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Resident urges Montrose to drop non‑sanctuary messaging, expand Spanish interpretation at council meetings
Summary
At the May 5 Montrose City Council meeting, Kim Townsend Spaulding urged council to reconsider a proposed non‑sanctuary proclamation and to provide Spanish interpretation without a multi‑day advance notice, saying state law already limits local cooperation with federal immigration authorities.
Kim Townsend Spaulding told the council that Montrose’s Hispanic residents — more than 21% of the city’s population — deserve clear access to local government and protection under state law. “Colorado state law already governs how local law enforcement interacts with federal immigration authorities,” she said, adding that recent state measures bar local police from detaining people solely for civil immigration purposes and restrict sharing identifying information with federal agents.
Spaulding questioned what purpose a non‑sanctuary proclamation would serve locally and warned it could “create a community of fear,” discouraging immigrants from calling 911 or reporting crimes. She also criticized the city’s current practice requiring Spanish‑language interpretation to be requested three to four days in advance, saying the burden should not fall on residents who need translation and that ad‑hoc attendance at meetings is common.
The public comment was part of the meeting’s non‑agenda comment period; council members did not respond with a policy decision at the meeting. Spaulding’s remarks requested that council consider alternatives such as welcoming proclamations and measures to provide more accessible interpretation services, but no formal action was taken that evening.
