Manitou Springs City Council recognized April as Child Abuse Prevention month. El Paso County Commissioner Bill Wysong was joined by Catania Jones, El Paso County’s Children, Youth & Family Services Director, to address Council.
“Child safety is a cornerstone of a strong community,” said Jones. “In 2024 we had 23,497 calls that were made to the child abuse and neglect hotline, and all of these were regarding some concern of child abuse or neglect. Not every call resulted in a case, and that’s ok, because that call may have connected a family to critically needed assistance and support services. We don’t expect callers to know exactly what abuse or neglect looks like, they only need to have a concern for a child. Every bit of information can help case workers see a bigger picture of what a family is experiencing and what is needed. Staff at the El Paso County Department of Human Services are dedicated to ensuring safety, permanency and well-being of children in our community. This critical work would not be possible without the ongoing support of our community partners and the citizens of Manitou Springs.”
Re-zone ordinance passes first reading
The first readings of ordinances to rezone 56 City-owned parcels of land passed their first reading this week. The parcels will be designated as Open Space (OS), Public Facility (PF), or Park (P). This rezoning effort will update and clarify the Official Zoning Map, ensuring that each parcel is appropriately categorized to reflect its function and future purpose.
Frederick Rollenhagen, the Manitou Springs planning director, told Council they received 25 to 30 inquiries about the rezoning effort after notices were mailed to residents, but after explaining the purpose of the project, received no opposition during presentation to the Manitou Springs Planning Commission on March 12.
The rezoning will have its second reading and public comment on April 15.
Council correspondence on trash service
“I received an email from a resident and they’re wanting for us to consider an early termination of the contract for trash services,” said Council Michelle Whetherhult during the Council Correspondence portion of the meeting. “The transition to Republic from GFL has not been appreciated, customer service and administration of the service is significantly impacted. With no notice they replaced a perfectly functional bin with one of theirs. Residents do not have any choice in the company, they must pay for service. Any company providing service should be providing excellent customer service. She is wanting us to get feedback from the residents on the contractors and consider resident satisfaction in the selection of a vendor.”
Water tank will be filled soon
The new water tank will soon have water in it, according to City Administrator Denise Howell. “We’re hoping that our water tank – we can fill it this week,” she said. “We’re waiting for the last state approval and we hope we can start filling the 1.1 million gallon water tank.”
Council approved a resolution to pay the construction costs – $1.3 million – of the Dillon Mobility Hub before the project loan is in place and then reimbursing the Mobility & Parking Enterprise Fund from the loan.
The City of Manitou Springs announced in a statement earlier this week that it has been awarded a $577,726 grant from the Colorado Department of Local Affairs (DOLA) to rehabilitate the city’s original 2.0 million-gallon Mesa Water Storage Tank, which has served the community since 1965.
The grant is funded through the Energy and Mineral Impact Assistance Fund and will be matched with $622,274 from the City’s Drinking Water Revolving Loan proceeds. The total project cost is $1.2 million. The project will extend the life of the original Mesa Tank and ensure it continues to safely store and deliver clean drinking water to residents, support fire protection, and maintain system reliability, the City said. Rehabilitation work is scheduled to begin in August 2025.
Planning Commission member status change
Council approved a change to move Roy Rosenthal from an alternate to a regular member of the Manitou Springs Planning Commission.
Arbor Day
Council also recognized April 25 as National Arbor Day, and discussed a planned tree-planting event to commemorate the day.
