Fountain council approves zoning changes for landscaping and nonfunctional turf; mayor votes no

The Fountain City Council on Nov. 4 approved Ordinance 18-16 on second reading, updating municipal zoning code language related to landscaping, fencing, screening and the regulation of nonfunctional turf.

Christy Martinez of the City of Fountain Planning Department told the council there were no changes since the first reading and said the ordinance implements a state mandate required for the city’s compliance. “This is a state mandate that the City of Fountain must comply with in order to continue our compliance with the state,” Martinez said.

Council member Hinton moved to approve Ordinance 18-16 on second reading; Council member Herzberg seconded. The motion passed 5-1, with Mayor Thompson recorded as the only no vote. When asked to explain his vote, Mayor Thompson said his opposition reflected concern about unfunded state mandates: “It is the state once again shoving down unfunded mandates down to the local level ... and it makes it expensive for people trying to establish a business or do some re‑landscaping.”

Council did not propose amendments during the hearing, and Martinez confirmed no text changes since first reading. The council's approval completes the local second-reading step recorded on the council minutes for Nov. 4; the ordinance text is intended to align Fountain’s municipal code with the cited state requirements.