[{"_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",6586208,"mediaKeyId","5548927-84038ea8235419e7475bb1f4aeeb1c46","parentId",5548927,"title","Council hears PEDCO pitch to upsize sewer and install lift station to open Saint Charles Industrial Park; executive session approved","audioSeconds",4365,"startMs",3118000,"endMs",7483000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5548927-84038ea8235419e7475bb1f4aeeb1c46&start=3118&end=7483","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5548927-84038ea8235419e7475bb1f4aeeb1c46/thumbnail_3118000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6586208/Pueblo-City/Pueblo-County/Colorado/Council-hears-PEDCO-pitch-to-upsize-sewer-and-install-lift-station-to-open-Saint-Charles-Industrial-Park-executive-session-approved","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6586208-5e327109ed448d4e04a4ae47e9cd9af0/orig.mp4?Expires=1771185465&Signature=KEvoF3jsuz1p8liKuVKnWxyBhujxJeXdpIk9ahMXKkryAvZYiLbuDP1zZhBTxdMIpq2LX2gbVDgH13HQ3hj0swxR9KYD~FXxUm27GSW9j-mPjf9E0MWKRolzu5~ygR-TU3YpQ7aXVWVcEi7AmnN3aFZb3RA1YZd6uPthSlqNdmMSuczxctvLridvhF2NAbbqEapSyWS4-Z7FjwKaeXcF35BUmG0DQuKQpg3~umhtuuUkGmfNRVYC60OiFl~VbfRKhNpA8Ee7l6GI1jzPOy8M9999SKWaJN189nO-vzT~C7MvtuKNfccTXd~ptgJBN-ffiplJX8vVNwBhxo5eoTzfgg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Pueblo City, CO","date","2025-08-06T02:00:37.963Z","article","Jeff Shaw, president and CEO of PEDCO, and board member and engineer Michael (Mike) Cuppy briefed the Pueblo City Council on Aug. 4 on infrastructure work they say is needed to make the Saint Charles Industrial Park and adjoining southern city lands “site ready.” PEDCO asked council to consider using half-cent sales tax funds for design and construction of a wastewater lift station and upsizing of sewer lines that PEDCO says would unlock rail-served industrial acreage and help other southern-city projects.

What was proposed: PEDCO described a project to build a public wastewater lift station near the rail park and to upsize downstream collection lines so flows can reach the Greenhorn trunk and the city wastewater treatment plant. Shaw and Cuppy said the work would allow rail-served industrial parcels (including the city-owned rail park east of the tracks and a 400-acre parcel owned by the Public Development Foundation north of CS Wind) to be developed for large industrial users. \"A site needs to be ready to go... utilities available,\" Shaw said.

Cost and capacity concerns: a PEDCO estimate shared during the meeting put engineering and construction for the lift station and upsizing at roughly $16–17 million. City wastewater staff reported the treatment plant is currently operating at about 60% of capacity on average and that the plant has roughly 4 million gallons of buffer before reaching an 80% threshold at which the state expects a design process to begin. PEDCO representatives said the park buildout could require roughly 2 million gallons per day of additional capacity at full buildout, which would use a substantial share of the plant’s remaining buffer. Council members and staff repeatedly flagged that moving flows above the 80% threshold would trigger design and possibly major expansion of the wastewater plant.

Timeline and permitting: staff and PEDCO estimated permitting and design would take about one to two years, with CDPHE and railroad coordination required for the lift station and for any pipe installed under rail right-of-way. City wastewater staff said permit reviews and resubmissions can each take 60–90 days and that design and associated planning documents would be required before appropriation of construction funds.

Funding questions and council reaction: PEDCO asked council to consider using the city’s half-cent sales tax to pay for the work because the tax’s enabling ordinance allows capital infrastructure for economic development. Council members asked whether the half-cent fund could be used for the lift station but not for general wastewater-plant upgrades, and the city attorney replied the answer depends on the specific nexus to a project; if plant upgrades are required solely because of a specific industrial hookup, there could be an argument to use half-cent funds for that portion. Council members pressed PEDCO and staff for financial details, reimbursement mechanics (developers tying into the improved lines would pay connection and plant-investment fees), and an estimated payback through connection fees and utility revenues.

Next steps and formal action: after extensive questioning and discussion, council members expressed interest in moving the project forward to get design-level numbers and more precise cost and capacity estimates. Councilors asked staff to return with an RFP/engineering estimate so council could consider formal appropriation. Council then approved a motion to move into executive session to “determine positions relative to matters that may be subject to negotiations, developing strategy for negotiations and/or instructing negotiators” under CRS 24-6-402(4)(e)(I), with the subject identified as a potential PEDCO project; council voted in favor and convened the executive session.

Why it matters: the project would unlock rail-served industrial land and potentially bring jobs and economic activity to Pueblo, but it raises significant utility planning and ratepayer questions because added industrial flows could require major capital upgrades at the wastewater treatment plant. Council members stressed the need for firm engineering estimates, a timeline, reimbursement mechanisms and clarity about who bears future plant-expansion costs before committing large public funds.

Ending: council signaled general support for moving to the next design and analysis steps but did not appropriate construction funding; it moved into executive session for negotiations and directed staff to return with more detailed cost, capacity and reimbursement information.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","City Council Work Session-August 04, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","PEDCO presented a plan to install a wastewater lift station and upsize sewer lines to make the Saint Charles Industrial Park and adjacent southern-city land build-ready for industrial users; council approved entering executive session to discuss the project.","taxTitle","Pueblo City, Pueblo County, Colorado","taxId",4964,"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},6586213,"Pueblo County treasurer outlines new monthly property tax payment option for taxpayers without escrow accounts",65,1211000,1276000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5548927-84038ea8235419e7475bb1f4aeeb1c46&start=1211&end=1276","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5548927-84038ea8235419e7475bb1f4aeeb1c46/thumbnail_1211000.jpg","/articles/6586213/Pueblo-City/Pueblo-County/Colorado/Pueblo-County-treasurer-outlines-new-monthly-property-tax-payment-option-for-taxpayers-without-escrow-accounts","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6586213-3c514e1bba765e188da0a80aa7deded3/orig.mp4?Expires=1771185465&Signature=W512gBlqaOw0LAHZLqxEdQkg1-P8iHxi-tCcQB4qTiqQFZs~F6BBrV9QxKfAUvAKil0jMkCOBSmZWwNp~ZMUiGR-rWTy5qVnGrNhb3udCZBTsSEQRFZBgnpO8Ss00F2aQ9Lz-ZlDX5tRWu~zQpK7gaBRqznXF0JniVSKegmmrhDIlIudcJCu7LqlkanMFKIwYEtKslSMLhMFdnqqRYOg63LDyXdrhspRn~n-wO02ywyQmrtUavj4M-cSQUvh4-G603f1Ualc8rJhkJfZRLVS6q2AdB-3MkbThn7~zODdLzWs5RF3~B3GqgUD821JFFQ~ftlWNLLQNFIzP9hL8~cz-w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Kim Archuleta, Pueblo County treasurer, briefed the Pueblo City Council on Aug. 4 about a new monthly property-tax payment option the county is offering to taxpayers who do not have mortgage escrow accounts.

The program is run by a private servicer, Auto Agent, and is available only to property owners who do not already have an escrow account that pays taxes on their behalf, Archuleta said. “This payment solution is only for people who do not currently have an escrow account,” she said.

How it works: taxpayers enroll at escrowtaxes.com, search for their property by parcel number, address or name, and set up monthly payments to Auto Agent. Auto Agent estimates taxes, collects monthly payments from participants and then remits the county’s two statutory half-year payments on or before Feb. 28 and June 15. Archuleta said the monthly plan collects funds in arrears (next year’s taxes paid in the following year): “It’d be arrears. Correct. So, of course, you’re always billed in arrears.”

Fees and payment methods: Archuleta said the vendor charges $1 per transaction for ACH (bank account) payments and 2.5% for debit-card transactions; she described the fees as a tradeoff for the “peace of mind” of automated monthly payments.

Who it helps and limits: she said the option could help homeowners, commercial owners, vacant-lot owners, farms and other property owners who do not have escrow accounts and who want to break tax bills into monthly amounts. The county’s role is limited to receiving the remitted half-year payments; Archuleta said Pueblo County will not receive enrollment notices or control collection.

Archuleta said the county has worked with Auto Agent for about a decade to handle payments for mortgage servicers that maintain escrow accounts, and the new offering extends that service to taxpayers without escrow accounts. She said the program is offered at no cost to Pueblo County.

She warned that failure to pay the second half of taxes can result in tax-lien sale and said the county typically advertises thousands of parcels for tax-lien sale each year and that about 1,800 parcels are sold at auction annually. Archuleta framed the program as a way to reduce lien sales and related fees and penalties.

Councilors asked clarifying questions about eligibility, whether commercial and agricultural properties qualify (Archuleta said yes if they lack escrow), whether the county or the vendor benefits financially (Archuleta said the vendor collects the fees; Pueblo County receives no revenue from the service), and how the program interacts with the county’s online payment portal.

Ending: Archuleta encouraged property owners to spread the word and offered handouts and FAQs. She said the county will provide updates as the program ramps up.

","Pueblo County Treasurer Kim Archuleta presented a vendor-run monthly installment option for property taxes for owners who do not already have mortgage escrow accounts, describing enrollment at escrowtaxes.com, fee options, and expected timing of payments to the county.",{"_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},6586217,"Colorado State Fair manager previews expanded programming, facility upgrades for August fair",45,248000,293000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5548927-84038ea8235419e7475bb1f4aeeb1c46&start=248&end=293","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5548927-84038ea8235419e7475bb1f4aeeb1c46/thumbnail_248000.jpg","/articles/6586217/Pueblo-City/Pueblo-County/Colorado/Colorado-State-Fair-manager-previews-expanded-programming-facility-upgrades-for-August-fair","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6586217-f83785778c47d7b5c740cc2ba8d9a85e/orig.mp4?Expires=1771185465&Signature=ZUu-~-Uzav1zySvhgmLndUjoegXuIRAk55tfT54iUX0Qx-G5dtjkReWgiEsX37vqqlsU0JUB-~z2xgez7YGL1OytQoH1YglSzu7O~xsWKXQEPhBDS-U6y52MhpqndGkTHJvF8qs-dL-qnlUQ0bbIu4t38dPNxfc-Zopn7u0Ekam4ZWFlryvptBkSBB5ab5e7Pzwt1oQMVxXiBXXkAAtoMwHMh--~MD8JuzuKGkEYgACKTchgNmWi0V19Me1PRPsMgHrLsIdQYvvRMHgmVeQAggHnggcjbH7jYByCrvgxq6s07gbBtNIy0MoChNkVR8VlzNK-Ki9cRQnvt-5D9eq~NA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Andrea Weisenweier, general manager of the Colorado State Fair, told the Pueblo City Council on Aug. 4 that the fair will run Aug. 22–Sept. 1 and described a mix of new programming, customer-service upgrades and ongoing capital projects on the fairgrounds.

Weisenweier, who said she has been in the job about nine months, said the fair’s theme this year is “growing the tradition,” and highlighted a multiuse Sam Brown Family Pavilion planned to host livestock and horse shows as well as community events. “Our next large step is going to be the Sam Brown Family Pavilion. It is a state of the art facility designed to host livestock shows, horse shows, but also really focusing on community and and being able to host athletic tournaments,” she said.

Why it matters: the state fair draws daily visitors to downtown Pueblo for 11 days and affects neighborhood traffic, trash and city services; Weisenweier emphasized both event programming and neighbor relations, saying fair staff want to be “good neighbors” and work with the city on issues such as transit shuttles and trash pickup.

Details Weisenweier outlined include new attractions and programming for 2025: Adventureland, an Exceptional Rodeo, Sensory Day, the State Fair Foundation tournament and expanded free attractions and music across multiple stages. She said organizers had made smaller but visible improvements — new benches and picnic tables, resurfacing the kids carnival asphalt, updated air conditioning in the Palace of Agriculture, and ceiling work and other improvements at the 4-H dining hall and auditorium.

Weisenweier listed promotional days and discounts intended to broaden attendance: $5 Fridays before 5 p.m., senior days, kids day (free admission for ages 12 and under on Aug. 21 and Sept. 1), an American Heroes Day discount for veterans and first responders, and a “Toucan Tuesday” food-drive donation day on Aug. 22. She also noted the return of long-running events such as the Junior Livestock Sale and Fiesta Day, and a first-time sensory day offering quiet spaces and reduced lighting and sound for visitors who need them.

Councilors asked about neighborhood impacts and logistics. Councilor Martinez noted Pueblo Transit will run a shuttle to reduce congestion and asked whether the fair would again coordinate with the city on transit; Weisenweier said the fair plans to continue that partnership and that she would meet with transit staff next week. Martinez asked about trash mitigation in adjacent neighborhoods; Weisenweier said the fair adds dumpsters, does nightly sweeps of the grounds and deploys a team that cleans outside the gates after close.

Councilor Latino welcomed Weisenweier to Pueblo and other council members asked about printed materials; Weisenweier said printed handouts could be provided on request.

Ending: Weisenweier invited the council and the public to attend the Colorado State Fair and said the fair’s staff will continue to work with city departments to address neighborhood impacts during the event.

","Andrea Weisenweier, new general manager of the Colorado State Fair, told the Pueblo City Council the fair will run Aug. 22–Sept. 1 with new events, seating and facility upgrades and an ongoing capital campaign that includes a multiuse Sam Brown Family Pavilion.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Council hears PEDCO pitch to upsize sewer and install lift station to open Saint Charles Industrial Park; executive session approved

Pueblo County treasurer outlines new monthly property tax payment option for taxpayers without escrow accounts

Colorado State Fair manager previews expanded programming, facility upgrades for August fair