Lafayette City Council Meeting – August 4, 2026

The Lafayette City Council met on August 4, 2026, beginning with an executive session at 4:30 PM before reconvening in open session at 5:36 PM. The meeting included public comment, a consent agenda, a proclamation, a presentation on the Coca-Cola mural sign, board and commission updates, referral of a LaMont Does Park property tax extension to the November ballot, acceptance of the 2025 Annual Comprehensive Financial Report, and authorization to negotiate the sale of 200 North Public Road. All votes were unanimous.

Consent Calendar

• Item B: July 7, 2026, City Council meeting minutes approved.
• Item C: July 21, 2026, City Council meeting minutes approved.
• Item D: Resolution No. 2026-20 – Second amendment to the real estate purchase agreement for Lot 18, Vista Business Park, extending the closing date and updating the legal description, approved.
• Item E: Motion authorizing the City Manager to execute change orders up to $170,000 for the D2C Architects Fire Station #1 design contract, approved. Councilor Beaulieu noted the low threshold and hoped for a future increase to the ceiling.

Proclamations

• National Night Out: August 4, 2026 was proclaimed National Night Out to promote police–community partnerships and crime prevention.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Frank Archelletta urged council to name the new pocket park on South Public Road after Roosevelt Lawarez, a 13-year-old early civil rights activist who testified after her mother was killed following a lawsuit against the city for denying Latino families access to the public pool. He also highlighted discriminatory practices in Lafayette’s history.
• Roy Johnson opposed placing additional tax measures on the ballot, arguing that the proposed $37/year average increase for LaMont Does Park, when combined with previous increases, would represent a 40.3% cumulative city property tax hike over two years. He criticized the city’s use of taxpayer funds to campaign for tax increases.
• Anna Smith (220 Summit Circle) spoke on behalf of users of the Bob Burger Rec Center, criticizing the remodel plan presented by Davis Partnership as not reflecting community needs. She noted the chosen firm was the most expensive and had least experience in recreation design, and urged cutting ties and seeking better options.
• Brad Edwards (644 South Vermont Drive, lead pastor of Table Presbyterian Church) requested two changes to the draft land use code: rezone two lots (currently AMX-2) to Neighborhood Mixed-Use Center, and make religious and secular assembly permitted by right rather than special use review. He noted four congregations serve 400 people on that corner, including two congregations of color.
• Tim Twin (334 Tourist Drive) supported the Table Church, highlighting the economic opportunity of the Sundance Film Festival coming to Colorado and the church’s role as a venue for community film events.
• Bailey Jumea, a family law attorney and member of the Table Church, testified that churches fill gaps government programs cannot, such as providing legal assistance and community support. She urged council to make zoning regulations not prohibitively difficult for the church to stay.
• Elizabeth Gillespie (202 Northfoot Avenue) supported the Table Church, describing how it built community connections and urged council to ensure zoning doesn’t hinder the church’s long-term presence.
• Doug Conaro argued in favor of Option 1 for the Coca-Cola sign: restore it and transfer ownership to Rick Ross, who has volunteered to be its caretaker. He criticized the city’s neglect and stated that the Historical Society emphasized the sign’s cultural significance to the Latino community.
• Dave Devorak (2340 Riverock Circle) thanked council for the cemetery plan, praised the land use code’s provisions for ADUs, mobile home zoning, and middle housing, and urged adjustments to the inclusionary housing proposal, specifically lowering the AMI target to 40-50% and adjusting in-lieu fees based on home size.
• Michael Watson (708 South Carolina Avenue) criticized the cemetery issue process, stating the city hid behind procedure and failed to have a “flat” dialogue as promised. He noted less than 3% of council discussion engaged specific resident cases. He also warned against balancing the budget by cutting health care benefits for the lowest-paid city workers.
• Vicky Ewan (303 West Simpson) strongly supported Option 1 for the Coca-Cola sign (restore and transfer to Rick Ross) and opposed Option 2. She highlighted the sign’s history as part of Saloon Row and the Lincoln Highway, and noted the public raised $126,000 to restore it. She supported a conservation easement and landmarking.
• Kurt and Mary Pat Munding (302 East Geneseo Street) expressed full support for the Red Queen Bookstore moving into the Chase building, calling them the best tenant they ever had.
• Allie Johnson (1303 Lambert Circle, online caller) supported maintaining the Great Outdoors Water Park, emphasizing its value for young families.

Discussion Items

• Coca-Cola Mural Sign Update: Director Bridget Keating presented two options after extensive due diligence: Option 1 – restore the sign and transfer ownership to property owner Rick Ross (cost $40,000–$100,000+), with a conservation easement; Option 2 – preserve only the Pat & Gar Highway Bar banner and replace the lower portion with a rotating mural program (cost $35,000–$50,000 for initial work, future murals sponsored). Laura pledged $50,000. Boards and commissions supported preserving the Pat & Gar element and favored a rotating mural concept. Council discussed the importance of honoring the community’s history and investment. Most members leaned toward Option 2, with direction to ensure the first mural pays tribute to the sign’s history (including the Coca-Cola imagery). Council also expressed interest in amending the landmarking ordinance to allow objects.
• Board and Commission Updates:
  • Human Rights Board Renamed: Ordinance No. 14, Series 2026 was introduced (first reading) to rename the Human Rights Board to the Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Access (IDEA) Board and update its scope to advise council on policies, initiatives, and community outreach. Approved 7-0.
  • Planning Commission Term Adjustment: A motion extended all Planning Commission term end dates to January 31st to align with a revised recruitment timeline. Approved 7-0.
• LaMont Does Park Ballot Question: Council considered Resolution No. 2026-19 to refer a question to the November 3, 2026 election asking voters to extend an existing property tax (currently expiring December 31, 2026) for 20 additional years (through 2046) for capital improvements and continued operation of the park and Great Outdoors Water Park. The tax is $36.67/year for an average home. The resolution recitals reference a financial assistance program for low-income residents, but council decided not to add specific language to the ballot question. Council approved forwarding the question to voters 7-0.
• Acceptance of 2025 Annual Comprehensive Financial Report: Auditors from Eide Bailly presented a clean (unmodified) opinion on all opinion units, noting one material weakness concerning a correction of an error: management discovered that Baseline Reservoir no longer qualifies as a discretely presented component unit and corrected the prior classification. No other deficiencies. The report was accepted unanimously.
• Authorization to Negotiate for 200 N. Public Road: Director Keating reported that after a two-phase RFP process with three respondents (Grant Hoppenspringer/Teal Cali, Urban West Group/Arts Hub, and Red Queen Bookstore and Cafe), the evaluation committee ranked Red Queen highest based on alignment with city goals, community feedback (82% positive comments), and feasibility. The community engagement received 1,800 responses. Council authorized the City Manager to negotiate a purchase and sale agreement with Red Queen Bookstore and Cafe.

Key Outcomes

• Consent Agenda – Approved unanimously.
• Proclamation – National Night Out adopted unanimously.
• Coca-Cola Mural – Council directed staff to pursue Option 2 (preserve Pat & Gar banner, install rotating murals), with the first mural to honor the sign’s history. Staff will also explore amending the landmarking code to include objects.
• Ordinance No. 14 – First reading approved 7-0; second reading and adoption are pending.
• Planning Commission Term Adjustment – Approved 7-0.
• LaMont Does Park Tax Extension – Referred to November 3, 2026 ballot via Resolution 2026-19, approved 7-0.
• 2025 Annual Comprehensive Financial Report – Accepted 7-0.
• 200 N. Public Road Negotiation – City Manager authorized to negotiate exclusively with Red Queen Bookstore and Cafe, with a purchase and sale agreement to return to council for final approval.

Staff Reports & Council Reports

• City Attorney – No report.
• City Manager – Announced ribbon-cutting for a new bike corral on Public Road, two upcoming recreation center design engagement sessions (August 22), the August 12th deadline for mental health grants, sponsorship of Community Solutions summit (August 25), the employee appreciation event (August 5), and upcoming August 18 land use code first reading.
• Councilor Jensen – Requested a future discussion on maximizing Lafayette’s participation in the Sundance Film Festival.
• Mayor Pro Tem Barnes – Raised the issue of aridification versus drought in the West, emphasizing water resilience and the importance of tree shade. He will propose inviting an expert to a future workshop.