OCN

Volunteers reporting on community issues in Monument, Palmer Lake, and the surrounding Tri-Lakes area

OCN > blog > OCN Newsletter #58 – March 10, 2026 – County Approves Buc-ee’s Boundary Line Adjustment, PRHS raises $30K for Make-A-Wish, Highlights of the Mar. 2 Mon. Town Council meeting, Mar. OCN Issue Posted; Request Event Listing in OCN Calendar; Check which districts you’re in

OCN Newsletter #58 – March 10, 2026 – County Approves Buc-ee’s Boundary Line Adjustment, PRHS raises $30K for Make-A-Wish, Highlights of the Mar. 2 Mon. Town Council meeting, Mar. OCN Issue Posted; Request Event Listing in OCN Calendar; Check which districts you’re in

Sign up for Our Community Newsletter to be notified by email about the latest news and important developments in the Tri-Lakes area

Download a PDF of this newsletter

County Approves Buc-ee’s Boundary Line Adjustment

Monument to hold Talk with the Town, 6 pm today

At 9 am this morning, El Paso County approved the boundary line adjustment (BLA) requested to expand the parcel proposed for the Buc-ee’s travel center to about 53 acres.

The Town of Monument which has submitted a letter urging disapproval of the BLA will hold a Talk with the Town tonight (Tue., March 10), 6 pm at the Monument Town Hall, 645 Beacon Lite Rd, Monument.

PRHS raises $30,000 for Make-a-Wish, honors eight -year-old

Above: On March 5, Palmer Ridge High School (PRHS) culminated a week of activities that raised $30,000 for Make-A-Wish Colorado by celebrating eight-year-old student Brooks (pictured above), whose wish is to go to Disney World. Brooks has a congenital heart disease. She got a standing ovation from the crowd in the gym and got to throw a pie in the face of English teacher Matt Frost. The celebration wrapped up with teacher, Daniel Russel getting his head shaved, something he agreed to do if donations hit the $30,000 mark. The event began on a somber note, as Elijah Arnholt’s mother addressed the crowd and delivered a tribute to her son who was a PRHS student. He passed away a year ago in March at the age of 18 after a courageous battle with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy. Photo courtesy of D-38

AI-Generated Highlights of the Mar. 2 meeting of the Monument Town Council

Below are AI-generated highlights of the Monument Town Council meeting Mar. 2. The timestamps in parentheses indicate the approximate points in the video of the meeting where the topics were discussed. Our April 4th issue will have detailed coverage of this meeting.

  • Tri-Lakes Chamber of Commerce Services Report: Terri Hayes, CEO of the Tri-Lakes Chamber of Commerce, presented a comprehensive update on the services the Chamber provides to the town, including tourism management, economic development advocacy, and the maintenance of downtown signature events. (00:03:01)
  • Public Safety Advocacy History: During her presentation, Terri Hayes highlighted the Chamber’s pivotal role in successfully passing the town’s half-cent public safety sales tax, which provides ongoing funding for the police department. (00:27:13)
  • “Rename the Road” Contest Launch: Senior Planner Jenna Gorney announced a community-driven contest to rename a segment of Old Denver Road (currently called Crossfield Road) between Santa Fe Avenue and Wagon Gap Trail. Residents are invited to submit suggestions via the town website starting March 9. (00:56:10)
  • Fountain Creek Watershed District Representation: Commissioner Wysong discussed a recent resolution supporting state legislation that would grant the Town of Monument a permanent, dedicated seat on the Fountain Creek Watershed District board. (01:03:01)
  • Mountain Pine Beetle Outbreak Warning: Commissioner Wysong briefed the Council on an executive order identifying a significant mountain pine beetle outbreak along the Front Range. He expressed concerns regarding the current lack of state funding for mitigation efforts. (01:07:20)
  • Proposed Prohibition of Graywater Systems: Public Works Director Thomas Tharnish introduced Ordinance 03-2026, which would prohibit the installation of graywater treatment works. The move is intended to protect the town’s water return flows and avoid complex backflow prevention requirements. (01:15:51)
  • Expansion of Graywater Ordinance Scope: During the ordinance discussion, the Council debated whether the prohibition should apply only to the town’s water service area or town-wide. They ultimately directed staff to modify the language to cover all town boundaries. (01:21:04)
  • Continuation of Graywater Public Hearing: Due to the requested language changes, the Council voted unanimously to continue the public hearing for the graywater ordinance until the March 16 meeting. (01:29:34)
  • Approval of RESPEC Master Service Agreement: The Council passed Resolution 14-2026, a $532,899 agreement with RESPEC Company LLC to provide construction services and observation for the Beacon Lite Road pipeline and the Monument Hill water tank projects. (01:30:52)
  • Infrastructure Update on Monument Hill Tank: Staff confirmed that the existing water tank on Monument Hill is deteriorating and under state scrutiny, emphasizing the urgency of completing the new tank project within the next 9 to 12 months. (01:38:51)
  • Palmer Lake Board and Legal Updates: During public comment, Trustee Jüka from Palmer Lake updated the Council on their successful appointment of new board members
    and their ongoing search for a new town attorney and police staff. (01:43:13)
  • Finalization of Referral Letter to El Paso County: Following an executive session, the Council directed the planning director and town attorneys to finalize and submit a referral letter to El Paso County opposing the Buc-ee’s-related administrative boundary line adjustment and grading permit application. (01:52:49)

Watch the Mar. 2 Meeting

OCN Mar. 7 Articles, Audio files, and Podcasts Posted!

Over 23,000 copies of our Mar. 7th issue were mailed today (Thu., Mar. 5th).

All the articles, letters, columns, snapshots, notices, and community calendar events have been posted at www.ocn.me.

Audio files have been posted for all the articles and the audio highlights and audio articles podcasts have been broadcast to Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Pandora and posted on our YouTube channel.

Mar. Issue Audio Highlights Podcast


Mar. Issue Audio Highlights Transcript


Mar. Issue Audio Articles Podcast


Read Mar. Issue Articles


Read Our On-Line E-Editions


Download Mar. Issue PDF


Mar. Issue Photo Collection

Monument PC Wed., Palmer Lake BOT Thu.

Readers should assume that event information published in this newsletter 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 > or check wp.ocn.me/events for event locations and other details of these and many other local events.

With our new on-line calendar, you can easily search for your favorite events, view upcoming events in a variety of formats (daily, weekly, monthly, etc.) and add events of interest to the calendar on your mobile device or computer.

Check out our On-Line Calendar

Want your event listed in our on-line and print calendar?

Our Community Calendar carries listings for Tri-Lakes events that are sponsored by local governmental entities and not-for-profit organizations. We include events that are open to the general public and are not religious or self-promotional in nature. Complimentary calendar listings are included, when requested, for events advertised in the current issue. Click the button below to request listing of your events.

Request Event Listing

Uncertain about which districts you’re in?

March Issue Podcasts & Lady Rangers Recognized posted on YouTube

View our YouTube Channel

Keep up with fast-moving developments in the Tri-Lakes area with the OCN app!

The OCN app alerts you to upcoming events you don’t want to miss, lists the latest articles, podcasts, photo collections, comments, etc. It updates automatically to keep you informed.

For Windows 10 and 11 users, the OCN app is now available for download from the Microsoft App Store.

In the screenshot below, the app is reporting 10 new upcoming events including a car show, farmers’ market, D38 school board meeting, and Monument Town Council meeting.

Just click the button below for a description of the latest version of the OCN app and detailed instructions on installing it on your smartphone, tablet, laptop, Chromebook, or desktop computer.

Download the OCN App!

**********

This email is an edition of the Our Community Newsletter. We also offer separate monthly email messages for those interested in information about OCN advertising. If you wish to also receive those email messages, please let me know or click on “manage your subscription” at the bottom of every message I sent. That will take you to a web page where you can update your information and preferences.

If you do not wish to receive future email messages of this type, please let me know at johnheiser@ocn.me and I will take care of it immediately.

Recent newsletters

Reader Interactions

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *