[0:14] Well,

[0:32] it's another beautiful night in Pueblo, Colorado. I'm going to call to order the regular

[0:36] city council meeting. Today is Monday, July 14, 2025. We're going to start off our meeting

[0:45] with the invocation, Pastor Jim Yury, from Pueblo Praise. Come on up.

[0:52] If you wish, stand

[0:53] with us for the invocation and then we'll do the pledge of allegiance immediately followed.

[0:59] Heavenly Father, I just want to thank you for this evening and for just being able to live

[1:05] in the United States of America and this great state of Colorado and Lord the headman gem

[1:12] of Colorado, Pablo Colorado. We thank you for our beautiful city. Thank you for our council that's

[1:18] here a mayor. The people that are here tonight representing Pueblo God. Lord, bring blessing

[1:24] on every family in Pueblo, Lord. Lord, all of our first responders, Heavenly Father. Lord,

[1:30] always bring safety and peace and blessing and prosperity to our city in Jesus' name. Amen.

[1:59] Mr. Clerk, we move to roll call, please.

[2:03] Mark A. Left here, Brett Boston, Dennis Flores, here, Roger Gomez, Joe Latino, here, Regina

[2:09] Maistrie, here, Sarah Martinez,

[2:13] we're all here and accounted for.

[2:15] We now move into special recognitions.

[2:17] First up on the agenda is a proclamation presentation for Pueblo County Fair Days.

[2:24] Vicki Ingram, Pueblo County Fair Board Member and Josie Harder, member of 4-H and Kelly

[2:31] Sloan, member of FFA and 4-H, come on up,

[2:48] right up in front.

[2:54] So this is a proclamation, Pueblo County Fair Days July 18th through the 27th, 2025,

[3:01] whereas the Pueblo County Fair would be held July 18th through the 27th, 2025, at the Colorado

[3:08] out of state fairgrounds and whereas more than 250 4-H and FFA youth entered in

[3:15] over 1,200 classes in projects ranging from livestock, sheep, goats, swine,

[3:22] beef, poultry, and rabbit, dog shows, horse show, general consumer science which

[3:27] is baking, clothing, leathercraft, photography, woodworking, and many, many more,

[3:32] and shooting sports. And whereas 4-H and FFA provide opportunities for

[3:38] for Pueblo Youth to learn citizenship, leadership,

[3:41] and sportsmanship.

[3:42] And whereas the Pueblo County Fair continues

[3:45] to encourage participation and recognition

[3:48] of the varied accomplishments of Pueblo County Youth

[3:53] through a partnership with the Pueblo County Extension

[3:56] Office and future farmers of America.

[3:59] And whereas the Pueblo County Fair provides opportunities

[4:02] for residents to learn about agriculture, livestock,

[4:06] and various arts and crafts.

[4:08] Now, therefore, we, the City Council of the City of Pueblo, Colorado, by the authority vested in us, do hereby proclaim July 18th through the 27th, 2025, as Pueblo County Fair Days in the City of Pueblo, Colorado.

[4:25] And in witness where I have herein to set my hand and cause the seal of the City of Pueblo, Colorado to be affixed this 14th day of July 2025.

[4:35] So congratulations, everybody get to prepare.

[4:41] Hi guys, I'm Kelly Sloan.

[4:43] I am representing Clova County FFA as being an officer

[4:47] and in 4-H shooting sports.

[4:49] Thank you all for all of your continuous support

[4:52] for all of us youth.

[4:55] Hi everyone, my name is Josie Harder

[4:57] and I am representing the public County 4-H.

[5:01] I'm in multiple projects, such as shooting sports,

[5:04] horse, dog, and market goat.

[5:06] And I just I thank you all for your support.

[5:09] Hi everyone, I'm Vicki Ingram, I'm a fair member and we would love to see you I would come out and visit at the fairgrounds and see all the kids as hard work.

[5:43] Next up is a recognition presentation for the 2025, 2026 Colorado State Fair Fiesta Queen in court.

[5:52] Alicia Jimenez, pageant chair in the fiesta queen and court is a bell Ava Rosalus, Dolce Maria,

[6:02] Valenzuela, Stephanie Beltran, Jalen Nicole Wagner, and Stephanie Calzadillas Rojo.

[6:09] Are you here?

[6:11] That was pretty good.

[6:12] Come on down.

[6:13] Come on down.

[6:32] Before we begin and recognize these beautiful women here, I'd like to introduce the president

[6:38] the Fiesta Day Committee, Susan Werthes, the Vice President of the Fiesta Day Committee,

[6:44] Ivan Reyes, and Alicia Jimenez, who is the court chairman or pageant chair.

[6:54] Okay, I knew I was going to miss that. But anyway, as many as you know, this is quite an organization.

[7:01] The Fiesta Day at the Colorado State Affairs become the biggest day of the whole week

[7:07] or the whole 11 days, I think it is, the state fair.

[7:10] And so these people work year-round to make that happen.

[7:14] But I think one of the most beautiful things that they do

[7:17] is I have the Fiesta Day Court.

[7:19] And I'd like to introduce all five of you.

[7:22] And actually, I'm going to do it different.

[7:24] I'm going to let all of you introduce yourselves

[7:27] before I read the proclamation and the...

[7:31] Hello.

[7:32] My name is Stephanie Calcellille-Jorjo.

[7:34] I am a student at Colorado State University of Pueblo,

[7:36] and I am studying political science.

[7:40] Hi everyone, my name is Jalen Nicole Wagner.

[7:43] I am a student at the University of Colorado

[7:45] and Colorado Springs.

[7:46] I'm studying human physiology and nutrition

[7:47] and I'm your third attendant.

[7:50] Hi, good evening everybody.

[7:52] My name is Stephanie Rithran.

[7:54] I'm attending CSU Global this fall

[7:56] and I'm majoring in biology

[7:57] to have a pre-eventory concentration

[8:00] as well as I'm minoring a sustainability chemistry

[8:03] and Spanish.

[8:06] Hi everyone, thank you so much for being here. I'm this year's Miss First Attendant. My name is Dulce Valenzuela. I am so privileged to attend University of Colorado Boulder where I'm double majoring in molecular, cellular and developmental studies as well as women in gender studies with a hopeful goal of becoming a PA in the near future. Thank you all for being here.

[8:26] Hello everybody. Thank you so much for having us tonight. My name is Isabel Rosales and I have the honor of serving as a 2025 Colorado State Fair Fiesta Queen. I will be attending Colorado State University for Collins in the fall where I will study and marketing and mass communication. So thank you.

[8:41] Terrific, terrific. Now I get to read this.

[8:44] This is a certificate of recognition presented to the 2025-26 Colorado State through Fiesta

[8:53] Queen, Isabella Eva Rosales, and your court.

[8:58] So congratulations, and Dulce Maria Valenzuela, first attendant, congratulations, Stephanie

[9:07] Beltran, second attendant, congratulations, Jaylen Nicole Wagner, third attendant, congratulations,

[9:15] Congratulations and to Stephanie, Galsadillas, Roja, what a beautiful name you have, you got the best name.

[9:25] Anyway, missed congeniality and congratulations to all of you.

[9:29] The City of Puebla would like to congratulate you on your court on this accomplishment of the 2526 Colorado State Fair Fiesta Queen and Court.

[9:38] May your reign be successful, fulfilling and may you continually serve as representatives of

[9:44] the Hispanic culture throughout the year,

[9:46] signed by Mark Alif, President of the City Council,

[9:49] July 14, 2025.

[9:52] At this time, I'd like to see if any of you

[9:54] would like to say anything, talking about any events

[9:58] or how you think this year's happening.

[10:01] Hi, everybody, my name is Ivan Reyes,

[10:03] I am the Vice President of the Colorado State Fair

[10:06] Fiesta Committee, and the proud son of the founder,

[10:10] Henry Reyes, of Fiesta all the way back in 1967.

[10:13] This year marks 58 years of Fiesta Day, 58 years of scholarships to these young ladies.

[10:20] And that's probably the proudest thing that we do here.

[10:24] If you're always, you know, anybody who's interested in supporting us, we are having

[10:29] a big fundraiser which is called Nocha the Fiesta at the Public Convention Center on August

[10:34] 9th.

[10:35] We've got a mariachi, a great opening back, and this year's entertainer of the year that

[10:41] the Hano Music Awards, Stephanie Montel.

[10:44] Anyway, come check us out and thank you for your support.

[10:46] Thank you, Dennis, as always.

[10:49] There you go.

[10:49] Thank you very much.

[10:50] Thank you, that's the thing.

[10:52] I don't feel like it anymore.

[10:55] Thank you all.

[10:56] Thank you all.

[10:57] It was a pleasure.

[10:59] Good luck.

[10:59] Thank you, Mr. President.

[11:00] Good luck.

[11:01] Good luck.

[11:02] Thank you.

[11:04] Oh, picture.

[11:24] All right, now we go to a recognition

[11:27] Mission Presentation Board of Health Service,

[11:30] Eileen Dennis, come on down.

[11:32] I believe, Councillor Martinez is there to me.

[11:34] I have the extreme pleasure of giving and presenting

[11:39] the certificate of excellence and recognition

[11:42] to Miss Eileen Dennis, who has served almost 30 years

[11:47] on Pablo's Board of Health,

[11:49] which to which she's retiring from right now.

[11:51] She also served many, many years

[11:53] as the Chief Nursing Officer for Parkfield.

[11:56] So, Eileen, with great respect and sincere appreciation, the city and county of

[12:03] Pueblo, Colorado, hereby recognize and commend Eileen Dennis for her

[12:07] extraordinary commitment to public health and service to the community.

[12:11] Over more than three decades, including six distinguished terms on the Board of Health,

[12:17] Eileen has contributed her time, insight, and leadership to the betterment of Pueblo.

[12:21] So, her dedication to numerous municipal boards and initiatives has left a lasting positive impact on the people of this community, myself included Eileen, so thank you for everything.

[12:32] In witness where we are, we have here on to set our hand and cause the seal of the city and county of public Colorado to be affixed this 14th day of July, signed by Mayor Heather Graham and Mr. Swayngen from the board of county commissioners.

[12:46] Congratulations Eileen.

[12:46] I mean,

[12:52] I've never met a microphone I didn't love.

[12:55] I just wanted to for two seconds to say something.

[12:59] I've loved this chapter of my life so much.

[13:02] I think in Pueblo, we don't know,

[13:06] but the health department is the best kept jewel secret

[13:11] in this whole county.

[13:13] When everything's going well, nobody knows they're there.

[13:17] When something happens, all of a sudden, oh my gosh,

[13:20] where are they?

[13:20] And all you will always find them stepping up leading.

[13:25] I've had a lot of, I'm by the way I'm old, just so you know.

[13:29] And I am, although I will miss being on the board,

[13:32] I understand that I've got a good person coming after me.

[13:35] And you will love it.

[13:38] Stay on it for 30 years, you'll enjoy yourself.

[13:41] But I think the thing that you need to understand

[13:43] is that the dedication of the people that work at that department

[13:48] department is unbelievable. And you really don't know they're there because things go well.

[13:55] So give them great appreciation periodically because they really deserve it. Thanks.

[14:21] And now we have a proclamation presentation for Scott Hobson Day, Mayor Graham.

[14:42] It takes him a while, please.

[14:51] I'm excited.

[14:56] Okay. I get the honor tonight of reading the proclamation.

[15:00] Announcement of motion for Scott Hobson, July 22, 2025. Whereas today we honor and celebrate the incredible contributions of Scott Hobson, who has dedicated 26 years of service to the city of Pueblo in the Department of Planning and Community Development. And whereas Scott's extensive knowledge of Pueblo's history is unparalleled and his unwaiving passion for building vibrant, healthy communities has shown through every project he has undertaken.

[15:28] His commitment and hard work left a lasting impact on our city and we are truly grateful for everything he has done.

[15:36] And whereas, God's professional journey began in Canyon City, Colorado as the director of Fremont County Special District Parks and Recreation.

[15:45] He earned two national certificates, certified Parks and Recreation Professional, CPRP and Certified Parks and Recreation Executive, CPRE.

[15:55] Among his proudest achievements during this time was the creation of the Arkansas River Trail and Recreation Programs.

[16:04] And whereas in 1990 Scott continued his career in Summit County as an open space manager excited to focus on land preservation and development.

[16:14] In 1998 he and his family moved to Pablo Colorado where they made their home and he began work with his first public county and then the city of Pablo.

[16:22] And whereas Scott began his tenure with the City of Pueblo in 1999 as a senior planner,

[16:29] Scott was quickly approached to help with land use and worked his way up to acting director in 2019.

[16:35] Over the past two decades, Scott played a vital role in numerous special projects including the historic Arkansas Riverwalk,

[16:42] the Kayak Park, River Restoration, and broader community planning efforts.

[16:47] Scott has led the department with inside and kindness, empowering future leaders.

[16:52] His legacy is one of service, vision, and a deep love for the people and places of Southern Colorado.

[16:59] Now therefore, I, Heather Graham, mayor of the city of Pueblo, of Colorado, by the authority vested in me,

[17:04] do hereby proclaim July 22, 2025, as Scott Hobson Day, in the city of Pueblo, and

[17:11] commend him on the valuable work he has done for the public community.

[17:14] We wish you all the best in your retirement years.

[17:41] I'm deeply honored for this recognition.

[17:45] I want to thank the mayor and council members.

[17:50] I'd like to thank my family,

[18:00] my wife, three daughters, and their families.

[18:06] I have four grandchildren here today and one of my great grandchildren are here.

[18:13] and so I wanted to thank them. They had to put up with a lot for me working with the city and I really appreciate their kindness and patience with that.

[18:28] I also want to recognize the staff at the Planning Department and we have staff members here, so we have...

[18:44] staff has always been great in the planning department and have made my job a lot easier

[18:50] over the years and I really, really appreciate the work that they do. Also I want to recognize

[18:58] the other departments. A lot of the projects we did in the city could not have been done

[19:05] without the work and efforts of all the different departments that we've worked with over the

[19:10] years from the police department to the fire department, stormwater

[19:14] department, public works department, and I'm sure I'm going to leave housing

[19:17] department. I'm going to park some rec department for sure. Don't want to leave

[19:23] those out, but anyway, we've worked very closely with all the departments and I

[19:26] really, really appreciate all of their work. So with that, thank you very much.

[19:36] entire family that's here tonight up here for it with a picture with him.

[21:03] Enjoy yourself, Scott.

[21:13] Okay, all of the counselors are a little shook up from the loud pop that we're now going

[21:21] move into public forum. The City Clerk made a mistake and only had five people on the rules say six. So if there's no objection by anybody on council, I'm going to suspend the rules and let all seven people talk.

[21:37] So we'll start off and go through everybody. I believe it's Jeff. I can't read your last name.

[21:46] Resolus? Yeah, come on down Jeff.

[21:57] Hi Jeff, thanks for coming.

[21:59] Thank you for having me and giving us this time.

[22:02] Absolutely.

[22:06] Anyway, I'm here. Can you turn your mic on?

[22:09] Oh, they got it. Got it. Hit it again. Hit it again. You're good.

[22:13] All right, got it. Anyway, I'm here kind of representing the citizens of

[22:22] I've lived here for 61 years, and my father and mother before me.

[22:28] Always involved in the community, my entire family has been involved from my uncles all the way through.

[22:35] Pueblo, I hear how great it is, listen to everybody talk and I believe that.

[22:40] But unfortunately, we have a big problem in Pueblo Colorado, which is called homelessness.

[22:46] I don't have the answer to homelessness, but the reason I am here is because I go to work at morning at 4.45 every morning or most mornings.

[22:57] Right across the street from here, right across the street.

[23:02] I'm familiar with a lot of these homeless people.

[23:05] I recognize them.

[23:07] The damage that has been happening since I've worked down here for the last year in three days was my anniversary of July 4th is incredible.

[23:21] The businesses that I talk to, the business owners, the people that I do know, or people that I don't even know, and I talk to them about it, that's just my reputation I like to go out and talk to people.

[23:31] So, some of these businesses are ready to close their doors because of the fandalism.

[23:39] So in my eyes, that means no jobs.

[23:43] That means money lost in the community.

[23:46] That means people looking for things where it's not going to happen, man.

[23:54] I would like to see City Council and anybody that whatever it takes, I don't know, I don't

[24:00] know the process.

[24:01] but I'm here to ask you guys. I would like to see some kind of victim assistance to the local

[24:09] businesses. The local businesses seem to be shoved to the side all of the time. But on the

[24:19] news, all support your local business and everybody support them, support them, but when it really

[24:24] comes down to it, the people who mad or don't support it, it doesn't seem that way anyway. I would

[24:30] I feel like some kind of victim assistance to our local businesses to stop them from having to close doors and losing jobs in this community because of our homeless problem, the homeless people, I don't know that answer like I said before, but I think I can get an answer from you guys somehow some way to help our local businesses recoup some of the money that they're having to pay out of their pockets to pay for broken windows, to pay for busted doors, to pay for

[25:00] missing air-conditioned units to pay for merchandise gone out of their stores and we all know this problem.

[25:09] This is not new. All the way from downtown here in Cueblo, all the way to Belmont where I live,

[25:16] Belmont tired, smashed out windows. They've boarded up their windows now and just leave them boards.

[25:22] I look at that, and I don't know if it's disgusted, but I'm really, really sad about it.

[25:30] That's our community.

[25:32] It looks boarded up, but yet, it seems like everybody wants to bring all these big businesses

[25:40] in which I agree, because of bigger jobs, more jobs, I'm all for that economic boom, great.

[25:46] But we're given these guys all these breaks, tax-free this, free sewer, free

[25:55] elect, whatever it is to bring these people in. Meanwhile, our local businesses

[26:01] who are already here employing maybe five to twenty-thirteen, whatever the

[26:07] numbers are, are left out there in the back somewhere. And you may say, no, they're

[26:13] but that's how they feel. Believe me, that's how they feel. Some are throwing up

[26:19] the white flag already and say we're gonna make it through this summer and we are

[26:22] done. So I'm thinking I've talked with Joe Latino about this. I said so how nice

[26:28] would that be that we bring in these big businesses that whoever wants to bring

[26:32] them in and give them all these breaks and then we got to bring them downtown to

[26:35] this beautiful building, this older retro building, which is beautiful and

[26:39] then they walk out the door and they see nothing but bust of windows and play

[26:42] I would all over these doors and stuff, that's not becoming at all, it's not.

[26:49] And I'm sure you know what, I'm preaching to the choir, I know that.

[26:53] I know there's no money in this city budget, I know that we're in the middle of the year.

[26:57] But I would like to see some kind of money, even if it's a victim assistance fund for

[27:03] these local companies.

[27:04] Even if you give them, if they're deductible, they're insurance deductible is $1,000.

[27:11] And they've got to pay a $7,000 repair, even if there's something guys,

[27:16] something to show city council, the mayor and everybody really does care about them.

[27:22] They really do, and that's what I'm here for.

[27:25] And that's what I'm hoping that you guys see the line and say, you know what?

[27:30] Okay, that's cool.

[27:31] I even think that Mr. Resolves your five minutes.

[27:35] Okay, but thank you so much for coming.

[27:37] Okay, thank you for your time, I appreciate it.

[27:39] Thank you.

[27:43] Michael Hartcock.

[27:56] Hello, Michael. Nice for coming.

[27:59] Yeah, good evening. Does this work here? Yes.

[28:04] Okay. Could I use this to show you? Yes. So my name is Mike Hartcock.

[28:10] I own Solaros Coffee. I own Mixed Air at Cream. And I own analog books and records, which is on Main Street.

[28:18] And I moved here in 2007, I'm from Oregon, and it's been largely great, there are a couple

[28:28] hiccups in 2020.

[28:30] But unfortunately the past year has been the most difficult period in running businesses

[28:34] in Pueblo, especially downtown Pueblo, especially the east side.

[28:39] I went on a road trip today through Pueblo with my son hanging out the window taking photos

[28:46] of what I see every single day in what I have to show my kid.

[28:53] Across the street from me is, I used to be the Cowboys Supply.

[28:56] I have called zoning on this building six times, seven times.

[29:01] I've met with the mayor on this building, still boarded up.

[29:05] Cowboys Supply, this is a wonderful piece of work.

[29:09] This is fourth street, this is our busiest street in the city of Cueblo.

[29:12] a downtown and it has razor wire on it, and it's just disgusting.

[29:17] This is a shameful building.

[29:21] Again, again,

[29:26] you say the street, fourth street,

[29:32] I talked to the mayor about this building and

[29:35] said it's going to burn down because someone's going to break into it, burn down.

[29:41] church burned house burned this is a cross street from my kids school burned this is what happens when you've got a

[29:52] vandal so these are businesses that are active today and this is what we have to deal with every single day

[30:00] This is a broken window. When you fix the window, it has to look like something out of the ghetto. Ghetto. This is a very nice upgrade, but it's also completely boarded up. But these are nice, expensive boards. And this is probably the best we've ever, I've ever seen, and how you can fix something. But it's a metal window downtown Pueblo. This is a selfie of me showing this broken window and the broken window behind us.

[30:27] 4th Street, or Santa Fe, vape shop, broken 4th Street, this is also 4th Street.

[30:37] I was walking to copies in a flash, and this is what I saw.

[30:41] I didn't see it from my car, but this is what I saw.

[30:44] This is Union Avenue, this is being replaced.

[30:49] This is a city building in the east side, broken window.

[30:52] So this is Cinco del Sol Park.

[30:56] That's just sad that that would happen.

[30:59] This poor bar, this senate has been smashed into more times than I could even recall.

[31:09] My landlord's concealers are fantastic landlords.

[31:12] They help with a great many things.

[31:14] So far, they've spent over $13,000 fixing a union avenue.

[31:19] This year alone, I've spent, I've spent $1200,

[31:22] which doesn't seem like a lot, but every time it does, we've got to board it up window for a week, and I've got to pay to replace it.

[31:29] We have got codes so you can't have boarded up buildings, and the long-term vacancy buildings never get fixed, and they get boarded up, and then someone breaks in them and burns it.

[31:40] How many more city buildings are old buildings do we need to lose to fire, because we're not policing it?

[31:47] I have a private security company and it has helped in great many ways.

[31:52] The city of Fueblo needs to hire private security to augment the police force.

[31:57] We need to have twice as many people on the streets.

[32:00] We need to have around the clock patrols of the city.

[32:03] It is not safe.

[32:05] My property is not safe.

[32:06] Your property is not safe and businesses will leave.

[32:11] I've talked to lots of business owners that are leaving.

[32:14] I don't know what we're going to do or we're going to put scissors or gates across our

[32:20] building, am I going to board up solar roast? Do you want solar roast to be boarded up?

[32:24] Do you? This is a disgrace. This city is falling apart. This is the worst that's ever been.

[32:31] It needs to be fixed.

[32:37] If I've got more time, there are different ways that we can help.

[32:41] There's security. We can set up a fund to assist merchants who have broken glass.

[32:45] We can finally enforce these city codes that I write and submit to fix the city.

[32:52] Buildings that have been vacant for numerous years, we could seize them, we could fix them.

[32:57] We could fix the city, could be fixing the windows and charging on the property tax of those buildings.

[33:04] We could enforce curfews, think about that.

[33:08] Nick Sterecreme was all smashed up because three minors smashed my building.

[33:12] I gave the police department their names and their address in the city police that they couldn't do

[33:18] anything about it. But there's curfews on books so that the parents could get fined. The

[33:23] parents were not fined. I was actually called by somebody to not make contact with that person

[33:28] because that person was going to hurt me if I complained too loud that they smashed my windows.

[33:35] These kids are just running rampant. Mr. Hartgop, your five minutes is up. Thank you.

[33:58] I just want to say that I went to the transportation summit last week and it was very, very interesting.

[34:08] And I wish more people had gone there because the company that was running was great,

[34:12] there was great information and they were very friendly.

[34:17] And there I learned that Pueblo, as the highest total and fatal crashes rate of the state, 14 percent, Denver has 8 percent, both there is the least forgot.

[34:31] And also pedestrian fatal accidents, we are at 4 percent. Denver has 2 percent, so that was kind of shocking.

[34:41] I mean, that's probably also the reason why our insurance rates are so much higher.

[34:47] Anyway, the city is with the counties doing the comprehensive safety action plan.

[34:55] It's under the public workstab safety and there's a survey that one can take and also they

[35:03] have a lot of information as far as maps and you can tell them what places you're concerned

[35:08] about.

[35:10] Anyway, it seems to me they are a great company and they want to, or the plan, it really could

[35:17] do a lot of good to Pueblo and it's a shame that so many people die unnecessarily.

[35:23] So that's comprehensive safety action plan on the city website, under public works.

[35:30] And the other thing I'd suggest you.

[35:35] The rules for City Council, the code says that the agenda has to be delivered or has

[35:43] to be posted, not later than four days prior to the regular meeting date.

[35:49] And I would like to suggest to just add a little word for business days, not just for

[35:54] days.

[35:54] because this post-India agenda on Friday noon is very inefficient, doesn't

[36:06] make it for good government, citizen participation. If you could change the

[36:13] code to make it happen on Monday and not having come in on Friday when

[36:19] everybody's closed, so you have Friday, Saturday and Sunday, and you have no way

[36:24] I don't get any information about anything, not only the public, but you, so I think it

[36:31] would make a better government, it would be better for City Council.

[36:36] So you have more information to go on, just say for business days, so my suggestion would

[36:42] be that maybe it would be posted a noon, so maybe you could put a little copy here so that

[36:49] by five o'clock we could see the next City Council agenda and we could get

[36:58] prepared and it would make more sense. So that's all I have to say. Thank you.

[37:02] Thank you. We now go to Zoom, Elvis Martinez.

[37:10] Did you hear me, Mr. President? I can hear you loud and clear and it's great to hear you.

[37:15] Okay, so a backtracking on the first two speakers about crime, I want to send my thoughts

[37:20] in prayers for the young danger that was shot in the wee hours of the morning because

[37:25] it was on the news and hopefully she makes a recovery and our officers make an arrest

[37:30] on whoever was involved in that case and I know that they're working on it as we speak.

[37:37] Moving on with the crime issue and everything, as you all know back in April, my car was

[37:42] spend the lives yet again. And there's video and apparently their cops can

[37:49] identify them and they failed to put it out to on Facebook like they do

[37:54] other crimes. Although it was at nighttime and their faces were looking

[38:00] down, people could probably recognize the clothing and then they ran off after

[38:04] they smashed my windows like two cowards. And I want to send a huge

[38:08] Congratulations to Mr. Hobson if he's still in the room and sad to say you retired, but I know your family is happy to have more time with you and Mr. Hobson after you retire.

[38:20] If you have no other plans on a lovely beautiful Monday evening, you're always welcome in city council chambers to visit with us.

[38:29] And then backtracking on what I spoke about back in November, December, if Madame Mayer

[38:36] or anybody on council could put together a gym bishop day because he poured his blood

[38:43] sweat and tears into the bishop's castle and was a tremendous asset to quablo.

[38:50] So if we could get that started, although he probably wouldn't want to day, but he deserves

[38:55] his own day.

[38:56] I know all of us could agree on that moving along over on Cambridge Street right

[39:06] behind the public training post every single weekend there are several cars parked

[39:12] on the street where it says no parking yet there's no parking enforcement so if

[39:17] we could get a unit there Madam Mayor or or some patrol in there so those people

[39:22] can be ticketed because that is a violation. There are several signs that clearly says no parking.

[39:30] I don't know if they don't understand the laws and rules or if they can't read. But if it says

[39:35] no parking, it means no parking. Unless if you break down and there's emergency, there's exceptions.

[39:40] We all know that. And another thing that I loved, what you posted and several other people posted

[39:47] and Adam Ayer is the young lady who was painting the sidewalks throughout town.

[39:55] If we could possibly get the sidewalks painted in front of Dutch Clark, we'd probably

[39:59] have to reach out to the athletics director, if we could incorporate all of the high schools

[40:04] and everything.

[40:05] I think that would be a wonderful addition to that area on every end of and everything

[40:12] right there, and I pretty much zoomed through what I wanted to speak on. And if I may Mr. President, I don't know if you are aware of or if it's on your paper right there, when it's time I would like to speak on Q4, Q5 and Q6, Mr. President.

[40:32] you got it. Yes sir. Thank you. Thank you. We now move to John Farley.

[40:43] Oh John. Thank you

[40:45] for coming. Thank you for picking my name out of the hat.

[40:55] Good evening. I'm John Farley, a priest

[40:57] of the diocese of Pueblo. Recently returned to town after 20 years out of town. I am not here

[41:06] to play gotcha is not my purpose at all. I'm here because every covenant worth its salt begins

[41:16] with a question and trust cannot grow in silence. Now when I say silence I don't mean corruption.

[41:25] I mean the quiet drift when we stop asking who our neighbor is and who gets left behind. The quiet

[41:35] hit drift when the promise of good work and fair wages fades to rumor.

[41:45] I was really happy to see the notice of the sale, at least the preliminary

[41:52] inking of the sale from Evras to Atlas Holdings.

[41:58] I look forward, I hope and pray that that will work out.

[42:04] I mean, and we've supported the mill before and, you know, I think back just to 2019, the annexations, the incentives.

[42:13] And we've supported them with our trust.

[42:16] We invested because we believed in the good that it would bring good work, dignity, bread.

[42:27] Now in 2025, I think we all sense that there will be another support package on the table.

[42:34] And it's not a bad thing because when the community helps, it means that the community also

[42:40] gets to ask, how will this next deal boost real wages?

[42:47] how will it create real apprentice sheds more than just a polishing, a corporate bottom line, especially a privately held company like Atlas, not subject to public disclosures in the same way.

[43:06] So last Sunday we met churches read the story of the Good Samaritan,

[43:15] Mercy crosses the road

[43:16] to rescue the worker in the ditch. The teenager who wonders if there's room for him on the shop floor.

[43:27] True peace begins at home and grows through good work and fair opportunity where people can

[43:37] and build a livelihood where trust takes root where the quiet drift loses its hold.

[43:46] So my question for council, for Mayor Graham, for the city, how are you ensuring our displaced

[43:56] workers and young people have clear pathways to meaningful training, apprenticeships and

[44:04] good jobs. What specific local training centers, paid apprenticeships, guaranteed slots

[44:13] for graduates, are you beginning to talk about here on council or with colleagues in the

[44:22] community and economic development process with the county and with the state. I mean, sketch

[44:29] out the basics of your promise. And their promise. Sketch it on it just on the

[44:37] back of an envelope for me. No fine print, no footnotes, no hush. What does it

[44:42] really look like? I mean, is it something you'd be proud to show a teenager

[44:48] hoping to build a life here in Pueblo?

[44:54] I'm sitting here because the best risk

[44:57] management is

[45:00] Convention. Not PR.

[45:05] Mercy. Not silence. We all want wages strong enough to feed our families.

[45:13] We want training to keep our young people here. We want more than an incentive program

[45:20] forgotten until it's too late. Every covenant starts with a question by trust. I

[45:31] hope I pray. You will answer this question in the daylight. Thank you for your

[45:38] attention. Thank you.

[45:43] Dave DeSenson.

[45:48] Hello Dave. It's good to be king. Thanks for

[45:57] I

[46:06] want to talk about reliability and redundancy at the municipal justice center and I

[46:22] think it's clear that we need to do something there, but I'm not sure that we have the best design, and it seems like a number of projects have been bundled together.

[46:32] So, for example, the lever for the computer room, that can be done independently.

[46:36] That doesn't need to be, and the 8 million thing, if that's needed, then that needs to be separately justified and funded, in my opinion.

[46:42] But the big thing that I wanted to talk about was the design, and the design is a two, what's called a two-end design.

[46:51] In other words, we have 200% of cooling capacity from the chillers.

[46:56] And so that means we're paying for twice as many tons as we need.

[47:01] If we were had a more modern design, we'd have what's called an N-plus-1 design,

[47:07] where we'd have 25% sized chillers, and we'd have five of them, where we had four to

[47:12] do 100% and one spare, one of the four brakes, or rotate in, or whatever.

[47:18] So that's the thing.

[47:20] So my concern is that we're rushing this because of a procurement schedule,

[47:27] not and not getting the best thing for the city.

[47:32] So I wrote down some questions listening to Naomi and she did a great job talking, I thought.

[47:38] First time seeing pictures, one thing is fine, strange is we don't know, I don't have not heard yet.

[47:45] How many tons we need of cooling?

[47:48] We don't know and the rule of thumb is $500 per ton is the cost.

[47:54] So I don't think we need, you know, 12,000 or 120,000, whatever it is that divides 4 million, you know, I don't think we need that much, but

[48:04] Also, I don't think an insurer would

[48:08] Ensure a prototype unit they might ensure train units, but they wouldn't ensure the existing

[48:14] The one we got that was a prototype unit

[48:16] So, this system has chillers, water distribution, water return, and room units.

[48:25] And a lever is a well-known computer room cooler, so that's a very good decision, in my opinion.

[48:31] So, the plan as presented has sub-pieces, ground floor, concrete work, piping to connect

[48:39] the new chillers to the existing water distribution, addition of the lever acquisition of the chillers

[48:46] We seem to be focusing on the acquisition of the chillers, but there's a lot of other parts of this project.

[48:54] Redone and C design, this is what I talked about, and maybe we can reduce the price of $8 million to $5.

[49:00] That's a wild ass guess. That's not back with any numbers other than if we go to $125 instead of $200, it's going to be $5.

[49:12] So yeah, the switchover, and so we don't even know what the switchover plan is, how will this plan have a zero-day switchover?

[49:20] So if you look at this, this, I don't know if I can put this up, thanks.

[49:27] But I have to do something.

[49:32] Thank you.

[49:37] So the way I see the problem is that the water chills are experiencing maintenance problems.

[49:45] We have more frequent, complete building shutdowns.

[49:52] The east side of the building is too hot, and the city electricity costs are too high.

[49:58] So one of the things we should think about is can we use chillers that are ice makers?

[50:02] So we can make ice when we're not at the peak load time.

[50:09] That's when we want to use the ice, but make the ice when they're off peak electricity.

[50:16] And I think she did a good job of inventorying other government buildings,

[50:20] but I suggest we engage a local engineering firm, not Bridgeson Paxton.

[50:24] And I like Bridgeson Paxton, my son worked there,

[50:26] my his mother-in-law worked there.

[50:28] It's a mechanical intern, it's good.

[50:30] But so I talked about the alternate solution, and I think having them on the ground is good

[50:36] because you can get them in place, connect them up to the distribution, and then flip them

[50:40] on.

[50:41] And they leave the old one there and wear it out, get the most you can out of that.

[50:46] But if it fails, you've got your brand new units.

[50:53] I think it would require a more elaborate control to have five than to have just the two.

[50:57] But I do think it's worth it so that you can turn some number of them off in winter.

[51:04] Thank you.

[51:05] Thank you, Dave.

[51:06] Welcome.

[51:08] Ken Dante.

[51:16] Hello, Ken.

[51:17] Thank you for coming.

[51:24] I just wanted to thank you for the opportunity, by the way.

[51:29] I wanted to talk about my observation when I was part of the Energy Commission and we did

[51:37] the energy performance contract audit of the Justice Center and we look and we went

[51:44] through those units and all the damage that that experimental unit has caused to that

[51:50] building is crazy leaks here and there that that unit needs to go because it's a it's a

[52:00] major liability.

[52:03] I'm not going to engineer this thing, but there's a cost of ownership.

[52:08] We should design the system. The best we can, professional. I think this unit, this

[52:15] proposal from Train is actually good. It needs to happen soon, because tariffs are going

[52:23] to start coming into play. If we don't do this and these tariffs are going to be terrible

[52:29] because a lot of the systems, you know, we've got a global economy. Parts come in from everywhere.

[52:38] We've got a guarantee from train on the cost. We need to execute. So thank you. Thank you.

[52:47] And that concludes our public form. We now move into Council Member and Mayor Commentary. Mayor Graham?

[52:52] I don't have anything, President Aylah.

[52:55] Thank you, Councillor Latino.

[52:58] Yes, thank you.

[53:00] I want to commend the merchants for coming this evening

[53:04] to speak with regard to the issues that they're dealing with,

[53:08] which concerns me greatly.

[53:10] Across the street at the Senate bar and lounge

[53:12] a $5,000 window on the part of a homeless individual

[53:16] who was apprehended, taken to jail,

[53:19] and then released within a certain period of time,

[53:22] not more than 24 hours. Sad, very sad. On B Street, on B Street alone, vandalism, a bridal shop,

[53:34] a major window, $1,000. On Union again, cigar shop, vandalism,

[53:47] solar roast, vandalism,

[53:49] into $2,000 to $1,000, windows.

[53:55] What are we going to do about this?

[53:57] What's the police department going to do about this?

[53:59] What's the city going to do about this?

[54:01] We need to be creative.

[54:03] They're doing things in other places,

[54:05] and we're not doing them in Pueblo, Colorado.

[54:08] We have young individuals that have purchased

[54:14] lots in the main street areas,

[54:17] and they've redeveloped so that we can start bringing

[54:19] of people downtown to Main Street where solar roast is and that same block so we can start

[54:28] bringing people down and moving people into city and have some vibrancy in the city

[54:32] and yet we have vandalism and we have the homeless basically taking control.

[54:37] The other day in my house as an example, I'm looking down the street and there's this guy

[54:40] with a wheelbarrow, there's a wheelbarrow from my yard.

[54:45] We passed a no stand, no sit and no line, no tents on the city streets.

[54:49] how effective has it been? It's not going to be effective unless we enforce. And it's

[54:54] not going to be effective in terms of the vandalism, unless we enforce. Now, if we don't have

[55:00] enough police officers, maybe we work with the Sheriff's Department. There's supposedly

[55:04] short of few deputies. We collaborate. We work together as a team. Or we do what they're

[55:10] doing in some other places and go back to what they did back in the day, regarding angels.

[55:15] You train people that can pass back on clearance, you're giving some training and you ask them to help you with the patrol issues.

[55:23] They don't have to carry, they don't have to carry.

[55:26] But we need to be creative and we're not being creative in this city.

[55:29] And it breaks my heart.

[55:31] Because I used to be able to walk down the streets at seven o'clock a night after football, basketball or baseball practice.

[55:36] And you can't do that anymore.

[55:37] You can't even sit in the restaurant and have a cocktail or dinner and you've got to look and you look at a window as an example that we'll use the Senate again and I apologize.

[55:51] $5,000 and they've got plywood sitting there.

[55:55] Sad, isn't it sad?

[56:01] So I'm suggesting that we put a committee together of business people and

[56:08] we come up with a plan and we present that to the city, to the mayor and to the police chief and to the sheriff's department.

[56:15] We're

[56:18] taking back our city folks. That's what we need to do. It's our city.

[56:25] We need to take it back.

[56:33] Finally, I want to congratulate Scott Hobson again for his time he served. He was a great individual and a great man to work with.

[56:43] But we've had two of our council people as an example. I'll give back to the vandalism, business people, two council people, vandalism on the part of the homeless and the derelicts.

[56:56] So,

[57:11] again, I'm going to be working with those individuals in my district, the business

[57:15] people, the merchants, we're going to come up with a plan, we're going to present

[57:20] the plan, and hopefully we're going to move forward with the plan.

[57:23] We either do, or we start to take action as it relates to individuals in the positions

[57:31] they hold in this community and this city and start looking for other individuals to fill

[57:35] those positions.

[57:37] Thank you.

[57:38] Thank you, Council.

[57:40] Council Martinez.

[57:43] You know, for a couple of years now, I've joked that Scott Hobson is the smartest man in the city.

[57:51] And the reason why I've been saying that is because for years now, when I ask a question,

[57:58] the answer that I get is, I don't know, let's ask Scott.

[58:01] And then when I ask Scott Hobson that question, I get, you know, a 30 minute answer of

[58:09] you know, 25 years of history in one answer, and sometimes it's, I mean, honestly, Scott,

[58:21] it just amazes me by how much, you know, and I think that we are losing so much institutional

[58:30] and historical knowledge with your retirement, and I really hope that, you know, years down

[58:36] on the road, someone's gonna be the new smartest man

[58:39] in the city, but know that it's gonna be huge shoes to fill,

[58:47] because of your retirement.

[58:50] And I really hope that you have such a great retirement

[58:53] and never think about the city ever again.

[58:59] Thank you, Councillor Boston.

[59:01] Thank you, Mr. President.

[59:04] Yeah, there's gonna be some big shoes to fill.

[59:05] So I wonder if anybody ever will be able to, maybe there's potential out there for somebody to be able to do that.

[59:13] But going back to what some of the public commenters mentioned, my heart goes out to you guys when it comes to the crime and the vandalism and everything you guys are dealing with.

[59:23] I sat in those same chairs in November of 23, complaining about the same things and that's what inspired me to help get involved and try to impact things like that in this city.

[59:35] It's tough times that we're living in right now and unfortunately

[59:47] it's an uphill battle.

[59:50] We are trying to find ways to help combat some of these issues, but in a lot of situations

[59:54] our hands are tied.

[59:56] I do agree it does sometimes feel like you're left out there.

[1:00:00] With no hope, but there is hope. A lot of the issues that I was dealing with were able to get mitigated, but everything takes time. It comes up. You got to come up with creative solutions on how to impact some of these issues affecting us. And I think we're just at another one of those times where we need to put some heads together as Councilman Latino said and try to come up with creative ways that we can help. It's easy to sit there and be upset about something.

[1:00:26] but until you actually go and see what our officers are dealing with, or what the rules are, and what the city has to do when it comes to blighted properties or boarded up properties.

[1:00:38] It seems to be upset until you understand the way that government has to function.

[1:00:44] If it was easy as just taking people's property and doing what we want with it, I know we would fix a lot of these blighted burnt out properties, but that's not how it works.

[1:00:53] If we could round up every troublemaker in town and ship them somewhere else or lock them up for 100 years or you know

[1:01:00] I'm sure we would but we can't do that

[1:01:03] So I agree with like I said mr. Militino here

[1:01:05] We got to we got to get some heads together and try to cope some solutions that are actually viable to help mitigate some of these issues

[1:01:12] You know, it's not unique to downtown. It's all across the city and I understand you know

[1:01:17] I just had a window broken out about six weeks ago

[1:01:19] and I'm still waiting on my glass too, so I know how hard it can be, and I know it sucks, and sometimes we just got a power through.

[1:01:29] So my heart goes out to you guys, don't lose hope, and we'll find a way to get through this, and that's all I have for tonight.

[1:01:36] Thank you, Councillor Flaures.

[1:01:37] Yes, I wanted to follow up on the recognitions specifically on Eileen Dennis, who I've had the pleasure of serving on several other boards.

[1:01:50] I just wanted to congratulate her.

[1:01:52] I think she left, but she's really the epitome of people in our community that just have this need to serve the community and provide

[1:02:05] expertise, and she's a good example of that, so I wanted to congratulate her publicly.

[1:02:12] And for Scott Hobson, it's been an honor Scott to work with you over the last nine years.

[1:02:18] This is my ninth year on City Council, and my last year, so I'll be following in your footsteps.

[1:02:24] But I want you to know that in my opinion, you are leaving is probably the best director

[1:02:32] that the city has, and I've worked with many, but I think the reason for that is that you are a gentleman

[1:02:42] in the truest sense of the word, and how you interact with people, how you work in a very professional

[1:02:52] no matter and most of all your work shows that and you always were timely with anything

[1:03:03] that had to be done and I just want to congratulate you for your retirement and it's been

[1:03:12] an honor to work with you for the last nine years and I hope you have a very enjoyable

[1:03:18] retirement, so that's all I have but congratulations on your retirement.

[1:03:24] Thank you, Councillor Gomes.

[1:03:27] Yeah, I've just been, you know, for the longest time since I got here, I was trying to

[1:03:32] understand how the system worked and very concerned about the fact that we sometimes ignore

[1:03:39] that things are right in front of us.

[1:03:41] My feeling is we can't move forward together as a body until we start really respecting our

[1:03:46] rules of municipal government. What do I mean by that? I mean, to people in this chamber elected officials.

[1:03:51] I've been stressing the need to abide by the tenets that establish the need for clear separation of the executive branch,

[1:03:57] which is the mayor and the administration and the legislative branches, which is the city council.

[1:04:03] And I have evidence and documentation that I will present next week that visually supports while you cannot

[1:04:08] not allow the blurring of the lines or the continuing blurring of the lines, or where perspective branches and I'll bring that forward next

[1:04:15] next week but I'm very concerned that we're starting the blue side of what our roles are

[1:04:21] as different distinct bodies of government so that's what I'll leave with you tonight.

[1:04:26] Thank you.

[1:04:27] Thank you, Councillor Councilor.

[1:04:29] My string.

[1:04:31] Congratulations, Scott, and thank you for your service with the city.

[1:04:34] We really appreciate it.

[1:04:36] And you will be missed by not just the staff of the city but the community members that work

[1:04:45] with you in your department. Everybody really seems to be, get their questions answered by calling

[1:04:54] your office just like Councillor Martinez has said. To the merchants, thank you, Mr.

[1:05:01] Rizalis, for coming up and representing the merchants in this community. We had a discussion.

[1:05:08] I told Councillor Latino that I would help him create that ordinance where we create

[1:05:19] some sort of fund for the city, the businesses in this city, and see what we can get

[1:05:27] to show that we appreciate, oh gosh, if anything, your patience as we try to get through this

[1:05:35] time where we're just, you know, written with vandalism and crime and, you know, the

[1:05:45] cities as much as the mayor's out there cleaning it up, it still suffers from being clean.

[1:05:54] And we can go through here on this dius and try to put as many ordinances in to protect

[1:05:59] this community, you know, the law enforcement has some challenges with the amount of officers.

[1:06:08] I'm not really with creating or for creating the city being tied to creating a security system

[1:06:18] in addition to that because I don't know what type of liability we would be taking on endorsing such a thing.

[1:06:28] But, you know, I guess that's just something that's going to have to be looked into.

[1:06:37] Times just seem to really be really tough right now.

[1:06:40] And I think as it goes on, it's not getting any better.

[1:06:46] And I had a couple of business owners call me this week and talk about this being their

[1:06:52] last tour of season of being in business in this community and it seems like

[1:07:00] people are hopeless about their futures in this community and they look to

[1:07:05] other places to want to spend their next years trying to live in a better

[1:07:12] safer cleaner community and their and their and their and their their

[1:07:17] the Portland's born and raised here, but they're just throwing their hands up in the air.

[1:07:24] And, you

[1:07:28] know, we just continue to move forward and try to do the best that we could do

[1:07:34] by putting some things in place here when it comes to ordinances and laws in this community.

[1:07:42] And I don't know what we're going to do about the enforcement.

[1:07:46] It's been hard to recruit.

[1:07:49] and you know council doesn't run that department council has people come to

[1:07:54] council all the time and complain about the crime and the safety and this and

[1:07:59] that and we really have no authority over the police department or anything

[1:08:06] that has to do with the administrative part of the government here we could

[1:08:10] It's a just, but it's within the administrators authority to see how things move forward.

[1:08:22] And we all have suffered one thing or another in this community, and I understand everybody's

[1:08:30] getting tired. So we just keep moving on, moving forward. Thank you for coming and letting

[1:08:42] us know. Thank you, Councillor. Mr. Hobson, as I was contemplating your retirement and

[1:08:49] contemplating this great day of recognizing Scott Hobson day, I thought, what will I miss

[1:08:56] most about Scott Hobson, and I can tell you right now, it will not be the same in council

[1:09:04] chambers when it comes to quasi-judicial hearings and all of your planning and zoning presentations.

[1:09:10] I don't think that it will ever get as thorough and as concise as that, and especially

[1:09:17] as exciting.

[1:09:18] They were very, very exciting, and I appreciate you for that.

[1:09:25] Seriously though, I've worked with Scott on several things that I had concerns with and

[1:09:34] I can tell you this.

[1:09:36] I have never gone to Scott Hobson where he didn't say, I'll help you, I'll do it.

[1:09:41] And then he took care of it, never ever once.

[1:09:45] When Scott says, I'll get back to you, he got back to you.

[1:09:48] When Scott says, I'm going to take care of it, he took care of it.

[1:09:52] And I appreciate you for that and I appreciate all the help that you've given me over the six years that I've been on City Council, and I personally will miss you tremendously.

[1:10:05] So thank you, Scott, you know, I work for a business that's downtown, our business has lost over $200,000 over the last two years in theft,

[1:10:19] Vandalism, broken windows, broken vandalized cars, stolen cars,

[1:10:26] drilled out gas tanks, stolen catalytic converters, it just never, ever ends.

[1:10:34] And so I have the unique perspective, much like Councillor Boston, of being intimately

[1:10:40] involved with how these businesses are struggling with what's happening.

[1:10:47] And quite frankly, we're at a point now where it's critical mass, something has to change.

[1:10:55] If it doesn't change, then we're just going to be talking about this endlessly.

[1:11:01] It'll be like Groundhog Day.

[1:11:04] Every time you come to a city council meeting, there's going to be business owners and people

[1:11:08] within the community that come up and say, we got to do something.

[1:11:11] We got to do something.

[1:11:12] We got to do something.

[1:11:14] We can come up with all the ideas in the world if they're not implemented or they don't

[1:11:20] fit the parameters of what people think that what the administration thinks should be

[1:11:26] done.

[1:11:28] I mean, it's not going to change.

[1:11:30] I'm a car salesman.

[1:11:31] I don't know anything about fighting crime.

[1:11:34] I don't know anything about how to stop vandalism and people stealing my stuff and breaking my

[1:11:40] windows and things like that.

[1:11:41] but we have experts that know how to fix that.

[1:11:45] And it's time that our experts fixed it

[1:11:47] and came up with a plan to bring to the community

[1:11:52] other than fortifying our downtown,

[1:11:55] fortifying our businesses.

[1:11:58] I mean, it's kind of crazy that at a car dealership,

[1:12:04] we need to put in a 24 foot razor wire fence

[1:12:08] and have a gun to it, and buzz people in to protect our business, that's just not feasible.

[1:12:18] And I can understand why people who are throwing their hands up in the air and especially small businesses,

[1:12:25] small businesses where $1,500 here, $2,000 there literally puts you in a horrible position

[1:12:35] for the remainder of the year and to stay in business.

[1:12:42] When something happens where I work, my boss yells at me.

[1:12:47] He doesn't call the mayor.

[1:12:49] He doesn't call the police chief or any police chief.

[1:12:53] He just yells at me.

[1:12:54] And then I make the phone calls and I try and get something to happen, but I'm as frustrated

[1:13:00] as anybody sitting in the room or anybody that's having the same experiences.

[1:13:06] I like the ideas of the committee, I like the ideas of maybe compensation for crime if I mean if we're not going to stop it, I mean it's crazy we're even talking like this, you know, we're not going to stop it or if it's still going to continue and things like that.

[1:13:24] But it's beyond comprehension what's happening.

[1:13:30] City Council just recently passed a very strong loitering law that says that to give

[1:13:40] the police department more leeway to do things.

[1:13:45] And I swear since we adopted it, there's more people laying in the street, more people

[1:13:52] campaign out, then I've ever seen. And the last thing I want to say about that is, is

[1:13:59] that all of the times that we've caught people on tape vandalizing our business or stealing,

[1:14:05] they weren't homeless. I can promise you that. These were a effort

[1:14:16] that was very well planned

[1:14:19] out and taken care of it just wasn't random violence or anything or random

[1:14:26] vandalism. So I just cautioned everybody to quit blaming absolutely everything

[1:14:32] that happens on the homeless because it's not everything that happened doesn't

[1:14:36] happen just because of the homeless. And I'll close with the agenda, Mr.

[1:14:44] Patoli asked about the agenda. The agenda for the Monday night meetings is always posted

[1:14:49] on Thursdays. The work session is posted on Friday. So on Thursdays, you get the agenda

[1:14:57] as posted she had mentioned that it came out on Fridays.

[1:15:02] and with that, we'll move to the review of the agenda. Counselors, page 1,

[1:15:12] page 2.

[1:15:15] President

[1:15:15] Eiliff, can we move M4 to the regular agenda? Thank you. Mr. Clerk, do you have a page

[1:15:26] 3,

[1:15:30] page

[1:15:31] page four.

[1:15:32] President A. L. S. Staff request that we pull N14 and continue to the July 28th meeting.

[1:15:40] July 20th.

[1:15:42] 28th.

[1:15:43] 28th.

[1:15:45] Mr. Clerk, do you have that?

[1:15:46] Yes, sir?

[1:15:48] Page five.

[1:15:53] N. Page six.

[1:15:58] All right.

[1:15:58] Should we have an approval of the agenda?

[1:16:00] Mr. President, I make a motion to amend the agenda, moving item N4 to the regular agenda

[1:16:05] and post-poning item N-14 to the July 28th, 2025 meeting and approved agenda as amended.

[1:16:11] Thank you, Councillor Boston. Is there a second? Second by Councillor Gomez. Any questions?

[1:16:18] Let's call for the vote.

[1:16:54] It does nothing on mine.

[1:16:57] They're supposed to both be black.

[1:16:59] They're black now and after you do your initial position.

[1:17:02] Still change your vote until I stop.

[1:17:04] I still have one question.

[1:17:06] I still have one person passing out.

[1:17:08] Whoever's yesterday was not black now.

[1:17:10] It's not for the people.

[1:17:11] My screen is black.

[1:17:18] We'll do it.

[1:17:20] We'll get a rerun in the vote.

[1:17:29] Vote again.

[1:17:35] It passes 7-0.

[1:17:38] We now move to the reading and approval of the menace.

[1:17:42] Do we have a motion?

[1:17:44] Mr. President, I make a motion to dispense with the reading and approve the menace of the regular meeting day to June 23, 2025, as distributed.

[1:17:51] Second.

[1:17:54] Councillor Flores.

[1:17:56] Any questions?

[1:17:57] It's called for the vote.

[1:18:07] Pass at 7-0.

[1:18:09] Mr. Clerk, we now move into the consent agenda section L. Communications, there are none.

[1:18:15] We move to Section M, Resolution Item M1.

[1:18:19] M1, a resolution ratifying the ward of an emergency construction contract in the amount of $306,660,000, $47.32,000, to rest grading and excavating LLC,

[1:18:29] a Colorado limited liability company for project number 25-012 parentheses, SWAN-03,

[1:18:36] three-princi for emergency storm sewer point repair on West 12th Street and Elizabeth Street and approving a change order in the amount of

[1:18:43] 256,263 dollars, 10 cents for additional work and materials and authorizing that, proving the purchasing agents' execution of the same.

[1:18:53] And to a resolution transferring funds of the amount of 371,417 dollars, 50 cents to HUA and 0-1

[1:19:02] street

[1:19:03] resurfacing to account project HU-503 in awarding a construction contract in the amount of $321,417.50 of J. Belchromo and

[1:19:13] Sun's ETH for project number 25-0, 62 asphalt improvements at Lexington Road and Saratoga Road, setting for $50,000 for

[1:19:22] contingencies and authorizing the purchasing age index you have seen.

[1:19:25] M3, a resolution ratifying an emergency construction contract in the amount of $205,511.90 with Parker excavating E for emergency sanitary sewer point repair at 2721 Pine Street Project number 24-0333WAN03 and approving and purchasing agent execution of the same M5, a resolution ratifying emergency construction contract and amendment number one in the amount of $87,765.63.

[1:19:54] since, with Parker Eston fading ink, for emergency sanitary sewer point repair at 701

[1:20:00] Juliet Avenue Project number 24-033 WAN033 and approving the purchasing

[1:20:06] agent execution of the same M6, a resolution ratifying emergency construction

[1:20:10] contract in the amount of $9,890 with Miller pipeline LSD for emergency

[1:20:15] sanitary sewer point repair 314 and 412 East Mesa Avenue project number 24-033

[1:20:23] Purchasing Agency, WW-A-N-03, PNC, and approving the purchasing agency execution of the same.

[1:20:28] M7, a resolution ratifying an emergency construction contract in the amount of $6,500, $407 cents with Miller Pipeline, LSE for emergency sanitary point repair at 908.

[1:20:39] Jones Avenue project number 24-0333, PNC, WW-A-N03, PNC, and approving the purchasing agency execution the same.

[1:20:48] And they had a resolution transferring funds of amount of $16,933 from a count project,

[1:20:54] HUA and 01, street resurfacing to a count project, HU-2504, concrete improvements,

[1:21:01] lake view and cartaret, and awarding a construction contract in the amount of $14,733

[1:21:06] to wicked outlaw construction for project number 25-064, concrete improvements,

[1:21:12] lake avenue and cartaret avenue, setting for $2,200 for contingencies and

[1:21:16] by authorizing the purchasing agent to execute the same.

[1:21:19] M9, a resolution ratifying the joint appointment of Heather Hawkins to the Board of Health.

[1:21:24] M10, a resolution appointing Councillor Bret Boston to the Pueblo Economic Development Corporation Board of Directors.

[1:21:30] M11, a resolution authorizing the issuance of a vocable permit.

[1:21:34] Rev 25-11 to grassroots, gravel, LTD for the use of the Ellen Hamill Avenue between North Union and Main Street.

[1:21:43] On Friday, October 10th, 2025 through Saturday, October 11th, 2025,

[1:21:50] Main Street Southbound lanes from city center drive to Allen Hamill Avenue on October 11th, 2025 in the city parking lot at Allen Hamill Avenue and Main Street from Thursday, October 9th, 2025 to October 11th, 2025 to host the 2025 Gravel Roots Fight School event next poll.

[1:22:07] M-12, a resolution directing the public urban renewal authority to conduct a condition survey on properties under wild horse annexation one and wild horse annexation two and to report findings and

[1:22:19] recommendation and recommendations to the mayor and city council and when an ordinance approving accepting airport improvement program, AIP grant agreement number three dash zero three dash zero four six dash zero five three dash zero two zero two five from the United States of America acting through

[1:22:35] the Federal Aviation Administration, the funds of the amount of $692,237 for

[1:22:40] cost related to the rehabilitation East Aperin North Phase II construction at

[1:22:45] the Plubble Memorial Airport, budgeting and appropriating $692,237 the project number,

[1:22:51] AP 2401 East Aperin North taxi lane rehab and authorize the mayor to execute the same.

[1:22:57] And two, in ordinance approving and accepting award letter and acceptable conditions,

[1:23:01] pertaining to, there too, with the Colorado Department of Human Services,

[1:23:05] behavior, health, administration, the amount of $301,000 from July 1st, 2025 through June 30th, 2026,

[1:23:13] establishing project PS-2509 and budgeting and

[1:23:16] approving funds to project number PS-2509, authorize the mayor to execute same.

[1:23:22] And three, in order to approving accepting of grant from the Colorado Department of Local Affairs in the amount of $100,000

[1:23:28] to provide homeowner rehabilitation, authorizing the mayor to sign the grant agreement,

[1:23:33] establishing project HS-2505 and budgeting appropriate, and $100,000 to project number HS-2505.

[1:23:41] And for an ordinance transferring, budgeting, appropriating insurance proceeds in the amount of $64,879, $57,000 in the capital project,

[1:23:49] the CIA and 22 maintenance and repair awarding construction contracts in the amount of $56,000 through $179.57

[1:23:59] since the monument roof of Colorado, a tech, tech to a America company LLC for project number 25-052

[1:24:08] roof repairs, various city buildings east of I-25 authorizing and purchasing agent decks you'd say.

[1:24:14] In five in ordinance transferring, budgeting, appropriating insurance proceeds in the amount of $34,331.

[1:24:21] 17 cents into capital projects, CI, AN-22, roof maintenance and repairs awarding construction contract in the amount of $29,831.

[1:24:30] 17 cents to monument roof of Colorado, a tech to America company LLC for project 25-051, roof repairs various city buildings west of I-25 and

[1:24:41] and authorize the purchasing agent to execute the same.

[1:24:45] N6, in order to establish the machine, the 2026 Plubble Rule Transpersion Project,

[1:24:51] planning project, TP-2501, and budgeting and

[1:24:53] appropriating funds in the amount of $12,000 for SED project.

[1:24:57] N7, in order to amend section 17-4-44,

[1:25:01] parenthesis H of chapter 4 of Title 14 of the Plubble Municipal Code relating to minimum distance between driveway access and intersections.

[1:25:08] N-8, an ordinance amending section 17-2-2, 17-4-23, and 17-4-51, and adding 17-4-16 to Title 14 of the Plum of Municipal Code relating to accessory dwelling units.

[1:25:24] N-9, an ordinance amending zoning restrictions to rezone 1.24 acres located at the Northwest corner of the intersection at Ridge Drive and Eagle Ridge Boulevard,

[1:25:33] a lot one and two, block 24, Eagle Registration States from R2, single family, resident zone district to be two sub-regional business zone districts.

[1:25:43] In tenant, ordinance approving a public highway overpass agreement between Union Pacific Railroad, a Delaware company in the city of Pueblo, Colorado Municipal Corporation, relating to the construction of the existing grade separated overpass over Union Pacific Railroad track and property,

[1:25:58] Mill, Harmon, Drive, Dylan Drive, and authorizing an execution, therefore, by the mayor.

[1:26:04] N-11, an ordinance approving amendment number one to the revocable permit for private network, master

[1:26:09] fire, fiber, I-R-U, conveyance, and conducting share agreement between the City of Plebble,

[1:26:16] Colorado, Missile Corporation, and CCOM Inc, a Colorado Corporation, and

[1:26:20] authorizing the mayor to execute the same.

[1:26:22] N-12, an ordinance approving accepting a grant agreement, and

[1:26:25] an applicable conditions pertaining their to the State of Colorado Department of Law, Peace, Officer, Standard, and Training Post establishing Project PS-2506,

[1:26:34] budgeting and appropriating funds for Project PS-2506, authorizing the mayor to execute the same and ratifying her signature there to.

[1:26:41] N-13, an ordinance of mending ordinance number 10943 to correct an error in identification of the purchase order and set agreement.

[1:26:47] in set ordinance and 15 in ordinance amending appropriations and compelling previous amendments to the general fund special revenue funds, enterprise funds internal service funds, debt service funds and capital project funds for the physical year 2024 and mending the budget for the year of 2024 and 16 in ordinance calling a regular municipal election to be held November 4th 2025 directing that the regular municipal action be conducted as part of the coordinated election adopting for use at the regular election meeting

[1:27:17] in the requirements and procedures of uniform election code of 1992, except to extend

[1:27:23] the uniform election code of 1992 conflicts with specific provisions of the charter

[1:27:28] of the city of Pueblo and suspending for such purposes the Pueblo election code

[1:27:33] and all ordinances and resolutions of the city in conflict therewith.

[1:27:37] Thank you, Mr. Clerk.

[1:27:38] Is there a approval of the consent agenda?

[1:27:40] Mr. President, I move to approve all resolutions set forth in the consent agenda,

[1:27:44] the past the ordinances of the consent agenda,

[1:27:46] sitting the public hearings for July 28th, 2025,

[1:27:48] in order to the ordinances to be published by title.

[1:27:51] Thank you, is there a second?

[1:27:53] Second.

[1:27:53] Councillor Latino.

[1:27:55] Any questions?

[1:28:00] Let's call for the vote.

[1:28:41] Mr. Clerk, let's go to a voice vote.

[1:28:46] Mark A. Leff?

[1:28:47] Yes.

[1:28:47] Brett Boston?

[1:28:48] Yes.

[1:28:48] Dennis Flores?

[1:28:49] Yes.

[1:28:49] Roger Gomez?

[1:28:50] Yes.

[1:28:50] Joe Latino?

[1:28:51] Yes.

[1:28:51] Regina Maistrie?

[1:28:53] Yes.

[1:28:53] Yes, sir Martinez.

[1:28:55] Passes unanimously.

[1:28:57] We now move to the regular agenda, Mr. Clerk, item M4.

[1:29:03] Excuse me.

[1:29:06] M4 resolution authorizing the reallocation of $227,956 from Project No.

[1:29:13] CI2113, American Rescue Plan Act Information Technology Railroad permits to the

[1:29:18] installation of fiber optic cable network and infrastructure for the video surveillance

[1:29:22] equipment in the parks and authorized by the section 603,

[1:29:25] Prince C.A. of the American Rescue Plan Act and U.S. Treasury Final Rule 31 CFR-35.

[1:29:32] Thank you, Mr. Clerk. We have a staff report.

[1:29:35] Hi, I have a staff report. This is Laurie. I'm over here on Zoom.

[1:29:40] This resolution is related to funding that came from Fire Station 11 in the public

[1:29:49] county jail project which you approved back in August of last year. This was a joint

[1:29:55] between the city and county to pull in a redundant route from the.

[1:30:10] We're going to be able to install the route from public county jail to the Thatcher Boulevard.

[1:30:20] We ran into some issues with the construction and the requirements of C.Dott and in order to

[1:30:28] action from the jails of Thatcher, the cost became cost prohibitive and the county decided

[1:30:35] not to move forward with that secondary route. Because they didn't move forward with

[1:30:40] that secondary route, we no longer needed the railroad permitting that was slated out

[1:30:45] of those ARPA funds. So I asked the mayor if it would be our rad if I reallocated those

[1:30:51] funds to surveillance in the park so that we could complete the video surveillance and

[1:30:56] and extend some of the connectivity in the parks

[1:30:58] and be able to meet the budgetary requirements

[1:31:02] of that project.

[1:31:05] And this resolution is reallocating those funds

[1:31:08] from the railroad permitting

[1:31:09] to the video surveillance in the parks.

[1:31:12] And that is my staff report.

[1:31:15] Thank you for that report.

[1:31:16] Is there a motion to approve?

[1:31:17] Motion to approve.

[1:31:18] Councillor Boston, is there a second?

[1:31:20] Second.

[1:31:21] Councillor Latino.

[1:31:22] Councillor Meister, you pulled this.

[1:31:24] I just wanted the clarification. I am the one that asked for cameras in the park, but how many parks are will we be getting will this be serving?

[1:31:34] We will be serving five parks. We will be serving Miniqua, Ray Aguilera, Mitchell, City Park, and Mineral Palace Park.

[1:31:45] And that's, but it's just the fiber optics, right, Lori?

[1:31:49] It's not the best.

[1:31:49] This is just for the fiber optics.

[1:31:51] This allows us to expand some cameras into the pickleball area

[1:31:58] of mineral palace, and then also down to try to catch some of the waterpark area

[1:32:02] and that back baseball field coming off of a city park.

[1:32:07] I don't know the name of that field, but it's that that one that sits right off the bridge there

[1:32:13] of the Arkansas. Is there any

[1:32:15] conversations in the future about some of the neighborhood parks besides just

[1:32:20] Mitchell and Ray Aguilera because we have several neighborhood parks that you

[1:32:25] know there's some shenanigans that go on after hours. We've not had any current

[1:32:32] discussions about other parts being able to be done with any funding that's

[1:32:37] available. We can always do parks. This funding becomes available and get that

[1:32:42] the design and install? Okay, thank you.

[1:32:46] Any other questions?

[1:32:49] It's call for the vote.

[1:33:01] Mr. Clerk, voice vote.

[1:33:06] Mark Elif?

[1:33:07] Yes. Brett Boston?

[1:33:08] Yes.

[1:33:09] Dennis Flores? Yes.

[1:33:10] Roger Gomez? Yes.

[1:33:11] Joel Latino? Yes.

[1:33:12] Regina Meisteri? Yes.

[1:33:14] Sarah Martinez? Yes.

[1:33:16] Pass of 7-0.

[1:33:18] Mr. Clerk, we now move into a section Q.

[1:33:20] Resolution, item Q-1.

[1:33:22] And Q on a resolution, designated the trail around Lake Miniqua in Miniqua Park as Hopson Trail.

[1:33:30] Thank you, Mr. Clerk.

[1:33:31] We have a staff report.

[1:33:33] Mr. President, members of Council meeting, we feel permit a bit of latitude.

[1:33:37] We have another presentation to honor Mr. Hopson's service to the city to bed of a lighthearted presentation there for good being over the latitude.

[1:33:46] Tonight we're gathered not only to debate, to not debate utility rates or

[1:33:50] wrestle over road budgets but to do something far more rare to celebrate a

[1:33:54] public living legend. The residential for you official names to trail around

[1:33:59] Lake Miniqua, the Hobbson Trail, in honor of Scott Hobbson, who after 4

[1:34:04] million years of full-time public service is fine inventory. Probably unless he

[1:34:10] gets bored. Now why a trail? Because the wrong statue felt too expensive, around

[1:34:17] about would be cruel and quite frankly Scott may be the only person in

[1:34:21] Pueblo who actually knows where this trail came from, how it got funded, and who

[1:34:25] signed off on the master plan.

[1:34:28] Lakeland Park exists today thanks in large part to Scott before the trail was

[1:34:32] there and had potential and a lot of weeds and possibly some fertile shopping

[1:34:36] carts.

[1:34:38] But Scott had a vision, he assembled the plans, chased down the grants, and thought

[1:34:42] to maintain, to simply develop in the park, become a reality.

[1:34:46] But let's be honest, the main reason we're naming this trail up for Scott is

[1:34:50] because he already knows everything about it. In fact, he knows everything about

[1:34:54] everything. Anyone who knows Scott knows he's not just a platter.

[1:34:58] Scott is a walk-in, talking, municipal archive.

[1:35:02] Councilor Wichita said earlier, whenever someone has a question, everyone's natural

[1:35:06] instinct is simply to ask Scott. You can say to him, hey Scott,

[1:35:10] what happened to that alley vacation request from 1998 in a high-volt hardware store,

[1:35:14] and he responded very quickly. It was denied on July 14th due to an unresolved

[1:35:19] detail to use it. The gas company had concerns about a very transformer. Also, the human

[1:35:24] room AC was broken and the applicant wore a bow tie to the PNZ meeting.

[1:35:29] It's not whoever experiences a serious emergency. The official disaster recovery plan should be just

[1:35:34] call Scott and hope he picks up. And that is the best. The best. Scott wears the best the way

[1:35:42] Batman wears utility belt. Functional, iconic, and flatly intimidating. If the temperature drops

[1:35:48] below 16, you can bet he's suited up like he's leading a denaliere expedition.

[1:35:54] Not my proudest

[1:35:55] moment. For Scott and I actually showed up dressed exactly alike. Matching his best, matching flags,

[1:36:01] matching. I'm too busy for this meeting, facial expressions. The city's public affairs director

[1:36:06] If you're opposed to the photo and ask the public,

[1:36:07] how are we going to do it better?

[1:36:09] And the public chose Scott, not by a little,

[1:36:12] but by a landslide.

[1:36:14] Democracy can be cruel.

[1:36:17] So yes, we are naming the Hopper Trail in his honor

[1:36:19] because it is the path he literally helped build.

[1:36:22] The park he brought to life and a lasting symbol

[1:36:25] of his legendary service here in Portland.

[1:36:27] So this way, when someone in 2035

[1:36:29] needs to know where the irrigation control box is buried,

[1:36:31] knew that picnic shelter.

[1:36:33] They'll look at that trail sign and know

[1:36:35] we had a guy for that.

[1:36:36] Thank you, Scott.

[1:36:38] Thank you for all the staff.

[1:36:40] May your retirement be full of peace, relaxation,

[1:36:43] and meet with people finally for getting your phone number.

[1:36:46] And council, please vote yes before it changes his mind,

[1:36:49] and write some stuff in the next year's staffing plan.

[1:36:52] Thank you for your indulgence,

[1:36:54] and that concludes my staff report.

[1:36:57] Thank you for that report.

[1:36:59] Is there a motion to approve?

[1:37:00] Motion to approve.

[1:37:01] Count seconds.

[1:37:02] Second.

[1:37:02] I have a question.

[1:37:05] Councilor Boston. Please don't tell me you wasted your time making that sign and that's

[1:37:09] going to be the real sign. No, that's not the sign. That's a photo of the sign. We're

[1:37:14] going to have some signs out there. We'll label it as Hubsan Trail, but this was certainly

[1:37:19] there to commemorate Mr. Hubsan's wearing of his vest. So I think we should amend this to

[1:37:24] make that this actual sign.

[1:37:29] Anybody else that's called for the vote? Mark A.

[1:37:33] Yes, Brett Boston, Dennis Flores, Roger Gomez,

[1:37:37] Joe Latino, Regina Mystery, Sarah Martinez.

[1:37:41] Yes.

[1:37:42] Pass of 7-0, Mr. Clerk, let's do Q2.

[1:37:52] Q2, a resolution confirming the appointment of Kurt Patrick to the position of Director of Stormwater.

[1:37:59] Thank you, Mr. Clerk, we have a staff report, Mr. Gifford.

[1:38:02] Yes, Mr. President, members of the Council, Madam Mayor.

[1:38:04] Before you, tonight is a resolution which will appoint Kurt Patrick,

[1:38:07] a resolution which will confirm the appointment of Mr. Kirkpatrick to the position of Director of Stormwater.

[1:38:14] If you have any questions regarding the confirmation process, I would be more than happy to answer.

[1:38:18] Thank you.

[1:38:19] Thank you for that report. Is there a motion to approve?

[1:38:22] Motion to approve.

[1:38:23] Councillor Boston. Is there a second?

[1:38:25] Second.

[1:38:25] Councillor Gomez.

[1:38:26] Questions?

[1:38:28] It's called for the vote?

[1:38:35] Yes.

[1:38:36] Councillor Boston.

[1:38:36] Yes.

[1:38:38] Councillor Gomez?

[1:38:39] Yes.

[1:38:40] Yes.

[1:38:43] Regina Mystery.

[1:38:44] Yes.

[1:38:45] Sarah Martinez.

[1:38:46] Yes.

[1:38:48] Pass a 7-0.

[1:38:49] Mr. Clerk, we move to Q3.

[1:38:52] Q3, a resolution confirming the appointment of Melissa Cook to the position of Director of Housing and Citizen Services.

[1:39:00] Thank you, Mr. Clerk.

[1:39:01] We have a staff report.

[1:39:02] Mr. Gaffer.

[1:39:03] Yes, Mr. President and members of the council.

[1:39:05] The mayor is appointed Melissa Cook to the position of Director of Housing and Citizen Services, so to the code and charter.

[1:39:10] The confirmation now comes before council. I'm happy to answer any questions that concludes my report. Thank you for that report

[1:39:17] Is there a motion to approve motion to approve councilor Boston is there a second second?

[1:39:22] Councilor Foreas questions. I had a comment. Sure. I just want to say that some big issues just open up for as far as person in the city and

[1:39:29] There might be a good applicant right here. She's done some good work so far

[1:39:37] Any other questions comments?

[1:39:39] It's a call for the vote.

[1:39:41] Mark A. Laff.

[1:39:42] Yes.

[1:39:43] Brett Boston.

[1:39:43] Dennis Flores.

[1:39:44] Roger Gomez.

[1:39:46] Yes.

[1:39:46] Joe Latino.

[1:39:47] Yes.

[1:39:47] Regina Mystery.

[1:39:48] Yes.

[1:39:49] Sarah Martinez.

[1:39:50] It passes unanimously.

[1:39:54] Mr. Clerk, item Q4.

[1:39:56] Q4 resolution, authorizing payment for the council contingencies in the 2025 general fund budget

[1:40:02] to senior research development agency, publicly in the amount of $1,000 to sponsor the barbecue

[1:40:08] Thank you, Fundraiser and Cruz in from 4 to 10 p.m. at 230 North Main Avenue on Friday, June 27th, 2025.

[1:40:16] Thank you, Mr. Clerk. We have a staff report.

[1:40:19] Yes. Q4 is an ask from Councillor Sarah Martinez, that's for SRDA, to sponsor the Barbecue Fundraiser and Cruz in for $1,000.

[1:40:29] The event took place on June 27th.

[1:40:34] So I conclude your report.

[1:40:36] It does.

[1:40:37] Thank you.

[1:40:37] Mr. Martinez, you wanted to comment?

[1:40:42] Yes, Mr. President.

[1:40:45] So like you all know, I do my research and everything.

[1:40:48] So the thing that I have with this, and it has nothing to do with the director at all,

[1:40:55] SRDA did get $50,000 from our annual budget for this year.

[1:41:01] So that should cover the cost of this $1,000 event that has already passed.

[1:41:06] and I know that council has talked in the past about not wanting to fund events that

[1:41:12] are already passed that the request has come in late and you guys have passed those in

[1:41:18] the past which I believe that you guys should pass a resolution saying if an event has passed

[1:41:26] you guys do not fund them and the discussion on those ones that come into it and they are

[1:41:32] also asking because as you guys know I have stated this in the past I do

[1:41:36] read the attachments. They are asking the BOCC for money or have already asked the

[1:41:41] BOCC for money. Whether that's $500 or $1,000 I don't know but they're triple

[1:41:48] dipping right here and they did not get any money from CSAT already confirmed

[1:41:52] to that. So that's good. And another thing if anybody has a relation with the

[1:42:00] director if that is true they should recuse themselves because that is a

[1:42:06] conflict of interest. These nonprofits in my opinion and others too in the

[1:42:12] community they are double-dipping and triple-dipping and they're still staying

[1:42:19] latched on to the taxpayer dollars. I asset this repeatedly time after time after

[1:42:27] time that some of the same nonprofits keep on coming to milk us or our tax payer dollars.

[1:42:35] And these nonprofits need to get some type of temporary baked licenses so they can sell

[1:42:45] baked goods and everything to fund these events that they have in.

[1:42:51] If you guys want to approve this or amend to say $250 and they could come up with that other

[1:42:59] $750 somewhere else and that will conclude for Q4 and Mr. President, I would also remind you I'll speak on Q5 and Q6, sir.

[1:43:09] Thank you. Is there a motion to approve?

[1:43:12] I move to approve.

[1:43:13] Councillor Flores, is there a second?

[1:43:16] Councillor Boston, any questions?

[1:43:19] Let's call for the vote.

[1:43:24] Mark Eiliff?

[1:43:25] Yes.

[1:43:25] Brett Boston?

[1:43:26] Yes.

[1:43:27] Dennis Flores?

[1:43:28] Yes.

[1:43:28] Roger Gomez?

[1:43:29] No.

[1:43:29] Joe Latino?

[1:43:32] No.

[1:43:32] Regina Meisteri?

[1:43:35] Yes.

[1:43:36] Sir Martinez?

[1:43:37] Yes.

[1:43:40] Item passes 5-2.

[1:43:43] Thank you, Mr. Clerk.

[1:43:45] We now move to item Q-5.

[1:43:49] Q-5, a resolution authorizing payment for the Council

[1:43:53] contingencies account in the 2025 General Fund Budget

[1:43:55] to Lake Avenue Community Church in the amount of $2,500

[1:43:58] the sponsor, Besmer Buckets, from June 9th to June 11th, 2025, at the Corwin Middle School, and

[1:44:05] Needy S. Friedman Expeditionary, K-8, and Besmer kicks from June 30th through July 9th, 2025, Minukwa Elementary.

[1:44:17] Thank you, Mr. Clerk, we have a staff report.

[1:44:19] Yes, Q5, this is an ask from Councillor Roger Gomez to sponsor the Gavin News Community Church.

[1:44:24] they've got two different sports camps.

[1:44:28] There's a K-5 basketball camp, which is Bessamer Buckets,

[1:44:31] and their K-8 soccer camp, Bessamer Kicks.

[1:44:35] Bessamer Buckets took place from June 9th to the 11th,

[1:44:39] and Bessamer Kicks took place from June 30th to July 9th.

[1:44:43] And this is the first sponsorship request

[1:44:45] from Lake Avenue Community Church.

[1:44:47] This program is intended to be fun and inclusive to all kids,

[1:44:51] but also helps offset child care costs for parents.

[1:44:54] And that concludes my staff report.

[1:44:56] Thank you for that report.

[1:44:58] Mr. Martinez.

[1:45:00] Yes, thank you again, Mr. President. And I would say I'm in favor of this, but like I just

[1:45:07] stayed on the previous one, this has already happened. So if we could get something out there

[1:45:13] to these nonprofits that come forward, so they have enough time to do the sponsorship

[1:45:18] and everything like that. And I know it takes some time to get through the ringer and everything.

[1:45:24] but I noticed that this one did not have the same type of sponsorship request form filled

[1:45:32] out as the other ones. So I hope in the future that every nonprofit that comes to ask for

[1:45:38] any amount of money completes that if that would have to be a requirement or if council

[1:45:45] could approve a resolution for something like that that would be wonderful. So everything

[1:45:50] thing is uniformed when these nonprofits come forward instead of just a simple type of

[1:45:57] email or a letter to the mayor's office and everything for these sponsorships. But

[1:46:04] I, like I said, I'm in favor of this and I hope it approves 70. Thank you, Mr. President.

[1:46:12] Thank you. Is there a motion to approve? Motion to approve.

[1:46:14] Councillor Poston, is there a second? Second.

[1:46:18] Councillor Latino, questions?

[1:46:21] Councilor Gomez?

[1:46:23] Yeah, this is a mission of the Lake Avenue Community Church that came into Bessemer

[1:46:27] several years ago and they've got over 200 kids now in a recreation program that you desperately need in Bessemer.

[1:46:35] They renovated a building at 17,000 square feet, rolled up the streets and did it by themselves, and as a matter of fact,

[1:46:43] they're getting so big, they're going to have to purchase another building.

[1:46:46] So these guys have put in their effort, can't say they're money or their mouth is, but

[1:46:50] they're putting their effort in their roll and up the sleeves, and they're really creating

[1:46:53] a lot of recreational time for kids and bestsmen as well as inviting other parts of the community

[1:46:59] to come in and participate.

[1:47:00] So I have a lot of faith in them, I've seen them, I've gone and visited, and I suggest you

[1:47:04] guys, if you get an opportunity, go down there and see them as well.

[1:47:07] Thank you.

[1:47:08] Any other questions?

[1:47:10] Councillor Marchina.

[1:47:11] Thank you, Mr. President.

[1:47:12] Mr. Gifford, in the past we've been directed to not provide funds to churches so can

[1:47:21] you get shed light on that?

[1:47:26] No, I can't and I don't know historically what the position of the city has been.

[1:47:30] I can certainly look into that if this needs to be tabled to get further explanation

[1:47:34] on that.

[1:47:35] I apologize.

[1:47:36] I wasn't aware that that might be an issue.

[1:47:42] Any other questions?

[1:47:48] I didn't hear you.

[1:47:48] And I remember that correctly or it was at a fever dream.

[1:47:53] I've never been involved where there was this conversation.

[1:47:56] I mean, we give money to Catholic charities.

[1:48:00] We do other things like this.

[1:48:02] I don't know.

[1:48:03] It's never come up.

[1:48:05] Well, Catholic charities claims that they're not related

[1:48:09] to the church.

[1:48:12] They're separate from the church.

[1:48:15] That was something that the mayor,

[1:48:19] the previous mayor said when it came to crazy faith ministries and wanting to

[1:48:27] help them out at one time. But this is an event which is a fundraising event and so

[1:48:38] it's because you know the churches get non-profit status because they help

[1:48:43] reach out to help the community that's their purpose and that's why they are

[1:48:47] considered non-profits. So, but

[1:48:54] similar to Councilor Martinez?

[1:48:58] Yeah, I mean, because it's, it sounds like it's forward event to Councilor Maeshoes' point, but so I'm good to be voting on this tonight, but Mr. Gifford, I think I would like clarification moving forward.

[1:49:10] Certainly.

[1:49:11] Any other questions?

[1:49:12] Yes, Councilor Gomez?

[1:49:13] Just to know if they've never asked for money before, they've done a lot.

[1:49:17] they've spent thousands and thousands and thousands of their own money renovating this church

[1:49:23] which was a mess and they've provided different floors and it's bigger than most of these buildings

[1:49:29] and public and they've gotten different floors they've got recreation they've got reading the kit

[1:49:33] kits go over there and see it first and then give me your opinion but right now I can tell you from

[1:49:38] what I've seen and what I've known about this group here they're doing it for the recreation for

[1:49:44] of the area that sorely needs it in best summer.

[1:49:47] Thank you.

[1:49:48] Any other questions?

[1:49:49] It's called for the vote.

[1:49:50] Mark A. Left.

[1:49:52] Yes.

[1:49:52] Brett Boston.

[1:49:53] Yes.

[1:49:54] Dennis Flores.

[1:49:54] Yes.

[1:49:55] Roger Gomez.

[1:49:56] Yes.

[1:49:56] Joel Latino.

[1:49:57] Yes.

[1:49:58] Regina Meisteri.

[1:49:59] Yes.

[1:50:00] Sarah Martinez.

[1:50:01] Yes.

[1:50:02] Pass of 70.

[1:50:04] Mr. Clark, Q6.

[1:50:06] Q6 resolution authorizing a payment from the council contingencies

[1:50:09] in the count of the 2025 General Fund budget

[1:50:11] to the Roseland Company in the amount of $1,700 to sponsor reeds across America's start being at 12 p.m.

[1:50:19] at Roseland Cemetery on Saturday, December 13th, 2025.

[1:50:24] Thank you, Mr. Clerk. We have a staff report.

[1:50:26] Yes, Q6. This is an ask from Councillor Regina Maistrie.

[1:50:30] This is to sponsor 100 reeds for the Reeds across America's ceremony for the Roseland Company.

[1:50:36] The sponsorship is for $1,700.

[1:50:38] dollars and the ceremony will take place on December 13th and that concludes my staff report.

[1:50:43] Thank you for that report. Mr. Martinez. Thank you Mr. President while I'm 1 million

[1:50:49] percent for this but I would respectfully ask if you guys could amend this to $2,040 and why I'm

[1:50:57] saying $2,040 because that would purchase an additional 20 more reach for those who have sacrificed

[1:51:06] all for all of us to be here at this meeting either virtually or in person and

[1:51:14] these are the heroes that we always speak of and then if I could also add to

[1:51:20] this I don't know if it would be possible with City Council or the mayor to

[1:51:25] actually put this in our annual budget for the nonprofit sponsorships and

[1:51:32] everything. So this could be continued on annually forever and hopefully that could be added

[1:51:41] into our budget which is only $2,040 for $100 and 20 raised I think we could afford to do that

[1:51:49] annually and thank you Mr. President. Thank you is there a motion to approve? Motion to approve

[1:51:55] Councillor Boston, is there a second?

[1:51:57] Second.

[1:51:58] Councillor Latino.

[1:51:59] Questions?

[1:52:01] Katie.

[1:52:03] Do they requested the amount of 1,700 correct?

[1:52:07] Correct.

[1:52:07] So they probably knew what they needed.

[1:52:10] They know that they need like 4,000 rees.

[1:52:13] And they get sponsors every year.

[1:52:15] So if they asked for a specific amount, they probably knew what they needed based off of their

[1:52:21] other commitments.

[1:52:22] Correct.

[1:52:23] I'm happy in my, yes.

[1:52:24] Any other questions?

[1:52:26] Councilor Gomez?

[1:52:27] Yeah, in reference to this,

[1:52:28] we just, and I agree with Ms. Maesha,

[1:52:32] I think when you get somebody that's got a program like this

[1:52:35] and we all care about it,

[1:52:36] and everybody is gonna support it.

[1:52:38] I know, I'm sure everybody is,

[1:52:40] but I'm sure if they need it more

[1:52:42] than what they suggested that,

[1:52:44] they could have brought that forward.

[1:52:45] And I don't think it's up to us to add

[1:52:47] if this is something that there,

[1:52:49] that number or something that we don't know if it's right

[1:52:52] Right on the money. It's closed. It helps. We don't know. But I think if they want a $2,000, they're going to put it in their request.

[1:52:59] Councillor Latino.

[1:53:00] Yes.

[1:53:02] Having worked with the Rosalind Cemetery Board and been involved in the race across America program, I believe that what they're asking for is what they need.

[1:53:12] Thank you.

[1:53:13] Thank you. Any other questions? It's called for the vote.

[1:53:16] Mark A.L.F. Yes.

[1:53:17] Yes, Brent Boston, Dennis Flores, Roger Gomez, Joe Latino, Regina Mystery,

[1:53:23] Sarah Martinez, and it passes 7-0.

[1:53:28] unanimous, Mr. Clark, we go to Q7.

[1:53:30] Q7 resolution, authorizing payment from the Council contingencies account in the 2025

[1:53:35] General Fund budget to the animal wear fair and protection society doing businesses

[1:53:39] pause for life in the amount of $1,500 a sponsor, Pines for Paws from 5 PM to 9 PM at the

[1:53:46] The Pueblo Union Depot, Friday, July 25th, 2025.

[1:53:50] Thank you, Mr. Clerk.

[1:53:51] We have a staff report.

[1:53:52] Yeah, Q7.

[1:53:54] This is an ask from Councillor Sarah Martinez.

[1:53:56] This is to sponsor Paws for Life Event Heints for Paws for $1,500.

[1:54:01] The event will take place on July 25th.

[1:54:05] Council has supported this organization in the past,

[1:54:07] but this is the first request for this event.

[1:54:09] Sponsorship will include eight tickets for counsel to the event

[1:54:12] and funds will be used to shelter feed and provide medical care to animals waiting to find their

[1:54:18] forever home. And that concludes my staff report.

[1:54:20] Thank you for that report. Is there a motion to approve?

[1:54:23] Motion to approve. Councilor Boston, is there a second?

[1:54:26] Second.

[1:54:27] Councillor Flores, any questions?

[1:54:31] Councillor Boston.

[1:54:32] Thank you, Mr. President.

[1:54:35] Katie, if this passes, what is the current state of the Council contingency fund?

[1:54:40] So the current state, if this passes is $40,000, $9.88.

[1:54:49] Sounds good.

[1:54:50] Thank you.

[1:54:51] Thank you.

[1:54:52] Any other questions?

[1:54:54] Let's call for the vote.

[1:54:55] Markela.

[1:54:56] Yes.

[1:54:57] Brett Boston.

[1:54:57] Yes.

[1:54:58] Dennis Flores.

[1:54:58] Yes.

[1:54:59] Roger Gomez.

[1:55:00] Yes.

[1:55:00] Jolotino.

[1:55:01] Yes.

[1:55:01] Agena Mystery.

[1:55:02] Yes.

[1:55:03] Sir Martinez.

[1:55:03] Yes.

[1:55:03] It passes unanimously, 7-0.

[1:55:07] Mr. Clerk, we now move to ordinances, final presentation, item R1.

[1:55:12] Our one in an ordinance approving accepting the amended home-ARP grant agreement between the City of Public Autonomous Civil Corporation and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development HUD.

[1:55:22] Authorizing them here to execute the agreement together with all required necessary certifications, assurances, and

[1:55:29] And documentations accepting home-ARP grant funds from HUD on behalf of the Plubble consort team in the amount of $3,090,925 and budgeting and

[1:55:42] appropriating the home-ARP grant funds introduced June 23rd, 2025, a Council of Brett Austin.

[1:55:48] Thank you, Mr. Clerk, do we have a newly appointed director report?

[1:55:52] Yes, thank you, Council.

[1:55:54] So, in 2021, the City of Hublot received the home ARP dollars, not to be confused with ARPA while they are American Rescue Plan Act.

[1:56:04] They are appropriated through HUD, not the U.S. Treasury.

[1:56:08] So, that is important because the expenditure deadline has not yet passed.

[1:56:12] They were looking and doing an evaluation at the local field office here in Denver and

[1:56:17] realized that they had under appropriated our formula funding for this by $4,020.27.

[1:56:23] and so this is just receiving that additional,

[1:56:25] we are not receiving an additional $3 million.

[1:56:27] This is just receiving in that additional $4,000.

[1:56:30] It will come into the consortium,

[1:56:32] which is a split between the county and the city.

[1:56:35] The city will get 87% of that

[1:56:37] and the county will get 13% of that.

[1:56:39] And that concludes my staff report.

[1:56:41] Thank you for that report.

[1:56:42] This is a public hearing.

[1:56:43] Is there anyone here wishing to speak in favor of this ordinance?

[1:56:48] Saying none, is there anyone here

[1:56:49] wishing to speak against this ordinance?

[1:56:52] say none the hearings closed. Is there a motion to approve?

[1:56:55] Motion to approve.

[1:56:56] Councillor Boston, is there a second?

[1:56:57] Second.

[1:56:59] Councillor Latino, questions.

[1:57:02] It's called for the vote.

[1:57:03] Mark A. Left.

[1:57:04] Yes.

[1:57:05] Brent Bosses.

[1:57:06] Dennis Flores.

[1:57:07] Yes.

[1:57:07] Roger Gomez.

[1:57:08] Yes.

[1:57:08] Joel Latino.

[1:57:09] Yes.

[1:57:10] Regina Maistrie.

[1:57:11] Yes.

[1:57:12] Sir Martinez.

[1:57:14] Passes 7-0.

[1:57:15] Mr. Clerk.

[1:57:16] R2.

[1:57:17] R2, in order to approve and adopt the City of Plovel's 5-year 2025-2029 consolidation plan and the 2025 annual action plan for community development, block grant,

[1:57:28] parentheses, CD, BG, and the home investment partnership act grant, home, authorizing the mayor of the City of Plovel to submit the application together with all the required, required and necessary certifications, assurances and documentation to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development

[1:57:45] and they're property in budgeting, CDBG, and home funds therefore introduced June 23rd, 2025 by Councillor Breppe Austin.

[1:57:54] Thank you, Mr. Clerk. We have a staff report.

[1:57:56] Yes, this ordinance will do two things.

[1:58:00] It will, first of all, accept our required five-year annual planning, or I'm sorry, our five-year consolidated plan with the Housing and Urban Development Department.

[1:58:08] We are required to do this every five years, identify strategic goals and how we want to operate over the next five years.

[1:58:13] Starting earlier this year, the housing and citizen services department did do extensive public outreach and was able to come up with a five-year plan, including those goals that were communicated by the public.

[1:58:28] So that is included in the packet.

[1:58:29] The second thing that this does is actually accepts budgets and appropriates the annual action plan, which is the $1.5 million roughly.

[1:58:36] actually it's $1,432,469 in community development block grant funding and $877,545 in $14

[1:58:47] in home consortium grant funding. Again, that home consortium grant, only the home consortium

[1:58:53] grant is split 87% from the city and 13% to the county. Additionally, you may remember that we did

[1:59:01] We did do a work session on the CDBG funds of 1.432 million.

[1:59:05] We did not know at that point what that amount was going to be.

[1:59:08] It came in shortly after we did the work session earlier this year.

[1:59:13] But we are continuing to move forward with that.

[1:59:15] So this will budget and appropriate those funds as well.

[1:59:17] And that concludes my staff report.

[1:59:19] Thank you for that report.

[1:59:20] This is a public hearing.

[1:59:22] Is there anyone here wishing to speak in favor of this ordinance?

[1:59:26] Saying none, is there anyone here wishing to speak against this ordinance?

[1:59:30] Seeing none, the hearings closed. Is there a motion to approve?

[1:59:34] Councillor Boston. Is there a second?

[1:59:38] Second.

[1:59:39] Councillor Latino. Questions?

[1:59:41] It's called for the vote.

[1:59:44] Mark Eiliff?

[1:59:45] Yes.

[1:59:45] President Boston?

[1:59:46] Yes.

[1:59:47] Dennis Flores?

[1:59:47] Yes.

[1:59:48] Roger Gomez?

[1:59:49] Yes.

[1:59:49] Joel Latino?

[1:59:49] Yes.

[1:59:50] Regina Maistrie?

[1:59:53] Yes.

[1:59:54] Sir Martinez?

[1:59:55] Yes.

[1:59:56] As of 7-0, Mr. Clerk, we move to all-

[2:00:00] R3. R3, in ordinance amending section 15-2-8 of chapter 2 of Title 15 of the Plubble Municipal Code relating to the fees for metering, parking in the municipal parking lots, and providing penalties for violations thereof. Introduced June 23, 2025 by Councillor Bret Boston. Thank you, Mr. Clerk. We have a status report. Good evening, Mr. President. Members of the City Council and Mayor Graham. If approved, this ordinance will amend the fees for metered parking in municipal lots and garages to increase from 50 cents per hour to $1 per hour.

[2:00:29] by increasing the hourly rate the city will be able to implement electronic payment by

[2:00:33] smartphone projected revenue increase of $3,000 annually is expected from this

[2:00:39] ordinance and pinning any questions this is my report. Thank you for that report.

[2:00:43] This is a public hearing. Is there anyone here wishing to speak in favor of

[2:00:47] this ordinance? Saying none is there anyone here wishing to speak against this

[2:00:51] ordinance? Saying none the hearing is closed. Is there a motion to approve?

[2:00:55] of most new approve. Councillor Boston, is there a second?

[2:00:59] Second.

[2:01:00] Councillor Gomez. Questions? Councillor Flores. Does this mean that we're replacing our meters?

[2:01:09] Yes, or this is what the intent for this is to get rid of the physical meters and go to a QR

[2:01:14] scan code, like you see in most and a lot of different municipalities.

[2:01:19] And what is the cost of the switchover to this type of?

[2:01:23] The cost of the switch over from it's included in that 50 cent raise to allow for the convenience fee of paying for your parking permit online.

[2:01:34] Okay, that makes sense. Thanks.

[2:01:35] Any other questions?

[2:01:38] It's called for the vote. Markela?

[2:01:40] Yes. Brent Boston?

[2:01:41] Yes. Dennis Flores?

[2:01:42] Yes. Roger Gomez?

[2:01:44] Yes.

[2:01:45] Joel Latino?

[2:01:46] Yes.

[2:01:47] Regina Mystery?

[2:01:48] Yes.

[2:01:49] Sarah Martinez?

[2:01:50] Yes.

[2:01:50] As of 7-0, Mr. Clerk, R-4.

[2:01:54] R-4, an ordinance amending the fiscal year 2025, 2025 staffing ordinance through the conversion of two vacant positions with the Pueblo Works Department introduced June 23rd, 2025 by Councillor Bret Boston.

[2:02:08] Thank you, Mr. Clerk, we have a staff report.

[2:02:11] Good evening, Ms. Pachaca was unable to attend today, so she asked me to present in her place.

[2:02:17] If approved the ordinance before, you would adjust existing staffing with the Public Works

[2:02:20] Department in two aspects.

[2:02:23] Currently a vacant traffic signal technician position would be converted to a traffic utility

[2:02:27] worker three.

[2:02:29] This is a cost-neutral change as the classifications share a salary range.

[2:02:33] Secondly, a current vacant senior facilities maintenance technician would be converted through

[2:02:38] a downgrade to a facilities maintenance technician.

[2:02:41] This would be a lower classification, more at an entry level versus the journeyman master

[2:02:45] level of the senior position within the facilities maintenance division of public works.

[2:02:50] This change generates approximately $13,146 in savings for the general fund.

[2:02:55] Both staffing changes are preferred operationally by the department to meet their objectives.

[2:02:58] Pending any questions, this is my report.

[2:03:00] Thank you for that report.

[2:03:02] This is a public hearing.

[2:03:04] Is there anyone here wishing to speak in favor of this ordinance?

[2:03:06] say none is there anyone here wishing to speak against this ordinance saying none the hearings closed is their

[2:03:13] motion to approve motion to approve councilor Boston is there a second councilor Latino questions

[2:03:19] who

[2:03:22] let's call for the vote mark a yes Brett Boston yes Dennis Laura's yes Roger Gomez yes Joel Latino

[2:03:29] yes Regina Mystery yes sir Martinez pass the 7-0 Mr. Clerk R-5 R-5

[2:03:38] An ordinance of mending section 6-16 of Chapter 5 of Title 6 of Plubble Municipal Code relating to the FY 2025 classification and pay plan by establishing the Pace Scale for Facilities Maintenance Technician introduced June 23rd, 2025 by Council Brett Boston.

[2:03:56] Thank you, Mr. Clerk. We have a staff report.

[2:03:58] Yes, sir.

[2:03:59] If approved this ordinance, that's the 2025 salary scale for the position of Facilities Maintenance Technician approved in the previous ordinance.

[2:04:05] As was referenced, this change will generate approximately $13,146 in savings for the general fund, pending any questions this is my report.

[2:04:13] Thank you for that report. This is a public hearing. Is there anyone here wishing to speak in favor of this ordinance saying none? Is there anyone here wishing to speak against this ordinance saying none?

[2:04:24] The hearings closed. Is there a motion to approve? Motion to approve. Councillor Boston, do we have a second? Second. Councillor Latino.

[2:04:32] questions. It's called for the vote. Mark A. Left. Yes. Brett Boston. Yes. Dennis

[2:04:37] Flores. Yes. Roger Gomez. Yes. Joel Latino. Yes. Regina Mystery. Yes. Sarah

[2:04:45] Martinez. Yes. Pass of 7-0. Mr. Clerk of R-6. R-6. In the ordinance of

[2:04:50] proving and amending and reinstated inter-governmental agreement, buy-in between the

[2:04:54] City of Plubble County and the Plubble City County Library District for the

[2:04:58] selection of trustees to the Pueblo City County Library District Board introduced June 23rd, 2025, by Councillor Brett Boston.

[2:05:06] Thank you, Mr. Clerk. We have staff report.

[2:05:12] I'd be more than happy to provide a staff report.

[2:05:13] Thank you, Mr. Governor.

[2:05:15] I'm Mr. President and members of Council. This is an ordinance that will prove and amend it and restate an IGA between the City and Public County District.

[2:05:23] Library, if you have any questions, I'd be more than happy to answer them. Thank you.

[2:05:26] Thank you for that report. This is a public hearing.

[2:05:29] Is there anyone here wishing to speak in favor of this ordinance?

[2:05:32] Come on down.

[2:05:42] Please just state your name.

[2:05:44] Sherry Baca.

[2:05:48] I think we need to do one at a time.

[2:05:50] One at a time.

[2:05:51] Okay.

[2:05:52] Do you mind if I go first?

[2:05:54] Okay, very good.

[2:05:55] Thank you.

[2:05:56] President Alif, council members, mayor Graham.

[2:05:58] Thank you so much for the opportunity to visit with you this evening.

[2:06:01] I am Sherry Baca, the executive director of the Pueblo City County Library District.

[2:06:05] My colleague, of course, Iris Clarke is a trustee on the library board.

[2:06:10] We appreciate the opportunity to come speak in support of this ordinance for an IGA for library board appointments.

[2:06:18] This document, this intergovernmental agreement, is pretty straightforward.

[2:06:21] It's drawn mostly from Title 24 of the Colorado-Ruby statue.

[2:06:25] We refer to it as Colorado Library Law.

[2:06:29] The IGA ratifies current practices as it describes the process that is currently happening

[2:06:33] when the city and the county jointly appoint library trustees, but it also holds in place

[2:06:39] consistency for all three governments moving into the future.

[2:06:43] The intergovernmental agreement sets forth the selection committee.

[2:06:46] It seeks candidates that are representative of the community, so the library district serves

[2:06:51] both the city, the public city and public county.

[2:06:55] It also provides for the selection process that the selection process is completed before

[2:07:00] a vacant trustee term starts every January.

[2:07:02] So that's sort of a housekeeping matter.

[2:07:04] We hope to always start with a full library board every January.

[2:07:09] And I do want to report tonight just as a point of information, both the Board of County

[2:07:13] Commissioners and the Library Trustee Board have approved this IGA prior to tonight.

[2:07:18] And so I want to thank you for the opportunity to come and speak, and I'm happy to answer

[2:07:24] any questions.

[2:07:25] Thank you.

[2:07:27] Is there anyone else wishing to speak in favor of this ordinance?

[2:07:32] I would just like to say thank you.

[2:07:34] Just, can you just tell us your name?

[2:07:36] Oh, I'm Iris Clark, I'm a library trustee,

[2:07:39] and I would just like to thank those who participated

[2:07:42] in drafting this document, Sherry and Mayor Graham.

[2:07:47] It's been a long time coming, so bravo for that.

[2:07:51] The other thing I like to think of our library

[2:07:54] as our Pueblos Intellectual Fitness Center,

[2:07:58] and I think this document moves is a huge investment.

[2:08:04] in our intellectual capital for Pueblo because it ensures into the future that we have

[2:08:11] a fair and equitable process for selecting and appointing our library trustees.

[2:08:17] So I hope you vote yes and I want to thank you for all the work you do as well.

[2:08:22] Thank you.

[2:08:24] Thank you.

[2:08:25] Is there anyone else wishing to speak in favor of this ordinance?

[2:08:30] say none. Is there anyone here wishing to speak against this ordinance saying none? The hearing is closed. Is there a motion to approve?

[2:08:39] Motion to approve. Councillor Boston. Second by Councillor Flores. Any questions?

[2:08:43] Yes. Councillor Boston.

[2:08:45] Thank you, Mr. President. What is the duration of this IGA? Anybody know?

[2:08:50] What is the duration of this agreement? Is it a yearly agreement? Is this five-year agreement?

[2:08:58] Is it indefinite?

[2:09:01] There's a provision, if I can speak, of course I'm not an attorney who has drawn up this agreement but there is a termination clause by which any of the governments can give notice and withdraw from the intergovernmental agreement.

[2:09:13] So there isn't a term to it that would expire at some point in the future.

[2:09:18] Sounds good.

[2:09:19] And then isn't there a representative on council on that board?

[2:09:23] Who is that representative?

[2:09:24] And

[2:09:28] Dennis are

[2:09:31] you speaking about the selection committee or the library board

[2:09:33] itself? The selection committee? Correct. She would know. She's on there. Do you

[2:09:40] like this board? Thank you, Ms. President. Yeah, I've actually served as the city

[2:09:47] councillor. I believe in the past there was two city councillors and two county

[2:09:53] commissioners that have appointed trustees to the board. This is my fourth

[2:09:58] If you're doing it, we've done some interviews of candidates.

[2:10:03] We've taken, you know, the trustees write their letter of recommendation as well for

[2:10:08] like candidates.

[2:10:09] So I think it's, I'm glad that it's, you know, solidified now.

[2:10:14] Yes, thank you.

[2:10:14] And the agreement does stay up to two per governing body for the County Commission and the City

[2:10:20] Council.

[2:10:21] So it doesn't change that at all.

[2:10:23] Yeah.

[2:10:23] Councillor Flores has participated all last year.

[2:10:25] Yeah, it's been a while, I think since we've convened a meeting, so, but yes, in the past I have voted on that committee.

[2:10:35] I think that stays, I don't know if that stays the same now, I'll be.

[2:10:44] Any other questions, Councillor Gomez?

[2:10:47] Yeah, this is going to be tough for me to get out, but I'm going to say it anyway, this is in the corner of my district.

[2:10:52] I have people that, and I'm not just making this up, I can bring it forward, where they're concerned about when they're going to the library.

[2:10:59] There's a person that's at the front desk.

[2:11:02] They have some questions about what's the he or she.

[2:11:04] They're also having questions about library time hours with they can't get enough information.

[2:11:09] I've tried several times and I kind of didn't get the answers I needed either.

[2:11:14] So I'm having a problem with I understand the intellectual center, I got it,

[2:11:19] but he needs to be a family center too.

[2:11:21] And when I have to respond because it's in the corner of my district, I don't know what to tell him.

[2:11:25] So, I'll be in front, I just don't feel comfortable supporting this until I get the answers I need.

[2:11:31] Thank you.

[2:11:34] The question is clear, is there anything?

[2:11:36] Any other questions?

[2:11:43] Did you want to answer?

[2:11:45] May I just make a comment?

[2:11:47] Sure.

[2:11:47] The intellectual fitness center is something that's my thinking, it's not a formal library

[2:11:58] position.

[2:12:03] Well, I can speak for myself. I need to spend more time working out in that intellectual fitness center. So I'm with you on that. Any other questions?

[2:12:14] Yeah, let's call for the vote. Mark A. Left. Yes.

[2:12:17] Yes, Grant Boston, Dennis Lawrence, Roger Gomez, no.

[2:12:22] Joe Latino?

[2:12:23] Yes.

[2:12:24] Regina Meisteri?

[2:12:25] Yes.

[2:12:26] Sarah Martinez.

[2:12:27] Yes.

[2:12:28] That's a 6-1.

[2:12:30] Mr. Clerk, we move to our 7.

[2:12:32] Our 7, an ordinance approving a land lease between the city of Plabula, Colorado, Miss Corporation,

[2:12:40] and pivotal space in doing businesses leap, a Delaware Corporation, and authorizing the mayor execute the same,

[2:12:45] We can introduce June 23, 2025 by Councillor Brent Boston.

[2:12:49] Thank you, Mr. Clerk.

[2:12:51] We have a staff report.

[2:12:53] Yes, thank you, Mr. President, Mayor, Councillors.

[2:12:56] This ordinance approves an agreement with pivotal space ink for a land lease on airport property

[2:13:01] for the purpose of installing mobile rocket testing pads.

[2:13:05] We are hopeful that this is just a first step to increase their footprint in Pueblo.

[2:13:09] It is my understanding they are looking for potential manufacturing space within the airport industrial part.

[2:13:13] So allowing them this, approving this lease, gets their foot in the door and it looks like we may have a good partner there to do some rocket testing here in Pueblo.

[2:13:22] This concludes my report. I'm available for questions.

[2:13:26] Thank you for that report. This is a public hearing. Is there anyone here wishing to speak in favor of this ordinance?

[2:13:34] Saying none. Is there anyone here wishing to speak against this ordinance?

[2:13:39] Seeing none, the hearings closed. Is there a motion to approve?

[2:13:43] Councillor Boston. Is there a second?

[2:13:45] Councillor Flores, questions? Councillor Boston.

[2:13:50] Thank you, Mr. President. I'm no rocket scientist, but this sounds pretty awesome.

[2:13:54] Have they done any rocket testing prior to this?

[2:13:57] Yes, and they're building on their grant opportunities to expand their existing

[2:14:03] north out of North of Denver, I think, near the Watkins air and spaceport.

[2:14:08] So they haven't done any in Plobel yet?

[2:14:10] Not in Plobel.

[2:14:10] No, sir.

[2:14:11] It sounds like it could be some high paying job opportunities.

[2:14:16] Any other questions?

[2:14:18] Yeah, I can.

[2:14:21] Can I, can you please, for transparency, tell the public how much that is and how long it's

[2:14:29] more?

[2:14:29] Yes, ma'am.

[2:14:30] It's a year-to-year, three-year term.

[2:14:32] Again, with some off-ramps, if we need them, it's 19,000 per year.

[2:14:37] Thank you.

[2:14:39] Councillor Flores.

[2:14:41] I'm sorry.

[2:14:42] Councillor Gomez.

[2:14:43] Yeah, the capacities of the rockets and stuff, you can you explain that a little bit.

[2:14:48] So the specs are a little bit above my technical ability to understand, but they're going

[2:14:52] to have mobile testing pads where the rockets will be fixed.

[2:14:57] There's nothing being projected or vertically thrown into the air.

[2:15:00] There, they will be blasting down into a pad and they're measuring, you know, the thrust and stuff of that nature. They're going, it's a pretty ambitious and a pretty high tech field. So we're really excited to be a partner with them here. And I think it'll, it could potentially bring jobs. The land, we, is it in efforts to any kind of buildings? There's any kind of covering? Is it, is it just the land? So we're just leasing them the land. They're going to have what's called what they're determining or what we've just specced out as mobile testing pads.

[2:15:29] So they will be removed when they, if they leave, they'll be able to return the land that's currently vacant and just to the west of the airport fence line.

[2:15:39] They'll be able to return it back to its natural state if they decide to move on, but we're hoping to keep them here for a while.

[2:15:45] This is just another feather in the cap for that airport.

[2:15:48] The more things we can bring to there and what we've got out there is just incredible.

[2:15:53] You know, people again, they don't realize how the potential that place is just nuts.

[2:15:58] Okay, thank you. Any other questions?

[2:16:01] Councillor Flores.

[2:16:04] Does PEDCO know about this, if you talked to them about this?

[2:16:08] Yes, there have been a good partner with them, too, trying to get them some additional manufacturing space in the industrial park, thank you.

[2:16:15] Any other questions?

[2:16:17] Let's call for the vote. Mark A. Leff?

[2:16:19] Yes. Brent Boston?

[2:16:21] Yes. Dennis Flores?

[2:16:22] Yes. Roger Gomez?

[2:16:23] Yes. Joel Latino?

[2:16:24] Yes. Regina Maistrie?

[2:16:26] Yes.

[2:16:27] Sarah Martinez.

[2:16:28] Yes.

[2:16:29] Passes unanimously.

[2:16:30] Mr. Clerk, R-8.

[2:16:31] R-8.

[2:16:32] An ordinance fixing the monthly salaries of the President and members of City Council at $1,800

[2:16:37] and $1,400 respectively introduced June 23rd, 2025 by Councillor Bret Boston.

[2:16:43] Thank you, Mr. Clerk.

[2:16:45] We have a staff report.

[2:16:46] Yes, Mr. President, members of Council.

[2:16:48] This ordinance comes at the request of Council and floor as the attached ordinance will increase

[2:16:53] the salary of the President of the City Council from $900 to $1800 per month and the salary

[2:16:59] for other members of City Council from $700 to $1400 a month. As part of my staff presentation,

[2:17:05] I have some other City Council salaries just for information. If you'd like to see that,

[2:17:10] I could put it on the screen. Sure.

[2:17:15] Is it doing it?

[2:17:15] Which

[2:17:27] was my staff report?

[2:17:33] Thank you for that report. This is a public hearing. Is there anyone here wishing to speak in

[2:17:37] favor of this ordinance? Saying none, is there anyone here wishing to speak

[2:17:43] against this ordinance? Yes, Mr. President. Sure.

[2:17:48] I was Martinez.

[2:17:53] Did you want to go, Mr. President? You got it.

[2:17:56] Okay, I was Martinez. I'm against this for the third time now that it's brought

[2:18:00] up because they got brought up back in 2023. I believe twice,

[2:18:06] to double it, and then it was brought up to triple it.

[2:18:11] To me, it makes absolutely no sense.

[2:18:14] I know and all of us know that council

[2:18:18] is shouldn't be getting paid double of that because

[2:18:24] I could bet a dollar that council wouldn't double

[2:18:30] the work that they do.

[2:18:32] Because I personally can't go to my supervisor

[2:18:34] or asked for a double pay, he would write in my face.

[2:18:40] And there were promises when everybody campaigned,

[2:18:45] and respectively, with the exception of Mr. Boston

[2:18:47] because he was appointed, and I love what you're doing, Mr. Boston.

[2:18:51] But the thing is, there were promises,

[2:18:54] not all of those promises have been made, that were said.

[2:18:58] But we still have rising crime in different parts of town.

[2:19:04] And we all need to come together with a solution that was brought up in public forum.

[2:19:11] We have infrastructure that is crumbling on the east side.

[2:19:16] Mr. Lighting, I don't know about that.

[2:19:18] In Bessemer, Mr. Gomez has addressed that and over here on the west side, we need to fix

[2:19:26] are problems first before anybody that the elected official wants to raise.

[2:19:33] This does not make sense.

[2:19:35] This isn't your judiciary duties to want to give yourself a pay raise.

[2:19:41] And I know that it won't affect those that are leaving or anyone that are not rerunning

[2:19:49] as of right this moment until you guys are up for reelection.

[2:19:54] then it would affect that. And technically it would affect the budget very little for

[2:20:01] four new council members for next year. Every dollar adds up as I stated in the past.

[2:20:10] And we had to start looking at a reduction instead of adding. And I said maybe two months ago

[2:20:19] or maybe three months, how about

[2:20:21] lowering the council pay?

[2:20:23] Because I know none of us go in there

[2:20:26] for the pay.

[2:20:27] What people do is run to help

[2:20:30] the betterment of Pueblo.

[2:20:34] And I know it's tough

[2:20:36] or I've spoken to several of you guys

[2:20:39] on several different subjects

[2:20:41] and I love talking to you guys.

[2:20:44] But let's respectfully vote this down

[2:20:48] tonight. And I thank you, Mr. President, have a good night.

[2:20:52] Thank you. Is there anyone else wishing to speak against this ordinance?

[2:20:58] Say none, the hearings closed. Is there a motion to approve?

[2:21:01] I'll make.

[2:21:02] Councillor Meister, is there a second?

[2:21:05] Councillor Latino, questions?

[2:21:08] Councillor Flores?

[2:21:09] I don't have so much as a question as I have a statement and that is I brought this

[2:21:14] forward for three reasons, really. Number one, this salary that we get, you know,

[2:21:21] all of us never ran to get the salary, but it was established in 1998 so that it's never

[2:21:31] been adjusted, it's never been changed. And I think it's time, ironically, the inflation

[2:21:37] factor from 98 to the present is really 100 percent. So in a way, we're not getting,

[2:21:45] or the incoming council members that will benefit from this, basically will not be getting

[2:21:52] a raise. We're just making an adjustment for inflation. The second thing is that no

[2:21:57] one, and this is important to the public, none of us that's sitting up here, will benefit

[2:22:02] from that.

[2:22:04] There are potentially, we could benefit if we ran again for office or whatever, but that

[2:22:11] would only trigger after you were re-elected.

[2:22:15] And then the most important thing to me is that I think we're, you know, we're eliminating

[2:22:21] a lot of younger people that may want to run and it could be the difference between maybe

[2:22:29] be paying for babysitting.

[2:22:32] In many ways, the money that we get, maybe we break even, you know, with all the abuse

[2:22:38] our cars have in our coffees and tires and everything that goes into sitting here.

[2:22:45] So I think it's time that we just make an adjustment for inflation.

[2:22:50] There isn't a negotiated salary within the city that doesn't have a cost of living factor

[2:22:56] in it in all of our agreements.

[2:22:58] And I just I just think that this is a time to do this, none of us will benefit.

[2:23:04] Thank you, Councillor Gomez.

[2:23:07] Yeah, again, I think we've got to put things in perspective again, you know, we all believe in civic responsibility and good stuff.

[2:23:13] But we look at some of the other places around Colorado.

[2:23:17] You go to Colorado Springs, I hear this all the time, they're only getting $500.

[2:23:21] It's a big difference, though.

[2:23:22] They've got an assistant staff of nine people and they've got a legislative director that it's helping every single

[2:23:27] member that's on that council with immediate response, with immediate results.

[2:23:32] I would take that any day of the week and give up the $500 a month, because right now,

[2:23:37] I have a staff of one, it's me, okay, I'm just saying to you, these counselors work hard,

[2:23:43] and I'm telling you that we better understand what we're doing here.

[2:23:49] We talk about the cost, $700 a month with all the respect, I'm okay with where I'm at.

[2:23:55] I don't need anything else for myself, but I'm going to look about these young folks who are going to follow us, fuel, insurance, tires, tune-ups.

[2:24:05] That's swallows $700 pretty quickly, and I'm just telling you, if I had my drothers, I would rather much have staff support than get a bigger salary.

[2:24:15] That's just my opinion. Thank you.

[2:24:17] Councilor Latino, I support Councilor Flores 100% again depending on the number of miles

[2:24:28] you put on your car every single day, every month and the other expenses you have whether

[2:24:34] as he related to coffee, meeting with merchants in the community, with business people in the

[2:24:42] community with citizens in the community, again, it's time, and I want young people to

[2:24:49] be excited about getting into this. I mean that, it's important for them.

[2:24:59] I just turned

[2:25:00] 21. Councillor Boston. Thank you, Mr. President.

[2:25:05] I would just like to make a comment on something that was said.

[2:25:10] We are not just the staff of

[2:25:12] ourselves we have an administrative assistant that I believe the Councilman Gomez was in support of and also any time

[2:25:18] I've ever needed anything on council I email the mayor or the chief of staff and I always get a response and always get help with

[2:25:26] anything I ever need and they connect me with any director or person in the city to help me with anything that I do need help

[2:25:32] with so I don't see myself as a staff of one I see all the city staff is being an asset and are helpful to anything that I

[2:25:40] I need. I've already spoken my opinions on this. Do I think that Council is underpaid? Yes.

[2:25:46] Do I think they deserve a raise? Sure. But I don't support this. This Council constantly

[2:25:52] preaches fiscal responsibility. Certain Councillors have said if you don't got it, you don't give it.

[2:25:57] That's just my opinions. Yeah.

[2:26:02] I just like to respond. You mentioned my name. Mr. Cal.

[2:26:05] My head, Councillor Golis?

[2:26:07] Well, that's you. That's not me.

[2:26:09] It's pretty well known my opposition to some of the things the mayors are doing.

[2:26:13] That's creating the problem when I can't get the help.

[2:26:15] I'm not going to beg for it. I know how to do my own research.

[2:26:19] I'm telling you from me, I don't see it.

[2:26:21] You see it. That's fine, but don't compare me to you.

[2:26:25] Councillor Meister.

[2:26:28] This has just been a conversation

[2:26:31] a little bit off and on since I've been on Council

[2:26:34] and, you know, I don't, the public criticism that comes behind it, you know, I think this

[2:26:45] doesn't even work out to minimum wage for what the hours and the time and the investment

[2:26:52] that we put in because I can tell you that every one of us probably overspend, spend over

[2:27:02] what we make every month and so, but you know, they talk about, you know, how do you offer

[2:27:12] the younger perspective, make it worth their time to come here and serve and yet, you

[2:27:23] know, that's the change that a lot of the community is looking for as a younger perspective.

[2:27:33] I do agree that it should be higher, I am 100% behind that, but I'm not at this time.

[2:27:47] And I don't think that four people that are leaving council should make that decision.

[2:27:52] I think it should be made when the new council comes at the beginning of the year.

[2:27:56] I think it makes it fair to the senior council that the next time if the ordinance doesn't pass,

[2:28:05] that the senior council has served their time and they are the first in line to get the raise.

[2:28:12] And then this new council that comes on here can wait there and it kind of makes it more right now

[2:28:18] to have a new council come in. And I think it kind of messes with the ordinance a little bit.

[2:28:23] But you know, that we're trying to get everybody equally paid if a raise is given.

[2:28:31] And Mr. Gifford, I left a message on the on your answering machine to the answering

[2:28:39] machine.

[2:28:40] Your voice available today, you know, getting together would need to finalize that ordinance.

[2:28:46] Okay.

[2:28:48] And so I won't be voting for it tonight for that reason.

[2:28:51] I'd like to see some more uniformity in the payout of it, but I do think it's a good idea.

[2:29:02] And I think that that the new council that comes on, if there is going to be a raise, that everybody has a say on what goes forward.

[2:29:11] But thank you, Councillor Foley, for bringing it forward.

[2:29:15] All right. Any other questions?

[2:29:17] I just wanted to make one last comment.

[2:29:19] It's going to be really difficult for a newly ceded council to be voting for a raise for themselves.

[2:29:28] To me, it seems awkward.

[2:29:30] Here, it's very clean, whether you vote for or not, but here it's clean because none of us will benefit from it.

[2:29:37] And it's a decision that I feel we can make.

[2:29:42] I mean, we're elected, I think we can make this decision, but I can't see the new council

[2:29:49] with potentially four new people would feel comfortable in voting for a raise the minute

[2:29:57] that they take their oath.

[2:29:59] It just seems like a real-

[2:30:01] And I think we should make that decision going forward. Am I a pin? Yeah, and I get that, but I also think what's really awkward is for new people coming on. Pay being paid higher than the previous, you know, than the people who've been serving on council already, so- Thank you, Ms. President. You know, as one of the few people on the style who does have a, you know, a full time job on top of this duty, I said one of the few. I said one of the few.

[2:30:30] I do know how demanding this role is, and I think that if we want to attract more diverse candidates like working people, single parents, younger voices, then compensation has to reflect the time and the responsibility of the job requires.

[2:30:47] Public service shouldn't only be accessible to people that are retired or that are independently wealthy.

[2:30:54] It's not about increasing our own paychecks today, but it's about making this role more

[2:30:59] accessible in the future.

[2:31:01] But I also can undermine the financial situation that we're in.

[2:31:05] Our sales tax revenue is down 4% year to date.

[2:31:08] There's been talk about some from members of Council about potential layoffs, and that's

[2:31:13] really serious.

[2:31:14] And I don't think that we can justify raising our own pay while also talking about laying

[2:31:19] off the very employees who keep this city running every single day.

[2:31:25] So if we do end up in a position where layoffs are necessary, I believe that we have

[2:31:31] a duty to come back to this if it passes and re-evaluate because council reasons should

[2:31:36] not come at the expense of our city workers.

[2:31:40] So I'm voting yes with a caveat tonight that this decision has to be revisited if we are

[2:31:47] in the if the financial situation worsens.

[2:31:50] I also just want to say, you know, at the last year,

[2:31:54] we talked a lot at length about freezing positions.

[2:32:00] And we had a whole budget based off of freezing positions.

[2:32:03] And at the very last minute,

[2:32:05] Councillor Gomez says that he wants to add in

[2:32:08] an admin assistant for City Council,

[2:32:10] which is the first time that, you know,

[2:32:12] I want to say in years that that's happened ever.

[2:32:15] And we get then a new position added to the budget for an admin assistant for City Council added at the last minute.

[2:32:28] Even though that whole time we were saying, let's freeze all the positions.

[2:32:32] And then we have a fabulous new assistant Katie who works tirelessly trying to help us.

[2:32:39] Not only that, but we have 22 department directors who work, again tirelessly to answer our questions and to help us.

[2:32:52] And so I think that throwing phrases out like I'm a staff of one is not only false, but it totally diminishes and undermines the great work that our city staff.

[2:33:06] particular own city admin assistant, which you advocated for at the last minute, do every single day.

[2:33:13] And the councilor Gomez?

[2:33:15] Yeah, I'd like to respond.

[2:33:16] You know, one of the things that I think is the kind of cloak and dagger stuff I have to put up with here from Miss Martinez.

[2:33:22] I'm just telling you right now, when we went and I pushed for an assist, I didn't understand at the time until I saw the job description that basically she's under the supervision of the mayor's office, not the council.

[2:33:34] So I'm entitled to have my opinion on what I would like to see as opposed to what you would like to see.

[2:33:41] So please spare me.

[2:33:42] We had work session after work session after work session.

[2:33:47] I do not see the job to stop.

[2:33:50] We're on whether we're going to give city council raises, not on whether what we did last year on an admin assistant.

[2:33:58] So let's stick to the topic.

[2:34:01] Mr. President, when he says something, to justify his vote that diminished his staff,

[2:34:10] I cannot say silent on that.

[2:34:12] Here's the point.

[2:34:14] You can't diminish somebody's opinion.

[2:34:16] If somebody, like I can't diminish your opinion, you can say anything you want.

[2:34:22] That doesn't mean I need to attack you for what you say.

[2:34:25] But then let's talk about facts.

[2:34:26] The fact is, is that he's the one that hired the admin assistant.

[2:34:32] The fact is that the admin assistant wouldn't have got hired without a majority of city council voting for it.

[2:34:38] The fact is that we reviewed that position over and over and over again.

[2:34:44] But it was approved by the majority of city council to not councilor Gomez.

[2:34:52] Councilor Meister.

[2:34:54] You know, this just sounds like an abusive relationship.

[2:34:57] Council is not, you know, should not be taking a raise. Councils should not be having

[2:35:05] a feeling about anything. Councils should be fixing everything, but yet they're less

[2:35:13] than a city employee. They're less than minimum wage. They should just accept and take and

[2:35:24] take and take everything that comes with the job and expect nothing.

[2:35:29] I, you know, there's an $1,800 or whatever this amount is.

[2:35:34] Shoot, I think it's been since high school since I made that amount.

[2:35:38] You know, so I just don't think that I don't think we need to be tearing each other down

[2:35:43] over this on who deserves more, who deserves not, or we're not being physically

[2:35:49] consider, you know, responsible and yet we're going to be bashed for just trying to bring it up to

[2:36:00] a standard wage. I mean, an entry-level wage to serve the community. We're going to be bashed

[2:36:12] for that. We're going to bash each other. We're going to say, oh, now all of a sudden, we're not

[2:36:16] basically responsible. This is pennies compared to $134 million budget pennies. And we're just asking

[2:36:26] that it should never have why should it cost us to come here every Monday night and be responsible

[2:36:34] because we have a lot of responsibility in our roles but not be worthy of our time or our advice or

[2:36:45] or our opinions or our, I mean, this has just gotten ridiculous.

[2:36:50] I had someone tell me today, oh, why, I don't think you should get that much.

[2:36:56] Seriously?

[2:36:57] I mean, it's a drop in the bucket compared to what the city spends and why they feel

[2:37:04] that their council isn't deserving of just to be reimbursed for their time at minimum wage

[2:37:13] is just it's ludicrous but and then to beat each other up over this you know

[2:37:20] Willis leave it for I'm just leaving it for the next council to figure it out

[2:37:24] I would like to make it you know hopefully the people in this community would

[2:37:29] like to make it fair and even straight across the board by whenever a raise is

[2:37:34] decided that the council all receives it at the same time you know I mean I'm

[2:37:41] I'm going to ask Mr. Gifford to put some stipulations that we're not giving, the councils aren't giving

[2:37:46] themselves raises every six months that we do it every so many years, you know, every

[2:37:51] four years.

[2:37:53] And then that way, it kind of, it kind of offsets this requirement that we have to wait every,

[2:38:00] you know, however it is to get paid.

[2:38:03] So, that we get, you know, that would happen under the charter today.

[2:38:08] So, I think we should just look to see if how much support we get from the public and how appreciated we are.

[2:38:18] Our campaigns cost more than what we ever make in a four-year term.

[2:38:24] They cost more than that just to get on there, you know?

[2:38:29] I mean, give me a break.

[2:38:31] Anyways, that's all I have to say.

[2:38:34] Yes, I agree with Councilor Flores, and I agree with Councilor Maestri, and I agree with Councilor Martinis.

[2:38:45] We're in the 21st century folks.

[2:38:46] Once the last time they had to raise 100 years ago here, 20, 50 years ago, 27 years ago.

[2:38:53] Okay, come on, come on.

[2:38:58] I was the one that brought this forward, and I think, you know, we look at other places.

[2:39:03] I mean, this is in Denver, where they're making $100,000 a year, where we have half a million people.

[2:39:09] But come on, I had to buy new tires, I have to fight to get mileage, are you kidding me?

[2:39:18] I go take somebody to lunch or coffee or I got a fight to get that, come on, come on, come on.

[2:39:24] Can

[2:39:28] we call for the question?

[2:39:33] Yes, everybody had a chance to speak?

[2:39:37] Let's call for the vote.

[2:39:38] Markela.

[2:39:39] No.

[2:39:40] Fred Boston.

[2:39:40] No.

[2:39:41] Dennis Flores.

[2:39:42] Yes.

[2:39:43] Roger Gomez.

[2:39:44] Yes.

[2:39:45] Joel Latino.

[2:39:46] Yes.

[2:39:47] Regina Maistrie.

[2:39:48] No.

[2:39:48] Sarah Martinez.

[2:39:51] Passive sports ring.

[2:39:56] And Councillor Maistrie, we move into the exact conversation.

[2:39:59] Yes, President Alive, I would like to move into executive session for the purpose of determining positions relative to matters that may be subject to negotiations, developing strategy for negotiations, and or instructing negotiators under CRS section 2, 4-6-402, 4EI, and to discuss the purchase acquisition lease transfer or sale of any real personal

[2:40:29] our other property interest pursuant to CRS 246-6-402-4A and more specifically described as

[2:40:39] discussions relating to the sale of 101 West River Rock Place, units 1A and 1B.

[2:40:47] Second by Councillor Flores. All those in favor? Any opposed? We now go into executive session

[2:40:55] and shall return when we're out.

City Council Regular Session

Agenda

Transcript