City Council - Regular Meeting

Good morning. Welcome to the City of Colorado Springs City Council meeting for Tuesday, June 9th, 2026. Will the clerk please call the roll?

Councilmember Casey?

Here.

Councilmember Crowe-Iverson? Here. Councilmember Donaldson?

Here.

Councilmember Gold? Here I am. Councilmember Hengen? Present. Councilmember Leinweber?

Here.

Council Member Rainey. Here. Council Member Risley.

Here.

Council Member Williams. Here. All nine present.

Please stand for the invocation, and after that, the Pledge of Allegiance. Today we are joined by Pastor Wayne Dawson from the Springs First Church of Nazarene. Good morning. Can you make sure the green button's on so we can hear you? Thank you. Got it.

Let's pray. God, we're so grateful to be... here today thank you for all that are gathered here and first of all we want to honor you and thank you for the gift of life and and uh breath and god give us ears to hear today and eyes to see what you would have us to do thank you for your word thank you for your power thank you for your presence and uh lord we just love you so god just i just pray your blessing on this meeting thank you for our council and our citizens here the Thank you for the U.S. government. Thank you for the ways in which we can serve you. So God, give us wisdom and guidance in this meeting here today. May everything we do and say give you glory and honor. And Lord, we love you and we want to love others as you would love us. And so help us to serve you and honor you in everything we do and say. Give us your wisdom today. and guidance and compassion and love as we serve you and pray this all in the name of Jesus our Lord. Amen.

Amen.

I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

Amen.

We will now consider the consent calendar. These items will be acted on as a whole unless a specific item is called off for discussion by a council member or a citizen that wishes to address City Council. Is there anyone who wishes to pull an item off of the consent calendar?

Madam President, I'd like to call off 4BE.

Noted. Have a motion from Councilman Gould. Oh, all in favor of the consent calendar?

Aye. Any opposed?

Moving on to item 5A. Will the clerk please read item 5A into the record?

A resolution recognized in June 15, 2026 is Elder Abuse Awareness Day.

Councilman Lineweber.

Good morning, thank you. You know, I hate to even like, we're starting off such a great day with all of us in Western wear, and there's excitement, you know, we've got everything going on, and I get to talk about something that is happening right in our community, and it's discouraging, and it's but I think we all need to become kind of aware of it. So I'm gonna read this, and I believe someone might be here from Silver Key that's gonna give a comment. But I'm not seeing anybody right at the moment, but that's okay. Okay, a resolution recognizing June 15th as Elder Abuse Awareness Day, whereas June 15th has been designated as world elder abuse day to shine a light on physical emotional psychological and financial abuse of older adults and whereas the colorado springs city council recognizes that older adults are valued members of our community whose wisdom contributions and experience strengthen the city of colorado springs and whereas According to the Center of Disease Control and Prevention, approximately one in 10 older adults living at home experience abuse, neglect, exploitation each year. And research funded by the U.S. Department of Justice indicates that only one in 24 cases is ever reported to authorities. Whereas abuse, neglect, and exploitation inflicted upon vulnerable older adults crosses all social, economical, racial, cultural, geographical boundaries. And the National Center of Elder Abuse reports that nearly half of all incidents are perpetrated by a family member. And whereas the financial exploitation of older adults has reached a crisis level, with the FBI Internal Crime Complaint Center reporting that in 2025, more than 201,000 victims ages 60 and older lost over $7.2 billion to fraud. 36% increase in a single year, with the average victim losing $38,000. Whereas the Colorado Department of Human Services reports that elder protective services caseload has risen two thirds percent, I'm sorry, 32% over the decade, past decade, with more than 8,000 cases assigned statewide last year, reflecting both a growing older population and a rising vulnerability of our residents. And whereas protecting our older adults requires a coordinated community effort focused on prevention, education, awareness, advocacy, and access to supportive services that promote safety, dignity, and independence. And whereas raising awareness about elder abuse empowers residents, caregivers, families, professionals, and neighbors, to recognize warning signs, report concerns, and support the wellbeing and rights of older adults. And whereas community organizations, volunteers, advocates, and professionals throughout Colorado Springs are committed to preventing elder abuse through outreach, education, training programs, and compassionate care of older adults and their families. And whereas combating elder abuse and neglect combating elder abuse and neglect improves the quality of life for older adults and helps ensure that they may live safely, independently, and with dignity while continuing to contribute to the vitality of our community. Now, therefore, be it resolved, by the City Council of the City of Colorado Springs. The City Council of Colorado Springs hereby recognizes June 15th, 2026 as Elder Abuse Awareness Day in the City of Colorado Springs and urges all residents to recognize the importance of protecting older adults, promoting awareness, and supporting prevention efforts, and honoring the many contributions of older adults throughout our community. This is dated at Colorado Springs this ninth day of June, 2026, signed by Council President Lynette Crow-Iverson. so it's it's a disheartening story to tell and a terrible way to start the morning but it's something that is increasing in our community and we as a community need to become aware of it and that's the whole point of this reading today is to make everyone aware that it it's become a bigger problem And Jason's here to speak, and he'll be coming up and talking a little bit more.

Jason DeBueno with Silver Key, and I am the President and CEO and a social worker. And I want to thank the Council for the opportunity to be able to share with you, not only to echo what Council Member Lineweber has said, but also to emphasize the importance of what this means for our community. The importance is obviously here because I was just running from a meeting over at the County where they are also doing the recognition and the resolution related to the day as well. When people in our community are isolating and alone, and oftentimes that means older adults, they are frequently those are the ones that are most at risk. Most at risk for financial, meaning that sometimes people are isolating alone and they will receive calls asking for support for all these various reasons. Because they're so alone, their kind, compassion, commitment to others translates into them being abused. This recognizes that if we can start a way to be able to build community with trusted people that connect with elders in our community, that it will build a safety net of support proactively, not reactively. Oftentimes we hear about individuals that have been isolating alone and caregivers have been struggled to be able to care for them. And so what happens is sometimes dementia, sometimes other physical ailments come into play. Caregiving for an older adult is not for the faint of heart. It's a very large challenge. And sometimes the stressors and pressures of being a caregiver can translate into ways that you would never care for a grandparent or a parent or a friend the way that sometimes behaviours translate because people get so confused, they get so frustrated, caregivers so angry. And so for us to build a tapestry of support through a community is the invitation that happens with this recognition. Purple is the recognized nationally, the recognized color of being able to identify the day of June 15th as Elder Abuse Awareness Day. But this isn't just financial, it's exploitation, it's physical, it's mental, it's all the things that are ills that move a community to be unwell. The people that grew up here or the people that transitioned here that identify an older adult, we have the responsibility to build a community where people feel safe and secure. And this is one of many steps towards that. Thank you so much for sponsoring this. Thank you to the council for exploring whether this makes sense. And thank you for bringing this forward. I appreciate you. And if there's any questions, I certainly can address them.

Councilman Hingem. Thank you, Madam President. Good morning, Jason. I'm glad you're here. And I wanted to share actually a personal story. My mother, when she, after my father had died and she was, the early stages of dementia were starting and she was still living at home, and before we started moving her into more supported care, she was significantly taken advantage of by her hairstylist and she ended up giving her her car and over $10,000 in money, in cash. And I ended up needing to get a durable power of attorney to manage her finances to keep her from being at risk. Because as you said, she had a big heart and she didn't realize how she was being taken advantage of. Jason, I'm wondering, and I know we have here locally, the Pikes Peak Elder Justice Center, whose entire mission actually is around this issue. Can you say a little bit more about that center?

Thank you, Nancy, for bringing this forward. One of the things about the Elder Abuse Justice Center is that we go into partnership with them to be able to identify solutions. They have recently added transitional housing for individuals with memory loss, four beds to be able to move somebody to a safe space to be able to move forward into the community of support. also elder abuse justice center is is committed to the mission of building the understanding of the community's awareness of of what the issues are and how to address them so this week there's actually going to be a conference that's a local conference for people to be able to go learn share ideas solutions and then that means that we're very much engaging in a lot of the partners that we more traditionally known like Department of Human Services with the Adult Protective Services, but sometimes many of the non-traditional services, hairstylist is an example. People that identify and connect with older adults, this is not something that is about any demographic. It is about all socioeconomic status. It is about all race, religion. It doesn't matter. Anybody could be at risk. And that is what Elder Abuse Justice Center is bringing forward. The awareness, their mission is to make people aware and then to activate care. I hope that helps.

No, very helpful. I just wanted to make sure they were mentioned in the Area Agency on Aging. There are a number of agencies, and we need to be more and more aware as the demographic is growing, and we ourselves may be in this position someday. So thank you for being here, Jason. Thank you, Council Member Limeweber, for sponsoring this resolution.

Thank you, Council Member Pritchard.

I don't see any other comments. We have a motion from Councilman Gold and a second from Councilman Rainey. Let's vote.

The motion passes now to zero.

And if Jason, if you will join us down here for a celebratory picture, we'll be right down.

Thank you.

Moving on to item 5B, will the clerk please read item 5B into the record.

A resolution recognizing June 24th, 2026 is back to work day.

Councilman Lineweber.

Well, I get a privilege of having two today, which is pretty exciting. This one is much more, much more one that I wanna really talk about because we're gonna promote the idea of biking to work and the importance of really multi-mobile. Thinking about getting outdoors. I just attended a conference a couple of weeks ago back in D.C. It was a forum focused on the importance of just being outside. And Kaiser Permanente did a study in Northern California of all their patients within the Northern part of California. And what they determined, they were able to break it down that the average person that spends at least 15 minutes outdoors saves upwards of $324 a year in healthcare costs. Now if you think about that, $324 a year, you multiply that by a half million people in Colorado Springs, that's millions of dollars that could be saved if we could get people outdoors. And one of those ways that you could do that is to consider biking to work. And so that's really what this resolution is, is to talk about June 24th, which is bike to work day. So I encourage everyone to consider how they can get on their bike on the 24th and participate. There's gonna be stations and all sorts of stuff. You'll hear more about that in a second. So let me jump in on this. A resolution recognizing June 24th, 2026 as Bike to Work Day, whereas the City of Colorado Springs has long been a city that values active, healthy living opportunities and accessibility for all citizens, and whereas Colorado Springs holds national and international recognition as Olympic City, USA, home to the world-class outdoor recreation amenities, great natural beauty, and innovative and entrepreneurial spirit, and whereas research consistently demonstrates that regular physical activity, including cycling, and time spent outdoors significantly improves mental health outcomes, reduces symptoms of anxiety, depression, and stress, while stressing community connection and overall quality of life. And whereas active Transportation such as cycling provides measurable public health benefits, including reduced risk to cardiovascular disease, improves cognitive functions, better sleep, and enhanced emotional well-being, contributing to the healthier and more productive community. And whereas Colorado Springs is committed to collaborative, collaborative transportation solutions involving multiple partners to ensure transportation access and equality through trails, bike routes, safe crossings, signals and cycling partnerships that support economic opportunities for all citizens. And whereas cycling participation supports community wellbeing by easing traffic congestion, reducing strain on local infrastructure, and promoting a cleaner, more enjoyable environment that helps make Colorado Springs an attractive place to live and work. And whereas Bike to Work Day brings together businesses, nonprofits, communities, organizations, and city partners to celebrate cycling through advanced cycling clinics, free breakfast stations, and media engagement campaigns that lower barriers for new riders and builds lasting habits for active transportation. Therefore, be it resolved by the City Council of the City of Colorado Springs. City Council recognizes June 24th, 2026 as Bike to Work Day and encourages members of our community to participate by engaging in clinics, events, and activities offered throughout Colorado Springs. Council further encourages residents to celebrate that day by experiencing cycling as everyday transportation and supporting the local businesses and nonprofits that help this annual event possible. Dated Colorado Springs, Colorado, this ninth day of June 26, signed by Council President Lynette Crow Iverson. All right, is, there she is, come on up. Few words.

Yep, you wanna come up with me? Boy, that's real tall. My name is Carol Campbell. I own a company called Madwoman Marketing Strategies, and I am honored and privileged to be able to be contracted to the city to be the coordinator for Bike to Work Day. And on the surface, it kinda looks like I just throw a big party, but it's actually much deeper than that. This year, we will have 37 breakfast stations, largely in the core of the city center, but spread further out. One of the big missions has been to bring in Pike Ride, to bring in Mountain Metro Transit, that's why I brought Elaine up with me, to really encourage people to look at transportation differently. It is a big party on one day, and we do ask people to get out and give it a shot. I know we created a convert in Councilman Gold this last year, learned how to ride a bike, really enjoyed it. But truly from the programs that Pike Ride has that offer inexpensive access to folks experiencing homelessness or folks of less means to be able to get to and from work to the programs that Mountain Metro Transit offers to allow people access. That I don't think we look at transportation as a really key piece. I don't think we look at it as we should. Transportation is really important to our economic vitality. Of course, physical health, and it is a lot of fun. So Elaine, you want to talk a little bit about your breakfast station? Because it's a good one.

Every year we have a breakfast station that Mountain Metropolitan Transit sponsors along with Pike Ride. And we're outside the US Olympic and Paralympic Museum. We have our kind of claim to fame is we put out porta potties for people who are eating and riding a bike for a long way. We figure that that is kind of a necessity that is maybe missing in a lot of the breakfast stations. So we sponsor it. All of our buses have bike racks. buses sometimes we don't have them everywhere so it helps for people to be able to ride a bike to get to buses to do the final trip they can use our bike racks at any time and we very much support biking and busing they go together like peas and carrots so we love bikes and of course we love buses

So visit coloradosprings.gov slash bike to work and learn where you can have a free breakfast, as well as there's still a couple of clinics between now and then. If you haven't been on a bike, don't own a bike, don't know how to ride a bike, need to get in physical shape. So thank you for considering this. We appreciate it.

Councilman Hingham. Thank you, Madam President. I just want to say I am very happy that we're doing this resolution. Carol, thank you for your work and in helping to promote cycling to work and I am very very fortunate in that I can leave my house on my bike and be in a protected bike lane all the way to City Hall. And having protected bike lanes in our city is really fantastic way to support biking to work and of course we have our trails as well. And I'm also happy to say and I see Todd Frisbee who is our traffic engineer in the audience. He doesn't know I'm going to say this but I know of at least two in my district two signalized locations that have been added across very busy streets to make it safer for bikes and pedestrians to cross the streets. So we continue to work on making our city safe for cycling and for moving around our city in ways in addition to cars and buses. So thank you very much.

I don't have any more questions or comments from the dais. I have a motion from Councilman Gold and a second from Councilman Rainey. Let's vote.

And the motion passes nine to zero.

So if you'd like to meet us down here for a celebratory picture.

Thank you.

That's what Carol was saying. There needs to be a stepstool down here.

I'm not writing, to work I'll get killed on I-25. Moving on to item 5C. Will the clerk please read item 5C into the record?

Resolution recognizing June 17th, July 11th, and July 14th through the 18th as Western Wear Days.

Council Member Risley.

Thank you, Madam President. Good morning, everyone. I'm gonna read the resolution and then I think we've got a couple of folks in the audience that would like to say a few words about Western heritage. Before I do that, I just wanna comment that as a native of Colorado Springs, somebody that grew up here and that has experienced Western heritage as part of my lifestyle and part of my experience just growing up here, it's always a special moment when I get to read this resolution. So thank you all for being here. Whereas Colorado Springs is deeply rooted in Western heritage and continues to celebrate in the Western spirit of our culture and recognizes how our past continues to shape the Pikes Peak region. And whereas events such as the Colorado Springs Western Street Breakfast, the Pikes Peak or Bust Rodeo and the Pikes Peak or Bust Parade preserve and promote our wonderful heritage. And whereas on June 17th, 2026, the annual Colorado Springs Western Street Breakfast will be held along Tejon Street at Pikes Peak Avenue. and will bring the community together for a fun-filled send-off for the Pikes Peak Range Riders, whose annual ride around Pikes Peak is a cherished community tradition, which serves to promote the Pikes Peak Robust Rodeo as a wonderful centerpiece of summer and an important economic driver for the entire region. And whereas on July 11th, the Pikes Peak or Bust Rodeo event will see downtown Colorado Springs transform into a vibrant display of Western tradition, this year's parade will include little cowpoke stick horse races. And whereas the NFR Open at the Pikes Peak or Bust Rodeo is one of the most prestigious rodeos in the nation with performances running from July 14th through July 18th, This event is one of the highest paying events in pro rodeo and will be a key ingredient for cowboys and cowgirls shooting to qualify for the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo in Las Vegas taking place later in this year. And whereas the values defined by the Pikes Peak range riders, the cowboy way and the old west are not just a way of life limited to nostalgia. Since community gatherings, horses, rodeo challenges and parades are woven into the fabric of the Pikes Peak region. Now, therefore, be it resolved by the City Council of the City of Colorado Springs on June 17th, July 11th, and July 14th through the 18th, 2026, City Council urges members of the community to take part in these special events and wear Western attire on these days in commemoration of our heritage. Dated today, June 9th, and signed by our Council President. And again, this is a symbol of what it means to be part of Colorado, part of Western tradition, part of who we are as a community. And as I said, we've got some esteemed guests in the audience that I think wanna make some comments. One that I don't know is prepared to make some comments, but I wanted to recognize is the co-captain of the Rangerettes, Gilly Deloach, who's here actually shadowing council this week and learning about local politics. But please, I know we've got a couple of speakers, including Girl of the West, who are here to say a few words.

Well, thank you all for having us. We really appreciate it. Great job. I don't have much to say because you pretty much covered it all. But I will say the Range Riders are going on their 78th ride this year, which is pretty cool. And it's a great organization to be part of, and I'm proud to be part of it. I've only lived here for 32 years, but it's been awesome to be part of it. So our story really began in 1949 with Ken Brookhart and Everett Conover and a handful of local businessmen who... rode around Pikes Peak to promote the Pikes Peak or Bust Rodeo back in the day. Our sole mission with 200 members, business leaders, horsemen, volunteers, community supporters are all united by to promote and support the Pikes Peak or Bust Rodeo and support our Range Rider Foundation and carry on our Western heritage. One of the places closest to our heart, if you don't know, is a 45 acre facility we have out east of town called Latigo. That's a facility where we teach the next generation the values of the cowboy way. And today that place is busy 48 weeks out of the year. Every weekend that place is full of kids and people riding horses and it's really neat to see. It's also home to the incredible Pikes Peak Rangerettes. They're talented women from 12 to 20 who proudly support our community in rodeos, parades, and events across the Front Range. Their dedication, discipline and passion are truly inspiring to watch and you will see them somewhere in these days, I promise. This year, we're honored to have Kaylee, who's serving as Girl of the West, who you'll hear from later. And she spends countless hours promoting, serving our community, promoting the rodeo, representing the values and traditions that we hold dear. And I would personally like to invite each and every one of you to the street breakfast downtown June 17th that starts at 5.30 a.m. And we will be leaving sharp at 8 o'clock. there will be uh my last count is 146 riders we'll all be horseback plus i think we have some i don't know if they're here today or not but we have some pretty elite people joining us on that ride and we're glad to have you so thank you very much for having us today

Good morning, I'm Laurie Carroll, President of the Pikes Peaker Bus Rodeo Board of Directors. Thanks for the opportunity to speak with you this morning. I will tell you a little bit about the rodeo's history and then you'll hear from our girl of the west who will tell you what to expect at the rodeo this year. Spencer Penrose started our rodeo in 1937 as a way to attract tourism to Colorado Springs. We are the second oldest event in the community right behind the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb. For nearly nine decades, with only a few exceptions during World War II and COVID, this rodeo has brought our community together year after year. After World War II, rodeo leadership focused the rodeo in a different direction. It was then that the decision was made from 1946 on, all the proceeds from the rodeo would go to local military and their families. That's a key part of our mission that we're all passionate about. Many people on the board, like myself, are veterans. We have over hundreds of volunteers that help put on the rodeo every year. They're also passionate about the mission, and many of them are veterans also. Our community event is supported by thousands of local fans and sponsored by many local area businesses and organizations, as well as regional and national sponsors. We're thankful for all that support for our event as we honor Western heritage and support our local military and their families. Our rodeo has grown in national visibility and attracts attendees from all 50 states, Canada, Mexico, and many other countries outside of the United States. We're proud to showcase the Pikes Peak region and all it has to offer our fans and our contestants. Pikes Peak Corpus Rodeo is led by an all-volunteer board and hundreds of volunteers who put their time and effort in to support the mission. we greatly appreciate our local military and their families sacrifices we're passionate about giving back to them thank you again for your time and we look forward to seeing you at the rodeo

Good morning. I'm Terry Gilbert, a member of the Girl of the West program. And I want to introduce to you today our 2026 Girl of the West, Kaylee Grippentrog. Kaylee's the daughter of Laura and Todd Grippentrog. She was a member of the Pikes Peak Rangerettes for three years, where she served as assistant secretary in 2024 and captain in 2025. She has been showing horses the past two years in both English and Western disciplines. She is a graduate of the Village High School in Colorado Springs and plans on attending college where she will study animal science. Kaylee has many members who are currently serving in the military, including her brother, who recently graduated from basics in the US Army. Kaylee.

Hi, my name is Kaylee. I am the Girl of the West, and I serve as the proud ambassador for the Pikes Peaker Bus Rodeo. Guess what? We're getting ready to rodeo. That's right, the NFR Open at the Pikes Peaker Bus Rodeo, presented by John Deere, takes place right here in Colorado Springs, July 14th through 18th. when the top professional rodeo cowboys and cowgirls from the US, Canada, and Mexico compete to be named PRCA Circuit Champions. There's bragging rights in play and mega prize money to win. Watching pro rodeo live and in person is like no other pro sport experience. And watching it with America's Mountain as the backdrop is as good as it gets. It is where pride of country is felt by everyone at every performance. You'll get to see the top contestants in all of North America bringing their A-game to the scenic and historic Norris Penrose Event Center to compete in bareback riding, breakaway roping, steer wrestling, team roping, saddle bronc riding, tie-down roping, barrel racing, and bull riding. saturday night july 18th is when the national circuit champions will be crowned there are seven performances july 14th through 18th with evening performances tuesday through saturday starting at 7 30 pm grounds open at 4 pm and matinee performances friday and saturday starting at 12 30 pm grounds open at 10 a.m there's a lot to love about this rodeo and i'd like to tell you why it is so special to me This legacy event reminds us to celebrate and preserve our Western heritage and values, all while hosting the best in the sport of professional rodeo. I am proud to say I was raised with these Western values, and it is important to me that we honor our local military at every performance. U.S. Army, SMDC, and MDA on Tuesday night, Fort Carson, 4th Infantry Division on Wednesday evening, First Responder and 300 Second Airlift Wing on Thursday evening. Military Family Day and 10th Special Forces Group at the Friday matinee. Space Night on Friday evening. The United States Air Force Academy at the Saturday matinee. And NORAD US NORTHCOM on Saturday evening. The Pikes Beaker Bus Rodeo has been giving back to our local military and their families since 1946. I am passionate about that mission. I have two insider tips for you. First, how about free parking? Skip the traffic with free garage parking and free shuttles to the rodeo and back to your car for every performance. Kick back and enjoy the ride. Details are on our website, pikespeakerbus.org. The second tip, get the best price on tickets at the trusted source. Our website, pikespeakerbus.org. Avoid the scammers and resellers. You'll want to arrive early to grab a bite and check out the apparel and other Western fare our vendors have for sale. There's tons of fun in the fan zone, with kid-friendly activities, rides, mutton-busting prelims, and plenty more vendors, plus the feedlot tent and beer and wine corral. Be sure to stick around after the rodeo for autographs from the contestants, the rangerettes, visiting royalty, and me, your girl, the West. Then, live music and dancing await in the Coors Roadhouse Saloon. Be ready to wave when you see our awesome pink Ram truck from Perkins Motors all over town. We will be heading out to represent our rodeo at military installations, community events, and stopping by to see some of the generous sponsors who helped make this event possible. Hope to see you bright and early downtown Colorado Springs on June 17th for the annual Colorado Springs Western Street Breakfast in the official send off for the Pikes Peak Range Riders annual ride. Then we'll be ready to welcome you to the NFR Open at the Pikes Beaker Bus Rodeo, July 14th through 18th. Tickets are selling fast. Get yours today at pikesbeakerbus.org. See you there. Councilman Williams.

Thank you, President Crowe-Iverson. Thank you, Pro Tem Risley. This is my heritage, so thank you for continuing this. My grandfather actually used to drive the Surrey for the range riders back in the day, and my dad had a huge picture of that in his office. My dad's only claim to fame was the wild horse race, which I don't even think they do anymore, but I loved watching that as a child. And my dad was a rancher and I grew up with cows every weekend and had to fix fence after school and everything that goes with that. So thank you for continuing this. I think, One of the things I've learned after sitting in this position is if everybody could work on a ranch after they graduated from high school, I think we'd have a completely different community. Because at no point in time do you not get to feed the cows. At no point in time can you just kind of sit back and go, I'm sure somebody's going to take care of it. It really teaches you that life is active participation and we're all involved. I haven't made it to that life goal yet, but I think that'd be one of my goals is to really immerse everybody in what that means and what that brings to society. So thanks for continuing this.

Councilman Hingem. Thank you, Madam President. And Kayleigh, I'm so impressed. I'm always so impressed with the Girl of the West. And you present yourself so beautifully and you memorize that very long set of information and present it in a really beautiful way. I also want to just let people know about another rodeo in our state that actually doesn't conflict with the Pikes Peak or Bust Rodeo. It's the Rocky Mountain Regional Gay Rodeo, and it's at the Jefferson County Fair from July 10th through 12th. And that organization, the Colorado Gay Rodeo Association, started in 1985. And so they will be having their rodeo as well. And And also, I really appreciate the intersection that you all, that you take care of the military and that you made that decision so long ago to support our military community. So I don't know what the right thing to say is on good luck for the rodeo, but yeah, I wish you the best. Councilman Donaldson.

Yeah, thanks, Madam President. Kaylie, I also want to say thank you to you. Excellent presentation. And then to the others that spoke today, thank you for what you're doing. And as a veteran myself, you know, I appreciate that side of the rodeo too, or the Western Street Breakfast and the funding for veterans and their families. But again, thank you for being here and great, fantastic presentation.

So unless there are any other members of the audience that want to speak on this, I'll turn it back over to Madam President for the vote.

We have a motion from Councilman Gold and a second from Councilman Williams. Let's vote.

And the motion passes nine to zero.

So meet us up front for a celebratory picture, please. Moving on to item 5D, will the clerk please read item 5D into the record.

A resolution recognizing June 19th, 2026 is Juneteenth Freedom Day.

Councilman Rainey.

Thank you very much, Madam President. And what an honor it is again for the second year in a row to sponsor this resolution and to see so many in the audience right now to be here in support of this resolution. And while I have a couple of members after I read the resolution that will speak on Juneteenth, I also want to take the quick opportunity to be respectful and protocol to recognize a couple of folks that are in the audience right now. And it's always great to have Colorado representation here of elected. So I see that we have Colorado State Senator Tony Exum that's in the audience. We also have Colorado House Rep Regina English that's also in the audience. And I also see sitting right up here in the front, we have the president of the Black Chamber, Donald Deese. So thank you all for being here. And there's others I'm going to introduce later, but I just want to make sure I recognize those elected here this morning. Before I read the resolution, I want to just highlight that when we talk about Juneteenth, It's one of those moments where there's a lot of great celebration, but what an opportunity to do some reflection, right? And one of the reflection moments is just reminding us that liberty is most important and meaningful when it reaches every person and every community. And as we reflect and honor those that endured the hardship of during that timeframe, fighting for equality. Let this be an opportunity for us to renew our commitment to justice and unity and opportunity. But also, Juneteenth is not just a reflection of our past. It's an inspiration for the future. And as I continue to see as many leaders as I do in here today and see all the folks that do a lot of great work, a lot of celebrations around the city of Colorado Springs, around the state of Colorado, around the great nation that we live in, once again, let us constantly reflect on those moments of where we were where we currently are, and the bright future that it takes all of us to make. So with that, I'll go ahead and read today's resolution. A resolution recognizing June 19th, 2026, as Juneteenth Freedom Day, whereas June 19th, known as Juneteenth Freedom Day, is a nationally recognized holiday commemorating the end of slavery in the United States and celebrating the enduring legacy, culture, and heritage of Black and African American communities. And whereas Juneteenth marks the day in 1865 when Union soldiers arrived in Galveston, Texas, more than two years after the Emancipation Proclamation and informed enslaved African-Americans of their freedom, symbolizing a long overdue fulfillment of liberty and justice for all. And whereas on this day, we honor the courage and sacrifice of civil rights leaders, including the unwavering commitment of Miss Opal Lee, known as the godmother of Juneteenth, who raised national awareness and inspired the successful campaign to make Juneteenth a federal holiday. And whereas we acknowledge the contributions of black residents to civic, cultural and economic development in Colorado Springs, whereas the city of Colorado Springs is committed to being a culturally rich and welcoming community and celebrating Juneteenth as an opportunity to reflect on our history and learn from it. Now therefore, be it resolved by the City Council of the City of Colorado Springs, City Council recognizes June 19th, 2026 as Juneteenth and call upon all members of our community to commemorate this day with reflection, education, celebration, and to reaffirm our collective commitment to supporting opportunities for all. Data Colorado Springs, Colorado, this night, day of June, 2026, signed Council President Lynette Crow Iverson. And with that being said, I would like to take the opportunity to invite a few folks up to speak. Shirley Martinez, Earl Schaffer, Dr. Regina Lewis, and the president of the NAACP, Angie Stevens. Would you please come up and say a couple of words? Thank you, Shirley, as always.

Thank you. And thank you for having us. I mean, wow. We got a lot of stuff going on this month, don't we? And so we're gonna be spread real thin, sometimes, which I love rodeo, because I grew up in a rural area where we had horses and pigs in the back, and even though I was an Air Force brat, we still had that, and I live in Fountain, and we have our own rodeo in Fountain. um so you know excited for that excited for the biking because i'm with one of the podcasters that will be out there doing breakfast the diversity council has their own podcast now so we'll be doing breakfast for the bikers that morning so we're just excited about how everybody comes together in this city and helps each other out and with that being said with juneteenth That's a big weekend. That's a big week with the rodeo and motocross. And there's a lot of stuff happening. But for us, the biggest thing is celebrating Juneteenth. And I'd like to start out with Earl, Pastor Earl Schaefer, to speak on Juneteenth.

Good morning, Council President Crow Iverson, and all of you, our Colorado Springs City Council representatives. My name is Minister Earl Schaefer, Jr., and on behalf of the Pikes Peak Diversity Council, the Dr. King Legacy Preservation Society, and all of those here who are gathered to commemorate Juneteenth, thank you very much for issuing this proclamation and recognizing the significance of this day in our community. As we celebrate Juneteenth, we remember June 19th, 1865, when the last enslaved African Americans in Texas learned of their freedom. More than two years after the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation, Juneteenth reminds us that freedom delayed is still worth pursuing. and that liberty must be proclaimed, protected, and practiced. This year is especially meaningful. Why? Because we're celebrating 150 years of Colorado Springs, a city founded in 1871 during the era of reconstruction. and when our nation was striving to define what freedom truly looked like after slavery. The story of Colorado Springs cannot be told without acknowledging the contributions of countless African Americans who have built this city, served this institutions, established churches and businesses, and strengthened the very civic fabric of our community despite barriers and discrimination. As our nation approaches its 250th birthday this year, 2026, we're reminded that the American story is not just a story of perfection, but a continuing pursuit of the ideals expressed in our founding documents. Liberty, equality, justice for all. Juneteenth stands as one of the clearest examples of America moving closer toward those ideals. The prophet Amos declared, let justice roll down like waters and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream. That scripture reminds us that justice is not a destination, but a continual commitment. Likewise, the Apostle Paul writes in Galatians 5 and 1 that it is freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm then and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery. Freedom carries with it both a privilege and a responsibility. And here in Colorado Springs, we honor the legacy of black educators, veterans, clergy, entrepreneurs, civic leaders, families, whose contributions have helped shape this very city that we celebrate today. Their stories are a part of Colorado Springs' story and their victories are part of America's victory. 160 years after Juneteenth, 150 years into the life of Colorado Springs, and now today on the eve of America's 250th birthday, we recommit ourselves to the unfinished work of freedom, unity, and opportunity for everybody. As we mark 150 years of this great city of Colorado Springs and prepare to celebrate 250 years of our nation, may we continue building a Colorado Springs where every child sees opportunity, where every family is treated with dignity, and where every resident feels like they belong. city council thank you very much for this proclamation because it's more than just words on a page once again it reaffirms your commitment to the residents of this city in a world where diversity equity and inclusion seem to be more than a talking point and it seems to be that the very freedoms that we have fought for are being pulled back on a daily i I thank you for this, not only symbolic gesture, but this practical gesture that you all are reaffirming what it means to represent everybody in a city. Thank you for this proclamation, for your partnership, and for helping preserve the spirit and the significance of Juneteenth for everybody. May God continue to bless Colorado Springs, and may God continue to bless these United States of America.

We next have Angie Stevens, president of our NAACP.

It's always interesting to follow Minister Schaffer. To City Council President Crow Iverson and esteemed council members, good morning. I am Angela Stevens, president of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, NAACP, Colorado Springs branch. On behalf of the local NAACP and various Juneteenth celebrations happening throughout our community next week, we thank you. To highlight some of the Juneteenth marks, the day when federal troops arrived in Galveston, Texas on June 19th, 1865, to take control of the state and ensure that all enslaved people We're freed. The troops arrival came to a full two years, two and a half years after the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation. We know that if we do not teach and remember our history, we will be bound to repeat it. And we are in a time where that can be so. The 15th Amendment to the Constitution removed racial barriers to voting in 1870.

Sorry about that.

White men aged 21 and older who owned property were granted the right to vote in 1776. The 15th Amendment to the Constitution removed racial barriers to voting in 1870, but states continue to practice voter discrimination and deny black voters a chance to vote. The right to vote was extended to white women in 1920. It wasn't until 1965 after years of intimidation, murder, and advocacy, that the path to voting booth was cleared for black people and the Federal Voting Rights Act of 1965 was established. If you're keeping track, that's 100 years after slavery was abolished and 102 years after the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation. Just eight days after Martin Luther King led the peaceful civil rights march in Selma, Alabama, President Lyndon B. Johnson announced his intention to pass the Federal Voting Rights Act to ensure that no federal, state, or local government could in any way impede people from voting because of their race or ethnicity. He signed the Voting Rights Act into law later that year, banning racial discriminatory voting practices, including literacy tests. Originally, legislators hoped that within five years its passage, the issues surrounding the 1965 Voting Rights Act would be resolved and there would be no further need to enforce related provisions. They were wrong. Congress had to extend the provision for blacks to vote in 1970, 1975, 1982, and most recently 2007 for 25 years. That means that in 2032, black and brown may not have the right to vote unless we pass the John Lewis Voting Rights Act. The city of Colorado Springs has a primary election on June 30th. Ballots went out yesterday. Everyone in the audience, on the council, back here, everyone needs to vote. All right, our voting rights are under attack. Voting rights remain under attack with mail-in ballots, gerrymandering district lines, and tampering with voting ballot boxes. Healthcare is under attack, from prescription drugs to women's healthcare. Housing is under attack, from affordable housing being increasingly not affordable. Education is under attack, cutting educational budgets, dismantling Board of Education, trying to do that, and slaughtering school curricula that barely teach history that support black and brown in native history. I do want to take a privilege to thank Representative English and Senator Exum for getting the legislation passed that black history will be taught K through 12 in Colorado. We must stand up and celebrate our people when we can and continue to tell our stories. I do wanna mention the NAACP Colorado Springs Branch Freedom Fund Breakfast will be June 19th, doors open at seven, program starts at 7.30. You're all invited. Please, yeah, please let us know by Friday this week so that we can make sure that we can get you seated comfortably. Again, thank you for the proclamation and the opportunity to address the council this morning.

And everyone, please remember to vote.

Thank you, President Angela. And now we have Dr. Regina Lewis.

Raise it up. Well, hello everyone. I'm glad to be here. When I was asked to speak, I had to sit with myself to think, how does Juneteenth apply to everyone that's in this room and beyond? And I started to think about that deeply. Juneteenth teaches us something very, very powerful Freedom was actually declared, but not everyone received the information. This lesson matters today. It matters in the infusion of our actions. And I'm talking about informed actions. Informed action takes responsibility. And when we think about responsibility, we must think about at least three things. And those things that are required of us is number one, to ask compelling questions. Questions such as, who knows? Who doesn't know? And who is benefiting from information that's being withheld? The second thing is for us to examine the impact of our personal interest and our perspectives. We must look beyond our own perspectives and start thinking about how our interest impacts other people, especially those who are overlooked or unheard. And lastly, to be able to evaluate our sources and also to rely on evidence. Juneteenth reminds us that evidence matters. Facts matter. Truth matters. And when these things don't matter, a community suffers. So Juneteenth isn't just a celebration of freedom. It is a reminder that knowledge, perspective and truth are powerful. When we ask better questions, when we take time to examine our own assumptions and when we rely on evidence, We become a better community. We become better citizens. And we become better leaders. Thank you, and happy Juneteenth.

And I'm going to close it out. So again, thank you for having us, President Crow Iverson, Roland, and all the team is what I call you, because you're our team. Today we gather to commemorate a defining moment in American history, which is the June 19, 1865, which, by the way, The last state was in, I think it was Maine, in December of 1865. So that history continued on. More than two years after that Emancipation Proclamation, the last enslaved people in Galveston, Texas finally received the word, which we all understand, which is our history. This delayed announcement reminds us that freedom, To be meaningful must reach every person in every place and without hesitation and without exception. So here in Colorado, the story of Juneteenth has deep and proud roots. I know you don't know that it started with emancipation 73 years ago here in the state of Colorado. Also, it started in the 1950s in the Denver's historic Five Points, a neighborhood often called Harlem of the West. It became the cultural home of Juneteenth in our state. Families, churches, civic leaders, and business owners transformed Walton Street into a vibrant celebration of freedom, culture, and community pride. Their commitment ensured that the legacy of emancipation, so that's what it was called back then, remained alive for future generations. But right here, what I call in River City, Colorado Springs in 1991, we started that tradition of Juneteenth here in Colorado Springs. For 25 years until 2016, our city honored the holiday with education, music, community unity. Those gatherings strengthened relationships, elevated local voices, and affirmed the importance of remembering that shared history. And that used to be a three-day event back then, all the way until 2016. So, What I say is initially Juneteenth, with coming back in 2021, music and community gathering is what we brought people together in joy and fellowship. But that year also marked a renewed commitment to the educational foundation. of the holiday the pikes peak diversity council the naacp the african-american genealogy group and several other community organizations work collectively to restore the historical context of juneteenth and the learnings of juneteenth for our city this leadership ensured that this celebration once again reflects both on the spirit and the substance of the holiday As our nation approaches America's 250 and 150 for Colorado, Juneteenth stands as a vital reminder of the work that has shaped our democracy. These milestones call us to reflect honestly on our past, its progress, its challenges, and the unfinished promises. Juneteenth is central to that reflection. It highlights the resilience, contributions, and leadership of African Americans who have helped define the character and the conscience of our nation. But Juneteenth is not only about the history, it's about the responsibility. It calls us to build communities where equity is practiced, where opportunity is accessible, and where every resident feels seen, valued, and included. It calls us to ensure that, Lessons of the past guide the decisions we make today, and it calls on us to prepare a future where freedom is not delayed, not uneven, and not symbolic so much as it's fully realized. So as we honor this emancipation that started in the legacy in Five Points, we continue the commitment ongoing into the future And I'd like to just say, after saying that, we've got a slew of events for you that weekend, starting with the NAACP breakfast on the 19th, and then following with the African American Historical Society event over at the Black History Museum. And then Concrete Couch is actually doing an art and cultural event on the 19th, on Juneteenth. Pikes Peak Diversity Council decided, working with the Pioneers Museum, And the Senior Center, Silver Key, will be doing an evening event there at the Senior Center of the Education of the History of Juneteenth. And then we have the Southern Colorado Juneteenth that will be that weekend at Norris Penrose Center. And there's other events as well. Freedom Ranch has just happened an event. But let's not forget, with all of that going on, and I know there's a lot going on, because motocross is going on that weekend too, that we celebrate together, that if we go to one event, we can go to other events. A lot of the events for Juneteenth are free, and you don't have to stay all day, but at least make a presence. Go in and learn about the community, different types of community there for Juneteenth and celebrate with us. So I thank you and you have fans and this is part of culture and history for Juneteenth because as we remember back in the day, what the churches do to get messages out. They used a fan. That's how they got messages out to everybody. So it's part of history as well. So thank you for having us today, and happy Juneteenth.

Thank you, Shirley. But the dais, Councilman Hingem.

Thank you, Madam President. Shirley and everyone, thank you. for coming and speaking and doing such a good job of both reminding us and educating us about the emancipation, about when it was declared and then when it was delivered. And there was a gap there. And there's still a gap today. And we are closing that gap even as we speak. And you did a very nice job helping us understand where that gap still exists and where we're still at risk. So thank you for that. And then I look forward to the Juneteenth breakfast. But I want to make a really important point here, just a note of education. That this, what we're doing today, is not a proclamation. At City Council, proclamations can be signed and administered by the President of Council. President of Council has that authority to do that. A resolution requires the vote of all nine members. It means we are resolute. So be looking for a 9-0 resolution in support of this very, very important day in history.

Thank you.

Councilman Gould.

Thank you, Council President. I just want to say thank you to everyone here. I especially want to give a shout out to Miss Juneteenth for being in the house today. And I want to sincerely thank Council Member Rainey for getting this on the agenda. What a powerful thing that you did for us here today. And I just really want to thank you. In the resolution, Council Member Rainey mentioned Ms. Opalee. And I just want to take a second to share a little bit of information about her. She will be turning 100 years young this year in October. She advocated for Juneteenth for decades. And it was finally in 2021 where the Honorable Joe Biden decided to declare it a national holiday. She advocated for decades, y'all. Advocacy can be slow, it can be grueling, but it is worth what it can do for the collective people of the United States of America. So I want to highlight her and I do want to give her a shout out because she did come to Colorado Springs a few years ago and she graced us with her presence and her joy and her energy. And man, I just hope that in my 90s I can be just an ounce of energy that she has. So thank you everybody and happy Juneteenth.

Councilman Lineweber.

Yeah, I just want to thank everybody that came forward, particularly the pastor, man. I'm going to come to your church, man. But I've really enjoyed Juneteenth, and I've participated quite a bit in the past. I'm going to miss this one because I'm going to be out of town, so I'm a little bit disappointed because I really enjoy it. But the big thing about this that's so important is what brings community together is storytelling. And The stories I heard today just kind of, it just kind of like, it brings us together to remember, to know what people are going through, what their experiences are and identifying with them. That's where I think it really starts is taking time to listen to someone's story. And so I just wanna highlight that point, thanks.

Oh, Councilman Rainey.

Thank you, Madam President. I just want to end by saying, once again, thank you to everyone that is here today. But more importantly, no matter what side of the aisle politically you're on, and no matter what your political ideology is, when I look at this audience, I know I got a beautiful city. So Colorado Springs is just beautiful. It's a beautiful city. Thank you. So thank you all for being here.

I have a motion from Councilman Gold and a second from Councilman Rainey. Let's vote.

And the motion passes nine to zero.

Councilman Rady, who are you having up for the picture that will determine where we stand?

Yes, as I mentioned, and I wasn't joking, we are a beautiful city, so we will take a beautiful photo here. So anyone who wants to be a part of this photo, please come to the front and depending on that number, I think the rest of the council will stay up on the dais.

That's correct, thank you.

Thank you.

Moving on to item 5E, will the Clerk please read item 5E into the record?

City Council Appointments to Boards, Commissions, and Committees.

We have a couple members for Boards and Commissions. The Colorado Springs Downtown Development Authority, Two vacancies occurred on the Downtown Development Authority due to completed terms. Advertisements and interviews were conducted by Colorado Springs Downtown Development Authority and appointments were reappointed or reviewed by Council Liaison Brandi Williams. BJ Hibble and Tim Seibert are recommended for the appointment as voting members. Additionally, Patrick Stevens and Troy Coates are recommended for reappointment. Councilman Williams, do you have any comments?

Thank you, President Carr-Iverson. I do not have any comments, and we're excited to have them on the board.

Moving on to the Greater Downtown Colorado Springs Business Improvement District. Two vacancies occurred on the Greater Downtown Colorado Springs Business Improvement District due to completed terms. Advertisements and interviews were conducted by the Greater Downtown Colorado Springs Business Improvement District, and the appointments and reappointments were reviewed by Council Liaison Randy Williams, Beatrice Solo, and Jimmy Pesmentobe. How do you say that? Did I say that correctly? Are recommended for appointment as voting members. Michael Brantner is recommended for reappointment. Wada Benedetti is recommended for the first term and has initially served a partial term on the Greater Downtown Springs Business Improvement District since July 2024. Councilman Williams, do you have any comments? Thank you, President Coriarson.

I do not have any comments. And once again, excited for them to serve.

by our Board of Appeals. Council liaison Brian Risley recommends to reappoint Justin Sharkey. Councilman Risley, do you have any comments?

Thank you, Madam President. I don't believe that Mr. Sharkey is here today, but I just wanted to thank him for his ongoing service to the Fire Board of Appeals. It's a very important board and one that we definitely need the expertise that people like Mr. Sharkey represent.

Pikes Peak Area Council of Government's Community Advisory Committee. A vacancy occurred on the Pikes Peak Area Council of Government's Community Advisory Committee due to the member resignation on May 28th. Council liaison Roland Rainey re-interviewed applicants. Amanda DeMarco is recommended for appointments as a voting member. Councilman Rainey, do you have any comments?

Thank you very much, Madam President, and just want to highlight the important work that the PPACG CAC does from environmental planning, transportation planning, military land use, and comprehensive economic development. So Amanda, very happy that you're going to be a part of this new endeavor. I see the energy in you, and I think the CAC is definitely going to be even better off with you being a part of the committee. So congratulations and get to work.

Planning Commission, a vacancy occurred on the Planning Commission due to a completed term. On May 29th, Council Liaisons Ken Casey and Dave Donaldson interviewed applicants with the Planning Director, Planning Commission Chair, and Vice Chair. Aaron Egbert is recommended for appointment as a voting member. Additionally, Henry Wright Weisner and Daniel Wei are recommended for appointment as alternative members. Councilman Casey and Donaldson, do you have any comments?

Okay, thank you Madam President. I believe Mr. Egbert's here in the back and I want to thank him and the others. We had a very strong group of applicants for these positions and I believe we've, Those we've selected will serve the city well, and as we all know up here, Planning Commission's really a challenging commission. It requires a lot of work, and their recommendations to Council and their decisions are very important for the future of the city, so thank you for your willingness to serve on this commission. We look forward to working with you.

Councilman Casey?

i'd echo councilmember donaldson's comments i also want to take a moment to recognize the reason why we had a vacancy was andrea slatterly had completed two terms in the planning commission when i joined the planning commission two years ago andrea was the chair and she set an example as both a commissioner as a chair It really helped me prepare to become the chair a year later. She was always well-prepared, thoughtful in her analysis, respectful of members of the public during public comments, and despite the passionate discussions, focused on the actual issues in the applications, the Unified Development Code and the city's comprehensive plan, Plan COS. So I want to thank Andrea for her service and her leadership, and I know she'll continue to serve her community well.

I have a motion from Councilman Hinchum and a second from Councilman Rainey. Let's vote.

And the motion passes nine to zero.

Moving on to items, mayor's business. Is there any mayor's business this morning?

Couple items, Madam Chair. First, we had our second of, I guess give a little background. At the city, many of our supervisors come from the ranks of our employees, and so that's, we like to promote from within, and so in order to provide training, we have supervisor forums. We've worked with El Pamar, and we appreciate their assistance. We were able to use the pavilion. for a very large supervisor training event for half a day and appreciate those who step forward, but we also want to make sure we provide them support as they step into new roles or continue in existing roles as supervisors. Our employees are a critical part of the city and we think it's an important part of providing the training for our background. We also continue to work on airport and other issues. And I would note that on May 29th, We had a very successful round table with members, with landowners who own land near the military bases and with the representatives of the military bases. And finally, we are working with Pikes Peak Library District to see if there can be some partnerships that will work together for the benefit of the people in the community. Thanks.

Moving on to item seven. Will the clerk please read, which is items called off consent calendar. Will the clerk please read item 4BE into the record.

An ordinance to amend zoning map of the city of Colorado Springs pertaining to approximately 7.93 acres located at 1625 Spring Crest Road from Business Park with conditions of record high-rise overlay and United States Air Force Academy overlay. Two mixed-use mediums go with United States Air Force Academy overlay. This is quash out judicial. It's the first reading only to set the public hearing date for July 14, 2026. Thank you.

I'm the one that called it off. While I understand that it was changed to set the hearing date, This is still an ordinance that plays a role, and Kevin, you might as well sit down. I'm being told I can't ask questions. You couldn't answer them anyway. So I pulled this off because my vote will be based upon the information that I received, which was somewhere between 800 pages and 1,000 pages, and I'm not comfortable moving this forward to a hearing, so I will be voting no at this stage.

It's just setting the hearing date. Okay.

I'm just here to answer questions.

I need a motion. I have a motion from Councilman Donaldson.

Yeah, thank you.

Yeah, thank you, Madam President. Just to add to Councilwoman Williams' comments, I have pointed this out multiple times in the past that this is a problem with, we have changed, we used to vote twice on these ordinances. We got the presentation during the first hearing We had a full understanding of it, we voted the first time, two weeks later we came back and voted the second time. And there were occasions, and that made a very big difference, the one that comes to mind for me is 2424 Garden of the Gods, and I think we got it right on the second vote. The way we do it now is we simply pass it on consent with no information except what's in the packet, but the inability to ask questions, and then we come back, one hearing, you see it once, it may raise some questions in your mind, and then we vote and it's over. And I think the way we did it in the past was better, and I would recommend that Council consider going back to that process.

Thank you.

Councilman Risley.

Thank you, Madam President. I'm just wondering if our city attorney would opine a little bit on the process and maybe why it's done this way and give us some context.

Stephanie Boster, city attorney. Madam President, through you to President Pro Tem Risley. I rely on my colleagues as well, because I understand that this has changed in the UDC. It used to be that we would have comments on first reading, but we've now realigned it. So when you have the public hearing on second reading, that's when you get the presentation and the comments. It seems to me that it's a timing issue, but I would defer to either the city clerk or the planning director.

Madam President, Kevin Walker, City Planning Director. So this was a change in the code that you all adopted in 2023, not you all, because you all weren't here, but city council adopted this change in the code and the process when they adopted the UDC in 2023. understand the concern, there are trade offs either way. So certainly we can discuss changing that back if you're interested.

But for today's item, we are just setting a hearing date?

That's correct.

And I have a motion from Councilman Risley and a second from Councilman Rainey. Let's vote on setting the hearing date.

And the most impassioned is eight to one.

Moving on to item 9A. Will the clerk please read item 9A into the record?

ORDINANCE NUMBER 26-23, ADMITTING ARTICLE 3, USE REGULATIONS OF ARTICLE 4 DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS AND INCENTIVES OF ARTICLE 6, DEFINITIONS AND RULES OF CONSTRUCTION OF CHAPTER 7, THE UDC OF THE CODE OF THE CITY OF COLORADO SPRINGS 2001 IS ADMITTED AS RELATED TO PERMITTED LOCATIONS AND STANDARDS FOR EACH ADULT OR CHILD DAY CARE CENTERS.

Good morning, Alison. Good morning. For the record, Alison Stocker, Senior Planner with the Land Use Review Division. I know we've heard this item on a number of occasions, so I would like to take it and see if you guys have questions, if you want a full presentation. I know we've gone over this a couple times.

I don't see any questions at this time. I do see a question at this time. Councilman Donaldson.

Thank you, Madam President. We voted on, was it this exact ordinance two weeks ago?

I believe so, yes, that's correct.

Okay, so this is really the second vote on an ordinance.

Correct, yes.

It's not new, we've heard it a few times. We voted on it once, I voted no. Might have been the only one that voted no. Okay.

I believe so, yeah, there have not been any changes since the last time you've heard this item.

And Madam President, I'll just say before we go to the vote that there were several amendments that I offered last time. I believe there were three. None of them were passed. None of them actually got a second. And so I'll vote no again on this. I would like to support it, but I think it is, Two, it can change the character of neighborhoods too much with the large, not the small daycares, but the large greater than 100 kids daycares, which could open in neighborhoods just like mine, Garden Ranch on a street, Flint Ridge, which is all residential at this point. There's nothing but homes on that street. And now with what we're about, what will be passed here today, I'm afraid, that could change in a, 100 or more child daycare could be open. I think there's a lot of good in here, but it goes a little too far in that and a couple other areas, one of which I believe was parking. Thank you.

I have a motion from Councilman Risley and a second from Councilman Gold. Let's vote.

And the motion passes eight to one.

Moving on to item 13, we have one hour of citizens' discussion for items not on today's agenda per city council rules. Citizens will have three minutes to share their comments. I have a list of you who have signed up. When I call your name, please come forward, introduce yourself, and limit yourself to topics that are relevant and germane to city business. First up this morning, we have Ollie Lang.

Hi, I'm Allie. I'm a resident of Colorado Springs. We've heard you say you've received a lot of comments about the data center, and we've heard the response from some of you. We've also heard some of you say you would not want a large daycare near your home because of the potential impact on the neighborhood and the noise.

I'm not a fan of noise either.

But unlike daycares, data centers are not necessary. So how would a data center impact your neighborhood? Regardless of open loop or closed loop, data centers come in because of noxious noise. Their machines increase the temperature in the area. Sometimes we have to 16 degrees. They have a significant impact on our health, including our mental health. They take our essential city services, like our very limited water supply, They pollute our air and use tons of unhealthy, toxic, forever chemicals in their systems that then leach back into our environment and pollute our water. And they've been ruining communities everywhere. These companies notoriously break their promises. They're not experts on these issues. They say what they can to get the project approved because there's no accountability and they don't want data centers in their communities. So they sacrifice ours instead. We get upset about this issue, as you've noticed, but we are standing up for the people and the community while we watch some of our elected government officials stand up for corporations. And this also goes for Mayor Yemi. We know some of you are up for reelection soon, and a lot of people I talk to don't really trust that you'll do anything. We're watching to see how you respond to these issues and whether you're representing the people in this city or some real estate CEO who doesn't even live here. We've heard all the excuses and all of the horror stories, but I haven't heard anything about a moratorium or a ban. We need a moratorium at minimum or lead the way and ban future data centers here altogether. Prioritize the quality of life of all of us and not just the people on your street or in your neighborhood. And for Project Taurus, keep in mind There are houses near that site, and in those houses there are families. In those houses, there are people who love this city, and who view this city as their home, and who trusted you to care about prioritizing their quality of life so they can care for their families. We want our government to listen and take action when this many people are concerned about something, not just make excuses and hope for the best. We want our government to prioritize our quality of life and protect our access to essential city services instead of protecting big tech companies and development firms. We want a living wage for city council to be on the ballot again so city council can represent its working class people. We want a moratorium here and eventually statewide, maybe even a permanent ban on future data centers. And we're still paying attention. Thank you for your time. And remember who you represent. Councilman Gold.

Thank you, Madam President. I was hoping the city attorney could just give us a moment of education on the quasi-judicial process regarding this particular issue and the projected schedule for a potential vote for the data center.

Stephanie Boster, city attorney. Madam President, through you to Councilmember Gold, with regard to the upcoming discussion on Project Taurus, I believe that's scheduled for August, although it may have been moved. I might have to rely on my colleague, the city clerk, or perhaps the planning director, We may also still be working on scheduling that. But really quick, with regard to a quasi-judicial matter, that's the matter that's scheduled for public hearing and the city council can only consider that matter at the hearing and can only consider evidence related to that matter when it's before the public. That's when there is an opportunity for public comment and a presentation of evidence and discussion. But I defer to my colleague, the planning director, Mr. Walker, for additional information and clarification.

Kevin Walker, City Planning Director. In answer to your question, the item is still under administrative review. And so at this point, it has not yet been referred and or appealed. We expect to have that process wrapped up here in the next few days. And then that we will be available for an appeal or... scheduling of an appeal hearing. We have tentatively scheduled a, or we have cleared a date with the Planning Commission to have this heard in late July and so we can kind of go from there if the item's appealed as expected.

Thank you.

Thanks.

Next up we have Raul Oaks, Councilman Donaldson.

Madam President, could I just clarify one more thing through Mr. Walker for the speaker. So really the way it works, Kevin, is it's in the planning department now. That's a city office. They're reviewing it to see if it meets the standards for this piece of property, which is zoned, what's it zoned? light industrial. And then from there, it will go to the planning commission, which is what Mr. Walker just spoke about. Late July goes to the planning commission. If appealed. If appealed. And then from there, it could be appealed to Council. And if it was appealed to Council, then we would end up acting as the final judges on this. And if we were to say anything favorable, negative, The other side would say, well, that person on council has already made up their mind. I don't want them voting on this. And that person, that council member would be asked to recuse them, so I'll step down. So anybody up here that said something which you might find okay, I like what that one said, might get them disqualified when it comes time for a vote. Just like a juror in a murder trial, if they said, I don't think that guy's guilty. The other side is gonna say, well, he shouldn't be on the jury. We want impartial people in the jury. So that's the way it always works on these quasi-judicials. I know it's frustrating for citizens. They want their elected representatives to speak up immediately. It's a foolish thing to do to speak up because then you're gonna get disqualified.

Thank you, I appreciate that. Is a moratorium something that we can't discuss yet then either?

Well, we won't discuss it here and I think that would imply a certain bias in this.

Okay, good to know. Thank you.

Next up we have Raul Acosta.

Hello, good morning. Thank you. First time I've ever been to City Council. I've lived here since 1995, so very interesting day. A lot of great things. It's good you have a clock. I'm an extrovert, so I can keep going. But the reason I'm here is I'm a small business owner. We do fire mitigation, tree work mostly. We were federal contractors first, so we did a two-year contract with the Air Force Academy. I'm not in the federal anymore. We do a lot of Monument and El Paso County Black Forest. We don't really do city work. We're not licensed in the city yet. I want to touch on that because of the Woodman Corridor project a while back, they required every tree company to bid, be licensed, and then they gave them a waiver and just did it as construction. But the main reason I'm here is, I believe the mayor a little bit back, talked about some um great opportunity funds 20 million dollars and um had a fire department and they had a masticator which is the bobcat with the basically mow the trees and they were showing an example of that so i'm wondering where the city property is that that money is going to go to and if the fire department is in charge of that or You guys have a say on this, because I really don't see any opportunity for small business to get in there. We're very agile. We have a diversified workforce, and we work really hard. And there's a lot of opportunities on city property, down UCCS, for example. A lot of those homes have alleyways. They're very overgrown. They're at risk. is pretty high and I don't think those are being treated. Those are great opportunities for some of that money. So I propose not just for us, I gave you my sheet, it's a little biased, but for other small businesses too, that we have an opportunity to bid on these So it's not just large companies that are getting it and backlogging it. As we know, fire mitigation is very important. A lot of people don't like to think about it or do it because it's expensive up front, but you've got to make that space. And then when you do have open space, mastication is... an option but i used the masticator in the air force academy biggest mistake i ever did i had to go back and rechip four properties because the size was too big masticators are great in certain areas but they throw stuff it's very dangerous in this in a urban area suburban area i would not recommend it unless it's an open field So handwork is a little more expensive, but we can ship and broadcast it to the federal spec four inch minus, spread them out. It's a great technique. So if that money is there, I would like to access it for small business. And obviously we wanna be one of those small businesses, not the only one to be part of that. 18 seconds, okay. So I don't know if any of you had questions or.

Councilman Donelson.

Yeah, thanks, Madam President. And, sir, if you just make sure Sam has your e-mail and phone number, and myself and Councilman Lineweber serve on the Wildfire Mitigation Board or committee, whatever it's called, and I will get you in touch with the folks at CSFD that are running that program. And just, you know, there's an application process for different programs, areas to be mitigated when they have the funding for that and we'll just make sure you have all the information and you can discuss uh what you just described with them too okay yeah they're easy to talk with councilman risley thank you madam president i'm just curious if the chief of staff has anything that he'd like to offer uh i was going to make the same offer the council member donaldson did and so i will certainly defer to him

So are you aware of any programs that? So we did a TABOR retention for fire mitigation, created a permanent fund that's administered by the Colorado Springs Fire Department, and they are the ones that are administering that process. And so in terms of... the details of individual procurements that I'm not aware of, but certainly we can get you in contact with them so that you have the opportunity to bid on items that may come up, sir. Thank you. Thank you, sir.

Councilman Williams. Thank you. I just had the luxury of subbing for Council Member Leimeyer at one of the meetings. And there's a lot of partnerships. It's not necessarily just the city needing someone. There's homeowners associations. So while there is that large amount of money, it's not all going to be for that. There are HOAs that then find their own contractor and then partner with the city. So I don't want you to think there's a pot of $20 million just sitting there. how it works is a lot of different projects throughout the community.

Yeah, thank you for that. May I respond? So I understand that just in the federal space. I know the county has theirs, and a lot of times they don't overlap. But since that was great Colorado Opportunity Fund money, I thought as well, at least I think it was in Channel 11, when they showed the mayor and the masticator, I was just very curious because I haven't seen a lot of that come out. So I just was wondering about that.

So... If I can add just one other thing, while you're here downtown, city administration building's two blocks south, and so you might wanna go by there so you can begin the process of getting a license.

Usually the license is 15 feet or higher, right? So we have climbers, we can do all that. I just don't know if that's the requirement for mitigation. Is that what you're saying it is?

I'm saying I do not know the details, but I know there is a license involved, and so it would probably be helpful for you if you at least understood the details of it, and I'm sure city clerk's office would be more than happy to work with you on that process, sir. Thank you for that. Thanks.

Thank you. Next up we have Larrad Niles.

Hello, my name's Lared Nels. I live at 1814 West Vermahoe. I wanted to thank you guys for getting Sam involved with one of the cases that I last talked to you about, this homeless person who was living on the street in a car. I guess they finally arrested him. The only problem is he kept coming back. Four times after that, going in different people's yards, my neighbor discovered him in her kitchen, in his underwear and neighbor across the street had him in his yard. I had some pictures here. Left a bunch of junk, lit fires in my neighbor's backyard with a bunch of leaves. I've talked to firemen. They said they cannot issue citations. Only the police department can do that and the fire department won't. do anything unless they think it's an intentional arson. I had people, another person come in, to my front door at two o'clock it was midnight this one pounding on my door and then we couldn't get a response from me waking me up he pounds on my window i go to the front door he wants to charge his cell phone this is another homeless person this is getting ridiculous my neighbor in the back he discovered heard something in his house in the middle of the night, goes into his kitchen, finds this guy rummaging through, and he checked his videotapes the next morning. The guy climbed through his doggy door to get in the house, and, oh, well, first jumped the fence, goes in the doggy door, and all these houses are fenced off and stuff, too. This is ridiculous. I went out and took some pictures this morning, in the alley further down some guy was sleeping under a blue tarp in the alley with all this stuff a little further down over on the uh midland expressway there's somebody who's uh uh got ton of stuff and sleeping there um i i found uh like roast beef roast with a bunch of garbage rotting on the Midland Expressway. Last Friday, I got accosted downtown trying to look at the art on the streets multiple times by a homeless guy who thought I was following him around. And he just went into a fit and stuff. I mean, I don't know. We need to establish a homeless camp somewhere where these people can go outside of our neighborhoods and stop disturbing us because this has got way out of hand and a curfew for sleeping out there in the streets between... 10 o'clock and 8 o'clock in the morning. Because we're tired of it. We're tired of all these things going on. Councilman Risley. Trash everywhere.

Thank you, Madam President. Thanks for your comments. I'm just curious if the Chief of Staff has any suggestions for Mr. Niles about how he can address these concerns or if there are any responses that the Police Department can offer.

I know Lieutenant Tapley has been working, I believe, with you and others with respect to this. As was indicated, the individual was arrested, I think.

Yeah, the individual was arrested. But then when he went into this other neighbor's backyard, he called the police again. And all they do is they went back there and they run him out and said, you gotta get out of here. Then he's in the other neighbor's yard a couple nights later, starting a fire, and then going into her kitchen. And then she called the 911. They sent the fire department over. They ran him out. But there's no... continuing record these people keep on doing this stuff sometimes the same individuals police department they make a what is it a screen log they tell me so none of them know what the other ones are doing there's got to be reports on this these people should be put in jail even if it's overnight so that they get an idea that you can't do this kind of stuff but Unless that happens, this kind of stuff just keeps on going on. I went over to, you know, if I walk down Colorado Boulevard, you go over to, and there's a ton of people sleeping outside the West Side Cares, you know, in that cubicle over there. And it's, you know, they need to be directed into a place where they, You know, if they won't go into these shelters, which some of them got issues with. And, you know, I had one woman pounding on my door in the middle of the night, two o'clock in the morning. And I opened the door. She shoves the door open, shoves me out of the way, comes in my house, takes off her pants, reverse them, puts them back on. I go, what's going on? She goes, well, I was just raped out there. And her pants was like a pajama bottom or something. And so it's not good for them to be out there. They're getting raped and assaulted. And I mean, he got a huge problem with raccoons. I had one homeless person told me that he was sleeping out there and three raccoons attacked him, pulled his pants down and tried to eat him. And it's like, come on, this is absurd, you know?

So I appreciate your comment, sir. I think ironically, we had a conversation with the administration yesterday at our routine lunch meeting. And one of the big priorities that the administration claims is a focus for them is homelessness and trying to respond to these kinds of issues, which is why I wanted the chief of staff to chime in on that. It sounds like there's some chronic ongoing problems that the administration really does need to find a way to address. Thank you, appreciate your comments.

Thank you very much for your time. Thank you. Have a good day.

Next up we have Steve, oh, Councilman Donelson.

Yep, I just want to thank the gentleman for coming forward and you've been here a few times and I know it can get frustrating and you go, they're not doing anything. It keeps it at the front of our mind so I want to say thank you for that.

Good afternoon, Council Member Steve Lightfoot here. I'm the guy that drives the John Lennon Murder Evidence Van, LennonMurderTruth.com. And I'm not the kind of guy who can organize rallies and have people follow through. It's up to you as a community to organize for me how you're going to coordinate the media and whatever resources you have to break this story. And America depends on it because we're in deep doo-doo, in bed with Israel, who knows... We financed Hitler. We were his banker. They're not going to play fair with us. They're our enemy. Russia's our enemy, and they're helping Russia right now win the war in Ukraine by interfering with the peace talks. So you need me in your corner. I'm going to just recite the lyrics of my first song I ever wrote about my subject. When I was just a young boy growing up in California, I fell in love with Beatles music like so many others in America. P.S. I love you, all my love, and I want to hold your hand. All you need is love, give peace a chance. She loves you, yeah, yeah, yeah. The man who stood there waiting in the shadows, yeah, the man who shot John Lennon down. The man who got the autograph, he had no trial. For all we know, he just skipped town. We were told his name was Mark David Chapman, but you'll find that name in print before it happened. In a magazine, and Chapman's letter links himself with Reagan weeks before the murder. This is a story about three big magazines, Time and Newsweek, US News and World Report documented everything. Only in the issues surrounding the crime where you'll find bold print codes, double meaning messages hidden in the headlines, the truth is told. You'll even find in print before the murder took place, advertised one great big Zippo lighter, the killer's face. Feast your eyes and take a look, it's not Mark David Chapman, instead the real killer and he writes horror fiction. The man who wrote The Shining, Salem's Lot, and Carrie. The face belongs to Stephen King. People, that's scary. Your lives are a nightmare. Our lives are a nightmare. The world looks at us like a bunch of wimps licking the boots of John Lennon's killer. Oh, oh, Stephen King, oh, we worship you, we love you. Oh, you're a horror writer. Oh, so you killed John Lennon. Oh, who cares? We're a bunch of masochists and sickos. Just keep urinating on us, please. We love it. That's what the world thinks of America. Just like Israel knows we financed Hitler. We are in terrible waters. You need a person like me to save your day. By the way, you were looking for an iconic architecture building for your downtown. Here it is. This is what it looks like.

It's just like you get a bunch of Jenga blocks, 18 stories high, and you twist them like a golf or a 90 degrees from the base.

And the interesting thing about this design is it looks like a wasted object from one angle and like a billowed out object from another angle. So I'm going to leave this with you. You guys can figure it out. Just take a bunch of blocks and twist them five degrees, each 18 stories up, and you'll have a 90 degree beautiful building. Thank you.

Next up we have Nick Raven.

Thank you, Madam President, City Council. My name is Nick Graven. I'm everywhere, I do everything. I'm a Collier Springs fanboy, and I'll have you know I'm wearing my city flag pin, which means I'm bringing serious business to this podium today. Summer is almost here, and sadly, it'll be another month before we gather here again for our in-depth discussion about respectable pay for City Council, a very role that you're in right now, a role in which hundreds of others will follow. To that end, because none of you opted out, you were all automatically enrolled in Raven Summer School and you now have homework. As you're catching up with your Netflix shows, I want you to ponder how great it will be to watch City Council become the professional team our city deserves. As you're out fishing, I want you to consider how fly it'll be if the working class could run for a City Council role, much less win. As you're out hiking in our beautiful natural scenery, I want you to smile at the thought of hiking, Council Pei. As you're in Washington watching a card of USC matches on the White House lawn for our semi-quincentennial, I want you to think, one, this is really weird, but two, how patriotic it would be to have a paid city council serving our city to the best of their capabilities. As you're out riding horses, I want you to proclaim, nay, we shall not kick the can further down the road on this issue. Our city deserves professional leadership in our city council. As you meticulously plot your re-election, I want you to reflect on the Carmen Line annexation and go, I have an opinion about city council pay that I believe is entirely justified. So it'll be okay if we put it on a ballot for the voters to decide. Surely they won't surprise me and we can put this issue to bed for another 13 years. As you participate in Pikes Peak Pride, I want you to think about the diversity of leadership a council pay initiative brings, whether straight, gay, Republican, Democrat, everything in between and beyond, et cetera, et cetera. In all seriousness, we should put a respectable city council pay measure on the ballot to council member Donaldson's point two weeks ago. It's been over 13 years since the issue was last put before voters, a measure that failed because a strong mayor decided that he was for it before he was against it. The times have changed and so has the city. Our city deserves more and better. Thank you.

Councilman Gold.

Nick, I just have to say that typically Council Member Donelson is the punniest guy around, but I think today you win this round.

All right. I haven't heard a single one from Donelson today. What you got? Okay, all right. All right, thank you.

Next up we have Caleb Miller.

Hi, everybody. Caleb Miller, resident. I know you've all just been anxiously waiting to hear me talk for the last two weeks. Last time I was here, I said that I have lived in Colorado Springs my entire life. That is still the case. I said this city was in my blood. That is still the case. There are a couple of things that I want to go over with all of us, though, because it seems like we're maybe missing some definitions on what our jobs are. When we get elected to city council, we are public servants. We are not corporate servants. It's called Garden of the Gods. It's not called Garden of the Greedy Tech Developers. Colorado Springs is a community. It is not a corporation. We have a publicly owned utility company that pays more to its CEO than it gives in COPE matching funds for families that cannot afford their utilities. Last week you gave me a metaphor and you said, I know $700,000 is a lot of money. Let's give you an analogy. So I'm going to use your analogy since that's how we would like to talk about it. The head coach of a football team should be paid a lot. That's true. But the head coach also... should be showing up to games if he's going to be paid the most. On top of that, generally the head coach isn't the highest paid person on the team, the quarterback is. And if he or the mayor is the head coach or the quarterback, I don't care, we're just talking about football, then that makes you guys the offensive line. If I say, hey, I need to find an offensive line, but guess what? It's a full-time volunteer position. How do you think my offensive line is going to be? It's going to be bad. We're going to go 0-17. So I would like city council to give it to the voters, say, hey, we're raising city council pay to median wage. And if you're worried about the political fallout of that, I swear to God, I will campaign for the issue and you guys can put it back on us. You can say, hey, the people kept asking for it. And I will literally go campaign for you guys to get paid more. The only reason that you wouldn't raise your own wage is if you are scared that a more competent person would come and take your seat from you. That is the only possible reason that you could justify this because the last time this was voted on was 2013, I was a 14 year old. And now I'm here trying to help the city that I love.

There are a lot of other things that I could say about how this board governs, like Colorado Springs is a corporation and not a community.

Data centers, flock cameras, voting 7-2 to criminalize sleeping in your car. By the way, the only people who need to sleep in their car are people who can't afford their housing and you're not helping them with their utilities either. So we're just literally signing up to put people in jail or to push problems around. The mayor's office does this as well, moving around 1100 homeless encampments, which is by definition using city resources to shuffle people around. Thank you for your time. Bray City Council pay, get rid of the data center. Thanks.

Next up we have Taylor Gray.

Hi, everybody. All the same things, data center, hell no. Why are we even considering it? It's not okay in California, so they're gonna come slap it here. They go and they pull up a bunch of trailers with steam stacks on it and run fossil fuels. Hell no is the answer. Hell no, hell no. Don't even think about it. Would you want one by your house? Why? Who benefits? Who wants these things? Is someone coming to ask you, oh, I really need a data center here. no um it is people uh who are well above the wealth gap why is our 700 000 there are 700 why is there not seven of him making one hundred thousand i make fifty five thousand as a senior technician i'm at the top of my pay i work a regular job but i'm i'm helping people every day the president of the united states of america makes four hundred thousand so We all need to be looking at this like, what the hell is going on here? Why are there not seven people making $100,000 and not sleeping in their car, when one person who doesn't even show up, I knew he wouldn't be here. It's sad. I do not consent to my data being taken. Like I said, after looking at the stuff, it is personally identifying information, it is metadata, it is all of these things. You guys cannot strip mine that and sell that to these companies. Anything that's going through the city, like, someone's liable. for my data being taken and stolen and sold. And you will not pay for a data center so that they can pull up and pump steam stacks over by Garden of the Gods. Hell no is the answer, okay? I can barely afford my utilities. I am drowning in debt. I have spent every drop of my PTO to come here and talk to you guys. I thought when I came in here that I would just alert you to this problem going on in our country and that would be it. I am very disappointed in the way that this place runs. Like I said, you guys have your decisions made before you come in here. And if you're making zero dollars from us, who the hell is making you make these decisions? It's definitely not coming from just your brains or anything. And then a lot of times if it is, it's bigot, it's racist, it's homophobic. There's a lot of... passion in lots of different directions but what we need is someone up here who is working for the city we are watching i came i spent a half a year now guys you have not protected my data i wrote a ordinance for you go pick it up out of your email look it over protect us and start thinking about money very differently no one earns hundreds of thousands of dollars, maybe through action, but not just on as a wage. I mean, come on.

And that is the end of citizens' discussion. It is now closed, and that is the end of our council meeting. And for today, we are adjourned.