Colorado Springs City Council Work Session - July 27, 2026

The City Council held a work session on Monday, July 27, 2026, at 9:00 AM in Council Chambers. The meeting covered a presentation from the Colorado Springs Health Foundation, an update on the annual HUD Point-in-Time (PIT) count and housing inventory, a resolution to carry forward private activity bonds for affordable housing, adoption of updated rules for the Fire Board of Appeals, and approval of a service plan for the Kettle Creek Metropolitan District. The meeting concluded with a closed executive session to discuss the annual performance evaluations of the City Council Administrator and the City Auditor.

Consent Calendar

• Agenda item 4.A (City Council Work Session Minutes from July 13, 2026) was pulled from the consent calendar at the request of Councilmember Williams for revisions. No other consent items were discussed.

Presentations for General Information

• Colorado Springs Health Foundation (CSHF) – 10-Year Impact Review (Item 5.A)
  Cari Davis, Executive Director of CSHF, presented a look back at the foundation's first decade of grant-making (2016–2026). Key points included:
  • The foundation was established from the proceeds of leasing Memorial Health System to UC Health in 2012, a decision that received more than 80% voter approval.
  • Total assets reached an all-time high of approximately $246 million as of June 2026, after having awarded about $60 million in grants over 1,000 grants (averaging ~110 grants per year).
  • The maximum annual payout is capped at 5% of the trailing 12-quarter average asset value, per City Council policy.
  • Grant-making focuses on six areas: healthcare access, suicide prevention, trauma prevention/healing, food and physical activity, transitional and affordable housing (added ~5 years ago).
  • The foundation uses a responsive grant-making model; about 65–70% of dollars go to healthcare access and trauma prevention/healing.
  • The foundation conducts impact assessments via an outside evaluator (most recently 2024) and site visits.
  • Council members praised the foundation's fiscal stewardship, relational engagement with grantees, and contributions to mental health, food security, parks, programs for military families, and homelessness prevention.
  • Councilmember Donaldson questioned how the foundation measures whether it is actually moving the needle on population health outcomes, given that El Paso County remains in the middle of the pack in the Robert Wood Johnson County Health Rankings. Ms. Davis acknowledged the difficulty of isolating foundation impact from external factors (e.g., Medicaid changes) and pointed to the counterfactual: without the foundation, many services would not exist.
  • Councilmember Williams, who helped negotiate the original lease, expressed pride that the foundation is fulfilling the vision of a perpetual community asset.

Informational Reports

• HUD Point-in-Time (PIT) Count and Housing Inventory Count (Item 6.B)
  Aimee Cox, Chief Housing & Homelessness Response Officer, presented data from the January 25, 2026 PIT count and the 2026 Housing Inventory Count (HIC).
  • The PIT count recorded 1,413 people experiencing homelessness, a 19% decrease from 1,745 in 2025.
  • Unsheltered count fell significantly from 522 to 308; transitional housing increased by 54 people.
  • Chronic homelessness decreased by 41% (from 361 to 213); 40% of unsheltered individuals met the definition of chronically homeless.
  • Veterans counted decreased to 131, attributed to "Built for Zero" real-time case conferencing.
  • The HIC showed the community still lacks 195 year-round emergency/transitional shelter beds to accommodate all individuals counted on that night.
  • The Colorado HMIS statewide report (released earlier) indicated a 4.3% increase in homelessness over all of 2025, and an 18.8% increase in people seeking homelessness prevention services—data that can coexist with the lower PIT one-night snapshot.
  • Federal funding shifts are reducing the share that can be used for permanent supportive housing (from 90% to 60%). The city is using HOME-ARP funds to bridge tenant-based rental assistance for those losing emergency housing vouchers.
  • City and Pikes Peak United Way are now jointly leading the Continuum of Care (COC) as of July 1, 2026; 16 applications for projects have been submitted.
  • A supportive housing plan is being developed with outside consultants to address the need for ~2,000 additional supportive housing units for extremely low-income individuals; it will be presented to council by end of year.
  • Council discussed challenges with the sunset of the Court-Assisted Recovery from Eviction (CARE) program (ends August 31, 2026), which served 6,000 people since 2023; the city lacks resources to continue it.
  • Councilmember Lineweber emphasized the need to distinguish between episodic, chronic, and chronic-with-disorder homelessness to target resources appropriately.

Discussion Items

• Private Activity Bond Carryforward Resolution (Item 7.A)
  Katie Sunderlin, Housing Solutions Manager, presented a resolution to carry forward the city's 2026 private activity bond (PAB) allocation of $33.7 million for three years (through 2029). PABs are used as a funding layer for affordable housing; the city acts as a conduit issuer (not liable for repayment). The allocation is based on population ($135 per person) and must be carried forward to remain available. The city currently has $38 million in remaining bond cap from 2025. A developer is under review for a project of ~220 units near Peak Innovation Park (Council District 2). Councilmember Henjam asked about the expected number of units (220). Councilmember Donaldson asked about district and was told it is near Peak Innovation Park (same area as prior Royal Pines concerns). The resolution will be on the agenda for introduction at the next regular meeting.

• Fire Board of Appeals Rules and Procedures (Item 7.B)
  Blongshia Lindsay, Boards and Commissions Program Administrator, presented a resolution to adopt updated rules for the Fire Board of Appeals (effective August 11, 2026). The previous rules dated from 2015 and had never been adopted by City Council. Changes are administrative: aligning with City Council's rules and procedures, removing redundancy, and retaining only fire-board-specific provisions. Stakeholders (board members, council liaison Risley, Fire Marshal Cooper, attorney Stein) reviewed the draft. Councilmember Risley (liaison) confirmed the changes are nominal and recommended consent. Councilmember Henjam noted board members expressed interest in receiving budget/finance training. Councilmember Donaldson inquired about board composition; Fire Marshal Cooper clarified membership is defined in city code (8.3.101) and includes representatives from large business, small business, fire suppression, construction, insurance, commercial real estate, and a member at large. Composition is displayed on the board's website. The item will be on the consent calendar for August 11, 2026.

• Kettle Creek Metropolitan District Service Plan (Item 7.C)
  Allison Stocker, Senior Planner, presented a resolution to approve a service plan for the creation of the Kettle Creek Metropolitan District (20.61 acres north of Old Ranch Road, east of Voyager Parkway, south of Federal Drive, Council District 2).

  • Maximum debt authorization of $8 million to finance public improvements (estimated cost: $5.1 million, with $2.9 million contingency).
  • Anticipated development: 122 residential units (single-family detached and attached), active open space, public roadway improvements.
  • Maximum debt mill levy: 50 mills; maximum O&M mill levy: 20 mills (consistent with model service plan).
  • Bonds are anticipated to be publicly issued, 30-year term.
  • A related annexation and zoning (R-Flux Medium) are on the agenda for the next regular meeting (July 28, 2026).
  • Final hearing on the service plan is scheduled for August 11, 2026, contingent on recording the annexation plat.
  • Councilmember Casey had no further questions; Councilmember Donaldson asked about bond issuance method and amortization; the applicant's representative (Nicole Pakov) confirmed public issuance is anticipated and the financial plan aligns with the model service plan. No council members expressed opposition.

Key Outcomes

• Consent Calendar: Minutes from July 13, 2026 were pulled for revision.
• CSHF Presentation: Noted as informational; no vote taken. Council expressed appreciation and support for the foundation's work.
• PIT/HIC Presentation: Noted as informational; no vote taken. The data will inform future policy and funding decisions. Council directed staff to report on quarterly data to allow real-time tracking.
• Private Activity Bond Carryforward (Item 7.A): The resolution was introduced; it will be on the agenda for a formal vote at a future regular meeting.
• Fire Board of Appeals Rules (Item 7.B): The resolution was approved for placement on the consent calendar for the August 11, 2026 regular meeting.
• Kettle Creek Metro District (Item 7.C): The service plan was approved for formal hearing on August 11, 2026, contingent on annexation plat recording.
• Closed Executive Session (Items 10B.A and 10B.B): Council voted unanimously (8-0) to enter closed session to discuss annual performance evaluations of the City Council Administrator and the City Auditor. The meeting adjourned after the closed session.