Colorado Springs City Council Regular Meeting – April 14, 2026

The Colorado Springs City Council held its regular meeting on Tuesday, April 14, 2026, at 9:00 AM in Council Chambers. Eight of nine councilmembers were present; Councilmember Gold was excused, and Councilmember Rainey attended virtually starting at 9:11 AM. The meeting covered recognitions, appointments, utilities business, new business including a controversial ordinance to dissolve the Law Enforcement Transparency and Advisory Commission (LETAC), and public comment on various topics.

Consent Calendar

• Minutes of March 24, 2026: Approved unanimously.
• Gold Hill Mesa Metropolitan District No. 1 Dissolution: Resolution adopted consenting to the dissolution of the district (Council District 3).
• Ratification of Councilmember Liaisons: Appointments to boards, commissions, and committees were approved.
• All consent items passed by a vote of 7-0-2-0 (Gold and Rainey excused).

Recognitions

• National Volunteer Week (April 19–25, 2026): A resolution of appreciation was adopted. The City reported that in 2025, over 4,000 volunteers contributed nearly 180,000 hours of service, valued at $6.9 million based on the state volunteer rate of $38.74/hour. Highlights included 50 airport volunteers (2,770 hours), 170 CAPS public safety volunteers (34,000 hours), 455 Stormwater volunteers (removed 7.5 tons of litter), and 3,229 Parks volunteers (135,936 hours). The resolution passed 7-0-2-0.
• Appointments to Boards, Commissions, and Committees: Council approved reappointments to the Stormwater Advisory Committee (Kelly Bull, Doug Conlin), City County Drainage Board (Bret Luke), and Initiative Review Committee (Stacey Gotto elevated to voting member, Chip Frazier reappointed). Passed 7-0-2-0.

Mayor's Business

• Reappointment of Gary Feffer to the Colorado Springs Urban Renewal Authority Board for a five-year term expiring April 1, 2031. Passed 7-0-2-0.
• Reappointments to the Colorado Springs Housing Authority Board of Trustees: Laura Nelson (second term, April 1, 2026 – April 1, 2030), Eddie Rodriguez (second term, April 1, 2026 – April 1, 2030), Cathrine Sullivan (second term, February 19, 2026 – February 19, 2030), and Aimee Cox (second term, April 16, 2026 – April 16, 2030). All passed 7-0-2-0.
• Confirmation of Andrew Gorgey as Associate Municipal Court Judge: Judge Kane presented his credentials. Mr. Gorgey was sworn in. Passed 8-0-1-0 (Gold excused).
• Confirmation of Amy Foley as Per Diem Municipal Court Judge: Judge Kane presented her background. Ms. Foley was sworn in. Passed 7-0-2-0.

Utilities Business

• Eminent Domain for Kelker to South Plant Transmission Project (Item 8A): Resolution authorized use of a Possession and Use Agreement and eminent domain to acquire a permanent easement on property owned by Lockwood LLC for a 7-mile transmission line. The easement (1,992 sq ft) was appraised at $54,350; a settlement offer of $146,600 was made but not accepted. Councilmember Henjum asked about federal cell tower regulations; no concerns were identified. Passed 7-0-2-0.
• Public Hearing – Natural Gas Rates (March 2026 Rate Case, Item 8B): The hearing considered a resolution establishing a Natural Gas Integrity Federal Compliance Charge to recover accelerated Distribution Integrity Management Program (DIMP) costs. The charge is a flat daily fee of $0.285 for residential/small commercial and $0.60 for large commercial/industrial. The residential impact is $8.54/month (20% increase on gas bill, 3% overall). Utilities CEO Travis Deal explained that federal regulators required replacement of bare steel pipes with plastic over 10 years (down from 5 years originally demanded). The City Auditor confirmed mathematical accuracy and consistent methodology. The public hearing concluded with council consensus to establish the charge; final adoption is scheduled for April 28, 2026. No public comment was offered.

New Business

• Rezoning – Creekridge at Flying Horse (Item 10A): First reading of an ordinance to rezone approximately 44.72 acres from PDZ/AF-O to R-Flex M/AF-O (north of North Powers Boulevard and Interquest Parkway). Councilmember Casey recused himself due to prior Planning Commission service. The public hearing was set for April 28, 2026. Passed 6-0-2-1 (Casey recused, Gold and Rainey excused).
• Rezoning – 4880 Airport Road (Item 10B): First reading of an ordinance to rezone approximately 2.17 acres from R1-6/AP-O to R-5/AP-O (multi-family high with airport overlay). Councilmember Casey recused himself. The public hearing was set for April 28, 2026. Passed 6-0-2-1.
• Stormwater Infrastructure IGAs with CDOT (Item 10C): Resolution authorized the Stormwater Enterprise Manager to execute intergovernmental agreements with CDOT for maintenance of stormwater infrastructure. No money or property is exchanged. Passed 8-0-1-0 (Gold excused).
• Dissolution of Law Enforcement Transparency and Advisory Commission (LETAC) (Item 10D): Ordinance repealing Ordinance Nos. 20-44 and 22-33 to dissolve LETAC. Several citizens spoke in opposition, citing police accountability concerns and calling for a stronger civilian oversight body. Speakers included Stephanie Vigil, Sparrow McKinney, Genevieve Richard, Brandon Rincon, Bug Peterson, Lorraine Foster (mother of shooting victim Michael Foster), Huetlzi Chimali, Luna Lesterlude, and Isaac Contreras. They highlighted cases of police shootings, lack of accountability, and the need for a civilian police accountability council with real powers. After public comment, the ordinance passed on first reading 8-0-1-0 (Gold excused).
• City Council Annual Report to Citizens (Item 10E): Resolution adopting the report covering April 1, 2025 to March 31, 2026. The report includes strategic plan updates, budget overview, board/commission updates, and a new section on the Office of the City Auditor. The annual report began in 2005 per city charter. Passed 8-0-1-0.

One Hour of Citizen Discussion

Citizens spoke on a variety of topics: Isaac Contreras urged an ordinance restricting ICE activity; Lerad Niles discussed potholes and homelessness in his neighborhood; Stephanie Vigil advocated for increased council pay; Lonnie Meera raised concerns about street conditions and drug houses; Pastor Paul Nelson requested a meeting; Lawrence Clark criticized the ordinance prohibiting living in vehicles and called for police accountability; Taylor Gray questioned metadata security and federal surveillance; Steve Lightfoot made statements about Stephen King and John Lennon; Genevieve Richard noted the meeting time is inaccessible for working people; and several representatives (Jen Furda, Johnna Reeder-Kleymeyer, Michael Tsogt) expressed appreciation for council's service.

Key Outcomes

• Consent Calendar and Recognitions all approved unanimously.
• Mayor's appointments to boards and judges confirmed.
• Eminent domain resolution for Kelker to South Plant Transmission Project adopted.
• Natural gas rate case public hearing concluded; council consensus supports the new charge; final vote on April 28, 2026.
• Two rezoning ordinances (Creekridge at Flying Horse and 4880 Airport Road) passed first reading with public hearings set for April 28, 2026.
• Stormwater IGA resolution adopted.
• LETAC dissolution ordinance passed first reading over public opposition.
• Annual Report adopted.