City reports parks festival, public-safety stats, and large cleanup and graffiti-removal totals

City staff provided multiple community updates Monday night, including openings on the Pueblo Homeless Commission, upcoming Parks & Rec events and detailed public-safety and cleanup figures.

Brian McCain, chief of staff, told the council there are two openings for “a community business leader” to serve two‑year terms on the Pueblo Homeless Commission and that residents may apply at pueblo.us. He also previewed Parks & Rec events: the Still City Arkansas River Festival on Saturday, July 26, running 10 a.m.–7 p.m.; free shuttle service to multiple parks during the festival; and a ribbon cutting and grand reopening at Elizabeth Street Parkway on Thursday, July 31, at 1 p.m.

McCain summarized police activity and investigations, saying Pueblo Police officers wrote six curfew citations in parks over the recent weekend — three adults and three juveniles — and that the youngest cited was 12 and out at about 12:20 a.m. He said police have written 66 loitering citations since April and that “self‑initiated calls for the patrol division were up 27% over the prior week.” He also reported the rearrest of a man who broke into a downtown bar twice; that suspect “currently remains in jail and on a $10,000 cash surety bond.”

Police recently detained a frequent dirt‑bike/motorcycle rider who has been observed driving dangerously; McCain said that rider was charged with reckless driving, exhibition of speed, operating an unregistered vehicle, displaying fictitious plates and operating without a motorcycle endorsement. He also said an investigation remains active into a downtown shooting and encouraged anyone with information to contact Detective Medina at (719) 553‑3296 or submit an anonymous tip to Pueblo Scribe Stoppers.

McCain described the administration’s cleanup work and gave year‑to‑date and recent totals: Mike Purdy’s team has completed 53 homeless‑camp cleanups in 2025 so far, including 28 in Bessemer (about 53% of the city total in McCain’s tally). He said the team removes graffiti measured in “lines” and gave the council the program’s metric: “a line is basically, if you imagine a 2 by 2, 2 and a half by 2 and a half foot square… That counts as 1 line.” McCain reported 17,996 graffiti lines removed this year, and that Bessemer accounted for 5,246 lines (about 29%) while the East Side accounted for 4,157 lines (about 23%).

McCain also provided a snapshot of cleanup work since July 1 in primarily Bessemer and the East Side: 9.41 tons of trash collected, 2,859 needles, 211 tires and 75 shopping carts. He said staff are continuing to compile annualized figures and will share updates with the council.

Council members asked clarifying questions and thanked staff for the report; McCain concluded by reminding the public of a Neighborhood Safety Night scheduled for Aug. 2 from 4–8 p.m. on Allen Hamill Avenue.

Ending: The update covered public events, enforcement statistics and cleanup metrics; several council members offered praise and the administration said it will continue to refine and circulate yearly totals.