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Record of Proceedings

Colorado Springs City Council Work Session on August 10, 2026: Clean and Safe Update, Parking Enterprise, and Code Amendments

City Council — Monday, August 10, 2026
BodyColorado Springs, Colorado
SessionCity Council
DateMonday, August 10, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 2:30:46

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0:31

Okay, testing, testing.

0:36

Hope this works, Eli.

1:49

Good morning.

1:50

Welcome to the City of Colorado Springs Work Session meeting for Monday, August 10th, 2026.

1:57

Will the clerk please call the roll?

1:59

Councilmember Casey.

2:01

Here.

2:01

Councilmember Crow Iverson.

2:03

Here.

2:03

Councilmember Donaldson.

2:05

Here.

2:05

Councilmember Gold.

2:06

Here I am.

2:07

Councilmember Henjam.

2:09

President online.

2:11

Councilmember Linewever.

2:13

Here.

2:14

Councilmember Raining.

2:15

Here.

2:16

Councilmember Risley.

2:17

Here.

2:17

Councilmember Williams.

2:19

Here.

2:19

On nine present.

2:22

Are there any changes to the agenda for today?

2:27

Seeing none, moving on to regular meeting.

2:30

Are there any changes to our regular meeting tomorrow?

2:35

I don't see any.

2:37

Do we do we want to I'm looking at Sarah?

2:39

I'm sorry.

2:40

Um, I think we're removing for tomorrow for Bravo Delta off of consent.

2:51

Councilman Donaldson.

2:53

Um I may have a request, which one is Bravo Delta, which what's that?

2:57

I don't have the agenda right in front of me.

2:59

Um the annexation is not recorded yet associated with that item.

3:02

It'll be recorded by week's end, but we don't want to have it on consultation.

3:05

So it's one of the annexations.

3:08

Um is going to present today on uh something that's good currently plan to go back to back tomorrow.

3:18

At that presentation, I may request just to have it taken off the agenda tomorrow and just put on the regular schedule of its introduced at a work session two weeks later it comes back to a regular session, not back to back, unless there's a reason uh it should be done that way, which I'm just not aware of.

3:38

So that's it.

3:40

Okay, we'll take note of both of those.

3:42

Thank you.

3:43

Moving on to four A.

3:45

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

3:51

Work session meeting minutes July twenty-seventh, twenty twenty-six.

3:56

Are there any changes to these minutes?

4:00

Seeing none, moving on to item five A.

4:02

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

4:25

City Attorney.

4:26

Good morning, Stephanie Boster, City Attorney.

4:29

The Civil Action Investigation Committee voted to recommend to the City Council that the city provide res representation for the officer pursuant to the city code, the Colorado Governmental Immunity Act, and the Liability of Peace Officers Act.

4:45

The committee further recommends that the city reserves the right to decline payment of any punitive damages of ward.

4:52

At this time, we request authorization from City Council to provide representation.

5:05

All thumbs up.

5:07

Moving on to item 6A.

5:10

Will the clerk please read item 6A into the record?

5:12

Clean and save presentation.

5:15

Good morning, Chelsea.

5:20

This is on.

5:21

Good morning.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Public Safety███████████████████████████27%
Homelessness███████████████████████████27%
Parking Management██████████████████████22%
Procedural███████7%
Public Works████4%
Pending Litigation██2%
Workers Compensation██2%
Wildfire Mitigation██2%
Downtown Revitalization█1%
Summary of Proceedings

Colorado Springs City Council Work Session - August 10, 2026

The Colorado Springs City Council held a work session on Monday, August 10, 2026, beginning at 9:00 AM in Council Chambers. The meeting included a presentation on the Downtown Clean and Safe Pilot Program, an overview of the City Parking Enterprise, and a discussion of proposed code amendments for claims management and workers' compensation. Council also approved previous meeting minutes and authorized legal representation for a city officer in a lawsuit. The meeting adjourned at 11:29 AM.

Consent Calendar

  • Approval of Previous Minutes: The City Council unanimously approved the work session meeting minutes from July 27, 2026 (Item 4.A).
  • Authorization to Defend City Officer: City Attorney Stefanie Boster presented a recommendation from the Civil Action Investigation Committee to authorize representation for a city officer in the case Acacia Lyn-Darr v. John Pannunzio et al. (Case No. 26-cv-02187). Council polled and agreed by consensus to authorize defense, with the city reserving the right to decline payment of punitive damages.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • Luke Travens (business owner, Concept Restaurants/Carlton Building): Expressed support for continued funding of the Clean and Safe program, noting that downtown businesses have invested through the Business Improvement District (BID) and Downtown Development Authority (DDA) since the 1970s. Suggested the city study best practices from other jurisdictions such as Cherry Creek, CO, and Scottsdale, AZ.
  • Travis Easton (Deputy Chief of Staff): Requested removal of an annexation item from the August 11, 2026 consent calendar due to an unrecorded plat.

Discussion Items

1. Clean and Safe Pilot Program Update (Item 6.A)

  • Presenters: Chelsea Gondeck (CEO, Downtown Partnership) and Pat Rigdon (Director of Downtown Environment, Downtown Partnership).
  • Program Overview: The 19-month pilot (launched mid-2025, ending December 2026) aims to enhance cleaning and safety within the Downtown Development Authority area. Total program cost is $1.8 million, with the city contributing $700,000. The program includes supplemental security, ambassadors, and outreach services (contracted through Homeward Pikes Peak).
  • Survey Results: A pulse survey of 70 respondents (mostly street-level businesses) found that two-thirds noticed a positive impact and increased cleanliness; over one-third noticed decreased loitering.
  • Security Impact: From August 25, 2025 to June 2026, security handled 2,850 incidents; only 2% required police intervention. Merchant requests for assistance averaged 55 per month, up from 35 pre-program.
  • Outreach: Homeward Pikes Peak engaged 221 unique homeless individuals; 24 reached stability (housing, reunification), 135 accepted case management, and 158 were actively seeking housing. Approximately 25-30 individuals sleep in downtown doorways nightly.
  • Challenges Identified: Persistent waste from overturned trash cans/dumpsters, lack of enforcement tools for non-criminal behaviors, limited ability to compel engagement with services, and inconsistency of CSPD downtown presence.
  • Business Perspectives: Pat Rigdon noted that locking dumpsters would significantly reduce cleanup efforts. Councilmember Donelson advocated for stronger enforcement of ordinances (e.g., sleeping in doorways). Councilmember Henjum and others emphasized the need for behavioral health solutions beyond jail.
  • Council Comments: Multiple members praised the program's progress. Councilmember Henjum framed it as a challenge to be managed, not solved. Councilmembers Rainey and Risley stressed the importance of ongoing city funding and acknowledged the financial burden on downtown businesses.

2. City Parking Enterprise Overview (Item 7.A)

  • Presenters: Alyssa Alt (Parking Enterprise Manager) and Richard Mulledy (Public Works Director).
  • Mission: Support economic vitality by providing accessible, well-managed public parking. Enterprise operates on a $10.5 million budget funded entirely through fees (no tax revenue).
  • Operations: 21 staff; manages ~2,700 on-street and 2,700 off-street spaces (three garages, six lots). Issues ~50,000 citations annually. Rates: $1/hour off-street, progressive $1.50+ on-street, free on Sundays. Payment options: coins (30%), credit (41%), ParkMobile (29%), and new Text to Pay.
  • Budget & Revenue: 2026 budget decreased due to reduced parking hours (from 7am-10pm to 8am-8pm) and free Sunday off-street parking, resulting in ~$700-800K revenue loss. Occupancy has remained relatively flat.
  • Capital Projects: Completed $2M parking meter replacement (June 2026). Ongoing $1.5M/year for streetscapes. The Kiowa Garage is ~40-50 years old; replacement cost estimated at $40M. Enterprise has ~$14M in reserves for future capital needs, including potential transit center cooperation (estimated $20M for parking component).
  • Council Questions: Councilmember Donelson inquired about labor costs (to be provided later), garage occupancy rates (generally 80% full on weekdays), and plans for new garages (none currently due to ample supply). Councilmember Leinweber noted difficulty reading space numbers from cars; signs will be added. Councilmember Henjum asked about EV charging stations (owned by CSU or city) and transit center investment.

3. Proposed Code Amendments – Claims Management and Workers' Compensation (Items 9.A & 9.B)

  • Presenter: John Hunter (Manager of Financial Planning & Risk, CSU).
  • Proposal: Two ordinances to formally separate the claims reserve funds and workers' compensation funds between the City and Colorado Springs Utilities, and transfer fund management from the City CFO to the Utilities CFO.
  • Discussion: Councilmembers Donelson and Rainey requested that the items not be placed back-to-back on the consent calendar without pressing need, to avoid perception of rushing. Council agreed to present the ordinances on August 25, 2026, following the normal two-reading process.

Key Outcomes

  • Approved: Work session minutes from July 27, 2026 (consensus).
  • Approved: Authorization to defend the city officer in Acacia Lyn-Darr lawsuit (consensus).
  • Directive: The city clerk will schedule the code amendment ordinances (26-295 and 26-296) for first reading on August 25, 2026, as per council consensus to postpone from August 11.
  • Information Received: Clean and Safe Pilot Program update and Parking Enterprise overview were received; no formal votes taken.
  • Future Actions: The Parking Enterprise will provide labor cost data and historical CSPD call-for-service comparisons. Council will receive further data on code changes and Clean and Safe program continuation plans.

Meeting Transcript

Okay, testing, testing. Hope this works, Eli. Good morning. Welcome to the City of Colorado Springs Work Session meeting for Monday, August 10th, 2026. Will the clerk please call the roll? Councilmember Casey. Here. Councilmember Crow Iverson. Here. Councilmember Donaldson. Here. Councilmember Gold. Here I am. Councilmember Henjam. President online. Councilmember Linewever. Here. Councilmember Raining. Here. Councilmember Risley. Here. Councilmember Williams. Here. On nine present. Are there any changes to the agenda for today? Seeing none, moving on to regular meeting. Are there any changes to our regular meeting tomorrow? I don't see any. Do we do we want to I'm looking at Sarah? I'm sorry. Um, I think we're removing for tomorrow for Bravo Delta off of consent. Councilman Donaldson. Um I may have a request, which one is Bravo Delta, which what's that? I don't have the agenda right in front of me. Um the annexation is not recorded yet associated with that item. It'll be recorded by week's end, but we don't want to have it on consultation. So it's one of the annexations. Um is going to present today on uh something that's good currently plan to go back to back tomorrow. At that presentation, I may request just to have it taken off the agenda tomorrow and just put on the regular schedule of its introduced at a work session two weeks later it comes back to a regular session, not back to back, unless there's a reason uh it should be done that way, which I'm just not aware of. So that's it. Okay, we'll take note of both of those. Thank you. Moving on to four A. Will the clerk please read item four A into the record? Work session meeting minutes July twenty-seventh, twenty twenty-six. Are there any changes to these minutes? Seeing none, moving on to item five A. Will the clerk please read item five A into the record? City Attorney. Good morning, Stephanie Boster, City Attorney.

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