Author: Pam Zubeck
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Council, utilities at odds over gas
If Colorado Springs Utilities goes through with a deal to lock in a discount gas price for 30 years, it could save ratepayers $53 million. But some City Council members, who oversee the cityowned organization as the Utilities Board, are skeptical. “I’m not real comfortable supporting an ordinance right now,” Mayor Lionel Rivera told staff…
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Diagnosis: Water system aging
Colorado Springs’ raw water system – the reservoirs, pipes and pumps that deliver water from the mountains – needs $65 million in upgrades in the next decade. That was one finding in the first comprehensive assessment of cityowned Colorado Springs Utilities’ water system. Fixing some of the 50 intakes, 27 reservoirs, 200 miles…
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Names in the news often pop up again in new locales
People in the news may fade from the scene, but they often resurface. Here’s an update on a few of those faces:Reporter Perry Swanson was on the beat at the El Paso County Republican Assembly when he ran into a guy some called the sixth county commissioner. After his long reign as a commissioner and…
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THE SPYGLASS: Names in the news often pop up again in new locales
People in the news may fade from the scene, but they often resurface. Here’s an update on a few of those faces:Reporter Perry Swanson was on the beat at the El Paso County Republican Assembly when he ran into a guy some called the sixth county commissioner. After his long reign as a commissioner and…
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Council wants more locals firms on utilities projects
More local contractors should be encouraged to bid on Colorado Springs Utilities projects, according to the City Council.Meeting Wednesday as the Utilities Board, the council expressed concern that the percentage of contracts awarded to local firms has dipped from the policy goal of 30 percent of dollars spent.The last year that goal was met was…
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Water situation could go downhill
Despite a soaker season in the mountains, Colorado Springs residents shouldn’t plan to go crazy with the garden hose this summer.”It’s absolutely critical we maintain that commitment to conservation,” Colorado Springs Utilities spokesman Steve Berry said Wednesday.”As quickly as we can be in a good situation, we can be in a bad situation,” he said.…
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Utilities chief gets mixed scores in performance review
The man in charge of running Colorado Springs Utilities scored 3.66 on a 5-point scale in his performance evaluation, assuring he’ll get a healthy bonus next month.Jerry Forte’s evaluation, which was discussed by the Utilities Board on Wednesday, is important, because it provides a window on how the cityowned utility is doing financially, environmentally and…
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State says Springs violated emissions laws
Colorado Springs Utilities might have violated state clean-air laws when emissions-monitoring equipment at Nixon Power Plant failed accuracy tests, calling into question two years of emissions data.Utilities officials say the state is wrong and that the city’s calculations are accurate.”We believe we did pass the test,” said Mike Brady, Utilities environmental technical services supervisor. “We…
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Bumps are blooming; tell us about city potholes, see updated map
Just like crocus and forsythia, potholes bloom when springtime hits the Rockies. But this winter has been kind to Colorado Springs’ streets. Only 5,110 potholes were fixed from January through March 14, said Peg Richardson, city construction maintenance support manager. Last year at this time, the city had plugged twice that many, and it tallied…
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Fire inspections lag, putting Springs residents at risk
Speeding to a fire at a jewelry store, Colorado Springs firefighters didn’t know the jeweler used a deadly chemical – one that could kill them and everyone in the building. “We had no idea he had cyanide in there” for rendering gold, said Fire Marshal Brett Lacey. “If the Fire Department had known, it would…