A packed Jan. 15 agenda to start the new year took Glenwood Springs City Council about four hours to work through. Included were lengthy conversations around extra funding for the primary animal shelter that serves the area and a data dump and contract extension for the City’s on-demand transit service.
All council members were present for the meeting.
For topics not on the agenda, three downtown-area residents and business owners spoke to their concerns over what they described as excessive lighting at the new North Landing Park on Sixth Street. The park just recently opened, the culmination of a major construction project along the Sixth Street corridor that concluded in the fall.
Laurie Chase, who owns a gallery on Sixth Street, and Doug Burns, who owns a liquor store in that block, both said the lighting likely violates the City’s own lighting ordinance meant to reduce glare and preserve the night sky.
Several council members concurred and said City Council should work with staff to balance public safety with reasonable lighting levels. Staff also said new parking limit signs are forthcoming to prevent long-term parking there.
Following approval of the consent agenda — including appointments to the City’s Arts and Culture, Tourism Management, and Volunteer Firefighter Pension boards — Council heard a request for funding from Colorado Animal Rescue (CARE) Executive Director Wes Boyd.
The City, through its police department, already contracts with Red Hill Animal Health Center in Carbondale to hold stray dogs that are picked up within city limits. However, many of those dogs and animals brought in by residents of Glenwood and the surrounding area end up at the CARE shelter in Spring Valley, Boyd said.
In 2025, 28% of the stray pets and 18% of owner surrenders that came to CARE were from the Glenwood area, he explained.
Boyd initially requested $7,500, though a slim majority of council members, by a 4-3 vote, agreed to $10,000 for 2026. Counselors Mitchell Weimer, Ray Schmahl and Steve Smith were opposed, citing uncertainty about City revenues this year. Council will likely revisit CARE funding come 2027 budget time.
On-demand transit update
Next, following a presentation from Garfield County Public Health Nutrition Programs Manager Christine Dolan about the dangers of sugary drinks, especially for children, Council dove into statistics and some discussion around the Ride Glenwood On-Demand transit service.
City Transportation Manager Lee Barger reported that since the app-based transit service began in May 2025, it has provided an average of 7,000 rides per month, with a high of 8,326 in October. New Year’s Eve saw the second-highest day, at 351 rides, he said.
The average wait time for a ride is 23 minutes, and 43% of rides are shared between multiple people, Barger also reported. The most popular destinations are City Market, Walmart, locations in Glenwood Meadows, the two hot springs resorts and the South Glenwood bus station.
There was a lengthy discussion about how the on-demand service dovetails with the fixed-route Ride Glenwood bus line that the City contracts with the Roaring Fork Transportation Authority to provide. The in-city bus service is free, where the on-demand, door-to-door service currently costs $1 per ride. Barger speculated that rate could probably be increased to $2 without cutting into use. The fee will be revisited after a rider survey is conducted in the spring, he said.
Council voted 5-2 to amend the contract with Glenwood Downtowner, LLC, extending the on-demand service through this year at a cost of $96,746 per month.
Next, City Engineer Ryan Gordon updated Council on 2026 infrastructure projects that are planned. A big one will be reconstruction of Coach Miller Drive west of Glenwood Springs High School, to include sidewalks, curb and gutter, and realigning the north high school parking lot entrance with Pitkin Avenue.
Public Works Director Matt Langhorst then gave a water supply forecast. Snowpack in the Grizzly and No Name creek headwaters, where Glenwood’s water is derived, is trending similar to the last serious drought year of 2018. Even then, Langhorst said the City had adequate water to serve municipal needs, though outdoor watering restrictions were needed.
A pair of ordinances were then approved on first reading related to building permit inspection fees and rules around installing wood-fired pizza ovens.
State of the City coming up
A late afternoon work session covered topics including a preview of the upcoming State of the City event on Saturday, Jan. 31.
Taking place from 5:30 to 7pm at Morgridge Commons (above the Glenwood Library, 815 Cooper Ave.), this new annual event is designed to bring the entire community together for meaningful conversations about Glenwood Springs’ most pressing projects and issues, according to a press release.
The evening will begin with a brief update on City projects, followed by interactive sessions with City leaders covering topics including traffic and transportation, infrastructure projects and utilities, public safety, housing and development, economic development, parks and recreation and City operations.
Those who plan to attend are asked to RSVP to www.gwsco.info/TownHall