OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

State of the Town Address by Mayor Moore - Erie, CO - April 3, 2026

Town Council — Friday, April 3, 2026
BodyErie, Colorado
SessionTown Council
DateFriday, April 3, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 2:03:38

Transcript — Verbatim
0:05

Yeah, B, please, thank you.

0:07

Shall we she'll help collect them and consolidate them?

0:10

I also have a bunch of questions that hopefully many of you sent in, and so I'll try to get through all of those as well.

0:16

Um, and then time permitting, I'll take live questions uh both online.

0:21

We have the stream in virtually as well, um, and here.

0:24

So we'll do our best.

0:26

I think in a right around eight, we'll probably cut it off.

0:29

I don't want this to go on and on and on, um, but hopefully, we'll get through most of the questions and certainly the most important questions as we go.

0:36

So I'll get started here in just a couple minutes.

4:01

First, I just want to say thank you.

4:03

Uh, thank you for taking your time to come out and uh go on a journey with me.

4:08

Um, I'm gonna take a little bit of time, probably thirty to forty-five minutes to go through a set of slides that um will hit on many, many topics.

4:17

Um, I have a lot of questions that came in to me via email.

4:21

Um, and I'm gonna try to hit many of those as we go on the journey, but I know I won't hit all of your questions.

4:26

So if you do have a question, write it down.

4:29

I think Gabby's got the question box over in front of her.

4:31

You can just drop it in there.

4:33

Or um, time permitting, I will do my best to take live questions both here and on the virtual feed.

4:41

All right, with that, um, let's uh let's start the conversation.

4:49

Right.

4:49

First off, twenty twenty-five.

4:52

This is the first year that we are governing under home rule.

4:56

And that changed the way uh the your elected officials are elected.

5:01

All of the council members are representing three different districts, two different council members for each one.

5:09

They run in their district.

5:12

So, unlike Boulder Valley School District, for example, they have districts, but they run at large across the entire district.

5:18

In Erie, they're in districts, but they're elected in their district.

5:22

So I as the mayor, I'm elected across the entire town of Erie.

5:28

And so the good news for this is that you get two representatives.

5:32

So if you live in a certain area and you have a challenge, a problem, a question, you've got two elected officials that you can uh talk to, or of course myself, uh, which many people do.

5:43

Actually, I'm wondering if how many of our council members are here.

5:47

I've seen at least a few.

5:48

If you'll raise your hands, so councilmember Bears in the back, council member O'Connor is right here in the middle, council member is up front.

5:56

So I appreciate you being here and um being part of the conversation tonight.

6:03

All right, growth.

6:04

Um, one of the biggest topics, um, certainly when I was campaigning and people were talking with me, and then when I got in the seat and started to really learn what was happening this moment, growth, growth, growth.

6:15

Some of you may recall that we were in the national news because we were one of the fastest growing uh communities in the nation.

6:24

We were 15th.

6:25

Um, that growth has slowed as we went into uh 2024.

6:30

Um our growth rate was 4.3%, which means on the graph, we grew about 1,800 people, um, but we're right around 42,000 people in Erie.

6:43

To put that into perspective, we are right now, if you looked at our comp plan about halfway done.

6:51

And I always like to say that because there's always this constant tension between the small town feeling, and how do we preserve that small town feeling and still grow?

7:03

And that is something that all of us as elected officials are struggling with.

7:07

Um, but I'll come back to that small town feeling.

7:09

We can have a deeper discussion on that as we we go a little bit further here.

7:15

All right, 21 new businesses came in last year.

7:19

So I'm just gonna pause on the slide and let you absorb the logos and who's come in because sometimes it feels like where's the businesses?

7:26

There's lots of homes.

7:28

Uh but you could see that Erie is now hit what I'll call some level of critical mass where businesses want to be here.

7:35

And they're coming in.

7:36

I joke that Chick-fil-A makes more money than uh our grocery stores.

7:40

That may not entirely be true, but they're making a lot of money and we get the tax revenue, at least half the tax revenue.

7:47

Um nine mile, we share tax revenue with Lafayette.

7:52

Um they are supposed to share revenue with us once the corner across 287 is developed.

8:00

Um we're having discussions right now on whether our money going out is in the spirit of the IGA.

8:07

Not that anything's gonna change, but at least council is aware uh that they have not developed in the same timeline that uh I think Erie had anticipated uh them developing.

8:16

We'll cross the over a million dollars a year mark of going out to Lafayette at this point.

8:23

Um, hold on.

8:25

I have another these were last year, but this year already we have a few other uh new businesses that have moved in in 2026.

8:34

Edward Jones, mindful yoga and wellness, uh Move Lab Physical Therapy, which I believe is in the Aloe Building, and Mountain Kids Erie, which uh I think is gymnastics and climbing.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Oil And Gas Regulation█████████████████17%
Affordable Housing███████████11%
Water And Wastewater Management██████████10%
Transportation Safety█████████9%
Procedural███████7%
Planning And Development██████6%
Parks and Recreation██████6%
Fiscal Sustainability██████6%
Public Safety█████5%
Summary of Proceedings

State of the Town Address by Mayor Moore - Erie, CO - April 3, 2026

Mayor Moore presented a comprehensive update on Erie's growth, finances, water, oil and gas, parks, housing, and other municipal issues, followed by an extended question-and-answer session with residents both in person and online. The meeting lasted approximately 2 hours 45 minutes.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • A resident questioned why the town continues to grow if water is a concern, expressing frustration with rising taxes and fixed incomes.
  • A resident who has lived in Erie for 60 years raised concerns about wells running dry and the impact of development on water resources.
  • A resident asked about water being used for fracking and whether it contributes to well depletion.
  • A resident expressed concerns about using ARPA funds for any religious-affiliated projects on the Page property, noting potential legal restrictions.
  • A resident asked why council members were not informed earlier about discussions with St. Scholastica regarding a land swap, and suggested putting the Page property decision to a public vote.
  • A representative of St. Scholastica offered to read a statement from Father Weito but was asked to submit it in writing instead.
  • A resident from Westerly expressed skepticism about the Draco well site mitigation measures, citing past spills and the town's limited enforcement power.
  • A resident asked about mechanisms for a public vote to stop the Draco well pad, expressing that the town government is not listening to residents.
  • A resident asked about the town's contract with Flock surveillance cameras and potential ICE collaboration; the police chief clarified data is not shared with ICE.
  • A resident criticized the idea of adding a parking lot on the Page property for downtown overflow, noting existing underused parking.
  • Multiple online and in-person questions covered parking, airport noise, school support, fiscal responsibility, housing, and the Cheeseman Street affordable housing project.

Discussion Items

  • Growth & Economy: Erie grew 4.3% in 2024 to ~42,000 people, adding 1,800 residents. 21 new businesses opened in 2025, with more in 2026. The town is halfway to its comprehensive plan buildout. Mayor noted the challenge of preserving small-town feel while growing.
  • Parks & Recreation: Compass and Morgan Hill parks will break ground fall 2026. Schofield Farms Open Space under construction. Erie B on-demand shuttle launches April 21 (Arbor Day). Pump track national qualifier returning May 9.
  • Town Center: The site is undermined (coal mines), requiring ~$5 million to fix. A certificate of participation (COP) bundled funding for town center undermining remediation, police station, and rec center expansion. No signed contract yet for small-format grocer.
  • Wells & Cattell Development: Mixed-use project in Old Town with restaurant, ice cream shop, bakery. Uses TIF financing.
  • Capital Improvement Funding: Graph shows declining capital funds. Annual street paving costs $4.5 million. Mayor stressed need for new revenue sources.
  • Comprehensive Plan Update: Tweaks to add a lower-medium density designation to allow townhomes. Unified Development Code update needed.
  • Water: Emergency alert sent due to unseasonably hot weather and high water use. Stage 1 drought likely with two-day watering restrictions. Primary source is Colorado-Big Thompson (Lake Granby). Windy Gap water rights owned but no storage. Chimney Hollow Dam filling delayed due to uranium, now over 6 years. NISP (Glade Reservoir) feasibility study ongoing, cost concerns. Mayor stated no water shortage for existing residents.
  • Page Property: Purchased with open space and ARPA funds. Council discussing options: affordable housing (Village of Coal Creek), open space, or swap with St. Scholastica for land near wastewater plant with church (500-1000 seats) and Catholic Charities affordable housing. No decisions made. Mayor stated pre-application only for feasibility. Public discussion set for May 12.
  • Draco Well Site (Oil & Gas): 26 wells approved by ECMC in Weld County, near Erie. Mayor stated the town cannot stop it; focus is on safety and compensation. Mitigations include condensed occupancy agreement with Westerly, additional air quality monitoring (town-operated), paving County Road 6, plugging 22 wells, thermal imaging cameras. Consultant Alameda Minerals (former Civitas COO) hired on contingency – no payment unless deal is reached. 80 acres of town minerals already leased, ~$4 million expected. Public hearing tentatively April 21. Mayor emphasized no backroom deal; he does not own oil/gas stocks.
  • Airport: Subsidized $168,000 from general fund. Capital projects funded by FAA grants (90%). Noise abatement procedures voluntary. Unblended fuel transition by 2030. Flight business park expanding with 175,000 sq ft of flex space.
  • Affordable Housing: Cheeseman Street project (35 units) has 14 sold, 6 reserved, 15 unsold – subsidized $93,000 per unit (town contribution ~$4,000/unit). Mayor questioned if target market was right. Land costs high in Erie; exploring models like Blue Line in Frederick.
  • Schools: St. Vrain Valley School District planning second high school; Boulder Valley School District not committing to new school in Parkdale due to declining enrollment. Metalark K-8 overcrowded with portables.
  • ICE & Public Safety: Mayor committed to a safety/inclusivity proclamation. Police chief stated Erie PD does not assist ICE or share Flock data.

Key Outcomes

  • Upcoming Public Hearings: Draco well site compensation agreement – April 21, 2026; Page property land use direction – May 12, 2026 council study session.
  • Ballot Measures: Council considering sales tax increase for rec center expansion/remodel and lodging tax for potential hotel. Survey underway to gauge public appetite.
  • Town Manager Recruitment: RFP issued for consulting firm; national search underway.
  • Erie B Shuttle: Launch date set for April 21 (Arbor Day), running for two years as a pilot.
  • Council Split on Page Property: No direction given; public input favors open space. Mayor noted council is divided between affordable housing and open space.
  • Fiscal Responsibility: Budget process for 2027 begins in months; public hearing opportunities will be available.

Meeting Transcript

Yeah, B, please, thank you. Shall we she'll help collect them and consolidate them? I also have a bunch of questions that hopefully many of you sent in, and so I'll try to get through all of those as well. Um, and then time permitting, I'll take live questions uh both online. We have the stream in virtually as well, um, and here. So we'll do our best. I think in a right around eight, we'll probably cut it off. I don't want this to go on and on and on, um, but hopefully, we'll get through most of the questions and certainly the most important questions as we go. So I'll get started here in just a couple minutes. First, I just want to say thank you. Uh, thank you for taking your time to come out and uh go on a journey with me. Um, I'm gonna take a little bit of time, probably thirty to forty-five minutes to go through a set of slides that um will hit on many, many topics. Um, I have a lot of questions that came in to me via email. Um, and I'm gonna try to hit many of those as we go on the journey, but I know I won't hit all of your questions. So if you do have a question, write it down. I think Gabby's got the question box over in front of her. You can just drop it in there. Or um, time permitting, I will do my best to take live questions both here and on the virtual feed. All right, with that, um, let's uh let's start the conversation. Right. First off, twenty twenty-five. This is the first year that we are governing under home rule. And that changed the way uh the your elected officials are elected. All of the council members are representing three different districts, two different council members for each one. They run in their district. So, unlike Boulder Valley School District, for example, they have districts, but they run at large across the entire district. In Erie, they're in districts, but they're elected in their district. So I as the mayor, I'm elected across the entire town of Erie. And so the good news for this is that you get two representatives. So if you live in a certain area and you have a challenge, a problem, a question, you've got two elected officials that you can uh talk to, or of course myself, uh, which many people do. Actually, I'm wondering if how many of our council members are here. I've seen at least a few. If you'll raise your hands, so councilmember Bears in the back, council member O'Connor is right here in the middle, council member is up front. So I appreciate you being here and um being part of the conversation tonight. All right, growth. Um, one of the biggest topics, um, certainly when I was campaigning and people were talking with me, and then when I got in the seat and started to really learn what was happening this moment, growth, growth, growth. Some of you may recall that we were in the national news because we were one of the fastest growing uh communities in the nation. We were 15th. Um, that growth has slowed as we went into uh 2024. Um our growth rate was 4.3%, which means on the graph, we grew about 1,800 people, um, but we're right around 42,000 people in Erie. To put that into perspective, we are right now, if you looked at our comp plan about halfway done. And I always like to say that because there's always this constant tension between the small town feeling, and how do we preserve that small town feeling and still grow? And that is something that all of us as elected officials are struggling with. Um, but I'll come back to that small town feeling. We can have a deeper discussion on that as we we go a little bit further here. All right, 21 new businesses came in last year. So I'm just gonna pause on the slide and let you absorb the logos and who's come in because sometimes it feels like where's the businesses? There's lots of homes. Uh but you could see that Erie is now hit what I'll call some level of critical mass where businesses want to be here. And they're coming in.

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