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Record of Proceedings

Grand Junction City Council Workshop – December 1, 2025

City Council — Monday, December 1, 2025
BodyGrand Junction, Colorado
SessionCity Council
DateMonday, December 1, 2025
StatusFILED
Video Record
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Speaker numbers apply only to this recording.

Speaker 1

1:14

It is 5 30 on Monday, December 1st, 2025.

Unassigned speaker

1:20

So I'll call this Grand Ocean City Council workshop meeting to order.

Unassigned speaker

1:26

And we

Speaker 2

1:26

will uh dive into our discussion topics.

1:29

Um, and our first on the agenda this evening is over the Grand Valley funding request, and I'll let you uh do this up for us, Mike.

Unassigned speaker

1:37

Yeah,

Speaker 3

1:37

thank you, Mayor, members of council.

1:39

Uh tonight uh we've uh we've we've discussed during reports and actions along the way.

1:45

We've had a lot of discussions with homework bound of the Grand Valley related to

Unassigned speaker

1:50

the

Speaker 3

1:51

upcoming closure of North Avenue uh shelter and and also just the the funding scenarios that they're in for both athletes and the Avenue Shelter, the two shelters that they

Unassigned speaker

2:02

run

Speaker 3

2:02

tonight.

2:03

Um we we do have

Unassigned speaker

2:05

um

Speaker 3

2:06

the interim executive director Dan Princer ready to do a presentation that's uh queued up on the screen here, and uh we'll invite him up to the table if you'd like to come up and walk through the presentation, and we also have

Unassigned speaker

2:24

um

Speaker 3

2:25

Britney Bear shoots the vice chair now.

Speaker 4

2:28

Oh fair now,

Speaker 5

2:29

yeah.

2:31

And uh

Speaker 4

2:33

um

Speaker 5

2:34

print out handouts if that's easier.

Speaker 1

2:38

Just

Speaker 5

2:38

don't read ahead.

2:42

The uh yeah, so for those I can pull up to oh sorry, just for the audience, we can hear you here, but okay,

Speaker 2

2:52

all my

Speaker 5

2:52

audience.

2:53

Um yes, thank you very much for the uh opportunity to

Unassigned speaker

2:57

uh

Speaker 5

2:57

present this evening, and um on behalf of the board, I want to thank uh the city

Unassigned speaker

3:03

or

Speaker 5

3:03

pass support

Unassigned speaker

3:04

for helping out.

Speaker 5

3:06

I think it's an important force

Unassigned speaker

3:10

uh

Speaker 5

3:10

source of funding, and

Unassigned speaker

3:12

uh

Speaker 5

3:13

hopefully with these uh with this presentation, we'll be able to answer questions that you have.

3:17

So um so if uh we switch to the oh, we get to control it.

3:26

Um

Speaker 3

3:27

I I apologize, can I real quick?

3:29

Um, just in case anybody's here from the public or watching virtually, we did have a change to the agenda today.

3:35

We did note it on the city's website and on the agenda by museums of Western Colorado.

Unassigned speaker

3:41

Um

Speaker 3

3:42

they they were actually it was always originally supposed to be on December 15th, and uh we accidentally put that on on tonight's agenda, so we confirm that with them, though it'll be on our next workshop.

Unassigned speaker

3:54

Uh

Speaker 3

3:54

so we noted that on the website, but in case anybody was here for that, we just want

Unassigned speaker

3:59

we

Speaker 3

3:59

don't want anybody to be waiting for an item that won't

Unassigned speaker

4:01

happen.

Unassigned speaker

4:03

So

Speaker 3

4:03

sorry about the interruption.

4:05

Thanks, Mike.

Speaker 5

4:07

Yeah, I just wanted to make sure that uh people are aware that Homerbound actually operates two shelters.

4:12

Uh we have the shelter on North Avenue.

4:15

There's been a lot of focus on that because of the temporary closures that we had to implement during our

Unassigned speaker

4:20

uh

Speaker 5

4:20

planning challenge.

4:21

Uh, but we also operate pathways, which is predominantly for families and individuals.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Homelessness█████████████████████████████████████████████72%
Community Engagement███████████18%
Fiscal Sustainability███4%
Procedural██3%
Budget Equity Analysis██3%
Summary of Proceedings

Grand Junction City Council Workshop – December 1, 2025

The Grand Junction City Council held a workshop on December 1, 2025, at 5:30 PM in the Fire Department Training Room. The meeting addressed HomewardBound of the Grand Valley's funding request, reviewed civic proclamations, and discussed the 2025-2026 Legislative Policy. The workshop was adjourned at 7:19 PM.

HomewardBound of the Grand Valley Funding Request

  • Interim Executive Director Dan Prinster and Board Chair Brittany Bear presented the organization's financial situation and strategic plan.
  • North Avenue Shelter: licensed for 150 beds but operating at 90 due to staffing and safety concerns; monthly cost $60,000.
  • Pathways Shelter: licensed for 134 beds, operating at 100; monthly cost $80,000.
  • Current combined budget was $2.3M; new lean target is $1.5M.
  • A community campaign raised $150,000 for North Avenue (October–December); Pathways still needs $40,000 for December.
  • The total fundraising gap through February 2026 is approximately $300,000.
  • HomewardBound plans to consolidate both shelters into the Pathways facility by February 27, 2026, creating a 100-bed shelter with improved case management and length-of-stay enforcement.
  • Council expressed broad support for the strategic pivot but voiced concern about winter shelter availability and downstream community impacts.
  • Decision: Council directed staff to release the remaining 2025 city funds (approximately $185,000) to HomewardBound for discretionary use, likely prioritizing Pathways. Mesa County has tentatively earmarked $30,000 for early 2026 support.
  • Council will revisit additional funding in early 2026 and encouraged regional coordination with Mesa County and other municipalities.

Museums of Western Colorado

  • This item was originally listed on the agenda but was postponed to the next workshop on December 15, 2025, as confirmed by city staff.

Proclamation Review

  • The Council reviewed the standard list of recurring civic proclamations. No objections or changes were raised.

City Council 2025–2026 Legislative Policy

  • Assistant City Manager Johnny McFarland presented the policy, which establishes roles for legislative tracking, advocacy, and communication.
  • Council reaffirmed alignment with Colorado Municipal League (CML) positions and retained the ability to take independent positions.
  • Staff will provide weekly legislative updates during the session; Council will improve communication through workshops.

Council Communication

  • Councilmembers expressed support for regional planning discussions on homelessness with Mesa County and other municipalities.
  • Council suggested organizing an appreciation event for outgoing City Attorney John Shaver.

Next Workshop Topics

  • City Manager Bennett outlined upcoming topics: Museums of Western Colorado (December 15), Colorado Mesa University update, and Parks Fee Discussion (tentative).

Key Outcomes

  • Released ~$185,000 in 2025 city funds to HomewardBound of the Grand Valley.
  • County support of $30,000 tentatively expected for early 2026.
  • No changes to the proclamation list.
  • Legislative policy reaffirmed without amendments.
  • Museums discussion deferred to December 15, 2025.
  • Council to consider additional HomewardBound funding in early 2026.

Meeting Transcript

It is 5 30 on Monday, December 1st, 2025. So I'll call this Grand Ocean City Council workshop meeting to order. And we will uh dive into our discussion topics. Um, and our first on the agenda this evening is over the Grand Valley funding request, and I'll let you uh do this up for us, Mike. Yeah, thank you, Mayor, members of council. Uh tonight uh we've uh we've we've discussed during reports and actions along the way. We've had a lot of discussions with homework bound of the Grand Valley related to the upcoming closure of North Avenue uh shelter and and also just the the funding scenarios that they're in for both athletes and the Avenue Shelter, the two shelters that they run tonight. Um we we do have um the interim executive director Dan Princer ready to do a presentation that's uh queued up on the screen here, and uh we'll invite him up to the table if you'd like to come up and walk through the presentation, and we also have um Britney Bear shoots the vice chair now. Oh fair now, yeah. And uh um print out handouts if that's easier. Just don't read ahead. The uh yeah, so for those I can pull up to oh sorry, just for the audience, we can hear you here, but okay, all my audience. Um yes, thank you very much for the uh opportunity to uh present this evening, and um on behalf of the board, I want to thank uh the city or pass support for helping out. I think it's an important force uh source of funding, and uh hopefully with these uh with this presentation, we'll be able to answer questions that you have. So um so if uh we switch to the oh, we get to control it. Um I I apologize, can I real quick? Um, just in case anybody's here from the public or watching virtually, we did have a change to the agenda today. We did note it on the city's website and on the agenda by museums of Western Colorado. Um they they were actually it was always originally supposed to be on December 15th, and uh we accidentally put that on on tonight's agenda, so we confirm that with them, though it'll be on our next workshop. Uh so we noted that on the website, but in case anybody was here for that, we just want we don't want anybody to be waiting for an item that won't

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