OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Town of Erie Council Meeting October 28, 2025

Town Council — Tuesday, October 28, 2025
BodyErie, Colorado
SessionTown Council
DateTuesday, October 28, 2025
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 2:59:52

Transcript — Verbatim
0:52

Good evening, everyone.

0:53

I'm gonna call to order the town council meeting on October 28, 2025.

0:58

Will you please rise and join me in the Pledge of Allegiance?

1:04

I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States and one nation under uh individual liberty and justice.

1:20

All right, well, the town clerk please take roll council member Hoback.

1:42

Here uh Councilmember uh Pastor Morelli, present council member O'Connor.

1:49

Here council member Mortalero.

1:52

Here council member Baer present.

1:55

Uh Mayor Moore.

1:56

Here.

1:57

And Mayor Pro Tem Bell.

1:58

Here.

1:59

Uh Mayor, you have quorum.

2:01

All right.

2:01

I'm gonna see if there's an approval for the agenda after I remove um item 25565, which is a resolution of the town council of the town of Erie, adopting amended town council rules of order and meeting procedures, and item 25566, an ordinance of the town uh council of the town of Erie, repealing section one five five of the Erie Municipal Code and repealing and reenacting chapter seven, title one of the Erie Municipal Code, all regarding the town code of conduct and ethics.

2:30

Uh, these will be moved to a study session or a future uh meeting.

2:33

Uh do we have a motion to approve with that amendment?

2:36

So move.

2:37

Second.

2:38

All right, motion is second.

2:39

All in favor, say aye.

2:42

Aye.

2:42

All opposed, say no.

2:44

All right, we have an agenda.

2:46

We have quite a few items on the consent agenda tonight.

2:49

So bear with me.

2:50

Uh the first one is 25142, approval the October 14th, 2025 town council meeting minutes.

2:57

Item 25013, the law enforcement records personnel appreciation week.

3:02

Uh the proclamation sponsor is Councilmember Emily Baird.

3:06

Item 25464, an ordinance of the town council town of Erie affirming the town's existing permitting review process for electric vehicle charging permit applications and opting out of the adoption of the additional printing permitting requirements in accordance with House Bill 241173.

3:23

Item 25514, an ordinance of town council of the town of Erie accepting the transfer of rural property from HT Flat Iron LP to the town and approving the associated special warranty deed.

3:34

Item 25550, a resolution of the town council of town and ery in support of a grant application for funding the Colorado Parks and Wildlife Construction of Reach 2 of the Colorado Col Creek Trail and committing matching funds for the grant.

3:46

Item 2555, a resolution of the town council of town of Erie approving a funding agreement with Excel Energy for Design and Relocation of a gas line at County Line Road in Austin Avenue.

3:57

Item 25541, a resolution of the town council of the town of Erie approving the 25 funding agreement with the regional transportation district for the town of Erie Metro Transit Pilot Program.

4:08

Item 25439, a resolution of the town council of town area approving the first amendment to the agreement for professional services with D2C architects for design and engineering services for the Erie Police Department EPD expansion and remodel project.

4:23

Item 25524, a resolution of the town council of the town area approving the first amendment to the construction manager at risk contract with France and Pittman Construction for the Erie Police Department expansion and remodel.

4:35

And the last item on the consent agenda is 25543, a resolution of the town council of the town of Erie approving the CMAR contract for North Water Treatment Facility.

4:48

Move to approve.

4:55

All in favor say aye.

4:57

Aye.

4:58

All opposed say no.

5:00

All right, we'll move right into public comment tonight.

5:04

And do we have anybody signed up to speak?

5:07

We do.

5:08

All right.

5:08

Let me just uh set the uh set the um rules uh for public comment.

5:15

Um please remember the public comment is not an interactive question and answer forum, but rather a time for you to state your comments on a particular item or issue.

5:23

Public comment provides the opportunity to discuss items that are not public hearings.

5:27

Please sign up using the kiosk in the lobby.

5:30

If you have a handout, please give it to the town clerk to the left.

5:33

Uh they will distribute it to the council included in the meeting record.

5:36

When called upon, please state your full name and location for record.

5:40

Uh the public comment is limited to three minutes per person.

5:43

You'll be given a 20-second warning when you're at three minutes or almost up.

5:46

At the three-minute mark, you will be asked to wrap up your final sentence.

5:50

Um, all opinions are welcome.

5:52

Please be respectful of each speaker, and to ensure everyone feels welcome to share their comments.

5:56

Please refrain, refrain from cheering, clapping, booing, or otherwise disruptive behavior.

6:02

All right, who's our first speaker tonight?

6:04

Uh first speaker is Micah Frank.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Fire Safety██████████████████████████████████████38%
Affordable Housing██████████████████18%
Budget Equity Analysis███████████11%
Public Safety██████████10%
Procedural████4%
Building Permits████4%
Public Engagement███3%
Community Engagement███3%
Planning And Development██2%
Summary of Proceedings

Town of Erie Council Meeting October 28, 2025

The Town of Erie held its regular council meeting on October 28, 2025, to approve the consent calendar,听取 public testimony, and hold two public hearings regarding the 2026 proposed budget and a code amendment to remove mandatory fire sprinkler requirements. Following extensive debate on housing affordability versus life safety, the council voted to continue the fire sprinkler public hearing for further deliberation on a "choice" option.

Consent Calendar

  • Approved minutes from the October 14, 2025 meeting.
  • Adopted a proclamation for Law Enforcement Records Personnel Appreciation Week (Sponsor: Councilmember Baird).
  • Affirmed existing permitting review for EV charging and opted out of specific HPB 24-1173 printing requirements.
  • Accepted a rural property transfer from HT Flat Iron LP.
  • Approved a grant application support for Colorado Parks and Wildlife Reach 2 of Col Creek Trail.
  • Approved funding agreements with Excel Energy (gas line) and Regional Transportation District (Metro Transit Pilot Program).
  • Approved first amendments to D2C Architects and France and Pittman Construction contracts for the Police Department expansion.
  • Approved the CMAR contract for the North Water Treatment Facility.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • Micah Frank: Expressed passionate support for a community-sourced design contest to create an official town flag to foster Erie's identity.
  • Sam Fogelman: Expressed strong opposition to existing surveillance infrastructure (specifically "Flock" camera systems), characterizing them as a tool for authoritarian control and requesting a resolution to dismantle them.

Discussion Items

  • 2026 Proposed Budget: Finance Director Sarah Hancock and Budget Manager Cassie Bethun presented the budget, noting a $4.2 million reduction in costs, a freeze on the Affordable Housing Manager position (noting it could be reactivated via supplemental), and significant capital projects including water storage and the police expansion. Staff noted that fund balance figures on preliminary slides were corrected in subsequent slides.
  • Fire Sprinkler Ordinance: A public hearing was held to repeal the requirement for automatic fire sprinklers in single-family detached and attached homes.
    • Supporters (Builders/Residents): Multiple speakers, including representatives from DRB Homes, Toll Brothers, Lenar Homes, and the Home Builders Association, expressed strong support for repeal. They argued the mandate adds approximately $10,000 to $15,000 per home, undermining affordability, citing a 42% drop in building permits, and stating builders are unlikely to pass savings to buyers without a mandate change.
    • Opponents (Fire Safety Professionals/Residents): Representatives from the National Fire Sprinkler Association, Mountain View Fire Protection District, and individual fire contractors argued strongly against repeal. They stated sprinklers reduce fire death rates by 87-90%, control fires before firefighters arrive, and are a critical life safety investment, particularly against modern lightweight construction and EV fires. They expressed concern that the market may not lower prices if the mandate is removed.
  • Council Deliberation: Council members debated the balance of cost vs. safety. Some members expressed concerns about water damage from accidental sprinkler discharge and the lack of market guarantees that removing the requirement would lower home prices. Others emphasized that safety should be a default requirement. Mayor Moore and Pro Tem Bell advocated for the council to explore a "choice" option for homebuyers, while Legal staff and Public Works noted significant logistical and code complexities (e.g., water line sizing, fire hydrant spacing) associated with implementing a choice-based system.

Key Outcomes

  • 2026 Budget Hearing: The first reading of the 2026 budget is set for the next public hearing on November 18, 2025. The mill levy certification is scheduled for December 2025.
  • Canon Key Creek Plat: The preliminary plat hearing for Canon Key Creek Filing 11 was continued to January 27, 2026, at the applicant's request.
  • Fire Sprinkler Ordinance Hearing: The public hearing on the ordinance to remove automatic sprinkler requirements (Item 25485) was continued to March 24, 2026. The council voted unanimously to delay action to allow staff and the mayor to further investigate the feasibility of a "choice" option and its impact on existing infrastructure and approved plats.

Meeting Transcript

Good evening, everyone. I'm gonna call to order the town council meeting on October 28, 2025. Will you please rise and join me in the Pledge of Allegiance? I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States and one nation under uh individual liberty and justice. All right, well, the town clerk please take roll council member Hoback. Here uh Councilmember uh Pastor Morelli, present council member O'Connor. Here council member Mortalero. Here council member Baer present. Uh Mayor Moore. Here. And Mayor Pro Tem Bell. Here. Uh Mayor, you have quorum. All right. I'm gonna see if there's an approval for the agenda after I remove um item 25565, which is a resolution of the town council of the town of Erie, adopting amended town council rules of order and meeting procedures, and item 25566, an ordinance of the town uh council of the town of Erie, repealing section one five five of the Erie Municipal Code and repealing and reenacting chapter seven, title one of the Erie Municipal Code, all regarding the town code of conduct and ethics. Uh, these will be moved to a study session or a future uh meeting. Uh do we have a motion to approve with that amendment? So move. Second. All right, motion is second. All in favor, say aye. Aye. All opposed, say no. All right, we have an agenda. We have quite a few items on the consent agenda tonight. So bear with me. Uh the first one is 25142, approval the October 14th, 2025 town council meeting minutes. Item 25013, the law enforcement records personnel appreciation week. Uh the proclamation sponsor is Councilmember Emily Baird. Item 25464, an ordinance of the town council town of Erie affirming the town's existing permitting review process for electric vehicle charging permit applications and opting out of the adoption of the additional printing permitting requirements in accordance with House Bill 241173. Item 25514, an ordinance of town council of the town of Erie accepting the transfer of rural property from HT Flat Iron LP to the town and approving the associated special warranty deed. Item 25550, a resolution of the town council of town and ery in support of a grant application for funding the Colorado Parks and Wildlife Construction of Reach 2 of the Colorado Col Creek Trail and committing matching funds for the grant. Item 2555, a resolution of the town council of town of Erie approving a funding agreement with Excel Energy for Design and Relocation of a gas line at County Line Road in Austin Avenue. Item 25541, a resolution of the town council of the town of Erie approving the 25 funding agreement with the regional transportation district for the town of Erie Metro Transit Pilot Program. Item 25439, a resolution of the town council of town area approving the first amendment to the agreement for professional services with D2C architects for design and engineering services for the Erie Police Department EPD expansion and remodel project. Item 25524, a resolution of the town council of the town area approving the first amendment to the construction manager at risk contract with France and Pittman Construction for the Erie Police Department expansion and remodel. And the last item on the consent agenda is 25543, a resolution of the town council of the town of Erie approving the CMAR contract for North Water Treatment Facility. Move to approve. All in favor say aye. Aye. All opposed say no. All right, we'll move right into public comment tonight. And do we have anybody signed up to speak? We do. All right. Let me just uh set the uh set the um rules uh for public comment. Um please remember the public comment is not an interactive question and answer forum, but rather a time for you to state your comments on a particular item or issue. Public comment provides the opportunity to discuss items that are not public hearings. Please sign up using the kiosk in the lobby. If you have a handout, please give it to the town clerk to the left.

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