Grand Junction City Council Workshop - November 17, 2025

The Grand Junction City Council held a workshop on Monday, November 17, 2025, from 5:30 p.m. to 8:09 p.m. at the Fire Department Training Room, 625 Ute Avenue. All seven Councilmembers were present: Mayor Cody Kennedy and Councilmembers Robert Ballard, Scott Beilfuss, Laurel Lutz, Jason Nguyen, Anna Stout, and Ben Van Dyke. The meeting was live-streamed via GoToWebinar. As a workshop, no formal public comment period was held and no formal votes were taken; staff received direction on several upcoming actions.

Discussion Items

Depot Federal Grant Discussion

• The Depot Federal Grant Discussion was moved to the top of the agenda at the request of staff. Dustin Anzures of GJ Union Depot presented alongside Veronica Sanchez, explaining that the project has been in planning for 10 years and the City would need to act as the eligible applicant for a Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) grant, with the Depot as subrecipient.
• The grant opportunity comes from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, with a pool of just over $5 billion, an application deadline of January 7, and an 80/20 federal/local match. The project scope is approximately $6.342 million, consisting of about $5.073 million in federal funds and a $1.27 million local match. Anzures explained that an earlier $4.7 million estimate was adjusted upward to account for Build America, Buy America requirements and Davis-Bacon prevailing wage costs.
• Amtrak has a pre-lease agreement for three 20-year terms to return to the depot, has budgeted $6 million for Grand Junction platform improvements by 2029, and currently ranks Grand Junction sixth in revenue among 37 stations on the California Zephyr route.
• The project would rehabilitate the depot, add a restaurant, cocktail lounge, retail space, public social lounge, and track-side patio, and acquire about 0.8 acre across the street for surface parking. Funding raised to date includes more than $1 million in private investment, a $500,000 DDA Catalyst grant, over $130,000 in private donations through Friends of GJ Union Depot, and volunteer contributions from AmeriCorps teams totaling about 2,200 hours by December 12.
• An economic impact study commissioned through the Grand Junction Economic Partnership estimated a total impact of $38.1 million, with roughly $19 million recurring annually and $19 million occurring at the time of construction.
• Councilmembers broadly voiced support, describing the depot as a community asset that could improve downtown activation, safety, tourism, and long-term economic vitality. Mayor Kennedy noted the city was not being asked to put up cash, and Councilmember Stout said the public-private partnership format was one the city should be eager to participate in.
• Staff noted the federal grant carries administrative burdens and compliance risks, but safeguards such as an MOU, match verification, and cascading liability provisions would be included. Council directed staff to prepare a December resolution authorizing the City Manager to apply for the grant, to be considered at a regular City Council meeting.

Town Hall Update

• Communications and Engagement Manager Kelsey Coleman presented a debrief of the October 28 Town Hall, the first held under the Meet You There community engagement initiative and the first City Council town hall in recent memory.
• The town hall room had a capacity of 120, the RSVP was capped at 140, and 80 people attended in person. The city hosted its first Facebook Live since 2011, with about 30 live viewers and nearly 6,000 total views. More than 50 questions were submitted.
• Feedback was generally positive, especially about transparency, access to council, and informal conversation. Mixed feedback focused on the question format, space limitations and RSVP cap, having only one councilmember respond per question, the need for staff at the table for operational questions, and audio issues during the livestream.
• Councilmembers offered suggestions including topic-specific town halls, allowing multiple councilmember responses, adding informal social time before or after events, including staff moderators and subject-matter experts, improving livestream quality, and considering larger venues. Some councilmembers reported constituent feedback that answers sounded like beauty pageant answers and that council was not always equipped to answer operational questions.
• Staff recommended a cadence of two general town halls per year, one in the spring and one in the fall, plus additional topic-specific or site-specific engagements when needed. No formal decision was made, but council consensus supported continuing and refining the format.

Judicial Review Commission

• The Council revisited the structure and appointment process for the Municipal Court Judicial Review Commission.
• Councilmember Stout, drawing on her experience serving on the commission, recommended moving away from having active councilmembers serve in order to avoid perceived or actual bias, and instead having appointed citizens compile a report for the full Council to review.
• Councilmembers generally agreed with that approach. Councilmember Nguyen recommended a larger commission of five to seven members to avoid any two members dominating the process.
• Staff noted the ordinance allows between three and seven members, that terms are four years, and that the current commission includes one sitting councilmember and one former councilmember. The commission is appointed to review the municipal court judge, including docket management, communication skills, and delivery of court services.
• Council directed staff to conduct broad outreach rather than have councilmembers select reviewers, and to bring back appointment recommendations. Council also favored a larger commission of five to seven members, with findings reported to the full Council.

I-70/29 Road Interchange

• City Manager Mike Bennett and Engineering and Transportation Director Trent Prall provided an update on the I-70/29 Road Interchange. Prior councils and the Board of County Commissioners had directed staff to obtain state and federal clearance and return before issuing the final design Request for Proposals (RFP).
• Staff confirmed that concurrence from the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) has been obtained, and requested confirmation to proceed with issuing the RFP and initiating final design.
• Funding includes $2 million in Congressionally Directed Spending, with $220,000 in city matching funds and $220,000 in Mesa County matching funds, plus a pending $1 million application to the Rural and Tribal Lands grant program. If the pending grant is awarded, the project could reach 100% design for both the 29 Road improvements and the interchange; if not, the project would still reach 100% design for 29 Road improvements but only 30% design for the interchange.
• Staff emphasized that proceeding with design does not commit the city to building the interchange, that no interchange can be built without a new voter-approved funding source, and that design would help address existing congestion at 29 Road and Patterson Road, support multimodal needs such as sidewalks, a cycle track, and school access, and make the city more competitive for future state and federal construction grants.
• Trent Prall noted that final design would include phased options for the 29 Road corridor, with a three-lane section initially and the ability to widen later if needed. He also cited updated state demographic projections reducing the county's anticipated 2050 population from about 218,000 to about 188,000, and said the proposed design still works under the lower projections.
• Councilmember Jason Nguyen said he remains intensely skeptical of the interchange itself but supports moving forward with the design because it advances 29 Road improvements. Other councilmembers echoed that they were supporting the design phase, not construction. Councilmember Scott Beilfuss raised ongoing neighborhood concerns about noise, traffic inflow, and the perception that the failed ballot measure is being ignored.
• Staff confirmed they will proceed with issuing the design RFP in line with previous council direction unless the Council directed otherwise. No formal vote was taken.

Council Communication

• Councilmember Stout said she will attend the Colorado Water Conservation Board meeting in Denver regarding Shoshone water rights and may be late to or participate virtually in Wednesday’s council meeting.
• Museums of the West financial challenges continue; RFPs are underway and the City and Downtown Development Authority are assisting with feasibility studies, including a possible consolidation study.
• Mayor Kennedy reported a recent meeting with Homeward Bound leadership, noting that they intend to provide revised financial clarifications and future goals.

Next Workshop Topics

• City Manager Bennett outlined upcoming workshop topics, including a Museums of Western Colorado update on December 1, a possible Homeward Bound update, and the annual proclamation review for 2026.

Other Business

• Councilmembers made brief comments about meetings being held with Homeward Bound. No action was taken.

Key Outcomes

• Depot Federal Grant: Council directed staff to prepare a December resolution authorizing the City Manager to apply for the FRA grant, with the Depot as subrecipient and a grantee/subrecipient agreement to be completed if the grant is awarded.
• Town Hall: Council endorsed continuing the Meet You There initiative and refining future town halls with topic-specific formats, multiple councilmembers responding, staff experts available, social time before or after events, and improved livestream quality and venues.
• Judicial Review Commission: Council directed staff to conduct broad outreach and bring back appointment recommendations, with no active councilmembers serving, a preferred commission size of five to seven members, and findings reported to the full Council.
• I-70/29 Road Interchange: Staff will proceed with issuing the design RFP per previous council direction; the design phase does not commit the city to constructing the interchange, and construction would require a future voter-approved dedicated funding source.