Author: Eileen Welsome
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City Council poised to vote on water rate hikes
The Colorado Springs City Council is poised to vote Tuesday plans to raise water rates by 12 percent in both 2011 and 2012 to help pay for Colorado Springs Utilities’ Southern Delivery System pipline system. The rate hikes are the first of six planned increases through 2016, documents submitted to the City Clerk’s Office show.…
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Latest chapter in Kane Ranch could involve VA cemetery
In the summertime, when the grass grew tall on the plains of eastern El Paso County, rancher Alexander “Andy” Kane would round up his insect-crazed livestock and herd them through a concrete dipping vat filled with pesticides. Afterward, the animals would be led off to a nearby corral to dry and sent back out to…
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Sponsors of statewide ballot initiatives using “obstructionist” tactics, lawyer says
Several sponsors of three measures that will be on the November ballot have refused to answer basic questions about who was involved in drafting the ballot language, who gathered petition signatures, and who financed the massive signature-gathering effort, depositions show. Mark Grueskin, an attorney representing government and business groups opposing the measures, alleged in a…
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AG wants to compel Douglas Bruce to testify in campaign finance hearing
The Colorado Secretary of State has asked for an “expedited order” that would compel Colorado Springs anti-tax activist Douglas Bruce to comply with subpoenas seeking information about his involvement in three statewide ballot initiatives. The Colorado Attorney General, acting as the Secretary of State’s representative, filed the petition late Friday. Bruce failed to show up…
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Utilities seeks water-rate hikes to fund pipeline
Colorado Springs Utilities presented a formal rate case to the City Council Tuesday, asking for two consecutive rate hikes of 12 percent each that would go into effect in 2011 and 2012 and would be used to begin construction on the $1.2 billion Southern Delivery System. Jerry Forte, chief executive officer of the municipal utility,…
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Douglas Bruce a no-show at campaign finance hearing
DENVER – Anti-tax crusader Douglas Bruce was a no-show this week for a Denver court hearing into who financed the massive signature-gathering effort that led to the placement of three statewide initiatives on the November ballot. Opponents say the measures will cripple local and state governments. “I’ve never experienced anything like this,” said attorney Mark…
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Medical marijuana comes with strings attached
Parts of Colorado’s growing medical marijuana industry remain shrouded in smoke, including who can sell the marijuana and how it can be distributed.But much is clear.Legally obtained marijuana can get users fired, jailed or turned down for foster parent jobs.Restrictions on medical marijuana use abound, even as dispensaries sprout up in nearly every neighborhood in…
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County seeks public input on future projects
Tired of potholes? The interminable waits at the red light? The traffic jam on the way home? Now’s your chance to give transporation officials responsible for maintaining roads your feedback. Beginning Monday, El Paso County will conduct a series of five, two-hour workshops to get input from residents about current and future drainage projects, sidewalks,…
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County needs millions for aging buildings
El Paso County will have to spend millions of dollars to renovate or replace their aging buildings, a top county administrator said Tuesday. In a presentation to the Board of County Commissioners, Monnie Gore, deputy county administrator, said it will cost $385 million over the next 30 years to replace all the county’s facilities. Gore …
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