The community group Protecting Woodland Park Property Values has registered and pulled a petition to gather signatures to repeal the short-term rentals ordinance that was approved by the Woodland Park City Council Nov. 17.

At the Dec. 1 regular council meeting, City Clerk Suzanne Leclercq explained that the group has until Dec. 27 to gather a minimum of 714 needed signatures.

The clerk’s office will have 30 days to certify their sufficiency.

If the signatures are deemed sufficient, the referendum will go to the city council, which then must either repeal the ordinance or send the referendum to the voters in a special election.

Until the issue is resolved, the city has suspended implementation of the new STR regulations.

Group representative Sharon Richardson said group intendes to launch a website, www.ProtectResidentialPropertyRights.org, in the coming days.

Council approved extending the moratorium on issuing new STR licenses to June 30. Current business license owners operating STRs will be allowed to renew their licenses at the end of December.

These provisional licenses will expire on June 30 unless the new rules are repealed or implemented and the moratorium is rescinded.

In other business, the city council approved the 2023 budget, appropriating monies to the general fund, and setting revenues at $14.4 million and expenditures and transfers out at $14.39 million.

Revenues from other funds, including grants, water, wastewater, stormwater and streets, totaling almost $19 million, were appropriated to other funds in a separate ordinance. The new budget is available on the city website, city-woodlandpark.org.

Council also approved a supplemental to the 2022 budget to pay off the Memorial Park certificate of participation, totaling $2.42 million, on Dec. 27. The city will use $1.95 million from the debt-service reserve and $475,000 from the fund balance.

Council certified the city mill levy at 15.75 mills for 2023.

Former city councilman Bob Carlsen spoke during public comment on each of these items, asking council to set a fund-balance floor at 10% and a ceiling at 17%.

After paying off the Memorial Park COP, the fund balance remains at 23%.

Carlsen requested the city refund the balance above 17% to the taxpayers. He asked the city to repeal its 3% sales tax and decrease the mill levy to 10 mills, but said he would settle for 14 mills.

Councilmembers responded that they would look at cutting taxes when more debts are paid off.

“We’re not done saving for debt service,” Mayor Pro Tem Kellie Case said. “The pool is next.”

Carlsen was instrumental in getting the Woodland Aquatic Center built.

Councilmembers reminded him that the center must be paid for with tax revenues.

Additionally, HRGreen presented the Telecommunications Master Plan to create a city-owned broadband fiber network.

The city would use the network to connect city facilities and would lease fiber infrastructure to private internet providers to reach residential customers.

The proposal includes both underground and aerial fiber installation. Cost could be more than $2 million, and HRGreen officers outlined several ways to cut costs through federal grants and creativity.

Council agreed to let HRGreen move forward and start looking for funding. There is no line item in the 2023 budget for this item.

City Engineer Ben Schmitt presented a resolution creating an Intergovernmental Agreement with the Colorado Department of Transportation. Using grants available from the Pikes Peak Area Council of Governments, the agreement would cut the cost of improvements to Colorado 67 intersections at Research and Tamarac by $1.9 million (75%), saving taxpayers $1.42 million.

CDOT has also agreed to take over a widening and drainage improvement project on Colorado 67 between Evergreen and Kelley’s Road.

Schmitt said both projects could be completed at the same time.

Keep Woodland Park Beautiful representatives Claudia Miller and Jeannette Horwood presented a proposal to improve U.S. 24 medians, adding wildlife statues, signage, and deer and drought resistant plantings. Schmitt said beautification funds are available.

During the presentation, a member of the Woodland Park Arts Alliance emailed Leclercq saying the alliance is interested in working with KWPB on this project.

Councilmembers agreed that the proposal should be explored.

The next city council meeting is scheduled for Jan. 5.

Former Woodland Park City Councilman Bob Carlsen asks council Dec. 1 to cap the city’s unreserved fund balance at 17% and refund the rest to taxpayers. He also requested the council cut the city mill levy from 15.75 mills to 14 mills and to repeal the city’s 3% sales tax.

Courtesy photo