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Below: During the Palmer Lake Town Council meeting Jan.
14, Jack and Ginger Frank (Far right), representing Modern Woodmen of America (MWA),
present a $5,590 check to the Palmer Lake Volunteer Fire Department. The check
is a matching grant the MWA funded as part of the fire department’s Chili
Supper fundraiser held Nov. 28. Proceeds from the fundraiser are used to
maintain the Palmer Lake Star. Photo by David Futey. See
article below for coverage of the meeting.

WIA elects
directors
By Harriet Halbig
The Woodmoor Improvement Association (WIA) held its annual
meeting Jan. 25, following a few months of controversy between incumbent and
challenging candidates.
President George McFadden presided at the meeting. After
reviewing the protocols involved in the election, including involvement of the
League of Women Voters for counting the ballots and the use of a post office box
for receipt of proxies, the balloting was opened. There was brief confusion over
the procedure of voting on site, as no blank ballots were immediately available.
Seven candidates were listed, one of whom had withdrawn too
recently for his name to be removed from the ballot. Each spoke briefly on his
goals as a board member. No nominations were offered from the floor
Incumbent candidates Bill Brendemuhl, Gary Marner, and George
Labesky said that they were content with the current operations of the board.
Efforts had been made to bring the association’s legal documents in line with
state requirements. The Barn (the association’s public gathering building and
the site of its offices) had been substantially renovated due to mold problems
and was now available for use free of charge by members, a new trail had been
constructed in a common area known as the Marsh, and several community festivals
had been held.
In addition, a new group called the Woodmoor Business Group
had been formed to promote business within the community. Accounting practices
had also been improved.
The challenging candidates, Jim Hale, Paul Lambert, and Nick
Oakley, said that they objected to the adversarial tone of board meetings,
projects such as the trail without community input, the expenditure of
association funds on social events, reduction of benefits for association
employees, and discontinuance of association involvement with the state’s
Firewise program. The Firewise program had provided many grants to the Woodmoor
community in the past.
Results of the election, made available later in the week,
showed that Hale, Oakley, and Lambert were elected. The results are as follows:
H.L. (Nick) Oakley 657
Jim Hale 648
Paul Lambert 656
Bill Brendemuhl 466
Gary Marner 437
George Labesky 364
Ed Miller 90
Miller withdrew from the race a few weeks prior to the
meeting, but his name appeared on the ballot.
Following an organizational meeting later in the week, the
board for the coming year is as follows:
President – Chuck Maher
Vice President – Jim Hale
Secretary – Jim Wilson
Treasurer – Nick Oakley
Architectural Control – Anne Stevens-Gountanis
Common Areas – Jim Hale
Covenant Control – Nick Oakley
Forestry – Chuck Maher
Public Safety – Paul Lambert
Director at Large – George McFadden
Director at Large – Mari Rollins
Director at Large – Larry Goad
Full article...
Dissension arises over Woodmoor district’s actions
Below:
Map from the Woodmoor Water and Sanitation District’s
Web site, www.woodmoorwater.com.
Click here or on the drawing to
zoom in

By John Heiser
At the Jan. 20 regular monthly meeting of the Pikes Peak
Regional Water Authority (PPRWA), several members expressed disappointment that
on Dec. 30, the Woodmoor Water and Sanitation District filed with the water
court seeking a decree for exchange rights on Fountain Creek and the Arkansas
River. (See map above.)
The members of the PPRWA are the Cherokee Metropolitan
District, the City of Fountain, the Donala Water and Sanitation District, the
Town of Monument, the Town of Palmer Lake, the Woodmen Hills Metropolitan
District, and the Woodmoor district.
According to articles in the Pueblo Chieftain,
Woodmoor is seeking the exchange decree for water it is hoping to purchase from
the Highline and Holbrook canals, which primarily serve farmers in Otero County.
Among those opposing the Woodmoor district’s water court
filing are the Southeastern Colorado Water Conservancy District and the Lower
Arkansas Valley Water Conservancy District.
Some PPRWA members noted that the actions by the Woodmoor
district have complicated the PPRWA’s negotiations with the Super Ditch Co.,
which is planning to file for similar exchange rights and will now have lower
priority. The Super Ditch Co. consists of the Bessemer Ditch, Highline Canal
Co., Oxford Ditch, Catlin Canal, Otero Ditch, Holbrook Canal, and Fort Lyon
Canal. The PPRWA is in negotiations with the Super Ditch Co. to lease about
2,000 acre-feet of water per year. An acre-foot is 326,851 gallons.
Another sore point was that the Woodmoor district recently
sent a letter to entrepreneur Aaron Million expressing interest in being a
potential customer for his proposed project to build a pipeline from the Green
River in southwestern Wyoming east across Interstate 80 in northern Colorado to
the Front Range. The Woodmoor district reportedly expressed interest in about
3,000 acre-feet of water per year from the pipeline.
According to documents Million submitted Jan. 20 to the Army
Corps of Engineers, the El Paso County Water Authority is shown as a potential
customer interested in 22,600 acre-feet per year, . The amounts of water
reported for those shown on Million’s potential customer list total 379,100
acre-feet per year. Million has said he will have about 250,000 acre-feet
available. The U.S. Department of the Interior Bureau of Reclamation has said
that in order to maintain adequate stream flow for fish, only 165,000 acre-feet
are available .
Million is going head-to-head with the Colorado-Wyoming
coalition of water providers headed by Frank Jaeger, manager of the Parker Water
and Sanitation District. The coalition has proposed a similar project for
bringing water from the Flaming Gorge Reservoir to the Rueter-Hess Reservoir, a
70,000 acre-foot facility being constructed three miles southwest of downtown
Parker.
The Woodmoor district’s letter of support for Million has
complicated the relationship between the PPRWA and Jaeger, who has invited the
PPRWA to join his coalition.
Several PPRWA members expressed concern that the Woodmoor
district took these actions without consulting the other members of the
authority. That raised questions about the purpose and usefulness of the PPRWA
in coordinating the actions of its members.
Jessie Shaffer, manager of the Woodmoor district, replied
that the actions they have taken are in the best interest of the Woodmoor
district and do not prevent participation in potential negotiations or projects
with Colorado Springs Utilities (CSU) or the Super Ditch. He added, "We are
still engaged."
Regarding the letter to Million, Shaffer said it is not a
commitment and does not involve any money. It is merely a letter of interest. He
said he would be willing to send the same letter to Jaeger; however, Jaeger
wants $20,000 as an indication of commitment.
Kip Peterson, manager of the Cherokee district and president
of the PPRWA, said the issue is that the other members of the PPRWA were not
informed and so were caught off guard and had to do damage control. He asked,
"How do we continue to do business when individual members are going in
other directions? This is an organizational issue."
Larry Bishop, manager of the Woodmen Hills Metropolitan
District, the newest member of the PPRWA, said the situation bothers him and
makes him question whether the annual PPRWA dues is money well spent.
Dana Duthie, manager of the Donala district, asked what the
point of the PPRWA is if the projects result in individual contracts. He cited
the connections to CSU that involve contracts between CSU and the individual
PPRWA members and the Super Ditch negotiations that look likely to result in
contracts with the individual members.
Shaffer said a strength of the group is that it presents a
united front and opens the door for individual members to negotiate contracts.
Curtis Mitchell, conservation and supply manager for the City
of Fountain, agreed with Shaffer that the PPRWA’s stronger voice opened
opportunities with the Super Ditch. He added that he was surprised by the
Woodmoor District’s actions and has concerns when individual actions start to
undermine the group effort.
Gary Barber, manager of the PPRWA, distributed a proposal
under which the Green River/Flaming Gorge project plan would be negotiated using
the existing basin roundtables, forwarded to the Interbasin Compact Committee
for review and adjustment, and made into law by the Colorado Legislature. He
noted that this parallels the way the Fountain Creek issues that stalled CSU’s
Southern Delivery System were resolved through a task force approach and
legislation that created the Fountain Creek Watershed District.
Barber said he plans to meet with Jaeger and that an
additional meeting with the Super Ditch representatives is planned for Feb. 8.
Full article...
Wakonda
Hills project on winter break
Click here or on the photo to zoom in
Below: The Upper Monument Creek Water Quality Management
Association met on Jan. 27 in the Woodmoor Water and Sanitation District
conference room and approved Monument Sanitation District’s site application
for two small lift stations that are to be installed on the southwest corner of
Wakonda Hills by the Santa Fe Trail later this year. The lift stations will
serve a small number of homes that cannot be served economically by gravity
lines. (Clockwise from left): Jason Meyer, GMS, Inc.; Mike Poeckes, Donala Water
and Sanitation District; Hope Winkler, Woodmoor Water and Sanitation District;
Anthony Pastorello, Academy Water and Sanitation District; Randy Gillette,
Woodmoor Water and Sanitation District; Bill Burks, Tri-Lakes Wastewater
Treatment Facility; Duane Hanson, Palmer Lake Sanitation District; Steve
Sheffield, Triview Metropolitan District; Mike Wicklund, Monument Sanitation
District; and Dave Frisch, GMS, Inc. Photo by Jim Kendrick

By Jim Kendrick
District Manager Mike Wicklund advised the Monument
Sanitation District Board that frost buildup would force general contractor
Brannan Construction Co. to take a winter break in late January from the ongoing
expansion of the district’s Wakonda Hills sanitary sewer collection system.
Brannan has concluded all the deepest excavation, down to 27 feet, for new
manholes. Brannan will use smaller excavators for the shallower trenching that
will resume in the spring.
Full article...
District prepares for May 4 election
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in
Below: Jan. 27, Donala board President Dennis Daugherty
(L) congratulates Robert Hull for being named employee of the quarter. Photos
by John Heiser.

By John Heiser
At the Jan. 27 meeting of the Donala Water and Sanitation
District Board of Directors, Dana Duthie, Donala’s general manager, reported
on the community meetings held at the Gleneagle Golf Club on Jan. 13 and 14. (See
photo and drawing.)
Duthie said a total of about 100 people attended the two
meetings. He noted that the questionnaires submitted after the meetings were all
supportive of the proposal to authorize up to $20 million in additional debt for
infrastructure to connect to Colorado Springs Utilities (CSU). Most attendees
who submitted questionnaires were also supportive of a property tax increase of
up to 5 mills to pay off the additional debt.
At its Feb. 24 meeting, the board plans to make a decision on
the exact wording of the debt measure and determine whether a property tax
measure will be proposed to voters on the May 4 ballot.
Duthie added that a committee of volunteers called Water for
the Future has been formed to advocate for the ballot measure or measures once
approved by the board. State law prohibits use of district funds to advocate for
ballot measures. Duthie said that following the Feb. 24 board decision, all
related information, including prior monthly newsletters, will be removed from
the district’s Web site www.donalawater.org.
Board positions currently held by board President Dennis
Daugherty, Dick Durham, and Tim Murphy are up for election May 4. Durham has
announced his decision not to seek re-election. Daugherty is term-limited and
cannot run for re-election.
Candidates must file a self-nomination and acceptance form
with the district by Feb. 26 and be a resident of the district, own property in
the district, be the spouse of someone who owns property in the district, or be
obligated to pay taxes under a contract to purchase taxable property within the
district. For more information, contact Jackie Sipes, the district’s
designated election official, at 488-3603.
Full article...
Town
employees can donate vacation time to Haiti
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zoom in
Below: A.B. Tellez, owner of Rosie’s Diner with his
family in Town Hall on Jan. 19 after receiving a plaque from the Monument Board
of Trustees honoring him for his restaurant’s Thanksgiving dinner open house.
He and his staff prepared and served free meals to over 100 Tri-Lakes area
seniors. Photo by Jim Kendrick.

Below: Assistant Town Clerk Claudia Whitney describes leave
donation plan of Monument’s town staff to raise money for the Red Cross to use
for Haitian relief efforts at the Board of Trustees meeting on Jan. 19. The
board authorized employees to donate up to four hours of leave pay, which could
raise up to $5,000 in donations. Photo by Jim Kendrick.

By Jim Kendrick
On Jan. 4, the Monument Board of Trustees approved a proposal
from Deputy Town Clerk Claudia Whitney to allow employees to voluntarily donate
up to four hours of vacation time each as cash donations to the Red Cross for
victims of the Haitian earthquake. Whitney noted that the town had done this for
Hurricane Katrina victims. Town Manager Cathy Green said Whitney’s proposal
could raise up to $5,000.
Operation Overload
Police Chief Jacob Shirk announced that Monument will host
Operation Overload, a large-scale police emergency training exercise, on June
14-18. The exercise will center on a response to an active shooter in a school,
with a chemical spill. It will identify weaknesses and areas that can be
improved by deliberately overloading the situation, Shirk said. All local
police, fire and school districts, ambulance companies, and the county Sheriff’s
Office will participate in the training portion of the exercise. The town’s
Public Works Department will also be involved to handle the chemical spill.
Shirk said the exercise will require several hundred
volunteers. About 120 to 150 volunteers will be "made up" to simulate
severe injuries. In the past, the realistic makeup has caused some of the kids
to faint from what they see and experience. Local reporters will be asked to
participate in developing plans for handling media representatives trying to get
into the perimeter. They will also portray intrusive reporters to help test
public information officers and police.
Award presented
Mayor Travis Easton presented a plaque to A.B. Tellez, the
owner of Rosie’s Diner, for providing over 100 free Thanksgiving meals to
seniors in his restaurant. The diner staff volunteered their time to prepare and
serve these meals. Members of the board thanked Tellez for his generosity and
hospitality in creating this event.
Full article...
New
fire chief sworn in
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zoom in
Below: With members of the Palmer Lake Volunteer Fire
Department seated behind her, Shana Ball takes the oath of office for PLVFD fire
chief position. Ball took the oath during the Palmer Lake Town Council’s
January 14 meeting. Photo by David Futey.

Below: A bassoon quartet from the Colorado Springs Youth
Symphony (CSYS) takes a bow after playing for the Palmer Lake Town Council and
those in the audience at the council’s Jan. 14 meeting. At the meeting, Mayor
John Cressman read a proclamation that recognized the 30th season of the CSYS. Photo
by David Futey.

By David Futey
The Palmer Lake Town Council approved the appointment of
Shana Ball as fire chief at the Jan. 14 meeting. Town Clerk Della Gray
administered oath of office. Chief Ball presented a plaque to Dan Reynolds in
recognition of his leadership as the previous fire chief.
LVFD receives matching grant from Modern Woodmen of America
Jack and Ginger Frank presented a check for $5,590 to the
Palmer Lake Volunteer Fire Department as a matching grant based on the proceeds
received from the PLVFD Chili Supper. The Chili Supper is a fund raiser to
maintain the Palmer Lake Star. (See the photo.)
Proclamation for the Colorado Springs Youth Symphony
Mayor John Cressman read a resolution recognizing the 30th
season of the Colorado Springs Youth Symphony (CSYS). In particular the
resolution mentioned the "quality of music and innovative
performances" and the positive impact on children ages 8-18 who are members
of the symphony and are "cultural ambassadors for Colorado Springs."
CSYS Music Director Gary Nicholson told the council that 15
percent of the CSYS performers come from northern El Paso County and that many
members of the symphony have moved on to musical careers with orchestras and
symphonies. There are 10 chamber ensembles, four orchestras and two bands with
over 300 musicians involved in the CSYS. On this evening a bassoon quartet from
the CSYS played a melody of patriotic songs.
Full article...
Medical marijuana moratorium approved for 90 days
Palmer
Lake 2010 Ordinance 1 as PDF file.
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to download using a dial-up modem. Click here
for help with PDF downloads. To view and print the file, you will need to download
and install the free Acrobat Reader Program.
By David Futey
On Jan. 21, the Palmer Lake Town Council held a special
meeting to address an ordinance governing medical marijuana dispensaries and
cultivation, TABOR ballot issues, and change of investment banks.
By unanimous decision, the council approved a 90-day
moratorium on medical marijuana dispensaries and cultivation. Town Clerk Della
Gray met with the Planning Commission on Jan. 20, along with Trustees Max
Stafford, Nikki McDonald, and Dan Reynolds. They agreed to have a combined
meeting of the Planning Commission and council on Feb. 4 at 7 p.m. The purpose
of the meeting would be to discuss the dispensary and cultivation ordinance and
seek a consensus on how to proceed with the complex problem of drafting zoning
and operating regulations. Gray said she would be encouraging businesses and
other interested parties who want to provide input. An advance notice announcing
the Feb. 4 combined meeting was sent out on Jan. 22.
An application for a medical marijuana business license was
turned in on Jan. 20. It cannot be approved until an ordinance is finalized.
Police Trustee Bryan Jack said "we are not bound to the 90 days" if
the moratorium passes. If there is consensus at the Feb. 4 combined meeting,
passage of an ordinance on dispensaries and cultivation can be considered
immediately by the Planning Commission as early as Feb. 17 and by the Town
Council on March 11. Fire Trustee Jan Bristol said "we would rather solve
this sooner than later."
Gray said she will provide a packet of information for
commission and council members attending the combined meeting. Regarding the
issue at the state level, Gray said the "state is silent on the issue of
dispensaries and cultivation" even though it passed laws in 2000 and 2008
related to both.
Full Article...
Bookkeeping problems continue
By Jim Kendrick
Treasurer Dennis Feltz reported at the Jan. 27 Donald Wescott
Fire Protection District Board meeting that he is still having problems managing
the accuracy of Wescott’s paycheck records after taking control of the
district’s payroll two months ago. Feltz also tried and failed to reverse
Administrative Assistant Cheryl Marshall’s 2 percent pay raise for 2010 after
Assistant Chief Vinny Burns stated that Feltz was trying to take punitive action
against Marshall outside of executive session without offering her the chance to
attend the board meeting.
Chairman Kevin Gould’s absence from the meeting was
excused, and the 7:30 p.m. meeting was chaired by Secretary Greg Gent.
However, Gould arrived at the meeting at 8:35 p.m. from an
out-of-town trip. The board unanimously approved Gould’s proposal to begin
planning for construction of Station 3 at the intersection of Highway 83 and
Stagecoach Road by soliciting proposals for a design-build contract.
Full article...
Board discusses revenues, expenses
Click here or on the photo to zoom
in
Below: Fire Marshal Curtis Kaufman (center) presents
statistics for fire prevention, education, and inspections in 2009. To his left
is Chief Robert Denboske. To his right is Firefighter Elliot Link. Photo by
Bernard Minetti.

By Bernard L. Minetti
The January board meeting of the Tri-Lakes Monument Fire
Protection District was hallmarked by a discussion of the 2010 revenue/expense
status of the district. Treasurer John Hildebrandt reviewed the 2009 final
figures, stating that as of Dec. 31, tax revenues were $3,081,897 or 99.68
percent of the budgeted amount. Specific ownership taxes (SOT) were $317,628 or
91.73 percent of budgeted revenue. Ambulance revenues were $397,602 or 86.44
percent of the budgeted revenue. The overall expenses were 100.66 percent of
total revenues.
Full article...
Additional school budget cuts considered
By Harriet Halbig
The Board of Education met twice in January to continue its
discussion of additional budget cuts for 2010.
Before addressing this problem, there was a brief discussion
of overall priorities to keep in mind. Among them were:
 |
Health of the district’s staff |
 |
A vision of what a graduate should look like |
 |
Financing the goals of the board |
 |
Safety and security |
 |
General pursuit of excellence. |
Full article...
Citizens
comment on future of controversial road gate
Click here or on the photo to
zoom in
Below: Photo taken in 2006 of the Doewood controversial
gate. Photo by Chris Pollard.

By Jim Kendrick
County Commissioner Wayne Williams and County Engineer Andre
Brackin of the El Paso County Department of Transportation hosted a
standing-room-only community meeting on Jan. 13 at Palmer Ridge High School
concerning the controversial Doewood Drive gate.
The meeting was arranged to solicit public comments on the
improvements needed on Doewood Drive as well as traffic flow, safety concerns
about flow in the affected neighborhoods and the county’s plan to consider
removing the Doewood Drive gate between the Chisholm Trail and Ridgewood Circle
intersections. A roster was passed around to create an e-mail notification list
for future public meetings.
A 1996 resolution established that the barricade would remain
in place until completion of several other streets that were planned for the
area and acceptance of those new streets for county maintenance. Those
conditions were met, and the neighboring streets were accepted by the county on
Nov. 24, 2009. The streets include Hammock Oaks Drive, Misty Acres Drive, Old
Antlers Way, Painter Drive, Alexandria Drive and Mepham Court.
Full article...
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