Woodland Park hires lobbyist with Monument and Fountain as legislative session continues; council opposes certain bill changes

The Woodland Park City Council reported April 3 that the city has joined Monument and Fountain in retaining a lobbyist to monitor and represent the city during the Colorado legislative session.

City officials said the lobbyist provides weekly updates on bills that could affect local authority. City Attorney Carol (last name not specified in the record) told council members that, without that representation, "the voices of small cities like Monument and Fountain and Woodland Park would not be heard." She said the city uses the lobbyist to protect the powers it holds as a home‑rule municipality.

Council discussion singled out a pending measure described as the "school district solar garden lease term" bill. City staff said the bill, as amended in committee, would not only allow public schools and other nonprofits to build solar gardens but added language that would permit those nonprofits to build affordable housing without paying property tax on the property. The city and its municipal partners opposed that amendment; the lobbyist was reported to be arguing against it in committee.

City officials cautioned that the Colorado General Assembly sometimes attaches statewide‑concern declarations to bills in an effort to affect municipal authority. The city attorney noted that such declarations are not dispositive and that only courts can determine whether a municipality’s home‑rule authority has been preempted.

Council members said they will continue to receive weekly updates from the lobbyist and will communicate items of local concern to the lobbyist while session continues. No formal council action was taken beyond reporting on the arrangement and the ongoing legislative monitoring.