Montrose, CO — City Councilors met for their regular meeting Tuesday evening, April 19, to welcome a new member to the council, select the city’s new mayor for the 2022 term, and consider a number of ordinances and contracts for city work and community projects.
Councilors Barbara Bynum, Dave Frank, Doug Glaspell, David Reed, and Ed Ulibarri met in City Council Chambers along with city staff.
The following is a summary of the primary topics discussed during the meeting.
Watch the meeting here.
EARTH WEEK PROCLAMATION
Mayor Doug Glaspell read a proclamation declaring April 21–29 as Earth Week in the City of Montrose.
Glaspell said, “The global community faces challenges such as environmental degradation, climate change, food and water shortages, and health issues all people, regardless of race, gender, income, background, or geography, have a moral right to a healthy, sustainable environment.”
“It is understood that citizens of the global community must take action for positive environmental change to combat such global challenges. A sustainable environment can be achieved on the individual level through educational efforts, public policy, and consumer activism campaigns, and the sense of environmental responsibility reached through environmental knowledge acts as a catalyst for environmental action,” Glaspell said.
“It is necessary to preserve and protect natural resources, wildlife, and recreation, both on the Western Slope and throughout the world.”
ARBOR DAY PROCLAMATION
Mayor Doug Glaspell read a proclamation declaring April 29 as Arbor Day in the City of Montrose.
Glaspell said that “in 1872, J. Sterling Morton proposed to the Nebraska Board of Agriculture that a special day be set aside for the planting of trees and this holiday, called Arbor Day, was first observed with the planting of more than a million trees in Nebraska.”
“Arbor Day is now observed throughout the nation and the world, and trees can reduce the erosion of our precious topsoil by wind and water, cut heating and cooling costs, moderate the temperature, clean air, produce oxygen, and provide habitat for wildlife, and trees are a renewable resource giving us paper, wood for our homes, fuel for our fires, and countless other wood products. Trees in our city increase property values, enhance the economic vitality of business areas, and beautify the community,” Glaspell said.
“Trees, wherever they are planted, are a source of joy and spiritual renewal,” Glaspell said.
PARKINSON’S AWARENESS MONTH PROCLAMATION
Mayor Doug Glaspell read a proclamation declaring April 2022 as Parkinson’s Awareness Month in the City of Montrose.
Glaspell said “Parkinson’s disease affects one million people in the United States, is the second most common neurodegenerative disease, is believed to be caused by a combination of genetic and environmental factors, and is a leading cause of death according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.”
“It is estimated that Parkinson’s costs the United States $58 billion every year, of which the federal government shoulders $29 billion, leaving American families to cover the remaining $29 billion every year, and it is estimated that, by the year 2037, the number of people with Parkinson’s in the U.S. will nearly double, and the disease will cost America at least $79 billion every year,” Glaspell said.
Glaspell said “the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease can include dementia and cognitive impairment, tremors, slowness of movement, “freezing” in place, inability to walk and maintain balance, speech difficulties, depression, losing the ability to swallow, and a variety of other symptoms, and forced, intense exercise, like the non-contact boxing-based fitness curriculum has been medically proven to slow the progression and improve symptoms of Parkinson’s.”
“There are tens of millions of family caregivers, friends, and loved ones whose lives are greatly affected by Parkinson’s disease, and more research and increased education and community support services are needed to find better treatments and a cure and maintain dignity for those living with the disease today,” Glaspell said.
PUBLIC COMMENT
Two members of the public addressed the council during the public comment period. One resident asked the city to study the effects of electromagnetic fields that could be occurring in the Montrose community. Another resident asked the city to step up its efforts regarding trees around the community. With planting, maintenance, education, and a formal tree policy, Montrose would be a better community with more effort toward its urban forests, the resident said.
APPROVAL OF MINUTES
City Councilors voted unanimously to approve the minutes of the April 4 regular meeting.
The city’s archive of past meeting minutes can be found on the new Public Meetings Portal and at CityofMontrose.org/ArchiveCenter.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF OUTGOING CITY COUNCILOR
City Councilor Anthony Russo was recognized for his service to the City of Montrose during his appointment to the council.
Councilors said they appreciated Russo’s hard work, service, sense of humor, and contributions to the Montrose community.
“Anthony has done a great job of providing us with good questions and his business background has given us the opportunity to look at things differently,” Glaspell said.
Russo thanked the community for coming out this past election and for the “opportunity to serve you.”
“We (the council) are here to support you. We are here to support the team,” Russo said. “I will continue to serve in Montrose like I always have.”
Russo was defeated by Ed Ulibarri in the April Municipal Election.
SWEARING IN OF NEWLY ELECTED OFFICIALS
City Clerk Lisa DelPiccolo delivered the oath of Office to councilors Doug Glaspell (District I), Ed Ulibarri (District II), J. David Reed (District III), and Barbara Bynum (At-Large). Councilor Ed Ulibarri is the newest member of the council after defeating Anthony Russo in the April Municipal Election. Councilors Glaspell, Reed, and Bynum were all re-elected to their seats.
SELECTION OF MAYOR AND MAYOR PRO TEM
Following Ulibarri’s official appointment, the council selected Councilor Dave Frank as the new mayor with Barbara Bynum selected as the new mayor pro tem for the 2022-2023 term.
PRESENTATION TO MAYOR
Mayor Dave Frank recognized Mayor Doug Glaspell for his service and contributions as mayor for the 2021-2022 term.
Following the presentation, the council had a brief recess to reset the council’s seating order.
REVISED RESOLUTION 2022-07
City Councilors voted 4-1, with councilor Ed Ulibarri abstaining, to approve Resolution 2022-07, authorizing the purchase of real property located at 400 East Main Street, the former Wells Fargo building, and 424 South Second Street, a parking lot, for $1.5 million. The primary purpose of the purchase is to move city administrative operations to Main Street for the public to have better access to customer service representatives in divisions such as Planning, Building, Finance, Utility Billing, City Clerk, and City Manager. The parking lot will provide additional public parking near the new Public Safety Complex and Colorado Mesa University campus.
The city’s Facilities Master Plan calls for major renovations at City Hall, which were to take place over the next couple of years and would have required displacement of all employee workspaces for at least 18‐24 months. Acquiring the Main Street building provides quality space for those employees and offers more time to plan for and address things like HVAC and roof replacement, structural integrity and security issues, and efficiency of operations at the current City Hall.
Possible future uses of the historic City Hall building include, and are not limited to, housing, CMU campus partnerships, and mixed‐use development. The historic City Hall building is an important landmark in downtown Montrose and will continue to be used as part of a vibrant downtown.
The council held a public hearing on the resolution before voting to approve it. The council received no public input before the vote.
ORDINANCE 2587 - SECOND READING
City Councilors voted unanimously to approve Ordinance 2587 on second reading to amend the zoning designation of Tract 4 of the Rosemont Subdivision (Parcel #376727102008) from "MHR" Manufactured Housing Residential District to "B-2A" Regional Commercial District.
City Planner William Reis said the rezoning is for the expansion and associated conditional use permit of the Cedar Creek RV Park. The property consists of approximately 1.85 acres.
Applicant: Montrose Outdoors, LLC
6700 DEJULIO ADDITION ANNEXATION AND DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT
City Councilors voted unanimously, with councilor Ed Ulibarri abstaining, to approve the 6700 DeJulio Annexation and Development Agreement to include the purchase of rights of way and easements required for completion of 6700 Road between Sunnyside and Miami Roads at a cost of $291,300.
According to City Engineer Scott Murphy, the City of Montrose Comprehensive Plan calls for the eventual completion of 6700 Road as a minor arterial by constructing a missing segment between Sunnyside and Miami Roads. This project has remained a high-priority capital project due to continued traffic growth in the area; however, the city does not own the rights of way necessary to complete this missing link. A privately-owned 9.35-acre parcel (“Missing Link Parcel”) and single-family residence currently exist along the proposed 6700 Road alignment. This parcel is currently situated within Montrose County.
Rights of way and easements for roadways are typically dedicated to the City of Montrose concurrent with annexation and/or development of the land. However, in instances where the private landowner does not wish to develop their land or does not wish to develop in time to meet the needs of a road project, the city must typically purchase the necessary rights of way and easements.
For this missing link parcel, the landowners did not have any intention of subdividing the land; however, they had expressed interest in constructing a large single-family residence on the parcel similar to what was performed on a similarly-sized parcel immediately to the east. If this residence were to be constructed within the missing link parcel, it would have made a future extension of 6700 Road much more costly and impactful to that residence. This possibility prompted renewed discussions with the landowners to purchase the necessary right of way and easements for the extension of 6700 Road. Through these discussions, city staff has reached an agreement for the purchase of these rights of way.
Annexation and Development Agreement:
Given the long, slender nature of the Missing Link Parcel, the extension of 6700 Road through its middle would leave remnant parcels on each side of the roadway. Not knowing if the landowners desired to further develop these remnant parcels, the city initially offered to purchase either the entire Missing Link Parcel or only the necessary rights of way and easements through the middle. The landowners elected for the city to purchase the 6700 rights of way and easements, leaving the remnant parcels in their ownership for future development.
MOVING MONTROSE FORWARD 2022 SURFACE TREATMENT CONTRACT
City Councilors voted unanimously to award a construction contract to A-1 Chipseal in the amount of $1,428,079 for the Moving Montrose Forward 2022 Surface Treatment Project.
Public Works Manager Jim Scheid said the City of Montrose developed the Moving Montrose Forward (MoveMo) initiative in 2018, which placed a renewed focus on street maintenance, reducing traffic congestion, and improving pedestrian and vehicular mobility throughout the community. As part of this effort, each year the city hires contractors to perform some of the larger-scale and specialized street maintenance construction. This contracted street maintenance work is in addition to typical routine maintenance activities performed by the city’s Streets Department.
The city’s Street Maintenance and Capital Plan is available on the city’s MoveMo webpage and at https://tinyurl.com/COMStreetPlan. The plan identifies funding needs to sustainably maintain an acceptable pavement condition throughout the city and how available funds should be allocated between the various types of maintenance activities (e.g., surface treatments, mill and overlays, rebuild of failed roadways, etc). Allocation of these funds is geared towards the creation of a comprehensive street-maintenance program focused on striking a balance between maintenance of the better-condition roadways (keeping the “good roads good” and at a lower cost) and eventually restoring those that have failed and are more costly to repair. It should be noted that asset management software and modeling are used to help prioritize appropriate maintenance treatments for the city’s roadways and best utilize limited resources.
The city budgeted a record $3.3M for this year’s MoveMo contracted street maintenance efforts. Approximately 50% of this street maintenance work is focused on surface treatments consisting of slurry and cape seals. Slurry seals are a combination of a fine aggregate and an asphaltic binder that works to smooth out surface irregularities and protect the roadway from water intrusion and UV degradation. Slurry seals are used in lieu of chip seals within residential neighborhoods given the public’s general dislike of chip seals and a chip seal’s lower effectiveness in areas without high traffic volumes to press in the chips. Cape seals are used on higher volume roadways or those with heavier degradation and include a chip seal first, followed by a slurry seal several weeks later.
The remaining street maintenance activities planned for this year, street rebuilds and overlays, is currently under design and will be awarded under a separate contract to come before council in approximately one month.
The city received two bids for the work; A-1 Chipseal Co. of Denver in the amount of $1,428,079 and Intermountain Slurry Seal of Salt Lake City in the amount of $1,741,278.
Additional detail on the city’s street maintenance program can be found in the Street Maintenance and Capital Plan noted above and on the Street Maintenance tab of the Moving Montrose Forward webpage at www.MoveMo.co.
VEHICLE DISPOSAL RECOMMENDATION
City Councilors voted unanimously to approve the disposal of four police cars from the Montrose Police Department to the Western Colorado Law Enforcement Academy to be used in officer training.
Public Works Manager Jim Scheid said the vehicles are budgeteded for replacement in 2022 under the Fleet Fund. These vehicles were not on the 2022 Disposal List that was approved in January of 2022 because they were held for an additional year to be used for the academy's driver training program.
For these vehicles to be best utilized by the academy the four cars will be donated to Western Colorado Community College (WCCC) and Colorado Mesa University’s (CMU) existing fleet. This will give WCLEA and the WCCC academy in Grand Junction access to a total of ten patrol vehicles for training.
WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT MOTOR CONTROL CENTER REPLACEMENT
City Councilors voted to approve $688,150 for the purchase of a replacement Motor Control Center (MCC) at the City of Montrose Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP).
According to David Bries, the city's utilities manager, the current MCC dates back to the original treatment plant construction in the mid 1980s and has reached the end of its reliable life expectancy. In 2021, the City of Montrose contracted with BrownsHill Engineering & Controls (BHEC) to design and develop a replacement plan for the WWTP MCC and $380,000 was included in the 2022 Budget for the replacement. Upon the completion of the design, staff met with BHEC to discuss the process of replacing this critical piece of equipment with minimal impact on the treatment plant’s operations. Replacement of the equipment component will need to be very methodical with a significant amount of qualified staff at certain times to minimize the time that certain plant components are out of service and avoid violating the WWTP’s effluent limits.
BHEC believes that Sturgeon Electric is the only contractor on the Western Slope that has the staffing level and experience to perform this type of work without an increased risk of issues that could cause issues affecting the WWTP discharge. BHEC has successfully worked with Sturgeon Electric on similar projects. Sturgeon Electric has proposed a cost of $340,580 for the labor, equipment, and materials to perform the MCC replacement.
BHEC has obtained bids from the material suppliers for the major electrical components that make up the MCC and proposed to procure them for $312,370. Due to the current supply chain issues, electrical components now have a 50-week lead time, meaning that some essential materials will not arrive until 2023. Staff recommends that the notice to proceed would not be issued until all materials have been delivered to prevent operational issues at the WWTP.
Due to the complicated and detailed nature of this project, BHEC has proposed to oversee the construction of the MCC replacement for a not-to-exceed cost of $35,200.
The total cost for all three of these contracts is $688,150.
Net Financial Result of Contract:
$380,000 is included in the 2022 Wastewater Treatment Plant budget for the replacement of the MCC, although it appears that these costs will likely not be incurred in 2022, but will carry over into 2023. The current pricing provided by BHEC is locked-in until May 1 and is likely to increase after that date.
STAFF REPORTS
City Finance Director Shani Wittenberg delivered the sales, use, and excise tax report for February 2022.
Read the reports in their entirety here.
YOUTH CITY COUNCIL REPORT
Youth City Councilor Grace Hotsenpiller said the council is still collecting for its clothing drive for needy residents. The council is also planning a movie night for area youth.
STAFF REPORT
City Engineer Scott Murphy said CDOT will begin resurfacing Townsend Avenue beginning May 15 and that the work will continue through most of the summer. Murphy said CDOT is investing $10 million in the project
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For more city news visit CityOfMontrose.org.