Manitou Springs City Council met in a work session Tuesday, Nov. 9, to hear budget requests from the city’s nine boards and commissions, as well as from the Manitou Springs Creative District and the nonprofit Manitou Springs Arts Council.

The city’s boards and commissions were created to provide advice and public input in the management of the city’s assets and activities. Some, such as the Planning Commission, make legally binding decisions on the city’s behalf.

They are staffed by unpaid citizen volunteers. Vacancies on the boards and commissions are posted on the city’s website, with guidance on applying to serve on them.

Tuesday’s presentations recapped the 2021 accomplishments of the groups, their plans for 2022 and their budget requests.

The Housing Advisory Board made Tuesday’s first presentation, represented by chair Alea German and vice-chair Allison Gerbig. The HAB’s greatest challenges in 2021 were the energy-efficiency upgrade program, which was stalled for 2021 but will be reinstated for 2022. It’s intended to increase access to attainable/affordable housing and educating the community about housing issues and the turnover of city staff and HAB board members.

The HAB has several goals for 2022: present habitability standards to council with expectation of adoption, develop a draft rental-licensing program to propose to council, reinstate the energy-efficiency program with revised eligibility criteria and develop a multiyear plan for ongoing programs, increase options for affordable/attainable housing (auxiliary dwelling units, code changes and redevelopment), continue developing relationships with regional housing partners and review and update the strategic plan as necessary.

Among HAB’s 2021 accomplishments are drafting habitability and housing standards, developing a vision for a rental licensing program, participating in zoning code updates, refining criteria for the energy-efficiency upgrade program, advocating for a home-sharing program, pursuing professional development, touring Colorado Springs Housing Authority projects, obtaining expert speakers and educating the public through the Bulletin.

The HAB requested $10,000 for energy-efficiency incentives, $2,000 for marketing and education and $6,000 for consulting, engineering and research services.

The City Planning Commission, which oversees building and development and was represented by chair Alan Delwiche, made Tuesday’s second presentation. The CPC listed COVID-19 restrictions and staff changes as its primary challenges during 2021.

Delwiche said that 2021 was a “fairly” slow year for the CPC, “for a lot of reasons.” Its goals for 2022 are, jointly with City Council, completing the updated zoning and subdivision regulations updates.

The CPC requested a budget of $1,200 for commissioner education, taken from the city’s General Fund.

At this point in the meeting, Councilor Natalie Johnson pointed out that the audio portion of the meeting’s YouTube presentation was malfunctioning and not available. Mayor John Graham elected to continue the meeting rather than pause it and try to correct the audio. It was restored the next morning and is now available at youtube.com.

Ann Nichols represented the Historic Preservation Commission. She told council that the HPC’s greatest accomplishment during 2021 was completing the Historic District Survey and Inventory Plan. She listed COVID-19 and the inability to hold the annual honor awards for 2019 and 2020 as its greatest challenges.

The HPC’s budget request of $98,500 includes $5,000 from the General Fund for preservation incentives with the balance largely funded by grants and covering awards, training, signage, surveys and modifications to McLaughlin Lodge (at Cheyenne Village) and Hiawatha Gardens.

Neale Minch represented the Manitou Arts, Culture, and Heritage board. The MACH is funded by a dedicated sales tax of 0.3 percent.

The MACH will have $442,126 available in 2022, with 66 percent of that going to “Tier 1” recipients (editor’s note: for more information, see page 6). The MACH will also pay a staff for four hours weekly, optimize its website, train applicants and conduct mailings.

Next came Bill Koerner, representing the Mobility and Parking Board. Koerner listed the MAP’s 2021 accomplishments as recommending that council rewrite the enabling ordinance, establishing a micro-mobility sub-committee, recommending the safety stop ordinance to City Council and supporting the Hiawatha Gardens Task Force 3 implementation, including the mobility hub.

The challenges Koerner sees for 2021-2022 are learning to work together as a team when coming from different viewpoints and priorities, increased visitation as the Cog Railway moves to full capacity, COVID-19 and short staffing, and maintaining board membership.

MAP goals for 2022 include maintaining a seven-member board and recruiting up to three alternates, setting strategic goals for overall mobility and parking with city staff and the Transportation and Mobility Master Plan, advancing micro-mobility design and implementation at Hiawatha and Cog hubs — “a key component,” obtaining enterprise funding for micro-mobility and TMMP project recommendations and implementations. Those include pilot studies of innovative infrastructure, maximizing the use of Streetlight, Parking Logix, T2 and other methods to obtain data and to address the use of electric modes of micro-mobility.

MAP’s 2022 budget is yet to be determined and will be drawn from the recently created Mobility and Parking Enterprise Fund.

Councilor Judith Chandler noted the lack of mention of mass transit in the MAP presentation, which she says is antiquated and does not serve residents. Koerner agreed and said that the MAP board is seeking a more cost-efficient alternative to Mountain Metro. Chandler recommended a sub-committee to address the transit needs of all citizens and neighborhoods.

“Public transportation is not necessarily just Mountain Metro,” Mayor Pro Tem Nancy Fortuin said.

Councilor Julie Wolfe said that she would like to see public transportation included in the MAP vision statement and that she wanted to be sure that City Administrator Denise Howell provides the MAP with the Mountain Metro deadlines for providing input on the route designation process.

Deputy City Administrator Roy Chaney said that he spoke with Mountain Metro earlier in the day and that no major route changes are planned. If council wants major changes, time is running out to ask for them.

Council’s sense was that the MAP and council prioritize desired bus route changes for consideration beginning in the spring and that the sub-committee should be created.

Vice chair Shannon Solomon made the presentation for the Open Space Advisory Committee. Solomon identified trailhead signage finished and installed, Intemann Trail stairs reclamation completed, surveys completed on Black Canyon and Wildcat Gulch easements, rogue bike trails closed at Wildcat Gulch, multiple erosion-control structures installed, ties on the Intemann Trail replaced, successful 2021 Great Outdoors Colorado Youth Corps Grant consisting of three weeks of crew work, valued at $25,050, and ongoing participation in Creek Walk Trail Committee.

OSAC has a fund balance of $435,574 and made no budget request for 2022.

Danu Fatt made the presentation for the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board. PARAB’s vision statement is, “Manitou Springs’ parks and recreation will connect people and the natural environment for the health and well-being of all.”

PARAB’s accomplishments for 2021 were presented as completing Soda Springs Park Phase 1, completing the design and construction of Wheeler Pocket Park, continuing to add public art, new trees for urban forestry and other recreational amenities to enrich Manitou parks, and hiring Skyler Beck as parks and recreation director.

PARAB’s goals for 2022 are creating a master plan for Higginbotham Flats, adding and maintaining parks and recreation amenities, urban forestry and supporting plans and initiatives from the Parks & Recreation Department to enhance parks and recreation.

PARAB is requesting $108,000 from the Conservation Trust Fund for its 2022 budget.

Leslie Lewis, Chamber of Commerce executive director, made its presentation.

The chamber has many sources of revenue. It comes from the city’s Economic Development/Tourism budget item according to a formula, membership investment, visitor center operations and special events. The chamber’s city funding for 2022 is $306,250 and its anticipated expenses are $672,035.

Deferred spending for 2021 included virtually all promotional, event and holiday funding, which the chamber intends to reinstate in 2022.

Lewis presented the chamber’s new vision statement: “The Vision of the Manitou Springs Chamber of Commerce, Visitors Bureau & Office of Economic Development is to be the heart of a strong, sustainable local economy through business leadership.”

COVID-19 presented a host of challenges for the chamber in 2021, including loss of volunteers, frequently changing mandates and rules, deferred maintenance and potential personnel raids on staff by competing organizations.

Goals for 2022 include minimizing the impact of events on neighborhoods, creating a five-year plan, offering educational and networking opportunities to the business community, partnering with the Manitou Springs Creative District and promoting public art.

The Urban Renewal Authority’s Executive Director Jim Rees made the evening’s final budget presentation. The URA is financed by a dedicated voter-approved tax. The URA mission statement reads, in part, “to encourage private investment and reinvestment in targeted areas while strengthening the tax base of the whole city.”

The URA consists of Manitou Avenue and adjacent areas east of the Highway 24 overpass to the eastern city limit.

The URA’s stated goals for 2022 are acquiring property along Manitou Avenue and entering into development agreements, completing a design and budget estimate for Manitou Avenue and U.S. Highway 24 streetscape, identifying Fountain Creek enhancements and pedestrian bridge location and adding corridor enhancements such as street trees, sculpture, utility box wraps and banners.

The URA expects revenues of $4,020,318 in the coming year, with operating expenses of $295,700 and capital expenses of $3,237,000.

URA accomplishments in 2021 include the Beckers Lane streetscape, bridge and adjacent road, trees and pollination stations along Manitou Avenue, the Holiday Inn Express construction and Pike Ride stations along Manitou Avenue.

After the budget presentations, Audrey Gray of the Manitou Springs Arts Council and Farley McDonough of the Manitou Springs Creative District presented information on the two groups’ upcoming merger.

The rationale includes operational efficiencies, similar/complementary missions and promoting the financial and the administrative sustainability of both organizations. Several Colorado creative districts have made similar reorganizations recently.

The two boards have worked out the merger plan over a series of 11 meetings; it will be final Jan. 1, 2022.

A memorandum of understanding will be brought before City Council. A new process for placing Art on the Avenue pieces will be devised.

Councilors had submitted questions to city staff concerning the budget. Finance Director Rebecca Davis presented a memorandum addressing the 17 questions received.

Councilor Julie Wolfe found many of the responses “unacceptable” and objected to the amount of money being spent on holiday lighting, given other needs. Fortuin suggested a follow-up budget retreat in January.

It was agreed that council will discuss the marijuana tax and some of the budget items during its Nov. 30 meeting. The discussion and action on a potential additional marijuana outlet will take place in January.