Pueblo City Council Regular Meeting Summary – March 10, 2026

Note: The agenda and transcription indicate the meeting occurred on Monday, March 9, 2026, but the user-provided timestamp specifies March 10, 2026. This summary uses the instructed date.

The City Council of Pueblo, Colorado, held a regular meeting on March 10, 2026, at 5:30 PM in City Council Chambers. All seven council members were present. The meeting included public comments, discussion of several resolutions and ordinances, and votes on consent and regular agenda items.

Consent Calendar

All items on the consent agenda were approved by a 7-0 vote. This included:

• Resolutions M2–M10 covering various project account establishments, fund transfers, and construction contracts (e.g., Taxiway A Sealcoat, concrete improvements on Routt Avenue, Van Buren, St. Clair Phase 1, and City Park Rides, plus a sanitary sewer fee credit).
• Ordinances N1–N6, N8, N9, N11, N12 (first readings) for zoning amendments, easement vacation, engineering services, wildfire resiliency code adoption, agreements with SHPO, Boys & Girls Clubs, geothermal grants, temporary kennel emergency, and risk management services. Public hearings for these ordinances were set for March 23, 2026.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Elvis Martinez spoke against House Bill 26-1033 (the "Tamale Act"), arguing that homemade food sales avoid taxes and health inspections. He also opposed a fence at Regulaire Park citing safety concerns, and requested records from the mayor‘s office. He raised issues about body cameras during an arrest and criticized the city’s bidding process for roofing contracts, alleging that the low bidder was involved in litigation. He urged council to either vote down the current roofing contract or award it to the second-lowest bidder, Monument Roofing.
• Public testimony on R3 (EMO reclassification): Several residents spoke against the ordinance. Dave Desenzo expressed concern about reduced service at the airport. Don Coleut stated he suffered a heart attack and credited EMTs at Station 10 for saving his life. Beth Montoya (his daughter) and Susie Jaden (a nurse) also opposed the change, emphasizing the need for rapid emergency medical response. Julie Roten Valdez noted that previous speakers‘ concerns about response times had not been addressed. Dylan Priotto (IAFF Local 3) opposed the reclassification, arguing it would reduce advanced life support capabilities.
• Public testimony on Q2 (City Park Bath House): Eleanora Bartoli spoke in favor of the resolution, stating that 498 of 500 people she surveyed supported preservation and that historic buildings attract tourism.
• Public testimony on R4 (Goodnight Barn): Brad Bowers and Laurel Campbell spoke in favor of the quit claim deed, noting the city’s past support and the opportunity for future grants and tourism.

Discussion Items

• M1 – Roof Replacement at Water Reclamation Facility: Councilor Dante pulled this item due to concerns about a pending contract dispute with the low bidder, Colorado Front Range Roofing. City Attorney Carla Sykes confirmed that no final adverse determination had been made, so the contractor remained eligible. Staff reported the low bid was $450,000 with $45,000 contingencies. Passed 7-0.
• M5 – City Hall Upgrades: Staff explained that the original security upgrade project was underfunded; $50,000 was transferred to a new project for council space upgrades. The remaining balance of approximately $285,000 would be returned to the capital improvement fund. Passed 7-0.
• N5 – Programmatic Agreement with SHPO (First Reading): Staff presented an ordinance to streamline environmental clearance for demolitions by avoiding 30-day SHPO consultations when a property has lost historic integrity. Councilor Gomez voted no after discussion about condemnation processes. Passed 6-1, moving to second reading on March 23, 2026.
• N7 – CSAC Intergovernmental Agreement (First Reading): Staff explained the new IGA would revise the community services funding process, prioritizing first-time applicants, programmatic funding, and reduced-fee child care. Councilor Hernandez expressed concerns about funding organizations with high fee-for-service rates. The ordinance failed 3-4 (Aliff, Boston, Latino yes; Gomez, Hernandez, Dante, Ruiz Gomez no).
• N10 – PEDCO Settlement Agreement (First Reading): Staff described a settlement to resolve disputes with the Pueblo Economic Development Corporation, involving transfer of a city-deeded property. The building is currently tenant-occupied and self-sustaining. Passed 6-1 (Gomez no), moving to second reading.
• Q1 – NeighborWorks Golf Scramble Sponsorship: $500 from council contingencies to sponsor the annual golf event. Passed 7-0.
• Q2 – Support for City Park Bath House Grant Application: Resolution supporting Friends of City Park‘s grant application to History Colorado. Councilor Gomez praised collaborative efforts. Passed 7-0.
• R1 – Publication Notice on City Website (Final Reading): Allows posting property notices on the city website instead of in a newspaper, saving costs. Passed 7-0.
• R2 – Quit Claim Deed to CDOT (Final Reading): Transfers a former right-of-way property back to CDOT. Passed 7-0.
• R3 – Reclassification of EMO to Fire Engineer Positions (Final Reading): Proposed reclassifying three EMO positions at Station 10 to fire engineer positions, moving the incumbents to fill vacancies elsewhere. After extensive debate and public testimony, council voted 1-6 (Dante yes; all others no), so the ordinance failed.
• R4 – Quit Claim Deed to Goodnight Barn Historic Preservation (Final Reading): Council considered transferring the historic barn property to the nonprofit. Some members raised concerns about legal authority and future protections. Councilor Dante moved to postpone to April 13, 2026, to allow time to address reversion clauses. Passed 7-0.
• R5 – MOU with Pueblo Community Health Center (Final Reading): Authorizes primary health services at the homeless shelter at no extra cost to the city. Passed 7-0.
• R6 – Collective Bargaining Extension (Final Reading): Extends the contract with Pueblo Association of Government Employees for 2027 at zero wage increase to address budget constraints. Passed 7-0.

Key Outcomes

• Consent agenda approved 7-0, with public hearings set for March 23, 2026, for ordinances.
• M1 (roof contract) approved 7-0.
• M5 (City Hall upgrades) approved 7-0.
• N5 (SHPO agreement) advanced to second reading 6-1.
• N7 (CSAC IGA) failed 3-4, will not proceed.
• N10 (PEDCO settlement) advanced to second reading 6-1.
• Q1 (golf sponsorship) approved 7-0.
• Q2 (Bath House grant support) approved 7-0.
• R1 (publication notice) adopted 7-0.
• R2 (CDOT deed) adopted 7-0.
• R3 (EMO reclassification) failed 1-6.
• R4 (Goodnight Barn deed) postponed to April 13, 2026, 7-0.
• R5 (health center MOU) adopted 7-0.
• R6 (labor contract extension) adopted 7-0.