Author: Daniel Chac
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Mayor Bach: Ban smoking in Acacia Park?
Mayor Steve Bach added to his long wish list for downtown Colorado Springs on Wednesday when he threw out the idea of a smoking ban in Acacia Park. During the Downtown Partnership’s 15th annual Mayor’s Breakfast, Bach asked City Attorney Chris Melcher to look into whether Acacia Park could be designated as a no-smoking zone.…
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City Council to consider pot resolution at meeting
A statewide ballot measure asking voters to legalize possession of small amounts of marijuana in Colorado will be center stage Tuesday in Colorado Springs. The City Council plans to consider a resolution opposing Amendment 64 on the November ballot. “We need to hear from you and know where our city leadership stands on this issue,”…
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Council, commissioners oppose marijuana amendment
The Colorado Springs City Council and the El Paso County Commissioners on Tuesday gave a thumbs down to Amendment 64, the statewide measure that would regulate marijuana like alcohol. But for council, it wasn’t without controversy. Calling Amendment 64 “a bastardization of the Colorado Constitution, the council voted 5-1, with council President Pro Tem Jan…
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Political turmoil could doom Springs company, founder fears
David Neumann thought he was going to show the world a cheaper, more efficient way to remove toxic gases from coal-fired power plants. He thought his company, Neumann Systems Group, Inc., would grow into a 500-employee, $1 billion-a-year business headquartered in Colorado Springs. He thought he would bring other utility companies from across the globe…
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City clerk unveils map of new council districts
The Colorado Springs City Council is likely to have two new faces after the April municipal election. None of the five council members facing re-election live in two of the six new districts that City Clerk Sarah Johnson drew as part of the redistricting process, which occurs every four years. Johnson unveiled the new map…
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Council members want west side plan before panhandling ban
Several City Council members asked Monday for a plan to address crime on Colorado Springs’ west side before they approve a zone to fight panhandling just downtown.City Attorney Chris Melcher gave the council an update on the proposed no-solicitation zone downtown, saying Acacia Park was now included and that his office was researching a permitting…
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Neumann’s threat to move business caps tumultuous week
The inventor of an emissions control technology caught in the cross hairs of a heated debate about the future of Colorado Springs Utilities is threatening to move his 60-employee company out of the city. “Bottom line is, I’ve had it,” physicist David Neumann said Friday. “We’re going to start looking for other opportunities to move…
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City leaders consider changes to Parking Enterprise
Colorado Springs has already approved leasing city-owned Memorial Health System and is considering changes to ownership and governance of Colorado Springs Utilities. Is the city’s Parking Enterprise next? City officials are once again considering the possibility of having another entity take control of the Parking Enterprise. City Council President Scott Hente resurrected the discussion during…
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Utilities board moves toward study on Drake decommissioning
The Colorado Springs Utilities Board pressed ahead with a study of decommissioning the coal-fired power plant downtown during a meeting Wednesday that at times degenerated into bickering and personal insults. The board, which is composed of the City Council, initially considered a motion to start the study immediately and form a task force that would…
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Coal-plant decommissioning study could come sooner
After being shelved for a year, a study of decommissioning the coal-fired Martin Drake Power Plant downtown is back on the table. The Colorado Springs Utilities Board is poised to decide Wednesday whether to move ahead with the study or continue to wait until next year. The board, which is composed of the City Council,…