Pueblo City Council Regular Meeting - May 28, 2024

The Pueblo City Council held a regular meeting on Tuesday, May 28, 2024, beginning at 7:18 p.m. The meeting included a proclamation for Pueblo Bike Month, public comment, councilor reports, approval of a consent calendar, and action on several ordinances and resolutions. Key decisions included approval of a firefighters' collective bargaining extension, passage of an ordinance criminalizing possession of theft tools, and a failed motion to appoint Councilor Regina Maestri to the at-large seat vacated by Charles Hernandez, followed by a vote to open a public recruitment process for that seat.

Special Recognition

• Pueblo Bike Month Proclamation: Council proclaimed June 2024 as Pueblo Bike Month and June 26 as Pueblo Bike to Work Day, presented to Matt Pujol of PACE (Pueblo Active Community Environments).

Public Comments & Testimony

• Elvis Martinez (public forum): Thanked staff and Councilor Maestri for prior remarks; urged council to bring back the employee of the month program and nominated Chief Bar Huber; requested regular updates from councilors on boards and commissions; suggested installing a time clock for work sessions; expressed opposition to filling the at-large seat via appointment of a current councilor (referring to S1), calling for a democratic process. He also asked for verification of alleged bus drop-offs (related to R10).

Councilor Reports & Announcements

• Councilor Martinez: Praised Pueblo Transit for new north and south shopping routes, effective June 3, noting reduced travel times for students and residents.
• Councilor Maestri: Reported on a presentation by the Da Vinci Science Center, which plans to open a location in Pueblo (the only one in the U.S.) without requesting city funds; urged council to spread the word.
• Councilor Gomez: Read a detailed statement about escalating property and violent crime in Bessemer and other low-income neighborhoods, criticizing police response to a stolen vehicle incident involving his wife, and calling for better crime scene processing and accountability.
• Councilor Latino: Echoed support for the Da Vinci Science Center, calling it a major positive for the community.

Consent Calendar

• Approved unanimously (6-0): Minutes of Planning and Zoning Commission (March 13 and April 10, 2024); resolutions for professional services amendments (fire station design, roundabout engineering), transit route changes (Bessemer 2/Beulah/Beulah-Berkeley-2 to North/South shopping routes), board appointments (Robert Childers to Board of Elections, Councilor Mark A. Leff to Historical Arkansas River Walk Authority); ordinances for sewer outfall construction ($3.97M + $1.71M contingencies), CDOT Asphalt Art Gateway grant ($248,300), and sewer usage charge amendments (public hearing set for June 10, 2024).

Discussion Items

• Q1-Q3 (Council Contingencies): Approved $1,500 for Sangre de Cristo Arts Center gala (June 7), $1,500 for Pueblo Zoo Zufari (June 21), and $200 for CSU Pueblo President's Gala (May 18). All passed 6-0.
• R1 – Minnequa Lake Trail: Ordinance accepting $875,000 LWCF grant and $875,000 ARPA match for a 3-mile concrete trail around Lake Minnequa. Approved 6-0 after public hearing (no speakers).
• R2 – City Park Tennis Complex Clubhouse: Ordinance accepting $182,000 Rawlings Foundation grant for clubhouse/restrooms; project is 95% funded ($1.8M goal). Approved 6-0 after public hearing (no speakers). Councilor Flores inquired about saving the old WPA stone building; staff said not feasible.
• R3 – Outdoor Recreation Administrator: Ordinance accepting $100,000 OEDIT grant for a 5-year outdoor recreation administrator position (first year fully grant-funded, subsequent years require self-sufficiency). Approved 6-0 after public hearing (no speakers).
• R4 – Elizabeth Street Parkway Basketball Court Murals: Ordinance appropriating $10,000 from lottery funds for four artist-commissioned murals on resurfaced courts. Approved 6-0 after public hearing (Elvis Martinez spoke in favor, asked about local artists).
• R5 – Pay Plan Amendment (Tax Compliance Technician): Ordinance adjusting pay scale for two positions (one filled) to correct an oversight; annualized cost $4,770.46. Approved 6-0 after public hearing (no speakers).
• R6 – Grading Permit Ordinance: Introduced a new Article 3 requiring permits for disturbances over 5,000 sq ft, with fees $100-$1,000. Failed 3-3 (President Leff, Councilor Flores, Councilor Martinez voted no; Councilors Gomez, Latino, Maestri voted yes). Debate centered on burden for homeowners and alignment with MS4 permit.
• R7 – Easement Agreement with Pueblo County (Medal of Honor Roadway): Approved for construction of a limited-access road, trail, and drainage improvements. After extensive discussion about impacts on the Sky Corral model airplane runway (a city asset), Councilor Flores moved to postpone for two weeks to negotiate with county commissioners. Motion carried 6-0; ordinance deferred.
• R8 – HARP Channel Extension Funding Correction: Rescinded previous resolution and re-budgeted $200,000 from Pueblo Urban Renewal Authority via ordinance. Approved 5-1 (Councilor Gomez voted no).
• R9 – Lease with Goodrich Corporation: Approved a 4-year lease for fence-line air quality monitoring equipment at $7,840/month (CPI-adjusted). Approved 6-0.
• R10 – Commercial Passenger Transportation Regulations: Made it a class 2 municipal offense to stop a commercial passenger vehicle for unloading outside scheduled destinations. Approved 4-2 (Councilors Flores and Martinez voted no). Councilor Maestri said it responds to constituent complaints about buses dropping off passengers; Councilor Flores argued there is no evidence such buses exist.
• R11 – Possession of Theft Tools: Created a new municipal offense for possessing tools intended to overcome anti-theft devices, punishable in municipal court. Public testimony from business owner Anita Kofer supported it. Approved 6-0.
• R12 – Firefighters Collective Bargaining Extension (2025): Extended the CBA for one year with a 7% wage increase for ~150 firefighters, bringing total compensation to ~90% of comparable front-range cities. Mayor Graham expressed support. After testimony from union Vice President Alex Briggs, approved 6-0.
• R13 – Lighting Equipment Purchase: Approved $649,894 purchase agreement with Musco Sports Lighting for ball field lighting at City Park and pickleball court lighting at Mineral Palace Park. Approved 6-0.

Key Outcomes

• S1 – Resignation and Replacement of At-Large Councilor:
  1. Council accepted the resignation of Charles Hernandez 5-0.
  2. Motion to split the question passed.
  3. Motion to appoint Councilor Regina Maestri to the at-large seat failed 2-3 (Councilors Flores and Leff in favor; Councilors Gomez, Latino, Martinez opposed). Councilor Martinez argued for a transparent process, noting Maestri’s request could be seen as personal gain. Councilor Flores defended Maestri, stating no change in voting power or stipend.
  4. Motion to open the at-large seat to a public recruitment process (applications due June 7, interviews June 17, appointment June 24) passed 5-0. Councilor Flores had proposed using the previous top five finalists, but the majority favored new recruitment.

Next Steps

• The city clerk will publish notice for at-large candidate applications beginning May 29, with closing June 7 at 5 p.m. Council will select candidates to interview on June 10 and appoint at a special meeting after a work session on June 17.