Author: Pam Zubeck
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Reappraisal protests few and far between so far
The 2009 reappraisal protest season got off to a slow and calm start Monday. On the first work day after the El Paso County Assessor’s Office mailed 260,000 notices of value Friday, a few hundred appeals had been filed. Assessor Mark Lowderman said business was “very brisk” on the phone lines, walk-in traffic was steady…
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3 bridges in county will be replaced
Some might consider it Colorado Springs’ bridge to nowhere.The “nowhere” in this case is an RV park on the west side that can be reached only by crossing the Golden Lane Road bridge, a narrow metal and wood span over Fountain Creek that will be replaced at a cost to taxpayers of $584,000.That’s more than…
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How about an ice-cold glass of recycled wastewater?
Water for future homes and businesses on the plains east of Colorado Springs might come from flushed toilets.That’s because fresh water is running out fast.Few, if any, water rights are available, and well owners have relentlessly mined the water that is there, driving water tables down.Developers are left to hunt for new ways to meet…
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Assessor may be in for onslaught
Notices of property values will be mailed to El Paso County’s 260,000 property owners today, reflecting the results of the 2008 reappraisal, which set values for 2010 taxes. The reappraisal, which is done every two years, is required by state law, which also dictates the reappraisal period. The 2008 reappraisal was based on property sales…
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County changes fee policy for foreclosure mailings
People involved in foreclosure actions have paid “questionable” fees for years to cover mailing expenses the county never incurred, Public Trustee Tom Mowle said Thursday. Mowle told county commissioners his office reduced the $57 flat fee for mailings associated with foreclosure actions to $35 on Jan. 1. In March, the flat fee was eliminated, and…
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Vehicle registration fees go up July 1
The El Paso County Clerk and Recorder’s Office reminds residents that starting July 1 they will pay higher motor vehicle registration fees under a bill adopted this year. SB09-108, the Funding Advancement for Surface Transportation and Economic Recovery bill that became law on March 2, includes rate hikes for three consecutive years. The increase for…
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Firing range needs to get the lead out
It might just be the only firing range that can shoot back. At Pikes Peak Community College’s south campus where local law enforcement officers train and practice, so much lead is buried in the ranges’ earthen berm that bullets have been known to ricochet up to 30 yards back toward the shooters. “A million bullets…
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Stimulus sends $360 million to local projects
It’s impossible to predict how many people will be hired, but hundreds of millions in federal stimulus money soon will begin pouring into the Pikes Peak region.Local agencies and military bases stand to receive upwards of $360 million for major projects, such as an overpass, and tiny tasks, like fixing dog kennel floors. Some allocations…
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Proposed gravel pit presents test for Fountain Creek board
A new agency that was created to oversee Fountain Creek after more than two years of study, planning and negotiation, already has a hot potato on its hands. Lafarge West, Inc., wants to dig a gravel pit between Fountain Creek and Interstate 25 south of Pikes Peak International Raceway, and it needs the new board’s…
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Group works to ensure gun enthusiasts have place to practice
Anthony Edwards grew up quail hunting in the Arizona deserts. As Tucson residents, he and his dad drove a ways to hunt on private and federal lands. “As I grew up, those lands I used to hunt became developed, and we had to look for other hunting areas,” Edwards said. The same is true of…