May 19, 2022 Vol. 21, No. 26 Serving Manitou Springs, Old Colorado City and Lower Ute Pass
$100
Senior Parade
Council proactive about potential water shortages
Atticus Baker shares his excitement during the Sunday, May 15, parade through downtown.
Nian Crouch smiles while signaling his status as a senior.
Abigail Parker and Ayla Lehner laugh as they gesture to the crowd.
Charlotte Anderson and Bella Coscetti greet their supporters.
By Marcus Hill Manitou Springs City Council worked to get ahead of potential water shortages by approving a pair of ordinances during the regular meeting on Tuesday, May 17. Councilors voted 6-1 to adopt Ordinance 1622. Ward 1 Councilor Nancy Fortuin dissented. This ordinance “gives City Council the ability to delegate the authority to declare a water shortage and impose water restrictions to the City Administrator or the City Administrator’s delegate.” Denise Howell, city administrator, said she recommended passing the ordinance to “allow flexibility” to city administration in emergency situations. “This is not an emergency situation, but we are definitely in different situations than we’ve ever been with our water supply,” Howell said. “My recommendation is to pass this emergency ordinance so you always have that authority. … Let’s say there’s a fire at the reservoir, we would need to make an immediate decision and I could not do that, nor could anybody else without calling a special meeting. “This allows flexibility based on that situation. You do not have to take it, but it allows it to be part of the ordinance.” The approval of Ordinance 1622 allowed council to move forward with the determination of authority for imposing restrictions on water usage. Council voted 6-1 to adopt Resolution 1522, which will “give authority to the City Administrator for the remainder of 2022 to implement water restrictions as needed.” At-large Councilor Judith Chandler dissented. “This is an unprecedented year … and we’re getting things that we don’t normally see,” Howell said. “The reservoir is still spilling, so that’s a positive. But that can change quickly.” During a City Council work session on May 10, Jeff Jones, Public Works director, said Level
Photos by Rhonda Van Pelt
See COUNCIL/page 3
INSIDE UPDATE ON URBAN RENEWAL EFFORTS......................PAGE 6 WHY ARE MSHS TEACHERS RESIGNING?...................PAGE 10 BASEBALL, GOLF AND TRACK MOVE ON........... PAGES 12, 13