Conceptual rendering

“When the hell are we going to make a decision?”

– Councilman Bernie Herpin said during yesterday’s City Council meeting while discussing a proposal to add Olympic rings to the north and south entryway signs along Interstate 25 before the U.S. Women’s Open, which will be in July.

Despite what appeared to be a sense of urgency to get the Olympic rings on the signs on either side of the city, the proposal has gotten bogged down with questions, including who will incur the estimated $5,000 cost and whether the decision is being rushed.

To complicate the issue, the city decided at the last minute to include a proposed $18,000 appropriation for a “sports/patriotic-themed mural” on a downtown building facing I-25 that’s owned by developer Chuck Murphy.

That came as a big surprise because while council members had discussed spending taxpayer money to add the Olympic rings to the entryway signs, they hadn’t discussed paying for a mural — at least not in public.

The council is scheduled to take up the issue at today’s formal meeting.

At least one council member — Angela Dougan — doesn’t want the city to shell out any money.

“I’m not willing to take money out of my own personal pocket, and I don’t believe any of the council members have donated their personal money,” she said yesterday. “I cannot support something that is going to take tax dollars out of our taxpayers’ dollars.”

Dave Munger, a former mayoral candidate who is the president of the Council of Neighbors and Organizations, stepped up yesterday and said he would try to lead an effort to raise the money privately.