Montrose, CO — City Councilors met online for a virtual work session Monday morning, March 30, to get an update on city operations. Councilors Roy Anderson, Dave Bowman, Barbara Bynum, Judy Ann Files, and Doug Glaspell met for about one hour, 36 minutes on Zoom, along with city staff. The following is a summary of the primary topics discussed during the meeting.
NOTE: Due to the April 7 election, the City Council will hold its next regular meeting on March 31 at 6 p.m.
MUNICIPAL COURT ANNUAL REPORT
Municipal Judge Richard Brown delivered an update on the court’s operation during the public stay-at-home orders associated with the COVID-19 virus.
Judge Brown said the court has moved a number of pending court cases to May, and the court is working through phone and email to continue normal operations as best as they can. Judge Brown also reported that court revenues have been trending downward while the court has been processing fewer cases.
CONTRACT AWARD RECOMMENDATIONS:
• Wayfinding Sign Installation
• Fuel Contract (For municipal vehicles)
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the City Council decided to table both the wayfinding and fuel contracts while the city works to create a fund to help local businesses and determines how much the COVID-19 virus has affected the city finances. Under the stay-at-home order by Governor Jared Polis, all non-essential businesses are to remain closed to prevent the spread of COVID-19. These closures will certainly have an effect on sales taxes, which are the primary revenue source for the city, and will likely impact the 2021 city budget. Both contracts will be discussed during an April work session.
CONTRACT AWARD RECOMMENDATION: (Asbestos Abatement Contract Change Order)
The city’s contractor for performing asbestos abatement in the old Wells Fargo drive-thru and a second building on the city’s campus ran into unforeseen conditions in both buildings. The contractor reported finding additional asbestos under floors and behind walls that were not previously known. This extra work resulted in additional asbestos abatement charges to the city of about $9,000. Earlier in March, the old Wells Fargo drive-thru was demolished to make way for the new Montrose Police Department headquarters.
GENERAL DISCUSSION:
City Councilors and staff talked about the city’s efforts to help local businesses weather the COVID-19 closures. The City of Montrose is one of the first municipalities in Colorado to be considering the creation of a small business loan fund to help with the revenue losses associated with the virus. City staff is working extra hours to create a program for local businesses while creating extra information resources for both businesses and local residents.
Any and all updates on these efforts will be released as they become available.
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All City Council meetings are recorded and made available online via on the city’s website and cable channels 191 for Charter subscribers and 970 for Elevate subscribers. Replays of council meetings are also broadcast at 6 p.m. on the same channels on days that the council is not in session.
In addition, each regular meeting is archived on the City of Montrose’s YouTube channel.
Residents can watch all regular City Council meetings and work sessions live through the city’s website at CityOfMontrose.org/Video.
For more city news visit CityOfMontrose.org.