Mayor Steve Bach said he was “surprised” to learn about a last-minute proposal to change the governance of Colorado Springs Utilities.

The proposed charter change by Chairman Scott Hente and board member Jan Martin calls for replacing the council with a seven-member independent board that would be elected as early as June. Board members would serve four-year terms and be limited to three consecutive terms. The proposal also calls for a supermajority vote of Colorado Springs voters to sell Utilities or any of its assets.

The Gazette asked the mayor to weigh in on the proposal, and here’s what he said in a statement:

“Scott Hente and Jan Martin stated at the Utility Board meeting today that they will bring to City Council next Tuesday a ballot measure for the April Municipal Election, asking voters to approve a change in governance for Colorado Springs Utilities, our largest and most important owned asset.  Mr. Hente and Ms. Martin surprised the other members of the Utility Board and me in making this proposal today at the last minute before the City Council statutory deadline for placing items on the April ballot.  They are suggesting that a new 7-member elected Board control CSU in the future.  While this idea may be worth debate, the community should complete a thorough discussion of all alternatives before this most important decision is made.  This is yet another last minute, piecemeal, proposed change to the City Charter on the eve of Mr. Hente being term limited and leaving City Council.   I’m disappointed that Mr. Hente would attempt this power play as he leaves office, and hope the City Council will turn this back next Tuesday and the other piecemeal Charter changes it is entertaining – which represent bad policy and are not in the best interests of our fellow citizens.”

Donna Nelson

Does Mayor Steve Bach want to appoint the LART committee or not?

The mayor’s office appears to be putting out contradictory information.

Here’s the background:

Members of the mayor’s team have been meeting with City Council President Pro Tem Jan Martin and council Administrator Aimee Cox on how to streamline the work of the Lodging and Automobile Rental Tax advisory committee.

Why?

Under the existing structure, the city could end up with three different recommendations on how revenues collected from hotel room and rental car taxes are spent. The convention and visitors bureau typically gets about 2/3 of the money, and the rest goes to special events, such as the annual balloon festival and the Pikes Peak International Hillclimb.

The council-appointed committee makes a recommendation. City staff also makes a recommendation. Both recommendations go to the mayor, who could propose something completely different.

On Thursday, Donna Nelson, the mayor’s economic vitality specialist, said the “whole purpose” of the discussions with council “was to have a new committee that would be appointed by the mayor.”

Nelson and the city’s events coordinator have been representing Bach in meetings with Martin and Cox.

On Saturday, Bach spokeswoman Cindy Aubrey contacted The Gazette, saying the administration wanted to make a “point of clarification” regarding the LART committee.

The mayor’s office sought to clarify the mayor’s position after a “Question of the Day” about the LART funds appeared in the editorial pages of Saturday’s Gazette.

The question followed a Friday story about Bach’s proposal, which explicitly states that a resolution outlining the makeup of the LART committee would be amended “to provide the Mayor with appointment authority over a reorganized LART committee.”

But Aubrey offered a different stance Saturday.

El Pomar Foundation’s Forum for Civic Advancement is holding a workshop for City Council candidates.

The workshop, from 5:30-7:30 p.m. Jan. 24, is open to the public.

The workshop will be held in the Milton E. Proby Room of the Penrose House, 1661 Mesa Ave.

Registration is required. Click here to register.

Speakers include City Council President Pro Tem Jan Martin, City Clerk Sarah Johnson, Sam Mamet of the Colorado Municipal League, and Sarah Brittain Jack of Sarah B. Jack & Associates.

“In Colorado Springs, six seats are up for election and the stakes are high. The new council will be asked to grapple with difficult issues from oil and gas exploration to panhandling and urban development,” according to the Forum for Civic Advancement.

“In this ‘Run and Win’ workshop, participants will learn about the election process from campaign strategy to election laws and will hear from a councilor about what the job is like on a daily basis. We welcome all potential candidates as well as anyone interested in learning more about what it takes to sit on City Council.”

Brandy Williams

City Councilwoman Brandy Williams is among an impressive group of women hoping to inspire girls to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering and math.

Williams, a civil engineer, will speak at the Giving Girls Roots in STEM — Science, Technology, Engineering and Math conference today at the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs.

“The object of this program is to spur girls’ interest in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM), where girls are typically underrepresented and which promise the best opportunities for economic self-sufficiency when the girls pursue their degrees and enter the workforce,” according to STEM’s website.

“Last year’s participants overwhelmingly commented they want a career that requires a math or science background,” the website states.

According to ushispanics.com, other panelists include:

Mirenda Bruke, information systems technology consultant serving as manager of projects for Verizon Business, Wells Fargo, Hewlett Packard, and IBM.

Brigadier General Dana Capozzella, assistant adjutant general of the Army National Guard and commander of the Colorado National Guard. Capozzella works as a compliance officer and operations manager at Cascade Investment Group.

Silvia Jonasson, quality engineer at Colorado Springs-based Spectranetics, Inc.

Lt. Col. Jennifer Reeves, deputy commander, 50th Operations Group, 50th Space Wing, Schriever Air Force Base.

The panel will be moderated by Queen Brown, owner of Queen E. Brown & Associates Management Consultants. Brown also is an adjunct mathematics professor at the University of Phoenix

City Council President Pro Tem Jan Martin will also be at the conference.

She will present a proclamation to Rosemary Pierce, executive director of the Women’s Resource Agency for the International Day of the Girl.

City Council members inserted themselves into the statewide marijuana debate when they took up a resolution to oppose Amendment 64, which seeks to regulate pot like alcohol.

That got some people wondering: Have council members smoked pot? And if so, do they still smoke pot?

A few coughed up to trying weed.

Others said they’ve never touched it and never would.

A couple of councilmen were vague in their answers.

Here are their answers, all via email:

“In high school, I tried it with my four best friends in my home — yes mom was out of town,” Councilwoman Angela Dougan said.

“We had one joint. We all took a couple of puffs, and it was awful tasting. My thoughts were, ‘What a dumb thing and why would anyone do this?’  Never did it again,” she said.

“I have never used marijuana,” Councilman Merv Bennett said.

Bennett said the question posed to council was “very inappropriate.”

“The inappropriateness relates to asking a question that could lead to a criminal conviction.  It isn’t  a problem for me. I haven’t even smoked a cigarette,” Bennett said.

“As it relates to the debate, it is an Amendment to our State  Constitution that could have significant and serious implications to our City, the quality of life of our citizens, federal funding for roads and bridges, public safety, etc.  Something of that significance demands our attention,” Bennett added.

Like Bennett, Councilwoman Brandy Williams said she’s never smoked pot — or even a cigarette.

“I took D.A.R.E rather seriously,” she said, referring to the Drug Abuse Resistance Education program.

Councilman Val Snider took a page out of the Bill Clinton playbook.

“Does it count if you didn’t inhale?” Snider asked.

Councilman Tim Leigh was evasive in his answer.

“I saw your inquiry about council’s pot-smoking-propensity,” Leigh said in his first response.

“While I cannot state with absolute equivocation, it seems we’re all dipping in the medicine on about every other Tuesday afternoon, just after the lunch hour.  That will likely come to an abrupt and unfettered halt when the Mayor (with my full endorsement) creates a no-smoking zone in Acacia Park,” he said.

When pressed for an answer, Leigh continued to be evasive.

“Puff the Magic Dragon, lived by the sea, Frolicked in the autumn mist in a a land called Hana Leigh,” he wrote.

When asked if he was smoking pot when he came up with that response, Leigh, a fitness buff, offered this tidbit and hinted that he may be cover-boy material.

“I’m smoking, alright. I’m on the stair master at the club with Men’s Journal. Photo shoot. Something about my lung power and fitness!” he said.

Councilwoman Lisa Czelatdko is out of town and did not respond.

The three council members who served on council before answered the question a few years ago.

Councilman Bernie Herpin said the only marijuana he had ever seen was on TV.

“Until I visited a dispensary, I had never actually seen marijuana in the flesh,” Herpin said.

Council President Scott Hente said he “never” smoked marijuana.

“Look where I graduated from,” said Hente, a retired lieutenant colonel who graduated from the U.S. Air Force Academy in 1975.

Council President Pro Tem Jan Martin said she tried it once and only once.

“I was so paranoid and looking over my shoulder the entire time that I decided it just wasn’t worth it and never tried it again,” she said. “That’s a very honest answer from a politician.”

By the way, Martin cast the lone dissenting vote on the resolution opposing Amendment 64.

“I wasn’t afraid of medical marijuana dispensaries, and I’m not afraid of this bill for marijuana in our community,” Martin said Tuesday.

The vote to pass the resolution was 5-1. Leigh refused to vote, saying the council isn’t in the business of making pronouncements.

Czelatdko and Williams were absent, though Williams said she would have voted with the majority.

An editorial that resurrected the $1.15 million separation agreement with former Memorial Health System CEO Larry McEvoy led City Councilwoman Lisa Czelatdko to divulge new details about what happened behind closed doors.

On a Facebook post of Gazette editorial page editor Wayne Laugesen, Czelatdko revealed discussions in closed executive session.

Here is what Czelatdko wrote, with edits:

I was actually in the closed executive session Wayne Laugesen and so know exactly what was said and not said. What was not said was a 1.2 million dollar severance package was being given to (former Memorial Health System CEO Larry) McEvoy.

What was said was:

1) Why is McEvoy here in chambers announcing a resignation with no announcement of it on the agenda or notification to Council from the City Attorney’s Office?

2) What was said from the Memorial Hospital Board Chair Jim Moore, was that they (board and Chris) were working on a severance package for McEvoy up to 18 months and that they had been working on possible packages for two weeks under the direction of Chris Melcher

3) What was said was that no Memorial contract would be valid without the signature of Jim Moore and Chris Melcher

4) And lastly, what was said was the reminder that Council, the City Attorney’s Office and Memorial board could not enter into any contracts over 1 million dollars without all three parties acknowledging it. This understanding was put in place a month prior to protect the lease negotiations and keep the current admin entering into big money contracts that UCHealth might not want.

When I left that room I know myself and many of my colleagues who did not support retention packages thought, ‘Good luck getting us to agree to anything more than his agreed contract package,’ and we went home after a 7-hour meeting day.

Wayne, please, please stop perpetuating incorrect information and writing articles based on non factual assumptions. Did (council President Scott Hente) and (council President Pro Tem Jan Martin) know more specifics? I don’t know. Do you know for a fact? Did (Councilman Merv Bennett) and (Councilwoman Brandy Williams) know? I’m not sure. Do you? All I know is Council was told by Jim Moore that Chris Melcher, City Attorney was assisting in package negotiations. Chris did not refute that as he stood there listening to Jim speak. Chris confirmed to Council what I mentioned above regarding signatures needed for agreed contract limits and Council was told a package would come back for confirmation. No confusion for me when I walked out of the room that the city attorney who is suppose to serve both Council and the Mayor, who dare Council question or challenge his legal opinion, had it under control and was working on it with the board. Assumingly looking out for the best interest of council and the city.

I also know after the nightmare began, Chris Melcher, city attorney informed council that he paid for an outside legal consult who confirmed the board could do what they did, that if we challenged them through litigation which (Councilwoman) Angela Dougan, (Councilman Tim Leigh) and myself all said we’d support, the City would be responsible for paying all their attorneys, fees, etc and they probably would win costing the taxpayers millions more of wasted dollars. Chris told Council it was a weak case to challenge, a done deal, basically Council would have to take the lumps, and the lame press release was put out by my colleagues (I was flying with space command) that we would not pursue the matter further. So as I see it everyone won but Council and the health payers.

Memorial and UCHealth got rid of McEvoy who was tainting the campaign and poisoning the morale of hospital employees, the Board showed defiance and wielded their authority one last time, McEvoy lost a job but got a heck of a lot of money, and Council gets the blame for not overseeing the Board more thoroughly. A board who legally was given full authority and fiduciary responsibility years prior. I can only assume that decision was because the prior council thought it made sense to appoint a full time board of knowledgeable people who could dedicate their time to the health system and report back monthly to council. Council, who back then, was a part time, poorly compensated body in charge of the city, the health system and the utility company. Council, who now is even more limited and minionized by certain vocal, agenda driven, influential people, who so obviously serve one master. All I can say is I hope someone is keeping track of some of these personnel issues and making permanent notes in personnel files.

Is the City Council responsible for the McMess?

Here are some key dates:

On April 19, Jim Moore, the former chairman of Memorial’s board, signed the terms of the agreement – just the terms, not the final agreement – with Larry McEvoy.

On April 23, Moore met with the council is closed executive session to present the separation package, or at least that McEvoy was going to pocket 18 months pay, or $1 million. Council President Scott Hente said Moore didn’t disclose the other terms, including the Toyota Camry or the $20,000 to help McEvoy find a new job. Sill, Hente said none of his colleagues raised any objections at that point. To be fair, the council had been meeting for hours by that time, but again, nobody objected.

On April 27, The Gazette reported the details of the separation package, which sparked public outrage. Mayor Steve Bach called for the removal of the board.

On April 28, Hente and council President Pro Tem Jan Martin met with Moore and Vic Andrews, another member of Memorial’s board, to express the community’s opposition. Hente said he walked away from the meeting thinking “we might get some resolution.”

On April 30, the former Memorial board votes to reaffirm the separation agreement, and at 7:15 p.m., Moore met with McEvoy and closed the deal by signing the final agreement.

Did council screw up?

Tim Leigh

City Councilman Tim Leigh say’s Memorial’s Board of Trustees should hit the door just like CEO Larry McEvoy.

Leigh is the latest council member to call for the board’s ouster over its decision to give McEvoy a $1 million payout, three times more than McEvoy’s existing employment agreement spelled out.

“This is an egregious fleecing of the citizens and everyone should be outraged,” he wrote in his electronic newsletter.

Leigh, who has been critical of McEvoy in the past, said his criticism landed him in trouble with Council President Scott Hente before.

“Months ago, I asked for McEvoy and his senior leaders to be placed on administrative leave and called for an investigation into some of the real estate dealings at the hospital.  Those statements caused the council President to ask for my censure at a minimum, while he contemplated my recall and I’m sure I’ll be taken out to the wood-shed again for pointing out the obvious,” he wrote.

Here’s the full text of Leigh’s electronic newsletter:

I had surgery Tuesday afternoon and have been mostly in a drug induced fairy land since and therefore out of the game.  And while I’ve been advised to minimize the use of my strong typing arm, I’m so outraged by the action of the Memorial Hospital Board of Trustees and my Councilor contemporaries on the McEvoy issue, I had to weigh-in.

McEvoy has to go so does the Board of Trustees.

City Council ceded its control of the MHS operations to the MHS Board in August 2010 by memo.  [By the way, that Council included President Hente and Pro-Tem Martin.]  With that action, “as long as the MHS Board operates within its annual budget” Council exercises no control over that board.  The critical language is “as long as MHS acts within its budget”.  McEvoy’s newly announced Exit Bonus was not part of the annual appropriation budget approved by City Council.  Therefore, I’m not sure the MHS Board of Trustees can offer an Exit Bonus to McEvoy legally.  And, by the way, this is not severance (it’s an “Exit Bonus” because McEvoy wasn’t fired and didn’t quit).  He was settled.

I have received dozens of emails and phone calls regarding the Exit Bonus.  Here are a couple of quotes from employees.

“I am very upset that none of the Memorial Employees including myself (with 17 years of service and outstanding performance evaluations) will receive a pay increase this year and yet he gets a cool million – not quite fair.  I am also frustrated because all this time he has talked about “sticking it out” and not leaving; “we are a team” and there he goes.”

.  .  .  “I’ve never seen moral so bad”.  .  .  McEvoy got a pay raise last month over $100,000 and now is leaving plus his freaking out the door bonus. .  .  .  He has his retirement in the bank while the rest of us assholes loose ours.”

Months ago, I asked for McEvoy and his senior leaders to be placed on administrative leave and called for an investigation into some of the real estate dealings at the hospital.  Those statements caused the council President to ask for my censure at a minimum, while he contemplated my recall and I’m sure I’ll be taken out to the wood-shed again for pointing out the obvious.  This is an egregious fleecing of the citizens and everyone should be outraged.

If any good comes of this, it’s that it reminds us why we need to complete the lease with UCH with haste.  We need to transfer the power of operations to folks who enjoy the skills to properly manage a $700,000,000 enterprise on behalf of the citizens.    And, thankfully we have a capable City Attorney (Melcher) and very capable interim CEO (CFO Scialdone) who are very able to lead us through this tumultuous time.

As it is, MHS is still city owned and your voice counts.  Contact your City Councilor and stop the fleecing.

Photo by Daniel J. Chacon

Colorado Springs Utilities said it expects a series of planned 12 percent water rate increases to pay for SDS to be less than projected in coming years.

“The best word I can think of is thrilled,” Council President Pro Tem Jan Martin said.

The City Council has already approved two of the six 12 percent water rate increases to pay for SDS.

Utilities CEO Jerry Forte said the next two planned 12 percent water rate increases will be closer to 10 percent each and the fifth less than 10 percent.

The sixth and final planned 12 percent water rate increase may not even be necessary, Forte said.

Under the new schedule, the average residential water bill is now expected to be about $60 when SDS is complete instead of the $80-a-month originally anticipated.

“Water rates increases were originally anticipated to double monthly residential water bills to fund the SDS project,” SDS spokeswoman Janet Rummel said in an email.

“Lower financing and construction costs for SDS are now expected to cut the original projected rate increases by 50 percent,” she said.

A motion by Councilman Val Snider on Tuesday to postpone a proposal for surveillance cameras downtown died on a 3-5 vote.

Only Snider and Council President Scott Hente and President Pro Tem Jan Martin voted in favor of the motion.

Councilwoman Lisa Czelatdko is absent.

Click here to view the embedded video.