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Broomball on Palmer Lake, Jan. 20
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Palmer Lake Board of Trustees, Jan. 11 and 25 – Ben Lomand annexation considered; TLCA closed to the public
By James Howald and Jackie Burhans At its meeting on Jan. 25, the Palmer Lake Board of Trustees (PLBOT) held a public hearing to consider three land use issues. Of the three, the eligibility of the Ben Lomand property owned by the United Congregational Church for annexation by the town was the most contentious. At…
Monument Town Council, Jan. 2 and 16 – “It’s hard to do business here,” developers claim before moratorium approval
By Chris Jeub The Monument Town Council (MTC) convened for its first meeting of the year on Jan. 2, addressing various topics including the ArtSites Program, new ordinances, a major Planned Unit Development (PUD) amendment, and property tax mill levy scenarios. The second meeting commenced on Jan. 16 with a contentious debate with developers over…
El Paso County Board of County Commissioners, Jan. 9, 23, 25 – Palmer Lake annexation discussed
By Helen Walklett During January, the El Paso Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) considered an annexation notification from the Town of Palmer Lake. The commissioners also adopted the 2024 budget and reappointed their chair and vice chair for a second year. Ben Lomand Mountain Village annexation Notification of an annexation request from the Town of…
El Paso County Planning Commission, Jan. 4 and 18 – Black Forest subdivision recommended for approval
By Helen Walklett The El Paso County Planning Commission (EPCPC) met twice during January and considered a minor subdivision application for a Black Forest property. Hill minor subdivision At the first EPCPC meeting of the year, the commissioners voted unanimously to recommend for approval a subdivision request for a Black Forest property. The application by…
Monument Academy School Board, Jan. 5 and 11 – Board discusses the financial risk of parental rights policy
By Jackie Burhans Monument Academy (MA) held its regular meeting on Jan. 11 where it discussed a second attempt at its parental rights policy regarding transgender students, including the risk of being sued. MA also heard a presentation on a possible homeschool enrichment program and an executive director succession plan. The MA school board held…
Lewis-Palmer D38 Board of Education, Jan. 9 and 22 – Mill levy certified; staff recognized for work during weather emergency
By Harriet Halbig The Lewis-Palmer D38 Board of Education held a special meeting on Jan. 9 to certify its mill levy for the coming year. Chief Business Officer Brett Ridgway explained that the assessed value of taxable residential and non-residential property increased by over 30% in the past year. In the past, the mill levy…
D38 Parent and Community Advisory Committee, Jan. 9 – Discussion of Priority 1, D38 Foundation report
By Harriet Halbig The Lewis-Palmer D38 Parent and Community Advisory Committee (PCAC), formerly known as the District Accountability Advisory Committee, had a lengthy discussion of Priority 1 of the district’s strategic plan regarding the provision of safe and healthy schools, a report on grants from the D38 Foundation, and a presentation on Lewis-Palmer High School…
Black Forest Fire/Rescue Protection District, Jan. 17 – Work session scheduled for April; financial plan on hold
By Janet Sellers This reporter was unable to make a recording and attend in person. This article was based on the agenda available online at BFFire.org and notes from the meeting provided by Donna Arkowski. At the Black Forest Fire/Rescue Protection District (BFFRPD) meeting on Jan. 17, the financial management plan was discussed as well…
Donald Wescott Fire Protection District, Jan. 4 and 24 – 2024 mill levy certified; tight timeline to complete merger
By Natalie Barszcz The Donald Wescott Fire Protection District (DWFPD) board met on Jan. 4 to certify the 2024 mill levy and hear about the subdistrict dissolution and to discuss meeting date changes needed to complete the district merger by the end of 2024. The board discussed a pre-inclusion intergovernmental agreement (IGA) with the Tri-Lakes…
Monument Fire District, Jan. 24 – Property inclusions approved; three promoted to lieutenant
By Natalie Barszcz At the Tri-Lakes Monument Fire Protection District dba Monument Fire District (MFD) meeting on Jan. 24, the board held a public meeting before approving five property inclusions, accepted two petitions for future inclusion, and approved a pre-inclusion intergovernmental agreement (IGA) with Donald Wescott Fire Protection District (DWFPD). The board received multiple updates…
Woodmoor Water and Sanitation District, Jan. 8 – Board passes administrative resolutions
By James Howald At a brief meeting in January, the Woodmoor Water and Sanitation District (WWSD) board passed its annual administrative resolution and handled other housekeeping matters. It also heard operational reports. Administrative resolution passes The board voted unanimously in favor of Resolution 24-01, the first resolution of the new year, which lays out administrative…
Triview Metropolitan District, Jan. 8 and 25 – Mill levy lowered; 2024 budget approved
By Natalie Barszcz The Triview Metropolitan District (TMD) board held a special meeting via Zoom on Jan. 8 to certify the district’s mill levy and approve the 2024 budget. At the regular board meeting on Jan. 25, the board received multiple updates on water infrastructure projects and heard about a pause in planning approvals, the…
Monument Sanitation District, Jan. 17 – Willow Springs sewer line to be replaced
By Jackie Burhans and James Howald At its January meeting, General Manager Mark Parker updated the Monument Sanitation District (MSD) board regarding a project to replace a sewer main. The board passed two administrative resolutions and heard operational reports. Sewer main due for replacement Parker told the board that he had attended a bid opening…
Continue Reading Monument Sanitation District, Jan. 17 – Willow Springs sewer line to be replaced
Donala Water and Sanitation District, Jan. 9 and 18 – Budget adopted and mill levies certified
By James Howald and Jackie Burhans The Donala Water and Sanitation District (DWSD) board held a special meeting on Jan. 9 that included a public hearing on its 2024 budget. After the hearing, it adopted the budget and appropriated the necessary funds, set rates, and certified mill levies. It held a regular board meeting on…
El Paso County Regional Loop Water Authority, Jan. 18 – Consultants address financing, CSU facilities, easements
By James Howald At its January meeting, the El Paso County Regional Loop Water Authority (EPCRLWA, or the Loop) board heard progress reports from two consultants. The board also held an executive session. Consultants address financing, easements John Kuosman updated the board on his discussions with engineering companies and Colorado Springs Utilities (CSU). Kuosman, a…
Northern El Paso County Coalition of Community Associations (NEPCO), Jan. 20 – Group hears from law enforcement officials
By Marlene Brown The Northern El Paso County Coalition of Community Associations (NEPCO) held its bi-monthly meeting on Jan. 20. NEPCO’s purpose is to serve and be an area-wide point of contact for interaction with local government and agencies regarding land use matters that impact member associations and their residents. NEPCO’s area of interest is…
January Weather Wrap
By Bill Kappel For the second consecutive year, temperatures were below normal and precipitation was above normal in 2023. This continued the trend around the Palmer Divide so far this winter and hopefully will continue into spring. The month started off warmer than normal and ended warmer than normal, but most days in between were…
Letters to Our Community – Thank you
From those of us who walk around Monument for exercise, to shop, etc., thank you to the churches, businesses, and individuals who clear their sidewalks after snow events. It is a safety issue and keeps us from having to walk in the streets. A special thanks to St. Peter Catholic Church for completely clearing the…
Between the Covers at Covered Treasures Bookstore – Celebrating the classics in 2024
By the staff at Covered Treasures “A classic is a book that has never finished what it has to say.”—Italo Calvino Classics are available for readers of all ages and stand the test of time. They are well worth revisiting (or reading for the first time) as we all move forward into 2024. The Grapes…
February Library Events – Adult Reading Program begins; tax assistance available
By Harriet Halbig The Monument Library’s Winter Adult Reading Program began on Feb. 1 and will continue through March 31. Enroll online at ppld.org or at your local library and log reading and other activities for 30 days to win prizes. Attendance at selected library programs also count as activities. Please see the website for…
Continue Reading February Library Events – Adult Reading Program begins; tax assistance available
Palmer Lake Historical Society, Jan. 18 – Annual Potluck and Membership Meeting
By Marlene Brown On Jan. 18, the Palmer Lake Historical Society (PLHS) held its Annual Potluck and Membership Meeting at the Palmer Lake Town Hall. Started in 1956, the PLHS, a 501C3 nonprofit, is in its 67th year. The mission of the PLHS is to preserve, protect, promote, and provide access to historical data, artifacts,…
Continue Reading Palmer Lake Historical Society, Jan. 18 – Annual Potluck and Membership Meeting
High Altitude Nature and Gardening (HANG) – Colorado trades in grass for cash
By Janet Sellers Snow adds nitrogen to our soil. Nitrogen is abundant in the air, but it must be fixed in some way to be available to our soil. Both rain and snow can accomplish this. Called the poor man’s fertilizer, it really is Mother Nature at work. We don’t need additives when we understand…
Continue Reading High Altitude Nature and Gardening (HANG) – Colorado trades in grass for cash
Art Matters – Ikigai: connecting to creative genius
By Janet Sellers The concept of humans looking for something that imbues a purpose for life is as ancient as humankind. It’s called “Ikigai” in Japanese. “Iki” means life, “gai” means result, fruit, and benefit. We can creatively look into our own Ikigai through the arts by making things, by connecting with the arts thoughtfully…
Continue Reading Art Matters – Ikigai: connecting to creative genius
Snapshots of Our Community
Palmer Lake Outdoor Classic Above: About 1,1100 people bundled up to watch the 3rd Annual Palmer Lake Outdoor Classic on a frozen Palmer Lake on Jan. 6. The temperature was around 20 degrees when the Palmer Lake Star was lit, and fireworks brightened the dark sky to mark the start of the high school tournament.…
Our Community Notices
By Janet Sellers Although we strive for accuracy in these listings, dates or times are often changed after publication. Please double-check the time and place of any event you wish to attend by calling the information number for that event. Please notify us if your event listing needs to be updated. Voyager Pkwy near Spectrum…
Our Community Calendar
By Janet Sellers Although we strive for accuracy in these listings, dates or times are often changed after publication. Please double-check the time and place of any event you wish to attend by calling the info number for that event. Please contact calendar@ocn.me with changes and additions. GOVERNMENTAL BODIES Forest Lakes Metropolitan District, Pinon Pines…