Lafayette City Council Meeting Summary - December 16, 2025
Lafayette City Council Meeting Summary - December 16, 2025
The City Council of Lafayette convened on December 16, 2025, to conduct routine approvals, honor former Mayor J.D. Monge, and address critical public safety and operational issues. The meeting featured public testimony regarding cemetery burial moratoriums, trail safety, and airport noise, followed by detailed staff reports on winter mobility, fiscal year accomplishments, and emergency preparedness for an impending wind event. A significant portion of the agenda was dedicated to formally declaring a vacancy caused by the former Mayor's resignation and establishing a timeline for filling the seat.
Consent Calendar
- Approval of the December 2, 2025, City Council meeting minutes was discussed and approved unanimously.
- Passage of the motion to approve the entire consent agenda was made and passed unanimously.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Frank Archelletta expressed strong opposition to the moratorium on burials at the Loftus Cemetery. He argued that families who have purchased plots for over 70 years should not be punished and that it is common sense for the city to dig up to 500 more plots, noting that historical methods involved sliding coffins aside rather than halting burials. He urged the council to reconsider the moratorium for those who own and pay for these plots.
- Samantha Brown expressed concern regarding safety conflicts between bicycles and pedestrians on the Col Creek Trail (specifically the wooded section from South Public Road to Louisville). She advocated for solutions such as speed reduction, additional signage, trail redesign, or barriers to accommodate high bicycle speeds and the presence of young children and schools.
- Thomas Glenn expressed frustration regarding the quality of life impact from aircraft noise from the Rocky Mountain Airport. He described the situation as a constant disturbance, with aircraft overhead every 1-3 minutes, and urged the council to continue joint community efforts to mitigate these flights and protect residents and wildlife.
- Ron Spald expressed support and admiration for former Mayor J.D. Monge. He highlighted Monge's collaborative leadership style, his deep connections with the youth, and his ability to build consensus, stating that he respected Monge for not settling for simple majority votes and instead seeking unity.
Discussion Items
- Proclamation for Former Mayor J.D. Monge: The Council unanimously recognized Mayor Monge's service, citing his transformative projects, collaborative style, and advocacy for underrepresented populations. Council members praised his accessibility, noting he responded to texts at all hours and maintained a "no doors closed" philosophy. Councilor Gianola shared that her decision to run for council was influenced by Monge's encouragement and his daughter's recommendation. Mayor Monge responded by expressing appreciation and urging his colleagues to select a replacement who is a collaborator and kind.
- Winter Mobility Plan: Callie Hayden presented the city's comprehensive snow and ice strategy. She explained that the plan coordinates with CDOT, Boulder County, RTD, and school districts. She noted the arrival of new specialized equipment, including a "wing plow" and 45,000 tons of de-icing material capacity, and discussed the city's fully staffed Public Works team. Councilor Johnson inquired about emissions from fleet vehicles; Hayden stated that while electric technology is improving, it faces range limitations in cold weather, and the city is slowly transitioning to meet stricter emission standards.
- 2025 Year in Review: The City Manager presented a video highlighting 2025 achievements, including the launch of the Downtown Development Authority, the expansion of the water storage reservoir, and the adoption of the Vision Zero Action Plan. The report emphasized community partnerships and the hiring of a new City Manager, while mourning the passing of former City Administrator Fritz Sprague.
- Vacancy Declaration and Appointment Timeline: Staff presented Resolution 2025-81 to declare a vacancy on the City Council following Mayor Monge's resignation. The Council discussed two options for filling the seat within the 45-day statutory limit. The Council voted to select Option Two, which involves a special meeting for interviews. After weighing conflicts, the Council selected Tuesday, January 9, 2026, for the special interview meeting and the January 20th swearing-in. The Council decided to require resumes for applicants at the interview stage. The Council also discussed waiving the charter requirement for personal service of the special meeting notice.
- Public Safety Power Shutdown (PSPS) Preparation: Fire Chief Bradshaw reported that Lafayette was removed from the Excel Power Public Safety Power Shutdown zone as of 4:00 PM on the day of the meeting, meaning a city-wide shutdown is unlikely. However, he warned of a critical fire weather event with wind gusts up to 80 mph. He stated that while direct power outages from the shutdown are not expected, sporadic outages from wind damage are possible. The Council discussed the need for community resources to assist with manual garage door opening and medical device support during potential outages.
Key Outcomes
- Consent Calendar: The December 2, 2025, minutes were approved unanimously.
- Proclamation: The City Council unanimously passed a proclamation honoring J.D. Monge for his dedicated service.
- Vacancy Declaration: Resolution 2025-81 was passed unanimously to declare the vacancy left by Mayor Monge.
- Appointment Process: The Council directed staff to:
- Hold a special meeting on Tuesday, January 9, 2026, to interview candidates for the vacant seat.
- Require resumes from candidates who advance to the interview stage.
- Waive the requirement for personal service of the special meeting notice.
- Planning Commission Panel: The Council selected Mayor Pro Tem Barnes, Councilor Gallegos, and Councilor Gianola to serve as the interview panel for the vacant Planning Commission seat. The interview date was set for Tuesday, December 23, 2026, at 4:30 PM.
- Emergency Planning: The Council acknowledged the wind event preparedness efforts and directed staff to consider messaging regarding manual garage door operations and medical device relocation during future wind events.
Meeting Transcript
We did that. Okay. So do you want to make the one? I couldn't figure out how to stand used this. I don't know that he's the one with the keyboard. You need your car to authenticate. Do you have to authenticate on your phone? I forgot my phone calls if I had to pay them. If we get all cultures, Mayor Tapia Vega. Here. Mayor Pro Tem Barnes. Here. Councilor Friedman. Councilor Gallegos. Good evening. Counselor Gianola. Here. And Counselor Jensen. Here. Mayor, we have a quorum. I move to excuse uh Council Friedman and Councilor Friedman. Counselor Friedman. I second. Great. We have a motion. We have a second. Any further discussion? All those in favor say aye. Aye. Anyone opposed say no. We will move right into the public input. For those of you who wish to speak, please fill out a speaker request form there in the back through that glass door right there. Will you come up? Please just state your name and address, and you'll have five minutes to speak. We'll start with Frank Archelletta. Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Um, council members and staff here. I'm directing uh this this evening to the new council members so they can get a better understanding what transpired at the Loftus Cemetery. Education and results. New council members, I will contribute knowledge to you about the Loftus Cemetery, so you will be able to understand this tragic history. The story of the Lofty Cemetery needs to be told. As we admit and concede that the situation at the cemetery was serious, and it was a mistake and illegal to dig up babies who were buried and were dug up to allow other human beings to be buried in the baby's plots. Is there any regret, sorrow, remorse, and a sense of guilt for the past wrong causation and motivation? The only reason why this mistake happened is because the clerks, the Saxons did not log in their record books, maps, or database, they hang burial plots of a hundred or more. Do not forget they pay and they own these burial plots. 150 letters went out, but there could be 300, 400, 500 people still need to be buried at that cemetery. Council, your voice and words matter. You must apply moral clarity, common sense, and judgment to the critical cemetery issue. With that being said, here folks, I know for a fact for over 70 years what transpired at the cemetery.
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