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Issue #284 — Volume 24 Number 11 — Saturday, November 2, 2024 Visit our NEW MOBILE-FRIENDLY WordPress-based website:
Palmer Lake Pumpkin Patch fundraiser, Oct. 20
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Audio is posted for many of the recent articles and videos for some events.
Local Events Readers should assume that event information published in this issue is subject to change and information should be confirmed a day or two before the event by calling the information number or checking the organization’s website. See page 22 and page 23 for event locations and other details of these and many other local events. • OCN mailing day, Thu., Dec. 5, approx. 7-8:30 am. • Downtown Monument Shop Local events: Holiday Open House, Nov. 2, 11-4 pm, Black Friday Nov. 29, 10-5 pm; Small Business Saturday Nov. 30, 1-5 pm. Small Town Christmas, Sat Dec. 7, 10 - 4 pm; Sunday with Santa, Sun., Dec. 15, 11-4 pm. See ad on page 2. • Monument Homemakers,bring a dish to share and your own table service, Thu. Nov. 7, noon. • Palmer Lake Historical Society, Thu., Nov. 21, 7 pm. • Tri-Lakes Women’s Club Joys of the Season Holiday Home Tour, Fri.-Sat., Nov. 22-23, 10-4 pm. See ad on page 3 • Christmas with Bing by Eric Elison, Sat., Nov. 23, 2-4 pm, Sat., Dec. 14, 7-9 pm. See ad on page 4 • WMMI STEAM Camp, Tue., Nov. 26. See ad on page 12 • YMCA 5K race series. Turkey trot, Thu., Nov. 28, Jingle Jog, Sat., Dec. 14. See ad on page 6. • Alpaca Holiday Extravaganza, Sat.-Sun., Nov. 30-Dec. 1, Black Forest Community Club. See ad on page 11. • Thrivent Financial Advisors, workshop on taxes and retirement, Thu., Dec. 5, 6 p.m. See ad on page 6 • Kiwanis North Pole at TriLakes Craft Show, Sat., Dec., 7, 9-4 pm. See ad on page 10.
Above: Monument Lake Snake. See photo on page 21. Photo by Michael Weinfeld.
In this issue Palmer Lake News 1-4 Fire District News 1, 4-9 Monument News 10-11 D38 News 12-15 Water & San District News 15-17 County News 17-18 WIA News 18 Weather 18 Letters and Columns 18-20 Snapshots 20-21 Notices and Calendar 22-23 OCN Information 1, 23-24
Above: On Sunday, Oct. 20, the Town of Palmer Lake held a pumpkin patch festival on the Village Green in front of the Town Hall. Many enjoyed the fundraising event that included choosing pumpkins from the lawn, painting pumpkins, and other festive booths. Donations from the event will help to support more family events, including holiday trees, the star lighting, and other annual festivities. Inside the Town Hall, the Funky Little Theater Company was preparing for its Sleepy Hollow theater presentation set for the last weekend in October. Photo by Janet Sellers.
Palmer Lake Board of Trustees, Oct. 10 and 24
Board begins “flagpole annexation” process for Buc’ees travel center on I-25 By James Howald and Jackie Burhans The Palmer Lake Board of Trustees set a date for a public hearing on a set of six requests to annex portions of County Line Road and land just east of I-25 at which a Buc’ees travel center would be located. Town Administrator Dawn Collins presented a proposed budget for 2025, and the board set a date for a public hearing on it. The board authorized the demolition of six cabins on the Elephant Rock property. The town’s code regulating outdoor burning was amended. Town Attorney Scott Krob summed up recent changes to state law and case law that might affect Palmer Lake. In her administrative report, Collins introduced the town’s newly hired parks maintenance technician and code compliance officer and discussed flooding at the police station. The board heard a petition from residents concerning excessive noise from a house in Red Rocks
Ranch owned by developer Matt Dunston. The Oct.10 meeting included an executive session after which the board voted to sign a disconnect for the United Congregational Church.
Proposed travel center requires “flagpole annexation”
In the packet materials for the Oct. 24 board meeting, Collins documented the receipt of six requests to annex property east of the town, including the south half of County Line Road and two parcels just east of I-25. She outlined the town’s obligations when requests for annexation are received: The clerk must bring the requests to the board at its next meeting, and the board must set a date for a public hearing to determine if the requests meet the legal requirements for annexation. She emphasized that the resolution before the board was only to set a hearing date and not to de-
cide whether the annexation was legal or in the best interests of the town. This would be considered a “flagpole annexation,” which refers to a practice where a municipality acquires new territory that is connected to an existing territory by a thin strip of land. The strip of land resembles a flagpole. At the Oct. 24 meeting, Mayor Glant Havenar introduced Resolution 52-2024, which sets Dec. 12 as the date for the annexation eligibility hearing. She said the resolution was only procedural. Trustees Shana Ball, Kevin Dreher, Nick Ehrhardt, Jessica Farr, and Dennis Stern voted in favor of the resolution, along with Havenar. Trustee Samantha Padgett voted no. Buc’ees currently operates one travel center in Colorado, a 74,000-squarefoot building in Johnstown with 116 fuel pumps and 275 staff members.
PALMER LAKE (Cont. on 2)
Black Forest Fire/Rescue Protection District, Oct. 16
Deputy Chief resigns; board addresses handling of personnel matters; multiple issues require attention By Natalie Barszcz At the Black Forest Fire Rescue Protection District (BFFRPD) Board of Directors meeting on Oct. 16, Chairman Nate Dowden addressed public inquiries regarding employee matters and the release of information regarding them in the recent investigations into three members of the executive staff. The agenda was amended to move into executive session before the regular meeting agenda resumed. The executive session topic of discussion was abbreviated to the hiring of a permanent fire chief, due to the letter of resignation received from Deputy Chief of Operations Chris Piepenburg. The board discussed establishing the qualifications needed before the fire chief hiring process begins, received a request to reinstate the health insurance opt out before accepting the 2025 budget, heard the training grounds would
not be in compliance for the Pikes Peak State College (PPSC) fire academy, and the 1979 aerial ladder truck requires repairs to pass a safety inspection. Director James Abendschan attended via Zoom.
Board addresses public questions
Dowden provided clarification on several questions received from the public regarding the investigations into three members of the executive staff and said the board strives to maintain a high degree of employee confidentiality regarding personnel matters and investigations, however, news media uses minutes from the board meetings and obtains information through Colorado Open Records Act requests and various other means, and the board cannot control the news media. Addressing the questions received by the public, he
said: • On Oct. 10, at 5 p.m., former fire chief PJ Langmaid was fully separated from the district and is no longer an employee of the district. • The board can only act on information provided by investigators on the investigations authorized by the board. • The board was informed that the third-party investigation report involving Piepenburg would be available Oct. 16, and the board added an agenda item to the executive session. • However, the board received an email from Piepenburg announcing his decision to resign from the district with immediate effect that morning, and the additional agenda item would not be needed.
BFFRPD (Cont. on 4)