All Glenwood Springs City Council members were present for the regular July 2 meeting, which covered a variety of topics including wildfire risk modeling, a proposed fare increase for the City’s on-demand ride service and a new ordinance aimed at reining in panhandling at dangerous intersections.
No members of the public were present to speak on matters not on the night’s regular agenda.
Following approval of the consent agenda, including an ordinance stepping up education and enforcement of neighborhood watering restrictions and other codes, a proclamation was read declaring July as National Parks and Recreation Month.
Then it was on to a report from Angie Davlyn, executive director for the Roaring Fork Valley Wildfire Collaborative. She outlined the purpose of the organization and gave a report detailing the risk to homes in the Three- and Four-Mile areas in and around South Glenwood.
The Collaborative was formed under the umbrella of the Aspen Institute and now functions as an independent nonprofit organization. Its mission is to reduce wildfire risk and prevent loss of lives and property when wildfires do happen.
That’s done by taking measures to prevent accidental fires from happening, early detection of wildfires using camera technology, rapid firefighting response, fuels reduction and creation of defensible space around homes and other structures, Davlyn explained.
A recent grant provided for a wildfire simulation exercise focusing on South Glenwood and the nearby Three- and Four-Mile drainages. It showed how a major wildfire would move into town, and specifically which properties would be in harm’s way. Thinning of vegetation in key areas, “not clear-cutting,” she emphasized, would significantly shift the fire away from those properties.
To complete the mitigation work would cost about $6.2 million and require cooperation from property owners. Fundraising is under way, she said.
A simulation can be done for the downtown Glenwood Springs area for about $200,000, Davlyn said.
Next, an explanation of Glenwood’s power grid and transmission system was given by Public Works Director Matt Langhorst; done in response to recent lengthy power outages. In a nutshell, given the complexity of the system and its limitations, it’s always good for homeowners and businesses to be prepared for up to 72 hours without power, he said.
Then came a lengthy discussion about the Ride Glenwood on-demand service and a proposed fare increase. Currently, the app-based ride order service costs a very nominal $1 per ride to and from anywhere within city limits.
City Engineer Ryan Gordon outlined options to increase that rate to $3 per ride across the board, or implement a zoned fare strategy.
As with most public transit services, just about any palatable fare increase still falls well short of the program’s actual cost, he and other City staff explained. To break even would require a fare of $12 per ride.
City Councilor Ray Schmahl compared the current $1 fare to a cheap heroin addiction, and suggested a much greater fee to prevent people from getting too used to it.
Ultimately, City Council would like to get a better idea whether the on-demand system is valuable, or whether it would be less expensive and more effective to expand the Ride Glenwood fixed-route bus system to serve currently under-served parts of Glenwood Springs.
“We haven’t really learned anything from this experiment,” Councilor Mitchell Weimer said. “We’re at the point now where I’m questioning whether we should fund this for another year.”
Council agreed to table the matter and have a broader work session discussion, and to get some input from the City Transportation Commission.
Following approval of an ordinance phasing in composting as part of Glenwood’s “pay-as-you-throw” trash collection services, Council dealt with a pair of ordinances aimed at controlling panhandling and unauthorized camping involving the city’s unhoused population.
The first prohibits begging for money, or any activity that involves occupying space at all roundabouts, the Interstate 70 on/off ramps and some of the busier intersections. Included is the main entrance to the Roaring Fork Marketplace (Walmart), at Highway 82 next to McDonald’s.
The prohibition applies equally to activities such as waving car wash fundraiser signs, soliciting for charitable donations or commercial “sign spinners,” all in the name of public safety, City Attorney Karl Hanlon explained.
Enforcement will be “robust,” Police Chief Joseph Deras said.
The second ordinance expands the prohibition on “camping” on any public property within city limits from between 10pm and 7am, as currently spelled out in the municipal code, to a 24-hour ban, unless a special permit is granted.
Both ordinances passed 7-0, but will be back on the agenda for a second reading at the July 16 City Council meeting.
One final note from the meeting, Hanlon advised that the pending permit revocation for the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention facility will be back before City Council at its Aug. 6 meeting for a “final decision.”