September 2024 Larimer County Highlights

Windsor Town Board Regular Meeting | September 9, 2024

• Towering Telcom Interests
  • The board unanimously approved the proposed site of telecommunications tower within the Jacoby Farm Subdivision 5^th Filing. Windsor’s senior planner, Sandra Mezzetti, recommended that a 75’ tower be built, over the objections of community members who wanted Windsor’s height limitation of 50’ to be followed.  Conditions were set upon construction: there will be landscaping all around the tower, dead vegetation will be replaced on a timetable, and existing cottonwood trees that will be torn down will be replaced.  Jacoby Farms is located north of Windsor Main Street and Hwy 392, and east of County Road 15, north of the King Soopers shopping center.  
• Sales Tax Slump
  • Director of Finance Dean Moyer told the board that sales taxes for July lagged behind budgeted projections. The report offered no further discussion of what this means for the city.

Documenter: Shannon Murphy

Johnstown Town Council | September 16, 2024

• Bucee’s New Neighborhood
  • The board was presented with the final plat and development plan for the Welty Ridge subdivision to be built south of the Buc-ee’s at I 25 and County Road 48 in Johnstown. The board approved the filing. 

Documenter: Nanci Wendland

Windsor Town Board Meeting | September 23, 2024

• Sophia Smith’s Golden Game
  • Windsor native Sophia Smith was recognized for her extraordinary accomplishments as a member of the U.S. National Women’s Soccer Team. During the Paris Summer Olympic Games, Smith was instrumental in bringing home the gold for the US women’s team.
• Ethics Complaint Update
  • The town will not seek damages against former Mayor Barry Wilson. Wilson, at the time he was mayor, was also working for the Poudre River Trail Corridor and voted for the overall town budget which included fees to pay that employer. However, because Wilson did not financially benefit, and his employment was known to the town staff and board, the investigation found there was no harm done to the town. 

Documenter: Shannon Murphy 

Wellington Board of Trustees | September 24, 2024

• A Small Tribute for Veterans
  • The board approved a resolution to allow a 20% discount for veterans on grave spaces at the town cemetery, Highland Cemetery. Current and historical residents are also eligible for discounts.  Highland Cemetery is located at 9192 NE Frontage Road in Wellington.
• Risky Crossing
  • Deputy Town Administrator Kelly Houghteling received approval from the board to apply for a grant from the US Department of Transportation (USDOT) for $2M, with a $400,000 match from the town. The grant will be used to begin a design process to improve the safety for pedestrians using the I-25 overpass. CDOT is currently conducting a safety study of the interchange. Houghteling noted the project is somewhere around 30^th on the list of CDOT projects. However, she feels if Wellington can show CDOT that the town has funding, a design, and is shovel ready to go, it could help to move the project up on the list. 

Documenter: Nanci Wendland

Estes Park Health (Park Hospital District)  Board Meeting | September 25, 2024 

• High Level Aggravation
  • The board discussed the termination of EPH Foundation President Kevin Mullin on Sept. 10, 2024. Mullin was fired after allegedly contacting another healthcare partner about regulatory requirements, which was allegedly overstepping his role. Later on Sept. 10, Mullin filed a grievance with the board citing discrimination, bullying, intimidation, and a hostile work environment. After consideration, the EPH Foundation officers and the EPH Board of Directors met and agreed with Mullin on a separation of employment without cause. No details of the agreement were provided. During public comment, the vice chair of the EPH Foundation Board, Dennis Hoshiko, expressed his dismay with the treatment of Mullin. He tendered his resignation effective immediately and turned over his credentials. A reporter with the Estes Valley Voice, Suzy Blackhurst, noted that 21 public comments were given by hospital employees at a previous board meeting, all noting they favored several means of determining the attitude in the workplace, such as surveys and exit interviews. 
• Medicare “Advantage” for Who?
  • Vern Carda, CEO of Estes Park Health, told the directors that a majority of the patients on Medicare who utilize the hospital are covered under a managed Medicare plan, largely Medicare Advantage plans. These plans have more regulation and lower reimbursement than traditional Medicare supplemental plans. Many of the hospital’s 4M visitors have commercial insurance that reimburses better.

Documenter: Linnéa Carter, MD 

Red Feather Lakes Planning Advisory Committee | September 26, 2024

• Public Restrooms? Not My Job.
  • According to Community Development Director for Larimer County, Rebecca Everette, and Larimer County Commissioner John Kefalas, the Planning Advisory Committee (PAC) should not focus on items such as public restrooms. Instead, the PAC should limit its discussions to land use development, zoning, codes, and periodic reviews of the Red Feather Lakes area plan.  Kefalas suggested that to solve issues such as public restrooms, the community instead should hold neighborhood meetings, create a webpage on the county website, and encourage the creation of a community-led non-profit group to provide leadership and advocacy for the community. Kefalas also mentioned that one of the nine seats on the county’s planning and zoning board could be reserved for someone from the PAC. Kefalas and Everette  also want the PAC to meet quarterly rather than monthly. Vice Chair Caryn Hughes argued that the PAC meets infrequently during the winter anyway, and going to quarterly meetings might be a disincentive for participation. Other committee members expressed they also feared nothing will get done if the committee isn’t meeting frequently. The county liaisons asked PAC members to be prepared to vote on the changes at the Oct. 24 meeting.  

Documenter: Nanci Wendland

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