Wellington Board of Trustees 1/23/24

For more information (including members in attendance) see the full notes document here.*

View the meeting agenda and packet.

A video recording of the meeting is available here.

From the Town of Wellington website: “The purpose of this board is to provide outstanding municipal services for the community of Wellington both today and tomorrow.”

Key Points

Mayor Chaussee addressed a rumor from residents that he is moving: No, he is not moving out of Wellington before the end of his term, which is spring of 2026. He also said he wants the community and the board to be “respectful, kind and loving to each other and promises to do better himself this year.”

Resolutions No. 07-2024 and 08-2024 have been tabled until the Feb. 13 meeting.

These 2 resolutions were to approve an Intergovernmental Agreement between the Town of Wellington, the Town of Berthoud, and the Town of Timnath concerning a joint agreement for Animal Control Services with NOCO Humane.

Rigo Neiro from NOCO Humane answered questions from the board about additional fees, answering calls, and patrolling the town of Wellington. The original agreement was initially proposed at the Oct. 10 board meeting. The agreement would be a contracted amount split between 3 towns based on usage. Several residents privately shared their experiences about the Humane Society with board members. They worry about the Humane Society patrolling the streets, randomly picking up animals, and then charging exorbitant fees to the owners, or possibly not returning the animals to their owners at all. Currently, stray animals are called into a city worker or board member, who then contact the Sheriff’s Department. A Sheriff responds to the call and either takes the stray back to their home or transports it to the Larimer County Humane Society (now NOCO Humane). The board decided to get more feedback from the community and discuss the contract in greater detail before approving.

Continued - Ordinance No. 02-2024: Approving Sage Farms Annexation and Village at Sage Farms Annexation; Establish zoning as Planned Unit Development (PUD); Approving Annexation Agreements; and establishing vested development rights - Unanimously approved by the board.

Darin Roberson, Sage Farms developer, and 2 of his team members were present to discuss the revised Planned Unit Development (PUD) agreement with updated language regarding non-potable water sources and well tests showing ample water availability.

Sage Farms will be a residential development on the north end of the annexation development with 205 planned single family detached homes.

Village at Sage Farms is 58 acres of commercial property on the southern end of the annexation development. The commercial corridor has potential for a medical center, community rec center, extended trails, and future transportation projects. UCHealth submitted a letter of intent to build in this area. Also, Roberson has agreed to contribute $100,000 for a transportation study.

All board members agree this is a good, balanced package with both residential and commercial property setting the town of Wellington up for success in the future. This project is a 20-to-25-year proposal and vesting period. The ordinance passed unanimously 7-0.

Resolution No. 03-2024: A resolution amending the Town Administrators contract. Approved 6 in favor, 1 against.

Town Administrator, Patti Garcia, received her annual review in November along with a 3% cost-of-living adjustment and a 1% merit increase to her 2024 wages, and her title will be changed to Town Manager. Garcia researched the compensation packages of other Colorado town managers’ and said she found that the industry standard is to include a severance package in case of termination without cause to include 12 months’ salary and 12 months medical coverage.

Two residents spoke in favor of granting Garcia the package. They said she performs very well for the town, and Town Managers are important positions.

Only Trustee Gaitor voted against the amendment to Garcia’s contract. Gaitor said he would support a 6-month severance package but not 12 months.

The meeting ended with board reports. Mayor Pro Tem Macdonald read a poem and then talked about bullying and treating others with respect and kindness. Macdonald said the board should be free from bullying and offered 2 solutions:

1. Create a resolution to protect current and future board members.
2. Censure any repeated future actions of bullying.

Macdonald would not offer any specifics unless the board held a public censure meeting. She would like a public apology from Trustee Tietz.

Trustee Tietz responded that everyone on this board has been a victim. Tietz said if this statement came from Macdonald because Tietz posted on her personal Facebook page about not supporting Daily, she will not apologize. She said she has a constitutional right to her own voice and will not be silenced.

Mayor Chaussee said they must figure this out and he asked the board, “Aren’t you tired of this?” He said he’s failed to bring the board together and asked each member to take up to 3 minutes each and say how they have been treated by other members. The mayor also wanted suggestions from each member on how he could be a better leader and hash out some of the differences causing tension among the group.

Trustee Gaitor said he’s been attacked more than anyone and admits he keeps his opinion to himself. He speaks his peace on issues, votes, and moves on. Gaitor’s advice to the mayor was to step up and shut down implicit personal attacks on a member. He wants the board to work together and find a middle ground.

Trustee Daily does not support this method of airing grievance. She believes the mayor has done a good job and added that she doesn’t give personal opinions either. Disagreements are taken as insults because this board doesn’t trust each other.

Trustee Mason believes the mayor does just fine with the board members. He said this is not just a “mayor problem”. During his first 2 weeks on the board, he was repeatedly threatened with a recall. Everyone needs to respect each other, he said.

Trustee Weigand said “Perspective is reality” and sometimes people need to agree to disagree. Attacking each other is not productive, and he and another trustee eventually worked through their differences. The mayor needs to shut it down when it starts.

Mayor Pro Tem Macdonald added that she respects the mayor, but if a trustee brings him a serious concern, he shouldn’t brush it under the rug. The mayor should address it. She said she was threatened in May about voting a certain way on an issue.

Trustee Tietz said Mayor Chaussee is a mediator and his role is to work with the whole board. The board has split votes because the board is divided, she said. Tietz said she used to email the mayor with questions, but his recent responses include God, and with all due respect to religion, these responses don’t help bring collaboration or a level of comfort to bring issues before him. Tietz would like to see more action to support his words.

Mayor Chaussee thanked the members for their honesty and agreed to work on the suggestions going forward.

Trustee Gaitor moved to extend the meeting until 10:30 p.m. The motion was approved, and the board went into Executive Session.

The meeting was adjourned at 10:00 p.m. All the public attending were asked to leave the meeting and online participation was ended.

From the meeting agenda: Executive Session:

“For the purpose of determining positions relative to matters that may be subject to negotiations, developing strategy for negotiations, and/or instructing negotiators pursuant to Section 24-6-402(4)(e), C.R.S. – regarding negotiations related to matters with the North Poudre Irrigation Company. As required by C.R.S. §24-6-402(2)(d.5)(II)(A) and (II) (E) the executive session proceedings will be electronically recorded and the record will be preserved for 90 days through April 22, 2024.”

Next Meeting: Feb. 13, 2024 @ 6:30 p.m. The Leeper Center, 3800 Wilson Avenue, Wellington, CO

Questions:

1. How much does Wellington currently spend on animal control? If the board decides not to approve a contract with NOCO Humane, will the city workers and Sheriffs have to continue to take care of animal control duty?
2. When will Sage Farms developer start building their massive project?
3. Are pending town elections influencing the discussion of board decorum?

*Citizen Observers further the commitment of the League of Women Voters to its principle of Citizens Right to Know, however, we are not acting as journalists. Omissions and errors are possible. It is assumed that users of this information are responsible for their own fact-checking. This could include contacting a government clerk, conversing with an elected official or staff, and/or asking us to speak to the Observer who attended.