Montrose, CO — City Councilors met for a work session on Tuesday morning, February 17, to meet new city employees and review several contract awards and proposals for city projects.
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.
INTRODUCTION OF NEW CITY EMPLOYEES
Justin Rockey - Part-Time Animal Shelter Technician
Johnna Richardson - Police Records Technician
Raquel Lovato - Police Records Technician
Shelby Freudenthal - Part-Time Customer Service Representative
Steven Stollsteimer- Streets Division Worker
PLANNING COMMISSION APPLICANT INTERVIEW
City Councilors interviewed Beth McCorkle for a vacant position on the city's Planning Commission. The council would need to vote at a future regular meeting to formally appoint McCorkle.
MOVING MONTROSE FORWARD SURFACE TREATMENT CONTRACT AWARD
City Councilors were presented with a construction 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.
This work is currently under design and will be awarded under a separate contract to come before the City Council in approximately six weeks.
2026 STREETS CRACK SEAL MATERIAL PURCHASE RECOMMENDATION
City Councilors were presented with a purchase recommendation for crack seal material from DISSCO (Denver Industrial Sales & Service Company) for the city’s streets crew in the amount of $80,000.
Streets Superintendent Nik Pridy said 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 is requesting the authorization of a sole-source waiver for purchasing this material. The pricing provided is comparable to that of other crack seal materials and to what the city has purchased in years past.
2026 VEHICLE AND EQUIPMENT DISPOSAL LIST
City Councilors were presented with the annual disposal list of city-owned vehicles and equipment to be replaced in 2026.
Public Works Director Jim Scheid said throughout the year, city departments replace equipment and vehicles that are scheduled for replacement in the annaul budget. The replaced items are disposed of in various ways. Most items are auctioned through Govdeals.com, and, on occasion, select items are sold at the local Jim’s Auction, donated, or sold to surrounding communities.
As items are sold, the amounts collected from resale are included in the city’s Fleet Fund and are applied toward the next replacement of that vehicle. All items are disposed of in accordance with Section 1-16-5 of the Municipal Code.
2026 COMMERCIAL TRASH RECEPTACLE PURCHASE RECOMMENDATION
City Councilors were presented with a proposal to purchase 150 300-gallon trash containers with extra lids and hardware in the amount of $72,460.00.
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 currently replacing much of the old 350-gallon inventory stock with the new 300-gallon inventory stock and adding extra container lids to its inventory to replace damaged cans as needed.
FOURTH OF JULY FIREWORKS DISPLAY PURCHASE
City Councilors were presented with a proposed contract with Zambelli Fireworks for the 2026 and 2027 Fourth of July fireworks show, 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 inflation 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 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. The 2027 display is anticipated to be comparable to 2026, with a 5% increase applied to the $60,000 base cost, plus the $3,000 inflation fee.
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.
MATTEO’S ADDITION ANNEXATION
City Councilors were presented with an application for the annexation of Matteo’s Addition into the City of Montrose.
Senior City Planner William Reis said Matteo’s Addition is a proposed annexation of approximately 1.23 acres. It consists of Lot 1 of the Major Intrafamily Subdivision, also addressed as 67125 N Road. It is within the City’s Urban Growth Boundary and City of Montrose Sewer Service and Water Service Areas.
PROPOSED ORDINANCE CHANGES DUE TO COLORADO SUPREME COURT DECISION IN: PEOPLE OF CITY OF WESTMINISTER v. CAMP
City Councilors were presented with a proposed ordinance 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 with 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 are 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.
UPDATE TO TITLE 7 OF THE MONTROSE MUNICIPAL CODE (FIRE PREVENTION AND SAFETY REGARDING COLORADO WILDFIRE RESILIENCY CODE)
City Councilors were presented with a proposed plan and a draft ordinance to update Title 7 of the Montrose Municipal Code (Fire Prevention and Safety), specific to the Colorado Wildfire Resiliency Code)
Assistant City Attorney Matt Magliaro said in response to the growing frequency, intensity, and devastation of wildfires since the early 2000s, the Colorado Legislature enacted Senate Bill 23-166. 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 the Municipal Code.
YEAR-END POLICE DEPARTMENT STATISTICS
Deputy City Police Chief Tim Cox delivered the 2025 year-end Police Department statistics.
No homicides occurred in 2024 and 2025. Overall, in 2025, thefts, assaults, and domestic violence were down. Burglaries and commercial burglaries were up. Traffic stops and traffic contacts increased significantly in 2025.
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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 live and on-demand through the city’s Public Meetings Portal.