Glenwood Springs city voters will join voters in the Glenwood Rural Fire District in deciding whether to raise property taxes by $3.6 million to support fire response and emergency medical services.
City Council, at its regular Aug. 20 meeting, voted 6-0 (with Councilor Mitchell Weimer absent) to place the question before voters at the Nov. 3 general election.
City staff have been in discussions with council about the ballot proposal for several months. That culminated in last week’s decision to seek a mill levy (tax rate) of 7.9 mills “for the purposes of meeting the operational and capital needs for providing fire protection, rescue and emergency medical services.”
The Rural Fire District board has also approved putting the question before its voters.
City Manager Steve Boyd outlined the proposal for Council members.
“The cost of providing fire and EMS services is rising, and in response to that several of the departments and districts around us have gone out and passed either a sales or property tax,” he said.
The reasons are common across the board, he said.
To add firefighter capacity to meet the standard
for coverage;
To increase firefighter and EMS personnel compensation to be able to compete in the market; and,
To build and improve stations and replace equipment.
Currently, the cost of fire and EMS are subsidized by a $1 million annual allocation from the city’s general fund, Boyd said. The goal is to eliminate that, and to help make up what amounts to a $3.8 million annual shortfall, he said.
The ballot measure, if approved, would also use existing tobacco and marijuana tax funds to build a fire and EMS reserve fund. As it is, fire and EMS are having to compete with other general fund priorities, Boyd added.
Councilor Steve Smith moved to approve the resolution placing the question on the Nov. 3 ballot; seconded by Mayor Pro-Tem Erin Zalinski.
“This seems to be the best option to fulfill the goals we’ve heard for consistent, predictable funding, and to relieve the general fund,” Councilor Sumner Schachter said.
Following approval of the resolution, council members were reminded by City Attorney Karl Hanlon as to what they can and can’t do to support the ballot measure collectively, and as individual elected officials, under the Fair Campaign Practices Act.
Council expects to consider an allowed-for resolution of support for the measure at its Sept. 3 meeting.
ICE holding facility
Council heard from two members of the public in follow-up to an Aug. 6 decision to file a lawsuit against the landlord of the federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) holding facility in West Glenwood over permit violations for exceeding a 12-hour hold limit.
Judy Haynes pressed the city to collect on a fine of up to $1,000 per day since the permit was revoked on April 28. That money could be put toward legal fees, she said.
Resident Ashley Stahl also leveled criticism at city officials for being slow to investigate and enforce the code. She urged them to utilize the research done by private citizens to support the lawsuit against the landlord, JG Housing Solutions, LLC.
Also before Council at the Aug. 20 meeting was:
A proclamation celebrating Sept. 4 as “Love Glenwood Day,” related to the Glenwood Hot Springs Protection Act that has now been introduced in Congress, opposing Rocky Mountain Industrials’ plan before the Bureau of Land Management to expand the limestone quarry located off Transfer Trail. Jeff Peterson from the Glenwood Springs Citizens Alliance (GSCA) said the day will be used to blanket the community with information about the quarry issue and the GSCA’s “Don’t Mine Glenwood” campaign.
A presentation from Glenwood Springs Historical Society Executive Director Mark Jensen. Notably, the Frontier Museum has seen a 41% increase in visitors since expanding its hours; half of the museum’s visitors are from outside Colorado; and the Doc Holliday Collection exhibit at Bullock’s sees more than 12,000 visitors each year.
An ordinance addressing regulations and permitting for electric vehicle charging stations, which are not specifically addressed in the land-use code. This was approved 6-0 on first reading.
Under council member comments, Councilor Smith called attention to state ballot Initiative 475 (Amendment 82). Smith warned that, if passed, the measure would essentially remove funding for the popular Bustang transit service, by redirecting all state motor vehicle tax funds to highways.