OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Colorado Springs City Council Meeting - December 9, 2025

City Council — Tuesday, December 9, 2025
BodyColorado Springs, Colorado
SessionCity Council
DateTuesday, December 9, 2025
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 1:33:01

Transcript — Verbatim
0:00

From your Colorado Springs City Council.

0:03

We want to wish you a wonderful holiday season.

0:06

Merry Christmas.

0:10

Good morning and welcome to the City of Colorado Springs City Council meeting for Tuesday, December 9th, 2025.

0:19

Will the clerk please call the roll councilmember Bailey?

0:28

Here.

0:29

Councilmember Crow Emerson.

0:31

Here.

0:31

Councilmember Donaldson.

0:33

Here, go Broncos.

0:35

Councilmember Gold.

0:37

Here, happy holidays.

0:40

Present.

0:41

Councilmember Lineweaver.

0:43

Here.

0:43

Councilmember Rainey.

0:45

Here.

0:45

Council Member Risley.

0:47

Here.

0:47

Councilmember Williams.

0:53

So please stand for the invocation and the Pledge of Allegiance this morning.

0:57

We have the pleasure of having the department, the police department chaplain, Jean Steikenkirchner.

1:05

Is that correct?

1:07

Thank you.

1:12

To City Council, good morning and Merry Christmas.

1:16

And to all of you in this room.

1:19

Merry Christmas to all of you.

1:21

May we bow our heads in prayer.

1:26

As scripture from John 1, chap verse 9, the true light which gives light to everyone was coming into the world.

1:39

Our most gracious Heavenly Father.

1:45

That scripture has come true this day.

1:49

For the true light that has come into the world is that of Jesus Christ.

1:58

And as we gather in this room today, we ask that light and blessings of the Holy Spirit to be upon our city council.

2:09

And those who've gathered here today.

2:13

Guide City Council as they guide this city and direct this city in the best way possible.

2:22

And it's the blessings that you receive from these folks, all of us are the blessings we need this day.

2:32

And so we ask this blessing now, and we do this in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

2:38

Amen.

2:39

Amen.

2:40

Please join us for the Pledge of Allegiance.

2:42

I pledge allegiance to the flag.

3:04

We'll move on to item four, the consent calendar.

3:06

We will now consider the consent calendar.

3:08

These items will be acted on as as a whole, unless a specific item is called off for discussion by a council member or a citizen wishing to address the city council.

3:19

Is there anyone wishing to pull any item off of consent calendar this morning?

3:25

Seeing none, I need a motion or have a motion from Councilman Risley and a second from Councilman Bailey.

3:32

Can I have a thumbs up?

3:37

On to recognitions.

3:41

Will the clerk please read item five A into the record?

3:47

A resolution honoring December 7th, 2025 is Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day.

3:52

Councilman Donaldson Okay, thank you, Madam President.

3:56

And uh today I have the honor of reading this resolution about Pearl Harbor.

4:01

And what I'll do is first I'll read the resolution.

4:04

Right after that, what I'd like to do is connect what happened at Pearl Harbor with Colorado Springs.

4:10

And there's one uh little quick news report we'll watch involving someone that went to what used to be called Colorado Springs High School.

4:18

Now it's Palmer.

4:19

He graduated from there in 28.

4:21

He went in the Navy two years later, and he was the first American killed in World War II on the island of Hawaii, not at Pearl Harbor, but at another place where the Japanese sort of bombing at first and and trying to blow up the planes.

4:35

And then we will have uh a couple of speakers from our veterans community uh talk to us today.

4:42

Uh Roger Fortin and Andrea, uh, who's a former commander of the American Legion Post 5.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Veterans Recognition███████████████████████23%
Personnel Matters█████████████████████21%
Procedural█████████████████17%
Community Engagement████████████12%
Transportation Safety██████████10%
Military Coordination██████6%
Public Safety█████5%
Parks and Recreation████4%
Public Engagement██2%
Summary of Proceedings

Colorado Springs City Council Meeting - December 9, 2025

The City Council convened on December 9, 2025, to conduct routine administrative business, including the approval of the consent calendar and various public recognitions. The meeting featured significant tributes honoring Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day with testimony from veterans, a resolution appreciating the 13-year tenure of Parks Department Director Britt Haley, and contentious discussions regarding the political nature of the Pikes Peak Library District appointment process. Council members expressed strong support for public safety initiatives proposed by the Traffic Engineering division while noting concerns over the selection methodology for library trustees.

Consent Calendar

  • Approved unanimously: Routine items including the Shiron Mountain acquisition (noted by citizen Glenn Carlson) and other standard administrative actions.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day Tribute:
    • Councilmember Donaldson (Speaker/Presenter) provided historical context on the attack, specifically highlighting Daniel T. Griffin, the first American casualty of WWII, and Donald Stratton, a survivor of the USS Arizona, before introducing veteran speakers.
    • Roger Fortin (Representative, Four Town Veterans): Shared stories of local veterans, including World War II heroes Chris McEwan and Charlie Bailey who met in a foxhole at Bastogne, and Colonel Bruce Morrell. He expressed appreciation for the city's support of veteran communities.
    • Andrea Finnegan (Past Commander, American Legion Post 5; representing Welling Clark): Expressed gratitude to the Council for honoring the sacrifice and cost of freedom on December 7th.
    • Sarah Tobin (Senior Vice Commander, American Legion): Stated that while younger veterans do not remember 9/11 or WWII, it is vital to keep the memory of the "greatest generation"'s service at the forefront of the public mind.
    • Glenn Carlson (Citizen): Expressed ecstatic support for the Shiron Mountain acquisition and thanked Director Britt Haley for her service to parks and open spaces like Blogget Peak and Panorama Park.
    • Shekinah Hinkle (Citizen): Stated she knew Britt Haley in a different light, expressing deep appreciation for how Haley served as a mentor and cared for individuals outside her department.
    • Wayne Williams (Former Councilmember): Expressed strong appreciation for Britt Haley's delivery on 2019 ballot initiative promises (Tabor retention) and her commitment to community inclusion, specifically on the eastern side of town.
    • Madeline Roth (14-year-old citizen; resident/student near Grand Peak Academy): Expressed urgent concern and opposition regarding the lack of a safe crosswalk at the Drydenwell Place and Cowpoke Road intersection. She stated she and her siblings have "almost got ran over many times" and requested the speed limit be reduced from 35 mph to 25 mph rather than relying on a future raised walkway in 2027, which she argued is inappropriate for a neighborhood road.
    • Carla Powers (Citizen): Expressed criticism and disappointment that the joint appointment committee for the Library District appeared to ignore other highly qualified applicants, describing the process as broken and political. She noted that while Austin Jurgensmeyer was a solid choice, other candidates with extensive experience in TABOR, URA, and executive management were not interviewed or mentioned.
  • Library District Appointment Discussion:
    • Councilmember Hingem: Expressed concern that the appointment process has become "very political" rather than focused on "good governance," noting a lack of formal communication and collaboration between the Joint Appointment Committee and the Library Board. She recounted a meeting where board members expressed frustration over the lack of vetting and transparency.

Discussion Items

  • Resolution Honoring Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day:

    • Councilmember Donaldson led a reading of the resolution honoring December 7, 1941, noting the attack occurred on December 7, 1941 (84 years prior), resulting in over 2,350 deaths. The resolution urged citizens to set aside time to reflect on the bravery of those who served.
    • Outcome: The resolution was approved 9-0.

  • Resolution of Appreciation for Britt Haley:

    • Mayor Pro Tem and City Council members, including Travis Easton, Councilmember Donaldson, Councilmember Lineweaver, and Councilmember Henjam, spoke in favor of Director Britt Haley. They described her as a "key partner" with a "how can we get to yes" attitude, a mentor, and a professional who successfully delivered on voter promises and fostered a positive departmental culture.
    • Britt Haley (Respondent): Expressed gratitude and pride in her work, acknowledging the extraordinary talent of her department.
    • Outcome: The resolution was approved 9-0.

  • Board and Commission Appointments:

    • Audit Committee: Jana Blanter was elevated from alternate to voting member.
    • Civil Service Commission: Matthew Gastino and Stacey Gotto were reappointed.
    • Historic Preservation Board: Sarah Potter was appointed.
    • Old Colorado City DDA: Ryan Lloyd, Jay Gust, Neil Schroeder, Michelle Garrett, Allison Daniel, and Jim Richardson were appointed. Councilmember Hingem and Councilwoman Williams discussed the unique composition of the board as business/property owners, noting the challenge that the mill levy to fund the DDA did not pass.
    • Pikes Peak Library District: Austin Jurgensmeyer was appointed to the Board of Trustees. Councilmember Hingem voiced strong opposition to the process of the appointment, calling it political and lacking transparency, though she ultimately voted for the candidate after interviewing him.

Key Outcomes

  • Consent Calendar: Approved unanimously.
  • Pearl Harbor Resolution: Passed 9-0.
  • Britt Haley Appreciation: Passed 9-0.
  • Board Appointments: All appointments (Audit, Civil Service, Historic Preservation, Old Colorado City DDA) were recommended and passed 9-0.
  • Library District Appointment: Approval of Austin Jurgensmeyer passed 9-0, despite Councilmember Hingem's public critique of the selection process.
  • Road Safety Project: The Traffic Engineering Division confirmed plans to move the existing Canary Avenue crosswalk to the school entrance and install a raised crosswalk (speed hump) with a crossing guard, funded by state grants. The projected completion timeline was updated by the engineer from 2027 to a goal of Summer 2026, pending contract awards and grant processing. The school administration was cited as being in favor of the new placement.

Meeting Transcript

From your Colorado Springs City Council. We want to wish you a wonderful holiday season. Merry Christmas. Good morning and welcome to the City of Colorado Springs City Council meeting for Tuesday, December 9th, 2025. Will the clerk please call the roll councilmember Bailey? Here. Councilmember Crow Emerson. Here. Councilmember Donaldson. Here, go Broncos. Councilmember Gold. Here, happy holidays. Present. Councilmember Lineweaver. Here. Councilmember Rainey. Here. Council Member Risley. Here. Councilmember Williams. So please stand for the invocation and the Pledge of Allegiance this morning. We have the pleasure of having the department, the police department chaplain, Jean Steikenkirchner. Is that correct? Thank you. To City Council, good morning and Merry Christmas. And to all of you in this room. Merry Christmas to all of you. May we bow our heads in prayer. As scripture from John 1, chap verse 9, the true light which gives light to everyone was coming into the world. Our most gracious Heavenly Father. That scripture has come true this day. For the true light that has come into the world is that of Jesus Christ. And as we gather in this room today, we ask that light and blessings of the Holy Spirit to be upon our city council. And those who've gathered here today. Guide City Council as they guide this city and direct this city in the best way possible. And it's the blessings that you receive from these folks, all of us are the blessings we need this day. And so we ask this blessing now, and we do this in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen. Amen. Please join us for the Pledge of Allegiance. I pledge allegiance to the flag. We'll move on to item four, the consent calendar. We will now consider the consent calendar. These items will be acted on as as a whole, unless a specific item is called off for discussion by a council member or a citizen wishing to address the city council. Is there anyone wishing to pull any item off of consent calendar this morning? Seeing none, I need a motion or have a motion from Councilman Risley and a second from Councilman Bailey. Can I have a thumbs up? On to recognitions. Will the clerk please read item five A into the record? A resolution honoring December 7th, 2025 is Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day.

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