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Aaron Larson, a local Boy Scout from Troop 17, attended the August 4 regular meeting of the Town Council in pursuit of a Citizenship in the Community Merit Badge. Mayor LaKind offered his seat at the dais and his gavel to Aaron. Report to Town Council AUGUST 2025 Prepared by Madeline VanDenHoek, Town Manager ---PAGE BREAK--- Town Manager’s Message Mayor LaKind speaking at the ribbon- cutting for the Silver Key Tri-Lakes Senior Center. Town staff and officials celebrate Ziggi’s Coffee’s grand opening. Town representatives & Walmart staff discussing future development, sales forecasts, & Monument 2040. Jennifer Phillips serving on the Board for the Southern Colorado Women’s Chamber of Commerce Foundation. This month, our primary focus has been preparing the Town’s budget. Unfortunately, we are facing a challenging financial situation. A decline in sales tax revenue, coupled with rising costs and expenses that exceed our income, has created a fiscal crisis. In response, we’ve initiated a strategic effort to address these challenges and ensure the long-term sustainability of our organization. This has involved difficult but necessary conversations with the Citizen Service Levels Advisory Committee to identify areas for potential reductions. As sales tax is our primary revenue source and salaries and benefits represent our largest expenditure, we’ve had to consider a range of options— including project deferrals, maintenance reductions, and workforce adjustments. These decisions were not made They follow months of careful review and consideration of alternatives such as reducing discretionary spending, reorganizing departments, and lowering service levels. Ultimately, workforce changes are required to align operations with our current financial reality. We deeply value our employees and recognize the significant contribution each individual has made to our community. This has been one of the most difficult decisions we’ve had to make. Despite these challenges, we’ve had several positive developments this month: We toured the new Monument Warehouse building and met with the owners. We celebrated the grand opening of Ziggi’s Coffee, the remodel of Monument Fire District’s station and Silver Key’s Senior Center’s new location. Members of Monument Police and Fire, and Monument 2040 staff participated in the National Night Out event held by the HOA in Promontory Point. Our Concerts in the Park series wrapped up successfully, with only one cancellation due to weather. I’m grateful to Portia and our Parks team for their hard work in making these events a success. Additionally, I attended an Innovation Workshop hosted by DOLA, where we explored ways to use technology to streamline operations. These ideas are already being discussed internally as we look to reduce manual processes. I’m also participating in the National League of Cities Retail Attraction course, which provides valuable insights for our economic development efforts. ---PAGE BREAK--- Records Management Laserfiche implementation is progressing, with several new users trained. Bi-weekly Laserfiche working hours are available for questions and focused records work. Weekly standing meetings with Public Works are underway to organize and dispose of outdated paper records. Finance successfully cleared out their offsite storage space. The remaining boxes have been moved to Town Hall, and staff have begun sorting them. Staff are encouraged to reach out for Laserfiche access, training, or assistance with organizing both paper and digital records. Director Met with DOLA to resubmit RFR for Q2. Developed a service level reduction plan. Investigated T2 parking solutions as a potential revenue source for Monument Lake and overflow parking. Conducted a feasibility analysis on T2 paid parking solutions; awaiting additional data from Palmer Lake as a comparable study. Updated the town attorney project list. Collaborated with staff to create a Town Council meeting follow-up process using Laserfiche instead of shared drives and email. Updated the councilmember committee assignment tracking spreadsheet. Authored a letter of nomination to the Fountain Creek Watershed District. Removed outdated information from the website. Reviewed and provided feedback on the in-house attorney framework. Adjusted CivicClerk settings to allow Planning Commission use and trained Planning staff on using CivicClerk for agenda and packet publication. Held an Administrative Team meeting to discuss strategic objectives and the planning process, requested staff feedback, and sent draft strategic objectives to the consultant. Reformatted the fee schedule to reflect new fees in Resolution 55-2025 and for better readability. Imported and linked files into Laserfiche. Reviewed and edited the Economic Development Committee Charter. Administration Finance & Human Resources Finance is preparing the preliminary 2026 Budget with the leadership team. Laurie Young presented Phase 2 of self-collect sales tax at the Colorado Tax Auditors Coalition meeting. Council adopted a resolution allowing processing fees to be passed along to customers. Finance led two Citizen Service Levels Advisory Committee meetings. Staff reviewed the first draft of the Cost Allocation Plan, which will trigger the Fee Study when approved. Transition began from tenant billing to landlord billing. Human Resources is updating the Employee Handbook for Council review later in 2025. Human Resources launched a benefit survey to assess employee needs. Human Resources and Finance met with the benefits broker to evaluate 2026 coverage options. ---PAGE BREAK--- Completed 110 IT support tickets in July; the IT Director resolved 58%. Completed 85 support tickets in August to date; the IT Director resolved 44%. Completed Council Chambers setup and configuration for attorney, town manager, and town clerk stations. Implemented fingerprint login for Councilmembers Kronick, King, and Abbott. Entered initial IT budget data into Caselle Advantage. Coordinated Caselle SQL Server update and file server reboot, restoring service after backup failure. Launched Cybersecurity Awareness Month activities, including weekly tips, posters, digital signage, and training (55% complete). Updated Microsoft Intune compliance for 33 mobile phones (58% complete). Supported Veregy HVAC thermostat installations and Niagara Supervisor Software setup, with installations scheduled for early September. Conducted a cybersecurity presentation for older adults at Silver Key, covering password, malware, phishing, and man-in-the-middle attacks. Information Technology Administration Brooke developed and distributed a Planning Commissioner Guidebook with an online version coming in September. The guidebook provides resources for the Planning Commission to make informed recommendations on land use applications and related ordinances. Brooke attended CivicClerk training for Planning Commission agenda and packet creation, received Laserfiche training for improved records management, and issued 19 permits in August, with 14 applications under review. Staff expanded the department’s use of the CommunityCore permitting system for improved project management, offering transparent communication between the applicant, their contractors, and the town and its project review partners. Planning Maps and Data Recorded 778 map webpage views in August. Scanned archived maps, updated the parcel database, and expanded asset management mapping. ---PAGE BREAK--- Monument 2040 Comprehensive Plan Update We encourage all to stop by the Town of Monument Tent at Summer Concert Wednesdays, Farmers Market Saturdays, and Art Hop Fridays to learn more about Monument2040! Great conversations took place at the Monument2040 table at this year’s National Night Out event on August 9 . th In early fall we will kick-off the next phase of Monument 2040, “Envision”. This phase will provide the Monument community opportunities to explore different land use strategies and planning scenarios through a series of hands-on workshops and visioning sessions. Current Planning On August 4, Town Council established the role of Town Engineer through the passage of Ordinance No. 16-2025. This ordinance created Chapter 2.26 of the Town Code which outlines the roles and responsibilities of the Town Engineer, supporting both public project engineering services and private development review services, and their relationship with the Town Manager, the Public Works Department, and the Planning Department. On August 18, Town Council approved the appointment of IMEG to serve as the Town Engineer, following the Town’s competitive RFP process. IMEG was selected based on their credentials, municipal experience, and ability to serve a variety of engineering services. The Town Engineer assignments will be led by Taylor Goertz, PE, with IMEG, who will serve as the primary point of contact and project manager. Taylor brings strong experience in municipal engineering and a passion for working alongside communities to deliver solutions that improve everyday life. During both August meetings, Town Council continued their public hearing in consideration of a request presented to the Planning Commission in July for a major Planned Unit Development amendment for Native Sun Construction at 15010 Woodcarver Road. Staff requested the hearing be continued to review the conditions set by subject property’s underlying annexation agreement. The public hearing is now scheduled to be heard by Council during their September 15 meeting. On August 13, the Planning Commission reviewed two hearing items. The first, receiving unanimous vote of approval, was for a Final Plat for Lewis Palmer Subdivision Filing I, located at 36 N. Jefferson Street. The Plat consolidates the school property and creates a 2.8 acres lot for the future Tri-Lakes Cares development. The second item was a proposal from the Planning Department to introduce a new zoning district, Neighborhood Commercial (NC). After discussion, the Commission concluded that additional research was needed and asked staff to bring it back to a future meeting. The Planning Commission welcomed its newest alternate member, Valerie Baumer. Planning staff highlighted her strong interest in serving the community and her extensive background as a professional strategic planner for the U.S. government, noting her as a valuable addition to the Commission. One Alternate Member position remains vacant. Those interested in being considered for this position can apply at www.townofmonument.org. The Planning Department continues to update its Development Review Projects I Monument, CO story map to promote transparency on all active development projects. However, the recent minor lot line adjustment associated with the Investing in Front Street project in downtown Monument was not included, as it was an administrative review. This review has since been completed, with no concerns identified regarding the proposed adjustment. Planning (Cont’d) ---PAGE BREAK--- Police Monument Police Officers joined the Promontory Point HOA’s “Day in the Park” during National Night Out, giving residents a chance to connect with officers and share input on the Monument 2040 Comprehensive Plan. Officer Hileigh Leseberg was sworn in at the August 4 Town Council meeting. Personnel PSA Elmshaueser began the Colorado Springs Police Department academy and successfully passed his physical fitness assessment. He is on track to graduate in December. Officer Hileigh Leseberg has entered Phase Three of her Field Training. She is now responding to calls for service, with her Training Officer providing oversight only as needed. Her training is expected to conclude in mid-October. Police Officer interviews were held on August 19. One candidate was selected to move forward in the background process. A second round of oral board interviews is scheduled for September 17. Officer Reifel has been reassigned to patrol to support staffing needs, and Officer Kunkle has also chosen to return to patrol. Staffing update: one sergeant is currently out following surgery, while one commander, one sergeant, and one officer are on light duty. An officer has resigned due to an ongoing health issue but may return within six months if the condition improves. Updates, Projects & Forecasting Community Resource Officer Reifel is coordinating upcoming events, including Coffee with a Cop at Wesley Owens, as well as activities for Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Halloween, and Christmas. Support Services Manager Monica Mundt continues to review and update Police Department Standard Operating Procedures. Training & Events August 5: Active shooter training exercise at Monument Academy, well received by participants. August 9: MPD and Town staff attended the National Night Out event at Promontory Pointe. August 13: MPD officers and staff attended the Ziggi’s Coffee grand opening. August 14 & 20: MPD officers completed CPR and Stop the Bleed training. August 17: MPD participated in the Tri-Lakes Cruisers Car Show. August 27: MPD supported the St. Peter’s Church picnic. Chief Regan completed two training courses through the Pikes Peak Region Office of Emergency Management. ---PAGE BREAK--- Facilities Diagnosed and repaired HVAC at Town Hall. Inspected and repaired the roof at Town Hall. Uninstalled the portable AC unit and replaced the minisplit system in the server room. Changed out the TV and moved office items out of the upstairs conference room. Veregy finished the lighting portion of energy audit project. Performed a walk-through with Veregy for HVAC upgrades at Town Hall. Monitored and drained off pressure in fire sprinkler system at Town Hall. Installed an automatic condensation drain on the new air compressor at the Public Works shop. Repair a broken airline. Installed a new alarm system for the Police Department reception area. Adjusted the shelves in the Police Department’s evidence room. Obtained bid proposals for a new Police Department EV charging station. Replaced capacitors in a block saw for the Parks Department. Helped empty the storage unit for the Finance Department by removing and storing the shelving. Engineering Conducted stormwater inspections at Home Place Ranch and Jackson Creek North subdivisions. Completed asphalt patching after waterline installation on Squadron Dr. in the Falcon Commerce Center. Monitored storm sewer installation at Jackson Creek Parkway and Hwy 105. Public Works Fleet Prepared old bucket truck for auction. Replaced spray system operation switch on the watering gator. Repaired flat tire and fire extinguisher mount on a zero-turn mower. Replaced spray pump on F-450 watering truck. Serviced engine, replaced fuel filter, and topped fluids in the vac truck. Replaced main broom on the global sweeper. Replaced tailgate operation, L/S window regulator, window switches, external crankcase oil separator, and cleared EGR codes on the freightliner tandem vehicle. Performed routine maintenance and repairs on equipment and vehicles. ---PAGE BREAK--- Parks Mowed and trimmed the large property off Gold Canyon Road to include Park Trail Park. Performed five interments at the Monument Cemetery. Installed over 2,000 feet of new irrigation at Monument Lake, including backflow and control systems, and placed a new Tough Shed. Performed additional trenching along the Monument Lake Road. After a water break in Lake of the Rockies, the Parks team restored the front yard landscaping of an affected residence. Trimmed and chipped trees along Washington Street. Cleaned up after bear at least 3 times a week. Streets Following a large rainstorm, the Streets crew cleared washed- out streets in Town and cleaned the trail crossing on 2 Street. nd Washed and repainted the parking lot at Town Hall. Repaired a sink hole in the Past Times neighborhood with 7 tons of material. Repaired pothole and drain pans in the Village Center, Knollwood Drive and Cipriani Loop area. Due to a safety hazard, the Streets team removed the broken, red barricade on the west end of 3 Street. rd ---PAGE BREAK--- Water Repaired a service line on the Town-owned portion of a residence in the Lake of the Rockies neighborhood. Operators attended a 4-day class in Leadville covering water treatment and distribution. Contracted with Applied Inginuity to pull and inspect Well 7 after it went out of service. Installed new Bac-T sampling station at Monument Lake. Installed a new bulk tank for sodium hypochlorite at Wells 4, 5, and 10. Ordered parts to replace remaining copper pilot lines in all PRV vaults. Repaired a water main break at 2 Street and Jefferson Street. nd Assisted a builder with performing a wet tap on an 8-inch main at 175 psi in the Century Lane area. Excavated and prepared for valve replacement at 3 Street and Jefferson Street. rd