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Record of Proceedings

Erie Town Council Meeting: February 10, 2026 - Sign Ordinance, Public Comment, Town Manager Evaluation

Town Council — Tuesday, February 10, 2026
BodyErie, Colorado
SessionTown Council
DateTuesday, February 10, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 2:19:04

Transcript — Verbatim
2:32

And a call to order the town council meeting on February 10th, twenty twenty-six.

2:36

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

2:49

Under God, indivisible with liberty and justice or all.

2:58

Okay.

3:05

Councilmember Mortalero.

3:07

Here.

3:08

Councilmember O'Connor.

3:10

Present.

3:10

Councilmember Hoback?

3:12

Here.

3:13

Councilmember Passamarelli.

3:15

Present.

3:16

Mayor Pro Tem Bell.

3:18

Here.

3:18

Councilmember Bear.

3:20

Present.

3:20

And Mayor Moore.

3:21

Here.

3:22

Mary Am Corn.

3:23

All right.

3:23

Thank you.

3:24

Uh, before I ask for approval of the agenda, there's two items on the consent agenda.

3:28

Uh that I'm going to adjust.

3:30

The first one is item twenty twenty-six sixty-five, the Black History Month twenty twenty-six proclamation.

3:36

We're going to move that on to general business.

3:38

And the second item is item twenty twenty-six six sixty-three, a resolution of the town council, the town of Erie, uh, to purchase modules and lamp upgrades from ch Trojan technologies for the North Water Reclamation Facility.

3:53

Uh, that second one is getting pulled, and it'll it will come back to us on another agenda.

3:58

Uh so with those two changes, uh, do I have a motion to approve the consent agenda?

4:03

So move.

4:04

Second.

4:05

All right.

4:06

All in favor, say aye.

4:07

Aye.

4:08

Aye.

4:08

All opposed, say no.

4:10

Okay, motion carries.

4:12

We have uh consent agenda.

4:13

We have an agenda.

4:14

Um, I'll go through the uh consent agenda items now.

4:17

Uh the first item is uh twenty twenty-six one fifteen, approval of the January twenty twenty twenty-six town council special meeting minutes.

4:25

The next item is twenty twenty-six one fourteen approval of the January twenty-seventh twenty twenty-six town council meeting minutes.

4:32

Uh next item is twenty twenty-six twenty-one school resource officer appreciation day proclamation sponsored uh by council member um O'Connor and Pessar Amelli.

4:43

Uh next item is uh resolution uh twenty twenty-six eighty-five, a resolution of the town council of town of Erie approving a professional services agreement with Colab Architect uh for the feasibility study for a future recreation campus project.

5:00

Next item is 2026 102, a resolution of the town council of the town of Erie approving an amendment to the agreement for the professional services with Brothers Redevelopment Incorporated.

5:11

And the last item tonight is 20 uh 2696, an ordinance of the town council of the town of Erie organiz organizing the Erie Sports Business Improvement District, describing its boundaries and service areas, establishing the board of directors and approving the 2025 and 2026 operating plan and budget.

5:31

With that, I'll see if we have a motion to approve the consent agenda.

5:34

So moved.

5:35

Second.

5:36

All right, motion and second.

5:38

All in favor, say aye.

5:40

Aye.

5:40

Aye.

5:41

All opposed say no.

5:43

All right, consent agenda is approved.

5:46

We'll move on to uh public comment.

5:49

And we do have people that are going to um speak tonight.

5:54

So please 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.

6:04

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

6:09

So we do have a public hearing tonight.

6:10

So if you're here for that, there'll be another opportunity.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Personnel Matters████████████████████████████████32%
Municipal Governance████████████████16%
Public Engagement████████████12%
Building Permits███████████11%
Procedural██████████10%
Racial Equity███████7%
Engineering And Infrastructure████4%
Youth Programs███3%
Economic Development██2%
Summary of Proceedings

Erie Town Council Meeting: February 10, 2026 - Sign Ordinance, Public Comment, Town Manager Evaluation

On February 10, 2026, the Erie Town Council held a regular meeting that included approval of a consent agenda, public comments on immigration enforcement and childcare, adoption of a Black History Month proclamation, a public hearing and vote on sign code amendments, and a significant discussion regarding the town manager's performance and contract. The meeting concluded with a decision to schedule a follow-up discussion on the town manager's evaluation.

Consent Calendar

  • Approved the January 20, 2026 special meeting minutes and January 27, 2026 regular meeting minutes.
  • Approved a proclamation for School Resource Officer Appreciation Day (sponsored by Councilmembers O'Connor and Pessamelli).
  • Approved Resolution 2026-85, a professional services agreement with Colab Architect for a feasibility study for a future recreation campus.
  • Approved Resolution 2026-102, an amendment to the professional services agreement with Brothers Redevelopment Incorporated.
  • Approved Ordinance 2026-96, organizing the Erie Sports Business Improvement District, describing boundaries, establishing the board, and approving the 2025-2026 operating plan and budget.
  • Two items were removed from the consent agenda: the Black History Month proclamation (moved to general business) and a resolution to purchase modules and lamp upgrades from Trojan Technologies (pulled for future consideration).

Public Comments & Testimony

  • Shannon (Thornton resident, mother of a biracial child, transracial adoptee): Expressed fear for her safety and her daughter's safety due to the presence of an ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations office less than 10 miles from Erie. She described carrying citizenship documents, having a list of lawyers, and a plan for her daughter if she did not return. She criticized the town for not providing clear safety policies to families, saying they were directed to multiple individuals without answers. She urged the council to uphold the town's home rule charter pledge of equity and inclusion, and called for leadership and accountability. She yielded her time to Shannon after Laurel (first speaker) requested to yield.
  • Casey Hedrick (Erie resident, Executive Director of the Early Childhood Council of Boulder County): Stated that Erie is a childcare desert, with insufficient licensed slots to meet demand. She noted that many parents seek childcare in neighboring communities, causing logistical challenges. She urged the town to view childcare as essential infrastructure, suggesting incentives for developers to include childcare, streamlining zoning for providers, and partnering with her organization for regional solutions.

Discussion Items

  • Black History Month Proclamation (Item 2026-65): Councilmember Bear read the proclamation, celebrating Black History Month from February 1–28, 2026, with the theme "A Century of Black History Commemorations." The proclamation recognized the contributions of Black Americans and called for community observance. It was unanimously approved.
  • Sign Code Amendments (Ordinance 2026-97): Presented by Melinda Helmer (Business Operations Coordinator) and Matt Lloyd (Code Inspector). The amendments updated Section 10-6-12 of the municipal code to simplify language, increase temporary sign display from 30 to 120 days per calendar year (with a maximum of 30 consecutive days), exempt A-frame signs from permitting and the 30-day limit if on private property and not impeding pedestrian circulation, and added a definition for off-premise signage. The Planning Commission recommended adoption on January 21, 2026. Councilmember O'Connor proposed two amendments: (1) clarifying that A-frame/sandwich board signs shall not exceed six square feet per side and no more than two sides, and (2) changing maintenance language from "painted surfaces" to "display surfaces of all signs shall be kept the same condition as when the sign was installed and maintained original posting at all times." The second amendment was withdrawn after discussion, as staff explained that the original language ("good repair") was more enforceable. The first amendment was adopted by voice vote. The ordinance as amended was then approved.
  • Councilmember Reports and Announcements:
    • Councilmember Bear highlighted CDOT's tenure plan public comment period, the upcoming Erie B microtransit service (free, app-based, launching April/May), and Bike to Work Day on February 13 with a station at the ECC.
    • Mayor Pro Tem Bell announced an airport economic development advisory board meeting on February 12, and the Citizens Police Academy starting in March (Wednesdays, 6-9 PM, nine weeks). He also noted that Erie native Jacob Slavin is on the US Olympic hockey team.
    • Councilmember O'Connor reminded residents to water trees and shrubs due to dry conditions and mentioned a $100 cash card giveaway for Bike to Work Day pledges.
    • Councilmember Pessamelli offered resources and rights regarding ICE-related activities, saying he can conduct "know your rights" sessions.
  • Town Manager Evaluation and Contract Discussion: The council moved into executive session for negotiations and property matters, then returned to public session to discuss the town manager's performance at his request. Mayor Moore read a prepared statement concluding that it is "time for a change at the top" and advocating for a new leader with vision, communication, and engagement. He cited examples of leadership by omission, including lack of information on the Page property, the $19 million parks facility, Red Tail Ranch, ARPA funds, and exclusion of volunteers from a holiday party.
    • Councilmembers expressed varied positions:
      • Mayor Pro Tem Bell: Supported a change in leadership, noting the town faces challenges requiring a fresh perspective, but acknowledged Malcolm Fleming's public service and said he would be happy to continue working with him if the council decided otherwise.
      • Councilmember O'Connor: Said she needed time to review the 360 performance evaluation received that afternoon and was not ready to make a decision.
      • Councilmember Pessamelli: Disagreed with the mayor's approach, accusing the mayor of targeting the town manager and of degrading behavior (referencing a quote from the 360 review). He argued the mayor's conclusion was premature and that the council should evaluate based on measurable goals.
      • Councilmember Hoback: Stated that the mayor had a target on Malcolm's back and that the mayor did not have council support for this path. He criticized the process, noting the 360 was provided only hours before the meeting.
      • Councilmember Mortalero: Expressed lack of faith in the town manager's leadership, citing frustrations with information sharing on the Page property, the parks and rec campus, and Red Tail Ranch. He said he appreciated Fleming's service but felt it was time to move on.
      • Councilmember Bear: Defended the town manager, noting the 360 review was largely positive and pointing out that many council frustrations stem from council's own lack of consensus. She criticized the mayor's behavior, including alleged yelling, and said the process was inappropriate.
    • Mayor Moore responded, acknowledging he gets passionate and that he will schedule a future meeting to discuss the 360 review in detail.

Key Outcomes

  • Consent agenda approved as amended.
  • Black History Month proclamation approved unanimously.
  • Sign code amendments (Ordinance 2026-97) approved with the amendment clarifying sandwich board sign dimensions (6 sq ft per side, max two sides). The ordinance was passed by voice vote.
  • Town manager evaluation: No decision was made. The council agreed to schedule a date certain (likely the following Tuesday) to discuss the 360 performance evaluation and determine next steps. The mayor will work with the town manager and attorney on whether the discussion will be in executive session or public.

Meeting Transcript

And a call to order the town council meeting on February 10th, twenty twenty-six. Will you please rise and join me in the Pledge of Allegiance? Under God, indivisible with liberty and justice or all. Okay. Councilmember Mortalero. Here. Councilmember O'Connor. Present. Councilmember Hoback? Here. Councilmember Passamarelli. Present. Mayor Pro Tem Bell. Here. Councilmember Bear. Present. And Mayor Moore. Here. Mary Am Corn. All right. Thank you. Uh, before I ask for approval of the agenda, there's two items on the consent agenda. Uh that I'm going to adjust. The first one is item twenty twenty-six sixty-five, the Black History Month twenty twenty-six proclamation. We're going to move that on to general business. And the second item is item twenty twenty-six six sixty-three, a resolution of the town council, the town of Erie, uh, to purchase modules and lamp upgrades from ch Trojan technologies for the North Water Reclamation Facility. Uh, that second one is getting pulled, and it'll it will come back to us on another agenda. Uh so with those two changes, uh, do I have a motion to approve the consent agenda? So move. Second. All right. All in favor, say aye. Aye. Aye. All opposed, say no. Okay, motion carries. We have uh consent agenda. We have an agenda. Um, I'll go through the uh consent agenda items now. Uh the first item is uh twenty twenty-six one fifteen, approval of the January twenty twenty twenty-six town council special meeting minutes. The next item is twenty twenty-six one fourteen approval of the January twenty-seventh twenty twenty-six town council meeting minutes. Uh next item is twenty twenty-six twenty-one school resource officer appreciation day proclamation sponsored uh by council member um O'Connor and Pessar Amelli. Uh next item is uh resolution uh twenty twenty-six eighty-five, a resolution of the town council of town of Erie approving a professional services agreement with Colab Architect uh for the feasibility study for a future recreation campus project. Next item is 2026 102, a resolution of the town council of the town of Erie approving an amendment to the agreement for the professional services with Brothers Redevelopment Incorporated. And the last item tonight is 20 uh 2696, an ordinance of the town council of the town of Erie organiz organizing the Erie Sports Business Improvement District, describing its boundaries and service areas, establishing the board of directors and approving the 2025 and 2026 operating plan and budget. With that, I'll see if we have a motion to approve the consent agenda. So moved. Second. All right, motion and second. All in favor, say aye.

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