Colorado Springs City Council Meeting - October 28, 2025

The City Council of Colorado Springs convened for a regular meeting on October 28, 2025, to consider resolution recognitions, an economic development budget, utility tariff changes, home rule litigation support, and a heated public hearing regarding a proposed self-storage facility. The meeting featured unanimous support for community recognitions and utility filings, while the deliberation on the Old Ranch Road storage appeal resulted in a compromise decision denying the appeal while imposing specific conditions on the project.

Consent Calendar

• Items were approved as a whole with one item (Item 4BU) pulled off for separate discussion regarding the Interquest North Business Improvement District (BID).
• A motion by Councilman Risley, seconded by Councilman Donaldson, passed the remaining consent agenda with a voice vote.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Tim Leonard (Opposition to Interquest North BID): Expressed concern regarding financial oversight and transparency, arguing that the operating plan lacked a breakdown of $4.1 million in planned public improvements and that developer-controlled bonds were not being prioritized for payoff despite $6.1 million in cash reserves. He recommended postponing approval until a detailed map and breakdown of improvements were provided.
• Councilmember Bailey: Stated that the concerns raised were appropriate for the BID board, not the City Council, and urged the Council not to rubber-stamp the plan but to rely on the elected board to manage district finances.
• Councilmember Donaldson: Expressed concern that the Council lacks expertise to evaluate budget details without consultants and recommended slowing down to address the transparency issues if a unanimous vote was not possible.
• Councilmember Henjam: Noted the board members and the vote history of the board regarding term limits.
• Julie Price (Opposition to Old Ranch Storage): Argued that the City Planning Department failed to honor promises of community engagement and communication, describing the process as flawed and broken. She highlighted traffic safety, crime risks, light pollution, and the incompatibility of the proposed industrial-scale use with the surrounding residential neighborhood.
• Councilmember Donaldson (Appellee): Questioned the rationale of the Planning Commission members who opposed the project, citing compatibility concerns.
• Rob Hernandez (Opposition): Shared personal concerns about traffic safety for his son with disabilities and the disruption to the quiet neighborhood character.
• Alyssa Downs (Opposition): Requested a left-turn lane to prevent cut-through traffic, better landscaping, and reduced hours of operation to ensure safety for residents.
• James Lobin (Opposition): Represented the HOA, expressing fear of increased crime (citing burglary statistics in storage facilities), traffic doubling, and the presence of criminal elements. He advocated for residential use over commercial.

Discussion Items

• Item 5A: National Disability Employment Awareness Month: Councilman Gold and presenter Jason Crow discussed the city's commitment to inclusive employment, ADA accommodations, and accessibility standards, leading to a unanimous resolution recognizing the month.
• Item 5B: National Veterans Small Business Week: Councilmember Rainey, Jesse Kimber, Nicole Rhody, and Joe Regan highlighted resources available to veteran entrepreneurs and the economic contributions of veteran-owned businesses, resulting in a unanimous resolution.
• Item 5C: Senior Resource Council Holiday Dance: A joint proclamation was read by Councilman Heniam and Shere M'Daniel, celebrating the 19th annual holiday dinner dance for seniors with a unanimous vote.
• Item 4BU (Pulled): Interquest North BID 2026 Operating Plan: Staff presented the budget, noting a proposed reduction in the debt mill levy and the need for a $3.4 million developer advance. Public comments focused on the lack of transparency regarding the $4.1 million in proposed improvements and the financing structure. Council debated whether to review the plan in detail or defer to the BID board, with Councilman Donaldson and Councilman Henjam expressing a desire for more detail to ensure proper oversight.
• Item 8 (Utilities):
  • **8A (Electric Rates):**讨论了 large load tariffs and economic development special contracts to attract high-paying jobs while protecting existing ratepayers from stranded infrastructure costs. Councilman Risley emphasized the need to codify these contracts in the tariff.
  • 8E (Southwest Power Pool): CEO Travis Steele and Councilman Rainey clarified that joining the RTO does not surrender local authority but increases market efficiency and fuel diversity.
• Item 11A: Old Ranch Storage Appeal (Hearing):
  • Appellant (Julie Price): Argued that the project violates the community-based needs of the Comprehensive Plan, creates a traffic hazard via cut-throughs on Kettle Ridge, and poses crime risks.
  • Applicant (Andrea Barlow): Defended the project as the least traffic-generating commercial use allowed in the zone, arguing the site has been planned as commercial for 40 years. The applicant offered a non-reflective roof and reduced evening hours (9 p.m.) but opposed a left-turn lane and opaque wall on Old Ranch Road, citing engineer judgment on safety risks and cost.
  • Council Deliberation: Staff admitted to procedural delays and communication gaps. Councilman Bailey questioned the necessity of significant landscaping if an opaque wall were required. Councilman Donaldson proposed four conditions: 9 p.m. weekday closing, non-reflective roof, opaque wall matching Rhinestone's aesthetics, and a left-turn lane. Councilwoman Williams supported the opaque wall condition.
  • Traffic Engineering: Todd Frisbee testified that a left-turn lane was not warranted by traffic volumes and introduced a higher safety risk than neighborhood cut-through traffic, though he acknowledged signage could deter U-turns.

Key Outcomes

• Item 5A (Disability Month): Motion passed 11-0.
• Item 5B (Veterans Week): Motion passed 11-0.
• Item 5C (Senior Dance): Joint Proclamation signed.
• Item 4BU (Interquest North BID): Motion to approve passed 6-2, overruling the concerns of Councilman Donaldson and Councilman Bailey regarding the need for further detail, as the Council determined it was the board's responsibility to manage finances.
• Items 8A-8F (Utilities): All resolutions regarding electric rates, IJBA standards, rules changes, and the Southwest Power Pool transfer passed unanimously (9-0 or 11-0).
• Item 10A (Dog Kennels): Postponed to November 10th; Motion passed 9-0.
• Item 10B (Home Rule Litigation): Motion to support municipalities in litigation against the state passed 8-1 (Councilman Donaldson abstained or voted no against the specific resolution, citing consistency issues with past ADU votes).
• Item 11A (Old Ranch Storage):
  • Motion to deny the appeal and impose conditions passed 6-3.
  • Conditions Approved:
    1. Weekday hours of operation shall close at 9:00 p.m.
    2. Roof materials shall be non-reflective.
    3. A solid opaque wall (fence) shall be installed along the Old Ranch Road frontage.
  • Motion to require a left-turn lane: Failed on a 2-6 (initially recorded as 3-6) vote, as the majority deferred to the traffic engineer's safety analysis.
• Citizen Discussion: Comments were heard regarding Flock safety cameras and the logistics of storage facility construction (concrete truck traffic). Meeting adjourned at 12:34 PM with a brief return to public comment after the recess. Note: The transcript indicates a vote was taken, but the final text in the transcript for the vote on the appeal denial is 6-3 in favor of denial.
• Final Vote for Old Ranch Storage: The motion to deny the appeal with the three approved conditions (9 p.m. closure, non-reflective roof, opaque wall) passed 6-3. The motion to add the left-turn lane was rejected.