Pueblo City Council Regular Meeting - May 13, 2024
Pueblo City Council Regular Meeting - May 13, 2024
The Pueblo City Council held its regular meeting on Monday, May 13, 2024, at 7:00 PM in City Council Chambers. The meeting included special recognitions, public forum comments, approval of a large consent calendar, and several resolutions and ordinances. The most contentious item was an ordinance banning syringe exchange programs, which passed by a 4-3 vote after extensive public testimony. Several other items passed with lopsided or unanimous votes.
Special Recognitions
- Laura Schwartzenberger Day: Council proclaimed May 25, 2024 as Laura Schwartzenberger Day, honoring the fallen FBI agent and dedicating a park as "Laura's Park."
- Public Health Champion: Eva Cosyleon, MPO Manager for the City of Pueblo, was recognized as Pueblo's 2024 Public Health Champion.
Public Comments & Testimony
- A resident criticized the April 8 work session as biased and raised concerns about ADA compliance in public buildings, including Lake Avenue Church.
- Ted Freeman spoke about city budget processes, urging better transparency and transfer of unspent project balances back to the SUT CIF fund.
Council Member and Mayor Commentary
- Councilor Gomez read a statement about drug activity and its impact on neighborhoods, describing discarded needles and property crime.
- Councilor Maestri made lighthearted remarks and thanked constituents.
Agenda and Minutes
- The agenda was amended to move item Q9 (Boy Scout Troop 19 sponsorship) to the beginning of resolutions. A motion to move R1 (syringe exchange ban) to the end of the agenda failed 4-3. The agenda was approved as amended.
- Minutes from the April 22, 2024 regular meeting were approved unanimously.
Consent Calendar
- The consent calendar was approved 7-0. It included resolutions M1-M16, awarding construction contracts (e.g., $267,230.41 for West 29th Street concrete improvements, $108,193.49 for Bonforte Boulevard, $92,526.71 emergency sewer repair, $88,354.25 for Elmwood Golf Course parking lot, $39,967.07 emergency storm sewer repair, $22,495.00 for Pueblo Motorsports Park crack repairs, $20,680.00 for architectural services, and several emergency sewer repairs), and resolutions ratifying appointments to boards (Building, Electrical, Mechanical, Plumbing) and a revocable permit for the Colorado State Fair parade.
- Ordinances N1-N13 were also passed on first presentation, including grants (e.g., $875,000 LWCF grant for Minnequa Lake Trail, $182,000 for City Park Tennis Complex, $100,000 for Outdoor Recreation Administrator), a mural project, a grading permit ordinance, an easement agreement, lease agreements, and collective bargaining extension.
Resolutions (Regular Agenda)
- Q9: $1,000 sponsorship for Boy Scout Troop 19 through American Legion Post 2. Passed 7-0.
- Q1: Confirmed Nelson Dunford as Municipal Court Judge. Passed 7-0. Dunford was sworn in.
- Q2: Resolution establishing a policy for Council Contingencies payments. Failed 3-4 after debate about limiting requests to $1,500 per nonprofit per year. Several councilors opposed the cap, preferring case-by-case judgment.
- Q3: Awarded $14,244,873 construction contract to H.W. Houston for HARP Phase IV (boathouse and channel extension). Passed 6-1.
- Q4: Awarded $1,115,764 contract to Miller Pipeline for Court Street sanitary sewer rehabilitation. Passed 7-0.
- Q5: Established two fire station projects: CI2434 ($900,000 for pumper apparatus) and CI2435 ($33,550,000 for Fire Stations 6, 8, and 11). Passed 7-0.
- Q6: Authorized transfer of $750,000 to Pope Block Building escrow. Passed 7-0 despite public opposition from Ted Freeman.
- Q7: Authorized $834,144 from ARPA funds for Real-Time Crime Center hardware/software licensing and cameras. Passed 7-0.
- Q8: Approved $2,000 sponsorship for the AMR Safety Jam on June 1, 2024. Passed 7-0.
Ordinances – Final Presentation
- R1: Ordinance prohibiting syringe exchange or distribution programs within the City of Pueblo. Public hearing featured extensive testimony. Proponents cited needle litter, crime, and enabling addiction; opponents cited evidence-based harm reduction, disease prevention, and treatment linkage. The ordinance passed 4-3.
- R2: Approved IGA with Colorado Energy Office for four DC fast-charging EV stations at Main Street Garage, accepting $445,000 grant and appropriating $845,000 total. Passed 7-0.
- R3: Approved $200,000 subrecipient agreement with Catholic Charities for a program employing unhoused individuals for city cleanup. Passed 5-2 after discussion about feasibility and overhead.
- R4: Accepted $9,580 Opioid Grant for synthetic opiate investigation and interdiction. Passed 7-0.
- R5: Created parking regulations for EV charging stations. Passed 7-0.
- R6: Enacted ordinance aligning municipal gambling device law with state statutes. After testimony from fraternal organizations seeking exemption, the ordinance passed 4-3.
- R7: Amended coin-operated amusement device licensing, replacing $15 per-machine stickers with a $75 annual fee per vendor. Passed 7-0.
- R8: Converted vacant Internal Auditor position to Nonprofit Compliance Coordinator in Mayor's Office. Passed 6-1.
- R9: Established pay scale for Nonprofit Compliance Coordinator. The transcript cut off before a vote, but it was expected to pass alongside R8.
Key Outcomes
- Syringe exchange ban passed (4-3), effective upon publication; public hearing scheduled for May 28, 2024 for consent agenda ordinances.
- Nelson Dunford appointed as Municipal Court Judge.
- Council Contingencies policy failed (3-4), keeping existing case-by-case process.
- HARP Phase IV construction contract awarded at $14.24M.
- Fire station projects funded at $900,000 and $33.55M.
- ARPA funds allocated for Real-Time Crime Center ($834,144) and Catholic Charities cleanup ($200,000).
- Gambling and arcade ordinances passed, affecting local fraternal organizations and arcade operators.
Meeting Transcript
Or formal action shall occur in any executive session that is not open to the public. Second all those in favor. Actually, I tried to check out the water space. My first one was uh We can attest every daughter. I don't know. I could get a box, so I'll get mostly like all the time. I mean, they all have to do it. I mean they all have to get the huggle. I'll be right back. Yeah, we need to have a lot of things. Yeah. No worries at all. I think it's all right. I know. Good evening, everyone. It's a beautiful evening in Pueblo tonight. Today is Monday, May thirteenth, twenty twenty-four. I called to order this regular city council meeting. If you choose to, you can stand and uh do the invocation with us, and then we'll do the pledge of allegiance. We're also free to uh have a voice in uh the matters at hand. So God, I just want to pray for the matter at hand this evening. Lord, uh, there is a a significant amount of people here that want to share their opinions, and God, I pray that you would give them clarity and um the ability to share what's on their heart and their mind. And God, we want to lift up this council and uh the leadership of our city. We pray that they would have open ears, open ears and discerning hearts and uh clear minds, Lord, so that they may make the best decisions for our community possible. And God, uh, particularly we want to pray for those in our community suffering addiction. And uh we pray for those that are serving them. We pray for our law enforcement uh officers who will enforce the laws that are passed in this room, and God, uh, we just uh want to ask for your blessings in all of these matters in Jesus' name. Amen. Joe Latino Regina Maestre. Here, Sarah Martinez. And Councilor Flores is going to read this. I know you have been working on this for a couple of years. But I'm going to go ahead and read the proclamation and then we'll allow you to maybe say a few words about Laura. Whereas Laura was born and raised in Pueblo, Colorado, and went to John Newman Catholic School and graduated with honors from Pueblo South High School, was a state qualifier as a diver for the South Colts. She lived on Starlight Drive and played in this very park and married the love of her life, fellow Pueblo and Jason Baca, and being the proud mother of two young sons, Gavin and Damon. And whereas Laura began her career with the FBI in 2005, first in Albuquerque, New Mexico, where she was still was and still the only woman ever to be part of the New Mexico SWAT team. In 2020, 2010, she was transferred to the Miami, Florida office, where she worked on the cargo theft task force and used her diving talents as part of an underwater search and recovery team. Later she transferred to the violent crimes and fugitive task force, eventually finding her calling in what she called her dream job, violent crimes against children's task force. And whereas she was the first female to be named as part of the FBI SWAT team and as a and was among the first responders following the horrific Stoneman Douglas High School shooting incident. She uh, and also known as the Parkland shooting. And whereas Laura received the law enforcement officer for federal agent in 2016 and the outstanding law officer, enforcement officer in both 2016 and 2019, as well as numerous uh accolades. And whereas Laura was known for her bright bubbly light, despite how dark her job was, she was the light of hope by saving so many kids by putting uh putting bad people away. And whereas Laura spoke numerous times to students about cyber safety and was involved in the constant fight of crimes against children. Laura sacrificed her life to protect our youth. Now, therefore, we, the City Council of the City of Pueblo, Colorado, by the authority vested to us, do hereby officially proclaim May 25th, 2024, as Laura Schwarzenberger Day in the city of Pueblo, Colorado. We are pride, proud to memorialize Laura's life by renaming and dedicating the park as Laura's Park. May her contagious smile and laughter never be forgotten, and may this park bring joy and happiness to all who come here, especially the children. In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and cause the seal of the city of Pueblo, Colorado to be a fixed this thirteenth day of May, 2024, signed by Mark Ailef, President of the City Council. Thank you for your approval of the proclamation of Laura's Park, as we recognize her as another one of Pueblo's Home of the Heroes.
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