> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.westernslopetrellis.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Western Slope Civic Wrap-up: Aug. 15–21 - URL: https://www.westernslopetrellis.com/western-slope-civic-wrap-up-aug-15-21/ - Published: 2026-08-22T16:26:41.000Z - Updated: 2026-08-22T16:26:41.000Z - Description: November ballot questions took center stage across the Western Slope this week, with Montrose advancing four charter amendments, Grand Junction referring an Orchard Mesa Pool tax measure, Garfield County sending a library mill levy to voters, and Mesa County reviewing license plate reader use. - Author: Western Slope Trellis Staff - Tags: Government *A weekly digest of local government action in Mesa, Garfield, and Montrose counties.* Three counties spent this week doing the same thing: filling out the November ballot. Montrose City Council pushed all four proposed city charter amendments through first reading over a lengthy plea from one of its own members to slow down. Grand Junction voted to ask residents for a sales tax to save a 43-year-old swimming pool. Garfield County commissioners sent a library mill levy to voters and, in the same sitting, deadlocked on a letter of support for a Glenwood Springs trail grant—a rare tie made possible by an absent commissioner. Meanwhile, Mesa County commissioners got their first public briefing on the sheriff's automated license plate readers. ## Montrose City Council Council met in a work session on Monday, Aug. 17, and in a regular meeting on Tuesday, Aug. 18, that ran more than three hours. **Four Charter Amendments Advance** Council passed first readings of four ordinances that would put separate City Charter amendments before voters in the Nov. 3, 2026, coordinated election. Second readings—which set the final ballot language—are scheduled for Sept. 1. - **Ordinance 2727:** Moves the general municipal election from April to November of even-numbered years. Because sitting terms currently end in April, passage would extend current council members' terms by roughly six to seven months. - **Ordinance 2728:** Imposes a lifetime eight-year limit on elected council service, removing the mandatory waiting period the Colorado Constitution otherwise requires. It would apply to candidates after Nov. 3, 2026. - **Ordinance 2729:** Gives the council the right to approve or disapprove the city manager’s appointment or discharge of the police chief, while expressly barring the council from directing, supervising, or interfering with day-to-day department operations. - **Ordinance 2730:** Applies the same approval standard to the city clerk. The language was rewritten on the spot during the meeting to match the police chief ordinance after a resident pointed out a phrasing inconsistency. Before the hearings opened, Councilor J. David Reed urged his colleagues to defer all four measures, arguing the process felt rushed. "This charter does not belong to the mayor. It does not belong to me... It belongs to you, the people," he said. The council passed all four measures anyway. **E-Bike and Park Speed Limits Adopted** Ordinance 2726 passed on second reading, setting a 15 mph speed limit on sidewalks, trails, and multi-use paths within the city’s 38 municipal parks. The ordinance covers electric-assisted bicycles, motor vehicles, off-highway vehicles, and a new city-defined category of "classless electric assisted vehicles." Off-trail riding is strictly prohibited. The police department is initiating a month-long warning and education period before issuing citations. **Infrastructure & Business Action** - **North Park Avenue Rebuild:** Council awarded a $76,400 civil design contract to Del-Mont Consultants for the full rebuild of Park Avenue between Main Street and the San Juan Bypass. Design will wrap in early 2027, teeing up an estimated $5 million construction phase. - **Fire Suppression:** Authorized $75,000 for a clean-agent fire suppression system in the city's network operations center. - **Liquor Licenses:** Approved new hotel and restaurant licenses for Proof (a pizza shop at 512 E. Main St.) and Claudia’s Kitchen and Bakery (1245 E. Main St.). - **Election IGA:** Approved a procedural intergovernmental agreement with the Montrose County Clerk to place city questions on the November coordinated ballot. **Sales Tax Split:** A mid-year financial review highlighted a widening economic split: retail sales tax is up 3% year-to-date ($385,000), but construction use tax has plummeted nearly 47% ($170,000). Conversely, tourism revenues are surging, with lodging and restaurant excise taxes running 113% over budget. ## Grand Junction City Council **Orchard Mesa Pool Tax Heads to Voters** At its Aug. 19 regular meeting, the council unanimously approved a resolution referring an Orchard Mesa Pool funding question to the November 2026 ballot, officially cementing the intergovernmental agreement with Mesa County. The measure asks voters to increase the city's sales and use tax rate from 3.39% to 3.46% (roughly seven cents on a $100 taxable purchase). Once the construction debt is fully repaid, the rate would be reduced by 0.04%. The remaining revenue will serve as an ongoing operating subsidy to keep the 1983-era facility afloat. The estimated construction cost is roughly $10 million, though financing will bring the total debt issued to approximately $11.6 million. The urgency stems from Mesa County Valley School District 51—which owns the pool—signaling plans to demolish the facility when the city's current operating agreement expires at the end of 2026, barring a long-term fix. A "Save the Orchard Mesa Pool" campaign committee officially launched outside City Hall on Aug. 21. ## Mesa County Board of County Commissioners **License Plate Readers Briefing** At the Aug. 18 administrative hearing, Mesa County Sheriff's Office Operations Division Chief Art Smith provided an informational briefing on the agency's use of automated license plate readers, specifically Flock Safety cameras. The presentation covered data collection, retention, and county sharing policies. **Land Use and Development** - **Serrano Estates Rezone:** Placed on the consent agenda with a unanimous planning commission recommendation, this action rezones 4.1 acres at 825 26 Road from Agricultural (AFT) to Residential Single-Family Estate (RSF-E). The applicants intend to pursue a minor subdivision for up to four lots. The site sits just outside Grand Junction's Urban Development Boundary. - **Opioid Response Grant:** The county advanced a $221,709 State Opioid Response Grant to fund Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT) at the Mesa County Detention Facility. Operated by NaphCare, the program will serve roughly 25% of the jail population at no cost to the county. - **Clifton Water Support:** Approved a letter backing the Clifton Water District’s grant application for a feasibility study to modernize its Colorado River diversion intake structure. **Justice Center Upgrades:** Commissioners approved a $2.22 million contract with Comfort Air to replace the Mesa County Justice Center’s rooftop air conditioning unit, slated for completion in early 2027. ## Around the Region **Garfield County** - **Library Mill Levy:** Commissioners unanimously voted to place the Garfield County Public Library District's 1.00 mill levy extension on the November ballot. If extended past its 2027 expiration, property owners would continue paying about $38 annually based on median assessed value. - **LoVa Trail Deadlock:** In a rare outcome driven by Commissioner Mike Samson’s absence, the board tied 1-1 on a letter of support for Glenwood Springs' $19.5 million Federal Lands Access Program grant application for the LoVa Trail. Commissioner Perry Will opposed the letter, citing a need to prioritize the county's own competing FLAP grant applications. The motion failed, and no letter will be sent. - **Mudslide Relief:** Commissioners directed staff to waive landfill dump fees for 60 days for property owners clearing natural debris from the July Slaughterhouse Gulch mudslide. **Montrose County** Commissioner Sue Hansen's retirement takes effect Aug. 31, concluding eight years of service on the board. With Commissioner Sean Pond also stepping down to seek higher office, the three-member board faces significant turnover heading into the fall. **Water & Fire Updates** The Colorado River near Palisade briefly dipped to 42.9 cfs on Aug. 6—its lowest flow in at least a decade—prompting Grand Valley farmers to voluntarily cut water use by up to 25%. Meanwhile, the Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre, and Gunnison National Forests dropped from Stage 2 to Stage 1 fire restrictions, though Mesa County and the BLM Grand Junction Field Office remain at Stage 2.