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El Pomar hosts workshop for City Council candidates

January 8th, 2013, 11:13 am by

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.”

Posted in: Civic Participation • Elections • Meetings • • • • • • | 1 Comment »

Tongues wag over mayor’s two new hires

March 26th, 2012, 10:13 am by

Mayor Steve Bach may have eliminated 38 positions and trimmed $2 million in salaries from the 2012 budget, but two new hires in his office are all the talk at City Hall.

Last month, Chief of Staff Laura Neumann hired an executive assistant at $70,000 a year.

Neumann didn’t advertise the position, which she said is “unusual.”

But Neumann said she needed someone with the right skill set to give her a hand, especially since she was recruiting for seven manager positions that report directly to her. The seven positions were either vacant or filled by someone on an interim basis, she said.

Neumann’s new assistant, Samantha “Dani” Ewen, used to be the human resources director at Cheyenne Mountain Resort, which is where Neumann worked as vice president and general manager before she went to work for Bach in January.

“That’s not why she’s here,” Neumann said.

Ewen was one of four finalists for the city’s human resources director job and had been vetted through the selection process, she said. Even though Ewen didn’t get that job, Neumann said, she was a good fit in the mayor’s office.

Another new worker, Jason Lippert, is a former fellow at El Pomar Foundation.

Lippert, who joined the mayor’s office four weeks ago, was hired by the city from a temp agency. He gets paid $25 an hour, or $2,000 every two weeks.

Insiders jokingly refer to Lippert as the “assistant to the assistant.”

The city did not respond to a request for Lippert’s job description but said he helps with scheduling.

Bach has an extremely busy schedule, sometimes working from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m., said Cindy Aubrey, the mayor’s chief communications officer.

“I know because I go to the events,” she said. “One person is not able to do all of that.”

Neumann and Steve Cox, the mayor’s chief of economic vitality and innovation, defended the hiring decisions, saying the two new employees are filling a critical need.

“We need to be able to be flexible as an organization,” Cox said.

Cox emphasized that the city is spending less on payroll this year than last year.

“The bottom line is we’re spending less money today,” Cox said.

As the city transitions to a new system of government that makes the mayor the city’s chief executive, Cox said the administration is making staffing adjustments as necessary.

 

Posted in: Budget • City Administration • City employees • • • • • • • • | 16 Comments »

El Pomar gives up naming rights in revamped USOC deal

October 11th, 2011, 6:30 am by

Colorado Springs taxpayers will be off the hook for nearly $1.2 million of $3 million owed to the U.S. Olympic Committee this year for improvements to the Olympic Training Center under a revised agreement the City Council will consider today.

In exchange, El Pomar Foundation, which had OTC-related naming rights under an earlier agreement with the city and the USOC, is giving up “all naming rights” for USOC properties, according to city documents.

The USOC proposed the new agreement because revised renovation plans for the OTC “would require additional fundraising beyond the $16 million being provided by the city of Colorado Springs,” according to the minutes from the June 28 meeting of the USOC board.

“In order to enable the USOC to more effectively run its capital campaign, (USOC CEO Scott) Blackmun is recommending that the USOC forgive certain obligations under the existing agreements in exchange for the return of all OTC-related naming rights,” the minutes state.

The USOC board unanimously approved the plan, “including undertaking a capital campaign to support the budget,” according to the minutes.

The minutes don’t specify the new budget for the OTC improvements, but Blackmun told the board that “fundraising would be attainable without cannibalizing existing USOC resources or fundraising activities.”

The prestigious sports organization plans to add “several million dollars” to the project on top of what the city pledged “to make the visitor center a truly world-class facility and experience,” USOC spokesman Mark Jones said.

“We’re going to try and really boost the visitors’ experience and hopefully it becomes another thing that people come to Colorado Springs for,” he said. “We’re really excited about that.”

Mayor Steve Bach and Bill Hybl, chairman and CEO of El Pomar, signed off on the new agreement with the USOC last month, according to city documents.

El Pomar “hereby agrees to release all naming rights for the USOC properties and the USOC agrees to provide a credit of $500,000 to the City against the $3,000,000 provided in the EDA, leaving a balance for the City to provide of $2,500,000,” states a letter of agreement signed by Bach, Hybl and Blackmun.

“The USOC will give a further credit of up to $668,865 to the City based upon donations received ($330,000), obligations of the USOC on the NGB Building ($18,865), the City traffic signal (expected to be $300,000) and the Regional Building Department donation (expected to be $20,000),” the agreement states.

In 2009, the city and the USOC signed an economic development agreement in which the city agreed to build the USOC a new headquarters downtown, among other provisions, in exchange for the USOC agreeing to stay in Colorado Springs for 30 years.

In addition to that agreement, the city, the USOC and El Pomar signed an agreement to provide funding for certain improvements at the Olympic Training Center

The council will consider a resolution amending that three-party agreement today. The council meets on the third floor of City Hall, 107 N. Nevada Ave. The meeting starts at 1 p.m.

Posted in: Budget • City Administration • City Council • Meetings • • • • • • | 4 Comments »

Quote of the Day

August 12th, 2011, 12:57 pm by

Terri Velasquez

“Robyn Cafasso, Chief Deputy District Attorney with the El Paso County District Attorney’s Office called at 11:48am (May 23, 2011). She said they are prosecuting Ray Marshall and Landco and are looking for additional information on the construction projects at 19 N. Tejon and the Gas Ops building related to El Pomar’s contract. She said they are interested in construction invoices from Landco or whatever we might have related to the two projects. She said she knows there is a confidentiality agreement for the civil lawsuit, so the D.A.’s Office would be happy to provide a Court Order or whatever is needed to enable you to turn the documents over. She has already spoken with Elena Nunez and Pat Kelly and has been referred to various people and your name also came up.”

– city employee Denise Hoover wrote in an email to Terri Velasquez, the city’s former director of finance and administrative services.

Velasquez’s response?

“Denise, there is very little information that I can provide. Please have her work with (City Attorney) Pat Kelly and (City Auditor) Denny Nester.”

Posted in: City employees • Colorado Open Records Act • • • • • • | 3 Comments »

Velasquez alleges ‘cover up of facts’ in statement about firing

July 29th, 2011, 4:53 pm by

Terri Velasquez, who was fired Thursday as the city’s director of finance and administrative services, issued the following statement today:

“I am providing this statement to help clarify the situation concerning my termination of employment with the City of Colorado Springs, which occurred on July 28, 2011.  I was terminated from my position as Director of Finance and Administrative Services, and offered no new employment.

On June 27, 2011, after nearly 24 years of proud and faithful service to the community of Colorado Springs, I was presented with a four month severance package to resign from the City.  The package contained a provision that would prevent me from communicating anything negative about the City.  When I asked Steve Cox, the Mayor’s Chief of Staff and my supervisor, why he wanted to end my employment, he stated that he had given me a year to get on board and I had not gotten on board.

During my performance review with Steve Cox in April 2011, he never mentioned that I was not on board.  The rating Steve Cox gave me exceeded expectations.

If what Steve Cox was referring to was a cover up of facts relating to financial problems or mismanagement, I was not on board.  One of these instances included an overpayment of $4,913 to Mr. Cox, which occurred in May 2010, and while he was Chief of the Fire Department.  Mr. Cox never voluntarily brought this overpayment to the City’s attention.

Six months after this overpayment occurred, Finance staff discovered the problem.  This overpayment could have caused taxpayers to pay Mr. Cox an additional $160 per month in pension benefits for the rest of his life.  I took the initiative for the public good and reported the overpayment to Denny Nester, Internal Auditor.  Within days of reporting the concerns to the Auditor, however, I was requested by the Administration to consider a voluntary severance from employment.  I refused the implied or expressed request to resign.  Mr. Cox ultimately repaid the City.  There were other fiscal improprieties that were discovered and reported.

I also have not been on board in regard to the El Pomar Foundation’s donation to the City for the USOC project and the alleged mishandling of those funds.  In April 2011, I was asked by a City official to prepare a statement to the El Pomar Foundation regarding their donation to the City for the USOC project.  That statement was to certify to El Pomar that the donated funds had been used appropriately.  I declined to provide that statement given that the funds were used by LandCo in a manner inconsistent with the required usage terms.  The District Attorney’s office met with me in June 2011 regarding its investigation into the alleged improper use of El Pomar funds.  I was cooperative in this investigation and reported the meeting to the Administration before it actually occurred.  I was not told that I could not meet with the District Attorney.  Soon after cooperating with the DA’s investigation I was presented with a new severance package for a voluntary resignation.  I understood that I was being threatened with termination of employment if I did not sign a voluntary resignation.

On June 28, 2011, I met with Mayor Steve Bach.  I told him I was upset at what was occurring and asked the Mayor if he had reviewed the severance package.  The Mayor said that he had not seen the package.  I asked the Mayor if I could continue with my employment and suggested that I report to him directly or someone else.  The Mayor said that I could not.  I asked the Mayor if he knew why I was being forced out of employment and terminated, and explained to him my perception that I was being terminated for reporting financial mismanagement.  The Mayor refused to act and said that he would support Mr. Cox in his decision.

I have now been terminated from employment.

I intend to fight this wrongful termination.  I have done nothing wrong, and the citizens of Colorado Springs have a right to know how their officials are functioning and also have a right to demand honesty and transparency in government.  It behooves the City Council to conduct an investigation into whether there have been any improprieties and wrongdoing by high ranking City officials.”

Any additional questions about the situation should be referred to my attorneys at the law office of Frank and Finger, P.C.

Posted in: City Administration • City Council • City employees • Politics • • • • • • • • • | 9 Comments »

Fundraiser for community centers draws movers and shakers

September 23rd, 2010, 5:05 pm by

Councilman Bernie Herpin and his wife, Linda, at the fundraiser

The Community Partnership Project is a new nonprofit that’s interested in running up to three community centers facing closure next year.

On Wednesday, the group unveiled its “New Vision for Community Opportunity” at a fundraiser at the El Paso Club.

Next up is a presentation to City Council on Monday.  

The board of the new nonprofit is comprised of: Eric Phillips, president/CEO; Bob Cope; Glenn Powell; Pastor Cleveland Thompson; Kimbra Smith; Peggy Littleton; Adam Merilson; Angela Boeck; Lee Warner

Phillips said that among those working with the board to cement a future for the community centers are: City of Colorado Springs, El Pomar Foundation, Steve Schuck’s Parents Challenge, UCCS, USOC, Lutheran Family Services, Urban League, Emmanuel Baptist Church, City Housing Authority, El Paso County Democratic Party (which did a resolution in support in February), Peak Vista and America Grant Writing Service.

Phillips said there are 270 volunteers already signed up for the future. Among the things announced was a new employee structure over all of the community centers: Hillside, Deerfield Hills and Meadows Park.

The group’s mission is to take over the three remaining community centers, but if it’s two, they’ll work with two, he said.

(Gazette reporter Linda Navarro authored this blog post.)

Posted in: Budget • Recreation and Cultural Services • • • • | 1 Comment »

El Pomar donates $20K to keep community centers open

May 13th, 2010, 2:26 pm by

Councilman Sean Paige

The El Pomar Foundation contributes gobs of cash to myriad causes.

Now the foundation, one of the largest and oldest in the Rocky Mountain West,  is giving $20,000 to aid an effort to keep three community centers open through public-private partnerships after their funding runs out in 2010, Councilman Sean Paige said today.

“Unless we finish this partnership initiative strong, a lot of these facilities won’t be there next summer,” he said.

Last year, the Deerfield Hills, Hillside, Meadows Park and Westside community centers and other recreational facilities were poised to be closed under the 2010 budget.

But at Paige’s urging, the City Council decided to keep them open for the first three months of the year to give residents a chance to develop long-term funding sources through public-private partnerships.

The effort had modest success.

A swim school took over some of the city’s pools, and a group affiliated with the Woodmen Valley Chapel agreed to oversee the Westside Community Center for at least three years.

Hoping the partnership effort would continue to grow with additional time, a council majority agreed to dip into the city’s rainy-day fund to keep the three other community centers open through 2010.

But the centers will be on the chopping block again in 2011.

Paige wants to prevent that from happening and said the money from El Pomar will be used to “create a volunteer corps and also create a new nonprofit that could serve as an umbrella for the community centers, much like the Woodmen Valley group is doing over in the Westside Community Center.”

The new nonprofit, called the Community Partnership Project, will also allow supporters of the effort to collect tax-free donations, he said.

El Pomar’s gift — $10,000 in cash and $10,000 in legal services and help in creating the nonprofit — were announced at a news conference at the Hillside Community Center at 1 p.m. today.

Paige and others also wanted to remind residents that “this could be the last summer season” for Hillside and the other community centers.

“There still is urgency, and we just want to make sure everybody in the community knows that these facilities are still at risk, and we still need to find partners,” Paige said.

Posted in: Budget • Civic Participation • Recreation and Cultural Services • • • | Post a Comment »