Speaker numbers apply only to this recording.
The Grand Junction City Council held a workshop on Monday, June 1, 2026, beginning at 5:30 PM in the Fire Department Training Room. The meeting covered the draft 2026 Community Survey with a focus on Orchard Mesa Pool questions, a consultant request for the Housing Affordability Code Task Force, and a review of the standing Real Estate Committee. The workshop was adjourned at 7:40 PM.
Staff and representatives from RRC Associates presented the draft survey. Council discussed minor wording adjustments, statistical validity, and maintaining consistency with prior surveys. The primary focus was on the proposed questions regarding the future of the Orchard Mesa Pool.
Council deliberated on the framing of the questions and background information:
Key Outcomes:
Staff and Task Force representatives requested Council direction on hiring a consultant to assist with review and recommendations related to specific sections of the Transportation and Engineering Design Standards (TEDS) and the Land Development Code (Sections 2105, 2106, 2107, and 2109).
Reason for Consultant:
Task Force Progress: Staff reported completed work including ADA digital compliance revisions, making pre-application meetings voluntary, checklist improvements, pedestrian access and connection updates, and clarification of code citation requirements.
Key Outcomes:
Councilmembers Lutz and Nguyen emphasized that direct cost savings per housing unit should not be expected from code changes, as housing prices are market-driven. Councilmember Stout inquired about cost ranges and stressed the importance of Council approving the contract. Councilmember Van Dyke raised questions regarding consultant alignment with the city versus the task force.
Council revisited the purpose and necessity of the standing Real Estate Committee.
Discussion Points:
Councilmember Kennedy cited the Calback Gardens situation as an example where having a few more voices and perspectives would have been beneficial.
Key Outcome:
City Attorney Recruitment: Deputy City Manager Bullen reported that staff completed the selection process for the search firm. 19 applications were received, the top 4 were interviewed, and a firm has been selected. Notifications are being completed.
UTC Letter: Councilmembers Kennedy and Nguyen have drafted a letter related to the Union Pacific right-of-way. The draft will be circulated to the full council for review and agendized for a future discussion.
River Encampments: Staff has received requests for restroom facilities, water stations, and dumpsters near river encampments. City Manager Bennett indicated no changes are planned at this time pending further Council discussion.
America 250 / Proclamation Requests: Multiple organizations requested proclamations for the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. Council supported preparing a single proclamation that can be shared with multiple organizations.
Title VI (Animal Code): Council expressed support for moving forward with revisions to the Animal Code through the regular Council process.
Next Workshop Topics (June 15, 2026):
It is 5 30 on Monday, June 1st, and we'll now call it order. Um the workshop for today. And uh we are going to be starting with discussing the 2026 community survey graph with you. Did you want to introduce sure? Thank you. Uh mayor members of council. This first item is to review our community satisfaction survey for 26. We do this every two years, or because that's been the uh the tradition, the majority of questions remain the same for the ability to benchmark against our ourselves and many other cities throughout the country. Uh the in the packet that was provided publicly contained the 2024 survey as was written in that items we want to make uh minor changes to. We want to hear any feedback or from council related uh survey. The end result of tonight is we also have uh direction from the city council to discuss some of the questions related to orchard municipal. So we uh have a the handout that was just handed out to you all from our communications and engagement manager, Kelsey Coleman. We also that we want to talk through to meet the time frame to have results of this community survey in time, the deadlines related to if we were to receive enough receive feedback that would help council decide to possibly put questions on the ballot. We would need we would actually we need to finalize these questions or add this in uh we to be able to have that turnaround where we would be tight on a August, the first workshop in August, but possibly the second or first or second workshop in August, which are the last opportunities we have to discuss before making a decision to put something on ballot so basic county. So uh we have time tonight, and uh the next two hours are not as long in likely in discussion. So want to make sure we end with some consensus on the questions. We also have virtually uh on with us representatives from uh the company that we're working with, and I'll let Kelsey introduce them and then walk you through a brief presentation, get some feedback, but just doesn't introduce that's what we're trying to do. Uh with this direction final craft.