3383
City
of
GunnisonCity
CouncilMeetingMinutes
Workand
RegularSession-Tuesday,August25,
2026
City
Hall,CouncilChambers,201W.Virginia
Avenue,Gunnison,
CO
I.
PresidingOfficerCallsWorkSessionto
Order
(recordingbeginsat
0:23).The
Gunnison
City
CouncilWorkSessionmeetingwascalledtoorderonTuesday,August25;2026,at5:30p.m.
by
MayorPlatainCouncilChambers,locatedat201W.VirginiaAvenueinGunnison,Colorado.
Remote
access
wasavailableviaZoom.CouncilorAhonenattendedthemeetingonline.
II.Announcements
(recording
beginsat0:38).
Councilprovided
announcementsaboutmeetings
andeventstheyattended.Staff
gaveupdates.
III.
WesternColorado
UniversityLiaisonAnnouncements
(recordingbeginsat11:19).
None.
IV.PublicInput
(recordingbeginsat11:32).
One
GunnisonresidentaddressedCouncilaboutparkingenforcement.
V.Consent
Agenda(recordingsbeginsat13:34).
None.
VI.
Proclamations,Recognitions,andAppointments(recordingbeginsat13:36).
None.
VII.New
Business
VII.A.Public
HearingRegardingEligibilityforAnnexationofCertain
Land
Described
in
thePetitionforAnnexation
Filed
by
RichardBrianMcCarroll
andBobbetteKaySylvester
(recordingbeginsat13:38).Forbackground,TheCityconductsannexationsunderthe
frameworkof
the
Colorado
MunicipalAnnexationAct
(C.R.S.3
1-12-101et
seq.),which
establishesa
multi-stepstatutoryprocedure.AttheJuly
7,
2026,RegularSession,
Council
adoptedResolutionNo.7,Series2026,whichsetthedateofAugust25,2026,asthe
public
hearingfor
a
receivedannexationpetition.
MayorPlataopenedthepublichearing.CommunityDevelopmentDirectorSinkewich
gavethe
staffreportwhichincludedahigh-leveloverviewoftheannexationreviewcriteria
andhowsix
criteria
requirementsweremet.
Thearea
proposedforannexationmeetstherequirementofhavingatleastone-sixth
ofits
perimetercontiguouswiththeexistingCityofGunnisonboundary.Thepropertyis
capableof
beingintegratedintothe
City,
as
describedin
the
annexation
impactreport.Thepetitionhas
beensignedby
100%
of
propertyowners.Thereareno
competingannexationproceedingsfrom
anyother
municipality,andtheannexationdoesnotaffectschooldistrict
boundariesnorextend
city
limitsbeyondthreemilesinanydirectionwithinayear.
DirectorSinkewichstatedthatmunicipalserviceobligationsoutlinedinthepre-annexation
agreementhave
been
met.Citysewer
service
hasbeenextendedtothesouthendoftheproperty
viathe8thStreet
right-of-way.
City
electric
serviceisalreadypresentatanexistingmeter.
Water
service
isavailablefrom
DenverAvenue,though
connectionisnoteconomicallyfeasible
atthis
timeandisnotrequired.Henotedcitystandardsrequiringpropertiesserved
by
individual
wells
tobeat
leasttwoacresinsize.
DirectorSinkewichcontinuedthatroadwayaccessforthesubdivisionis
providedthrougha
privatedriveconnecting
to8thStreet.
Whilethis
accessdoesnotconformtoCitystandards,it
mayremainin
place
so
long
as
emergency
and
fire-access
requirementsaresatisfiedduring
building-permit
review.Existing
usesandstructuresatthetimeofannexationwillbeconsidered
approvednonconformingunderthepre-annexationagreement.
Allapplicablespecialdistrictshavebeenproperlynotified.
Costsassociated
with
future
municipal-serviceconnections
will
be
theresponsibility
ofthepropertyownerandaddressed
duringbuilding-permitissuance.
Itwasconcludedthattheproposedzoningdesignation—single-householdresidential—is
3384
consistentwiththeGunnisonAreaPlan,theCity’sLand
DevelopmentCode,andthezoningof
adjacentproperties.
TheapplicantandlandownerRichardMcCarrollcamebeforeCouncilandmade
himself
available
toansweranyquestions.Fortherecord,
CouncilorAhonenaskedifthelandowner’s
intention
isstilltoputthreesingle-familyhomes
ontheproperty.Theapplicantconfirmedthat
wasstill
thecase.
MayorPlataaskedforpubliccommentsfromanyoneinCouncilChambersor
online.
There
werenone.
MayorPlataaskedCounciliftheyhadanyadditional
questions.Theydidnot.MayorPlata
closedthepubliccommentportionofthepublichearing.
Fortherecord,CouncilorAhonenandCommunity
DevelopmentDirectorSinkewichemphasized
thattheexistingunimproved70-footright-of-waycouldinthefuturebeusedas
anactualright-
of-way
topromote
connectivity
to
other
sides
oftheparcel.Itwouldbeincumbent
upontheCity
tomakeanycapitalimprovementstothe
right-of-way
ifthe
Citydecided
to
do
so
inthefuturefor
anysort
ofcircumstance.Therewerenoadditionalstatementsorquestions
fromCouncil.
CouncilorSchwartzmovedandMayorProTem
Ballesterossecondedthemotiontoapprovethe
requestwith
preliminary
findingsof
factanddirectstafftopresent
finalfindingsoffactina
resolutionaswellasanassociatedordinance,
annexationmapandagreementfor
futureaction
by
citycouncil.
Rollcall;yes:Zahradka,
Schwartz,Plata,Ballesteros,andAhonen.So
carried.
Rollcall,no:
None.
VII.B.
2025AuditReport,FinancialStatements
(recordingbeginsat27:54).
Forbackground,
McMahanand
Associates,
a
third-partyprofessional
financialauditfirmwillpresentthe
2025
financialstatementsandauditreport.
PaulBackes,
a
partner
withMcMahanandAssociates,
presentedthe
2025AuditReportandFinancial
Statements.HestatedthattheCity
ofGunnison
receivedanothercleanaudit.Hecommendedthe
FinanceDepartment,its
staff,andthe
organization
as
awholeforitsconsistent
accuracyallmattersrelatedto
theCity’sfinancesand
assets.
CouncilorZahradka
moved
and
CouncilorSchwartz
secondedthemotiontoaccept
theCityof
Gunnison’s2025Audited
FinancialStatementsas
presentedonAugust
25,2026.
Rollcall,
yes:Schwartz,Plata,Ballesteros,
Ahonen,andZahradka.So
carried.
Roll,call,no:
None.
VII.
C.
Region10,Draft
ComprehensiveEconomic
DevelopmentStrategy(CEDS)
(recordingbeginsat44:08).
Forbackground,the
CityofGunnisonisa
memberofRegion10,a
regionalnon-profitservingwesternColorado
since1972.Every
fiveyears,Region10
prepares
a
CEDSdocument.
Theencloseddraftisnow
availableforpubliccomment
throughSeptember20,
2026.City
ManagerWilsongavea
high-leveloverviewofthe
DraftComprehensive
Economic
DevelopmentStrategy(CEDS)
highlightingthe
fewnewadditionsto
thereports,the
fiveidentified
prioritiesand
a
callforpublic
commentsfromCouncil
andtheinterested
public.Commentsare
due
September20,2026.A
briefdiscussionensued.No
actiontaken.
VIII.
OldBusiness
VIII.A.
ResolutionNo.10,Series
2026:A
Resolution
of
theCity
Council
of
theCityof
Gunnison,Colorado,
Renumbering
ResolutionNo.9,
Series2026
EstablishingRulesof
Procedureforthe
ProperConduct
ofAppointedBoardsand
Commissionsto
ResolutionNo.10,
Series
2026(recording
beginsat1:00:50).
Forbackground,
Resolution
No.10,
Series2026,
corrects
thenumbering
errorfortheresolution
thatwas
presentedand
adoptedatthe
August11,
2026,Regular
SessionasResolution
No.9,
Series2026.No
discussed
occurred.
Councilor
Schwartzintroduced
Resolution
No.10,
Series2026
andreadit
aloud
by
titleonly.
Councilor
Schwartzmoved
andMayor
ProTem
Ballesteros
seconded
themotionto
adoptto
ResolutionNo.10,
Series2026.
Rollcall,
yes:Plata,
Ballesteros,
Ahonen,
Zahradka,
andSchwartz.
So
carried.
Rollcall,
no:None.
3385
IX.
Regular
Session
MeetingAdjournment.
With
no
further
business
before
Council,the
RegularSessionwas
adjournedat
6:34
p.m.
Full
video
recordings
ofCity
unnisonco.ov/Counci1Meetins
Councilmeetings
areavailableonline
at
The
officialaudio
recordingandpublicly
unnisonco.gov/CouncilDocuments
noticesmeeting
minutesareavailable
onlineat
(5:
EricaBoucher
E