OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Pueblo City Council Meeting – November 27, 2023: Budget Adoption, ShotSpotter Grants, and Housing Reorganization

City Council — Monday, November 27, 2023
BodyPueblo, Colorado
SessionCity Council
DateMonday, November 27, 2023
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 2:36:13

Transcript — Verbatim
0:24

Today is Monday, November 27th.

0:26

The time is 7 p.m.

0:27

and I call this meeting to order.

0:29

If everybody will stand and please stay standing, we have Pastor Jim Urey from Praise Assembly giving us our invocation, and we'll be followed by the Pledge of Allegiance.

0:44

Heavenly Father, thank you for this evening.

0:47

Pray that you would just bless this council meeting.

0:49

Bless our city, Heavenly Father.

0:51

All those in uniform in our city, God bless them richly, God.

0:56

Lord, I pray for wisdom and guidance, Lord, for all of our council members and leaders, God, as they make decisions in this chamber tonight in Jesus' name.

1:05

And everybody said Amen.

1:20

Individual with liberty and justice for all.

1:31

Okay, roll call.

1:33

Larry Tencia.

1:34

Here.

1:35

Dennis Flores.

1:36

Here.

1:36

Heather Graham.

1:36

Here, Regina Meistry.

1:38

Here.

1:38

Sarah Martinez.

1:39

Vicente Martinez Ortega.

1:41

Here.

1:41

Lori Winner.

1:42

Okay, we have a couple proclamations tonight, and our first one is going to be Robert Bob Jagger Day, November 27, 2023.

1:58

I have really mixed feelings about presenting this proclamation tonight.

2:03

Um because as many of you know, uh Bob is going to be retiring from the city after uh decades of work, and so the city council um thought it would be appropriate to proclaim today as Bob Jagger Day.

2:18

And it reads as follows.

2:20

Whereas Bob Jagger began working for the city attorney's office in August 1994 as a contract attorney with the law offices for Thomas E.

2:28

Jagger.

2:29

Sounds familiar.

2:30

In October 2010, he became in-house counsel for the newly created City of Pueblo uh Department of Law and has been a dedicated and accomplished employee of the city ever since, with nearly 30 years experience practicing municipal law.

2:46

And whereas Bob was promoted to deputy city attorney in January 2022, as an assistant city attorney, senior assistant city attorney, and deputy city attorney, Bob has been irreplaceable and an exemplary of employee of the city, working in nearly every area of the law practiced by the city attorney's office during his tenure.

3:06

While Bob often devoted his time to specific categories of the law, his colleagues enthusiastically profess that he is an expert in every area as needed, and there is not a task or problem that he is not able to solve with intellect and grace.

3:22

And whereas Bob has represented and advised numerous city managers, city councilors, and department heads for over 29 years, serving as the legal lighthouse on the shore, providing fair, wise, and balanced guidance.

3:36

He was instrumental in effecting the change of the form of government in 2018, in addition to nearly every other major administrative program or change undertaken during his decades of service.

3:47

And whereas Bob's work ethic seems to have no limits, providing prompt and accurate legal advice, he has always endeavored to aid Pueblo in reaching its fullest potential and held the best of interest in city staff, citizens, and the community.

4:02

And whereas, as deputy city attorney, Bob Jagger has been an exemplary role model, mentor, and leader for the employees of the law department.

4:11

He has served as acting city attorney on too many occasions to count.

4:15

His calm demeanor and wise counsel provided continuity and stability for city staff most recently when he stepped into the lead city attorney's office as acting city attorney from April 14, 2023 to August 14, 2023.

4:28

During his time with the city, he has served as a mentoring attorney to many junior assistant city attorneys.

4:34

And whereas Bob's seemingly endless knowledge, witty and dry sense of humor, and kind and caring spirit will be greatly amissed by all city staff, especially by his colleagues in the city attorney's office.

4:47

Now, therefore, we the city council proclaim November 27th as Bob Jagger Day and urge the citizens to join us in expressing our appreciation for Bob's contributions, dedication, and service to the community.

5:16

So uh thank you.

5:20

I I just wanted to simply express my gratitude to the city council and the mayor for the opportunities I have had over the last 30 years to represent the city.

5:30

I will miss my friends at the law department, uh Lisa and Kate who are back there, and I know they wrote a lot of that.

5:38

Very nice, thank you.

5:39

I'd specifically like to recognize the civil service commissioners Dan Arjebec and Sherry Barner, with whom I worked with for over two decades.

5:50

Most importantly, I very much appreciate and value the hardworking department heads and administrative staff that I have had the pleasure to work with over the years.

6:03

I am grateful for my family, and most importantly, my wife Vicky.

6:14

City staff, from attorney of office.

6:23

Yep.

6:43

Happy Bob Haber Day.

6:50

Maria's work.

6:54

Okay, thank you, Bob, for all of your hard work and dedication to the city.

6:58

You will be tremendously missed.

7:01

Our next proclamation is Maria Subia Day, October 19, 2023.

7:06

And Councilor Martinez Ortega and Councillor Flores are gonna do this one together.

7:11

Yeah.

7:12

Um Councilor Flores, do you have anything?

7:15

Do you want to read the pro I do have some words uh, but if you want to go ahead and read the proclamation, okay.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Procedural███████████████████████23%
Public Safety██████████████████18%
Government Structure██████████████14%
Fiscal Sustainability█████████████13%
Election Process█████████9%
Gambling Regulation████4%
Engineering And Infrastructure███3%
Procurement███3%
Personnel Matters██2%
Summary of Proceedings

Pueblo City Council Meeting – November 27, 2023

The Pueblo City Council met on Monday, November 27, 2023, at 7:00 PM in City Council Chambers. The meeting included proclamations, public comment, approval of consent and regular agenda items, and final readings of ordinances – most notably the adoption of the FY 2024 budget, acceptance of ShotSpotter grants, and a reorganization merging the Housing Department into the Planning and Community Development Department.

Proclamations

  • Council proclaimed November 27, 2023 as "Bob Jagger Day" in recognition of Deputy City Attorney Bob Jagger's nearly 30 years of service, including acting as City Attorney from April to August 2023.
  • Council proclaimed October 19, 2023 as "Maria Subia Day" for her 42 years as Director of East Side Child Care Center and her work on Pueblo School District 60’s board.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • Brett Boston (business owner on Highway 50) urged the city to target drug dealers and repeat offenders, asserting that crime and homelessness are damaging tourism and business.
  • Christine Musso (spouse of a city employee) testified that a fellow employee threatened and then assaulted her husband at the fleet maintenance shop on September 21, 2023, and that the city failed to prevent the attack and mishandled the aftermath (e.g., allowing the attacker to use vacation leave). She submitted petitions for active shooter training.
  • Thomas Carver (Navy veteran) criticized the proposed ShotSpotter system, citing high costs, low success rates in other cities, and the Pueblo Police Department’s understaffing as the real issue. He urged council to table the item.
  • Mary Lou Boris (Fraternal Order of Eagles #145) defended the use of gambling machines by nonprofits, detailing charitable donations and asking council to consider a New Mexico‑style gaming policy.

Consent Calendar

  • Council approved the consent agenda (as amended) by a 7‑0 vote. Removed items: J (minutes postponed), M12 & M13 (blight studies postponed), N7 (CDPHE grant postponed), N15 & N16 (urban renewal ordinances postponed). M5 (lobbyist contract) was moved to the regular agenda.

Discussion Items

  • M5 – Lobbyist Contract: Staff presented a resolution to award up to $54,000 to Capital Success Group for legislative services. Councilor Maestri questioned the cost increase; staff noted it is a maximum as‑used amount. Passed 6‑1.
  • Ordinances R5‑R8 – Departmental Reorganization:
    • R5 corrected outdated departmental references. Passed 7‑0.
    • R6 abolished the Department of Housing and created a Division of Housing under Planning and Community Development. Councilor Winner expressed concern about the director’s salary reduction (approx. $299/month less). Councilor Atencio called the former housing department ineffective. Passed 6‑1.
    • R7 added a full‑time CDBG/Home & Housing Administrator position. Passed 7‑0.
    • R8 set the pay scale for that position ($7,173–$8,766.87/month). Passed 7‑0.
  • R14 – Campaign Finance: Ordinance to freeze current campaign contribution and disclosure rules through the mayoral runoff election (state changes take effect Jan 1, 2024). Public commenter Alphas Martinez advocated for contribution limits. Councilor Martinez voted no, wanting more transparency. Passed 5‑2.
  • R15 – Mayoral Runoff Election: Called a special election for Tuesday, January 23, 2024; estimated cost up to $300,000. Public commenters suggested ranked‑choice voting or opposed the expense. Passed 7‑0.
  • R18 & R19 – ShotSpotter Grants: Accepted a $152,714 grant from the Colorado Division of Criminal Justice and a $300,000 federal grant for the ShotSpotter system. Chief Noller defended the system as a tool (false positive rate <0.5%), while Councilor Meistry questioned its crime‑reduction effectiveness. Both passed 7‑0.
  • S1 – FY 2024 Budget Adoption: Estimated general fund revenue/appropriations of $133,177,652. Draw from fund balance projected at $10 million. Councilors discussed risks from unfilled positions, sales tax declines, and road funding. Passed 5‑1 (Councilor Martinez Ortega excused).
  • S2 – Roof Replacement Contract (Councilor Maestri excused): Awarded $599,998.87 to Colorado Front Range Roofing for the Streets Maintenance Facility. A public commenter questioned using the lowest bid. Staff confirmed bonds required and all bids responsive. Passed 5‑0.

Key Outcomes

  • Approved consent agenda as amended (removed items J, M12, M13, N7, N15, N16).
  • Approved M5 lobbyist contract (6‑1).
  • Approved final readings of R1‑R4 (mill levies), R5 (departmental cleanup), R6 (housing reorganization, 6‑1), R7 (new administrator position), R8 (pay scale), R9 (Sprague Avenue funds), R10 (Bluffs plat extension), R11 (8th Street Bridge), R12 (Bluffs deferred improvements), R13 (election code update), R15 (runoff election), R16 (property acquisition), R17 (food purchase grant), R18 and R19 (ShotSpotter grants).
  • Adopted FY 2024 budget (S1) by a 5‑1 vote.
  • Awarded S2 roof replacement contract (5‑0).
  • Postponed items M12, M13, N7, N15, N16 to future agendas for further review.

Meeting Transcript

Today is Monday, November 27th. The time is 7 p.m. and I call this meeting to order. If everybody will stand and please stay standing, we have Pastor Jim Urey from Praise Assembly giving us our invocation, and we'll be followed by the Pledge of Allegiance. Heavenly Father, thank you for this evening. Pray that you would just bless this council meeting. Bless our city, Heavenly Father. All those in uniform in our city, God bless them richly, God. Lord, I pray for wisdom and guidance, Lord, for all of our council members and leaders, God, as they make decisions in this chamber tonight in Jesus' name. And everybody said Amen. Individual with liberty and justice for all. Okay, roll call. Larry Tencia. Here. Dennis Flores. Here. Heather Graham. Here, Regina Meistry. Here. Sarah Martinez. Vicente Martinez Ortega. Here. Lori Winner. Okay, we have a couple proclamations tonight, and our first one is going to be Robert Bob Jagger Day, November 27, 2023. I have really mixed feelings about presenting this proclamation tonight. Um because as many of you know, uh Bob is going to be retiring from the city after uh decades of work, and so the city council um thought it would be appropriate to proclaim today as Bob Jagger Day. And it reads as follows. Whereas Bob Jagger began working for the city attorney's office in August 1994 as a contract attorney with the law offices for Thomas E. Jagger. Sounds familiar. In October 2010, he became in-house counsel for the newly created City of Pueblo uh Department of Law and has been a dedicated and accomplished employee of the city ever since, with nearly 30 years experience practicing municipal law. And whereas Bob was promoted to deputy city attorney in January 2022, as an assistant city attorney, senior assistant city attorney, and deputy city attorney, Bob has been irreplaceable and an exemplary of employee of the city, working in nearly every area of the law practiced by the city attorney's office during his tenure. While Bob often devoted his time to specific categories of the law, his colleagues enthusiastically profess that he is an expert in every area as needed, and there is not a task or problem that he is not able to solve with intellect and grace. And whereas Bob has represented and advised numerous city managers, city councilors, and department heads for over 29 years, serving as the legal lighthouse on the shore, providing fair, wise, and balanced guidance. He was instrumental in effecting the change of the form of government in 2018, in addition to nearly every other major administrative program or change undertaken during his decades of service. And whereas Bob's work ethic seems to have no limits, providing prompt and accurate legal advice, he has always endeavored to aid Pueblo in reaching its fullest potential and held the best of interest in city staff, citizens, and the community. And whereas, as deputy city attorney, Bob Jagger has been an exemplary role model, mentor, and leader for the employees of the law department. He has served as acting city attorney on too many occasions to count. His calm demeanor and wise counsel provided continuity and stability for city staff most recently when he stepped into the lead city attorney's office as acting city attorney from April 14, 2023 to August 14, 2023. During his time with the city, he has served as a mentoring attorney to many junior assistant city attorneys. And whereas Bob's seemingly endless knowledge, witty and dry sense of humor, and kind and caring spirit will be greatly amissed by all city staff, especially by his colleagues in the city attorney's office. Now, therefore, we the city council proclaim November 27th as Bob Jagger Day and urge the citizens to join us in expressing our appreciation for Bob's contributions, dedication, and service to the community. So uh thank you. I I just wanted to simply express my gratitude to the city council and the mayor for the opportunities I have had over the last 30 years to represent the city. I will miss my friends at the law department, uh Lisa and Kate who are back there, and I know they wrote a lot of that. Very nice, thank you. I'd specifically like to recognize the civil service commissioners Dan Arjebec and Sherry Barner, with whom I worked with for over two decades. Most importantly, I very much appreciate and value the hardworking department heads and administrative staff that I have had the pleasure to work with over the years. I am grateful for my family, and most importantly, my wife Vicky. City staff, from attorney of office.

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