OCN

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

OCN > 2312 > El Paso Board of County Commissioners, Nov. 7, 9, and 14 – Final budget direction increases funding to roads and parks

El Paso Board of County Commissioners, Nov. 7, 9, and 14 – Final budget direction increases funding to roads and parks

By Helen Walklett

During November, the El Paso Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) gave final direction on the 2024 county budget, received an update on the work of Tri-Lakes Cares and Crossfire Ministries, and approved a minor subdivision in Black Forest.

Final focus on 2024 budget

At the Nov. 14 meeting, the commissioners gave their final direction on the 2024 budget, reallocating funds to roads, parks and to challenging unfunded mandates.

The commissioners redistributed $2.49 million, the majority of which came from funds allocated to a major stormwater project that is now to be financed by federal grants. They earmarked an additional $2 million to one-time road funds, $150,000 to stormwater projects, $140,000 to park projects, and $200,000 to challenging unfunded mandates that might come from state or federal government.

Chair Cami Bremer described it as “a beautifully balanced budget that aligns with our priorities and allows us to get the things done that we need to get done.”

The preliminary budget and all supporting documents can be viewed on the county website at: admin.elpasoco.com/financial-services/budget-finance/county-budget/. Paper copies are also available for inspection in the commissioners’ office at Centennial Hall, 200 S. Cascade Ave., Colorado Springs 80903.

The final budget vote is scheduled to be held at the BOCC meeting on Dec. 5.

Tri-Lakes Cares/Crossfire Ministries update

At the Nov. 14 meeting, Tri-Lakes Cares (TLC) and Crossfire Ministries updated the commissioners on work the two nonprofits are doing with funding from various sources, including the $20,000 grant money jointly received from the BOCC under the Community Investment Program (CIP). Haley Chapin, TLC executive director, said that between the two organizations, they serve the whole county.

TLC helped 1,595 individuals in 853 households with food distribution, housing assistance, utilities assistance, transportation help, or medical assistance in 2022-23, Chapin said. Renee Beebe, executive director, Crossfire Ministries, said her organization is serving a lot of families that are finding themselves on the verge of not being able to make ends meet. She said the funding had been able to provide a number of families with utility assistance specifically, which is a growing area of need. In the first nine months of the year, Crossfire’s no-cost grocery store was accessed over 40,000 times.

Commenting on the increase in need during and since the pandemic, Chapin said, “While the rest of us have gone back to work and finished the remainder of the impacts of the pandemic, our community members that Crossfire and Tri-Lakes Cares serves are the first to be impacted by any economic downturn and they are the last to recover, and so we are still dealing with that downturn of the economy and the struggle that community members face.”

The partners are applying for CIP funding for next year. See tri-lakescares.org, and www.crossfireministries.org.

Approval for Black Forest four-lot subdivision

At the Nov. 9 BOCC meeting, the commissioners voted unanimously to approve rezone and minor subdivision applications to create a four-lot subdivision, Fairytale Acres, at a Herring Road property. The request was to rezone 7.59 acres of the 14.54-acre property from RR-5 (rural residential) to RR-2.5 (rural residential).

The subdivision request includes two waivers, one to allow a private roadway instead of a public road, and the other to exempt the property from having to provide a fire cistern. The applications were heard at the Oct. 19 El Paso County Planning Commission meeting where discussion mainly focused on the waivers. The Planning Commission voted unanimously to recommend the applications for approval. See www.ocn.me/v23n11.htm#epcpc.

The BOCC heard the applications as consent items, meaning there was no discussion, and voted 4-0 to approve. Commissioner Stan VanderWerf was absent.

Helen Walklett can be reached at helenwalklett@ocn.me.

Other El Paso Board of County Commissioners articles