Author: Daniel Chac
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Utilities has been violating Clean Air Act, Sierra Club alleges
The Sierra Club is alleging that Colorado Springs Utilities has been violating federal law during the past 24 years by making what it calls “major modifications” to the Martin Drake and Ray Nixon coal-fired power plants without the necessary permits. The environmental organization filed a notice of intent to sue Utilities on Monday, claiming the…
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Water tour expenses included Tums, pencil cases
Some elected officials and others who participated in a ratepayer-funded, two-day tour of Colorado Springs’ widespread water system earlier this month have been getting heartburn from the public. Luckily for them, Colorado Springs Utilities put extra strength Tums in their tour bags. The antacid tablets were among the items the city-owned utility purchased for the…
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Proposed fire codes meeting scheduled Thursday night
The Council of Neighbors and Organizations and others are holding a series of meetings for Mountain Shadows residents to talk more about the proposed fire codes. The first meeting with be at 7 p.m. Thursday at Chipeta Elementary School, 2340 Ramsgate Terrace. The second and third meetings will be Monday Sept. 17 and Tuesday Sept…
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Cost of Utilites’ water tour: $31 per meal
Food for thought doesn’t come cheap. Colorado Springs Utilities spent about $31 per meal to feed 74 elected officials and community leaders on a recent two-day tour of the city’s large water system. The water tour from Colorado Springs to Leadville included an overnight stay Thursday in Salida. One dinner and two lunches for the…
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Springs has no rules on preserving, deleting emails
The city of Colorado Springs has no safeguards in place to ensure that the public has access to emails from government officials, who can delete them on a whim. The City Attorney’s Office said Wednesday that “the city does not have a policy for keeping emails unless the emails are subject to a litigation hold.”…
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Council shelves new Mountain Shadows fire codes, for now
An emergency ordinance requiring stricter fire codes in Mountain Shadows following the Waldo Canyon fire was shelved for four weeks Tuesday by the Colorado Springs City Council. The council decided not to create a special ordinance for Mountain Shadows but to wait to include the fire-ravaged community in proposed fire code changes coming before the…
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Special meeting request revives debate over Drake
So, you thought the debate over a clean coal technology at the aging power plant in the heart of downtown Colorado Springs was over? Think again. Four City Council members Monday were granted a special meeting to get public input on plans to install so-called scrubber technology at the coal-fired Martin Drake Power Plant, which…
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Proposed no-solicitation zone for panhandling expanded
Panhandling, redistricting and oil and gas regulations were among the issues the Colorado Springs City Council discussed during its informal meeting Monday. Some highlights: • City Attorney Chris Melcher has expanded the proposed no-solicitation zone downtown to include Acacia Park. The initial proposal excluded the park and other places that Melcher had called “areas of…
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Councilman taken to task, says emails were private
A Colorado Springs city councilman is refusing to make public emails in which the El Paso County treasurer takes him to task for going on another ratepayer-funded water tour and asking the city clerk to redraw council districts in his favor. Councilman Bernie Herpin said he considers the emails personal communication with his mentor and…
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Herpin unapologetic about redistricting push
A Colorado Springs city councilman facing re-election in April suggested the city clerk draw a new council district that would free him from the potential of running against a minority-approved candidate.Councilman Bernie Herpin, who is white and represents the southeast quadrant, said he offered City Clerk Sarah Johnson new district boundaries not only to help…