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Resident urges enforcement of Midland Avenue ICE facility; council to seek outside legal review
Summary
At the June 4 Glenwood Springs City Council meeting, resident Judy Haynes pressed the council to enforce a revoked occupancy permit at an ICE facility on Midland Avenue and to pursue outside counsel; council discussed legal constraints, potential outside counsel and agreed to seek further legal advice before acting.
Judy Haynes, a Glenwood Springs resident, told the City Council on June 4 that Planning & Zoning had voted to revoke an occupancy permit for the ICE facility on Midland Avenue and urged the city to enforce its municipal codes against the landlord, arguing the Supremacy Clause does not block local enforcement of zoning and occupancy rules.
Haynes asked the council to put enforcement on the agenda and to hire outside counsel, saying the city attorney’s prior analysis misread federal‑tenant law. “The identity of the tenant is irrelevant in municipal code compliance,” she said, arguing the city has “a clear and nondiscretionary duty to enforce our zoning, our building codes, and all of our properties in our area equally.”
Council members and City Attorney Carl Hanland responded that staff had prepared a memo outlining the legal position. Hanland said he had sent an analysis to council members and suggested contacting the Colorado Municipal League for a referral to outside counsel if the council wanted more opinions. Mayor Proam Solinsky and other members said they would pursue additional names and that staff could start that outreach.
Counselor Shakar cautioned against personal attacks on the city attorney while acknowledging the public’s concerns; several council members agreed the matter deserved careful, deliberate follow-up. Council did not direct immediate enforcement action at the meeting but instructed staff to seek external legal input and to report back. A number of council members said they wanted the city to be transparent about prior steps taken.
Next steps: staff will contact outside counsel sources (for example the Colorado Municipal League) and report legal options back to council. The council indicated it may issue a public statement after reviewing any additional legal advice.
