Montrose, CO — City Councilors met for a work session Monday morning, November 13, to review an application to close Main Street for an event, an updated city employee benefits plan, the 2023 supplement budget, and a plan for the 2024 municipal election.
Mayor Barbara Bynum and councilors Dave Frank, Doug Glaspell, David Reed, and Ed Ulibarri met in the City Council Chambers at the Elks Civic Building along with city staff.
The following is a summary of the primary topics discussed during the meeting.
Watch the meeting here: LINK
Prior to the work session, the City Council held its’ monthly Citizen Interactive Session, CIS, where they discussed local code enforcement measures with members of the community. The sessions are held at 9 a.m. on the third Monday of each month before the council’s work session.
More information here.
MAIN STREET CLOSURE FOR HABITAT FOR HUMANITY’S ROCK THE BLOCK EVENT
City Councilors reviewed an application to close Main Street for 10 or more hours for a Habitat for Humanity fundraiser event.
Public Works Special Events Manager Jon Sullivan said an application was received from Habitat for Humanity to close the 500 block of Main Street, as well as Uncompahgre Avenue from North First Street to Centennial Plaza, for the Rock the Block event on Saturday, June 22, 2024.
The application lists 6:30 a.m. as the event set-up time, and 5 p.m. as the event end time. Event organizers are required to notify all businesses affected by the closures, and at least 75 percent of those businesses must approve of the closures before the Events Use Permit will be approved by city staff. Local business owners were in support of this event in 2023 and reported positive experiences. Habitat for Humanity has collected signatures for the 2024 application.
The Black Canyon Boys and Girls Club will apply for a Special Events Permit to sell and serve alcohol during this event and is aware of the requirement to post notice on-premises in compliance with state statutes. They will apply within a reasonable time prior to the event date. City of Montrose regulations require City Council approval for street closures exceeding 10 hours in duration and for Special Events Permits to serve alcohol in conjunction with street closures.
CITY OF MONTROSE EMPLOYEE BENEFITS
City Councilors were briefed on an update to benefits that are being offered to all city employees starting in 2024.
City Manager Bill Bell said the city provides a conservative plan to save as much public funds as possible while also making the city a competitive workplace that attracts quality employees.
Bell spoke about the typical benefits the city offers employees along with some of the new benefits employees can qualify for starting in 2024.
2023 SUPPLEMENTAL BUDGET ORDINANCE
City Councilors were presented with a supplemental budget for the 2023 budget year, which contains several line items that have changed over the past 11 months.
Each fall the City Council approves the municipal budget for the following year. The council also reviews a supplemental budget that contains unexpected expenses and slight changes to the approved current-year budget to make sure all expenses are accounted for and formally approved ahead of the city’s annual financial audit.
City Councilors will formally vote on the first reading of the 2023 Supplemental Budget ordinance on November 14 and a second reading on December 5.
2024 MUNICIPAL ELECTION PLAN
City Councilors were presented with a plan to hold municipal elections in April 2024. The city’s municipal elections are held every two years on even-numbered years. City Clerk Lisa Delpiccolo said the 2024 Municipal Election is scheduled for Tuesday, April 2, 2024, per the City Charter.
The following City Council seats will be included on the 2024 ballot:
• District III - four-year term
• District IV - four-year term
• At-Large - two-year term
The procedures and timelines for the 2024 election are unchanged from 2022, except for minor amendments to campaign finance procedures that were adopted with Ordinance 2643 on November 7.
Candidate information will be available on the city website beginning Monday, December 11. As in previous years, the city is planning to contract with the Montrose County Elections Office for the production of ballot packets and tabulation of the election results.
More information about the upcoming election will be released once it becomes available.
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All City Council meetings are recorded and made available online via 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 and on-demand through the city’s Public Meetings Portal.
For more city news visit CityOfMontrose.org.