the U.S. And it will tell you
exactly what these changes are
going to cost. And I guarantee
you it's more than $23. Mark.
Thank you. Anybody else have
questions I don't see a need
to Thank you very much. Thank
you for your time. Next step
we have Heather.
>> You now.
>> good at like one of those
pressures. Hi, my name's
Heather. But now and our home
has been on that metering
agreement since 2018 with the
exception of about 2 months
last year, our electric bill
has been equal to the
connection charge. So in
effect, we produce all the
energy we need for our
household. We invested a
significant amount to build
our system each month of
savings, guards goes towards
paying off that investment. As
you might imagine, the
discussion of an extra fee
whether we choose option one
or option 2 means that initial
investment was made an
assumption that now MAY no
longer be valid. We will pay
more each month. In fact, some
solar advocacy groups estimate
that the average time to pay
off a system. We'll go from 7
years to over 30 years with
this rate change, there would
be no way to pay less or even
pay that we currently pay. We
have no real control of our
bill without a further
investment into a battery
pack. And when I asked for a
quote on the yesterday, it was
$30,000 to do that.
Furthermore, the Web page that
describes the options very
hard to interpret my husband
and I have both read it in
detail. We can make
assumptions as to what the
terminology means and how it
applies to us. But there is no
example are simple calculation
to follow to estimate the
effect of these changes in our
household. It has been
suggested that everyone will
see an increase of $30 per
month. But I don't see how we
could confirm Except maybe
not. And the education piece
of this puzzle is missing. It
also builds distrust and
frustration. Finally, there
are the questions of legality
of this move as well as the
lack of listening to solar
customers. The survey we were
sent was a series of questions
with no good answers. I wasn't
even sure I should submit it
because it gives the
impression of preferences that
I don't have. I chose the
least bad of multiple bat
answers. I don't feel heard.
And I know other solar users
have suggested more fairways,
converting energy inputs and
to monetary terms that could
be applied to higher rates
that would allow us some
control. The current situation
permanently settle this with
an extra fee and no confidence
that they will increase again
in the future. I guess my
question is, do we want to
encourage or discourage
rooftop solar? Are we entering
into an ai age or increased
energy needs require that
every source of energy be
explored and utilized. Why
would you disincentivize solar
installation and use at this
time? Also, we'll time of day
rates and a man charges even
make sense in the age of ai
data centers churning through
vast amounts of energy during
the work day. I ask that this
net metering change be
reconsidered and a fair
solution to be adopted. Please
include more so users in the
discussion and educate the
public about how potential
changes would apply to them.
>> Next step we have Deborah
Fortenberry.
>> Good morning and thank you.
My name is Deborah Fortenberry
and the Colorado Springs
Utilities, customer. I
appreciate the time that many
of you have given me and
speaking directly with you.
It's been a learning process
for me and one that I've
enjoyed one of the things that
I've learned is that the
founding fathers in 1918, 71
named to the city of Colorado
Springs, the city of Sunshine.
And of course, this follows a
long tradition of the Native
American peoples who are
shining mountain to the which
means a sun mountain. So this
long-held consciousness of the
benefits solar energy and
presence in our community.
It's something I feel like is
an opportunity that we can
step into rather than than
impeding, which is what I
believe the current rate
proposal rate increase
proposal does. It will impeach
solar it's an additional in
position to solar because, of
course, we are limited to 120%
build out when we darse
rooftop solar 5 years ago and
that limitation is continuing
to this day. So now on now
that we've converted so many
of our appliances and heating
system to rooftop solar, to to
electric. We have to go back
through a construction
process, pay new fees that new
construction, new permitting
fees to build out our solar to
what we actually need to
produce 100% of the energy we
use, which is our goal. We
don't yet have batteries,
which I think is the great
opportunity here that I want
to see color springs utilities
step into if we focus on the
opportunity to store the solar
power that we can generate
locally, we keep these funds
in our neighbors pocket right?
And we can close this gap on
what is perceived to be and
energy storage gap that makes
solar unreliable. I think it's
not appropriate to see solar
is not reliable energy source,
but rather one that we need
and we need sturridge
opportunity to close that gap.
And so my request. I believe
that we can do better. I
believe that we can come up
with a fair rate. That also
accomplishes this great
opportunity. If we do that, if
we saw the storage gap, we
could be able to avoid
building replacement power
production when Nixon has to
retire. So that I think is a
great opportunity here. If we
focus instead on the battery
storage opportunity, my
request is that you prefer
both issues to the you pack,
engage them, let them do a
comprehensive analysis and
report to city council. And,
you know, we I think there's a
great opportunity here. Thank
you very much. Thank you.
COUNCILMAN Hand. Thank you
very much. And Denver, thank
you for speaking in
particular. Number of people
have mentioned this,
>> I just received note the
attorney, a at csu, Renee Kohn
done that. Not recommending
that this code to pack because
this is a legislative matter
and I am in disagreement with
that. I actually think policy
is driving this rate case and
we've had this discussion
before as as a board and as a
counsel, I don't think. I'm
pretty confident not everybody
agrees with me, but I would
like to actually, if not now,
maybe after public comment.
Determine which is best MADAM
PRESIDENT, but I would like
for the Condon, the attorney
to address this question about
you pack. After public
comment. That's fine.
COUNCILMAN Duncan.
>> Yes, thank you, MADAM
PRESIDENT. And I would just
point out for my colleagues
that you pack is as its name
implied. An advisory committee
about policy, not about rate
structure. We keep you back
out of that. So. If we adopted
this today, I would
potentially support having you
back then look at different
battery to to bring in. To the
offerings of csu, but but not
to look at the rate structure
itself.
>> Next step we have Rick
Allen.
>> It's my first time in front
of any city council. But I
feel strongly about My name is
patrol around my home about a
year ago, we built our House 3
years ago on the West side.
It's the first and to my
knowledge, the only certified
passive house in the city. And
therefore and claim it is the
most energy efficient house in
the city. We have 12 inch
thick, insulated walls, triple
pane windows and doors. No
firm. There's no baseboard
heaters. Know we see just and
no gas. Just electricity in
the we need? We didn't do that
to save the planet. We did
that because as an engineer, I
think I'm now the 3rd
electrical engineer to stand
up here. I like efficiency.
Oppose the changes. Csu was
proposed is the current rules
were critical factor in our
cost-benefit calculation to
install solar in the first
place. And now they want to
change the equation. We
invested $27,000 after tax
credit in order to reduce
monthly bills and protect us
from future impacts like this
one. Neither of the 2 proposed
options are acceptable.
Particularly the one that
takes where the rover is
offensive, either warm. Would
dramatically increase. I was
actually horrified by the
church that he shared. There
would show massive increase in
the prices for the electricity
that we occasionally have to
pay. I also agree with My
fellow engineer here that it's
incorrect to say that solar
customers are raising the
costs and other customers. It
would be inherently unfair to
increase our approaches when
we invested in this
installation under the current
rules. We chose to to install
a battery as others are said,
which usually gets us through
the night. Definitely gets us
through the 05:00pm 09:00pm
Peak hours. So we only take
power from the grid during off
peak terms. We'll still get
penalized under this plan. I
think if there is a problem
and the professor explain
that. It does not. There are
many other options. So you've
heard today and I think it
would be well within your.
Requirement to investigate all
those options. Not just these
what are considered pretty
terrible options. So I ask you
to protect fair amount,
metering vote against this
proposal and investigate other
options. Thank you
>> COUNCILMAN Hinton, thank
you. MADAM PRESIDENT, I would
just like to make a request of
our cfo. Tristan, when you
come back up to speak, if you
I just what I thought was an
incredibly powerful argument
that this particular customer.
I don't know if he's a unicorn
or not, but would in fact be
penalized by this rate case
based on what shared. And if
if that's true, you can do it
later. When you come back
trust and I just want to put a
place holder and ask you to
please make a note of that.
Thank you.
>> Men PRESIDENT, if we could,
i would. But after us and just
address it right now, while
everyone remembers what
exactly was stated and
suggested cause I remember
talking. Yeah. I read it all.
Every male that's come in.
Talked with Tristan about this
6 Pacific example. I think
this this This is what we want
to go to batteries with these
with this rate case going
trust In this case, I believe
the rate structure that we
have set up.
>> Is beneficial for anyone
that has a battery. So if you
have a battery already with
your system that using that
battery from 5 to 9, can you
would avoid that? A man
charging option number 2,
completely option. Number 2,
you are able to continue to
roll over your credits from
month to month. And so from a
cost impact standpoint, there
isn't any impact. You also
have the opportunity when that
matter e use power in such a
different way that you can
come out ahead based on the
time of day rates that would
put in place on option That
would be an option. One, an
option to its still standard
Kilowatt lot out. One for one
exchange. So all of those
things with a battery making
just a huge amount of
difference. That's what we see
with this might the hold on
explanation that I gave at the
beginning was we've got a peek
system issue that's going on.
So from 05:00pm to 09:00pm, we
megawatts that are from 800 to
right up to our peak, which
was set JULY JULY, 20th
04:45pm 1034 megawatts. That
was our all-time system peak
from 5 to 9 through the
summertime. That's when we see
that 22% of additional needed
infrastructure. That's 800
megawatts up to 1000 that were
we're building to be able to
cover during that time. That's
where the costs come from.
During that same period of
time, we see only about 30%
production from panels of
solar customers. That means
70% of that time, at least 70%
of the time they're leaning on
our system. And that's the
calculations that come back to
the 6 and a half million
dollars of contribution to the
peak infrastructure. There's
394 customers of are
approximately 11,000 solar
customers that have batteries
right now. Those customers
when see any change,
potentially and the way that
they choose those options,
batteries changes that.
Changes the math. We need to
recognize that and make sure
that our rates are set up in
such a way if you're not
contributing to that demand
through the use of a battery
that it doesn't natively
impact batteries can do that.
As we look at the programs and
things that we're trying to
evaluate from both a virtual
power point, virtual power
plant standpoint dsm programs
demand side management
programs it would be looking
at and going and saying what
is the value of the baton? If
you want to own a batter
yourself already investing
that. What rebates should we
be giving you calculations and
matter in the works. But
again, it's when we do the
calculations of that and we're
starting with 4 and a half
million dollars under the
programs. Don't pencil out. If
we're able to get those things
taken care from rate
structure, standpoints, we
haven't potentially rebate
dollars that are available
that we can evaluate anyone
that wants own their own
battery. And we're also
investigating programs to
companies that offer hosted
batteries on both solar and
non solar customers
properties. Those programs
vary in cars. Some of them
have month a month charge is
somehow a one-time uptime
upfront fee. That's all
customers pay and it would be
enough to be able to cover
their use. Plus, have
additional power that they
could send back to the grid.
These are all things that we
would love to investigate, but
we just can't do that. If
we're starting from a negative
in the whole standpoint and
being able to cover
infrastructure costs. It's
been my number. I just wanted
to kind
>> Elevate what you just said
a little bit because there's
understanding when we take off
power that we generate through
solarwinds. So if the if the
wind's not blowing and the sun
is not out, so we got a big
cloud or something like that.
Whatever. Our current
generation of power, Israel is
roughly like we're going want
to try to get out. Is Nixon.
We were going to have to take
down in 2028. And utility
successfully got that delayed
until 2033. But that's what I
see remember. And this wind
mean help recalling that's 400
megawatts, 2, 100 megawatts
for MR. Ok? So that's we're
going to lose 200 megawatts
wind that goes down and 33
right. So currently, what are
we just what are we able to
generate with just basically
natural gas? That's really our
only other option at this. No,
we do have some hydro up. But
that's pretty small. You know,
when we look through that
portfolio and you know, our
system, folks can correct me
and we can get that number
exactly if we want to. But we
have approximately 500
megawatts from front range
power. That is a combined
cycle. Natural gas plant. We
have approximately 150
megawatts from gas units that
are at the Drake site. Those
fast resources that are there.
So we that that comes through
at the Nixon site as well. We
have 2 deaths peaking units
that are 30 megawatts each. So
there's 60 megawatts that
comes from that. Hydro
allocation. Tesla. Hydro,
which sits at the Air Force
Academy and drops water down
for import reservoir about 28
megawatts waters flowing
through there we get a federal
allocation of hydro power,
which is about 50 megawatts
that they deliver from to us
as well. When you look at all
of those resources and that's
not counting any of our
renewable contracts that we
have. That gets us pretty
close to the 10. 34 still
being able to be covered with
Nixon in the mix. The 200
that's there from Kuwait. And
that's what really trying to
get or we hit our max and our
max is not going to be our
max. We're going to keep
pushing that as we as more and
more people get up electric
cars and more and more people
go electric and there's more
electric demand. We're going
to be losing next. So we're
actually going to go into
deficit on power production
between 5 and 9. So we we have
to find a way to kind of
replace that kind of
infrastructure. And that's the
cost that the whole city has
to bear. So that's that's the
reality of it is like, how do
we? How do we generate power
during 5, And it and it's even
more of an impact because
we're going to lose. Nexon and
2033. That's correct. I didn't
leave out one other resource
that we've recently added
within the last couple of
years. 100 megawatts
utility-scale battery. And I
like to highlight that just
for a moment, if that's right
and her 100 megawatts of
battery as we've entered into
the market, the surf first
year in the southwest Power
pool market. So we've seen how
batteries can operate dirt in
that market. So we regularly
see during the day time
period, solar generation, not
necessarily right in Colorado
Springs, but in the
surrounding connected market
that's priced in the middle
part of the day. 4, as much 50
to $80. They will pay us to
take that energy so we will
pay you 50 to 80 dollars per
megawatt hour to take the
excess solar generation that's
out on the grid. We can put
that right into a battery. And
then 5 tonight is happening
and costs greatly increased.
We are able to flip that
battery and turn the exact
other way and push out energy.
Both onto our grid and solid
into that greater market. When
prices are hitting $50600,000,
a megawatt hour and that
market. So I will make sure
her to write that we're not
pain for solar energy certain
times of the day because of
this battery bank. We're
actually getting paid to take
So it's a critic. I mean,
Guest, right? That's the in
there are transmission costs
that come along. When you look
at all that when you're down
in the negative 50 to $80
range, we're getting paid to
take solar power on to our
system. If we have the room to
be able to use an honor system
now but there's one more point
to this with that we we with
our solar customers were
locked in at a fee that when
we can go and get power a
credit of $50 or whatever it
is, we're locked in at a
payment to solar producers at
what rate it's about $0.13 a
kilowatt to a lot work pain,
$0.13 a kilowatt for the solar
panel. When we could go get
that and actually be paid 50,
that's that's those are
extreme cases. It was not the
13 thirteen's lot. But there
are times during the day where
the power in the middle of the
day is so cheap that it's
really difficult. And that
definitely wasn't the case
before. When we first started
this program in 2006,
saturation of solar was not
what it is now. Been so much
utilities, scale solar that
has been added that it just
makes it a huge amount of
change in that in those for
about. 3 to 4 since we can
purchase we have a purchase
power agreement with our
largest utility sites, solar
array and we're paying $0.13
for the generations that
that's coming from rooftops.
When it was a small amount of
customers. The cost shift was
small enough that it wasn't
worth it. All of this effort,
we're up to 4 and a half
million dollars. That's not
being covered right now. But
that grows with every single
installation of another solar
customer at these current
rates. If we don't comment fix
the rate structure problem,
which has those energy credits
that are happening in the
daytime to avoid system costs
in the nighttime and I I get
there are many customers the
roll over from year to year,
but they still rely on our
electric grid in the evening
time. And I have to build just
as many transformers just as
many substations all of that
distribution infrastructure to
make sure that we have power
for those customers as well.
But because they're cashing in
those credits which we maybe
aren't over paying for the
daytime a little bit. Now.
It's also knock. It's now on a
way that they are not paying
for all of the infrastructure
that they're using during
those peak times that we have
to build. So there was a
suggestion of being a have
honest charge to what solar 8
actually are that very
complicated because it's such
a volatile fossil me every
hour things changed right? And
so it be very, very difficult
to probably come up with
something like that. Maybe
down the road. You know, we
had more ai, but that would be
very, very challenging. So
pricing differences. And I
think what I heard from
customers was just put us on
the energy wise rates on that.
We're asking from all the rest
of our customers. And that's
part of the proposal that we
have an option. One is to go
to those rates when we did the
math and said don't put a grid
access fee on there, just
charge the the energy rates
from on and off peak in
credit. Those if it's lower in
the daytime Ps, what on
daytime energy wise costs are
and pay for the evening
production used both of those
when we applied those to 8400
customers that had a full set
of years worth of data of
reads on their system. It
covered about a million
dollars of the 4 and a half
million dollar shortfall. It
just does not work because you
are exchanging on a burial
little basis per kilowatt
hour. It's never going to
catch up because of the
interplay that happens.
There's long as credits in the
daytime Houston the evening
hours. It will never catch up
no matter where you set those
rates that we have tied them
back to exactly what we have
for the rest of our code.
Customers over energy wise and
it makes up a million dollars.
3 and a half million dollars
still left hanging out there.
The girls with every single
customer that comes if went
with option, that's why we're
trying to make sure that we
have the rate structure to
ensure that everyone pays for
their part of the grid. That's
what the proposal comes down
to come. So I guess what I'm
wanting just to leave this we
csu was out a publicly held
utility and was a private
utility, would we be having
this conversation? Probably
probably not. I think it's
really because profit factors
that are there with the other
utilities. So when they look
at 4 and a half million
dollars investment for a lot
of especially large investor
owned utilities falls very
much inside of the guaranteed
profits that they get for
every piece of infrastructure
that they built. So they have
winds of net profit. Grosse
read our net revenue that
comes back at the end of the
day that they can invest into
these programs. All of our
costs generated on a cost
service basis. What is the
cost to put the infrastructure
in place? We charge that to
our customers. We don't have a
net profit mine that we can go
back and say let's let's look
for programs that we can do
based on that. That's why I'm
saying when it comes to
battery programs and other
things, we have to get playing
field level aisd. So it's the
same across all of our
customers. From that
standpoint, we can look at
what the value is. We can make
those calculations. We can see
how much value comes from our
entry into the spp market for
having batteries that are
available during that on peak
period of time and making
appropriate calculation of
this is what a rebate should
be for anyone that's already
installed the battery or
anyone that's planning to
install a battery. And we can
look further into programs
that have 3rd party hosted
batteries and what some of
those options are. They could
be very attractive for
customers that have solar and
for customers that don't have
solar, but just are looking
for back up on their system.
Well, and I think that's what
I wanted to kind of highlight
those because we're community
health facility. We company.
We often reduced there.
There's been plenty of times
where reduced rates where
you're not going to find that
early in the private industry.
That doesn't really happen.
And so that's the beauty here.
And in so when we compare our
energy rates to electrical
companies in in the state, we
are incredibly lower and a lot
of companies as it is right
now, our electric rates, which
we price on a quarterly basis
are showing about 15% below
the front range average for
electric bills and that we do
really based on the way that
we've been able to do things
like with our 100 battery see
a decrease that we're ready to
propose for OCTOBER. 1st
discussed that utilities board
this month. So because we're
able to optimize some of our
resources, both or gas in our
battery and all of the other
resources we have. We've done
well for our customers and the
way that we've been able to
use our energy outside of the
system, those benefits we need
to be able to pass on her
customers and we can do that
through mechanisms like the
electric cost adjustment. All
right. I think you. Next we
have Robert Blake, them.
>> Robot lace them up in a csu
Now, Tanya is a feel-like over
those 10 I've done everything.
The Cs first change my
lightbulbs to cfl's. Then you
told me my Christmas lights to
these and that change my house
lights to led these everything
you asked. You asked me to
reduce consumption. So I made
it $20,000 investment to
further reduce consumption and
Now it turns out csu doesn't
like custom. Those don't use
much energy. When I look at
the practical reports, it's
very clear. You cover
infrastructure costs. 6
charges, but on usage. So as a
low usage I'm not paying much
the infrastructure notice some
of my neighbors who do have is
much So are you going to do
the same? He going to
introduce Dumont, touched
everybody. He uses less than
the average power to out
Colorado Springs talk a lot
about seems very me. I want to
be pass the solution. Try and
reduce my 2 2 in the peak
times, even though it gets me,
no incentive. So I'm willing
to to pay something to to tour
a new power wind and solar is
not available to me. You could
meet 2 options. One option is
I just pace fix charge. It
doesn't incentive finds me
reduce my usage. It's just a
fix charge and blows. 25%
savings. Otherwise just roll
the dice, the charge of tried
for over a yeah to get
information from csu. They
don't have it. They come
provide that. So what you're
going to do is to 15 minutes I
get to choose my Muncy writes,
I accidently turn onto
appliances and that sets my
team charge them so that these
2 options really do
incentivize me to save energy
Su last open. The many thank
you.
>> Except we have Day.
>> Thank you all for your
service. I appreciate you
being here. My name is Linda
Day. I live at 8, 0, 9, 0, 4,
And I'm going to go script
here for a minute because I
hope that you're listening to
us to the people that have
solar. I have deny. Have a
tap. Solar panels. I wish I
didn't have to be here again
to justify the value of
rooftop solar. Not only for us
for you. For Colorado. The
Colorado Springs for that are.
>> By the world.
>> My husband and I invested
in solar.
>> To give back to society.
>> And to endorse the value.
Evan, not having fossil fuels.
We also thought that having
solar might lower our
electricity use when we are
old and we are old now. So you
would like to how a way to
offset escalating health
cough. Arcelor works. We've
had what do you call it? That
comes back we've had credit
comeback to You're welcome.
Respectfully. I asked you to
call for a comprehensive and
road Reevaluation of solar.
For utility company. And to
change every utility user to
the same rage. I reject the
guests use rate proposal and
ask you to reject the proposal
and demand. Eatery. Thank you.
Next step we Derek Law.
>> My name is Derek Law.
Retired Air Force and Space
Force veteran Colorado Springs
resident and solar customer.
Currently serving as acting
chair of the southeastern
chapter of the Colorado
Renewable Energy Society. Back
before net metering for the
second year in a row last
year, my request was simple.
Transparency. If Colorado
Springs utilities believes
rooftop solar customers are
shifting significant costs and
to our neighbors. Show us the
math. Since then, csu has
conducted surveys focus groups
and public outreach. I
appreciate the effort, but
respectfully, that was not the
homework assignment. The one
thing we needed was a
transparent reproducible
calculation showing how csu
arrived at claimed cost
transfer. We still have not
seen it. That is especially
troubling because independent
research points in a very
different direction. Studies
including research from
National Renewable Energy Labs
and found that the impact of
rooftop solar on non solar
customers is generally very
small. Does not automatically
prove there's 0 cost shift in
Colorado Springs. But it does
mean csu has the burden to
prove its local claim before
imposing new solar specific
charges. And that analysis
needs to include both sides of
the equation. The actual cost
of serving solar customers and
the value rooftop. Solar
provides through reduced
electricity purchases. Export
local generation and reduced
demand on the system. My
second concern is grandfather.
5 years is not meaningful.
Grandfather. I financed my
solar system through a home
equity line of credit. I still
have about 10 years before
that debt is paid off. I made
that investment based on c s
use existing net metering
structure. Using my own meter
data and see us use proposed
time of use rates. I calculate
these changes would cost my
household roughly $800 per
year. If I can estimate the
impact using my own data, csu
should be able to show us the
calculations based on its
claim systemwide cost
transfer. That is money. I
would lose. Well, I'm still
paying for the system and it
could extend my payback period
by more than a decade. I
cannot undo that investment
after csu changes the rules.
Existing systems should be
grandfathered for the life of
the system. Singling out
rooftop solar customers for
special charges without first
demonstrating that we actually
impose additional costs raises
serious question under the
city's requirement. But
utility rates be just
reasonable and not unduly
discriminatory. Requests are
simple shows calculations
prove the cause shift account
for the value of rooftop solar
and permanently grandfather
existing customers until csu.
Does that please reject this
proposal?
>> Next step we have Carolyn
desks or
>> I hope I said that right.
For some reason, it's building
its Carolyn Dickerson. Getting
que somewhere. There's a v and
there. Well, Caroline
Dickerson, cook it. First.
Thanks. Thanks for your
service. It's not easy to sit
there and listen to each
different perspective and
every different person and
>> it can be if it's tedious
for us it's to street. So
thank you. As you consider the
needs of our community
utility.
>> I keep hearing reliability
is really sought-after valued
and important. I get that. As
with many admirable goals.
There's a point of diminishing
return when pursuing
reliability. They're suing
reliability past that point
MAY lead to a willingness to
settle the community with
that. For example, planning
for the Porsche. The really
cool new nuclear power when
the known proven Chevy that
gets the job done by pairing
solar battery and wind. That
does the job. Pursuing
liability past that point MAY
lead to alien needing the
community. You represent. As
you move in ways that really
out of step with the
community's values. Pursuing
liability past that point MAY
even lead you to work against
the free market. Adding
unnecessary fees selecting one
part of our community to pay 2
or 3 times the cost per
kilowatt hour that the rest of
the community pays. Slowing
growth where it's growing.
Pursuing reliability is
laudable.
>> I get it and I know I don't
know near enough to know how
important that is. Pursuing it
at great cost against the
values of the community and at
the expense of regular
individuals puts all of us at
risk of debt. And
polarization. My question
really to you is. Why is the
cause shift with solar? The
one that needs to be singled
What about apartment dwellers?
Apartment dwellers pay more.
Then people have single
residences even though people
with single residences uses
more electricity. What about
the people with water that has
to pumped way uphill for them
to have water from utilities.
Nobody asks me, do I want to
pay for that pump when water
just comes, gravity fed to me
what I don't get, why solar to
be the one. If the cause shift
Israel and if it accounts for
all the benefits of solar,
what the group that right now
is charged when other groups
that have a cost shift or not.
Thank you for thinking.
>> I'm going take a 10 minute
break. We have quite a few
>> a lot of recess. Next step.
We have James Burnham. James
burned him. Graham clout. Dena
cam.
>> changes changes Is home.
Saying to hear that and it
states that callers Springs
utilities aims to transition
to a more sustainable energy
system by reducing carbon
emissions.
>> And transitioning from call
to renewable energy. The
proposed solar rates do not
align with that commitment. Cs
used to propose options. Both
result in the same estimated
impact an increase of
approximately $38 per month
calculated using 2027 rates.
This is a substantial new cars
spread in place specifically
on solar customers. So from my
example and my energy star
Energy-efficient 1700 Square
Foot House was built in 2021.
We also are using the peak
reward. So adjust energy use
at night. Winston Solar in
2022. To counter the expected
rise in electricity rates.
Here's what our actual utility
billing shows in 2020 to be
for solar. All right. Bill
total, Bill water, the whole
business was 2, 3, And since
then are even including access
charges has been $50 less. So
we are saving wisler about 50
bucks. So it's not a lot, we
don't use a lot of electricity
again because we have very
energy efficient House annual
access charge today is rapidly
with the $19 access charge
that it's today when we first
got it was 15. So it's roughly
$228 a year under the proposed
changes that would jumped to
$684 annually. That's the $19.
Plus $30 times 12. That's what
that is resulting in a
tripling of that access fee
before installing solar or
annual bill was 23 91 last
year with solar. It was 1934
so we saved about 457 a year.
The proposed change would
increase our annual bill by
458. So it effectively
eliminates all of our solar
savings. In other words, csu
proposal, but financially
penalize residents who have
invested in renewable energy
do so in a way that
contradicts the stated goals,
the 2024 sustainable energy
plan. This is not just a rate
adjustment for people like me
that have newer homes. This is
a structural shift away from
Reno lot adoption away from
cost management commitments
and away from the
sustainability goals that csu
public publicly set. It's More
severe than a peak demand rate
increase its a targeted
reversal incentives that
encourage residents to adopt
solar in the first place. So
I'm asking you to oppose the
proposed changes and to
advocate for 8 structures that
support rather than undermine
the city's sustainability
commitments. Thank you. Thank
you.
>> Next step we have Tanner
Cox.
>> Thank you, MADAM.
PRESIDENT, members of Council,
my name is Terry a Colorado
Springs resident in the first
district. I am also the color
at a program director for
Solar United Neighbors today.
I'm asking you to reject
Colorado Springs utilities,
net metering proposal as a
quick aside, MR. Line Weber
about your question earlier
about for-profit utilities.
Unfortunately, do see this a
ton across the country and
for-profit utilities and in
fact, the roots of the cost
shift argument coming from the
Edison Electric Institute,
which is the think tank for
for-profit utilities, which
makes me even more concerned
that we're seeing this issue
crop up and community owned
nonprofit utility that is not
trying to protect shareholder.
Bottom lines. Last winter, I
was able to sit down with MR.
Deal, MR. Gearhart and our
friends at the Colorado, Solar
and Storage Association in
that meeting expressed great
gratitude MR. Gearhart links
he's gone to engage the csu
customers. I know he's
probably responded to
thousands of emails had dozens
of in-person meetings and
overall csu has tried to
engage the community. Well, I
do value. Those efforts also
expressed that I feel like
we're putting the cart before
the horse a little bit here.
And I stand by that sentiment.
As I mentioned last year,
utilities are allowed to
design reasonable rates to
account for projected costs.
However, a decrease in revenue
does not equate to a new cost.
This is especially true in our
case when the decreased amount
solar owners pay represents
merely one percent of csu
Zahn, you electricity sales.
It's important to note that
neither the battle report nor
underlying data show that its
solar customers present any
new or unaccounted for costs
that non solar customers have
to bear even more. The broader
report makes a passing comment
about the benefits rooftop
solar provides, but it does
not include any hard data to
prove that, quote, those
benefits do not amount to the
full cost of providing
service. When presented with
underlying data. It appears
that no benefit evaluation has
been conducted at all on
behalf of the 11,000 solar
owners in Colorado Springs. I
am not suggesting that we only
look at the benefits rather. I
believe we should take the
costs and the benefits as a
whole picture. You consider
these changes, asked reflect
on a few questions. First has
customer behavior changes due
to time their rates has csu
evaluated any extra benefits
rooftop solar provides during
the early afternoon. Second
has csu conducted any cross
study of the Costa serve solar
versus non solar customers.
3rd, given that we've never
hit 100% renewables in
Colorado Springs as he's you
studied her rooftop. Solar
offsets costly generation
sources, even when wholesale
solar electricity is
exceedingly chief. Thank you
for your time today. Happy to
answer any questions. And ask
you to vote no on this
proposal.
>> Except we have John Martin.
Todd Dorton House. David
level.
>> Good morning. My name is
David level and I reside in
district 6 in the northeast.
Part of Colorado Springs. We
had solar system installed in
FEBRUARY of 2022. To cost
around 15,000. It would have
been significantly more if we
were not take were able to
take advantage co-op that was
organized by solar United. On
an annual basis by panels
generate a little over 6,000
kilowatt hours. On average, I
produce 4200 and use 3160.
Thank you around 1000 kilowatt
hours annually. My current
bankable surpluses around 5200
kilowatt hours. I'm not
reimbursed for that surplus
whatsoever. The following
comments regarding a specific
proposal. This issue has been
argued on the basis of
fairness. Solar users are
being subsidized by non solar
users during the peak demand
period. What is ignored is the
contribution solar producers
provide during the peak
production period of the day.
Roughly 09:00am to 04:00pm. If
you look at see issues own
data, you will find that solar
producers provide a
significant dampening effect
in electrical demand during
this period of the day. I
would argue that 11,000 solar
providers are subsidizing non
solar users during that time
train and it's not available
with further stress. The great
significantly, this is
especially true during the hot
summer months when ac use
region reaches its peak. I
would ask why into the peak
demand option. The fuse based
on the highest use during the
peak demand period and not the
average or median value. We
don't We don't calibrate Suid
rates based on the highest
water use period of the
summer. What are we doing? So
for peak demand. I have a
bankable surpluses. Csu. The
proposal seeks to charge me
for electricity and not using
simply because of the time of
day issue. Just like I cannot
change when I generate
electricity. Csu cannot
dispute that I'm producing
more electricity than I'm
using. The peak demand
periods. The designed to
incentivize the shift to fuse
to time frames other than 5 to
9. What is the incentive for
solar producers? The
impression is we will be
charge regardless. Based on
the csu assumption that the
peak demand rate is roughly
equal to the flat rate fee.
What is a difference in
options was a flat rate. Fee
for electricity. We are using
proposed instead to church. So
uses a premium per kilowatt
hour fee for electricity use
during the peak demand period
bounced against their monthly
production. As currently
presented a proposal being
considered based on the
highest use during the peak
man period. And what without
the consideration for
electricity? Produces more
revenue issue than a fairness
issue when fully implemented
the revenue generated based on
30 to $38 monthly fee would be
360 to 4.56 per household.
45 million per year as a
result of the negative impact
to 11,000 producers in the
local solar industry. I stand
opposed to this current net
metering proposal. I hope you
vote no. Thank you for your
time. Thank you.
>> Except we have Andrew
Maverick.
>> Good morning. My name is
Andrew Maverick and I'm a
resident district 3 and a net
metering us for. Thank you all
for being here and listening
to today. Appreciate it. I
understand that net metering
customers need to pay share of
like I need to pay my share of
excess some of these charges,
though. I do. Think we're
making a pretty big fuss of a
pretty part of c s use budget.
So I support the basic idea of
the proposal, but I think it's
unfair. And for 2 main
reasons, first, it would
greatly restrict the number of
solar customers who could roll
their unused energy forward.
As far as I can read from the
materials only existing
customers who choose that. A
man charged option with still
be able to roll forward. This
restriction on rolling forward
conflicts with a proposal to
increase the maximum allowed
solar system size from 120% to
200%. Why would anyone build a
bigger solar system if they
would just be giving away
their excess energy for free.
Option. 2, the demand charge
claims to give us more control
over our bill. To have real
control. We need 2 things,
neither of which most solar
customers, half. To begin
with. We need to know how much
power we are using at any one
time. We can get generic
estimates. But that isn't good
enough. As other speakers have
pointed out that little
accident of leaving appliances
on at the same time can cost
you big at the end of the
month. The bar chart in the
csu presentation shows that
demand charges will average
over $50 per month. And that
means some will be much higher
than that. Because had a very
informative article about
companies that are feet facing
huge increases in electricity
bills because of demand
charges. Suppose my bill shows
a big demand charge and I
think it's wrong. I won't have
any information that I can use
to support my argument that I
got an incorrect bill. So
overall, I urge you to
preserve rolling forward for
all present and future solar
customers and to help us get
the information we need for
the demand charge to be a
viable choice. I have a few
seconds left. So I want to not
just negative. Want to see
something positive. The
presentation from csu also
noted the imbalance between
solar power generation in the
daytime and peak demand in the
evening discussed battery
options. This would this kind
of thing would benefit
everyone. And I look forward
learning more about these
plans. Take.
>> Except we have Tom
Harrington.
>> Good morning. I have a live
in Colorado Springs. 34 years
now in. That's the engine
district. I installed panels
on my house in 2022. Primarily
for environmental concerns,
but also in order to control
my expenses of the head into
retirement. I don't know
whether this plan is intended
to wipe resident resort, but
it certainly look to the lab
that affect implemented. Based
on estimates that csu has
presented meetings of the
monthly and annual cost of.
Either of their options over
the of my panels. Fees to csu
will exceed the costs of
getting house in the first
place. So that. More than half
of the costs of having solar
power will be not getting. The
panels will be paying month by
month for the privilege of
using them. If proposal had
been in effect in 2022, I
would not have content. If
this goes into effect. I'm not
sure whether even worth keep
my current panels active
recall. They should just check
to see its money on the
monthly fees. And this well,
my panels consistently
generate more power There's
talk about how much it costs
too used to much it cost csu
too. Compensate solar
customers for par, Janet.
During the day. But a pretty
significant chunk of the
parliament house and
generated. He's in credits
that I will never It would
never come it from forming at
all. And that's fine. I don't
mind that a bit. But I do
object to being charged for
having done that. That they
argue that If I'm concerned
about the monthly charge that
man charged option will give
more control over the bill and
maybe it will. But that still
even more than a year after it
was first proposed. It's still
a complete and must far as
getting most of the calls,
have no way of knowing what it
MAY cost me based on the past
use and the way predicting
what might be in any given
month so it's maybe a control
might cost, but it's
essentially rolling the dice
and hoping that I went out.
But also knowing that I lose
if I happened to the site to
cook dinner during the evening
hours or heat my home during
that time. They keep on
plugging if they purple at
last year. Council voted done
once already and they brought
back and I don't know to wear
down or what, but I feel like
there giving us this this,
like I said, rolling the dice
and hoping for the best and
maybe come out ahead. Maybe
you want to. But in a like
that. I would not have
installed panels of time. I
don't know whether I should
keep panels under this plan. I
hope both put against Thank
you.
>> Next step we have Wolf
Sterling.
>> Thank you for allowing me
to speak my name is Bill
Sterling. I'm a nuclear
engineer. My background is an
operating in designing nuclear
reactors. Why is that
important today? Well, they
important today's Colorado
Springs Utilities has this
huge presentation on how they
want to subsidize our electric
with nuclear power. And that
is just magical thinking. The
cost to produce nuclear power
in this country. It's about
$15,000 per kilowatt takes
about 27 years to build a
player. We have nowhere to put
that nuclear waste and we
never will. The only way we
solve our power generation
problems is through renewable
energy. And the people in this
term, including myself and
invested in MR. Donaldson has
repeatedly mentioned along
with issue, we have a problem.
Renewables don't generate
during peak hours. And their
solutions to that problem. For
example, Colorado Springs has
a series of reservoirs which
are currently not being used
and there's no plan to use
them for pump power storage.
We could have batteries. But
what csu doesn't tell you, is
it huge purse? The town
especially district, one. The
system is at 208 volts, which
you cannot connect battery,
too. It has to be 220 votes
and csu. We'll not upgrade a
solar user from 208 to 220
votes until the transformers
in that neighborhood fail. Csu
wants us to reduce peak power.
Agree we should. There are
things like Condensing dryers
that use 70% less power than
traditional dryers try and
find one in the store here. Or
even get someone who knows
anything about that. We have
lots of ways to reduce peak
power. And we're not doing any
of them. Csu has a single.
>> Option. Punish older users
because we don't produce power
in the evening, but a better
option is to say how do we as
a city ensure the reliability
of this really cool thing? We
have. We own our own utility
and we want that. We share the
thing. We want our utility to
be reliable. Nuclear power is
never going to happen. Never
going to happen. And I do that
because of an expert in this
field, I build nuclear
reactors. We have to find a
way to reduce peak power. Let
everyone have batteries. And
this proposal doesn't do it
all this does is punish people
who invested in the city. And
invite you and ask you, we
don't have to say no to this
forever, but we have to say
it's yes to a better solution
that reduces peak power usage
and allows batteries for
everyone, not just the people
in the new neighborhoods, but
in the old neighborhoods. MISS
Williams, you represent. Thank
you for your time.
>> a next step. We have Amy
Pascal.
>> Amy Pascal. I think it's it
on. All right. Thank you so
much for the time to speak. I
appreciate it. Good afternoon
or morning council members. My
name is Amy Pasco. I am state
representative for House
District 18. I am also a solar
user and I am really impressed
by all the testimony that I
have heard some so far. We
have some very expert people
here. Some people have done
deep thinking data analysis
I'm sure this is deeper
information that what's yes,
you got from their survey. So
I think this is really
important information. I hope
y'all take it to heart and
listen to it I'm not going to
go deeply into the rate case
is because I think people have
covered a lot of that. But I
do think that there are some
issue areas here and this is a
better rate case than the one
last DECEMBER. But I don't
think we're quite here yet. I
think there's a little bit
more work to do. And I do urge
you to vote no, I did want to
touch on something. I've heard
repeatedly. It what a cfo
Gearhart said earlier about
the fact that having
residential solar paired with
a battery is a game changer.
And I think that's absolutely
true. So what that speaks to
me is that we want to get our
solar users using batteries.
They are expensive. I know
that I bought one last
DECEMBER band, especially the
folks who are on solar right
now, especially they've the
folks that are on fixed income
that put their plan together.
There is no room for them to
purchase a battery. And for
the folks said who need the
help the most? The lower
income folks who were using
battery or who have solar. But
don't have a battery. They are
also least able to pay for a
battery. So my suggestion is
let's have a battery rebate
program that pays at least 50%
of the cost even more. Now, I
also heard cfo gear how we
need the math. Doesn't map on
that. I totally get it. I have
a suggestion. There's
something else going on city
right now. Data centers. I say
that for data centers, part of
the large low tariff or the
agreement for them to be able
to operate here is putting in
a chunk of money into a pool
of money that we can use to
fund batteries for folks
Income-qualified least able to
pay for itThat's my
suggestion. Next step we have
Mike. But
>> good. Almost afternoon
members of City Council. My
name is Mike Foot on the
general counsel for coast of
the Colorado Solar and Storage
Association. We represent
about 250 solar and storage
related businesses throughout
Colorado, including the csu
service territory. I'm
assuming you're at the 3
letters sent by or ceo in
opposition to see issues that
metering rate hike. I would
like to offer a few thoughts
in addition to those letters.
First, while the city council
is relatively new to this
issue, hearing it last fall
and again, this summer as part
of a longstanding trend of
utilities attempting to reduce
the adoption of rooftop, solar
and their service territories.
Putting it simply rooftop.
Solar doesn't help their
bottom lines and they realize
the best way to stave it off
is to eliminate the cost
benefits to residents who MAY
choose solar and a revenue
problem is solved. Several
utilities and other states
have been successful in doing
just that. And they've seen
soared option plummet as
intended. But that's not been
the case here in Colorado
because of the 2008 state law
that we outlined in our
letters. The state statute
does not allow with csu is
asking you to do here. Unlike
statues and other states, it
does not have qualifiers like
you MAY not unduly charge
discriminatory rates to net
metering customers were. It
can't be unreasonable.
Colorado a net metering law
prohibiting discrimination
discriminatory rates is
unconditional. And it applies
to all utilities and their
governing bodies throughout
the state. In other words,
there is no municipal carve
out utilities in Colorado are
prohibited from doing it
regardless of what kind of
utility where the
reasonableness of their
argument. Not that some have
been seriously considered it.
And one investor owned
utilities south of here
actually tried it about 10
years ago, but was rejected by
the Public Utilities
Commission. But when the other
utilities are alerted to the
state law and they further
consider it, they almost
always choose to not pursue it
further. That just happened
last month with the Rural
Electric Co-op not too far
from here. Csu is the outlier,
though. Now as a matter of
policy and personal belief,
you MAY find see issues
arguments about why they
should be allowed to charge
discriminatory rates. Tim at
net metering customers
persuasive. And that's fine.
And that's not out of bounds.
But it doesn't change the
black letter law on the issue.
The only way to do that is to
go to the state legislature.
And get the law changed rather
than pass rate increase that
violates it. Conclude by
saying coast is always keen to
work until a tease to increase
the value solar and storage.
Their system and would welcome
the opportunity to do so. Here
we do it virtually every day,
but we cannot support net
metering discriminatory rates.
And that's the council to
reject them as well. And thank
you for considering arguments.
>> School. Councilman
Williams. Can I just ask us a
favor? We are running way
behind if we can hold or
applies just so we can get to
this fast or not. I understand
your enthusiasm, but it does
take time off the clock and we
are stopping at 12 o'clock,
which means you're going to
lead comeback at one. I just
want to drag in Anwar. So I
appreciate the enthusiasm that
we got to keep this rolling.
COUNCILMAN Williams, Chris,
but human respond to Please.
>> Thank you again, Chris City
Attorney's Office utilities
Division the question just
presented was whether the
proposed rates fail to meet
the discriminatory
requirements. Within the state
statute. And it is absolutely
accurate to say that the state
statute prohibits
discriminatory rates. Also has
to be addressed is the
discriminatory rates are well
established in Colorado case
law. Within Colorado case law.
Discriminatory does not
inherently coming to play
based solely on there being a
different rate. The key is
whether there are reasonable
bases for those distinctions
between rates so the question
is not does discrimination
apply just because there's a
difference? The question is,
are the difference is
supported based on what's
being presented the difference
is fit with needed decisions
that are being made. I'm happy
to read from that that useful.
But I want to extend further
time. If you're looking to
quickly. COUNCILMAN, I never
have quick.
>> Thoughtful up with that. So
I guess looking at that. Does
it apply so rate credit? So,
you know, we I'm and I'm a
salir user. So so I'm one of
you. We credit. But what's
happening with this new bill
change is that we're not going
be able to ply that credit to
a large part of our bill. And
I'm wondering if that it is.
That could be a problem with.
This particular legislation.
That's a slightly separate
question but does go to look
out question under the state
Renewable energy standard,
which is the law that was put
in place in 2004 municipal
utilities are required to have
a net metering option for
their customers. And then one
of the factors that is
required to be available to
customers is that month to
month 1, 2, one roll over.
That is available. Utility
second demand option. Because
an option is presented that
meets all those requirements.
Utilities has met the burden
of that statute. The statute
itself does not prohibit any
additional options. Under
Colorado statutory
interpretation. When a statute
does not prohibit something,
courts will not read in that
prohibition on the argument
that the Legislature could
have enlisted such a
prohibition desired. So we
believe there is strong
support that because one of
the options doesn't meet those
requirements. There is no
prohibition on a secondary
option as well. Thank
>> Next up, we have Jason
Jason chart.
>> Thank you, MADAM PRESIDENT,
thank you council for being
here. Flooding democracy
Uchitel is a great part about
being in our great country. So
appreciate that. I wanted to
speak to the discriminatory.
It's interesting. Utility
starts with legal. We have
legal questions. I don't think
this is settled. I do think
that if this moves forward, it
will be challenged. And I
think a lot of times things
like this, our clear Jake, the
judiciary ways and and it's
unfortunate more and more. We
have to go. The judiciary to
solve these things in our
country. So just know that
this is disputed. And I think
there are disagreements and
you can hear multiples today.
Point being it's not agreed
upon. I would also speak to
the problem utility presented
with peak demand and I would
argue that the solution has
nothing to do with peak
demand. I would also argue
that the battle report that
the utility commissioned has
nothing to do with solving
peak demand, nor does it ask
for benefits of renewables,
nor does it look at other
cautious. There are many
cautious where this is a
public service. This is a
council that serves the public
good. Snowplowing. We do fire
mitigation. We provide water.
You charge different rates
based on the cosh. If that
occurs for people who live in
areas that need more fire
mitigation and others. I don't
believe you do so. Why are we
going down the road for solar?
I believe that's indicative of
this being a discriminatory
case right here. I think you
can do better one of the
elegant things about net
metering is it challenges
utilities to solve real
problems? It's saying let's
them. Peak demand designer
rate that addresses peak
demand, not designer 8. That
penalizes the people who want
to be part of the solution.
And most of the people who've
invested in renewables want to
be part of the solution. We
have a 10 million dollar
project for low-income
multifamily housing here in
color. Springs. You have
millions of dollars of private
sector money coming to try to
help solve this problem.
Consumers are worried about
reliability. We have more and
more wildfires. And people
have increasing rates and you
would be denying people the
opportunity to invest in
technology that provides power
during those fire issues.
There's a problem in Ohio.
Currently we're I think first,
there's been people without
power for a week and why are
we why are we trying to make
it more expensive for people
who want to solve this problem
for the local community? The
csu according online,
according to Google's 2.0, 2,
2 billion, 200 million
dollars. And even if there's a
4 million dollar cost shift,
that's less than two-tenths of
one percent of your budget. So
trust us if you give us 2
tenths of one percent will
deploy batteries. In the
meantime, let's penalize the
people who want to be part of
the solution and are the most
likely people that are vest in
batteries to add their
systems. So give people a
choice. Listen to your
constituents. Don't shut this
down and cause a legal case.
Do better go back to the table
and do better to solve the
real problem to me. Thank you.
>> Next step we have Lawrence.
GOD only I hope I said that
right. Gio deal. Why? Alex
Antar and 2 pounds
>> thank you. Yeah. See that.
>> I or is that it would get
to show up here. But thank you
for being here. Thank you for
listening to this. Ceo of a
solar company. So I want to
talk a little bit more of the
commercial. We've installed a
200 kilowatts system for Ace
Hardware and their circle.
They're now a net 0 hero and
the same Scott Barnes that
owns that Ace Hardware. Once
the put solar in all 5 stores
full systems 0, of course, no
We're also talking to ymca
owner of the 5 when says here
in town, they also want to go
net 0 hero and we're talking
about 3 and a half megawatts
of solar for these communities
and the cost of solar is
cheap. So I understand where,
you know, they're paying under
$0.10 a kilowatt for energy.
The proposed rates here for
different situations are 36 30
cents. A kilo. 3 times the
rate. And I think that's
egregious. I don't think, you
know, it's not we're not
talking about a quarter. Or
25%. We're talking about a big
hike and increase. It's not
going to work I'm a little
nervous because as you know,
first time speaking all of you
guys. So I just appreciate
your patience and your
attention ready some part of
your district. I could have
told you that you're going to
have this issue. Everybody.
Every solar market goes
through this. They get to a
point where a lot of people
are generating electricity and
at 3 o'clock, you have a
Nexus. California went through
that everybody that has a big
solar market went through that
Xcel Energy in Twenty-twenty
want get better every day
program. $500 per kilowatt
hour. You get a rebate, then
they get to use your battery
during peak demand times. That
has not been done and my mom
used to tell me a like your
lack of planning does not
constitute an emergency on my
behalf. Your lack of planning
does not constitute emergency
on behalf of solar users,
solar builders it doesn't
work. Another question I want
to ask is the 4% the 22% of
usage or infrastructure goes
to 4% of time. That 4% equates
to 0.9, 6 of an hour for that.
So it's not. You know, 3 to 9
or 49 5 to 9 that the man
you're talking about is 0.9 6
of an hour or about 55 minutes
a day. So it doesn't really
make sense to have that. The
man church, right? Let's
settle that one hour of them.
Let's go with that. Let's
figure it out. Increase the
rates, but our rates are low
and let everybody pay for We
know the rates are going to go
up. But taxing solar and
making solar impossible and
not sustainable and not
possible for nonprofits across
the state across the city is
silly and we're going to stop
for 5 megawatts. So I employ 5
people and this would be a 5
to about project over the next
2 years.
>> That that's an opportunity
for our city to. Have those
resources, invest in jobs,
invest in infrastructure and
instead the just like.
>> Let's charge you guys. And
it's really And we've heard a
lot of you guys say that like
my bill does not up. My bill
does not up an electrical
engineer as well the 4th
electrical engineering here as
well. The numbers don't add up
for a lot of people. Thank you
vote on this. It's going to be
up. Thank you. Also, Madonna
Centre.
>> Yeah, MADAM PRESIDENT, I
just I just want to correct
something factually. I think
the only time the kill,
charges, $0.30 or above is
during the peak hours and that
on non peak hours and if Mr a
year or come up here and and
correct this, it's a $0.8 on
the demand plan.
>> Roughly, as is just, you
know, looking at the plan here
and 10. Even 10.
I would have to have a Tristan
or
>> Scott come up. But I think
the chill great there was,
quote, it is is a peak rate.
So for for 4 hours out of the
day. That's true. But the
other 20, it's not. And I
think it's very important.
>> On option one, it does time
back to our energy wise rates
right now. Energy wise off
peak is about $0.7 per
kilowatt hour on peak is about
$0.29 in the summertime. 4
months out of the year and the
winter time. It's $0.14.
That's what I thought and the
other planned in on the other
plan. It keeps things and one
all around the clock price,
which right now would be at
about $0.13 per kilowatt hour.
Ok, thank you.
>> So that is going to
conclude this morning's
>> good afternoon. I am.
>> There he is. She's waiting
for you. Welcome back to city
Council. AUGUST 20 20th. We
are still in the public for
utilities. Net metering.
Giving him time to sit down.
We will start We will Start
where we left off with public
comment. Next up, we have Bill
Clay. Good afternoon.
>> Okay, good afternoon. MADAM
PRESIDENT Council members,
staff community members.
>> Bill Clay, my wife and I
started solar power pros in
2013. We're small business
where roughly 25 employees. We
install solar and batteries
for residential and commercial
customers in Colorado. And I
was really impressed with this
morning's comments from the
citizens in the community and
their points today. And thank
you all on council here for
your patients and listening
through this. We really
appreciate it. I have 3 main
points and I won't try not to
really the points from this
morning. My 3 main points for
you are the proposed net
metering rates will eliminate
the solar only market in
Colorado Springs. So just want
to make sure that's
understood. It will eliminate
it. We've been doing this for
13 years. You know, we model
the financials for solar
systems for residential
customers modeling this the
debt, the demand option
offered by csu is more
expensive for almost all
customers and it's going to be
a nonstarter for those
customers. The time of use
rates impose a $33 flat charge
and a 13% increase. On the
often on that peaks to the 9
net metering rates for net
metering customers. So it's
going to be more expensive for
those customers. In most
cases. The other point there
is that in almost all cases
just different system sizes
putting different directions
on different houses, different
shading scenarios. It even
when you pick the best of
those scenarios, the payback
period longer than the systems
expected. 25 year life. Most
customers aren't going to the
purchase of the solar system.
At that point, we install
systems across 15 utility
areas in the state. And just
so, you know, this proposal is
by far the most unfriendly to
solar. Want to put that out
there by far the most
unfriendly to solar. It voted
in. It'll kill the solar only
market in Colorado Springs.
You know, cause my business
and other solar installer
significant financial harm.
Ok? So my second point it's
illegal. No, I'm not a lawyer.
You know, can take that to
heart. But I did hear your
legal counsels mention that
about case law I just can
suspect that that case law
that he's talking about is not
specific to Colorado net
metering. The rates
discriminatory and Colorado
laws really clear on this
point. You cannot pass a
discriminatory net metering
rate. But why even go there?
We heard this morning several
times that discussion about
solar and batteries. Asking
you to vote no on the proposed
rate changes and instructor
utility instead to look at
solar and battery options.
Thank you. Thank
>> Next step we have Scott
Carter.
>> Good afternoon. My name is
Scott Carter. Resident here in
Colorado
>> Have some solar that I put
on myself paid itself off in 2
years. So I set up financial
thing. For me. It's see if you
utilities keeps kind of saying
that word shipping the charges
to somebody else and well,
yes, obvioly solar customers
do use when those solar panels
are producing. That's we're
not looking at all the times
where the solar is actually a
benefit to the
>> it would easy to say a
senior citizen is, you know,
using a whole bunch of federal
money when they retire, except
it's not looking into the fact
that they actually put in that
money earlier on solar
customers have invested in
capital expenses, but let's
help out everybody let's look
at some of the other things
here. Places. The utilities
themselves. They talk about
having built for that peak
demand. The peak. And all that
infrastructure, that
infrastructure is actually not
used. The very peak of it is
actually a 4 o'clock, not the
5 to 9. Their prices are
higher from 5 to 9, but that
peak is actually a little
earlier. So they already don't
that infrastructure. It needed
to be there no matter what
solar or not. Couple of the
things we're solar. You know,
early on solar helped. Past
color springs utilities to
meet the state's goals. You
know, that's never factored
in. A couple other things.
Solar has actually lowers
those prices as we're seeing
during the daytime where we
caller springs utilities
actually making money office
solar. That's not factored in.
Even a very odd example was
>> Texas had that crazy
snowstorm, you know, and we
paid crazy amount of money for
gas. Just my system. Assuming,
you I have to look at their
numbers and I don't know
exactly how many other plants
are peak or not of mind minds
like or not. But just looking
at their numbers, I would just
I saved the springs. $140.
Just my solar system. If
everyone else, the 10,000
people, that would be 1.4
million dollars that was
saved. Obviously every systems
not the same as mine, but you
Not looking at all the
advantages. Solar is actually
giving is doing a disservice
we look at this, maybe look at
their initial assumptions.
There might be some loss.
Thank you very much. Thank
you.
>> Next step we have Tammy
Green. Tammy Green.
>> Jan Lubinski. So Pinsky.
Thank you.
>> Thank My name is Jans have
been scam. A resident of
Colorado Springs and also
solar user. I'd like to
comment today, but on the
bigger picture that been
involved here with. There's
been a lot of substantial
reasons why this particular
price increase in fraud,
method of willing seller is
really not a good thing. But
long term. You have to realize
that you people are elected to
develop and try to create a
strong Colorado Springs in the
future. And this plan as the
previous gentlemen just talk
is going to kill the solar
industry here in Colorado
Springs. And then. When it
comes to the time gas is going
to run out, you got to get rid
of coal. What are you going to
have? Nothing. And then
there's the cost shift is
going to be to the next
generation that comes in here
and feels you're not thinking
about the future of Colorado
Springs and the future of the
country itself there this
year, we've seen tornadoes.
We've seen floods. We've seen
heat domes. We've seen
wildfires, everything. And if
you don't believe part of that
is the cause of global
warming, you're mistaken.
There are over the last 50
years. I've seen city councils
like you. I've seen businesses
and people take short term
seclude answers to their
problems that are boost Lee
Financial base. And that
problem has led to where we
are now. The cost in the
future from all of this is
going to be astronomical and
it's going to be on our future
generations and people that
you have a responsibility to
think about. Not just the next
turn, harsh Colorado Springs
utility has been very
neglectful and not planning
for this. Not looking. They
had 6 years to come up with a
plan for the energy trucks and
they didn't do anything. The
only reason they got their
statement is that the the
state is now requiring the
springs utility to come up
with the plan that is gross
negligence. The springs
utility are grossly
negligible. So I just want to
say, I think we have to think
about the long term. We can't
just be concerned It's going
to cost $10. Hear more of
that. We have to realize had
10, 15, 20 years, we're going
to have an energy crisis here.
And Colorado Springs utilities
will not be in the position to
handle it because they've
neglected to do the planning.
Now they've neglected to do
the research and evolve. Find
the methods that can save us
from that problem. Thank you.
Thank you.
>> The next step we have Lani.
I'm
>> Chair fine. Can you say
your last name for me and my
Emily? Thank you. Scottish.
>> Hi, I'm money.
>> Part of a group of private
citizens that provide
one-fifth 2, 1, 6, the solar
power for csu, clean energy.
That's mandated by the state
as part of his clean Energy
program. This benefits every
single csu customer. Now
ironically bought my system
because was concerned about
rising energy rates. Do the
same clean energy mandates and
the installer so system. But
csu sold me the net metering
program. They knew within a
few years unaddressed. Change
program which would
drastically increase my costs
Cs, you seem to think I didn't
even know this. Csu said I
made a bad business decision.
I did. I trusted csu and by
extension, I trusted you all.
Last year, csu said I was too
the other customers by not
paying that man charged for
increased energy costs between
5 and 9. Their solution was to
charge me twice the rate for a
full 30 days instead of the 20
days other customers will pay.
Their example. They came up
with a $25 charge per month
this year with drastically
reduced demand rates. The
charge is $40 a month. Seems
last year's estimate was a
little disingenuous. Now
there's an option where I can
stopped hitting other
customers and pay the same
demand rates as But it will
cost me a $30 a month access
fee to do that. Plus, csu will
graciously keep and sell
excess energy and pay me
nothing. These are examples of
why question whether csu as an
honest broker. Residential
solar provides one 51 6 of the
solar csu uses to meet the
state mandate. Mandated clean
energy program while most
residential solar chair, the
entire cost of this one one.
51, 6 portion when every
customer come see issue
benefits and every solar
customer is not the same. Some
produce all of their energy.
Some produce only a portion
below producers will now pay a
significant penalty about $40
a month part of which will
subsidize the higher energy
producers. Their burden will
be much greater. Then the $2
or so projected for all
customers without this plan.
Clean energy is more expensive
than traditional energy
sources. That burden should be
shared equally. Residential
solar help csu me cleaners
mandates. This plan loads a
larger in MARCH are cost
burdened from that on a
smaller and smaller
population. I'm not arguing to
pay nothing. But I don't think
we've made of I appreciate the
progress, though.
>> Next step we have Kayla
Mueller.
>> Kayla Mueller, lifelong
resident of Kyra Springs.
Today. We've lots of lots and
lots of public comments about
this. I don't have the
privilege of being solar user
yet, but something that I want
to point out to everybody
sitting here, everybody in the
room, everybody that cares is
that the presenter on this
agenda item is Travis Steele.
He is not present in the room
today after this board
unanimously gave him a raise
to $700,000, which is more
than it pays to the
beneficiaries of the publicly
owned utility company cut
matching They've been very
nice to you. They presented
their facts, hate my bills
aren't here. Hey, this is off.
I'm step farther and say that
car springs utilities and the
ceo specifically fundamentally
misunderstand their purpose.
It is a publicly owned city
owned utility company. The
idea that you guys could make
any decision. Tip a#
#
off. The
consequences of your lack of
foresight to the literal
beneficiaries of the utility
company. It's embarrassing.
Colorado Springs as a
community. It is not a
corporation. There are so many
solutions to this peak hour
thing in 23 days. There's a
data center hearing. You could
go ask rating and all these
other 13 data centers in the
springs and say, hey, this
needs to be covered. And, you
know, they probably say with
their 100 million dollar
project we don't really like
that. But we understand. But
instead you've taken the easy,
dare I say, spineless route
and tried to pass it on to the
literal beneficiaries of
utility company. As far as I'm
concerned, you guys are lucky
that you're not being smacked
with a lawsuit right now
because csu was fundamentally
this understanding its purpose
as a publicly owned utility
company. I don't need to say
anything else. That's it.
>> Next step we have Janet
room.
>> Chair Donaldson. If I they
could be recognized with MADAM
PRESIDENT. The terms of trying
steal our co not being here.
My name is Mike, frankly, I'm
chief customer officer
covering for him. He's
actually at the state level
advocating on behalf our
customers in terms of a lot of
regulatory changes. So I
wanted just let you know that
he's actually trying to get
here. But he had prior
commitments. At the state.
>> Thank you. Thank My name is
to not cup I live in district
4 head-to-head solar since
2020. One of the meetings
earlier here in City Hall,
utilities admitted that they
knew about this problem 9
years ago. To me, that's crazy
that they have allowed all of
these solar customers to sign
up with an agreement deal that
they knew. Wasn't going to be
valid and that they were going
to have to change. I think
that's horrifying. So in put
10 panels on my roof. I was
fortunate enough that I could
pay cash. So it was $14,000.
Every month. I went to the
utility site and I wrote down
how much my you panels were
bringing me in because I
wanted to see if I was going
to make a 10 year pay off. So
it's like $24.26. Dollars. And
I want know we're not going to
pay this down in 10 years. The
end of last year at a 3 more
panels. So now I'm up to $30 a
month. Still going to pay it
off in 10, 15 years. A solar
installation is not a one and
done deal. It has to be
maintained. The panel's
degrade. So it's it's not a
cost, but you can pay down and
say I'm done. And I think that
this charge. First solar
customers only is patently
unfair. There's been enough
people here that have said
that this is a benefit to the
city. It's a benefit to that
Earth. And when I did my solar
installation, I got $265. Back
from the from the utility
company. That was my rebate.
Now those are Nobody gets a
rebate. I think discouraging
solar, which this deal will
certainly do is a mistake. I
said if we all win the lottery
or solar customers win the
lottery and I can put a
battery in and I can go to
200% of my usage. Where am I
going to find someone to
maintain those crews can even
this deal is going to kill the
solar industry, which is a
mistake for all of us, not
just the customers. Next step.
We have Melanie Richardson.
Thank you so much. More.
>> Your patients your time.
You're tension. It occurs to
me that there MAY be something
of a simple solution here.
We've heard lots about the
problems and lots of blame on
both sides. But it occurred to
me that a possible solution to
the 2 problems of citizens
having to buy expensive
batteries. And csu having to
build new infrastructure. The
eliminated. I'm recommending
csu undertake a comprehensive.
Comparative analysis of csu
buying batteries. Versus
building more infrastructure.
Releasing the burden customer.
Ensuring that our future with
solar in alternative energies
is secure. Thank you.
>> Except we have Rick Hart.
>> Afternoon, I'm Rick Hart.
>> The talk today before Nancy
and we've had some discussions
with original installation
high was one of them. So. My
comments are the engineering
allergies of net metering
obligation csu created when a
dedicated help early solar
systems were built. First off
from the inception of the
program, through. I think 2020
tell the funding one out.
Regulators cell facing raising
for mandatory shade analysis.
Customers were not allowed to
choose west-facing or time
today up to my son's eyes. Csu
mandate is south orientation
because the program was built
around maximizing annual
kilowatt hours. Not time. A
day performance. Those system
where all exactly the way csu
require. Now csu is proposing.
Policies that penalize the
people that install them for
what csu required us to do.
And so in the early parts of
this program, you guys are
begging us to basically
install solar because of the
state mandate. Debra Mathis,
would send out an e-mail said,
hey, guys, kids do this, do
this. There's only about 200
customers a year. Tell about
2, 2020, that we're installing
panels. So I find it very
frustrating that I put him in
her. The design spent more
money doing it that way. And
then which case now you guys
are changing, you know the
rules. So if you had are why
you can't do it. I can't do in
our ally right now with the
proposed been incorporated. So
if you guys for the Colorado
Peuc Xcel Energy and Black
Hills, both tried to do this.
The p uncc in Denver I've
spoken with have actually
filed a complaint with the
Colorado attorney general's
office regarding this issue.
They've accepted the complaint
to wait and see what you guys
do. We can't have solar only
charged. A man charged for us.
But what they you see in
Denver did which I think you
guys should follow the same
format was a grandfather,
these systems and for 25
years. And that's what other
utility companies have done in
the past. I gave Nancy lots of
examples of what other
utilities companies had done.
I also talked with Dave, I had
correspondence with Alex and
they lost the city. Coral
Springs lost my paperwork in
the original people that
participated in the program
that showed what we had to do.
What you guys, you know, csu
dictated the design for the
early stage implementation.
There's no, I don't have any
west-facing panels. Everything
I put in was south-facing now
on killed with both propose
plans. So I was hoping we
revisit the grandfathering
systems in some systems. Only
3.5% of the customers actually
put in solar. It seems like
that if you guys are going to
change the rules, which rules
didn't change not change until
2027, we should honor these
commitments made. To us that
invested into this. And what
about the older people that
say solar companies came in
said your payback is this and
it's not even going occur.
>> Next step we have Steve
right foot.
>> I'm the guy that drives
that Lennon murdered truth dot
com ban around. Believe it or
not. I used to be the top
producer, one of the top
producers in my. Telemarketers
room, ice to sell solar. Soler
basically is a hedge against
inflation. You get payments
that are equal to or less than
your bill is currently. Your
system is paid off in 20 years
and you've avoided all that
inflation. Then a short you
get about 10 years free
electricity after, you know,
30 years, it's probably toast.
But you saved about 25%. But
what happens rules always get
change by the system. The
system is dependent on the
electricity company in the oil
companies that are the 2
biggest institutions besides
our military. And right now,
for example, you know how the
windmills. Create electricity
with that little resistance
grinding in that little turban
box. If you put that
technology in your
automobiles, you wouldn't have
to pay electricity or
gasoline. The reason that's
not being developed this
because the oil companies and
the electric companies run
things and they're not letting
that technologies through. So
you're working all 20% more.
Then you need to work to pay
for gas and electricity. As
far your car's concern, lot of
electric cars require energy
from your house. So they're
looking at ways to stay in
power. If this vehicle comes
out, that transfers the energy
of windmills turbines in New
York automobile and gives you
free recharging. You don't
need all those batteries. You
can get rid of half your
battery pack. You can recharge
your batteries as you drive.
That other companies and the
electric companies are going
to do everything in their
power to stop that. And I'm
sure there is some.
Shenanigans going on with the
electric companies around
here. Tuition. If you arms of
the city council. So we're up
against all that. But what I'm
trying to point out, this is
imagine I was the most famous
human on Earth, stay in this
in front of the world's
biggest microphone. The road
would change riding the
coattails of a revolution that
my GOD you didn't know
existed. I'm the guy with the
John Lennon story. The biggest
nuisance Christ. For your
sake, bring me forward. You
guys. Have got to do something
to stop the military
industrial complex that
controls your media. Keeps you
stupid. Under Stephen King, no
less. There's a spell cast on
all of There's been a spell
cast on the world since
Stephen King shot John Lennon.
You're afraid your government
only Beatles music set me
free. I op being afraid. I
found evidence what you know.
So these people, if you really
want a cheap world to live in,
many want things to be fair,
you need a hero in your midst.
I'm not ashamed to say could
be that guy. But you got to
bring the forward. Thank you.
>> That concludes our public
comment for this Public
comment is now closed. We
will. Now bring back to the
Dias for council questions and
comments before we address.
The rebuttal.
>> 6.
>> COUNCILMAN Thank you. MADAM
PRESIDENT I want to first and
foremost, that. I've been
taking notes madly through
this entire hearing and
listening to really each and
every one of the customers who
have come to speak to us. All
in opposition, by the way. I I
can not. Say enough about how
thoughtful and measured and
well researched and smart you
all are and how you've
approached us. Almost
exclusively with the profound
amount of respect. It's very
impressive what you all have
come to share with us I'm
concerned that. This council
is at risk of sacrificing a
portion of our customer base.
That is deeply committed to
this utility to the planet to
their own energy efficiency to
the city. It said a re. We've
heard it all for what is right
now. 4.5 million dollars and
is less than 0.2% of our
overall budget. I just just
don't get that foot. But I I
do want to say. By the way,
the number of electrical
engineers and nuclear engineer
interests regular customers
who have learned a lot about
energy production. And so like
by virtue of choosing to put
this in their homes, it's
pretty impressive. But I
really want to say very
plainly that the proposal we
are seeing today in a number
of you even said this is
better than it was a year ago.
And I believe it is. And the
2025 analysis rested on a
sample of 28 customers and
this one uses roughly 8400. So
that's an improvement. The
utilities leadership did
listen to this board to this
council last year. They added
a five-year transition when
there was none before. They
raise the system size kept
from 100 to 20 120% to 200,
although so if you've made a
great case that it's going to
be almost financially
impossible to do unless we do
some things different. But
nonetheless, appreciate that.
Spent 8 months of public
process rather than 7 weeks.
And I want the record to
reflect that. I really
appreciate that work. I'd say
the vast majority that landed
on Tristan and Scott and I
have spent, as I said earlier,
probably more hours with
Tristan than he would care
count. I respect him. I have a
good relationship with
Tristan. He's always been
responsive. He's always worked
to help me understand and
answer my questions. And I sat
down very recently with him
one more time. And I've said
publicly, I can't vote for
something. I don't I can't
explain to someone else. I'm a
lot closer to being able to
explain. And there's something
new that's come into the
picture, which I will talk
about in just a few moments.
So my questions are really
about whether utility should
recover its costs. That's not
my my concern. Really. We do
have some additional cost. And
I think most of you recognize
that. I want to consider how
we might SEPTEMBER 22nd
differently or this whole rate
case differently but have a
few things I want to address
first before I offer that.
There are 2 options for the
net metering customers and the
promise or suggestion of a
promise for distribute battery
storage. We haven't heard a
lot about that. It's been said
I'll speak to that a little
bit more in a moment.
Regarding the standard versus
net metering demand. I just
want to point out that it was
only at the past JUNE 17th
board meeting when
Councilmember line Weber.
Board member want what line
Weber said that he had a
problem with the single 15
minute event during the month
as as a methodology and that,
you know, a year ago, it was
an average you know, I think
utilities basically said was
intended at that time, place
greater emphasis on customer
satisfaction of Bill
stability. And we lost for for
2 reasons that that they have
explained. Also Councilmember
Williams and I have had a
number of conversations and
she was very clear that back
then that that. The demand
calculation had been described
3 different ways and should be
that it beyond a shadow of a
doubt. And we have received a
plethora e-mail, doesn't
hundreds probably. We still
receive from some very smart.
So the customers who I would
say don't feel like that has
Kurt. That's kind of what I
heard from a lot of you today.
If you don't understand it and
you're the customers, that's a
problem. It is a problem. And
then there's the cost
causation. And if you could
move it to slide 16, please. I
appreciate it. Thank you.
Talks about estimated impacts
after the the 5 year
grandfather. So I have a
question and it is, I think,
really Tristan. Is the $38
figure that's derived from
Costco station. Under each
rate option or is it from
dividing a revenue target by
the number of solar customers?
Because if the 2 are
structurally different rate
designs produced the same
average that suggests a
revenue target with rate
components afterwards.
>> The $38 month is the same
on both rate structures
because we priced to the
average customer. And we used
a man charged as one vehicle
to be able to achieve that.
And when he's great access be
in the other. So going to your
earlier point that you just
mean last year, we didn't have
averaging that we looked with
only one option that we
brought forward. Not one, 15
minute increment. In this rate
case we brought forward the
pull one 15 minute increment
because we do have an
averaging option. That's
option number one that takes
the average of all of the
customers across the system
and says what is that on a per
day basis and it comes back to
the one dollar great access,
the charge. So when we take an
average customer, we see the 4
and a half million dollar
revenue shortfall and we
calculate back how to recover
those that short Paul, either
you and with the demand charge
with a great access being the
energy wise rates. It comes
out to $38 a month.
>> That's the calculation
we've made that something that
will, you know, potentially be
voting on. But I guess again,
a number of our customers
still don't don't fully
understand appreciate that or
feel is fair. And so I think
overall I heard so many things
today from all of you and one
of the things that impressed
me as many of you said, I'm
not going to repeat that
because it was already said
which a lot of people when
they come talk to us do. But
you made additional different
and very interesting point.
And but overarching what I
heard from you all.
>> Is that you feel betrayed?
You feel betrayed by a utility
that you have trusted in for
decades. Many of you. Who who
entered a written agreement in
a relationship and I know
utilities and said, will you
sign a contract and, you know,
contracts have have, you know,
closets and sore foot. Then
you should realize you're
entering business agreement
and things could change. But
but this is a publicly owned
utility company. And you enter
this in good faith and
somebody just gave an
incredible example of of I was
told to put the panels on the
east side of the house and it
was never given the option to
capture that ppp time when in
the summer it when the sun
still up, you know, so so
whether it be betrayal by
something as significant as
that or he told me to to buy,
you know, led lights. And I
did that right. I mean, you
have been good good customers
of csu and trusted customers.
And that has changed. And we
have been hearing that as
utility board. In our last
meeting, we looked at our
scorecard and our customer
satisfaction mates are down
and dropping. We did a pram
survey recently in JULY that I
haven't seen yet. But I'm very
keen to see. I've heard that
maybe not so great, great and
matches customer satisfaction
drop. I have a meeting to get
cute up on that here. It's on
my calendar. I'm not sure that
the plan is to present that to
the whole board, but I sure
hope so. We have a trust
problem with csu. There isn't
a single person up here who
wouldn't tell you that we are
receiving emails every single
day about the rate increases
that people are experiencing.
This is a very specific part
of our population. I voted for
that 5 case. I'm not saying
that we don't.
>> Have needs for greater
rates and I won't go into that
whole argument. But I'm not
here to say that utilities is
bad or or not with integrity.
I'm challenging and I'm
challenged by this one
particular item, which you all
have so well spoken to, which
leads me to the promise of or
the hope for. Battery storage
solutions. So many of you
mentioned this and in fact,
you know, the guy who spoke
who Scott Unicorn house, that
sounds like you says no
interest whatsoever is going
to benefit because of of
battery. But I understand
Tristan say that people who
choose the demand charge will
also benefit from battery. But
where is the support for
battery battery distributed
sort storage for for this
group. And furthermore, I
heard from Tristan and from
Travis, by the way, I am
disappointed who's not here.
I'm glad he's working at the
state. But more important
thing is there right now for
utilities and this rate case,
I don't know. I don't know the
details. Maybe there was
absolutely no other way for
him to do both at the same
time, I can't make that
judgment because I don't know.
But I am disappointed that
he's not here. But I heard
from him and I heard from you,
Tristan, that yes, we are very
seriously looking into this
and we want to present this so
that you can support this. Now
interest in you said numerous
times when you came up to the
podium today that we got to
get that 4.5 million or we
can't make it make make it
pencil out. Sure. So my
question, if Peak Energy
rewards operates today under
today's rates. And our rate
design is firm enough to
believe dance to it to come to
this council and say we want
to charge those rates, then
why is it not firm enough? 2
addressed battery now. I don't
get that. Would you like to
like to take that?
>> the answer is we are
starting from 400 or 4.5
million dollars upside down.
When we look at any dollars
that we put towards a program
that's either demand side
related we have to be able to
put those costs out. So if I'm
going to go through and say,
here's how much rebate per
kilowatt for a battery, I'm
starting at negative 4 and a
half million dollars. So right
now it would be I would like
to charge you a little bit
more for that battery to make
sure that we can level out
there the rates if we can get
everyone on the same basis, we
built rate structure that will
allow you to avoid the demand
charge because you have a
battery and and if you would
give the same thing that we
see in the peak rewards
thermostat program, which is
ability to use battery during
our peak time frame. We would
be able to say here's how much
we should give us benefit from
that. Okay. So
>> if you are working toward
that, you're preparing that.
But it just is like point were
percent percent of our overall
budget that you're saying
we're under. What else in our
budget is 4.5 million dollars.
Just an.
>> All of the things that
total up to 4 billion dollar
bill down over 5 years that we
are trying to prioritize and
looking at every one of those
dollars as a as the cfo for
the utilities. I care about
all 230,000 of our residential
customers and making sure that
we achieve rate stability for
all of them. When we look at
these programs, we have to do
with all of those dollars in
mind. When we look at the
programs that we currently
offer, you have to be able to
look at those things. If we're
to look at these right now, we
want even start looking at the
rebate programs at these rates
are place. We're starting from
a place that does not have on
equity amongst the rate
structure. It's a no-go for
us. So the idea that we would
go back now and look at rebate
structure when we have the
inequity that is there, it
would not happen. So.
>> Tristan, what? Trying to
appreciate that. I'm I'm not
sure that I I fully agree with
you. I think that's a choice
that a policy choice that we
could make that this council
could make. And what I've
heard from this group and what
I actually heard from Travis.
And I'm sorry, he's not here
to speak to this. But that. We
would offer this not just a
solar customers, but to and
the utility customer because
having distributed storage. Is
good for the entire system.
And for the future and the
climate challenge is that
we've heard coming up and and
we heard a nuclear engineer
not want to get involved in
the nuclear debate. You know,
we did use a new pact by the
way to look at new clear. But
we don't want to have you
pack. Look at solar policy.
But that is ridiculously
expensive right now. And we
know that. And here is
something that we could be
doing for all of our customers
and to create greater less
demand at those peak hours by
distributing battery storage.
That technology out there. I
guess I guess what I'm gonna
get to my my final thing and I
I see a motion and there's not
a second. So I'm going to make
a motion that there's a motion
on the screen, but there's not
a second for the rate case, as
is. Now there's a make an
amendment. I'm going to make
suggest amendment. And
Michael, if you would, please
pass that out. So I want to be
clear. With you all about
where I am. I'm not asking
this council to say that
utilities MAY never adjusts
net metering compensation. I
think the cost recovery
concern is real. And I think
the 2026 analysis done some
very serious work. I've talked
about how much time I've spent
on this already. I am now more
clear that there is real cost
to operations of the system to
infrastructure, from moving
electricity to and from a net
metering customers home. But
my ultimate concern is more
about how how we have dealt
with this known it for 9
years. We just heard somebody
say that. Customers who have
been loyal. Who want to be
loyal and a part of the
solution to customer owned
utility. So I am making a
motion to amend the proposed
tariffs to provide that the
new net metering rate option
shall not take effect until
Colorado Springs utilities has
filed city Council and City
Council has approved a
distributed energy storage
program, including customer
own battery rebate levels
program, budget participation,
capacity and enrollment time
line with an availability
date. No later than the
effective date of the Strait
options. That is my motion. I
would appreciate a second.
Present cars not address
procedurally the rate case
process here for a moment.
>> Just want to clarify.
Today. City Council is not
giving a final vote on the
proposed changes. So we're not
looking for a motion to
approve those changes today.
Today put, I believe, council
on number 100 will be
proposing it to direct
utilities to make those
changes to its terror proposed
tariffs so that then you could
voted vote on those on
SEPTEMBER 22nd. So that. I
welcome you to address engines
proposal. It's going to
clarify that that would not be
a motion to approve the
proposed changes. It would be
a direction to utilities to
make those changes that will
be presented for a final
decision on SEPTEMBER 22nd.
And to be clear, I was asked
by.
>> The attorney of record
Renee Condon to make this
motion today to die. Not City
attorney and Renee Condon. I
was I have documentation that
you asked me to make this
motion today.
>> Condon know what I
suggested was that if you
wanted to make a motion to
postpone that, you would make
it today. That was the only
emotion or procedural motion.
What you're making is a motion
of substance to substantively
change the rate case. If you
want to change the rate case,
there's a portion of the
agenda which I believe is an
item 8 where you would give
direction to MR. Bid lack. He
would make the change in
Consensus of the group, the
council members, he would make
the change to rate case. It
will come back first for a
work session where it would
presented you all will hear
that work session if you agree
that he captured all of the
comments and the directions
then on the next day, which I
believe the SEPTEMBER 22nd.
Then you make the motion to
approve as it was presented.
So any motion today would be a
procedural motion. So a motion
to postpone or too, think
maybe term but not hear it
postponed to a date certain or
postpone indefinitely. Those
are the types of motions you
would make today. You would
actually make a motion on the
substance today. Okay. Well.
Thank you for that
clarification. I'm sorry that
we did not that. I did not
have that clarification
before. Just making this
motion, then I will.
>> Since I don't have a
second, I willhange my
motion. And it will be
essentially what you have in
front of you councilmembers.
It would be simply to instead
to amend the proposed tariffs
to postpone the proposed
tariffs to provide that the
new net metering rate option
shall not take effect until
Colorado Springs utilities has
filed with City Council and
City Council has approved a
distributed energy storage
program, including customer
own battery, be bait levels
program. Budget participation
capacity and enrollment time
line with an availability date
no longer than the effective
date of these rate options.
>> And can I clarify? I think
you have to motions in One
would be to postpone, which
would be a procedural motion
which you could make today,
you could make a motion to
postpone the entire rate case
without making any changes. So
it could be to a date certain
indefinitely. That would be
one motion different motion.
Wouldn't necessarily be
emotion. You would be a
recommendation where you'd be
seeking consensus of the rest
of council to revise the rate
case to incorporate the
statement that that you just
read. So. My greater decider.
>> Than to postpone is to.
>> Provide new net metering
rate options that would not
take effect until Colorado
Springs utilities has filed
with City Council.
>> And City Council has
approved a distributed energy
storage program, including
customer own battery rebate
levels program, budget
participation, capacity and
enrollment time line with an
availability date. No later
than the effective date of
these rate options. That is
what I would like to have put
into the rate case. Then in
SEPTEMBER 20 and for
SEPTEMBER. 22. If that if
that's what I'm trying to
accomplish, I'm asking you is
that the is that the proper
procedure? And do I need to
wait to do that until later in
the hearing? Yes, that is the
park's teacher
>> under the agenda, the
agenda for the rate case. We
first have city council
questions or comments and then
city Council potential for
amendments. Those tend to
merge is those conversations
happen? I think it would be
appropriate given that
explained your position to
request that the rest of
council weigh in on that
request. There if you receive
a majority support for that
request that would give us
direction to make those
changes prior to bring back if
you are not to receive
majority support, then we
would continue on with
additional questioning and
proceed forward utilities
requested proposal.
>> Kristen, for clarification,
dui. A thumbs up for what
she's asking or do you want
and vote?
>> So this would be the thumbs
up thumbs down because this is
not a procedural motion. This
is about direction for
utilities to
>> And MADAM PRESIDENT, I
could just ask the question of
you on our agenda for today.
You know, item number 5 is
city council questions.
Comments for utilities to
address. Yes, item number 6 is
a break for utilities. Prepare
those answers perhaps to a
question one of my colleagues
just asked item 7 is utilities
responds to the public and
city council questions and
then after that, we deliberate
and have a discussion of any
amendments. Yes, the proposed.
So I think we've kind of
jumped. To item 8 without you
know, completing 5 are due in
6 or 7. I would just ask that
we can to get back on. I think
it'll help us go in this
sequence.
>> I'm fine with following
process and procedure. People
understand know what I'm
trying to accomplish. I want
to do the best process
possible. But now my fellow
council members understand my
position. So I will wait to
introduce that and you let me
know when thank you.
>> So we are in 5 in
COUNCILMAN Donna said, I say
your name up earlier. So
would.
>> Okay. Yeah. Thank you. So
first of it's a it's It's
difficult to just to hear all
that. And rather sit down and
just have a discussion with
each of you, but we can't do
that. Kind of have to do some
reason and things like that. I
want you don't feel betrayed.
The board of utilities,
utilities itself. Works to
take care of all rate payers.
>> And has has actually been
discussed here is working now
to find a way to both recover
the full amounts for the
service that's provided to
solar users. And on to 2 to
recover that full amount and
knots impose a cost, really
try to keep your almost the
same. That will probably be
with the help of batteries. I
think the question won't get
into that short-term answers.
There is a talk about, this is
short-term thinking what
you're doing today. I would
say that the short-term piece
of this has been since the
2006 recovery structure was
put in place which never
recovered the cost for csu.
And as more and more citizens
have with good intentions.
Gone the solar, it has become
a bigger and bigger gap for
the utilities. And as our cfo
was pointing out, that's
really the crux of the problem
when we do recover. And when
utilities doesn't recover
enough from those that are
receiving the service. It
comes from someone he's
paying. And yesterday I
received an e-mail from a
woman is a regular rate payer.
She's terminally ill. She's a
senior citizen. And she's
asking you what you need you
to help us. And I forward that
up we're going to do things
that to help her. But there
are, you know, we have 210,220
1000 other customers that are
paying. Additional fees
because we don't we have
strict made is a rate
structure which doesn't
recover the full amount from
from the solar customers,
solar customers assist csu
during the hours when you're
generating electricity. And
that's been described. But
everything is brief here. You
can't get into that really to
details. But the fact is we
have to build a infrastructure
that will cover all of us when
no one's using solar. And the
feed, the costs for that is
what we're trying to fund and
is cfo pointed out? I think
22% of our infrastructure is
only used 4% of the time. I do
have a couple of questions
directly. I do want to point
this out to that. I don't have
solar. My bill. We don't have
a air-conditioning. My bills
about $50 a month or Maybe 45
almost half of that is is just
access fees with if I used no
electricity that month, I have
to pay about. 22 23. 24 $1.
Every month. So. There's been
a lull. You know, I think
there's been some. You know,
unhappiness are concerned
about that with solar. But
that happens to all of our
customers. There's an access
fee and you interested. We
have to correct me if I'm
wrong and I for every service
that we provide is kind of
like. Joining a club or
something like that. And you
pay x amount almost like
Netflix where you watch it or
not. And then when you do use
that service, then you pay a
little bit more. As it just a
simple analogy. So, Tristan,
if you could come up. You
know, and so either you can
answer these questions now or
after we take you give you
some time, too. Put your
thoughts together. You can
come back and serve them. The
point that, hey, some some of
our citizens have made. I
produce more energy. I used
every month. Why should why do
you need to have these kind of
race? Why do I wiser going to
be an increase for me? I
produce more than I use. Yeah.
And we definitely see that the
production happens in the in
the daytime hours.
>> For a lot of customers on
the way that they put those
panels and it MAY be more than
their total annual use. We sit
and we can see that because
many of the customers talked
about there. Energy credits
that have rolled over from
year to year. My question
would what is your when the
sun goes down? So I mentioned
before we have about 390
customers that have batteries
currently in the rest of those
customers don't. At some point
the sun goes down. The sun
hits an angle where it's not
producing energy. On on your
panels. Our estimation is that
during peak period of time
where we're building that 22%
of infrastructure, we're only
getting 30% at most a
generation from those solar
panels. The other part to
remember inside of that as we
typically see electrical use
by solar customers is about
30% higher than me. Non solar
customer, which makes sense
the been invested in solar
panels are trying to find
electric devices that they can
use on with those credits. And
so when you look at those 2,
they basically offset each
other and what we are now
building during the the peak
period of time is exactly the
same amount of transformers
that are needed if they have
the panels or not. We have to
be able to still provide the
energy during that 5 to 9
period of time. And we have to
build just as much and when
you look at what they're
producing in the daytime,
that's that's great. That's
the energy that comes in. We
credit for that. But the rate
structure right now applies
those credits against a time
where there's not energy
that's being produced and I
still need to build the same
amount of infrastructure.
Thank you. Another
>> it was pointed out by one
this citizens installations
have declined recently. We
haven't passed this is there
another reason the in your
view have declined? And I
believe the same customer
mentioned the federal And at
the end of this year, there
were federal incentives that
have rolled off incentives
over time have changed. When
we first started the program
we hadn't sent some of our
customers that MAY have
mentioned some of those
earlier incident installations
receive significant rebates. I
think you heard one customer
say it was a few $100 by the
time it was reaching 2020 by
2021, we have removed the
rebate altogether based on
what we're seeing happening
with the cost shift for those
early customers around 2006,
it could have been thousands
to tens of thousands of
dollars that they were
received in rebates at that
point in time. We the csu if
they identify the costs are
being shift from this group to
that group. Do we try to
address across all groups and
have the group pay for that,
the expense or the cost to csu
to provide a service to them.
If we can see from a
individual level, there's a
group of customers than yes,
and that's why we have
different rate structures.
That's why industrial
customers have demand rates.
They have 4.
>> As long as almost as long
as we've been in existence,
industrial customers have had
demand rates because they use
the system differently.
>> It's really part of the
reason that we have our energy
wise rates that went into
effect last year. There's a
different price structure from
05:00pm to 09:00pm we had to
and utilities board last week,
some information on the
market. We saw the price
difference that's going on
when we're looking at the
market prices during that 5 to
9 not just in Colorado
Springs, but across that
entire Southwest Power pool
footprint costs and 5 from 5
to 9 are significantly more.
That's a trend within the last
5 to 10 years. That really has
a brought forward. So energy
wise rates were trying to send
that pricing on there. If
you're a customer that c
versus a customer that doesn't
have any There's caution if
that was happening there,
energy wise rates for the rest
of our customers was a way for
us to address caution that was
happening amongst all of those
customers. Do they do to rates
which csu is recommended are
they being done to discourage?
>> Solar?
>> Or is it to accurately
reflect the cost to provide
the service?
>> It's all about making sure
that we are collecting the
cost of service in the areas
that as we do, those cost
service study. If we are able
to see that there's costs
specifically attributable to
any group of customers. We are
trying to set our rates and
that way. It's not perfect.
There's assumptions and things
that go into all of those
numbers. But once we're
getting into millions of
dollars, we can see those
things and we try to address
them through the rates that we
put forward for customers.
>> I think I understand what
you are saying before we.
>> Go down the road looking at
rebate plans for.
>> Residential batteries,
which I believe very much what
csu wants to do. We kind of
have to plug the hole in the
ship were taking on water. Now
we're losing money. Every
really with every new customer
that comes on for solar. And
so. What we want to do, what
you're asking to do is let's
address.
>> price, the rate recovery
now make it even and we
simultaneously you're doing it
now working towards a battery
program to then help.
>> solar customers. Move over
to basically option to avoid
all the the time of day rates.
Can you explain it better than
I just did?
>> And so again, as we look at
the rate structure, we see the
4 and a half million dollars
that were not recovering. If
we can that be able to get
through rate structure
stabilized, it enables us to
go in really look and see from
a cost standpoint. What are
the benefits then 2 battery on
that system? What we did from
a peak infrastructure
standpoint by having batteries
as a part of that, if we have
customers that want to own
their own battery and
participate in that, we should
look at that like we do our
thermostat program where if
you're willing to give control
of that battery so that we can
use it during most expensive
time for us. We should be able
to dollars that go back to
that. But and that and this is
specific a a customer owning
their own battery before we
can get to those rebate
dollars. If I'm starting 4 and
a half million dollars upside
down, I cannot get a map that
says we should do that type of
a program. Other programs that
we do and continue to look at
our rewards thermostat program
is one that we will continue
to look at in the market this
year. We customers all of you
that are participating that
right now. Thank you. I mean,
when we see from 5 to 9, we
call on the thermostat switch
automatically through the
Internet goes in with a touch
of a button. Virtual power
plants aisle. We push a button
and we see about 20 megawatts
worth of the same thing. That
would be generation that comes
from the customers said we can
turn your thermostat from 70
degrees to 75 degrees. That's
the program that they sign up
There's value that comes from
that. We should probably be
looking at that with the
market. Now to unseen is the
$25 a year credit that we give
the right level. We need to go
back and look at that and see
if there are additional
dollars at the same time as we
look what rebates should be
per somebody that owns their
own battery, that can perform
the same type of a function,
provides instantaneous power.
And the 3rd part that we would
want to look at it is a
third-party that with own and
operate batteries that we
would have the ability to have
a purchase power agreement
from that takes excess of an
oversize battery and gives it
opportunity for us to use that
just like we do with our 100
megawatt battery that sounded
at Jackson forward. We're
interested in all of those
programs. But starting from a
place of we've got to our rate
structure where it needs to be
and increasing with each
customer that comes on to an
inaccurate rate structure puts
us at a place where we can do
all of those evaluations and
have information out. We're
not looking to drag our feet
on this. We want line the
timing of that to APRIL.
First, when we say that the
new rates are coming out for
customers, new customers that
experience the option. One an
option to rates. We heard
customers on and wanting to
see about the investment they
have. That's the grandfather
and gives customers that have
currently made this 5 years to
figure out what's going to be
the right solution with those
things that will bring forward
in APRIL to be able to choose
the path of which of those
options might be the ones that
helped them the most.
>> In all, there's a couple
other council members that
want to ask you questions. So
I'm I'm gonna stop there.
Thank you.
>> COUNCILMAN Wine lover.
Okay. Let me first say that.
Thanks for the effort. I mean,
I think we're getting better
and better. But as I dive more
and more of this, I get more
caught the weeds gets more
confusing all the time. So.
Hopefully you can follow along
with me here. So it. What
we're basically looking at as
we changed. The rate structure
for non solar customers with
energy lives because we wanted
to address the peak season
season. And so we did that now
with that. They also pay.
>> a connection fee
>> 70 to $0.69 per day. That's
correct. And and so which is
roughly $22 a month. So so all
non solar customers are paying
to be connected to the grid.
>> MR. Lane, where if I can
explain on that specific
charge access and facility
charge per day, that is
currently in a race this tight
specifically back to customer
related costs. So and every
customer that is connected to
our system has a every
customer that's connected to
our system billing software
that we use to send out the
bills to customers. We have
staff that takes care of all
of those things. We have
payment center. We have those
are all rather fixed costs
that that we can say per
customer. Here's how much you
should pay for those things.
That's what we're uncovering
with the facility charge per
day. That's that line item.
>> So I agree with that. I
think that's great. But under
the option, one. Deal, what
you're proposing is that
>> solar customers will charge
charge that. 0.7, 6, $0.9, a
day. But you know, our $22 a
month.
>> Plus, an additional one
dollar a day.
>> Which you're determining as
the grid access charge. That's
right. Okay. And you're doing
this because? Infrastructure
generally is paid for based
off of kilowatt hours that
these non solar customers are
all they see more power. So
they're going to be paying
more, which helps cover
infrastructure costs.
>> It's really if everything
worked on the kilowatt hour
basis and we didn't have that
exchange of credit credits
from daytime generation to
evening. Then the math would
still work out on per kilowatt
hour basis because we have
that application of credits
from a different period of
time. That's what causes the
problem inside of the so yes,
yes, sir, right. And that's
the crux of the problem. One
Dollar Day is to be able to
cover for the connection at
that peak time. And so it's
trying to be fair because
they're not using as much
cook. But wait a second. I
might not necessarily be true.
>> solar customer, if I have 4
panels. So 5, 4, panels, I'm
going to be pain. Kilowatt
hours during peak hours at a
peak rate. So I will be paying
for infrastructure through my
kilowatt hours and I won't be
pay. I won't be get off set
because I won't have my 4
panels actually working. But
I'm going to have to dish and
onto that have to pay a one
dollar surcharge. Yes, again,
as we explained option number
one.
>> And does have great access
fee if we took that grid
access the way changing to the
energy wise rates takes care.
Part of that 4 and a half
million dollars. So but you by
having those 4 panels and pain
for some of the energy and the
on peak period of time. And
when we look at all of the
customers into the analysis
takes care of about 1 million
dollars of the 4 and a half
million dollars. We don't get
all the way there with just
energy charge. There's still 3
and a half million dollars
left of that peak grid
infrastructure that serves net
metering customers that's not
covered. I can understand the
one dollar charge for someone
that has 50 Powell's.
>> And needs to have
reliability and other things
because maybe maybe the 50
pounds go down right person
like that. They're going to
have to lean on csu to keep
things go on like that's a
good insurance policy in my
mind for a 50 pound home. But
Warren having troubles is with
the small solar panel user. So
someone has a smaller system
on a smaller house. They're
not able offset their costs so
that they pretty much are
going to be energy wise. They
just have this little bit of
solar, the kind of helps out
here and there. And then in
addition, they're gonna have
to pay a one dollar surcharge.
So that's where I'm starting
to have problems because you
are you kind of double a
little bit because you are
getting them for kilowatt
hours that they're going to
use because they're not going
to be able to offset. Get
credits or anything like that.
They're going to have they're
going the smaller solar panel
users going to have challenges
with that option.
>> And that's why we say so if
it's a dollar a day, 30 days
in the month, it's $30. You
know, that's the the
additional charge. But again,
that relates back to person
that has smaller amount of
panels that are put in place
is still connected to the
utility system. We need a
mechanism that can cover the
demand related costs that 22%
of infrastructure is not being
delivered. Is the kilowatt
hour charge because they're
not they're not able to offset
their charges. So their pain.
>> We're not getting all about
through the kilowatt hour.
Charges is what I'm saying.
But with the non solar
customers, you are. Yes,
because they are not
exchanging credits made during
the day during the evening.
Course, it gets back to my
point. What if you have a
customer that just can't build
up credits because they're
they have a small system. If
they have a small system, a
small house or whatever, and
they can offset their costs
and they don't get any
credits.
>> They're not really getting
the heat.
>> You see there's like the
smaller the system. You have
you, the more of a you're
going to get. I mean, it's
really going to be
disadvantaged to someone that
put into small system just to
try to offset some electrical
costs? Well, in depends on the
size of the system again and
what they're overall
electrical uses.
>> So let's say that the peak
that that person pulled was 2
kilowatts. They would want to
look at option number 2, which
is the demand charge. It MAY
be more of it advantageous to
take the man charged said and
that high as 15 minutes where
their peak usage is to kill
lots of that's their their
case. That might be the better
option. That's why we put 2
different options that are
there based on I'm just hoping
to get to the place where they
have a 3rd option, which is
even better. And that is plug
their soul and just going on
solar. And that's where I'm
starting to have a problem
because I want people to be
incentivized to be able to put
solar on their homes because I
want that But I think we're
getting to a place where I
don't think there's enough of
a benefit. Were offsetting
that particularly for someone
that can't necessarily afford
a large scale system that
would cover their cough.
>> You solar system.
>> cost structure what we're
seeing from a price
standpoint, all accumulated
costs. For for that customer.
Proves out be are not covering
all that peak demand. So if
they unplugged the system, we
are still having to cover
that, that expensive customers
covering enough of use that
they don't need to be
connected to our systems.
That's what they would do, but
solar customers without
battery continue to be
connected to our system. But
you can even do it. You keep
coming back to comparing all
solar customers as the same
time. And that's what I'm
trying to refer to. Aren't the
same type.
>> There are small household
solar systems.
>> That just supplement their
steel and there are others
that we heard from one
gentleman that he's he's
totally like. He's covers. All
always like tickle needs with
this house. I guess what I'm
trying MISTER Lane Webber's,
even those customers that are
saying cover all of their use
from a total number of
>> kilowatts. They're not
covering their peak usage.
They still rely on the utility
system from 5 to 9 small
customer, large customer solar
installations. They still are
relying on our system. They
are still contributing to the
peak. They are still
contributing to the 6 and a
half million dollars to be
able to look out the Some
guys. I'm not really focused.
I'm okay with the one dollar
charge for my system that I'm
offering okay. What I'm not ok
is forsomeone that has a
smaller system was say 12
pounds or just I'm no
engineer.
>> But I'm calling here
because if they have a small
system, getting doubled Incas
there, they kind of our energy
wise user. They are paying
through kilowatt hours because
they can't. They're only
supplementing. And so it's
that one dollar doesn't seem
like a fair rate to me. That's
where I'm having issues. The
one dollars still is there to
be able to cover those
infrastructure costs. Whether
you're small user, you still
contributing to the number of
transformers that their
numbers, substance subsidy.
They will be paying for their
kilowatt hour use. Okay. Which
is going to be higher. Then
what mine All right. So
they're going to pay more
through their kilowatt hour
news and they're going to pay
the one dollar surcharge. So
they're they're they're
actually going to be paying
more proportionately. That's
what I'm trying to And that's
where it goes. And unfairness
here to someone that has a
lower. Economic position that
couldn't afford a larger
system. In all. All I can say
is that that customer still
has kilowatts that they are.
I'm coming back and needing
from Margaret. Otherwise they
wouldn't want to connect that
system to the grid. Again, the
that ours that are happening
in the daytime or producing
any of that. Energy are being
exchanged at the true value in
option. Number one.
>> Daytime, they're producing
solar credits at $0.7. They're
getting paid for those as that
happens. That's a lower cost
than the daytime and the trees
up on that side. Even with all
of that, taking that into
account, it's still not going
to have that customer pay for
their fair share of the
infrastructure.
>> Well, that's I I just I'm
going to have to understand
the math that will more kuz.
As I'm looking at it that.
This is just one area that I I
always think of someone. My
problem, I think that we come
to this is also our customers
are one size.
>> And that's just not the
case. I that's what I think
everyone's just like me
because I'm a solar user. But
that isn't the case. And
that's what I keep hearing
every time I have here.
Customer comments is that lot
of people have smaller systems
and they're just they're just
not in the same game. A lot of
other people. And so I'm
worried that they're going to
be pain a lot for killer one
hour usage because they're
paying that. They're not
getting the credit because
they don't they don't generate
enough power to get a good
credit. And so then they have
to pay the one dollar
surcharge. So I think it's
just seems like a a burden on
people that I would prefer
there not be a burden on. So
that I think we'll just leave
that. We're going to have to
argue that through a little
bit I'm going to have to
understand the mask because
I'm kind of roadblock. But my
next piece I think is that I
still have a problem with the
peak demand peace. The highest
thing. I mean, like I I said
last time I said, you know, my
my daughter was she would
never do this. By the way. As
sleepover party. And they all
turn on their dryers blow
their heirs, right? I mean,
just as a lot. And then so I
have this one charge. The
happened during the 15 minute
period. And now that's my rate
for the whole months. And so I
kind of feel like you need to
like throw out the highest
one. And then I'd be a little
bit more happy with If there
is some kind of way to say you
throught the top one. We'll
give you. You know, we give
you an out of, you know,
whatever. And then we take the
next one down. And if that's
one down is probably likely
just right next to it. So it
just seems worried about the
spike. So 2 points Mr Line
where we had to be ready to
deliver that power when
somebody has a party and
>> decides that they're going
to use that energy, we don't
we can't say, well, it was
just a party that happened one
time in a month. We're not
going to be ready to serve
energy. We still have to
deliver the power. So we have
2 options that are here.
Option number one looks and
says it's a reservation
charge. Whenever you're going
to ask me for the most power
in a given month. I have to be
ready to serve that that need
to honor system. If that
doesn't work because you feel
like you're going to have
those things that happen, then
go to option number one that
says it's a set amount each
day and do the math on your
your bill. We have the
calculations that are there.
We have had that many
customers that have reached
out to us and said can I see
based on my data every one of
those that that has reached
out to us, we provided that
back in an analysis. Does
option one work better? Does
option too. If you want an
average your high load events
than you should be looking at
option number one. But we also
want customers to incentivized
to use less power. That's what
I mean. The water wise was
just amazing. That has been
amazingly the set of eyes are
customers to use a lot less
water than realized.
>> And I think we're going to
have something similar with
energy were already seen. And
so it's been a big plus. I
don't want to take away that.
That's the thing. And that's
where if you just would be
able to remove the one $15. If
there's one 15 minute that was
high. That can go and it's an
excellent that would in my
mind. I would feel more
comfortable sothing like
that. But he's probably going
to be the same. So I'm still
not that. That's why still
have an issue. It is. It's
it's kind of like yo, you
know, I keep thinking of water
like you. You left the water
on hopes, you yeah, you need
to pay for that extra water.
But we have a community that
can absorb. A slumber party
that's the piece that I keep
coming back Well, I think
that's the overall question of
the entire 8 cases. Are we
okay with that? Socializing
costs across the entire rate
base.
>> I'm not sure that that's
what our charges been to do
it. And we want to look at who
is driving the cost of service
and who pays for that. And if
there's somebody that's having
a slumber party and we have to
be able to deliver that power,
should they pay for it or
should their neighbor across
the street pay for it? That's
really what the question comes
down to. We've laid it out for
council over the last 2 rape
cases. We've come back with
different options that we feel
like address some of those
things. If you feel like I
operate in a way that I can
ship some of that usage on a
one 15 minute block. I would
not recommend going on the
demand rate. I would recommend
going on the one dollar a day
option. I don't think it
encourages people to be energy
wise every day. So when you
have a bad day, I mean, it is
going to force people in
option to that. Just don't
want to think about every 15
minutes of their day.
>> that's I would like people
to kind of think generally of
conserving all the time. So
I'm just trying to get a
helpful solution to kind of
get us to that place. So
that's where I have a problem.
So thank you. COUNCILMAN
Williams, thank you.
>> This is more of statement
just when you come back up to
address our questions and
comments. It was mentioned
that selections are made prior
to APRIL. First 2027. I would
like it's been on the record
that that's not the correct
date because I don't want to
panic anyone in this room. So
if you could clarify that for
you right now are have made
the election to roll over your
credits from month to month
and year to year. That will be
in place until 2032.
>> With the proposal that we
haven't put in place at that
point, all customers are
choosing between options.
Option if you choose option 2,
which is the command rate, you
will continue to roll over on
a per kilowatt hour basis.
Those energy credits and just
so that I'm perfectly clear on
option. Number one, there is
roll over of that dollars that
can happen in the summertime.
If you have more energy than
reproducing and you end in all
of the cash out of those where
you had a $5 credit at the end
of the month that wiped out
all of your access and
facility charges, wipe out all
of your energy charges. And
there was a $5 credit. We
don't just say that goes away
and you start fresh the next
month that $5 Bill credit
roles for the next month. It's
dollar terms. Not until a lot
on option. Number one, option.
Number 2, you can keep if you
prefer to keep things on a per
kilowatt hour basis. You can
roll those over if you've
already made that election.
There's nothing for you to do
in 2027. You don't have
anything to do until 2032.
>> I didn't see any other.
>> Comments on the dice.
>> Do you need 15 minutes?
>> I think we'll be ok with
10. Okay.
>> So in the next in our
agenda is a break for
utilities, utilities to review
>> We are now back in session
for the public hearing for
consideration of changes too.
Utilities moving on to 7 on
council members agenda. We
will have a response hi,
Scott. Good afternoon.
President pro Iverson.
PRESIDENT Pro 10 risley
members of City Council. Happy
to get some responses. In
response to some customer
comments. Well, as some city
council member questions.
Leading into that at first
like to. Really just state
that we understand that this
is a difficult issue, not only
for net metering customers,
but for our community and of
course, for city council to
this utilities doesn't
recommend this proposal
lightly, but it really comes
on us as a requirement lot of
the customers here today have
made passionate statements and
understandably so about the
investments that they've made
and the other community
benefits that they provide
because of their solar energy
and utilities definitely
supports renewable energy.
We've actually added more
renewable energy over the last
several years to our overall
energy portfolio.
>> And we support customer
choice in installing rooftop
solar. We do have the
obligation. Though, as we
provide pricing for our
services and proposing those
to city council to propose
rates that are based on our
cost of providing service as a
municipal utility. And as
enterprise of the city,
Colorado Springs we. Pay for
operating building,
maintaining our system based
on services based on the. The
rates that propose and the
fees for services. So the
proposal before you today is
based on the cost of service
relief specifically solar
customers. With that proposal.
Another comment that has been
a recurrent several times
through the hearing is maybe a
little bit of a
misunderstanding. What happens
to excess production under the
really the energy wise with
the great access, the option.
Customers always have the
benefit of using their own
energy. And then any time
customer generate more energy
than they're using. And the
experts at to the grid. Our
proposal compensates the
customer at the full at the
full rate. So at no time does
you utilities take free energy
from the customer if their net
metering customer and excess
generation, they're
compensated at the full energy
wise rate or under option to
they're compensated in terms
of a rollover kilowatt hours
Carryforward month to month.
Utilities did substantiate its
filing when it filed its rate
case with City Council on
JULY, 7th, our rate filing
contains comprehensive
worksheets that demonstrate
our calculations, the cost
shift and the and the
justification for the grid
access fee and for the demand
rates are all laid out in the
worksheet that were included
in that filing that was
submitted to the clerk and
that City Council received.
And it's packet for the JULY
14th meeting. Several we've
heard. Customers come in on
some tools that they've self
built to help evaluate their
own impact of the proposal.
And that's a what a
compliment. Many of the
customers on there. And their
efforts to do so. And I have
reviewed several of those
personally. And I know I have
request to review several more
from customers in the last
several days. I do acknowledge
that it can be complicated
when we're looking at 15
minute granular data so meter
rates for every 15 minutes of
every day. And really it's
twice that for net metering
customers because it's 15
minute reads for their net
consumption with their polling
from the grid. And then 15
minute reads for their excess
production that their system
is producing. So that is a lot
of data to poll. And we do
have the known issue right
now. If a customer tries to
pull more than 21 days from my
usage tool right My account
portal. There is a time lapse
issue that can cause the data
kind of lapse out. So you need
hold in smaller increments of
time. But the data coming out
of the system is accurate.
Just a matter of
interpretation, that data and
sometimes it's not always as
clear as we would like.
Utilities is committed at this
rate case is approved to
develop tools that are much
more automated for the
customer just as we have for
non solar customers on our
energy wise rates. We have
irate tool that customers can
log in to my account and that
meter data automatically flows
into a rate calculator that
displays based on the
customer's historical usage.
What estimated bills are for
customer under the various
energy wise options. Energy
wise energize plus, in the
thick, seasonal options, we
anticipate doing something
similar for that for for these
not me turn options if
approved. Just check my notes.
Real quick Wanted to speak a
little bit about the comp
other complications with the
tools and one issue in
particular about believe that
the question was. And really
question in the calculations
that we have in the validity
of our our rate filing because
the customer was seen a higher
bill even when they were
producing excess generation.
During non peak time periods
during summer months. To speak
to that. The grid access
option in particular. But
Cosby's utilities using that
cost of service method, the
grid access option is based on
the average of net metering
customers. And again, we used
a large data sample of 8400
customers. So it's a broad,
comprehensive set of data. And
to calculate rates. We use
averages across the across the
data set. So based based on
the average of those net
metering customers, the the
great access charges based on
that infrastructure costs not
currently recover through
energy energy charges alone.
There is, of course, within a
set of customers. Always
outliers on one end our the
other. And so because of that
outline affected as possible
because the grid access option
is based on average. Average
on key contribution. If a
customer outlier customer has
excess production, which the
average customer doesn't.
During non peak hours but
applying the $30 average good
access charge to them. It is
possible for them to see a
bill increase under the
option. One even though they
have excess production even in
the summer months, it all has
to do with the tradeoffs of
using a large data set and
using setting rates based on
averages recognizing that all
customers are different. And
that goes also into the
proposal of providing options
for our customers. Customers
really desiring more granular
impact for their particular
situation. Can it. Option 2
with the demand charts. It's
really more tailored to their
specific usage patterns.
With that, I think I'll turn
it over to trusting your heart
to address councilmember line
members. Questions. It's I had
just a couple of other things
that I wanted to be able to
get. The first was MISTER
Lineworkers question that we
just have that the apologies.
As I was thinking of things. I
was thinking of from a
customer that would want to
have a nearing agreement with
us. So.
>> All of our net metering
customers sign a contract they
come in. They decide that
they're producing enough
energy that it makes sense
that they would want to see
some of that rollover from
month to month or from year to
year. If you're a smaller
producer Mr Line members to
your example, if you're a very
small producer, you probably
won't even want to sign up as
a net metering customer. You
could still put your panels
in. You could still use that
energy and you would not have
axis our I'm sorry, the demand
charge or the grid access fee.
This would relate to things
like balcony solar. So that
has been approved by the
state. That's a very small use
of solar. Then back feeds into
the system behind our meters.
It lowers your overall energy
bill because you're using
solar for some of that. That's
really your option. Number 3,
if you're that small and what
you're producing, there's no
obligation that you have to
sign a net metering agreement.
You can just stay on a regular
rates and keep that usage
behind your meter. Does part
of what you're looking for?
Sure.
>> Yeah, actually, does answer
it because I I was just locked
in on that. There's 2 options.
But there actually is a 3rd
option. And that is that
someone can have solar.
Receive a benefit because the
solar offsets their energy
use, but they're not
necessarily. They MAY not get
enough of a credit to really
be able to maximize system.
You know, I'm saying because
it's the dawn of a larger
system.
>> Correct in that situation.
And I think balcony solar is
another one of those issues
police relates to that it MAY
be very small panel but does
offset some of you. Some MAY
just be your refrigerator that
you're offsetting, but you
still want offset that and get
the benefit on your bill.
That's an option to do behind
the meter that's allowed
inside of our system. There
really is that 3rd option. The
other thing, couple of things
that I wanted to hit just real
quickly when we talk about the
9 year ago date that relates
back to this. We've working on
technological advances in our
system for quite some period
of time. If you go back to
2006, when we started this
program, we didn't have the
ability to look at everyone's
usage on an hour by hour
basis. Really just as we've
gone live with our mine have
we gotten technology that
allows us to look into every
15 minutes usage from
customers? That's part of the
reason why the timing was
right now to do this. And
that's not just for our net
metering customers. That's for
all of our customers. So as we
deploy those smart meters, we
wanted to make sure that were
lining the information that we
were now receding in much
smaller periods of time.
Really, from an energy. Why
standpoint for all of our
customers, we could see the
day that the usage from 5 to 9
and be able make the analysis
that allowed us to say now we
should look at rate structure
for all customers. When we
first started talking about
changing that metering rates
was at the same time that we
started talking about energy
wise rates in general. That
doesn't date back to the 2018,
2019 period of time. There has
been requirements and things
that they've been looking at
related to net metering in
general. Some of the things
last year related back to some
decisions that the state that
we were waiting for them to
bring back that they never
finalized. We still feel like
we now have the technology
that's in place through in my
system that gives us the
ability to look at a much more
micro level. Information that
comes from our customers and
priced accordingly. That's
part of the reason why now is
the time that we've seen it,
that it is the right time to
bring this type of proposal
forward. Just one last thing
that I did want to be able to
cover that we heard in
customer comment. Have about
one and a half million dollars
a year. Is our budget for
project Cope. I just wanted to
highlight that part as well.
>> COUNCILMAN Yes. Thank
actually, Tristan, I was
wondering, I think.
>> Renee was going to relay
some information to you from
one of the customers. Rana.
>> Who spoke about her, the
second person to come up.
>> Did you speak?
>> Yeah, I believe I addressed
that with the comments on ok
now the grid access charges
based on the average metering
you like you to address that
question. Thanks.
>> Seeing no other comments
from council and onto the
item. 8 COUNCILMAN Hinge him.
Here is where you would
actually do your.
>> Okay. Thank you very much.
MADAM PRESIDENT. So I. First I
want to say, I think, you in
listening to people, you know,
we have heard how people feel.
And what their experiences.
And we can't tell them to feel
differently. That's part of
the problem that we have as a
utility company right now. And
I think quite frankly, as a
council that we sometimes come
across as we know better than
the folks. That we are
representing. And I think
that, you know, part of that
public dissatisfaction that
we're experiencing is not
listening and people have come
to us and they've said, can
you please design a rate that
supports people to be a part
of the solution. That's what I
heard. Quoted today. So, you
know, respect us. I think I
heard that were pinned him.
People are feeling penalized
who want to be a part of the
solution who are asking us to
do better. And I think we
really can do better. And so
what I'm asking of my fellow
council members is to is for
us to do better. We can get
down in the weeds about the
masks and you know, I think
what's been made really clear
is people still still don't
fully agree or understand,
even with all the explaining
and all the going through
everything. And so I what I'm
asking for, what I'm asking
this council, but my fellow
council members to support is
that. Very specifically that
we make an amendment to put
the proposed tariffs that are
present to provide that the
new net metering rate options
shall not take effect until
csu has filed with City
Council and City Council has
approved a distributed energy
storage program. Including
customer on battery rebate
levels program, budget
participation, capacity and
enrollment time line with an
availability date. No later,
then the effective date at
these rate options. In other
words, we prioritize that. And
one of the reasons I think
this is really important. Is
that. We have known about this
for 9 years. Tristen, I
appreciate your comments on
the 4.5. And, you know,
plugging this hole. We are
making so many decisions about
a rate case 5 years from now
that we don't have all the
details for. So let's do this
thing right by these
customers. It will help. I
really believe it will help
building rebuilding trust with
this customer base who has
loyal for many for decades. So
I am asking my fellow council
members to please support that
amendment to this rate case.
>> It's such a mask. One
clarification on your intent.
There. The effect, as I
understand it would be to
delay the effective date of
what is proposed to a date to
be determined based on the
distributed generation with
the intent. Also be too told
the grandfather periods
essentially all dates are
shifted in parallel with the
time it takes to develop the
battery program.
>> I hadn't thought through
that. I don't know that. I
want to complicate it by
messing with the grandfather
rate. I mean, I heard, you
know, some good arguments for
this group should be
grandfathered for forever. I.
>> I don't want to complicate
it more. I would hope and
based on personal conversation
with Travis who, you know,
just shared with me, not that
long ago that he was talking
with the Public Chamber of
Commerce in the Denver Chamber
of Commerce and others about
how this technology is
possible that we're working on
this, that we're working on
getting this done as soon as
possible. So let's keep
working on that and move it. I
don't care. You know, if we
can get it done a month from
now or 2 months from now,
let's do it 2 months from now.
Let's get it done as quickly
as possible. So I'm not gonna
I'm not going to complicate
things by messing with any
anything else.
>> The effect of the change
would be specifically to the
APRIL first 2027 date.
>> Which would be removed to a
date to be determined based on
the further action.
>> Based on the yes, the
requirement that I stated,
yes, it sure And I'm trying to
keep it as simple as possible
and as respectful as possible
to the people who are net
metering customers. Thank you.
And all the customers. Thank
you.
>> So based on the request of
COUNCILMAN Tension. But I
would ask now is that sums up
thumbs down peace because this
is not a motion. This is
looking at that direction to
utilities. So I would ask is a
thumbs up in support of
COUNCILWOMAN Hinges proposal
in a thumbs down to deny it
and continue on with what you
Tillis has proposed. He's
excused.
>> Make sure I understand I
have 3 in favor and 5 opposed.
>> So based on that. Utilities
will not be directed to make
those changes to the proposal
with that, we're still agenda
item. 8. So any further
discussion or deliberation
from council is welcome at
this time. I don't see any at
this time. So now do we do a
thumbs up?
>> so because there's no
further discussion. This is
when request that direction on
how to proceed. Prepare the
decision orders. Many years.
You see me with a list of 30
questions today. We simply
have to. And that's because
their proposed changes to both
the electric tariff and the
you are in both cases. I'm
simply asking if there's
direction to approve the
proposed changes related to
net metering. So this point I
would ask for that sums up
thumbs down on whether you
approve would like me to
indicate approval of utilities
proposed changes. So to be
clear, I have 6 in favor into
a post. With that. I will
prepare the decision orders.
You'll see the draft of your
SEPTEMBER 21st work session.
And then your SEPTEMBER 22nd
City Council meeting. You'll
be asked to make formal
approval of that fire
resolution absent any
additional questions. We don't
have any further action here.
Thank you. And at this time,
this public hearing is now
closed. Thank you very much.
Moving on to item.
>> 9. Will the clerk please
read item into the record.
>> And ordinance of the city
of Colorado Springs solving
know Colorado City, Downtown
Development Authority. Emily
haven't City Council
administrator. I'm going to
start this item here just to
summarize this item for ski
before City Council.
>> On JUNE 8 in an executive
session came to council in a
work session on JULY 13th. And
at that time decision was made
by the council to postpone
today Tuesday, AUGUST, 25th.
For the record, the
recommendation from
legislative services remains
to dissolve people. Word at
this time. There's no
additional information from
legislative services regarding
this item. As we move through
this item today, city staff
are available, including our
planning director Kevin Walker
for questions and I believe
are also being joined today by
our director, the Urban
Renewal Authority to Ryan
Walker. The
we will now hear
from da. The chair of the dda
or whoever is representing the
dda today. For 10 minutes.
>> Thank you, MADAM PRESIDENT
and members of Council, I'm
Bob Gardner. I have the
privilege of being a counsel
to the old Colorado City,
Downtown Development
Authority. I am going to yield
the balance my time. Very
quickly stratum shaping who's
the chair of the board. But
before I do, I wanted to make
clear of that. The downtown
development authority of Old
Colorado City is committed. To
creating a viable. Workable
and entity to develop the old
Colorado City and the and the
character of the community.
There have been some concerns
expressed earlier about
council's ability to dissolve
the authority. If there was
debt. My reason for standing
here before you is you have a
resolution that there is no
debt confirming that a
resolution that they will not
enter into any diet until such
time as they have a revenue
stream it And I love you
counsel's obligation, the
city's obligation to assist
what has been adopted by a
private counsel and voted on
by the taxpayers of the
district to assist them and
becoming viable to give them
the opportunity to do so. And
with that, I will yield to
MISTER Step in to make his
presentation.
>> As Bob I'm my name is Adam
Stepan. I am the chair of
credit city Downtown
Development Authority and
thank you, PRESIDENT. Thank
you. Members of counsel for
having me. If I could get the
slides. And we'll give you one
cabbie out. I suffering from
invisible illness that decided
to take the better me today.
So I do have some right.
Rheumatoid arthritis? Flare up
stuff. Happening in Iman
medicated. So my mind can be
very sharp and stay on task.
But just know that I'm going
to struggle a little bit and
just bear with me. Here today
because the resolution
proposes to dissolve a voter
approved. Legally constituted
entity before it has even be
been allowed to execute its
mission. Dissolution is an
absolute new color option to
administrative puzzle. And I
want to show you why saving
the dda is the only path that
honors our voters protects
small business equity and
guarantees the responsible
economic stewardship of
Colorado Springs. Historic
Westside. We move on to slide
2.
>> You should be able to use
the clicker. Don't think you
dance.
>> What's ground this
conversation with history and
democracy? This dda wasn't
imposed by city staff were
handed down by a developer.
It's a years long, plural
years long. Grass roots.
Citizen led effort. And in
2024 our community community
explicitly voted to start
Sunsetting are outdated,
special improvement
improvement maintenance
districts and transition into
a modernized e d a. Local
merchants but skin in the
game. Spending over $70,000 of
their own capital. To fund the
consulting and structural
engineering of his district.
When we talk about dissolving
this board today, we are
talking about actively
throwing away $70,000 of
private small business
investment and and doing a
clear mandate given by the
voters of the West side less
than 2 years ago. Before a
single project was launched.
We are threatening to tell our
constituents that their votes
and their money do not matter.
So I want to address some of
the administrative hurdles
head-on because opponents are
painting a picture of
stagnation that is actually
false. The narrative that the
dda hasn't produced anything
is completely dead on arrival.
We have already and this is
really in 6 months. That we've
been able to meet as a proper
board. We have. As go, we have
already finalize our first
plan of development submitted
to the city and the city staff
has already completed their
first round of formal review.
We have received their
structural comments and our
board is actively working on
those exact revisions for a
final some middle right now.
This system is working exactly
as Colorado law intended solve
this authority. What we are
actively in the middle of
collaborative revision process
with city staff is fiscal
oversight. It is
administrative sabotage. So
there's a push to does all of
us in favor of rolling our
corridor into the Colorado
Springs, Urban Renewal
Authority. It was a bid. He's
been proposed. Will talk on a
minute. This in front of you
is You know, this, this
existing boundary that we have
that is the dda. And what Ryan
Lloyd with Eco architecture
has done with this filled in
some blanks of blue spots
being the site is completely
vacant. Ready for immediate
redevelopment. The its called
red and are utilize side non
historically contribution
contributing and ready for
development in the near
future. And then black, as you
know, and are utilize site non
historically contributing
ready for development as the
economy improves. I will say
that, you know. In 19 0, 7 was
annexing crowded city. It was
the original downtown. We are
in a unique spot. It didn't
get blown up. It's still here.
So we are in a unique
situation with our to
downtown's. There are 2
Central business district that
have wildly different needs.
And as you can see this
project here. Is is decades
first and a lot of it is not
urban renewal. It is not
casting blight on this avenue
in our beautiful historic
district. Infill projects.
They're small projects. That
drives team is not interested
in doing. Now. I will say that
we're here. Part of the reason
because of this node. At the
very end by the freeway. Now,
I will tell you that I myself
and the crowded city
stakeholders did not initiate
this being on this map and I
have emails that I'm happy to
share with all of you. That
say that this came as a
suggestion from urban planning
from city staff. That this MAY
be a good idea to include
these for future development
and future tough. If we had
known that we would all be
standing in this position
talking about the solution
because of the choice to
include these, I can assure,
you know, on what? And there
are a lot of ways to adjust
this boundary map if it really
is. The real issue and the
real meat I am here, but no
one asked myself. No one asked
the board to have a
conversation about this. So
how would I? How would I I
don't know. I think it's
pretty impossible. Moving onto
the next slide. So a lot of
talk has been just pivot a
bit. Structurally a dda is far
superior for our current needs
because it captures growth
through tax increment
financing without forcing
automatic heavy new
assessments directly onto
struggling small properties.
But more important. Let's look
at the financial political
reality of starting over. The
da is what our community
already debated, agreed on and
legally past. So abandoning at
to start a bid means throwing
out years of work, spending
well over $100,000 in new
legal consulting election,
administrative fees. And
furthermore, forcing our local
businesses and residents to go
back to the ballot box for a
completely different tax
structure structure triggers
severe voter fatigue. There's
a very high probability that
an expensive new bit campaign
would lose at the polls. And
so I'd asked why is it that we
would risk $100,000 gamble
when voters have already
handed U.S. And approved.
Working tool. So this is a
newish one. Let's talk about
the equity across our city.
Just a few weeks ago. This
very council reviewed a
massive $458,000. Supplemental
appropriation of City tax
dollars to fund the corridor
security on South Nevada. The
West side is not asking the
city for a half-million-dollar
hand up. The occ Didi is
designed to be completely self
reliant but utilizing tax
increment financing. We are
simply asking to capture a
portion of the new sales and
property tax revenue generated
right on Colorado Avenue and
put it back on our own
historic streets. If you
dissolve the dda, you're
stripping the west side of its
only sell funding mechanism,
forcing our businesses to
either decline or come to this
council later begging for
general fund handouts. Please
let us pay from progress. So
here's a path forward. We
agree with counselor Williams
that. There shouldn't be
lingering questions. The
solution to uncertainty is
clarity. Not elimination. We
have a clear immediate path
forward and our board is
currently finalizing the
comprehensive plan of
development. And we are ready
to submit next month with
Based on those comments.
Wasn't my time. Yes, thank
Thank you.
We will now go to
public comment and I will
start with those in support.
>> I'm gonna your name.
Please. Come up. Make sure the
green button is on and limit
your comments to 3 minutes.
We're going to start with
Elizabeth Salinas. Good
afternoon. Members City
Council. My name is Elizabeth
Salinas. Our family owns 2
commercial property is located
on West Colorado Avenue.
>> Well, we've lived since
1979.
>> I'm here today to object to
severe lack of lack
transparency. The statutory
overreach, the flood boundary
lines of the newly formed
Colorado City.
>> Downtown Development
Authority. First and foremost,
our properties are in Adams
crossing formally known as no
man's land. Not know. Colorado
City. Adams crossing has
already been addressed through
a major public planning
process. Westside Avenue
Action plan,
multi-jurisdictional public
improvement took 3 and a half
years. And 41 million dollars
of taxpayer funding to
complete. Throughout that
process impacted. Property
owners were notified and
included before during and
after completion in 2021. This
is why must ask, how Adams
crossing get included in this
new old Colorado City dda. We
never received notice. Legal
ballot informing us that are
too commercial properties run
the dda. Instead, the only
document we received was a
highly unusual oversize
ballot. 15 pages in total mail
to our Residents of 3, 5, 1,
8, West Colorado Avenue. Where
we are registered voters. The
ballot did not come from the
El Paso County clerk and
recorder's office. It was set
by a private law firm based in
Denver. Looks like junk mail
when I saw our property
schedule members listed on the
ballot along with the new tax
obligation. We would be
required to pay if the measure
was valid. We voted and mail
the ballot to the Denver law
firm before doing so. I copied
every page and save the
envelope. I also caught
contacted several of the
commercial property owners and
asked whether they received a
nice being similar. If they
believe the ballot I received
legitimate. Not one property
owner I spoke with had
received such a notice.
Several believe must be fake.
This race up serious questions
about this a boundary election
validity, transparency and
administration. The boundary
map, especially in there
instead of a focus district, a
cohesive commercial court. The
da is drawn us 4 mile corridor
from I-25 to Manitou springs.
The Lions also peer to run
through the alley behind West
Colorado Avenue creating a
narrow ribbon that excludes
cross street merchants in the
historic shopping district.
But my properties are included
just despite being far beyond
that core. Yeah. Under the tax
increment financing, structure
tax revenue generated by our
properties growth. We'll be
capture to submit subsidize a
tourist trip down the road all
while being physically sitting
outside the tourist hub. We
put they pay nothing because
they happen to face across
street. Dda election should be
transparent, administered by a
local up out of Pasco County
officials and confined to a
fair logical urban footprint
should not be a four-mile tax
dragnet deployed by front wage
law firm that exam score
business as well. Paralyzing
properties like mine and
others. A great distance away
for these reasons. I
respectfully request City
Council sot the occ pda. Thank
you for your time leadership.
Thank you.
>> Next we have Eric quiet.
>> Hello. It's Li I've been
here. 61 years. I've got 3
companies town. I've got 2
properties affected by what
these other people are trying
to do call russet. I just want
to say I got 2 properties
downtown and the development
downtown project could
evidence and did excellent job
let me know exactly what was
going on. And I said, yes, all
pay the extra tax money and
they've done a good job. This
situation never received
anything from people on 2
properties. I've got one. 35
11 West Colorado Avenue. The
other ones 35 33 wells the
avenue and the only way I even
knew anything about was the
Mecca Motel. People say, hey,
you know what's going And I
said let And so chief filled
me and showed me where they
want increase mill So I tried
Cole trying to find out what's
going on. Got 0 went down to
30 they have new 7th floor,
talked up, landing tart,
everybody. They're trying to
figure out, ok, will a
play-in. What's going on?
Phone numbers. Because I
wanted They didn't have much
information. And so I tried
numerous times to coal.
Whoever the boss was up. And
Amber to let him know I I'm
not interested in this.
Finally, I made contact and
they said all we sent that to
you 3 times. I said, no, you
didn't. I said I've never
received anything then by the
time we got down to the
conversation, this you're a
lawyer. And I said, I said,
Well, that's gonna make me
about to get here and say,
well, I got say, you know
what, they want to do some
down in old Colorado City to
prepare or least educate
people. All the way on the far
west end of Yeah, I'm not
interested paying more taxes
what they're doing down there.
The way they went about it
think-tanks if they would have
maybe one about the right way
and their people, we could
have some fun series to talk
about. But that didn't happen.
You know, kind of speed this
up a little boat. I encourage
you Dismiss out and Bono. We
got questions. I'll be glad to
answer. We do.
>> Okay. COUNCILMAN Ryan
Weber, I want to make sure I
don't get confused about the
17 properties that were.
>> Moved. Are we did that. We
talking about any of those.
Ok? So these are all ones that
are legitimately part because
they're in general area of
these addresses. It's
confusing and that area that
no man's land is still very
>> So that their 17 properties
that got removed from this.
And I just wanted to have some
clarity about.
>> Are any of these properties
that?
>> So anyway, that's that that
was my only under. That was my
only question.
>> Somebody's got a list of
those 17 property And then my
Yeah, I do. Those properties
were in the county and that
was the reason. Yeah, they
were the county, not the city
right? So if you're in the
city limits owned county.
Okay. Well, now the city has
been approaching me for years
because behind across from me
to the side of it and they've
offered to let me come in for
nothing.
>> now now. He is one of the
70
>> Okay. Why haven't agreed to
that? Well, that's what I'm
saying. You're not in the city
right? Or not. Okay, but they
But you're not a part of this.
You've already been taken off
the list.
>> But thank you for your
cause I I do.
>> But I've got nothing that
says and they like, and, you
know, could.
>> So so now I'm I don't know
why speaking. Someone else
should be speaking to the
spigots.
>> I'm just asking the
question. That's why I'm
asking question. Does this
uncertainty?
>> We were told a couple of
months ago of this district,
17 properties are actually not
part of the city.
>> So they cannot be a part of
this. D a.
>> But we do all those. So
that's right. But say he
doesn't even know that well,
because he's clear if you have
never been an ox into Colorado
Springs. So if you're not,
then you are one of those 17
properties.
>> But we have since taken
care of that. So thank you for
your comments.
>> So you will not be a part
of even if I was to set the it
MAY be a part of a next step
we have. But I mean, that's
what it was a gym. But I mean,
right, because of risk.
>> So I just want to be clear,
right? All right. I can
understand your lips. I was
going to say we are pulling
that ordinance will be able to
work with this gentleman to
confirm his address removal of
17 properties. The council
voted on. Okay. Thank u next
step. We have Christine.
>> And worked.
>> that just shows you how
much confusion has been around
this right?
>> Okay.
>> I am Christy their word
presenting to district
recommendation and MAY reflect
my opinions. I did receive a
notice. Indicating meeting for
residential and the proposed
comments city on 4/30/2024. 2
of the residents who are with
me at that meeting, one of
which had to leave at noon.
But she was here to verify how
many people were actually at
this meeting. The member
Pierce is in attendance with 7
to 9. Project meetings in the
West side that I've my 12
years and the own board were
heavily attended. This
disparities in attendance
cause me to start asking West
Siders if they had heard about
this proposed e d a
>> I no one who had.
>> This concern cause me to
speak before on AUGUST. 27th
2024 session of the City
Council, Colorado Springs. I
address the issue of dda
notification for the April
30th meeting with such small
turnout. And the lack of
clarity of the g 8 in general.
I requested that the city
console that all information
on the notation pride, the
notification process be made
available. I also requested.
The ballot delivery
information be available
because again, turnouts very
small for a very large group
of people. In closing. I have
a question. Because I
sincerely believe many people
were not notified. And I
suspect many people did not
get about is we cannot confirm
either because neither respect
there are aspects of what I
requested was dealt with. I
need to ask just a lack of
notification with the
possibilities of know, mean a
vote. No means of voting
affect personal property
rights. At this point, I think
you've heard enough you've
gotten e-mails enough to
understand that there's a
problem. This was not done in
a normal fashion, in my
opinion. And it generated
result that very likely
shouldn't of happened. Thank
you for listening. Thank you.
>> Next step we have McCAnn
>> Keep this brief. I believe
that you should. It does
office. I believe it is an
unnecessary tax on local
family businesses.
>> I believe that the way it
went about where many of these
businesses had no idea of this
bill.
>> Until I had already been
passed very inappropriate. I
also believe that the lack of
knowledge that they had about
what is in the bill, the lack
of details that they're given
about. Levy things that's it's
uncomfortable. And I think
that it gives people a lot of
Availability to take advantage
of smaller businesses when
there's no. Specific things
listed in the just gets a lot
of Sorry, I'm That leaves too
much leeway for people to get
taken advantage of when
there's not specifications.
Thank you.
>> Next step, we have great
Saunders.
>> Afternoon hours, everybody.
My name is Grace Saunders of
operating a business is beers
in shares in the 3100 block of
West Colorado last 3 years, I
never received notice. I
currently n property on 1700
block as well. And I never
received anything on that
either. I see if the new tax
lines and property on the
property in which that I don't
there in 1700 bucks a suspect
in it. So myself and other and
or my landlord from previous
location of the 3100 block
never received these notices.
We haven't been able to vote
on Feels that's unfair. And
we're asking just because I
>> public comment and support
move on to public public
comment in opposition and
first step we have Megan
Morris.
>> Hi, my name is Megan Morris
have been a small business
center in old Colorado City
for the past 5 and a half
years every day. See what
makes isis a special. It's
historic heart of Colorado
Springs. People come here
because of its charm as local
businesses and its unique
character. But those are
preserving that character
doesn't happen on its own. Our
small businesses need support
that goes beyond territory.
Days. We need year-round
investment to keep our streets
clean, safe, welcoming and
thriving. We need a long-term
strategy. The helps businesses
stay open and succeed. That's
why having the voter approved
downtown development
authority. It's so important
the need for the da in
Colorado City is no longer a
nice to have. It's essential
to our future. For years. The
Old Colorado Cities
Association has relied on an
incredible group of
volunteers. They poured their
hearts into the district,
organizing events, supporting
businesses advocating for the
neighborhood and helping
preserve everything that makes
acc special. But they're
exhausted. Volunteers cannot
be expected to carry the
long-term responsibility.
Economic development,
unification, marketing
business support and strategic
planning. They are overworked
and that model is simply not
so stable. It is easy to
overlook this when you're not
living it every day. Those of
us who owned businesses here
work here, invest our lives in
old Colorado City. We see the
challenges firsthand. We also
see the incredible
opportunity. We know that this
district could we know what
this district could become
with the right resources? We
need dedicated staff,
sustainable funding and a
strategic plan just like
downtown Colorado Springs Hass
dda would provide the
structure and leadership
needed to keep our streets
clean, improve safety,
support. Small businesses
ensure that this historic
district continues to strive
and not just survive.
Investing in occ is investing
in one a Colorado Springs,
greatest assets. A thriving
historic district strengthens
our local economy. It supports
small businesses that create
jobs and it preserves the
place that both registered
residents and visitors love.
Please not do away with the
dda. Please give old Colorado
City. The tools, resources and
support it needs to continue
thriving for generations to
come. Really wish that we
would have been able to be in
sooner today. I personally
close my small business to be
here today. Interest I am.
Along my other small business
owners. This is so incredibly
important to us. So thank you
for hearing Thank you for your
time. Next. Stepping up been
fryer.
>> I'm Robin I'm general
manager family owner of the
Rocky Mountain Chocolate
Factory. That's been in
operation since 1982. My
family has been on our app
Raiders for the last 25 years.
We are merchants, building
owners and restaurants of car
to city area. Running a
business. No cholera city
coming challenges because we
must rely on the volunteers
all current is city
Association are also merchants
mark hard to raise funds to
promote the area. The occ dda
is an investment in our future
and local businesses an
organized and dedicated voice
to market manage growth.
Internally. Occ business
owners and residents are prone
violent part of the city of
Colorado Springs. Local
families bring their visitors
to La Cara City, frankly, need
experience. By different tour
5 different spring, roughly
6200 from MAY to SEPTEMBER and
make it acc a destination on
their trip to Colorado.
Shopping, the quaint and are
quite old town atmosphere and
enjoying lunch restaurants
where locals had that. Some of
them as best of conduct I'm
here today to ask you to vote
no on dissolving the tva. The
dda will o'Connor the city the
opportunity to enhance the
success of businesses increase
property values and continue
to provide the locals and
visitors with unique
experience and her historical
area with in Colorado Springs.
Thank you for your
consideration.
>> Next step we have to
>> Thank you for your time. My
name is Kesha Crespin. My
family has been a part of acc
for over 50 years. My
grandmother had a beauty shop
there in the 70's and today
after retiring from the
federal services. 21 e for 24
years. I now run a small
business on Colorado Avenue.
I'm also a volunteer at Cos
Hope warming center. Well, I
see firsthand now how much cc
continues to struggle and how
much it still needs,
coordinated support. I've
traveled all over the country
and in almost every city, the
historic district is treasured
and invested in. All Colorado
City. The original heart of
the city deserves respect.
>> And resources. Westside
businesses have watched
corporate corridors and large
developers received
significant support and
attention. Meanwhile, the
small business is barely
hanging onto c c. Receive or
see the concept. Homelessness,
aging infrastructure and
safety concerns with no ported
coordinated mechanism to
address them. The dda finally
gives us that mechanism. It
gives over 400 independent
Westside business is a unified
voice and a structured way to
improve district, removing it.
Maybe we've this fragmented
and I'm protected. As someone
trying to retire into my shot
and barely hanging on. I can
tell you firsthand we need
stability. We need investment
and we need it. E d a. In
closing. Urge you to vote no
disillusion, respect
democracy. This was voted by
the people. Respect our
election results allow the dda
board to finish its
development plan. Give a
Colorado city. The dedicated
represents representation it
earned at the ballot box. And
thank you for your time and
your service.
>> Next step we have vast.
You
turned it off. My Okay.
>> Hey, everyone hates public
speaking. So thank you so much
for your time. As many of you
know, I was on the
organization of Westside
Neighbors Board in Carta City
partnership board since about
2015. So you might remember
names like David Bracket and
Jonathan Eley and well in
Clark, lots of different
volunteers that have been
involved in spearheading a
solution. Cause. You're right.
It's confusing. Could we
talked to? There's lots of
different boards. And so this
was part of the conversation
to help our community in
streamlining problem solving.
So in 2018, these volunteers
hired dci out of Denver,
downtown downtown Colorado,
incorporated to say what do we
do? And so there is an
assessment done and that
assessment lead to hey, let's
look at a special districts
along with some really other
fun things like the lights
over colder in court. Really
branding our community. But
they said special districts,
we raise the money. In fact,
$30,000 of that 72 raised came
from the city of Colorado
Springs and we were surprised
just like everyone else that a
dd a was suggested instead of
a bit. We thought it was going
to be a bit. And guess who
vetted that? The Mayor City
council, every single city
department we had to talk to
to make sure we could have a
second dda in that tool was
correct. So I'm just reminders
you've heard this already with
some of our board members
here, but there were focus So
you're right. Some of the
focus groups only had 7 to 9
people because they're a
business owners. And we really
deep dive conversations. But
we had tons of focus group
meetings, tons of surveys and
again, the dda was vetted and
concluded upon because of the
input of these surveys. So
folks said they identified occ
is the entire corridor not
just a blocks of that shopping
district. So again, concluding
that this was the right based
on the input from the
residents. So I think that's
super cool are willing to tax
ourselves. We're willing to do
that. And guess what? The
people that don't want to
we're going to go back to the
ballot if you don't dissolve
us and we'll have more
opportunity talk to people
about that tech scene question
because that question didn't
pass it. But the dda spreads
the burden across that entire
corridor. Instead of just a
few blocks to. So the tax is
less and that was on purpose
as well. We do. The due
diligence now need to get
across the finish line. Let
invest in ourselves and not
dissolve the dda. Thank you.
Thank you.
>> Next step we have Julia
Evans. Next step. We have
Karen Hazelhurst.
>> Good afternoon thank you
all.
>> My name is Karen Hazelhurst
and I have been on Colorado
City Association board for 8
years.
>> and I've been on the
marketing committee for that
long. And as Megan talked
about the burdens.
>> On the volunteer
organization that we've had up
to now. It's it's been great
because we've been trying to
help all the businesses I've
taken calls from businesses
talked through the night. I've
been in others the worst. We
want to really Colorado c
develop and grow and have, you
know, opportunity for
restructure. And you can't do
that with a volunteer board.
And I was really excited when
the voters voted to have this
tda that would help Colorado
City, you know, and it's
already been voted. I will
tell you, I live in all
Colorado City out of the
geographic district for me to
I live on vision history and I
have since I moved here in
2007, my husband on his or
hers had since 2000, he once
on city Council to so, you
know, I understand the dilemma
and the decisions that you
have to make. But asking you
to please, you know, look at
this and help the West side.
You know, grow with the
dedicated team of people and
money to do this. Volunteer
organization can't keep up
that growth for that long. So
please vote no and let the dda
Megan. I loved what Megan
said. You know about the
businesses about having an
organized, the da and the plan
is already being organized.
Now, I know Adam has that in
front of you. And you know, we
plan to take that flow. You
know, I I listened to some of
the people that talked about
not getting the paper work not
getting all of that. I was at
a lot of those meetings when
the consulting company, you
know, they had sent out all of
that and gave everybody
residents and commercial
businesses, the opportunity to
come in here about what was
happening. And, you know, it
might not out to everybody,
but I know that they need to
do that. And so police say
now. Thank you. Thank you.
>> Next step Timothy Talent.
Timothy Trail.
>> Sorry, I don't hear very
The veteran try to brain
injury, business center and
occ pretty need there
specifically chose that place
because I'm at the people and
it's a great community have
dedicated myself to mental
health working in that field
for the last 25 years as a
professor counseling know, cut
especially in. And I've really
been able to my wife and I
started a little store there
where we can just come meet
with the community and really
make something of it. We do
need stability We do need
support. I was just looking at
over we got roughly about 400
small businesses in that area.
But let's just break it down.
If we take 100 and that strip
right there, it's about a
little bit over 100 and at
3.0, 0, 7, tax that we get in
revenue to goes to Colorado
Springs. That comes to about
1.0, 2, 3 million dollars a
year that we give to Colorado
Springs threw ourselves tax.
So I'd say we're doing pretty
good. Even thanks. Only about
100 a little bit over 100
businesses, not even including
all the rest. So. Just in the
last months to businesses
close their door within 100
yards me couple of weeks ago,
another business down the
street said they're going to
have to close their doors
after being open for several
years. Not been there very
long. Some of you have already
said that they're struggling.
We were only been there 6 and
a half months. We're seeing
that every day with their
neighbors, how people are
struggling in. Speeding is
starting happen up. We had too
many hit by a car couple weeks
ago on things like that. It's
just it's just very
interesting thing to see. If
we follow that. If we don't
get the support we need, let's
say we do people losing
people. If we lose roughly
70%. Doors close over the next
3, 5, years, that's almost a
million dollars a year. The
Colorado Springs loses for
free. I mean, in joint a time
into I mean, that's a lot
million dollars a year. And
that's that's remember. That's
a very conservative number.
It's only based off of 100
small businesses. There's
around 400 in that area. So
that's a huge number. Bigger
than a million dollars year to
roughly 160,000 to be exact.
Pretty close to a million and
for and for those and only got
14 seconds. For those who
weren't guy wasn't either. But
you don't know about the dd n
stuff can be a part of it. If
it if keeps going or if we
have to keep volunteering on
our own for nothing, come be a
part of it. Neighbors said the
family and be supportive.
Appreciate your time. Thank
you that.
>> Next step we have Andrea
Warner. Andria Warner. Jim
Richardson.
>> Thank you. PRESIDENT
Council and the council
members. My name is Jim
Richardson. I'm a resident in
old Colorado City I am a voted
board member of the occ Dd
a&m. Start is this way the
downtown development authority
dda. You know, Caryn his city
is the result of a citizen led
initiative approved by voters
in 19. I'm sorry in 2024. Our
goal. Was to let independent
Westside business owners and
residents have a say in how
they want to they're the
historical value of occ. The
occ dda would give local mom
pot shops. The market in
vehicle that the historic
district in management to
manage the growth internally
and not be in a mercy.
Large-scale developers are
retail chains. The bottom line
again, he's the occ dda was
formed to let the occ have a
voice at the table. To achieve
this goal. As mentioned before
over thought 70,000 dollars
are spent to hire a special
district consultant Centro
Incorporated. None of this all
this money came first to pay
for this consultant. Was
donation? Some private funds.
As well as stated early as the
city's community development
and economic development
departments and the Colorado
Springs Urban Renewal
Authority. To engage
stockholders are stakeholders
Centro on behalf of the occ
partnership. Mailed surveys to
property owners and registered
voters within those with saint
in the boundaries. In question
and held informational
meetings for residents,
business owners and property
owners as well as occ related
board members and city of
Colorado Springs staff. With
feedback and months of review
in the best way to manage and
fun improvements in occ. I Dd
a was considered the best
option. Based on this
research, the council referred
creation of the dda to a vote.
Of residents and commercial
property owners inside the
proposed dda boundaries. The
dda formation past. And a vote
can of this community. I see
no justification. Her
rationale for the city council
to dissolve tda. Is all it now
completely overturned center.
Matt Democratic will of the
community. Urging to vote no
on this. Dissolution. Thank
you.
>> Next step we have Melanie
Richardson.
>> said, Thank you so much for
>> your time and your talent
and especially for your ear
and your consideration. My
family made Colorado Springs
are hit home over 100 years
ago. William Palmer, Jackson.
Palmer. Would be rolling in
his grave. To see the
dilapidated condition of this
beautiful city of the We're
all just care takers. How
ironic it is that the sec
merchants and businesses. Are
having to close their doors
today. To come here. To renew
economic development. For Just
strikes me as a little
chillier. The residence of
those cc voted in the dda and
the city Council, in my
opinion, has agency to to to
mitigate that vote. Ignoring
pardon me, ignoring the will
of the residence of Old
Colorado City is not just a
sign disrespect. It is another
sign that we must have group
of citizens at the helm who
are willing to begin to invest
and move this beautiful city
hit again with the same spirit
as my grandmother and William
Jackson Palmer. The occ dda is
such a group. So I
respectfully ask. That you
vote against dissolving thank
you.
>> Next up, we have.
>> Nancy Miller
>> She's not. Annie Trejo.
>> Good afternoon. It's on for
help. It's so nice to be
before you and appreciate all
hearing us Small business
owner in Oklahoma City excuse
me, call on Circa Vintage,
which stops in 2023. Coptic
occ in 2020. But originally my
business partner founded a
business called which is
located at 2 for 2 and a half
north to Hunt Street. We would
not have able to make that
business happen without the
downtown partnership,
investing in small businesses.
So we started to pop up. And
with that pop up, we brought
in 30 small businesses to come
and be a part of a store
front. They were not just
people who would bring their
goods to the storefront. They
would actually work in the
storefront. We would all work
together and created this
beautiful community. And very
quickly, we outgrew that
storefront and realized that
we had more space excuse me,
less space and more vendors on
our waitlist. And so we
started identifiable. Colorado
City was the right space
press. Just by virtue of
happenstance. The connections
that we made were with tools
of somebody who I know which
is that you are here. She told
us, hey, let's be neighbors.
There's so much retail space
available in City and we were
down like 3% occupancy
downtown. There is nowhere
else to go downtown. And so we
looked at all Colorado City
and we said this place is
amazing. I love there for 3
years as a resident and we
understood that there was so
much potential the historical
nature of it. The fact that so
many businesses had closed
down and there was opportunity
people like me in their 30's,
women of color to come step in
and be a co-owner of a
business that would not just
have Goodson there. But that
would actually employ small
business owners. So across the
3 stores, now we have 200
small businesses that function
out of our space. The
community is vibrant. I don't
know how explain that to you.
And it is because of your
citizens. It's because of us.
We're the ones who are pulling
our weight to everything that
we can. And I knew that I
wanted to get involved. And
when I tried to get involved I
knew it was there on model
because I got burned out of
year. I tried my best. And
then when we started having
conversations and much to say
the fact that we're all kind
of an agreement here about the
dda being the best solution.
>> Is a bit of a miracle.
Okay? Because we tried so many
solutions. We have tried
solutions.
>> As a community and I just I
want you all to hear our
hearts and our voices.
Colorado Springs, last small
businesses they love
supporting local tourist come
in and they beg us as a store
front to come to their city
and start a small business
like theirs. So you have an
opportunity to support
something really incredible.
And I know don't. How did not
happen overnight? We all knew
that that came because of a d
d a we need the same thing in
a car city desperately. We
cannot keep doing this. You're
going to lose. Small
businesses are going to lose
people who are attracted to
our city because of Colorado
City. Thank you so much for
your time. Please don't know
>> next step can't Hutchinson?
Kit. That is correct.
>> my name is Kate Hutchinson.
And Ion Little Heart Rate cut
is a small gift shop in old
Colorado City. And I've been
in business in the
neighborhood for 8 years now.
Well, Colorado City is a
beautiful little historic gem
in our city and deserves the
care and attention that the
main downtown district gets.
We are all local small
businesses and we are brings
charm to Colorado Springs and
makes the city desirable to
visit and live them. It is a
true second downtown in our
city and I love being a part
of it in the last 8 years,
i've seen a number of
different folks rise up as
volunteers to run the various
organizations that we have
tried to support our
neighborhood business district
and eventually they all run
out and have to hand the reins
over to someone else. She
heard repeatedly from all of
us, as you can imagine, this
inconsistency is not great for
getting things done. We have
really need paid staff who are
trying to run their own
business is to and can focus
on building a sustainable
future for our neighborhood.
We are scrappy, but we are
struggling. As a neighborhood.
We spent a lot of money over
the past few years to work
with the city and a consultant
to figure out the best
direction for an organization
that would support us
appropriately. And the dda
came out of that. And MAY I
remind you, it passed in a
popular vote. Dissolving it
now is going against the
public. Will it is
undemocratic. It's also
throwing your local small
businesses under the bus. We
would have to start over with
a different plan that would
cost even more money. But we
don't have or businesses will
just close or move somewhere
else. And we will lose. All.
Colorado City has a charming,
historic shopping district.
Please don't let that happen.
The city claims to be
supportive of small business
and now is your chance to show
us. But you support us. Please
listen to the voters in our
district who voted to pass the
dda and listen to all the
small business owners here who
have taken time out of our
very busy schedules to fight
for our neighborhood today and
vote against dissolving Rd d a
give us a chance to get this
tda up and running and get our
neighborhood thriving. Thank
you for your time. Next step
we have pack stock. Allison
Daniel.
>> Good afternoon Council. I'm
Allison Daniel and Iran.
Stellar Propeller studio in
old Colorado City. And I am
new to the board as well like
gyms. So I've been involved
less than a year at this
point. And so I wasn't around
for the votes. I wasn't around
when there was the confusion.
I would like to personally
apologize to you guys. I
wasn't around when that
happened, but I can see how
that would be extremely
frustrating. And I could see
how you would assume that
there's something nefarious
up. With that situation. I can
tell you from someone who's
been serving on the board
since the beginning of the
year is not a nefarious group
at all. Like we. We up and we
really are trying to like
figure out what will make
business better for the people
of Elkhart, a city like all of
us really care. So I just want
to say that, too. But I am
sorry that happened. And I
yeah, I mean, I agree with
with what everyone else is
said to like just going
against the will of the voters
is are really.
>> feels like a slippery s#
#
to me. Believe in democracy
and I just I feel like I have
tried to ask multiple people.
Why a bid is better and no one
has explained it to me. No one
has given me any.
>> Thing to grasp onto that
make made it make sense. In
fact, one of our last
meetings, COUNCILWOMAN
Williams, when I was trying to
ask this, said it makes sense
to me, but it doesn't make
sense to you. Which is not
really because I think I'm a
reasonably intelligent person.
I would just I would just love
to hear from anyone like why
is a bid better? And I think
it would be fair. I also have
I find it troubling that thing
is to dissolve right now. But
there's no plan in place like
nobody came. And said this is
not the right tool, but I have
an idea. And here's here's
why. This is better. This is
how it's going to help the
people more. So maybe let's
try this. I feel like it's
just been like, no, let's just
kill it.
>> And we we really want to
help old Colorado City like we
really care. So I've just been
very dillusioned by this
whole experience. And I and
saddened to think that we
might get slash before we even
get started because we do
really want to help people.
Yeah, just asked, how would
you feel if you volunteered to
serve on a board and you're
excited. It was counter first
time and you like love the
city and then somebody from
inside your own board is like
we're gonna get rid of it.
It's been it's been very
disheartening. So, yeah, I
would ask you to please don't
know. Just give us a chance.
Yes, appreciate you.
>> COUNCILMAN, Hold.
>> Thank you, MADAM PRESIDENT,
I just wanted to specifically
say to you, Alison, you know,
watched it from afar for a few
years through your through
your work. And I was really
excited when last year your
name came up and we were
voting to have you serve on
the board and regardless of
the outcome of today's vote, I
think you should be really
proud of yourself for stepping
up to the plate to volunteer
for occ and for the advocacy
it done best forward. I know
this like one of your first
experience really being on a
board and what an experience.
So again, regardless of the
outcome, I think you should be
really proud of yourself.
>> Except have Michelle
Garrett.
>> All right. Good morning.
Just getting afternoon. Now,
Ron notes. Good afternoon,
MADAM. PRESIDENT City Council
members, my name is Michelle
Garrett. A Colorado native and
I live in old Colorado City
and I own my own business. Its
gratitude. Zero-proof
beverages is the first
non-alcoholic bar and Colorado
Springs. We're located 28th in
Colorado. You know, we're one
of the handful of the unique
independents stories that
you'll find an occ. I'm active
in my community. My employees
live in the community. My
regulars live in the community
as a bartender, you often hear
people talk about the
neighborhood. What they need,
what they don't need, what
concerns them. I was voted on
to the old Colorado City dda
at the end of last year and
has served as secretary since
FEBRUARY. The West side of the
unique location full of
independently owned shops,
timeless character in history.
The history of Colorado Start
tunnel. Colorado City. The
oldest standing stone wall
Paso County actually exists in
my bar, which I repaired and
brought back to life's bit by
bit on my own dollar. In 2020
for the people who live and
work on the Westside voted to
have a d d a not even 2 years
later. COUNCILWOMAN Brandi
Williams is now leading the
movement to dissolve the dda.
COUNCILWOMAN Brandi Williams
sat on the occ dda board as a
liaison to bridge local
legislative goals with
specific community operations.
As a member on that board, I
can say without a doubt.
Brandi Williams did not bridge
any gaps. She created them.
From monthly meetings to plans
of development council him and
went William sat quietly Self
admitted she had never read
the 2024. Formation documents
which included survey results
dda versus bid budget
comparisons, ballot language
and he background information
prior to her moving to
dissolve the dda. The dda
empowers. Local businesses
such as mine and gives
dedicated voices to manage
growth internally. The website
is not like the rest of
Colorado Springs. When you
drive here, it feels
different. When you visit
here, you feel that the heart
of Colorado is beauty major in
history. The stores that have
been tirelessly run by
individuals who want something
different, something with
charm, Souls, Spirit that
large-scale developers do not
possess. These businesses have
fought for everything t exist
without significant financial
backing and still manage to
make occ feel special. I hate
to see the date of the shops
and shop owners who poured
everything they have into our
community are wiped out
because City council sees
deeper pockets. I would like
the city Council vote. No to
the dissolution resolution. I
believe that the citizens of
occ must have their election
results honored. I believe
that the dda board needs to be
given a chance to exist, to
grow and accomplish what's
best for the scene. You would
need place called home.
>> Next step we have family
there.
>> Hi, my name is Emily Fair.
You MAY have read my email
that I submitted on Sunday.
The statement is meant to
piggyback those thoughts. My
husband and I opened our
gallery and frame shop. 45
degree in 2010, we bought our
home. This is me off. So bad.
We bought our at 11 think
which are us in 2011. My
history is as part of old
Colorado City business
community started in 2002 as a
business owner and resident, i
have lived it. The results of
a dwindling. The result of the
ongoing funding and city
oversight in a vital Colorado
Springs neighborhood. But the
city Council and voter
approved promise of the dda. I
have been given a glimmer of
hope. That my investments have
not been in vain. The dda
provides real hope. Hope of
representation, cope of
infrastructure, hope of
economic identity, hope of
recognition and hope for
stability. The list goes on
and But none of this will
happen. If you dissolve the
dda, there is simply no or
funding to pivot. We need
help. Now to dissolve the dda
would be a massive mistake. It
undermines Democratic will of
the West side voters and kills
a vital economic tool before
it is given a chance to work.
Vote. That is all a citizen
voter approved authority is a
blatant dismissal of the
people who live work and
invest in old Colorado City.
Thank
>> Next up, we have a neat
pass shell. Michael hitting.
Rebecca Powell.
>> Hello, thank you for having
us here today. That some fire
for that it's under this
circumstance that where you
been here with all the time
working out for it, that's in
to putting this dda together.
But it's important that
everybody has a voice that
means the residents. That
means, you know, all the
business owners and so on and
so forth.
>> I have to let you know that
I am a member of this imd in
Gateway.
>> Which doesn't get much
representation at all. And
part of that, is that such a
small little area, it was and
1988. So so a very old
volunteer board and it we're
headed by. City parks and
pretty much what we do is make
sure that our little areas
clean, that the medians are
taking care of and the, know,
trash removal so on and so So
he's a very basic maintenance
district. Our operating is on
the average of $10,000 a year,
which isn't much. So when I
started hearing about Colorado
s I am the opportunity to
bring gateway into that
district gave me such hope for
for our area and it and it a
way to co-op with the old
Colorado City and Gateway is
it's the corridor between
downtown and old Colorado
City, which always love my
first home when I 4 months and
12 street. So right into a
Colorado block away. So and I
now with my husband on a
larger property that we live
in in Gateway at 7th in
Colorado. So that in mind our
intention was never to get
involved by a property. Tear
it down. And as I've heard a
certain members, city council
say that we wanted to tear
things down and redevelop.
That's not the case at all.
What we want to do is clean up
the neighborhood. We have
maintained these beautiful old
buildings, keep the character
that we that is always been
credible. Colorado City in way
like living here. The place
that I love. So with that in
mind, I'm asking you to vote
no on solution and give us the
opportunity to give us the
opportunity to work together.
Give us a small portion of the
taxes that we pay in that area
to stay there. I have a local
business that only works other
local independent businesses.
We do not do anything. What
chains or anybody outside of
Colorado Springs and El Paso
County because we want to keep
that money. Local and they and
it's very important myself. My
husband, our employees that
we're able to do that the rest
of our property to other local
businesses. Same way. So thank
you. Thank you.
>> Next step we have Kelsey
Willow.
>> that's right. The tallest
one here today. Hi, my name is
Kelsey Colorado Springs has
been my home my entire life
and old Colorado City has
always been a heart in my
story. I'm deeply invested in
the future of this community.
I'm the marketing manager for
squash blossom, Ellie Blue and
Stella and Bow in Old Colorado
City as well as serving on the
occ a board with 3 distinct
businesses in this district.
We have a unique perspective
on both incredible potential
of acc and the challenges are
small businesses face every
day. I'm here asking to keep
the voter approved eta intact
and allow the opportunity to
do what our community voted
for it to do. Our small
businesses are already
stretched thin. Business
owners cannot be expected to
run their business while
simultaneously carrying the
responsibility for the
district-wide marketing
events, advocacy economic
development and communication
with the city. That model is
not sustainable. Old Colorado
City needs consistent
professional leadership. We
need the ability to plan
beyond the next event in
Florida or fundraiser. We need
reliable resources for
marketing community events,
advocacy and economic
development so that we can
make thoughtful long-term
investments in this district.
Because ultimately the her
double car at a city is it
small businesses? They are.
What make this neighborhood
vibrant, unique and worth
visiting. We should we should
be creating an environment
where those businesses can
thrive. Not simply just
survive. And perhaps most
importantly, this dda was
created through a vote.
Businesses and property owners
participated in a process that
made their voices heard. They
voted to invest in the future
of old Colorado City. I
believe that vote deserves the
opportunity to be carried
forward. Old. Colorado has
city has an incredible
history, but this is about its
future. It's about giving this
district the structure and
resources to remain beautiful
economically strong and a
place where community
continues to gather for
generations to come. I am
asking you to respect the will
of the voters that created the
tva, keep it intact and give
old Colorado City the
opportunity to move forward.
Thank you. That we have
>> Daniel Ramos.
>> Thank you, council. Thank
you for your public service.
Small business owners. Thank
you for your time.
>> It's our most precious
asset.
>> And it shows how important
is that we're all here
sacrificing our time today.
For all the volunteers that
have served past or present on
the board.
>> Thank you for your time.
I'm working for them.
>> My wife couldn't be here
today. She's a college
professor. Also public
servant, working local
university. But she would
concur with that to say today
we moved to Colorado Springs
13 years ago. 10 years ago, we
bought our home in the West
side. That doesn't seem very
long to most. You guys have
been here for much longer
myself. But as somebody has
lived in 18 states that is a
long time. And the West side
was valuable to that that's
where we decide to put our
roots down we like the
community. We like their
neighbors and we chose that
open a business in 2021. There
Here's my one shameless plug.
We're about to have our
five-year anniversary this
Sunday. Come see If you have a
cup of 30.
>> But I thank you all for
your public service and my
previous lives. I also as a
public service Army veteran. I
also was a wildlife
biologists. And work for
multiple government agencies
trying to conserve our natural
resources. But public service,
you know, it's an honor, but
it's also a privilege as a
public servant. Comes a
responsibility. Both your
country. And democracy.
>> The da was put in place by
a vote of the people. So when
you vote to dissolve the dda,
you're voting against
democracy. Against so that's
all end of the dda. You're
voting for Democracy. Thank
you.
>> Next step have David ballot
court.
>> I mean it back just in
time. Good afternoon,
everybody. PRESIDENT And
members of Council. My name is
Dave Allen court. I'm West
Side resident and occ
homeowner now serve on the
board of the Organization of
Westside Neighbors, which
represents over 8,000
residents and a chair. A multi
national committee at is Tim
International, where I'd
become quite familiar with
governance and the importance.
The process public trust
depends on openness. Adequate
notice. Honest analysis in
clear accountability by those
standards. This dissolution
process should concern
everyone in this room consider
the timeline. Occ stakeholders
raised their own money and
hired an experienced
consultant. The options were
studied. Was recommended
council approved a 2, 1, to
refer it to electors in voters
approved it council did not
complete the board
appointments until DECEMBER of
2025. The board organized in
JANUARY. Just months after
these volunteers were finally
empowered to work, they
learned with only 2 business
days. Notice that council
sought to dissolve this
organization. Council cannot
control, went aboard, becomes
operational and then fall to
that board for not producing
years of results. That is not
accountability. That is moving
the goalpost. This board is
made up of our neighbors.
Private sector, small business
owners, property owners and
residents who have invested
countless unpaid hours. And
this voter approved
initiative. They believe that
old Colorado City where I live
in one of Colorado Springs,
historic crown jewels in a
major visitor destination
deserves better than chronic
underinvestment. The da
deserves support from council.
Clear expectations and a fair
opportunity not to be cut off
at the knees before its work
can begin. As I've heard
councilmember Donaldson and
many wise members of mentors
of mine say let's not allow
perfect to become enemy of
good enough. Da is not merely
a tool for new construction.
Colorado law says its purpose
includes preventing
deterioration, protecting
property values, preservation,
anthoughtful reinvestment
are exactly what old car City
needs. If a bit is desired, it
can and often does, as I
believe downtown is included
coexist with the dda. Solution
is not required further,
starting a bid would place
another costly organizational
burden on commercial property
owners have already done this
work, reject this ordinance.
If councils unwilling,
consider postponing it for 6
months in establishing
measurable objectives with the
board within 30 days require
completion of the plan review
a transparent operating
budget. No new debt during the
postponement period in public
progress reports.
Councilmember Williams, you
represent and serve district 3
in currently serve on this
board before asking council to
dissolve it. I encourage you
to use your position to Clear
expectations and help it
succeed with your budget
experience in engineering
background, you are well
positioned to lead that work.
The responsibility to lead
should accompany the power to
dissolve if put as a vote.
Today come, the outcome will
remembered as a test of where
the consul empowers local
enterprise and respects a
voter approved initiative or
adds New Thank you. Spent by
forcing property owners,
things.
>> Thank you for your
comments. I just want to
clarify. The board was place
from the time that the vote
took place. So I don't want
the audience to think that the
board did not exist.
>> Until the end of 2025.
>> The board had been in place
either. You know, right when
the election happened or when
that was ratified, we have to
clarify the clerk, the board
was not. Not in existence.
That will time. So just a
>> Next we have Kurt Hail.
>> High I'm some of you guys
actually know I am. Change my
hair, role that, you know, try
and make myself more presume
will and the respective
council members, which I
personally that personally,
when you run just, you know,
it's kind of hard for ready to
speak, which is so much
support for people that have
my bat even know I'm
considered houseless is before
causes. Don't you live on the
well? I over and was your
house this going to see people
don't really get. In 2019, I
mean, it it sorry. In 2006 to
my wife passed away. Okay. And
when we first got here as
because we just and just
stopping go and you have
working in Beira fires on the
north side town. And morning
If we and I hope the West side
would come over. I was west
side. Those guys you know, on
gene in JUNE. Really well,
there. United. You. He
forecast coalition and who
sometimes that are from been
part of town this is our site.
You know, because okay, will.
She's so she started inquiring
with guys are wreck. He was so
great about the let's say in
the city because we have the
respect. Just the people to
community euros. Issue as
well. Where's that was signed
they go? Well, ma'am, no
disrespect. Huge, especially
to put just we're headed 2
Chicago area and Chicago Scott
was market. High. Our town
working just fine to my wife
well, I was asleep on the mat
let you know if we shouldn't.
Check it out or whatever. And
there's no fact that when we
got here. To just like
blockages. Thank you, year but
just respect, his His passion
tours was expected to stay
there for long. But just and
this, I appreciate all of you
guys in sport on donation.
Where you from. And from the
West side. But technically
southwest side ethic. She
grabbed Thank you guys.
>> Next step we have Jay Gust.
>> Well, good afternoon It's a
way course, please vote. No
write. We got that. We got
that are in control. And I
want to say thank you because
heard from not only business
owners, building owners,
residents from Gateway
residents from the center
area. Residents from occ
proper from all around the
correct. I mean, this. This is
a facts of this isn't like a
once. I think this is like
here's a subtle floor block
slice that we're going to take
care of the point. The da was
to take a look at as a unified
whole and really bring that
together. And we've done that.
And I think proven right here
that this is happening now.
This is just the start is a
young boy that has really been
developed. It is a had a
chance to run. It still
crawling its a baby. This is
all that now be absolutely
before jury because there's no
there's too much money sitting
stake. There's too much energy
put behind her ready, get the
chance succeed, get it funded.
In fact, the next time I come
up here, I would love to be
asking, get on the ballot
measure. Don't have to have to
use a third-party company or
use it get on our ballot. You
guys going on that. That's
what love to see. And that's
really at this.
>> That is the end of public
comment. We will now move it
to the diocese for.
>> Question COUNCILMAN Casey.
So on it was said
>> He
>> was all year.
>> And speaking at
>> I
>> think everybody in
opportunity.
>> the meantime, COUNCILMAN
Casey.
>> Thank you. MADAM PRESIDENT,
ever few questions for your
eye worker. Urban renewal,
Florida. So we're it's a
discussion about dda vs this
improvement district. Can you
talk through that? And if the
dd a word is old and a bit
will swarm be the timeline.
>> Process costs. Benefits to
road to resistance and
>> small business owners are.
That's a long It's good to be
a little review good to talk
it. Just for the record dry
Walker executive director of
the Colorado Springs Urban
Renewal Authority I think, you
know, in the beginning of
this, you know, I will say it
you are donated to this You
know, not only with some great
volunteers. I think you heard
months from the day, but we
we're under the impression
this was going to be a
business improvement district.
And actually, I was the one of
the members of that downtown
Colorado in custody that had
looked at this area. And I was
doing that is a volunteer at
that point in time. The kind
of came to that that solution
at that point in order to do.
Yeah. I mean, obviously with
the dda, the problem that
we're in now is that you've
got Didi that's funded. But
you've got no financial
mechanism behind it. So, you
know, while I can certainly
appreciate a lot of the folks
that said we want to be self
Reliant Self funded. That part
of this election actually
failed. And so we creates this
ambiguity of how do we you
know, how do we do projects in
this area? Is this a taxing
entity or is this not a taxing
entity? Unfortunately, is kind
of a worst case scenario. You
know, when you're going for d
b a as far as the business
improvement district side, you
heard a lot of the comments
that up here, you know,
maintenance, cleanliness,
marketing promotion, business
support maintaining things
investing. Most of that is
geared towards business might
find most of the people that
spoke GOD bless them but are
small business owners so the
you know, typically when you
start hearing those level of
things, that year's more
itself towards a business
improvement district. Now,
nice thing about business
improvement District says it
doesn't have to be just 5
mills. It can be, you know, I
think we got some in this
community that are up to 50
plus miles, right? Kind of
depends on on their palate and
what they want to do with
that. But it does give the
Brett to promote the
businesses to do that.
Placemaking there to kind of
promote the events beyond
territory days, etc in in that
is typically you know how it's
used in Colorado as far as
this, you know, dda measure
again, I to me you went into
this hurdle and the reason why
the eu or a was leery of the
dda and why we said we didn't
support it at that point in
time was simply for the fact
that the map was way too big.
I think Adam and I really
appreciate your comments a
minimum. I'm sorry. You feel
that too. That kind of eastern
swath, right? That pickax
peace, you know, of that map.
That area was one of those
areas where we're looking at
saying this is not even really
tying into, you know, the old
Colorado City corridor and
when you've even got
properties north of Street, I
think it's a stretch, you
know, to think that that's all
going to be one corridor. The
other problem that we saw with
the dda is that you really
taking things from that
business perspective. And
again, that list that I read
is mainly around businesses.
You're putting that shared
costs on residential units
without as much benefit to
them as it applies to the
businesses themselves so weak.
We create this weird dichotomy
with you know what? What are
the residential units get out
of this? How does that all
connect together, cetera. So
even the downtown dda, the
current one or the one in the
downtown proper area, they
started with the business
Improvement District 2. And
the nice thing about business
improvement districts, they
give you an opportunity to
kind of start, you know, start
out a ground level. Start
basic can be able to chomp
through some of these things
that they want cleaned up. And
that means level. And and, you
know, either us what's just
it's an easier pc. Typically
just have to do a petition
from this business owners to
qualify for the ballot in from
a cost perspective. You know,
I know I've actually had some
conversations with some
members of the dda and I think
there was one, you know,
quote, that they got for
$30,000 to win an election.
I'm not sure. You know,
obviously that's going to
depend on on the private
companies if they choose. But
I don't think it would be an
overwhelming costs, especially
since you have so many
business owners in that old
Colorado City proper area
that's in the support be some
sort of self taxation.
>> Process reform in the bid
getting from a visit to
separate measures was last
time and the there some
concern about what we already
spent all for doing. Could be
kind of wasted effort to start
all over again.
>> Yeah, I think, you know,
they're made to me and again,
I appreciate you know, I
appreciate all the comments. I
think the challenging thing is
when you're when you're
dealing with something where
you have to like a designate
or of you know, it doesn't
need or of election, you know,
status. So if you're a
business owner, you have to
actually be given a sheet of
paper that says that you're
going to vote as somebody you
know, and you're going to vote
for that business. If you're a
sole proprietor or deed had
doing business as you can get
a ballot normally. But in this
scenario, you have to actually
feel something out in in to
me. I think that's kind of
what happened here. I think
that's where huge disconnect
actually occurred is that you
had a lot of people I heard
from a lot of people because
the a lot of people confuse
you or is indeed these 2. But
I actually think you have
people thinking I never got a
ballot. And maybe they didn't
get that designation form that
they didn't know how to do it.
So just over complicated the
process a little bit. But as
far as from a business
improvement district level,
those same businesses and that
occ proper area, which I would
classify, as you know, 21st
the 31st. Maybe that's a
little generous, you know. But
that seems like what would be
what that area would would
become I would imagine with
the outreach that they did. A
lot of people that said that
spoke hair. I don't think that
would be a heavy lift to get
that group to support a
business improvement district,
at least in my opinion. Thank
>> COUNCILMAN Donaldson do you
have questions for dry up?
Because I do have MISTER
Radcliffe here who wasn't on
the list, but now is that I'm
going to give 3 minutes to.
>> Please do let the other
speakers. I don't know if
there are any others that
chance. Just it's MR.
Ratcliffe. But you do 3
minutes.
>> look at that. That's
exciting. Good afternoon
Council. My name is Matt Ryan
Clift and I serve on the old
Colorado City Associates Board
and I'm asking you to not does
all of the dda today. I'm also
PRESIDENT Of Springs Ensemble
Theatre, nonprofit theater
company that moved into old
Colorado City a few years ago.
That's my time at the
neighborhood. And I've seen
firsthand through both of
those things. The theater
business and old Colorado City
associates, just what it takes
for all of these small
business owners to keep their
businesses alive. And for us
to keep the life today around
700 people live within the old
Colorado City Dva alongside
400 great local businesses.
Many of which you heard from
today longest that many good
sampling. Award-winning
theatre o run by people who
have sunk their lives and
savings into the neighborhood.
Residents walked the same
streets and deal with the same
issues the businesses are
dealing with next door parking
revenue that's collected from
o'Connor City reinvested in
the city wide parking system.
But the district next to
control where any of that
money goes independent website
owned businesses rarely get
the car in residence really
get the kind of coordinated
support, investment, bigger
corridors take for granted. So
residents and business owners
from Old Colorado City got
together research ways to
reinvest in the neighborhood 2
years ago they presented the
case for why a dd a and not a
bid was the best choice for
all Colorado City. This
council voted to put the
question in front of voters.
The first reading was 8 to
one. The final vote was 7 to
2. That doesn't feel like a
close call to me. Then the
people of all colors city
voted and they said, yes, they
said yes to possible
investments included in the
proposal, city council
reviewed and 2024 things like
safety and homeless outreach,
which is the top priority for
83% of residents and business
owners support for fixing up
aging building center signs,
which was the resident second
highest priority right behind
safety programming and events
that activate old Colorado
City. The people voted yes to
investing. And what makes old
Colorado City a great place to
live work and visit 600
residents and business owners
weighed in over 2 years to
shape the plan. 78% said Old
Colorado City needed some form
of the new funding model. The
da is a well thought out plan
to revive him. Preserve old
Colorado City. This council
studied it and sent it to
voters. The voters approved it
dissolving it now before it's
even had a real shot means
overturning with the people of
all Colorado City decided at
the ballot box. Please do not
dissolve the dda. Thank you
for your time and your
consideration.
>> COUNCILMAN Donaldson.
>> Yes, thanks, MADAM You
know, the 2 votes were just
referenced and vote twice on
an ordinance. First was 8 to
one. Michael Melia voted no.
And then the second was 72 and
I was one of the 2 cause. I
was worried about the ballots
and how that was going to work
and that there could be some
confusion. Sarah and I talked
about that on the balloting,
but it's it's been done.
>> And the citizens of voted,
the citizens within these
boundaries voted and they
voted yes to to have a d d a.
>> So, you know, I'll be
voting no today on this on
this ordinance.
>> There there's a unique
history here, right found
colony which became Colorado
Springs wasn't even here on
the open. Colorado City was
here. So it makes sense that
there's to downtown's. There
really is a second downtown or
maybe it's the first downtown.
And this is the second
downtown that we're in right
now. So I know there was some
conversation about that in our
last meeting that will nobody
else has to da's is crazy.
Well, Colorado Springs has a
unique history. I Colorado
City was an extent in 1917. So
that's why one of the reasons
I think to the da's do make
sense. And then finally, MR.
Ramos as a foe Army veteran,
I'll be there to to have a
beer with you on your
anniversary here on the
weekend. And Michelle, if you
have the oldest wall in
Colorado a swing by there,
even though I like alcohol,
Madrid
>> COUNCILMAN Thank you. MADAM
PRESIDENT, dry actually just
have a follow-up question for
you on the the
>> questioning from from a
fellow council member here.
Can Casey.
>> So
>> that.
>> government, increment
financing route that did not
pass.
>> The dda could go back out
again to the voters. Correct
in that.
>> Could pass in. Can you
explain what would happen? If
they choose Well, I would
assume they would have to
choose to do this if they want
some revenue to work with. But
if you could explain that a
little bit more and I and just
just for the record, it's
funny. Councilmember Donaldson
went back and looked at it. I
did as well.
>> So yes, he He with mainly
o'Malley, but in favor was
council member of the lacrosse
Iverson homes, tension Line
Weber Leanne Talerico at the
time in 2020.
>> Again, for the record dry
Walker Urban Renewal so the so
the past and I I'm not sure if
your question got a little a
little mix up there, but they
did pass the Taft portion
technically, right? Because
with the formation of the dda,
that's what allows that
component. But that's the
component that goes to all of
the taxing entities. So that's
Cool. County library, City
Water Conservancy district.
That's that's those funds.
What they didn't support is
taxing themselves. So they
didn't support actually paying
out of pocket on their own
properties to fund this
effort. They passed keeping
organic tip from. The taxing
entities that that's what was
passed. So that's an important
distinction. There.
>> Can you say more about?
>> I'm not sure that I'm
totally following I don't
blame me.
>> Oh, sure. Sure. Sure. All
right. More of uk legal
question. CHAIRMAN Goss, the
Sea journeys office. So the
tip question that was past its
been commonly called to
question, but it was really to
let the dda retaining any to 4
other funds that were
collected. What did not pass
was the no levee, which is the
5 mills that to the da's can
impose on both residents and
businesses. So since that did
not pass their financing
mechanism right now would be
the tif. The tax increment
financing base level tax and
then anything over that level
taxes. What would potentially
go to the dda that would have
to be up, Lou, approved
through the plan development,
which will come before City
Council in the future,
assuming it's not solved and
city council would approve the
tif at that time. So that is a
separate to bucket of money,
if you will, compared to the
mill Levy. That was not. So
then what they could do and
probably should do is go back
out for a military.
>> They could go out for an
mill levy. Again, that is a
possibility.
>> They would need Council's
approval to do so.
>> Okay. And I guess I don't
know if I'm allowed to ask
this question, but I am
curious to know from somebody
on the board that's an
intention that they have. If I
mean, the PRESIDENT Would be
to acknowledge that person
could speak. You can answer
that question. Thank you.
>> Yes, this is.
>> Our this was our first
order of business.
>> Was planning out a mapping
out a strategic plan to going
back to the ballot Levy. I
personally advocated and
secured forgivable loan. For
us to finance that. Forgivable
component of it is that if by
chance? The Levy doesn't pass
and we do decide to dissolve
as an organization. That the
loan would be forgiven.
>> Forgiven by who your
personal money
>> So Crowder City associates,
but the money forward and what
we did was we put out a vote
not within the board cca
personally, but all members.
So we sent out a ballot over
200 members of al City
associates and they voted and
wildly high percentage numbers
too, give this money pd and
was the general percentage of
that 57% to 7 personal
population? Well, you know, I
think last year for Colorado
Springs, turnout was 20 4.7%
and the dda vote originally
was 25.6%. Okay.
>> So let me just make sure I
understand this really clearly
you front of the money. Cca
said. This fails. We as a body
will will forgive that to one.
And we will. We will pull our
money and we'll pay you back
some, which is why we will
bit.
>> If it had been
indebtedness, we wouldn't be
here having this conversation
because the dda would be in
debt already. Okay. All right.
Thank you. Those are my quick
COUNCILMAN Gold.
>> Thank you, MADAM PRESIDENT.
You know, first had the
opportunity visit Colorado
Springs in 2009 long before I
was a resident and I'm very
fond memory there because
there is a pottery shop that
no longer exist I was able to
do an imprint of my child's
hand for their first birthday
and thank GOD because that
child is now huge.
>> So
>> And I was really surprised
because I thought, oh, my
gosh, what a charming
downtown.
>> And the person was like
this is actually not downtown.
So I think we have a very
unique situation here in
Colorado Springs where we have
large geographic area. Was
very unique hearts that add,
too, don't they don't take
away from Colorado Springs.
And when I reflect on all of
I've heard about the dda, it
really appears to me that you
all need more time. You guys
have the alignment. You have
the heart for this. You just
need more time to get it
sorted. So for that reason, I
will be voting no on this. And
also I just really wanted to
acknowledge that we have so
many small business owners
here right now. And when and
where you guys are small
business owners in the context
of you had to shut your shops
down to be here. Your time is
literally your money. You have
lost revenue fighting for the
cause today. And I acknowledge
that and I thank you for your
heart. And I hope that you
guys should have namedrop. So
at least you could have had
advertising but I hope that
you recoup those costs from
today. Thank you.
>> COUNCILMAN Ryan Weber.
Yeah, I am.
>> Couple of things. One just
want to disclose that. I am a
business on the left side and
the but I'm not part of the
originally. My business was
going to be a part of it. And
it was adjusted so that that
my buses ended up not because
I'm not really on Colorado,
not really a part of that. So
I wanted to just disclose that
I have some connection to this
community and understand it
very, very well that might has
been there, sir. That the
well, the truth be told is
that the business originally
was located within the d a
>> it was started in 1982.
>> So it was on Colorado, but
now it's it's it's on the
quarter of 20st Street
Highway. 24. So I want to
acknowledge that second, I was
part of the proceeding and
that discussions when this was
formed talked quite a bit
about the bid and eta, and it
didn't really appear that the
dda gave a lot more options.
>> For this community to move
forward and there was great
excitement about all of this,
that it was really easy vote
to say let the community do
what they can do to really
turn this into a great place.
But I will say 3rd is that
when you got all that
excitement, you kind of needed
the dot your I's and cross
your t's. And that's part of
why we're here is that there
was a stagnation, the kind of
took place in this unknowing.
And so there was some
uncertainty about is this a
real thing? And so you have to
stay engaged. You've got it
like I mean, it's it's the
it's the 3rd or 4th quarter.
You gotta the game and get
this across because you're
going to have to get that
funding done. Now I have a
question. Is. Canned the
borders of this dda be
altered? Without voter can
center at this point, can't it
be read it? Can the board
decide to reduce? Boundaries,
not but reduce Trevor
Gloucester, the c turns office
to reduce There is no
mechanism in the statute for
the board reducing the
>> da's boundaries.
>> City council has some
authority that as part of the,
>> you know, it to which is
what you do with the 17 Couple
weeks back. But the board
itself does not have the per
statute.
>> So if the board wanted to,
they could approach a couple
of council people and say,
hey, we've got this idea that
we don't want. This to be
this. We wanted to be the if
we're reducing the not bring
anyone knew into it. I don't
see the negative effect of
that. I don't see someone like
not wanting that, but but
counsel could bring that
forward. I subject to
>> Limitations on debt and
whether or not dead exist at
time. Correct? All right. Down
that that road. My other
question is really to Sarah.
No wake her up over that are.
>> So if council wanted to
step and help the West side
then this, the da could could?
>> We possibly what would the
cost be for us to put there?
Question on the ballot and go
to just the residents of the
da. Do you have that ability
to do that and then if we were
to try to push this to be on
the APRIL ballot, for example.
>> Okay. Part in the eye. Roll
that the APRIL ballot.
>> And there's a lot going to
be on
>> And sorry about
>> I don't know the cost, but
I would just say that.
>> And then attorney, but I'm
thinking the dda would have to
pay.
>> Reimburse the city for the
cost of the election. Because
seaman, there's no dissolution
today. There is an entity and
that entity would have to be
for the election. And no, I
don't know. Have any idea what
cost
>> Because sometimes we you
know, and kind of, you know, a
volume kite. Position. And
then, you know, I don't know
what the difficulty would be
to kind of. I mean, we already
do. We do. We do ballots
districts, obviously. So we
don't do citywide ballots that
we can make a smaller thing.
But you don't probably have a
current district for the You
have to create nearly down and
it's a different type of
election and that you're
dealing with registered
voters.
>> You're dealing with
property owners. There is the
document that dry mentions. I
don't know the legal name up
where property only can
designate.
>> Someone to vote. So it's a
little more convoluted than
just mailing registered voter
ballots. It's a little
different creature questions.
Just to understand what tools
do I have as a council person,
if I get 5 other members for
their members, you know, is
there something that we could
do to help?
>> This process move forward?
Because I think that some of
the thing is that they are
anew organization that's
trying to find its roots it
and move forward and certainly
coming off a no funding vote.
Had to kind of. Change the
dynamic a little bit with all.
We've got this great thing,
but we got no money. I mean, I
think that was the
conversation. I think everyone
during that election season.
So I'm trying to understand
what council might be able to
do to maybe support this
moving forward.
>> My first reaction to this
is.
>> Assuming, you know,
dissolve the dda board would
have to make the decision when
they want to come to a ballot.
And then come to you.
>> I think I'm right in
thousands of attorneys here.
>> I think to come to you.
>> 2
>> trying to forward.
>> Refer her.
>> That 2 elections. I think
the biggest question.
>> Would be. Do you want
election? And what election do
you want it Do you want it on
in APRIL? Do you want on a
NOVEMBER different voters?
Different aspects of its
NOVEMBER. The county clerk
would conduct Yeah.
>> It's APRIL. It's or you do
what they did before, which
was a stand-alone, no action.
Which is hires entity.
>> Well, that's what heard. I
heard and I think it's the
board's decision might on
verse Asians about we didn't
get about it. And I'm trying
to see if we can maybe help
resolve that problem in
getting it on a standard U.S.
Attorneys The general process
would be the dda board passed
resolution saying they would
like City Council to refer a
question.
>> City council within vote on
whether or not they want refer
that question to the ballot
with regards to the timing
person to taxpayer Bill of
Timing is either in the fall
of either year or spring in
by, you know, yours, if you
have well, if you're
organizations really has
by-elections with screens
spring elections every other
year, the city has elections
dda board. Generally they
don't. Actually have taxing
authority for election storm.
Lee. So whether or not they
can piggyback off the season
election is kind of a question
for for us to look at see
whether or not they're
comfortable with that weather
can be legally challenged the
future. Either way the fall
elections would be fine for
refer measure. But we would
have to work with the county
and that point, if if it's if
we're adding into the general
ballot, yes, it would do is it
is. There's a lot of city and
county back and forth on those
elections, ok and sorry, I
believe MR. MR. Garner, just
some art MADAM Thank you. And
COUNCILMAN Mike Weber. I
appreciate the question. And
then.
>> This support of of the
neighborhood. My own sense of
has been a shift counsel to
the district. Is that their
best path forward is to get
their plan of development,
which is in the planning
Department now get it approved
without that they cannot
access the tax increment. Once
they do. That number MR. Last
MAY and know what it was. That
number 4 last year, which was
not accessed. This is $100,000
or something along those
lines. Which The funds to pay.
To participate on about now.
My own. Not having looked at
this. I don't know of any
taxing district that cannot
piggyback on the ballot if
they pay If they pay the
freight on volume. But without
a plan of development approved
would say to get done. They
don't have the revenue. To
then get on the ballot and go
for a military. But that in my
mind is there's the path
forward. Okay, that's helpful.
Thank you.
>> COUNCILMAN Williams. Thank
you. I'll start off by saying
thank you all for being here.
Mayor Nick MAY not believe it,
but
>> I do appreciate you all
coming. Absolutely o Colorado
city. Like much ado here. I
grew up here and spent lots of
time old Colorado City. So I'm
going to reiterate how we got
here. How we got here is a lot
of the reasons that you guys
walked a pair and spoken to
that microphone inside old
Colorado City. Charm.
>> It's all its spirit. O
Colorado City is a treasure.
>> For those of you who
haven't. Then Gordon, a fun
night to really read what the
downtown Development Authority
is. That is development and
redevelopment. So I definitely
want to clarify that. It's the
exact papa says. I don't want
to tearing things down, but I
know that this and to an order
to fund it properly and pay
for the attorneys accountants
and all the oversight that
comes with it lends itself to
development and redevelopment,
which is why it's called a
downtown development
authority. It survives because
of development because of that
tax increment that comes with
development. So we've heard
from dry, the business
improvemt district, every
single one of you are business
owners and every single one of
you want that money reinvested
into your business. I
personally would rather do
that. Then pay attorneys and
accountants and other people
to manage and authority that
doesn't lend itself to old
Colorado City. So that's how
we got here today, depending
upon how this vote goes. I'm
pretty have all of your
involvement to get this from 0
to really putting money in old
Colorado City to get what you
on happening as fast as
possible. So I just wanted to
explain that for everybody
here who was unable to make it
to the previous meeting. So
thank you, COUNCILMAN, rainy.
>> Thank you, MADAM PRESIDENT.
And I would like to also start
by saying thank you all for
being here. Small business
owners. I'm a small business
owner. So I know exactly a lot
of the comments I heard. I
know exactly what you're going
through, what you're feeling,
especially about how we got
here with particular dda. The
couple of themes that I heard
before I get into some process
procedure items.
>> Need help want to help
support need it. Stability
want it. Charm of Old Colorado
City.
>> Cleanup maintain economic
development, marketing.
>> Those are a lot of those
items that dry executive
director, that he mentioned
when it comes to a business
improvement. Things that they
can lean into to make that
happen. Ago, step further here
because I think there's
something that's missing
pretty importantly. And you
that
This is a this is, in my
opinion and opportunity for
the mayor's office. Economic
development to include the you
to come together and figure
out something.
>> That will work.
>> In conjunction with our
downtown authority that is
currently in place and baked
in and figure out how to
invest better into that area
because everything that was
mentioned, it's about
investment into that area. So
and now when I say investment,
I want to make sure I'm very
clear on this. Is that
investment to what their
needing as business owners in
that area. That's first and
foremost. Secondly. Going
through quick items currently
in the United States of
America. There's 19,500 towns,
cities, municipalities.
19,500. In entire United
States. And the United States.
There are 2 the da's 2 cities
that have to the da's and
sadly enough, the one other
city that has to the da's.
There's a reason for it. And
if you actually been paying
attention to the news lately,
sadly enough, you're probably
know the reason why actually
did to da's. There's a whole
lot there.
>> And I want pounce on that
particular city, quite if you
haven't seen it, you will see
it on things that are going on
in that city. Thus that leaves
us. In the state of Colorado.
There's no cities. See that
have to Deo's 0. So when I go
back look at the historical
timeline of how we got here
and reading through the
minutes from 13 AUGUST 2024,
every last comment. And by the
way, the lady who's here,
thank you very much. On that
day being here. Also speaking
and then, of course, the
minutes from AUGUST 27th of
2024. Every comment that is
made in every.
>> Messaging. Everyone said.
>> be id every last person. To
include members of council to
include other stakeholders in
the city and there was a lot
of back and forward about why
not be id. And it wasn't until
couple other things that
transpired that really evolved
just staying into does dda
another item. I would like to
clarify because this is also I
think, but somehow this has
got lost in translation. Does
not operate unto itself.
Colorado revised statute. 31
25 801 through 8.22. Article.
31 excuse me, title. 31 out of
the 25 governs. How do you
need a da's operate here in
the state of Colorado? And
there's been several
conversations and several
comments made that they
operate unto themselves. And
that's not accurate. I had one
member. I don't believe
they're part of the dda, but
they live in that area who
came to me in a previous
session in state. It. Well, we
want the funds so we can
determine upon ourselves on
how to best do that. That's
not how it goes. Funds operate
in work. So I go back again to
be id's being better suited.
And I think also member
Williams just hinted at it. Da
is designed for large-scale
infrastructure and capital
development. And that's not
what you're all looking for.
That preservation of all
Colorado City. Why go to
certain candy shops down
there? Why go to certain
Italian restaurants down
there? That preservation
historical preservation. It's
what you are wanting while
still doing maintaining the
Clinton this the up. Keep
making sure your businesses
can still thrive while
maintaining at historical
precedence is where we should
be putting lot of our effort
into and I do go back to the
vote that transpired NOVEMBER
of 2024, the actual formation,
the dta that vote past 123,
2.90. The Mill Levy failed
that vote fail. 98. Yes, 115
know. Now the other 2 items,
the debt authorization and the
Revenue retention, those pass.
But look how those past.
Authorization pass 188. Yes,
105. No. However, the table
review retention. But it past
105. Yes. And 100 and to know.
So it goes to the heart of a
lot of the folks that mention
there are some people in some
numbers that are missing year.
There are people that were
included that maybe voted
probably shouldn't have not
voted. And there are people
that should have voted and
somehow they got missed in
this entire process. So I will
tell you, I want something for
you. I love Colorado City. I
love the passion that you have
for your business. Is. And I
think there is something there
that we collectively. Can lean
into. Not what is that? Is it
to be I d it is a is
collaboration the I d with new
form agreement with downtown
what the current dda in place
along with economic
development, along with other
items, whatever that looks
like and what of that shapes
out to be. There is something
there for us to lean into.
However, factor is I go back
again. Minus the one city and
they did it for a very unique
reason. Do want to pass on
that because it has whole lot
rooted in a lot of negative
things. But that makes us the
only city out of 19,500 and
United States that would like
to have to the da's in the
same city. So I think that and
then when you look back at the
minute, when you look at how
we got here, I think we need
to take a step back and just
say, ok, how do we make this
right? And I and I hate to put
you on spot or I because we've
had conversations. But he is
already stand by. To help get
this to what ever best
mechanism. Is ready to move
forward. And I've seen him in
action. One of the most astute
professionals I've ever ran
across in my time. And he
knows this stuff inside and
out. So I would say leverage
leverage those organizations
less leverage, current
organizations we have in place
in the city. And let's not
conflate confuse. Alright,
look to use the word markup.
We kind of mucking up dda is
intended for versus what
you're asking for. And I think
this is why you finding United
States. There's not any cities
that have to da's. They're
very unique unto themselves.
But they're also governed by
revised statute. They don't
operate like of document unto
itself. Only in your
community. So this is where i
will tell you. Moving forward.
I think there's a lot of
resources that we can lean
into the right resources to
get you where you need to be
where we need to invt. And I
might even go a step further,
especially when it comes to
small business because I just
held a small business forum
back in JUNE. And that to me
is where we need to really
start looking at giving you
the support of resources that
you need in old Colorado City.
So with that being said, I'll
turn it back over to you.
MADAM PRESIDENT.
>> Seeing no other comments
from Councilmembers have a
motion from COUNCILMAN
Williams in a second from
COUNCILMAN. Remy, let's bow.
And the motion passes 5 to 4.
Moving on to item 11 able to
clerk. Please read item 11 a
into the record.
>> PRESIDENT. Can I just ask?
I think. I want to let the
citizens know that we vote on
this again in 2
>> We vote on this again in 2
weeks. Going to line Will the
clerk please read item 11 a
into the record ordinance
number. 26 37 amending the
zoning map. The city Colorado
Springs pertaining to 5.41
Acres located it.
>> But 3 to 5 MARCH. Sadly,
all of our mixed use
neighborhood scale was streams
had a really to mixed use
medium streamside overlay.
This is the second reading in
the public hearing.
>> Today's hearing will
proceed is the following city
staff presentation applicant
presentation public comment
support public coming in.
Opposition applicant rebuttal
closing stop comments back to
the dice. The questions,
deliberation and decision.
>> And then PRESIDENT, can I
ask for a 5 minute recess or 5
City planning. I'm here in
place of Chris Sullivan this
evening. He's a senior planner
team and he was the case
planner for this project. But
he's unavailable tanks. So
this project is one way to
project is a proposed zoning
change with land. Use a
statement located at 5, 3, to
5 Mark Dabbling Boulevard and
the proposed changes from mx
an ss owns that is mixed use
neighborhood scale streamside
overlay to annex That is
mixed. Use medium scale
streamside overlay.
As I said, the site is 5.4 1
acres and is located on Mark
Toppling Boulevard South east
Interstate. 25. And existing
home sites. There are some
existing improvements. Couple,
a small office buildings
located on the site. Pix Peak
Greenway Trail also runs
through the center of this
property at forming part of
the regional trail system. The
East property line Texans down
at the center Line of Monument
Creek as well. The property is
surrounded by bp's own
district, which is business
Park, which allows primarily
commercial industrial use as
and so the properties to the
northwest are primarily
office. And then we also have
a Monument creek to the south
and some multifamily
residential across Monument
Creek and to the southeast.
And in terms of the history of
the the property was rezoned
to office complex with
Streamside overlay back in
2017 under the former chapter
7 with the supporting concept
plan and this was to
application development plan
on variants and final plat for
multi-family residential
totaling 48 units. These
applications were never
approved due to a private
company restriction and have
been applied to the property
that prohibited the
development of residential
uses and the proof concept
plan expired in 2023. And the
other associate almonds again
were never proved. In 2023
Office complex zone was
absorbed into mixed use
neighborhood scale as part of
the bigger. Adoption of the
Unified Development Code. And
at that the multi-family
residential use was no longer
permitted by right? So we'll
touch that a later. So again,
the proposed rezoning is from
mixed use neighborhood scale
streams. I do relate to mixed
use medium scale. The
streamside overlay. So I have
highlighted our Chris
highlighted some of those
dimensional standards what
that change will look like on
this slide. There is
predominantly an increase in
building setbacks between
mixed use neighborhood and
mixed use medium scale. We're
going from 5 foot interior
side to 20 feet. For example,
15 foot corner on a side
street to 30 feet required.
Setback. There are a few
reductions, including the 20
foot rear setback would become
a 15 foot rear setback.
Maximum building height
permitted would increase from
45 feet 50 feet. Item I was
initially submitted NOVEMBER
18, 2025. It went too far in
cycles and it was ready for
the agenda on JUNE 12th. And
it subsequently went to City
Planning Commission on JULY
8th 2026. And was approved on
the consent agenda.
And postcards were mailed to
properties within 1000 feet
their 25 postcards mailed out
in 0 comments were received
and a public notice occurred
during administrative review
prior to City Planning
Commission. And again, prior
no major agency comments I
received at this time. All
comments specific to the to
the different agencies will be
provided a time of development
plans And this project was
reviewed as well for
compliance with plans us and
was found to be in compliance
with applicable visions. Big
ideas and strategies of plan c
s. And it was also evaluated
for income hi and Sweat. The
criteria for approval for his
own map Amendment. There are a
couple of things that Chris
wanted to highlight as part
his revere as the case
planner. And those included.
And the mx an for the current
zoning. I'm is intended to be
located on the edge of or
internal to residential
neighborhoods with eye court
with were off neighbor, a
combination of local streets
and collector slash arterial
streets where as the proposed
rezoning next at and is
intended to accommodate the
development of new activity
centers in emerging growth
areas. Essentially provide
some additional flexibility
for the development of the
site. Additionally, the
Monument that runs through the
site as well as a missing
trail, does create time
constraints on development of
this site. And the multi the
proposed potential
multi-family residential use.
I was identified as an
opportunity to kind of
activate the stream tight
area. Further. And that was
identified as a as a positive
opportunity by staff. Add
additional Leno other kind of
negative impacts were
identified as a consequence of
this proposed reason. I'm so
after a valuation this
application at him, it was
time to meet criteria. We have
are optional motions here. And
I can also answer any
questions. Johnson and
Johnson, I think. Thank you,
MADAM PRESIDENT. And is the
property owner here?
>> Want to? And he's the
gentleman says that. For this
project or property.
>> Yeah, there will be an
applicant presentation
falling. Stocks occasion.
Okay. Rezone. Prior zoning
does not allow data centers.
That correct.
>> ios or I'm sorry, the imax
and zoning districts. I'm not
sure about
>> Does the request own
allowed data centers. Working
>> ok, that'll be my question.
And can. You can double back
after the applicant
presentation. We'll need fun.
>> Thank you know the
questions we will not have the
applicant presentation for 15
minutes.
Good evening this evening. Now
PRESIDENT Crow, Iverson. Pro
Tem Risley and council members
minds. John ultimate urban
landscapes. We are the planner
for the property owner
terrorize us as property owner
is not able to join us this
evening. He is a resident here
in Colorado Springs and
actually got an unknown. Know
him, sir, playing pickleball.
Interestingly enough. Rodrigo
purchased this property. I
want to say in 2022 2023. So
it was right around the time
of the utc. We go through the
slides here. And just to
answer your question, MR.
Donaldson, I'm not exactly
sure that was not ever use
that was ever contemplated
discussed by the property
owner. So I'm not sure if it's
allowed or not, but I'm sure
they're looking to right now.
So some history on this. There
was unchanged, proved in 2017
with the concept plan. It was
looked at for affordable
housing. So there was a there
are formal plans put together
for this. The site is very
constrained with a lot of
things. A lot of a lot of
charm that goes into it, too,
because of the the trail
that's there. The creek is
right there. You'd be all
familiar with this being a
cross from university village
across the creek from
University Village area. So
the trail and there's very
beautiful. And so the trail by
sex, the property in quite a
bit. And we'll look show that
here in a minute. T previous
zoning, which was pdi-p to eye
way before. It was reason. I
did believe did so. That's
more of an industry will allow
data center just for whatever
it's worth. When it's an
either zone.
>> They're not allowed in
either them.
>> Thank you, MR. Williams. I
mean, MR. Walker.
>> So it what he was looking
for in particular on this
property, the property owners,
he was looking to figure out
how to get value out of this
land. So when he approached
us, we're looking at it for
something along the idea of a
campground, recreational
vehicle, park clothes was
really what he was looking at.
And he was looking at more of
a clamping kind of a the feel
that would go along the creeks
there. But he also didn't want
he wanted have the multifamily
allowance.
>> As happens with us, seems
like every project that touch
things change when you're just
doing his own change. An.
>> And over time we've had a
lot of interest in the
multifamily side of things. So
it's a it's a good fit. The
idea is to really return
zoning of the property back to
what it was and what it
allowed, which was the
multifamily aspect and the
campground recreational
vehicle Park. So in 2023, the
utc was adopted. And next, an
which is mixed use
neighborhood still streamside.
So there's there's all those
components to coach the site.
This is the prior concept
plans. So the if you look at
Upper cross building on there,
that's an existing structure
that exists there today. I
believe there's a home made
lives in there right now. And
with this plan, they were
looking at it as a clubhouse.
So just going to convert the
existing building and then the
larger building being the
multi-family. This was done by
America, West House and
solutions during that that
process to my knowledge, they
never actually owned this
property so they weren't able
to go in and fulfill it before
the economy did what it did.
Here's a streamside overlay on
here and you can see the
overall site Israeli
highlighted on there. You can
see it expands across the
creek. It's really quite large
and the trail piece there.
There there's a stream side
overlay. I'm sorry. Property
doesn't go across creek and on
talking about streamside
overlay. So it's 53. 85 on the
map here. If I could. So know,
doesn't work. There's another.
There's friction site that it
turns it rotates. That's
confusing aspect. North is up
now. Or we've got a lot of it
in the inner buffer. Is the
1.7 5, I'm sorry. The powder.
And look at notes here keep
messing this up. That's the
outer buffer of the
streamside. The inner buffer
is the the 40 feet.
Development goals. As I
mentioned, multi-family
residential attached,
single-family campground
lodging. We've looked at all
of these aspects and what can
be done with site. It is
chopped up. There's a big
utility easement to comes to
the site as well as the trail.
And and the strange sight
aspects. But it is still
worthwhile to go after I put
all these in here, the
statement that you have has a
much larger exhaustive list. I
only put 5 19, an early read.
These are all have to do with
him. Still, you can imagine
you've seen these before. You
get the strategies and aspects
of anything you see isn't
change. And I mean, the backup
and this turn this over for
questions because that's
really the nuts and bolts the
property. The goals are really
to just return it to what was
allowed before. COUNCILMAN
Hinton. Thank you, MADAM
PRESIDENT, yet. Hey, John, I?
>> Not really a question, but
just more of a comment, I
suppose, which is how we
develop along the creek and
along that trail.
>> I you know, with the Pikes
Peak waterways, vision of what
can be possible with our creek
>> well, that I'm blanking on
the name of the shopping
center across universe of
illiteracy, diligence. It's
nice. Unfortunately, they
completely avoided the beauty
of taking advantage of the
beauty of looking over the
water on to the mountains and
I just hope that whatever gets
developed here, it takes
advantage of the beauty of the
watershed in the water. The
creek and activates that in a
way, you know, continues to
activate that because I think
it's a fabulous, you know,
it's fabulous. What we have a
long that along that creek.
>> Yeah, it really is
beautiful with out there and
can just walking around and
going on the property. It's
it's a fantastic piece. And
yeah, that was a disappointing
aspect of university village
when that one especially with
the 40 foot retaining wall and
and the other aspects towards
that
>> this site, I think would be
pretty hard to not engage the
creek. You know, it's it's
right there. There's
floodplain aspects that go
into this. But the creek is
the major manatee Mark
battling is. Not necessarily
something you really want to
front onto, but Creek,
absolutely.
See their questions at this
time.
>> have no one signed up in
support of the project and we
have no one signed up in a
position.
>> So we will now move to the
applicant. There's no rebuttal
so we will hear a final
closing from staff if there is
one. To the Dias for
questions. I don't see any. We
have a motion from COUNCILMAN
In a second from COUNCILMAN
Risley. Let's vote.
We can do
it. If you want to do roll
call, we can do a voice, vote.
And the motion passes 8 to
one. Serene 8 to 0 with one
absence.
>> Moving on to lie to item 11
b, will the please read item
11 b into the record ordinance
number. 26 30 amending a
zoning map of the city in
Colorado Springs pertaining to
7.7 9 acres located at 42 90
43 10. 43 2043 30 43, 40
backing him drive.
>> From business Park with
conditions or record to light
industrial with conditions of
our current secondary.
>> Today's hearing will
proceed following city staff
presentation applicant
presentation public comment
support public. I'm in a
position applicant rebuttal
closing staff comments and
actually dies for
councilmember questions,
deliberation and decision. We
will now have from the city
planning.
>> Malia, Brian Plan 2 again.
Chris Sullivan was the case
planner. Those projects news
on it is not available. So I'm
here. And in his place. I
neither application for his
own map Amendment land use
statements and this project
site is located on Cunningham
drive South east of the
intersection of Centennial
Boulevard. And got surrounded
road. And these are 5
currently vacant. Lots. The
total site area, 7.7 9 acres.
So again, the project proposal
is a zoning map. Amendment out
with land use statements.
There are some existing
conditions of record
associated with the business
park zoning. So existing
conditions of record and that
staff is proposing to remove
include a 25 foot landscape.
Buffer. And that to be
provided Jason to the southern
property boundary. There's
another condition to service
facilities, including looting
and trash, including areas
will be designed arranged to
avoid adverse impact on
adjacent property. Zoned
residential. Facility shall be
screened, buildings, other
means acceptable by city
planning. Director. So just to
give a little bit more
background on this it is
currently zoned business park
and with conditions a record
and the surrounding properties
to the north and east are
predominantly zoned business
park used for storage
warehousing and light
industrial uses and to the
West. We have excuse medium
scale. This is a commercial
shopping center to the South,
we have in our 5 districts
that includes single-family
residential. These existing
conditions, a record that are
associate with the zoning kind
of considered to be sign read
and given the tools that exist
in the current unified
development code. Again, I
will touch on a little bit
later. But as part of this
rezoning request would be
removing these existing
conditions record and then
imposing new conditions of
record. And prohibiting the
following me says Household
living group living.
Industrial hemp marijuana
related services, natural
medicine and indoor and
Outdoor channel's, and I'm
just for your information.
Household living includes
pretty much all residential
uses and the unified
development code.
Councilman tend to be question
already. One way to finished.
I would have a question at
that's to make Yeah, thank
you. Yeah, I just.
>> And maybe we'll get more
into this in your
presentation. But I'm I'm just
trying to understand the
removal of the conditions of
record and the addition of the
conditions of record, how
>> common is that in a rezone
and why? I mean, I guess I
just don't fully understand.
>> All of that. So if you're
going to explain it as you go
on, that's fine. However, you
want cover. That's fine with
me.
>> Right, absolutely. I'm
about to go into the site
history and I think that kind
of helps to explain kind of
how we got here. So at this am
does include 5 parcels, as I
mentioned, and they are
currently vacant. And there
are there's a history happened
title months on the site and
of which were ultimately
developed. So there have been
several different development
plans that were approved for
sports facility. A warehouse
office use recreational
vehicle storage. So several
different projects that
approved and ultimately not go
forward. And so my
understanding is existing
conditions record were meant
to provide mitigation for the
properties to the south
single-family residential
properties in the case. That's
something kind of more intense
and industrial in nature was
developed on these lots. So
that 25 foot landscape buffer
and also the extra screening
and design standards for the
loading trash enclosure areas.
Intended to. Kind of lower any
potential negative impacts on
me. The adjacent residential
neighborhood to the South.
However, during this review,
it was determined that at
these these conditions, we're
no longer and they were they
were kind of redundant. As I
said previously, just due to
the tools that exist in the
current unified development
code. We do have a landscape
buffering requirements from
residential to industrial uses
residential to commercial
uses. And that does include 15
foot minimum landscape for.
And additionally, the way the
site is oriented to Adam,
which will see it would more
like a 50 foot. But for a guy
with between the landscaping
and an act, access easement
that runs across the south,
portion of the property so
during the review process, it
was determined that those
existing conditions record,
we're no longer necessary.
>> And then add
>> Potential development of
the site. Was intended to be
restricted. Am too.
Potentially some some less
intensive uses. And that was
at the suggestion of the
applicants. That these
following uses that you see on
the screen would be prohibited
with this because reason.
>> So my men PRESIDENT I'm
sorry and demand up there. But
I asked my data center
question on this property
currently allowed in. The
zoning would be allowed in the
proposed zoning. So
>> So it would be allowed in
the light industrial zone
districts that is post.
>> Currently, it allowed to.
Is yes.
>> And dish just to clarify,
this is only a zone change
with land use statements. So
we have not received any
development plan applications
for the site at this time.
Additional mitigation measures
would be considered at meeting
on the intensity of use as we
proceed with the development
plan. Review the Unified
Development Code does include
landscape buffering
requirements, parking
requirements. Lots of
different design standards
that could be considered as
part of that development
process. So here we have the
existing homes, some existing
permitted uses in the business
parks and distract contrast
that with some of the
permitted uses in conditional
uses allowed a proposed light
industrial zoning districts.
And something else to
highlight is that need current
business park zoning and there
are established building
setbacks for all sides of the
property. Then the propose
light industrial zoning
districts. There's only a
minimum front setback 20 feet
and the rest of the building
setbacks. I would be
determined by other factors
such as landscaping, setbacks
and poking setbacks. There is
required 100 foot separation
requirements. I'm from
residential to development in
the business Park Zone
district specifically and that
you specific standard that
applies to this is partisan
districts does not apply the
proposed light industrial
zoning district. So that would
do away with that separation
requirement. And then there is
also an increase permissible
building height from 45 feet
in the business parks and
districts to 60 feet in the
late industrialist district.
And so this application was
submitted initially on MARCH
5th went through 3
administrative reviews and it
was ready for the agenda on
JUNE 12, 2026. It went to City
Planning Commission JULY 8th
2026. And it was heard
Planning Commission did
recommends approval to city
council and that was 7 to have
a recommended approval.
>> And not during the
Administrative review. And
prior to both public hearings.
>> 264 postcards were sent out
to properties within 1000 feet
of the site. Initially 3
comments are received 2 of
which were in opposition with
concerns about potentially
intense eu says that could be
allowed in the light
industrial zoning district.
There specific concerns about
higher noise impact. And and
potential impacts across
property lines. Additionally,
there were 2 comments that
received prior to the City
Council hearing and that pass
along to council staff for the
council members. One was in
opposition with concerns
specifically about the
potential for data center use.
And then the other was in
support of the proposed
projects. U.S. Was evaluated
by city agencies and there
were comments identified
during the review process.
Additional comments will be
provided when a development
submitted city traffic
engineering also identified
right at my time find. So you
got ring. Also identified that
a trafficked traffic impacts.
It MAY be question that kind
of plan if that is
appropriate. You use. This was
reviewed for compliance with
plans to us and the Unified
Development Code. And this was
found to be in compliance. All
applicable plans and guiding
documents.
Staff can identify
any potentially and negative
impacts surrounding
properties. As long as
development plan. Excuse me.
So the the specific use and
development will be evaluated.
Under a future development
plan application. So we will
look at things like
landscaping and access
building orientation to
mitigate any of those
potential impacts to the
adjacent properties. So after
a valuation the application,
it was Oz, review criteria and
I can add taking questions.
Johnson, Casey.
>> Thank you members and you
can go back to the staff.
Slide that shows you stuff
with. Just curious where go.
Didn't start the fire. Issues
with this but industrial
purposes, Parker's of to
really.
>> a process for SoFi are
typically does not review zone
change applications they
typically will review
potential time planted middle.
>> packages come in. There's
applicant response to public
comment. Lot of public. I'm
about see that in the record.
In response to public comment.
It can go to your map, the
zoning I'm really trying
struggle without light
industrial fits in here with.
Residential run. Next, a
business exam. So with with
Laden, with with previous
business Park, real 100 foot
setback from that? Our 5,
housing development to the
self now going to let we have
no setback building. Lows will
be some landscaping. Took back
and the building heights get
tolerate 60 Foot vs. Great
5.45? So so that could have a
much bigger building
overlooking their backyards.
Pretty close to the fence line
with some minor landscaping or
whatever landscape,
developments that
>> Yes, they could potentially
have up to a 60 foot building
height.
>> And you don't. It doesn't
have her son, Pax or the other
criteria.
>> the applicant will get into
potential building design more
but.
>> given the existing
configuration of the lot.
>> There is a significantly
sized easement on the south
portion of the property and as
well as an access easement, a
private access easement is
easement that runs across that
southern portion of the
property. My understanding the
applicant intends to retain
and that as the as the main
access point, which would not
really create additional
buffer to single family
residential. Additionally.
>> so I can that again, the
main access 0,
>> grows. So there is access
easement that runs across the
southern portion of the
property north of and
additional easement. So there
is naturally going to be
significant buffer created by
those existing easements. Look
at the 50 feet significant
than yourselves. 53.
>> site for ago. Thank u next
up. We'll have the applicant.
Presentation for 15 minutes.
>> evening.
>> Last but not least been One
of the property owners with
Bacon, Land Holdings, llc
>> get So I'm gonna skip ahead
to a couple of things and
probably get some things are
more interested discussing is
the perfect one.
>> So there's residents up to
the south.
>> And there is. And various
different industrial uses
every other direction except
for the retail to the West.
And that retails kind of the
service area that retails.
It's not.
>> Customer face saying or
anything and and I think
what's most interesting about
this resign as this is
essentially history repeats
itself. This was a reasonably
zone. If you want you to think
that was depending on the
parcel is why there's an x in
2005 that was upsound to you
to that to zoning remained
until Believe when the new
year the sea was put into
place. So. Historically going
to light industrial isn't
necessarily an expansion of
the historical uses its just
restoring this. He says, I key
to and light industrial are
almost identical.
>> And when the bp zoning was
put in place, that was Don.
>> You know, not buy.
>> Discussion and the merits
of that parcel by parcel of it
was really just done as part
of the implication, the new
zoning. So by going back to
light industrial, actually
essentially the same zoning
that was there since 2005
>> so what we?
>> You talking about access
and things there currently is
a easement on the east side.
What's shown next to West
Texas. 3 we share with less
tech 3 that comes down. And
then what you can see through
the trees on the southern
side, there's an existing road
there, too. We planned
utilizes exact roads, improve
the U.S. That act as the main
access to reconfigure sight of
say 3 to 4 parcels.
>> then
>> the when we talk about
building design, looks because
the residential neighbors,
that's the first thing that we
want deal with and make sure
we're listen to. The way this
site with layout would be.
Access to coming down. The
east side wrapping around on
the South side. There's a
storm water ponds that were
working through the details of
that would axe lie in the
South side there, too. Then
you would have parking and
we've agreed to have the
orientation of any building so
that the it. Let's say, from
south to north, it is access
and storm water, then customer
parking. Then the building.
And then if there's an outdoor
are yar component to it to be
on the north side so that the
building the parking access
all acts as a buffer. To
mitigate. Any negative impacts
as residences. Sea. Some of
the things we've done with.
From the perspective, we got
rid of a lot of the uses that
we felt that Dan Fit there you
know, for odor for noise, the
buildings and the way that
we're planning now, this site
oriented. Helps noise with
dust. It's it acts those
buildings themselves act as a
buffer on top of that distance
created by the various
functions on the South side.
>> and
>> then this is just a quick
snapshot of of within business
Park. Business parking light
industrial. The breath.
Obviously part of the
industrial umbrella. And
within the zoning what I try
to do here on the.
>> The section with the Green.
Everything that term on
>> that is the list of
everything that can be done
right now. Business Park
versus light. So anything in
green requires an additional
development standards to come
and actually have a safe. And
so there's additional
mitigation this.
>> Required by the code. If
you take all those green ones
that have that extra stop and
eliminate, does your left at
the top right? Which is where
Scott, the blue.
>> The blue actually.
>> Sorry, I it's been a minute
since saw this. But so let me
back up the green. The green
is conditional uses.
>> So those are all within the
light industrial. Those are
uses that obviously are
conditional. When you read
conditional uses your left at
the to operate with the blue.
Those are the ones where those
additional development
standards come into play. So
that's additional mitigation
to get those uses that then
the bottom right is what's
left when you simply remove
all those additional things.
What is allowed by, right?
That MAY not be allowed in. Bp
puts a lot of my industry
becomes those uses mere what
essentially psp 2 was
historically.
>> COUNCILMAN Casey.
>> could back to it. So I
understand the uses that
you're taking out that you're
not considering that what you
need light industrial forward.
What proposed use is juicy and
light industrial that are not
are a lot bp or something like
a mix that.
>> Yeah, that's good question.
So
>> the biggest difference,
there's some hesitation in the
market and many of these where
its business part and light
industrial, they prefer to see
light. So there's a lot of
groups that want even proceed
because there's some gray area
in the late show. There's not
obviously that many uses the
ones that are important to us
are.
>> There is heavy equipment
sales and construction sales
and services. And the
previously there used to be
contracted. You are there was
some different definitions of
that with throughout their
it's slightly changed here.
Those capture those uses. But
it's basically. You know. But
we're trying to provide is
theirs service businesses that
need to supply the city. This
is a central located location
within a business park. And if
designed this and come forward
to the site plan doctors and
the neighbors to the south of
the residents.
>> That
>> we would like to be able to
have some. You know, try to
read right here, but the
construction sales and
service, for example, those
ones that aren't allowed in
business Park. And that is a
category think with a lot of
the users would fall into that
would be perfect uses for that
site.
>> It just seems like
something like heavy vehicle
and couldn't repair would be
noisy and going back to the
public comment. That was one
of the concerns that the or is
this I would create versus a
business park which is
intentionally kind of designed
to be later terms was impacts.
Speak to that all that
matters. You have. You have
interest to companies that are
interested in doing this or
this rezoning to position
yourself to be available to
them or where we had in the
process.
>> So right now we don't have
anybody identify specifically
a lot of There is some
hesitancy with the business
park zoning. So it's hard to
even go out there and do that
without this being in place,
which is I think part of the
reason they went up to 4. But
now we're trying to do that
again. I think. Term member
first questions are.
>> I guess I'm just looking
heavy vehicle equipment repair
options like it would be
noisy. And you put it on top
of a residential that again
going into my second part will
This is Parker All-rounders
seems to be developed as bp.
So.
>> I'm not sure quite. Why you
think this would not be
developed.
>> So there's a couple things
On the. Heavy equipment use.
So there's there's a there's a
unique list of things. There
are a lot bp. One of those
>> truck terminal, for
example. She could have
there's a truck terminal
actually to immediately north
of So you can have truck
traffic right now coming in
and out for truck terminal.
Our warehousing are things so
I don't know. That is
significant different. We
don't have a heavy equipment
user identified sales and
rental is something that I
think there might be to
insult. There's lack of
visibility. So we'll see. But
>> I there's other uses within
business part that I think
introduce the sound. The same
tax earns potentially about
sound. Going back to this site
being developed, more business
part. So this site in the 60's
was part of that. Open pit
mine by City, Colorado
Springs. They would.
>> executed
>> it out.
>> and Turner, then.
>> I'm trying remember the So
they excavated. They took.
>> When they backfill that
they use flash material from a
Fire plant in Colorado Springs
and backfill this site. So one
of the neighboring size has 30
foot to us.
>> 45 foot layers of this
flash. The flash doesn't
support buildings. So in a
similar to some of the other
ones you see to the east. They
have more building. Relative
to the size of site that we
would propose a lot because we
don't have the Bering capacity
of the soils because of the
historic you. So we spent a
lot of time with consults to
go through and try it.
Identify where these were in
environmental concerns. Make
sure we're covered there.
>> But it is a reality that
have to deal with and said the
soils don't allow for that.
So. Over time this site has
become a nuisance. We've met
with the police department out
there multiple times. We've
got homeless encampments as up
there yesterday. We're doing
our best to manage top of the
only way we see that being
mitigate is development of
this site. And so. Currently
we have. Probably quarterly.
We have groups going to clean
out the site. We've got.
Homeless encampments a pop up
again and they're mostly
positioned along that southern
property with industries
backing up against the
neighbors. And so a lot of the
reason and I don't know for
sure the history of why some
of the previous partisan ago
Fort that MAY be a component
is this lack of the soils that
allow for that? So we're
trying to find productive use.
But this land into Mitigates
the concerns from his
neighbors to the south. By the
way, the site's laid out. But
outdoor storage is allowed
within business. Part. We're
only. Trying to get a little
bit more clarity to the uses
of me a lot.
>> Look at section 7.2 for one
business park and talks about
use a suitable for business
and districts of operations
that are quiet and clean to
ensure the creation and
maintenance of an
environmental protect the
occupants of the business park
from wanted traffic noise and
performance of bison. Just
seems like a lot of those
commercial uses. You're
looking at But it does trail
vehicle heavier are going to
be noisy and, you know,
potentially dusty and things
like that as well. So that my
concern. That to be the
concern of the neighboring
comments are present as well.
If you have any response to
that. But that's well as
commercial banks.
>> I mean, I don't totally
understand as a night have
that conversation. Some of the
neighbors about that. The one
>> public comment that came
through for concerns about
introducing uses to the
neighborhood and things that
was actually the person
upsound it to be a key to
prior. He's to be former
owner. This and so that was a
little surprising to me. But
the rest of the neighbors,
particularly ones that back up
to this site. We've had
conversations and try to try
to discuss with them. I didn't
have any nasa feedback from
anybody. Only just the things
that I've seen from other
comment. Those minute.
>> COUNCILMAN Donaldson.
>> Yemen, PRESIDENT And
>> For those here on council,
this is page. This is from
Page 7, 18 7.19. But it is a
neighbor who maybe this is
what you're referring to lists
off concerns.
>> One is the roadways with
the intensity of use, the some
of the things would be
permitted. He's worried about
that. Noise, visual and
operational impacts uses such
as heavy equipment repair and
construction related services.
Often all the outdoor storage,
large machinery, Senate
operating hours. These
conditions are inconsistent
with a quieter more controlled
business park environment
would negatively impact nearby
properties and then
degradation the area
character. The Business Park
designation reflects a
higher-end professional
development standard allowing
uses such as major vehicle
repair and heavy equipment
operations would materially
alter the character of the
area. Introducing
industrialist attics and
activities that are not
compatible with the existing
vision. And then they go on to
talk about how that's going to
impact or property values. You
know, they finish for these
reasons that respectfully
request that we deny the
rezoning. The existing
business park zoning allows
for significant responsible
permitted industrial uses. And
they feel like this is going
to change the character of
What is your response to
>> So that is the one he
development they have is
beautiful development and
really glad it happened has
never a very good job
maintaining if you drive by.
It's it's it's very
professionally done. So I'm
very glad that they're the
neighbor.
>> they came forward in 2000
made in 2000. 3 that came
forward with a plan that does
exactly essentially eerily
close to what we intend to
They had sites laid out with
access on the South Billings
oriented on the south and to
the site and yards to the
North.
>> And they their reasoning.
As I understand it when they
then came back in 2005 and up
sound from Gap. You want you
to introduce these exact same
things that we're looking for
at the time they were
considered.
>> Construction and or
contractor yards, construction
sales and well, sorry us. A
new one construction indoor
contractor yards was
introduced by the by the
rezone and vehicle automotive
repair garage. Major.
>> Was introduced by that
reason to happy to.
>> Those.
>> We're all by that same
public comment is the prior
owner of this specific parcel
site plan isn't extended.
>> Again in 2010, when the
weather would have otherwise
expire to 2014 by that same
group. So it's just a bit
surprised by that because this
was their original plan to
win. They also on the property
to the East.
>> You're surprised by it, but
how do Factually respond the
roads will be fined.
>> Yeah, So I think.
>> The what we did do wish
some of the it completely
agree with that they hot and
we really try to be thoughtful
about, you know, I don't have
in front of me, but I think
there were some comments about
some of those uses marijuana
related things like that. I
totally agree has to. And so
>> we actually adjusted some
of that.
>> Prior to going to planning
commission to account for some
of those, whether it's noise,
dirt, dust, there's certain
things for dust in particular.
We don't have a specific site
plan yet, but when we do,
we're looking at different
materials. That would be a
component. I think that the
development plan stage that
instead of having speaker
aided by a yard that we can
use different products on top
of that to eliminate concern
and have the ability to come
forward in front of the
planning department and
propose what those things are
dita out in Clea mitigate some
of the other concerns that
they I think from a traffic
perspective, this is an
industrial area. It's a closed
loop. All industrial traffic
and business. There's some
flex properties to the ones to
the East. But there is
distribution warehouse.
There's a truck terminal. I
don't see the character of
traffic being generated by a
project here being any
different than the existing
traffic patterns and use of an
types of traffic. The unc.
>> Thank you, MADAM PRESIDENT.
And I see other questions at
this time. Moving on to public
comment. We have no one signed
up in support and we have no
one signed in opposition. No
rebuttal. Of the back to the
Dyess COUNCILMAN Pension.
Thank you, MADAM PRESIDENT, I
a question that really is more
of a curiosity bigger picture.
Broad context. You've spoken a
little bit to the history and
the context and then actually
directed to our planning
director Kevin Walker. And
I've always wondered in terms
of how Colorado Springs has
developed. Area of our city
that you know, at the
foothills of the mountains and
really quite beautiful. And
>> desirable as a place to
live. Why that corridor has
become set such a place for
light industrial as opposed to
something for their out east.
It's just it's just never made
a lot of sense to me. And it
doesn't.
>> Will it impact my vote on
this at all, which him so
much? We're going to vote. But
do have context you could
offer sure. I think that the
context
>> of the Garden of the Gods
Corridor as an industrial
corridor was a lot different
in the 1960's when this was
first started and first
developed. So you didn't have
a lot of the residential uses.
They came later. And so the
corridor itself was actually
quite isolated. In those in
those times. And it would made
sense in that kind development
pattern. And in those kind of
development years. Industrial
parks were separated from the
city. They were along a major
corridor just like this not.
And I think that what's
happened here is that the
corridor developed
industrially, but it was a lot
of land. So it didn't
completely develop. And this
piece is a remnant piece like
that. And then the residential
piece developed up to them.
That's where that used to use
relationship. You issues have
been really kind of created.
So I think that gives
>> So a combination of we were
small enough at the time. And
that was really far out.
That's what you did with
industrial parks. And I'm
wondering if, know, the also
the mining that happened upon
the mountain where they were
excavating that also probably
kind of contributed. I'm
guessing garden of the Gods
corridor came straight out of
the Industrial Development
Handbook. So and that and I
remember that.
>> Brown.
>> right here on your head.
Okay. Thank you, Kevin.
COUNCILMAN Drizzly.
>> Thank you. MADAM PRESIDENT,
unlike MR. Walker, I don't
remember the 1960's.
>> But I am very familiar with
this area. My dad were killed,
Packard I grew you know,
hanging out with him that
Packard. I have a couple
questions for the applicant.
If you don't mind coming back
up.
>> In terms of the surrounding
this property. I certainly
understand and hear what my
colleague MR. Casey is saying
with regard to properties to
the South and I count.
>> About 7 residences that
backup directly to this
property. But when I'm looking
at Google Earth, I'm seeing
that there appears to be a
very significant existing
barrier of trees to do those
exist today. Are those still
there? They do And it looks to
me like this property actually
sits up above in elevation
higher than the resident
residential properties to the
South. You mean the our
Several higher. It's actually
it's it's very confusing.
Buckingham is definitely
higher the road as it comes
around. And there's a steep
s#
#
again on the West side
where the retail is, there's a
steep s#
#
, but the grid of
our
>> land relative to the
PRESIDENT Says is almost a
cent. Okay? Yeah. Yeah. That
must be what's sort of
deceptive is that the you
know, Google obviously is on
the roads and private property
Buckingham. Definitely looks
like it's up higher.
>> Significantly. And then it
goes up higher as you go
further to the North.
>> I understand that we
comments from citizens about
concern of the of this
development adjacent to their
properties. But I noted that
there are only 2 speakers at
the Planning Commission
hearing. Both had the same
last name. So think it's safe
to deduce that they probably
live in the same household in
this neighborhood in some of
their complaints. Actually the
some of the things that you
address, the trash and
homelessness in some of the
other situations that that
occurring or
>> are on your property now.
And I think you commented that
one way to cure that obviously
is to activate the property
and development and do
something with that aside from
just a vacant lot.
>> You want to expand it on on
that and maybe kind of the
concerns of the neighbors had
relative to the current
condition of the site.
>> Yeah, I think there is if
if I remember right, they had
2 main concerns. One about are
the condition of our property.
>> One concerns about the back
of the retail section, the
back of the retail section.
They were just that's where
they have their dumpsters and
trash enclosures and wind will
blow that around. And so they
are wondering, you concerns
about that, which you
obviously have no control
over. That's not your
property, right? Correct. And
we would have the same concern
of trash being blown around
because we want professional,
as you know, the tracks of
sight. So does out of her
control. That's one concern.
The other one was there's
been.
>> It's there's there's
campfires up against their
fence lines. There's illegal
dumping what we've there's
been homeless camps, illegal
dumping and it's assortment of
other things that we've or to
the police try to mitigate the
best we can. There's what
we've done is since we so we
purchase property in MARCH.
The previous owner had some
financial difficulties which
didn't allow them maintain it
very well over that period of
time.
>> The and they did it on for
that long.
>> What we have since done is
blocked off. The entrance has
worked with the fire
department. Make sure they
have all the access they need.
And then be able to push dirt.
Now up to prevent the illegal
something. Now we have on a
quarterly basis. We're working
to have those cleaned up and
go through. But it's a
constant battle. From what
I've seen and heard is that
once we any of issues they
return within. 24 to 72 hours.
So it's a constant battle that
we're doing our best to try to
keep that clean. But we do
think the only way, really,
because it's been. For so many
years, this unknown place to
go that ultimate development
of the sites, best way to
clean this up and kind of
compliment that development
and the investment that's made
immediately service with the
with the project there. And on
that point.
>> You know, you I think said
that the business Park service
surrounding your neighbors,
that it's very well managed.
Very well sort of kept
business park. There are
sections of do appear to
nicely landscapes. But I see a
lot and you've described it
already there. There appears
to be very heavy truck traffic
coming out of a couple of
these locations. There's one
properties it looks like some
sort of car storage, junk yard
facility that's got these big,
you know, metal canopies with
cars parked underneath it
dilapidated fencing and
landscaping. That doesn't
that's completely overgrown.
In my mind, you know, if I had
just seen pictures of these
things, precast concrete
warehouses, you know, pre
engineered metal buildings. I
wouldn't think that those are
business Park uses if I
wouldn't. If you were just to
show me pictures of these
buildings in these properties,
I would say that definitely
looks like some sort of an
industry. You certain
industrial zone? I would not
have guessed a business park
at all. And the reason I bring
that up is that it, you know,
again, understand the concern
the compatibility to with the
properties to the south, the
residential properties to
south. But in terms of
compatibility, with all of the
other property surrounding
this area. You know, I really
struggled to see how anything
that you would propose is
different from what's already
there and going going back to
MR. Walker's Point, you 70
years ago, 60 years ago, this
was the major industrial
driver, Colorado Springs. This
was the corridor and to his
point, all of the residential
you see up against it. Now.
Grew their overtime. So people
built these houses next to
these major industrial
complexes. People bought
houses and moved into houses
next to this. Not the other
way around. And I think that's
important thing to recall into
remembering this conversation.
Tiffany, thank from planning.
Am just had final closing
comments.
>> One thing that staff would
like to highlight is that in
addition to the landscape
buffering requirements I
between residential.
>> 2 commercial or industrial
use they're also a variety of
you specific standards. And
that impact site design
requirements those would be
evaluating development plan
stage. But many of the more
kind of more intense potential
use is allowed on site to have
additional buffer screening
requirements when adjacent to
residential properties. Thank
you. Thank you. COUNCILMAN
Donaldson.
>> MADAM You know, I
appreciate the applicant's
efforts take to clean it up. I
garden of the gods is that
corridor is changing and the
proximity to. Gotten well to
garden a garden of the gods
and kissing camels. It's not
the same as it was 60 years
ago. And I do think we want
maintain As professional and a
static as we can. And
therefore, I'd like to offer.
A motion to deny the ordinance
amending the zoning map. The
city of Colorado Springs
related to the 7.7 9 acres
located at 42 90 43 10. 43
2043, 30 43, 40 Buckingham
Drive from the currents zoning
to the proposed zoning and I
can read all that out. If you
would like.
>> And MADAM PRESIDENT, I had
already made a motion to
approve.
>> With a second, it looks
like from councilmember Remy.
Sorry. Is there a question in
this state?
>> I believe that there is a
motion to approve in a second.
However, COUNCILMAN Donaldson
has a motion. Believe he's
goes first.
>> You know, honestly, as
speak tonight, I notice that
COUNCILMAN Vice-PRESIDENT
Risley had made it on the can
on the screen. And so all
accept that. But then I would
like to to Make a motion for
an amendment. MADAM PRESIDENT.
>> 2 amends.
>> The
>> prohibited so use
categories which are now
currently, you know, a through
f.
>> to add an additional which
would be g and that would be
data centers. Do you have a
second? Will find out.
>> So COUNCILMAN Just wanted
to the applicant was sort of
If he if I could ask the
applicant how he feels about
that.
>> We have no desire to build
a data center. So that's
totally fine to be.
>> So in a motion from
COUNCILMAN Donna Senate and
the second from council and
Gold.
>> 2, the clerk. Can you
verify the amendment?
Shorthand to the main motion
to prohibit data centers. As a
condition of record.
>> Which we will correct. Do
the correct lane with full
language in the minutes. But
this was just a shorthand
typing or you get that Are you
good with that? COUNCILMAN
Donaldson.
>> Yeah, I believe that
captures my intent. Okay.
Let's vote
>> And the passes from 3 to an
end.
>> To the motion from council
members in a second from
councilmember rainy, too. The
proof with the conditions. Is
that correct? To approve with
those conditions? I just want
write record a system is
frozen again. Yes, you're
voting on the and action.
>> What's
still present. Can
we just points vote? Is that
agreeable call the roll?
Please councilmember Casey.
All right. Councilmember
Coronavirus an eye. That's a
member Donaldson know.
Councilmember gold. I that's
the engine. Councilmember line
members absent councilmember
rainy, Councilmember easily
right. Councilmember Williams,
I have. And the motion passes
7, 1, Moving to item 13 when
our citizens discussion for
items not on today's agenda,
per City Council's citizens
will have 3 minutes to share
their comments. Have a list of
those who have signed up. When
I your name. Please come
forward, introduce yourself
and limit yourself to talk.
>> Books that are relevant.
Germane to city business.
First we have a j sir.
>> Good Evening. City Council.
Why speak you'll see 2 sets of
footage. So the first damage
to Rocky Ball Bistro. A local
restaurant rammed by a stolen
vehicle after a teenager fired
rounds into the neighboring
shop. The second is a walk of
empty and abandoned
storefronts directly across
from City Hall in Nevada and
around these you I counted
multiple closed businesses in
the short stretch and was even
harassed by homeless
individual while filming. I'm
showing this because there is
a clear gap between the
mayor's public narrative and
what residents actually see.
The mayor repeatedly claimed
small businesses are thriving.
Homeless numbers are down and
crime is under control. The
footage and the empty
storefronts say otherwise. On
cross specifically, the mayor
likes to highlight the last 2
years. He rarely discussed is
the first year of his
administration. One federal
border policy was still wide
open and the problems were
even more pronounced. Taking
credit for improvements that
track with larger enforcement
shifts elsewhere is a pattern.
Members of this body have even
publicly noted that the mayor
has claimed credit for work
that they initiated.
Everything becomes a photo
opportunity. Senior centers
dance studios start up week.
Award ceremonies. Meanwhile,
the storefronts stay empty.
The cancer, Maine and small
businesses absorb the costs of
disorder that keeps getting
worse. I go through the
system. I look forward to the
mayor's reaction after today's
comments. Last time I brought
video of encampments and
challenge the numbers. A press
conference appear the
following day. The 15
department homeless response
team presentation seems to be
the default slide deck.
Whatever residents raised the
issue, the same one already
given to other neighbors,
neighborhoods that complain.
Springs taxpayer United
attended the press conference
and called it a nothing burger
on Facebook. Residents are
unimpressed least of all
myself. Transparency means
matching the press releases
the reality of the ground. The
videos are the receipt.
Questions? All I got.
>> Next step we have Taylor
great.
>> First of all, just time.
First of all, on Sam bless his
family. Congratulations for
him. Let's give him racing.
Bonuses had cast them.
>> Also. I can't believe that
all the people disappointed
walk out again like it's so
crazy to see a bunch of
constituents come in here and
tell you all that stuff. And
then Mike Walkout all crying.
You're losing the faith of
people like that. That's also
the same thing when the
Freeman thing with the hotel,
what I didn't see was a bunch
of disappointed people walking
out when there was the creepy
hotel. Arming the creepy
apartment. We're gonna put
next to the school that was in
prior to it. So this is a
problem. We can't treat
briargate like it's better
than the south side of town.
We need to be treating every
we're like it's the same. I
honestly believe that you guys
would have allowed that hotel
or that apartment if it wasn't
in the briargate area and
that's a problem. The data
center Dave, thank you for
really defending that. That
was spectacular. We don't want
that. And why are we amending
some weird zones? It's real
fishy. Let's just say,
Kimberly. Well, yeah. Last
time about not using our drug
money to fund the police like
we have a like at least as
citizen. I know we let drugs
in our city under the
condition that we were going
to use that money for schools
and trails and you do not tell
a Colorado resident that
you're going to spend their
money on trails and their kids
and spend it on. Addressing
people. My brother's doing
very well. He was forced into
some help. He's now home. He's
healthy. He's off drugs and
he's my brother again. So I
just want to remind you, you
can put that money somewhere
where it can actually. But
someone back into
>> being an ok position? You
know, we're going to have
>> Project Taurus thing come
up. Obviously everyone's
thinking about it. I want you
guys to really think about,
you know, the Fremont group,
this group that you just walk
out like when everybody gets
their butts happened here and
comes in here and 6 are all.
That's what you understand. It
s#
#
. It's hard to get down
here. It's hard. You guys have
at least some nice chairs, but
it's it's hard really, really
think about the constituents
points that when they come in
here, how can entire room be
like for something is against
type of thing? I I want
>> I want to look each and
every one of you in the eye.
>> Everyone, anyone. All of
ok? When the vote comes for
project Taurus, everyone is
going to see, you know, one in
this city wants a data center.
>> So I don't care what
millions of dollars of taxes.
What they offer you. The
answer is no. And you guys all
know And I want to see that in
action. And gold.
>> Hi, Taylor. Thanks for
being here. Just point of
order because I think it's
important to make sure that
we're operating off the same
page of information when we
voted allocate the
recreational marijuana
revenue. It was for 3 buckets
and those 3 buckets for
specifically public safety
programs, mental health and
pts tree treatment for
veterans. So those were the
the last month, the matter
told correctly, so that so
it's not it's there's a lot of
confusion about like schools
and trails as you that we
should be using it from the
mental health peace, not
security.
>> COUNCILMAN, rainy. Thank
you, MADAM PRESIDENT. That's
right. It's same thing I just
want to make to
clarifications. Now a
clarification number one on
the Briargate project.
>> That project fail
unanimously body council. So
just want to make sure just so
weird. Usually guys failed But
made a lot of person like
comments about will in this
area in this side of town.
>> Let's not pretend I
understand briargate. It's
nice, but I want the entire
city nice.
>> And the to my colleague's
comment. In that in those 3
buckets. Yes, there's funds
that went to public safety
peace, but there are also
funds that I actually lead
that went to ptsd for
veterans. So I just want to
make sure I want to tell her
that I just don't want any
drug money going to hire
folks.
>> We're not the mob or
something we did. We need to
be careful what we spend our
drug money on.
>> just know, it looks
different. It is different I
appreciate Thank you for
asking questions. I really
appreciate you guys long, hard
days. It's not always easy.
Obviously some things.
>> It could go either way. But
I really do appreciate you
guys. It's heart keep standing
up.
>> Thank u next. If we have
Kyle Mcguffey.
>> Hello, good afternoon. My
name is Khan. We got the time
today. I'm here today to speak
about 2 separate transparency
concerns involving project
Taurus and the city's use of
surveillance technology. First
project Taurus is currently
being appealed. And city
council is scheduled to hear
that appeal in SEPTEMBER.
17th. The issue I want to
raise is not whether SEPTEMBER
17th falls within that time
frame allowed by city code
because it does. Issue is how
that particular date was
selected before the hearing
date was finalize. That
feelings were asked to provide
scheduling considerations one
it provided dates. They would
be unavailable. And another
proposed the last week of
SEPTEMBER for the first week
of OCTOBER, which was also
workable for the other group.
SEPTEMBER 17th was selected in
both. The parent groups have
documented conflicts with that
date. The city responded that
SEPTEMBER 17th falls within
the allowable window. And that
council has discretion to
select the hearing date. But
that answers whether Council
can. But answers whether
Council can choose SEPTEMBER
17th. It doesn't answer. Why
SEPTEMBER 17th was chosen. The
allowable window reportedly
continues through OCTOBER.
3rd, if there's a specific
reason SEPTEMBER 17th needs
remain the hearing, I think
council should simply explain
that reason put it into the
record books if there is. And
I think council should
consider another day within
the allowable window that
gives both appealing groups a
meaningful opportunity to
participate. I also want to
raise a separate transparency
concerning on JULY 28th I
submitted a public records
request to Colorado Springs
Police Department Automated
license plate reader records
tied to a specific vehicle
including detections access
logs, alerts, access with the
owners signed authorization.
Cspd says an internal do day
of AUGUST. 11th which a
technician later acknowledged
had been missed. The request
was denied on AUGUST 17th. In
that same day, I asked
specific grounds for that than
I do. I still have not
received that written response
citing the law or regulation
supporting that. Under
Colorado revised statute
section 2, 4, dash, 7, 2, dash
3, 0, by subsection 6 when
access to a criminal justice
record is denied the requester
can for a written statement
explore explaining the grounds
for that than I do in that
statement must be provided
within 72 hours. I've
continued following up with
Cspd. Sorry. I continue
pulling up in Cspd has told me
the request is being reviewed
as technology expands,
residents should be able to
understand what the city
operates. What it collects and
why related records are
withheld. I would prefer to
resolve this administratively.
But I am considering the
courtroom money available
under Section 2, 4, 7, 2 Dash,
305 subsection 6, if
necessary. Whether it's a
project tours or surveillance
technology, the public to
understand not just what the
city can do, but why doesn't?
Thank COUNCILMAN Gold. Thank
you. MADAM PRESIDENT.
>> Kyle, MAY I ask, how long
have you been here today?
>> Since 09:00am.
>> I thought so ask how old
are you? I'm 14 years old. 14.
I don't have a specific
response to the nature of your
comments, but I just really
want to commend you for your
patience and your courage.
It's really delightful to see
somebody as young as you Sow
engaged. Thank you. Thank you
so much.
>> And that does and our
citizens comments for today.