3394
City
ofGunnison
CityCouncil
Meeting
Minutes
Regular
Session
-Tuesday,
October
27,2026
at5:30pm
City
Hall,
Council
Chambers,
201W.
Virginia
Avenue
Gunnison,
CO
I.Presiding
Officer
CallsRegular
Session
toOrder(recording
begins
at0:07).
The
Gunnison
City
Council
Regular
Session
meeting
was
calledto
order
on
Tuesday,
October
27,2026,
at5:30
p.m.by
Mayor
Platain
Council
Chambers,
located
at
201
W.
Virginia
Avenue
inGunnison,
Colorado.
Remote
access
wasavailable
viaZoom.
II.
Announcements
(recording
beginsat
0:29).
Councilprovided
announcements
aboutmeetings
and
events.
Staff
gaveupdates.
III.Western
Colorado
University
Liaison
Announcements
(recording
begins
at
6:14).None.
IV.
PublicInput
(recording
begins
at6:50).
Two
residents
provided
input.
V.Consent
Agenda
(recording
begins
at
11:15).
None.
VI.Proclamations,
Recognitions,
and
Appointments
VI.
A.
Proclamation,
ArborDay
(recording
begins
at
11:19).For
background,
the
City
of
Gunnison
has
been
anArbor
Day
Foundation
Tree
CityU.S.A.
community
forthepast
37years.
Tomaintain
this
designation,
a
publicArbor
Day
Observance
and
proclamation
are
required.
Councilor
Schwartz
moved
andCouncilor
Ahonen
seconded
themotion
toapprove
aproclamation
recognizing
November
5,2026,
as“Arbor
Day.”
Rollcall,
yes:
Zahradka,
Schwartz,
Plata,
Ballesteros,
andAhonen,
and.Socarried.
Roll
call,no:
None.
MayorPlata
readthe
proclamation
aloudin
full.
VII.Old
Business
VII.
A.
Intergovernmental
Agreement
(IGA)with
Gunnison
County,
Subgrantee
Awardfor
FederalSafe
Streets
forAll
Grant(recording
beginsat14:21).
For
background,
anopportunity
exists
to
receive
federal
funds
formultimodal
safety
improvements
along
Hwy135
andatthe
intersection
of
Tomichi
Ave.
AndMain
Street.
Thefunding
opportunity
requires
theCityto
execute
anIGAwith
Gunnison
County
as
asubgrantee
recipient.
Mayor
Pro
TernBallesteros
moved
andCouncilor
Zahradka
seconded
the
motion
to
accept
the
Safe
for
Streetsfor
All
Grantand
authorize
the
Mayor
to
sign
the
Intergovernmental
Agreement
with
Gunnison
County,
as
presented
andsubject
to
appropriations.
Rollcall,
yes:
Schwartz,
Plata,
Ballesteros,
Ahonen,
and
Zahradka.
So
carried.
Roll
call,
no:
None.
VII.
B.
Ordinance
No.
6,
Series
2026:
An
Ordinance
of
theCity
Council
of
the
CityofGunnison,
Colorado,
Amending
Gunnison
Municzal
Code
Title15,
LandDevelopment
Code,
Chapter
15.90
Existing
Nonconformities
(recording
begins
at30:16).
Forbackground,
theLDCcurrently
limits
changesto
existing,non-conforming
landuses.
Consistent
withthe
presentation
to
CityCouncil,
modifications
to
theLDC
are
proposed
toexpand
flexibility.
Councilor
Schwartz
introduced
Ordinance
No.6,Series
2026and
readitaloud
by
titleonly.
Councilor
Schwartz
movedand
Mayor
ProTern
Ballesteros
seconded
themotion
toadopt
Ordinance
No.
6,
Series2026,
onSecond
Reading.
Rollcall,
yes:
Plata,Ballesteros,
Ahonen,
Zahradka,
and
Schwartz.
So
carried.
Rollcall,no:
None.
VIII.
New
Business
VIII.A.
Gunnison
Country
Chamber
ofCommerce
Annual
Report(recording
begins
at
31:59).
For
background,
on
February
24,2026,
City
Council
approved
a
contract
for
servicesin
thetotal
amount
of
$82,225
with
the
Gunnison
Country
Chamber
of
Commerce
toassist
with
funding
the
operational
expenditures
of
the
Visitor’s
Center.The
contract
provides
that
adetailed
report
shallbe
presented
by
October31,
2026.
No
actiontaken,
reportonly.
VIII.
B.
UtilityCustomer
Assistance
Program
Options(recording
begins
at48:38).
For
background,
City
Council
reviewed
thedraft
financial
planforwater
andwastewater
on
September
8,
2026,
and
requested
thatstaff
return
with
information
regarding
options
forproviding
financial
assistance
tocustomers.
Noaction
taken,
discussion
only.
3395
VIII.
C.Contract
Award,
Engineering
Services,
TownDitch
Splitter
BoxImprovements
(recording
begins
at
01:32:32).
For
background,
theTown
Ditch
Splitter
BoxImprovements
project
responds
tothe
2026
Irrigation
Ditch
Master
Plan,
which
identified
thesplitter
boxas
apriority
for
enhanced
flow
measurement,
operational
control,
andlong-term
system
reliability
inanticipation
of
futureregulatory
needs.
The
firstphase
oftheproject
isdesign.
Councilor
Zahradka
moved
andCouncilor
Schwartz
seconded
the
motion
toauthorize
theCity
Manager
toexecute
the
agreement
withWright
WaterEngineers
for
Engineering
Servicesfor
theTown
Ditch
Splitter
Box
Improvements
Project
in
an
amount
nottoexceed
$57,763.
Roll
call,
yes:
Ballesteros,
Ahonen,
Zahradka,
Schwartz,
andPlata.
So
carried.
Rollcall,
no:None.
VIII.
D.Contract
Award,
Purchase,
Wastewater
Treatment
Plant,
Screw
Pump
Gearbox
Replacement
(recording
begins
at
01:43:57).
For
background,
one
of
thewastewater
treatment
plant’s
twoinfluent
screw
pumpsiscurrently
inoperable
and
requiresreplacement.
Councilor
Schwartz
moved
andMayor
Pro
Tern
Ballesteros
seconded
the
motion
toauthorize
the
City
Manager
to
sign
and
execute
thepurchase
orderwith
Lakeside
Equipment
Corporation
forthe
replacement
Lakeside
Gearboxin
anamount
notto
exceed
$62,000.
Roll
call,
yes:
Ahonen,
Zahradka,
Schwartz,
Plata,
andBallesteros.
So
carried.
Roll
call,no:
None.
VIII.E.State
Legislative
&Policy
Discussion
(recording
begins
at
01:46:56).
Forbackground,
in
advance
of
the
next
State
Legislative
Session
which
convenes
on
January
11,
2027,
general
information
regarding
municipal
advocacy
efforts
andareas
for
potential
attention
will
bepresented
asaninitial
discussion.
No
actiontaken,
discussion
only.
IX.
Regular
Session
Meeting
Adjournment
With
no
further
business
before
Council,
the
RegularSession
was
adjourned
at7:46p.m.
Mayor,Diego
Plata
Official
audio
recording,
and
publiclynoticed
meeting
agenda,
packet,
andminutes
ofCity
Council
meetings
areavailable
online
at
GunnisonCO.2ov/CouncilMeetins
Videos
alsoavailable
onYouTube,
City
of
Gunnison
Buffington
n