[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6743482,"mediaKeyId","5413111-6975dccf72f16c40a6ebf8766d10261e","parentId",5413111,"title","Public works seeks 10-year IGSA with USAFA to accelerate Monument Creek habitat and stream restoration","audioSeconds",170,"startMs",3823000,"endMs",3993000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5413111-6975dccf72f16c40a6ebf8766d10261e&start=3823&end=3993","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5413111-6975dccf72f16c40a6ebf8766d10261e/thumbnail_3823000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6743482/Colorado-Springs-City/El-Paso-County/Colorado/Public-works-seeks-10-year-IGSA-with-USAFA-to-accelerate-Monument-Creek-habitat-and-stream-restoration","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6743482-8c62ec945d8851d8774251e308de92f7/orig.mp4?Expires=1771181394&Signature=W04BCZAKpC4mq0855BXtEMcecYU-17LxCGNbNdqBv8lRjmCI5e1UwPqffCWzxxJ1DqSOVWE4jMDQD1ghBKKwB0fseHtGBJp~vOYRA-QUxXiW2poWYbSrFq6JvS1ILUqLva2FpmGtTK8nLUkxaFiplNMJFQjNgBY3tb1b13gnrBtmJCGq6oHDw0ehcwvF19jnvIkXZsC82EXEYLcybF58uNwn-npY500VpOPMU9hTQcAsuBDNu7gFWgxhdYcoyWJ1hWkHPNs~UIisdQqJQQI~oOy-~ETiGA1Qom1-3Kwqrcf58K9SaJ8ybP9ogmNzkW9CTzPV~555kJQQ7d5hi8USWg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City Council of Colorado Springs CO","date","2025-07-07T00:00:00Z","article","Richard Malady, the city's public works director, asked council to approve a 10-year intergovernmental support agreement (IGSA) with the U.S. Air Force Academy (USAFA) to streamline delivery of stream-restoration and habitat projects within the Monument Creek watershed.

Malady said USAFA receives roughly $1.3 million annually in federal funds for natural-resources projects (largely to address habitat needs such as for Preble's meadow jumping mouse). Since 2017 the city's Stormwater Enterprise has worked with USAFA on individual IGSA projects and delivered them more efficiently by using the city's contracting and project-management capacity. Malady told council the joint approach reduced delivery overhead from roughly 30% loss per project to a fraction of that amount and proposed a longer-term 10-year agreement so both partners can plan multiple projects without separate agreements for each.

Malady outlined a 2023 restoration master plan that identified 42 high-priority projects affecting tributaries that run through the Academy; although USAFA comprises about 12% of the watershed acreage, the Academy captures about 75% of the flow volume into Monument Creek, creating shared downstream effects for the city. Malady described recent projects (Mahomet Branch Phase 2, Black Squirrel Creek and other tributary restorations) as examples of collaborative progress.

Council members asked about recent storm impacts and the performance of the city's stormwater system; Malady reported the system had been resilient during recent heavy rain events and said damage had been mostly localized inlet flooding or county-road impacts outside city jurisdiction. Councilmembers asked about intergovernmental collaboration with Monument and El Paso County and discussed the role of the Fountain Creek Watershed Flood Control and Greenway District as a forum for regional coordination.

Council asked staff to place the IGSA resolution on the consent agenda for the upcoming regular meeting. No formal vote to approve the IGSA was recorded during the work session; council directed staff to include the item on consent for formal consideration.

Speakers quoted in this story: Richard Malady, Public Works Director.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Colorado Springs City Council Work Session on 2025-07-07","oneSentenceSummary","Richard Malady, the city's public works director, asked City Council to approve a 10-year intergovernmental support agreement with the U.S. Air Force Academy to speed delivery of stream-restoration and habitat projects in the Monument Creek watershed.","taxTitle","Colorado Springs City, El Paso County, Colorado","taxId",5791,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6743486,"Downtown Partnership proposes 19-month \"clean and safe\" pilot to expand security, ambassadors and outreach",1859,181000,2040000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5413111-6975dccf72f16c40a6ebf8766d10261e&start=181&end=2040","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5413111-6975dccf72f16c40a6ebf8766d10261e/thumbnail_181000.jpg","/articles/6743486/Colorado-Springs-City/El-Paso-County/Colorado/Downtown-Partnership-proposes-19-month-clean-and-safe-pilot-to-expand-security-ambassadors-and-outreach","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6743486-730b99221d697bdabc6f50e8028d77c7/orig.mp4?Expires=1771181394&Signature=eUPh4tpjySVeLAJEC4J5n4tNyKn77Qvs2NmgKf5fslwQQRBqqxgSzdm7iBI~0I5YVFo~H4VfwWoCzOGrIHj8z53m5YVSTuFC~4kmhenD~589YIfWBcFVX5NJXtLKb3YHAbUAV0upKxi1N~dZhS0GuUYghsSeWXFkFyrtCZ0nTo1t~mgQO9VWZZ5Y17yjb0O2GMjnRVI6~0Np67EGqg-EodSPXgIvWqPILFKves5kTL-OGQ5rXt0MYWuFIji0UjhcZWsOi0sUIuICidPY3d3bGlqYL32gsOY~gCgII~hXRV1cZCdNFdFMDL4FDyygfcOTYpLeuANqrQZIvdmF1zoj3w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Downtown Partnership on Monday asked City Council to support a 19-month downtown \"clean and safe\" pilot that would nearly triple supplemental security coverage, add hospitality ambassadors and fund dedicated outreach staff to respond immediately to people in need.

Pat Rigdon, director of downtown safety and public space management, and Chelsea Gondek, interim CEO of the Downtown Partnership, said disturbances, merchant requests for assistance and citations tied to sit/lie enforcement have increased since 2019 while recorded interactions with people experiencing homelessness decreased when supplemental security is present. \"We want to be data-driven and human-centered,\" Rigdon said, adding the pilot is meant to test tactics locally and recommend a long-term approach if successful.

Pilot design calls for: expanded supplemental security shifts (covering early-morning sweeps at 6 a.m. through evening hours), two teams of two officers on peak days, six ambassadors for hospitality and wayfinding, and a small outreach team (two full-time, one part-time) to partner with Homeward Pikes Peak and other providers. The outreach workers would form care teams that can offer services immediately when individuals are willing to accept help; Elizabeth Lisberger, a Bloomberg Harvard fellow working on the project, said Homeward Pikes Peak is the principal outreach partner.

The Partnership estimated a pilot budget of about $2 million: roughly $1 million targeted to clean-and-safe operations (security and ambassadors), $500,000 to outreach, and the remainder for communications and legal costs. Presenters said they have \"just under\" $1 million secured so far and that the Downtown Development Authority and Urban Renewal Authority have committed about $600,000 to date; they asked the Council to consider additional public funding and to help connect with private funders.

Presenters emphasized coordination with the Colorado Springs Police Department (CSPD). Rigdon said daily communications, a downtown public-safety steering committee that includes the police chief, and an expanded cadence of operational coordination would let security, outreach and CSPD avoid duplication and act quickly when police intervention is required.

Council members pressed for more detail. Councilmember Hingham asked where outreach would take people; Lisberger identified Homeward Pikes Peak as the primary service partner and said the care teams are intended to make immediate, not delayed, connections to services. Councilmember Bailey asked about data collection and whether increased reporting might inflate incident counts; presenters said security contractors already log incident reports with timestamps and categories and the Partnership is normalizing historic records to compare baseline trends.

Several councilmembers raised public-restroom and sanitation concerns. Staff reported that, outside Acacia Park, no additional public restrooms are currently planned, though administration is discussing facility improvements and opportunities to better staff and manage existing restrooms. Rigdon and council members stressed the need to align restroom strategy with outreach and maintenance plans if new facilities are pursued.

Rigdon and Gondek described the pilot as nimble: tactics and staffing levels would be adjusted based on ongoing data and feedback from a downtown task force of business and community leaders. At the pilot's conclusion, the Partnership intends to present a recommendation on whether to continue, scale, spin off to a contractor or discontinue the program.

Speakers quoted in this story: Pat Rigdon, director of downtown safety and public space management; Chelsea Gondek, interim CEO, Downtown Partnership; Elizabeth Lisberger, Bloomberg Harvard fellow (project data/policy lead).","The Downtown Partnership on Monday asked City Council to support a 19-month downtown \"clean and safe\" pilot that would nearly triple supplemental security coverage, add hospitality ambassadors and fund dedicated outreach staff to respond immediately to people in need.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6743477,"Council staff recommends removing Public Art Commission references from UDC; council requests language options",415,4975000,5390000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5413111-6975dccf72f16c40a6ebf8766d10261e&start=4975&end=5390","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5413111-6975dccf72f16c40a6ebf8766d10261e/thumbnail_4975000.jpg","/articles/6743477/Colorado-Springs-City/El-Paso-County/Colorado/Council-staff-recommends-removing-Public-Art-Commission-references-from-UDC-council-requests-language-options","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6743477-8f4001cc3d3aad85c08129e4187a3cfa/orig.mp4?Expires=1771181394&Signature=ThuZfYkxjxS~NobUzCoBbpoU8vyndIe3bpCSaLyoz~Nfce8IxKKKfWKmJNqSB0mOSxVKWJnNmXDmzttWHQGZtxcpma6DhGS3qhvmXu9idE6q4kerb4ns69OCHD6hbzeaPS0Uh2-mNsMNGEVAK7YM47tiSRHHs0VFeU3MkxKI54Lj2mbbqL-Anxlt4bNM1UTH-kSqwL8wfPPS-PHeXuK26DfHoW6P3hHLPTb4ky4t9oMoEBOLFyeDujjkhXW9-oIuphL~Bvv8~ZZRABU8LNiI~8DA29kl42E5cKheI46P47Kql8bGmiU9RhqfqW-p4aBExaADhargNzpzxwzk~6IF1A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","City legislative staff presented proposed amendments to Chapter 7 of the Unified Development Code to remove references to the Public Art Commission (dissolved by ordinance earlier in 2025) and to define review criteria if public art remains eligible as a community amenity or as a substitute for facade articulation.

Michael Montgomery of Legislative Services said the public-art references must be removed because the commission was dissolved by ordinance 25-41. Planning staff noted the public-art commission had not received any applications under the new UDC since the 2023 adoption, and the proposed cleanup would either remove the commission references or provide draft criteria for administrative review of public art where it remains allowed.

Councilmembers discussed two options: (1) remove only references to the Public Art Commission while preserving public-art options for planned-development community amenities, or (2) also remove the UDC provision that allows public art to substitute for required building-facade articulation. Councilmember Donaldson and others expressed preference to remove the facade-substitution provision and asked staff to prepare an amended ordinance reflecting that option for the upcoming hearing.

Daniel (Dan) Sexton of the Planning Department clarified that removing the public-art substitution only affects the UDC entitlement process (planned-development community-benefits and facade rules); private property owners remain free to install art on their buildings outside that entitlement process. Staff said they will bring revised language back for council consideration at the formal hearing.

Speakers quoted in this story: Michael Montgomery, Legislative Services; Dan Sexton, Planning Department.","Staff presented cleanup amendments to the Unified Development Code to remove references to the dissolved Public Art Commission and to add or clarify review criteria if public art remains an option as a building-articulation substitute. Council asked staff to provide an amended ordinance that removes art-as-substitute for facade","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Public works seeks 10-year IGSA with USAFA to accelerate Monument Creek habitat and stream restoration

Downtown Partnership proposes 19-month "clean and safe" pilot to expand security, ambassadors and outreach

Council staff recommends removing Public Art Commission references from UDC; council requests language options