COLORADO SPRINGS ANNEXING ACREAGE

4 Pikes Peak Bulletin

Colorado Springs annexing ‘no man’s land’ along West Colorado

Courtesy image This shows one parcel that would be annexed into the city of Colorado Springs.

The Colorado Springs City Council is moving toward annexing an unincorporated area of almost 10 acres along West Colorado Avenue from Ridge Road to Columbia Road.

That area is home to a liquor store, several motels and a Mexican restaurant. The motels include the Maverick, which has closed, and the Mecca, which is for sale. Both were built in the 1930s.

Private properties are not included, but landowners could join the city later if they want.

This move should result in more efficient law enforcement response to the area, long known as “no man’s land.” Currently, the Manitou Springs Police Department, the Colorado Springs Police Department and the El Paso County Sheriff’s Department work under an intergovernmental agreement to enforce laws there.

The area’s sidewalks and gutters were recently replaced using funds from the Pikes Peak Rural Transportation Authority’s 1-cent sales tax. The area was not included in the Westside Avenue Action Plan project, which was substantially completed in November 2019.

CITY BRIEFS

Upcoming dates released for free grocery distributions

Care and Share’s free groceries distributions will continue at the Pool & Fitness Center, 202 Manitou Ave. It is a shopping experience, meaning everybody is welcome to receive as much, or as little, of groceries as they want.

Distributions take place noon-1 p.m. Tuesdays. Upcoming dates are Nov. 15 and Dec. 6.

Be smart about bears — they’re hunting for food

Bears are about to get very active in Colorado as they search for food before hibernating this winter. At this time, they’re likely to forage for human food, trash and fruit trees in urban areas. Their instinct to eat can overcome any fear of humans.

They can sniff out potential food sources as much as five miles away. Barbeque grills, unsecured trash and pet food can lure them into cities. They have been able to open car doors when searching for food.

Manitou Springs has a strict policy about wildlife-resistant trash receptacles. Information: www. manitouspringsgov.com/437/ Garbage-Refuse.

Energy-efficiency rebates available for homes

In partnership with the Housing Advisory Board, the city’s Planning Department is providing $10,000 in funding toward the Energy Efficiency Rebate Program, which will give rebates to homeowners or residents via their water bills.

The funds can pay for insulation, air sealing, heat pumps, water heaters, high-efficiency toilets and irrigation equipment. This program will continue through the end of 2022, or until the budgeted amount runs out.

Potential applicants must apply for a property improvement permit and have receipts of purchased equipment. Residents can retroactively apply for a rebate, as long as they follow the above rules and the fixture was purchased and installed on or after Jan. 1, 2022.

Information: bit.ly/MSRebates.

Slow the Flow will evaluate sprinkler systems

The city of Manitou Springs has partnered with Resource Central to offer free Slow the Flow sprinkler audits.

During the 75-minute evaluations, trained professionals will inspect your system. They will identify problem areas as well as perform tests to help you create the most efficient schedule for your yard.

The audits show that 99 percent of the sprinkler systems evaluated are inefficient. That not only leads to a higher water bill, but also wastes Manitou’s most precious resource: water.

This program is intended for residential properties only.

Register at resourcecentral.org/ slowtheflow.

EARLY DEADLINES

The Bulletin will go to press one day early, Tuesday, Nov. 22, so that printed copies can be mailed before Thanksgiving.

Press releases, letters to the editor and guest editorials will be due at noon Monday, Nov. 21. As always, the editor needs inquiries about guest editorials the day before they’re due; in this case, that means you should email editor@ sixty35media.org by noon Friday, Nov. 18.

Advertising deadlines are also one day earlier.

A brief in the Nov. 3 issue included incorrect information.

The Carnegie Library proposal will need to go to the Historic Preservation Commission for approval of the proposed interior design, then to the City Planning Commission and City Council.

The dates for these upcoming meetings are tentative, so please monitor the city’s agenda posting locations (manitouspringsgov.com/129/ Agendas-Minutes) to confirm when the Carnegie Library will be on the agenda; until the agenda item has been formally posted, it is not confirmed.

CORRECTION

Community addresses child care ‘desert’ in Manitou Springs

To the editor:

We are writing to share the work recently started to bring in-home child care opportunities to Manitou Springs. Through partnerships with Manitou Springs School District 14, Pikes Peak State College and Early Connections Learning Center, we are presenting new opportunities and financial support (from federal and state funding sources) for community members to become licensed in-home child care providers.

Manitou Springs Elementary School and Ute Pass Elementary School have exceptional half-day preschool programs for 3-year-olds and 4-year-olds. So we share in advance that this communication is related to needs around birth to 3 options, not our current school district preschool programs.

Experts and agencies in the Pikes Peak region consider Manitou Springs and the Ute Pass area to be a “child care desert.” At a time when early child care options (birth to 3) are limited in our area, we believe it is important to share resources that are available for members of our community to have licensed child care in their home.

Our goal is to promote and support three to five new daytime child care homes in Manitou Springs. The hope is to provide these services to D14 staff initially and then expand to city employees and/or Manitou Springsbased employees.

An eventual goal is to understand how our school district employees can have access to affordable and high-quality birth to 3-year-old child care opportunities in our community.

Upcoming meetings will share information about what it means and what is required to become an in-home family child care provider.

Contact Josie Watters at 719-381-4814 or jwatters@earlyconnections.org to RSVP for one of these local meetings: 10 a.m. or 5 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 17; 5 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 30; or 10 a.m. Thursday, Dec. 1.

With enthusiasm for what is possible,

Elizabeth Domangue, D14 superintendent Ken Jaray, supporting community philanthropy

EDITOR’S NOTE: WE WELCOME LETTERS TO THE EDITOR. PLEASE LIMIT THEM TO 300 WORDS;

the Bulletin reserves the right to edit for clarity and space. If you have more to say, please inquire about writing a guest column of 600 to 800 words. We’ll need to know about those by noon Monday of the publication week. Since columns take up a full page, we may have to hold them for a week because we don’t have space. Send letters and inquiries about guest columns to editor@pikespeakbulletin.com or mail them to: Pikes Peak Bulletin, attn. editor, 513 Manitou Ave. Manitou Springs 80829.

LETTERS AND THE ACTUAL COLUMNS ARE DUE NOON TUESDAY OF THE PUBLICATION WEEK.

ELECTION/from page 1

with a margin of 57.58 percent to 40.32 percent of the vote.

Michael Bennet, the Democratic incumbent, defeated Joe O’Dea, his closest challenger, by 54.88 percent to 42.54 percent.

Republican incumbent Doug Lamborn leads Democrat David Torres in the race for 5th District representative in Congress. The margin was 55.89 percent to 40.87 percent.

Democrat Adam Frisch looks likely to edge incumbent Lauren Boebert for the 3rd Congressional seat in the House of Representatives. The margin was 50.41 percent to 49.59 percent.

Jena Griswold, the current secretary of state, retained her seat, defeating Republican Pam Anderson 54.13 percent to 43.36 percent.

Democrat Dave Young won a second term as state treasurer by 52.85 percent over Republican Lang Sias, with 44.12 percent.

Phil Weiser, the Democratic incumbent attorney general, defeated Republican challenger John Kellner by 53.69 percent to 44.3 percent.

HOLIDAY CLOSURES

Manitou Springs City Hall will be closed Friday, Nov. 11, for Veterans Day. Post offices and El Paso County buildings also will be closed.

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Manitou’s own version of ‘The Great Train Robbery’

It’s been four years since I was personally inducted into the smallest political minority in the history of Manitou Springs. And what a stellar group to be among at the time.

If you haven’t guessed — it was the rogue contingent who escaped to the carriage roof during the “Great Manitou Train Robbery of 2017.”

Satirically speaking, the event has gone down in the annals of Manitou history. But it was also a sad lamentation for the majority aboard whose coach windows were locked tight or who were so immobilized by the civilian “shock and awe” campaign that they sat tight and raised their hands high.

And who pulled off this heist? Let’s just call them the “James Gang”; not to be confused with the poet laureate of the “James Gang” rockers who mysteriously channeled the anthem of this historic Manitou event beforehand.

BTW, if you haven’t listened to “Funk #49” (with lyrics) lately, it’s a true spiritual mystery how Joe Walsh could have foretold the event. As another Manitoid likes to say: possible earwig.

Back to reality for a moment. Much was said behind closed doors during the run-up to the “50-year” public financing deal negotiated by our elected … lawyer(s).

I was present for a few more proper gatherings myself. But after City Council finally voted we heard, “that’s the best we could do” in our negotiations. And another one, “we simply couldn’t risk losing the Cog Railway.”

Right! A poker player holding a royal flush can bet anyway he/she/they choose. But there was no poker game at all for those who folded Manitou’s cards as the dialogue was spun for two or three City Council members who were fooled.

But facts speak for themselves now as our first-year $600,000 city payment is due while budget challenges mount.

When elected representatives selectively reduce taxes for one business that other businesses still pay, we can expect long-term budget impacts and questions of inequity.

After that deal was done, a lawsuit was filed by Manitou’s finest. It wasn’t as complex as made out to be. The lawsuit was not to overturn the contract, but to give the decision over to a referendum of Manitou voters.

What better political “out” for our glorious lawyer leaders? Dang, I feel that earwig crawlin’ back.

What’s coming now is a debate about a deal that’s already cinching our collective financial noose. So it warrants sharing that the Chamber of Commerce sponsored a talking session at the Cliff House early in the “train” discussion.

During questions and answers with the Broadmoor & Sea Island Co. CEO about how much city jack was requested, the figure of $10 million was uttered … once, and for the last time. Credible financial analysis projects that Manitou Springs will now pay somewhere close to $38,000,000 for the honor to host the richest per passenger/mile railroad in the world.

Cost to Colorado Springs? Zero. Bartender!! Bring me another poker partner!

We can look forward to blowback in City Hall for years to come. It would have been so easy then to backstop our politician/neighbors with a referendum. But he/they had other plans.

Now we have a new council majority including

OPINION the president of the School District 14 Board of Education, also a sitting City Council member. Thank goodness the motto coming down from Mustang Hill today is one of authentic “communication” with Manitou voters! Another new councilor is pretty green on the job but appears to be a servant of her constituents … we’ll see. The mayor inherited this issue with a prior understanding it was a treacherous path to buck in 2017.

Dale Latty The rest of current City Council is known to Manitoids by what they have done… or have failed miserably to do when the time was at hand. Keep in mind which one still sits in a position of town trust, and who was all-in on the original “deal.” Manitou may actually be an important microcosm in showing the bigger issues in public dealings with Wall Street “lawfare” warriors and political/financial kings. But, America was established to impart the power of a Constitutional Republic to protect the majority against a “royalty of the few.” And everyone knows that City Council representatives are the closest politicos we have who can actually be observed in their duties, and pay them back with accolades, or the boot. Past scenes of the “Great Manitou Train Robbery” production aren’t new, but they are still fresh in our minds. Hopefully, we can see more clearly now who was who, and what outcome may better serve all concerned, including the Royalty. Which reminds me of another mysterious poetic channeling from the amazing artistic mastery of the “James Gang.” YouTube it up … “Walk Away/James Gang/ Lyrics.” That darn Joe Walsh was a true Manitou prophet.

We can expect long-term budget impacts.

Treasurer wants to return unclaimed property to local entities

Colorado State Treasurer Dave Young is urging people and entities to check colorado.findyourunclaimedproperty.com for lost property such as gift certificates, tax refunds, unpaid wages or uncashed checks.

To search, start by clicking on the Get Started link on the home page. Then just type your name or business name in the name field.

Last fiscal year, the Great Colorado Payback returned almost $50 million to nearly 55,000 claimants through the Unclaimed Property Division. To simplify the claims process, a pilot program that proactively returns funds was started, returning $4.1 million to 13,700 rightful owners without requiring additional paperwork for identification purposes.

Money or property turned over to the State Treasury for safekeeping is held for the owner or heir of the account and there are no time limits for filing a claim. The Colorado State Treasurer maintains a list of more than 1.7 million names of individuals, as well as schools, for whom property is available, including more than $960 million total.