Pueblo City Council Meeting – November 13, 2023

The Pueblo City Council met on Monday, November 13, 2023, at 7:00 p.m. in City Council Chambers. The meeting included a proclamation for International Survivors of Suicide Loss Day, public comments from six speakers, council and mayor commentary, approval of the consent agenda (16 resolutions and 21 ordinances on first presentation), a resolution authorizing $1,000 for the Festival of Trees, and final passage of six ordinances. Following adjournment, the council convened three separate special improvement district meetings and approved their 2024 budgets.

Consent Calendar

• All resolutions (M1–M16) and ordinances (N1–N21) on first presentation were approved unanimously (6-0) with the exception of item N12, which was continued to November 27, 2023.
• The consent agenda included funding for broadband infrastructure, construction contracts for concrete and ADA improvements, appointments to various boards and commissions, revocable permits for the YMCA and HARP Authority, and multiple ordinances relating to the 2024 budget, departmental reorganization, election code changes, property purchases, and grant acceptance.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Elvis Martinez congratulated veterans, council members with recent birthdays, and election winners. He asked procedural questions about the January 23, 2024 mayoral runoff (in-person voting, ballot drop-off, counting location, and cost) and suggested donating $2,000 from council contingencies to Temple Emanuel for a ramp. He criticized the police department for lack of arrest in a November 1 murder, alleging failures and calling for a no-confidence vote on the police chief.
• Mr. Freeman (retiring regular speaker) criticized the city’s financial management, noting that PEDCO advertises wealth while many areas remain blighted. He urged council to hire a full-time staff member and highlighted that $1 million from the half-cent sales tax fund for a shell building had not been returned to the fund after project completion. He also complained about lack of response to his previous documents.
• Aspen (Wiccan priest and pagan community representative) spoke against the organization “Forging Pueblo,” alleging it is infiltrating local politics to impose evangelical Christian ideology. She cited the group’s role in pressuring council to outlaw abortion and called on council to uphold separation of church and state and protect minority rights. She urged Christians who believe in freedom to oppose bigotry and Christian nationalism.
• Christy Ruckus (Pueblo County Patriots) thanked council and election candidates, noted that Republicans won seven of nine open seats, and expressed support for Heather Graham for mayor. She raised detailed concerns about the upcoming runoff election, citing city ordinances on election judges and watchers, requesting that the counting venue be at PPD with cameras, and asking about mail‑in ballot verification, signature adjudication, machine logic and accuracy tests, and ballot storage. She also referenced the possibility of a parallel hand count.
• Paul voiced concern about a culvert under Jerry Murphy Road in the University Park area. He said a stormwater board member warned that a NOAA‑type rainstorm could cause debris to clog the six‑foot culvert, potentially washing out the road. He objected to the city tearing out the vegetation in the arroyo, calling it a waste of taxpayer money and harm to wildlife.
• Marty Harvey addressed the loss of shopping carts from local businesses, stating that carts cost $200–$250 each and nationwide theft totals $8 million. He proposed an ordinance imposing community service as a penalty for anyone found pushing a shopping cart away from a store without conducting business.

Discussion Items

• Council member commentary included congratulations to the IT department for being named a top‑10 digital city, promotion of the 988 crisis line, notice of a free recycling day for antifreeze and motor oil, and reflections on the failed 2A childcare tax ballot measure. President Graham clarified that the lack of arrest in the November 1 murder is a matter for the district attorney’s office, not the police department.
• Staff reports were provided for three consent items (M1–M16 were read by title without separate discussion). For the regular agenda, a staff report explained that Q1 – a $1,000 sponsorship for the Latino Chamber of Commerce’s Festival of Trees – would support United Way. All six final‑presentation ordinances (R1–R6) were introduced with staff reports: R1 (infiltration/inflow pilot project using electrical probe and temperature sensors), R2 (grant for five EV chargers), R3 (reimbursement from H.W. Houston for street repairs), R4 (urban transportation planning grant for $932,107), R5 (rural transportation planning grant for $7,400), and R6 (delegation agreement with PACOG for transportation planning).

Key Outcomes

• Votes: All items on the consent agenda passed 6‑0. Resolution Q1 (Latino Chamber sponsorship) passed 6‑0. Ordinances R1 through R6 all passed 6‑0 on final presentation.
• Continuance: Item N12 (Household Hazardous Waste program) was continued to November 27, 2023.
• Special Improvement District Meetings: Following adjournment of the regular council meeting, the council convened as boards for three special improvement/maintenance districts and unanimously approved their 2024 budgets:
  • Bandera Boulevard Special Improvement Maintenance District (revenue $50,000)
  • Southpointe Special Improvement Maintenance District (revenue $41,408)
  • Northgate Business Improvement District (revenue $231,781)
• Next steps: The council will consider the continued ordinance (N12) at the November 27 meeting. The mayoral runoff election is scheduled for January 23, 2024.