Montrose, CO — City Councilors met for their regular meeting on Tuesday, March 3, to approve multiple contracts for city infrastructure work, fireworks for the summer July 4 celebration, and several city ordinances.
Mayor Dave Frank and councilors Judy Ann Files, Doug Glaspell, J. David Reed, and Ed Ulibarri met in the City Council Chambers at the Elks Civic Building, along with city staff.
The following is a summary of the primary topics discussed during the meeting.
Watch the meeting video on the city's YouTube channel
OATH OF OFFICE FOR ASSISTANT CITY ATTORNEY GREG STUNDER
City Attorney Greg Stunder was officially sworn in as Assistant City Attorney by City Clerk Lisa DelPiccolo.
PUBLIC COMMENT
One resident spoke about his desire for the City of Montrose to formally declare itself a non-sanctuary city.
CONSENT AGENDA
City Councilors voted unanimously to approve the minutes of the February 17 special City Council meeting and the February 17 regular City Council meeting.
By approving the consent agenda, the council approved the appointment of Beth McCorkle as an alternate member of the City of Montrose Planning Commission for a term that expires December 31, 2026, and the disposal list of city-owned vehicles and equipment to be replaced in 2026.
The city’s archive of past meeting minutes can be found on the Public Meetings Portal (CityofMontrose.org/Portal) and at CityofMontrose.org/ArchiveCenter.
ORDINANCE 2706 - FIRST READING
City Councilors voted unanimously to approve Ordinance 2706, on first reading, updating Title 11 of the Montrose Municipal Code (Land Development Regulations) specific to Unhoused Shelter Uses.
Community Development Director Jace Hochwalt said the City of Montrose Municipal Code currently does not include a defined land use category or regulatory framework for unhoused shelters. As a result, there is limited clarity regarding where such facilities may be located or how they should be reviewed and approved. The purpose of this item is to amend Title 11, Land Development Regulations, to formally incorporate unhoused shelters into the Municipal Code by establishing a clear definition, identifying appropriate zoning districts, and outlining specific standards and procedural requirements. These amendments are intended to provide a consistent, transparent, and enforceable approach for evaluating unhoused shelter proposals while ensuring alignment with the city’s zoning intent and community objectives.
Background/Proposal
To incorporate a new land use into Title 11 of the Montrose Municipal Code, several coordinated steps are required to ensure the regulations are comprehensive and internally consistent. Staff has identified the following four-step process to achieve this:
Add a definition for “Unhoused Shelter, Overnight” to Chapter 11-15 - Definitions.
Establish use-specific and permitting criteria for an Unhoused Shelter within Chapter 11-11, Supplementary Uses.
Incorporate “Unhoused Shelter, Overnight” to Section 11-7-6 - Use Table to clearly identify the zoning district(s) where the use is permitted.
Add “Unhoused Shelter Permit” to Section 11-4-2 - Table 4.1 to reflect the applicable review and approval process for the use.
Conclusion
The proposed amendments to Title 11 of the Montrose Municipal Code establish a clear, comprehensive, and enforceable framework for the consideration of unhoused shelters within the city. Defining the use, establishing use-specific standards, identifying appropriate zoning districts, and outlining a transparent review and approval process provide clarity for applicants, decision-makers, and the community. Incorporating unhoused shelters into the Municipal Code ensures that such facilities are reviewed in a consistent and intentional manner, aligns the code with community needs and best practices, and supports the city’s ability to address homelessness while maintaining compatibility with surrounding uses and the overall intent of the Land Development Regulations.
ORDINANCE 2707 - FIRST READING
City Councilors voted unanimously to approve Ordinance 2707, on first reading, updating Title 7 of the Montrose Municipal Code (Fire Prevention and Safety), specific to the Colorado Wildfire Resiliency Code.
Community Development Director Jace Hochwalt said the Colorado Legislature enacted Senate Bill 23-166 in response to the growing frequency, intensity, and devastation of wildfires since the early 2000s. This bill mandates all Jurisdictions Having Authority (JHA) to adopt and enforce the Colorado Wildfire Resiliency Code, which includes fire hazard maps and specific guidelines for structural hardening and defensible space.
The Colorado Wildfire Resiliency Code provides a comprehensive framework to mitigate wildfire risks, especially in the wildland-urban interface (WUI), where urban development meets wildfire-prone forests and grasslands. The code aims to reduce property loss, improve public safety, and lessen the overall impact of wildfires on communities. It also seeks to promote a culture of preparedness and resiliency among residents, local governments, and first responders.
The state requires all jurisdictions to adopt the code by April 1, 2026, with enforcement starting by July 1, 2026, for properties classified as wildfire risk areas. The Colorado Wildfire Resiliency Code is based on chapters 1, 2, 3, and 5 from the 2024 International Wildland-Urban Interface Code (IWUIC) published by the International Code Council (ICC). Currently, the City of Montrose follows the 2018 ICC codes, with specific amendments, under Title 4 of its Municipal Code.
FOURTH OF JULY FIREWORKS DISPLAY PURCHASE
City Councilors voted unanimously to approve a contract with Zambelli Fireworks for the 2026 and 2027 Fourth of July fireworks shows, along with a payment authorization of $63,000 for the 2026 display. The amount is in line with the 2025 cost of $60,000, plus a $3,000 inflationary adjustment. The vendor does not require advance payment for the 2027 display, and pricing is expected to remain comparable to 2026.
Pavilion and Community Events Manager Kathryn Riley said professional fireworks services are highly specialized, with few vendors able to meet municipal safety, insurance, and budget requirements, especially during the Fourth of July. Over the past few years, events staff have conducted outreach to identify alternative providers; however, availability is extremely limited, and proposals received have exceeded budget estimates.
The city contracted Zambelli Fireworks for the first time last year and found the company to be professional, responsive, and reliable throughout planning and execution. Additionally, community feedback on their display was overwhelmingly positive.
Zambelli Fireworks is a nationally recognized, fully licensed and insured provider capable of delivering compliant, high-quality displays within the city’s budget. The projected 2026 cost remains under the approved fireworks budget of $75,000.
Designating Zambelli as the sole source for 2026 and 2027 secures event dates in advance and supports timely coordination with public safety and permitting agencies.
2026 COMMERCIAL TRASH RECEPTACLE PURCHASE
City Councilors voted unanimously to approve the purchase of 150 300-gallon trash containers with extra lids and hardware in the amount of $72,460.
Public Works Director Jim Scheid said the City of Montrose currently keeps an inventory of 300-gallon trash cans on hand for non-residential solid waste customers, which is currently down to the last 20 containers. The city is replacing much of the old 350-gallon inventory stock with the new 300-gallon containers and adding extra lids to replace damaged cans as needed.
2026 STREETS CRACK SEAL MATERIAL PURCHASE
City Councilors voted unanimously to approve the purchase of crack seal material from DISSCO (Denver Industrial Sales & Service Company) for the city’s streets crew in the amount of $80,000.
The City of Montrose Streets Division is preparing for the upcoming crack seal season, which will be self-performed. This includes 31.3 lane miles of streets that will be crack-sealed in maintenance Zone G of the city’s Street Maintenance Plan. The material to be utilized and purchased is specific to our area and local climate. The city has had great results with this specialized Low Tack, Type 1, material from DISSCO for the past several years. For performance, compatibility, and warranty with existing equipment, staff requested the authorization of a sole-source waiver for purchase of this material. The pricing provided is comparable to that of other crack seal materials and to what the city has purchased in years past.
MONTROSE MONTROSE FORWARD 2026 SURFACE TREATMENT CONTRACT AWARD
City Councilors voted unanimously to approve a contract to A-1 Chipseal Co. in the amount of $2,134,909.44 for completion of the Moving Montrose Forward 2026 Surface Treatment Project.
City Engineer Scott Murphy said the City of Montrose developed the Moving Montrose Forward (MoveMo) initiative in 2018 to place a renewed focus on street maintenance, reducing traffic congestion, and improving pedestrian and vehicular mobility throughout the community. As part of this effort, each year the city hires contractors to perform some of the larger-scale and specialized street maintenance construction activities. This contracted street maintenance work is in addition to routine maintenance activities performed by the city’s Streets Division of Public Works.
The city’s Street Maintenance and Capital Plan is available on the city’s MoveMo webpage at www.MoveMo.co. The plan identifies how available funds should generally be allocated among the various types of maintenance activities (e.g., surface treatments, mill and overlays, rebuilds of failed roadways, etc). Allocation of these funds is geared towards the creation of a comprehensive street maintenance program that strikes a balance between maintaining the better-condition roadways (keeping the “good roads good” and at a lower cost) and eventually restoring those that have experienced failure and are more costly to repair. It should be noted that asset management software and modeling are used to help prioritize appropriate maintenance treatments for the city’s roadways and to best utilize limited resources.
The city budgeted $5 million for this year’s MoveMo initiative. Approximately 40% of this street maintenance work is focused on surface treatments consisting of slurry and cape seals. Slurry seals are a combination of a fine aggregate and an asphaltic binder that works to smooth out surface irregularities and to protect the roadway from water intrusion and UV degradation. Slurry seals are used in lieu of chip seals within residential neighborhoods, given the public’s general dislike of chip seals and a chip seal’s lower effectiveness in areas without high traffic volumes to press in the chips. Cape seals are used on higher-volume roadways or those with heavier degradation and include a chip seal first, followed by a slurry seal several weeks later.
ORDINANCE 2703 - SECOND READING
City Councilors unanimously approved Ordinance 2703, on second reading, amending Title 1, Chapter 14, Section 2 (1-14-2), regarding rules of procedure to have the Montrose Municipal Court become a court of record.
Assistant City Attorney Matt Magliaro said the amendment would add a new subsection to the rules of procedure of the Montrose Municipal Court to establish the court as one of record. The amendments are intended to improve the practice of law before the Montrose Municipal Court. This is proposed to the City Council in anticipation of action by the Colorado General Assembly to severely curtail the sentencing authority of municipal courts not of record.
At a recorded work session on January 5, 2026, the Montrose City Council held a general discussion with Montrose Municipal Court Judge Thomas LeClaire about the city’s court becoming a qualified court of record.
There are two conditions required within the ordinance for a municipal court to become a court of record under Colorado law: (1) an affirmative requirement to keep a verbatim record of proceedings for bench and jury trials, and (2) a requirement that judges have and maintain state licensure in the practice of law as a qualification of office. The Montrose Municipal Court has long required the municipal judge and assistant judge to have a license to practice law within the State of Colorado. All judges serving currently and in the recent past have met that requirement of Chapter VII, § 1. The official code of the City of Montrose does not currently contain any provision that the court keep a verbatim record of proceedings and evidence at trials. The proposal, if approved, would change the city’s Municipal Code to add that requirement.
Magliaro further clarified that the City of Montrose Municipal Court, even as a court of non-record, has a long-standing practice of maintaining written records of court proceedings. Further, the City of Montrose has an established practice of providing indigent representation and has five attorneys from the community that it has hired to provide such representation if a defendant chooses to engage their services. Records regarding indigent representation are maintained by the court, even while it has operated as a court of non-record.
ORDINANCE 2704 - SECOND READING
City Councilors voted unanimously, with one abstention, to approve Ordinance 2704, on second reading, designating the Montrose Post Office, 25-27 North Cascade Avenue, as a City of Montrose Historic Property.
Senior City Planner William Reis said on January 27, 2026, the City of Montrose Historic Preservation Commission considered an application for historic property designation of the property, according to Section 11-3 of the Montrose Municipal Code. He clarified that the post office being designated was the predecessor to the current facility at a different location. The commission unanimously recommended the building’s approval as a historic property.
Staff Analysis:
In reviewing the application, city staff submitted, and the commission concurred with, the following findings:
The structure meets the eligibility criteria per Montrose Municipal Code 11-3-3 (B) as follows:
The building is over fifty years old.
The building is significant for its association with the early development of governmental services in Montrose. The building was completed in 1890 and was the site of an early Montrose post office, a function it continued to serve until the completion of the present post office in 1932.
The structure meets the integrity criteria per Montrose Municipal Code 11-3-3 (C).
ORDINANCE 2705 - FIRST READING
City Councilors voted unanimously to approve Ordinance 2705, on first reading, to amend Municipal Court sentencing provisions in response to a recent court decision and legislation.
Assistant City Attorney Matt Magliaro said the proposed ordinance amends multiple titles of the Official Code of the City of Montrose, Colorado, to conform to updates to the law governing municipal court practices.
Two versions of the proposed ordinance were prepared for the City Council’s work session discussion with staff. Version A of the proposed ordinance would amend Titles 1 and 10 governing the sentencing provisions for ordinance violations within the Official Code of the City of Montrose and the adopted 2020 State of Colorado Model Traffic Code, respectively. Version B of the proposed ordinance additionally amends Title 6, Miscellaneous Offenses, to substantively modify the elements of three separate ordinances: (1) Petty Theft, in violation of MC § 6-1-7; (2) Shoplifting, in violation of MC § 6-1-8; and (3) Destruction of Property, in violation of MC § 6-1-9. Those three municipal ordinances would be repealed and replaced in full with the intent to more closely mirror their respective state statutory analogues. The impetus for these proposals and discussion is two-fold: (1) the Colorado Supreme Court’s decision on December 22, 2025, in People of City of Westminster v. Camp, 581 P.3d 763, 2025 CO 64 (Colo. 2025), and the passage by the Colorado General Assembly of Senate Bill 2025-0062. Version B was forwarded for consideration by the City Council in Ordinance 2705.
BROWN RANCH SUBDIVISION AMENDED PRELIMINARY PLAT
City Councilors voted unanimously, with one abstention, to approve the preliminary plat of the Brown Ranch Subdivision.
City Planner William Reis said the Brown Ranch Subdivision is located in southeastern Montrose and is partially developed. The amended preliminary plat consists of 120 residential lots on Outlot C of the Brown Ranch Subdivision Filing No. 9. This action renews previous preliminary plats of the Brown Ranch Subdivision. The property is zoned “R-2” Low Density District and “B-4” Neighborhood Shopping District, and all of the lots are within the “R-2” zoned portion of the property.
The Planning Commission approved the Brown Ranch Subdivision Amended Preliminary Plat 5 during its February 11, 2026, meeting. A Final Plat will also be required within five years of approval of this Preliminary Plat (City of Montrose Municipal Code, Section 11-4-8(A)(3)).
STAFF REPORTS
Police Chief Blaine Hall said the department is hosting its 2026 Citizens Police Academy on Saturday, April 18, 2026, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
To apply: https://forms.gle/uQG8gNdqKWkPd9GN9
•••
All City Council meetings are recorded and made available online via the city’s website and cable channels 191 for Charter subscribers and 970 for Elevate subscribers. Replays of council meetings are also broadcast at 6 p.m. on the same channels on days that the council is not in session.
In addition, each regular meeting is archived on the City of Montrose’s YouTube channel.
Residents can watch all regular City Council meetings and work sessions on-demand through the city’s Public Meetings Portal.