City Council - Regular Meeting

We're ready. He's got meeting. Please come to order. Please stand for the pledgece to the flag of the United States of America and to the stands one nation under God indivisibley and justice for all. Okay, roll call. Mayor Lendell present. Councilman Jeff Morford here. Councilman Doug Sasha here. Councilman John Caper here. Councilman Bill Garcia here. Councilman Lauren Voyette, I am here. Councilman Jim James Park here.

All right. Next is public comment or audience participation for items that are not on the agenda. Public comments are limited to three minutes per speaker and you must sign in next to the podium. Is there anybody here that wishes to address council? Okay. So, at the Fort Morgan skatepark, we do not have lights. And I think this creates a safety hazard for the people who skate in the winter, like myself. And It gets really dark during the winter, which is why I think we should have the some lights installed at the park at the skate park.

Thank you for your suggestions. Thanks, sir. Anybody else? All right. Next is approval of the minutes of the December 16th city council regular meeting. Miss Lauren Zini. Thank you, Mayor. The minutes are in your packet as presented. So, is there any corrections or additions? In that case, I'd entertain a resolution. Your honor, I move to make a resolution to approve the December 16th, 2025 city council regular meeting. Second.

Okay. So, I have a resolution by Jim Park, a second by Jeff Morford. Vote by roll call. That resolution carries unanimously.

All right. Next is business of the month for January, Miss Snider Angle. Good evening. Last week, when the clock struck midnight on December 31st and we welcomed the new year of 2026, approximately 30% of Americans embrace the tradition of making resolutions for self-improvement. Although the number one New Year's resolution varies slightly by survey participants, it consistently centers around health and finances with exercising more, eating healthier, and saving money on the list. Our business of the month honore serves as the perfect conduit for our community to reach these New Year's goals and commit to better wellness habits. Tonight, it is my honor and privilege to announce that Glow Co has been selected as this month's business of the month recipient for its valuable contributions to our community. Each month, this distinction is given to a Fort Morgan business that excels in such areas as pride in their business, top-notch customer service, operational growth, active involvement in area organizations and programs, and community contributions that assist in creating a better quality of life. Glowco opened its doors at 119 West Beiju Avenue in September of 2020. As the pandemic was winding down locally, there was an immediate surge of interest as people were eager to reconnect and try something new. The fitnessoriented business presented a number of group activities including yoga, pilates, bar, cycling, and hot exercise classes. All

energizing and effective for beginners as well as those more advanced in their physical fitness levels. People aged 16 and older started attending and classes soon filled with the need to add even more. In fact, owner Meredith Chapen notes that she works with members in their 70s. Her studio team includes approximately a dozen instructors, many of whom are bilingual and have mastered techniques and have gained top levels of certification in various areas to deliver rewarding experiences. Meredith herself received her initial group fitness training through AAI in 2010 and later certified in bar in 2017, followed by an indoor cycling certification in 2020. Power Pilates Mat one and two in 2022 and Pilates Chair in 2024. It wasn't always an easy journey and one of Glowco's biggest challenges has been introducing these relatively new wellness and fitness concepts to a community that was largely unfamiliar with them. The team has expanded its initial offerings with the addition of a hot yoga dome as well as offered special experiences at remote locations such as sunset classes at Queldunes to high energy blacklight workouts with music curated for private group events to adventurous community classes at parks and other local businesses in order to bring people together, view fitness as something enjoyable, and keep those New Year's resolution. solutions I mentioned earlier. Through education, consistency, and authentic connection, Glowco has helped people understand that carving out time for themselves isn't selfish. It creates positive ripple effects throughout every area of life. The

business has received many positive accolades from its customers, including one from weigh-in Bushman, who notes, "As a relative newcomer to Fort Morgan, I was worried I'd have trouble meeting folks in town. This studio has allowed me to connect with so many amazing people and to really make this place feel like home to me. Glowco promotes a healthy lifestyle in a way that makes you want to come back through good music, fun themes, and great people. Carrie Christensen also commented that Glowco is not just a fitness studio. It's a place where people feel seen, inspired, and encouraged to grow. Their professionalism, positivity, and passion for wellness make them an invaluable asset to our community. This sense of community and camaraderie also shows up in several online Google reviews, resulting in a 5.0 star rating. Meredith and her team have built a supportive community and are deeply rooted in community connection. They partner with multiple local businesses such as Country Road Vines and Wines, The Block, and Bicycle Adventure to create collaborative experiences. In addition to hosting numerous community classes and demonstration at various events, they also have supported several local nonprofits such as Vision of Trees through generous donations. Please join me in congratulating and thanking our January business of the month selection, Glowco, for the outstanding efforts and contributions this business provides in order to make Fort Morgan a great place to live, work, and enjoy. and Meredith Chapen, the owner of Blco, is here. So,

thank you. Thank you very much for that, Sandy. It was awesome to hear um some of the comments that were sent in from our uh our clients, not in place. Um I am really grateful to be here and to receive this honor and thank you all for the support. Um I want to welcome all of you to join us. If you don't know where to find us, talk to Lauren. Men's Yoga Monday nights. Um, so it's been it's been really a great ride the last five years. Um, a lot of learning and we're really grateful for all those continued support.

All right. Well, congratulations and thank you. Next is presentation possible action on increasing the wastewater and water rates. Mr. Linton got to make sure I talk in the mic so I don't get in trouble. Good evening, mayor, council. Tonight in front of you I have a resolution for wa water and wastewater rate increases. Um, I'm simply asking for this resolution to be approved through ratification of a uh rate study we did in 24. We're following that rate study. So, this is the second year of a five-year rate study. So, I'd answer any questions, Mr. Linton. on the wastewater rates metered uh consumption chart still based off of January, February, March water consumption.

We're these rates are all based off the 3/4 in or their water tap size. No. So they're averages. He's asking about when we average people in the winter. So yes, we Yes, it's still based upon your winter consumption. Yes. Thank you. Sorry, I didn't Yeah, we haven't changed heard that correctly. Yeah, we didn't we haven't changed that policy where we we

for what John is talking about for people when we try to determine what their sewer rates are, we can't actually meter the the flow out of their house. So, what we do is we take the average of their water consumption during the winter months when typically people aren't watering outside. They're just using inside water. And that is the most practical way to determine what their sewage usage will be for all 12 months of the year. And so that's how we base that usage, unless there's somebody big and fancy like DFA that has a fancy measuring device that we measure every drop of water that comes out of their facility that goes to the wastewater plant. So I just got one question.

Sure. What is our monthly base gallons, you know, for your I think I think a monthly average. No. So you're are are you 10,000 1,000 2,000? So we charge there are some places that you get a certain amount of water. Is that what you're asking for? We don't. We charge once you hit a th000 you get build for a th000. You you aren't allotted a certain amount with your base charge. Okay. Your base charge pays for infrastructure and employees and then you pay for the water that you take through the meter after that point. Okay. Y So yeah. Yeah. There are some agencies that let you have like your first 3,000 gallons as part of your base charge and we have never done it that way.

Okay. Yeah. What's that? Any further discussion or questions? In that case, I'd entertain a resolution. I'd offer a resolution to approve the wastewater as presented or not the wastewater, the um water rates as presented. It is both the resolution is for water and waste water. Water and Okay. Both of them. Yes. Who said that? Okay. So, I have a resolution by Jeff Morford, a second by John Caper. Vote by roll call. That resolution carries unanimously.

All righty. Thank you. Thank you. Next is presentation possible action on first reading of an ordinance amending chapter 20 land use code Fort Morgan Municipal Code addressing and regulating land use of kennels pet daycare overnight per boarding small animal grooming and request to schedule a public hearing. Mr. Aker,

good evening mayor and councel. I'm here to present a proposed uh ordinance changing our land use code to a second. Sorry. Bailey, come. Bailey, come come lie down. um proposing changes to land use code concerning uh uh animal um uh animal facilities. Uh we were approached by a local potential business owner wanting to do an activity near the actual uh vet clinic on Burlington Drive and it doesn't quite fit easily within our code. We needed to make some adjustments. Staff feels like this will be a good business for the community. Um, this is the first reading and setting the public hearing. It's been before the planning and zoning commission on December 8th and they recommended moving it forward to city council for consideration. The proposed changes we're wanting to make are change in definition of kennel catery and raberry by adding the word overnight and refining some of the exclusions. Um the kennel catery and rabery would mean an establishment where domestic animals usually dogs, cats and rabbits are boarded overnight, bred or raised for sale or trained exclusive of veterary hospitals, veterary clinics, veterary offices or an animal shelter. Uh we would also propose changing the definition of doggy daycare to to include other pets namely just specifying dogs and cats and adding uh the ability and deleting the word grooming from that

definition. Then we would add definitions for animal grooming and overnight pet boarding. Those are uh contained in the packet. Uh small animal grooming would mean uh services like bathing, brushing, clipping or trimming small domestic animals such as dog and cats uh and hair and nails. Overnight be pet boarding would serve would be a service that provides temporary housing for dogs and cats and includes but is not limited to include supervision, food care and would extend in beyond the daytime hours into the into the night. We'd uh would also propose uh adding um under services in the zoning table adding small animal grooming uh to be a permitted use in uh urban a special use in B1 and B2 and then a permitted use in industrial properties uh kennels, cateries, rabbit trees, pet daycare, overnight bedding, pet boarding would be permitted use in urban a special used in uh general business B2 only and a permitted use industrial uses. Um again this is a first reading and setting of the public hearing and with that I can answer any questions.

Okay. Anybody have any questions or comments for Tom? I have a question Mr. Yates on the uh housing overnight. I'm assuming they're going to have to build some type of a uh outdoor run area. Um what's to keep them from leaving the animals outside and having a loud noise or concerns with neighbors?

Um we've discussed they would be building an outside run area for daytime use, but during the night time they would be kennled inside and they would also have uh surveillance cameras. Okay. Anything else? That case I'd entertain a resolution. Your honor, I'd offer offer resolution on first reading of an ordinance amending chapter 20 land use code of the Fort Morgan MUN municipal code addressing and regulating the land uses of kennels, pet care, overnight per overnight perboarding and small animal grooming and request to schedule a p public hearing for January 20th.

Second. So, I have a resolution by Lauren Wyatt, second by Jim Park. Vote by roll call. Thank you. This resolution carries unanimously. All righty. Next is reports by officials and staff, Mr. Nation.

Okay. Good evening, everyone. Um, couple things. I've had a couple inquiries. Um, one of them is, uh, we're already getting, you know, questions about when are we going to break ground on the swimming pool and want to just remind everybody that this is a, uh, we're probably in what would be about a 12-month design process right now. Uh, council will see action here shortly. We're actually going to go out to bid for a general contractor on this and do this through a GMGC process. And we'll get into the details of that, but we still have a full year of design in front of us. Um, it would be best case scenario, we might be able to begin some type of construction in December of this year, but most likely sometime after the first of next year, and then you've got a full year of construction before the pool facility will be open and and ready to go. So, still got a couple years on that, just to let everybody know. Um, also have received a couple of questions about where our um developer down on the corner of Maine and Riverview is um that has the fast food establishments down there. Uh, we've finally got him through his um excruciating sea DOT um discussions about his entrances and he's now having his design guys redo the driveway entrances according to what C do DOT is expecting to see. I I don't think most people realize that right there, Main Street is technically highway 52 and and Riverview Avenue is technically highway 144. So C DOT has complete jurisdiction on how customers will get in and out of that established, not the city of Fort Morgan. So he's been working through that process and has now cleared, I think from the email that I saw, has cleared the last hurdle of C dot and can now move forward. So, so hopefully now that it's middle of winter time, he'll be ready to, you know, be moving forward with his project in the spring would be my guess. So, um, and then I just also wanted to we, um, pushed out on Facebook yesterday, we

have opened up the extension of Dual Dual Street and Education Avenue over by the middle school. um all the signage finally came in and our contractor put that up over the weekend and so we kind of just did a soft opening over the weekend and now with school back in session we let the school district know that it would be open and everything. So we will now um monitor the traffic patterns around the middle school to see how that's helping with traffic concerns over there. But excited to get those two roads finally done and opened up for the school year. So that's all I got. All right. Thank you, Chief.

I'll be brief, but um you may remember in our capital budget this year, we added tasers because the way the taser program works, all of our tasers are no longer supported. Um so for about $140,000, we got a few boxes in our office this week of the new tasers that we go that we'll be putting out. Uh they require we got the new latest greatest things, but with virtual reality goggles and some different things that help us with training. It does require more training. So, our staff is scheduled to do those later this month and then they'll be issued as soon as that goes on. But the reason I bring that up in conjunction is you also asked me to bring some of our new employees for introduction to you. Um, our newest employee, Mo, is actually working nights on patrol, but he's off on these nights. So, he's going to be coming to the next meeting. That will be we'll get him to training that day and have him here so we're not having him come in on his day off and having to work with that. So, um, he and another Brandon Leak that also was just hired will be here on the next meeting. So, that's that's the plan on that. That's all I have.

All right. Anything from anybody in the back? All right. Next is bids, meetings, and announcements.

Thank you, mayor. We have currently we have two bids. Um the first one is the electric department Excel substation materials bid that closes on January 20th at 3 p.m. And then um the 2026 PTO driven turb sweeper I believe that's for the parks department that will close on January 23rd at 3 p.m. as well. Um, meet next meeting coming up at 4:00 on January 8th is the historic preservation board meeting and that will be here at city hall. On the 12th at 1:30 at the senior center, the senior center advisory board and um the 13th at 6 p.m. a special organization meeting here at city hall.

All right, with nothing else, this meeting's adjourned. do rip.