Author: Daniel Chac
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Police say man dangled child from balcony
Police say they arrested a drunken man who was spotted dangling a toddler from a third floor balcony Friday. Officer were called to an apartment complex on the 3900 block of East Bijou Street after neighbors reported that three children were in the care of a “very intoxicated” man. Police say they arrived to find…
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Drake task force edges closer to study
A proposed decommissioning study of downtown’s Martin Drake Power Plant inched forward Friday when a new task force signed off on the qualifications that bidders for the review will have to meet.“That’s our victory from today’s meeting,” City Councilwoman Lisa Czelatdko, task force co-chair, said afterward.Czelatdko said a request for qualifications from firms interested in…
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Council sends 2 issues to voters, rejects 3 ballot proposals
Colorado Springs voters will decide in April whether to allow the city government to spend a bigger portion of the Trails, Open Space and Parks tax to maintain all city parks. Voters may also decide whether to give council members a pay raise, though that ballot proposal requires a second reading next month. Three other…
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Voters could end 2-decade debate over Utilities governance
After five studies over two decades, voters may finally have a say on the governance of Colorado Springs Utilities. Since 1993, five groups have recommended replacing the City Council with an independent board to oversee the four-service, city-owned utility. Each time, the recommendation was shelved. But now, just days before the deadline to refer a…
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Utilities board members’ ballot proposal shocks colleagues, mayor
Two Utilities Board members stunned their colleagues and Mayor Steve Bach on Wednesday when they proposed an April ballot measure asking voters to create an elected board to oversee Colorado Springs Utilities. Under the existing governance structure, the City Council doubles as the Utilities Board and is responsible for the billion-dollar-plus city enterprise. The proposed…
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Utilities might fight drought with fees, conservation
As an ongoing drought grips the Pikes Peak region, Colorado Springs Utilities is seeing its reservoir storage levels approach 2002 numbers, when the area was hit by a dry spell. Colorado Springs’ water storage system encompasses 25 reservoirs in various parts of the state. On average, the system is 65 percent full. But after a…
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Stormwater task force members vow to forge ahead
After finding nearly $1 billion in regional stormwater needs, members of a task force working on the project for months recommended Thursday moving into phase two, including identifying ways to pay for projects. But the city of Colorado Springs, which accounts for most of the stormwater needs, plans to hire an outside engineering firm to…
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Request for money guarantee stalls TOPS ballot question
A ballot proposal asking Colorado Springs voters to modify the Parks, Trails and Open Space sales tax to allow the city to spend a bigger portion on park maintenance is in jeopardy of losing Mayor Steve Bach’s support. Parks advocates are urging the City Council to include a “maintenance of effort” clause to ensure the…
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Panel, mayor differ on Friday stormwater meeting
Mayor Steve Bach is trying to hijack a regional stormwater task force and censor its findings, two civic leaders said Monday.The group has worked for months to assess stormwater needs in the Pikes Peak Region and prioritize critical projects. Members of the group said they were summoned to the mayor’s office Friday and rudely dismissed…
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City attorney raises concerns about ballot proposals
The City Council plans to discuss three ballot proposals at its informal meeting Monday despite concerns from City Attorney Chris Melcher. In an email to council Thursday, Melcher said the ballot proposals were being rushed through without community discussion or public notice. “It is surprising that (council President) Scott Hente chose to put these proposed…