WOODLAND PARK • City Council wrangled over the short-term rentals ordinance Nov. 17, then approved something five councilmembers could agree on.

The document before council on second reading and public hearing was rife with edits in a kaleidoscope of colors, and proved to be confusing. It didn’t help that the city website had been down for several hours and councilmembers weren’t all working from the same document.

Several motions were made and approved, 13 people spoke during public comment and Councilman Robert Zuluaga apologized for voting against his own final motion. Councilman Frank Connors also voted against the final motion.

During public comment, some wanted to kill the ordinance entirely and ban all STRs in the city. Others wanted to scrap the draft ordinance and start over. Others stil wanted to delay approval until more facts can be collected, including an economic impact study, the housing needs studies already approved and detailed police reports.

The final ordinance included STR regulations and a section requiring council to revisit the ordinance when more data is available.

STRs will be allowed in single family residential zones but not in multi-family zones. If an STR business license is revoked for cause, the revocation will be for two years. Caps and distance restrictions between STRs were removed. STRs in owner-occupied residences will not be regulated, but owners will have to pay the lodging tax.

The final copy of the ordinance will be posted on the city website, city-woodlandpark.org, under “City Charter/Codes” as soon as City Attorney Nina Williams can incorporate revisions into the final document.

To give city staff time to create the necessary STR permit application, licensing and good-neighbor policy documents, council approved an ordinance on initial posting to extend the STR moratorium to the end of December. All STR operators will be able to renew their business licenses provisionally until the new documents are ready.

In other business, the council approved two 2023 budget ordinances on initial posting and set the public hearings for Dec. 1.

The first budget ordinance appropriates funds from various accounts to the city’s general fund — a total of almost $14.37 million. Expenditures from the General Fund will likely total $14.35 million.

The second ordinance appropriates monies into all other funds. These funds include council’s economic development, Downtown Development Authority, culture and recreation, street capital improvements, stormwater, water and wastewater utilities enterprises and others.

City Finance Director/Treasurer Aaron Vassalotti and City Manager Michael Lawson said final adjustments to the budget will be made before it is presented for public hearing and approval on Dec. 1.

Council also approved a supplemental appropriation ordinance amending the 2022 budget on initial posting and set the public hearing for Dec. 1. The appropriation of $1.95 million in debt-service savings and $475,000 from the city’s fund balance will be used to pay off the Certificate of Participation for the renovations at Memorial Park. The payoff is 12 years early and will save the city $795,000 in interest payments.

Council also approved the following:

The 2023 Roadway Infrastructure Projects Design and Engineering Contract with Wilson and Co. for $517,859.

The Cemetery Expansion Design contract with Wilson and Co. for $110,000.

The MMOF Trail and Sidewalk Design contract with Basis Partners for $164,445.

The Audio-Visual Improvements to the Ute Pass Cultural Center contract with Global Technology Group in the amount of $138,517.32.

Woodland Park City Hall is pictured in June 2021.

Jeff Kearney, Pikes Peak Courier file