firm to handle Oct. 3 recall election

BY ELISABETH SLAY ESLAY@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

After scheduling the special recall election for Oct. 3, the Englewood City Council voted to hire Community Resource Services of Colorado to manage it during the July 24 meeting. e special recall election would take place ve weeks prior to the general election, which was already scheduled for Tuesday, Nov. 7.

Chris Harguth, the city’s communication director, said there are ve city council seats open in the November election, including District 1, District 2 and two four-year term At Large seats. ere is also a two-year At-Large seat open that was left vacant this month when former Councilmember Cheryl Wink resigned.

District 3 Councilmember Joe Anderson, Mayor Othoniel Sierra and District 2 Councilmember Chelsea Nunnenkamp are facing recall in October.

Harguth said if Nunnenkamp is recalled on Oct.3 then another special election will be held to ll her seat. He said the election would take place between Dec. 2, 2023 and Jan. 31, 2024.

Harguth said the recall election is estimated to cost more than $100,000 but will not exceed $138,000.

“Second reading to approve a special recall election date for Oct. 3 is set to go to council on Aug 7,” he said. “If approved, the city clerk will certify the recall ballots, District 1,2 and 3.”

City Clerk Stephiane Carlile said in the July 24 meeting that due to the timeframe of both elections, the city felt it would be best to have a third party run the election.

Harguth said enlisting help from a third party would help the city maintain “complete impartiality in the process.”

Harguth said there is the possibility of multiple vacancies after the Oct. 3 election with District 1 and 3 having a vacancy between the Oct. 3 and Nov. 7 election. ere will also be a vacancy between Oct. 3 and the date of a special election between Dec. 2 and Jan 31, 2024, for District 2 if its successfully recalled. is could impact the council’s quorum, Harguth said and without a quorum then “council will not be able to meet and conduct the business of the city.” e eight-person panel discussed various amendments to the proposed zoning change including accessory dwelling units, the de nition of “household” and historic property designation. e discussion and vote came after various residents expressed their support and opposition of the proposed code changes in the public comments portion of Tuesday’s meeting.

Also in the July 24 meeting, the council discussed the process of nding a replacement for Wink. e e orts to recall the four council members began over their consideration of a proposal to allow multifamily residences in single-family zoning areas which has been shelved inde nitely.

However, Kurt Suppes, a Recall and Restore Englewood member, said there is more to the purpose of the recall e orts as many residents have been unhappy with the city council for years.

“It is not limited to the zoning changes proposed for R1 single family neighborhoods, which were supported by and announced publicly in November 2022 by the four city members we are seeking to recall, three now that Cheryl Wink has resigned,” Suppes said.

According to Chris Harguth, the city’s communications director, the committee voted to make the following amendments: a requirement for owner occupancy for any residential property that may include an ADU for a transition period of 10 years, the requirement could be rescinded or extended at that time; establish a de nition of household of up to four unrelated persons, and encourage the council to direct the impending a ordable housing task force to review how Englewood de nes household/ occupancy limits for residences; and establish the threshold for property owner consent to form a local historic district to 65 percent of owners, the draft code was 75 percent.

Many have expressed opposition

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