Pueblo City Council Meeting – April 28, 2026

On April 28, 2026, the Pueblo City Council held a regular meeting, presided over by Vice President Roger Gomez due to the absence of Council President Mark Aliff following the death of his wife. The meeting covered a projected $10.3 million budget deficit for 2027, resulting in cuts to recreation programs, a debate over community funding priorities, and approval of 30 Community Services Advisory Commission (CSAC) grant recommendations. The council also approved contingency sponsorships, several property agreements, and a police contract extension with no pay increase.

Consent Calendar

• All consent agenda items were approved unanimously (6-0), including revocable permits for the Chile and Frijoles Festival, the Outlaws Rod and Custom Car Club car show, CSU-Pueblo graduation, a fence encroachment, a solar lighting contract amendment, and a budget correction for a demolition project.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Aubrey Adams (Every Brain Matters) described attending the RX Summit in Nashville and meeting White House officials, sharing data on marijuana-related harms in Pueblo. She urged the city to prioritize prevention over drug-promotion policies.
• Rev. Margaret Graham introduced herself as the pastor of First African Methodist Episcopal Church and offered support to Councilman Roger Gomez.
• Noah Comperford (Latino Chamber of Commerce) highlighted the impact of Pueblo's 750 nonprofits, which employ over 9,000 people and generate $3.2 billion in economic activity. He expressed support for the nonprofit sector.
• Elvis Martinez requested street paving for West 29th Street, criticized misinformation on social media regarding his ethics complaints, and inquired about potential ballot measures for road funding.

Discussion Items

• Mayor Heather Graham presented a budget overview showing a projected $10.3 million deficit for 2027, with only $1.2 million in fund balance. She detailed $43,000 in program cuts (tennis, pickleball, movies in the park, etc.) and noted that operating four pools costs the city $370,000 annually. She also announced nine frozen positions, including a police captain, and that the police union had agreed to a zero percent pay increase for 2027.
• Councilmember Joe Latino praised first responders for recent fire responses and defended the tennis program, calling it a jewel that brings tourism revenue. He urged finding other ways to cut costs that do not hurt children.
• Councilmember Ted Hernandez visited MXV Rail (240 employees, $102k average salary) and supported stepping up as a community to fund tennis lessons if the city cannot. He also requested data on marijuana's impact from PDPHE.
• Councilmember Selena Ruiz Gomez attended the cannabis symposium and noted the Institute for Cannabis Research is willing to present to council. She emphasized community collaboration to address budget constraints and invited residents to a voter registration event on May 7.
• Councilmember Brett Boston acknowledged the budget crisis and emphasized economic development to grow sales tax revenue. He noted council contingency could potentially fund tennis but warned of setting a precedent.
• Vice President Roger Gomez criticized past spending on the boathouse and other projects, calling the $43,000 in cuts "lunch money" compared to larger expenditures, and urged prioritizing children.

Key Outcomes

• CSAC Ordinance (S2): Approved 5-1. The council adopted 30 of 33 CSAC recommendations, allocating $550,000 from the city (matched by $465,000 from the county) to local nonprofits. A joint work session was scheduled for June 1 to discuss funding criteria and equity.
• CASA of Pueblo (S4): Approved 6-0. $28,438 for salary support for case managers.
• Pueblo Crisis Pregnancy Center (S5): Approved 5-1. $25,964 for family support programs.
• Shelter Operations (S9): Approved 6-0. Transferred $145,000 in ARPA interest and $100,000 from general fund to shelter operations, with an additional $210,000 expected via a separate ordinance later.
• Police Contract Extension (S26): Approved 6-0. Extended the collective bargaining agreement for 2027 with no pay increase.
• Project Falcon Option (S27): Approved 6-0. Granted a two-month option to purchase 300 acres in St. Charles Industrial Park for $10, as part of a potential $65-68 million incentive package for a manufacturing facility.
• Native Plant Ordinance (S20): Approved 6-0. Updated weed codes to allow intentional native plant landscaping, including sunflowers, and removed height restrictions.
• Wildfire Resiliency Code (S21): Approved 6-0. Adopted the 2025 Colorado Wildfire Resiliency Code for new construction in wildland-urban interface areas.
• Habitat for Humanity Land Sales (S7, S8): Postponed to the May 11, 2026 meeting to correct deed types.
• Airport Restaurant Lease (S25): Approved 6-0. Leased the airport terminal restaurant space to SoCo Frontier Enterprises (local caterer).
• Other Unanimous Approvals: Included revocable permits for community events, a grant for pre-development work at 4th and LaCrosse (S6), a lease for Sunset Park (S11), taxiway engineering (S12), energy coordinator grant (S13), donation of security equipment to Villa Bella (S14), Big R lease (S15), Sky Corral donation agreement (S16), Polaris UTV donation from Police Foundation (S17), opioid settlement participation (S18), opioid abatement agreement with School District 60 (S19), and a funding adjustment for the Safe Streets for All plan (S24).
• Consent Agenda: All six resolutions (M1-M6) and three first-presentation ordinances (N1-N3) were approved, with public hearings set for May 11, 2026.

Adjournment

The meeting adjourned after approximately 4 hours and 15 minutes of deliberation.