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Firearms Coalition Endorses Incumbent Commissioners

March 13th, 2012, 2:05 pm by

Three challengers took their best shot but missed the target as the Pikes Peak Firearms Coalition endorsed a trio of incumbents for county commissioner. The PPFC announced its support for Dennis Hisey, Sallie Clark and Amy Lathen on its Facebook page this morning.
Bernie Herpin, treasurer for PPFC, and also a Colorado Springs city councilman, posted the info on Facebook. Here’s a sampling of the post: “The endorsement was based on their previous support for our right to keep and bear arms, their performance at the PPFC candidate forum, results from a candidate survey on firearms issues, and a straw poll of the PPFC members.
“The candidates’ survey answers are available on the PPFC website: www.ppfc.org. The PPFC PAC will be making further endorsements prior to the November general election.
“A candidate survey has been sent to all local candidates for the Colorado legislature. The candidates responses will be posted on the PPFC later this month.”
Clark is opposed in District 3 by Karen Magistrelli. Hisey is opposed in District 4 by Auddie Cox. And Lathen is opposed in District 2 by Phil McDonald.
It’s notable that the county commissioners approved a new firing range in a joint agreement with Fort Carson.
The Republican Assembly is March 24.

Posted in: city of colorado springs • El Paso County • El Paso County Commissioners • elections • Uncategorized • • • • • • • • • • • | 1 Comment »

Freethinkers object to commission’s prayerful agenda

January 14th, 2011, 4:01 pm by

El Paso County Commissioners didn’t waste any time with an agenda change, as decided by new Commission Chairwoman Amy Lathen earlier this week.

At the request of newly installed Commissioner Peggy Littleton, every meeting now opens with praying out loud. See my story for details.

Littleton’s appeal came at the Tuesday, Jan. 11 meeting, and two days later, at Thursday’s meeting, Commissioner Sallie Clark led an invocation.

To prevent what happened in previous years — that it became too difficult and time consuming to line up clergy to lead prayer before meetings — commissioners, county staff, community leaders and regular old folks can now give the invocation, Lathen decided, based on Littleton’s suggestion.

Prayer before elected bodies convene is legal, according to a 1980s U.S. Supreme Court ruling, and many groups now pray together or have a moment of silence before they meet.

But not everyone likes the idea. The Freedom From Religion Foundation filed a formal letter of complaint on Jan. 13, on behalf of an El Paso County resident.

In the organization’s letter to the commission, Co-President Dan Barker said that government prayer is “unnecessary, inappropriate and divisive.”

“Calling upon commissioners and citizens to rise and pray (even silently) is coercive, embarrassing and beyond the scope of secular county government,” he said. “Commissioners are free to pray  privately or to worship on their own time, in their own way. They do not need to worship on taxpayers’ time.”

The Freedom From Religion Foundation, based in Madison, Wis., is a national association of  freethinkers, otherwise known as atheists and agnostics.

All five commissioners said they supported increasing the frequency of public prayer before meetings. The commission has been incorporating invocations since 2006, but in recent years, it’s occurred only once a month.

Posted in: El Paso County Commissioners • Prayer • Uncategorized • • • • • • | 18 Comments »

Public can weigh in on regional transportation goals

January 14th, 2011, 8:45 am by

A regional transportation plan update is underway, and the public is invited to help prioritize projects.

Pikes Peak Area Council of Governments will host a “regional transportation goals” workshop from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Jan. 20 at the organization’s office. Parking and entrance are at 14 S. Chestnut St., in Colorado Springs.

PPACG is required by federal law to update its regional transportation plan every four years. The  process will outline policies and prioritize such elements as intersection improvements, bridge repairs, sidewalks and bike trails.

Strong public participation is vital to developing the plan because it covers the next 25 years, said El Paso County Commission Vice Chair Sallie Clark, who also chairs the PPACG board.

Clark was elected chair of the PPACG, a voluntary association of 16 municipal and county governments, at this month’s meeting. Other new officers: El Paso County Commissioner Dennis Hisey as first vice-chair, Colorado Springs City Councilman Scott Hente as second vice-chair, Teller County Commissioner Jim Ignatius as treasurer and Green Mountain Falls Mayor Tyler Stevens as secretary.

Posted in: Pikes Peak Area Council of Governments • Transportation • Uncategorized • • • | 1 Comment »

New county leaders take over

January 11th, 2011, 5:09 pm by

Seven elected county officials, five 4th Judicial District Court judges and six El Paso County Court judges, were sworn in Tuesday. Jan. 11, during an oath-of-office ceremony at the Pioneers Museum.

Commissioner Darryl Glenn

Among those taking office are two new commissioners: Darryl Glenn and Peggy Littleton.

Peggy Littleton

At the county commission meeting immediately following the ceremony, Commissioner Dennis Hisey stepped down as chairman of the board. Commissioner Amy Lathen took the gavel and became Commission Chair.

Commissioner Sallie Clark is the new Commission Vice Chair. And Hisey will be the third chair and will run the meetings if Lathen and Clark cannot.

Commissioners also established liaison responsiblities for county departments, offices and agencies, and other commitments.

The list is available at this link.

Posted in: El Paso County Commissioners • • • • • • | Post a Comment »

Westside MMJ survey results

December 22nd, 2010, 1:37 pm by

The majority of respondents to an Organization of Westside Neighbors survey about medical marijuana believe that there is a need for the alternative drug but also that the city has an obligation to regulate the industry. Respondents favor liquor store-type laws.

OWN mailed the survey to 7,900 homes on Colorado Springs’ west side and received 171 responses by Nov. 30.

Results:

– 72 percent believe there is a need for medical marijuana

– 74 percent believe separate distances from other medical marijuana facilities, at a minimum, be equal to that of liquor store criteria

– 81 percent believe the city should notify parents of minors receiving medical marijuana

– 83 percent believe the city has an obligation and duty to properly regulate and enforce city ordinances with regard to commercial operations in mixed-use neighborhoods

– 33 percent believe current city ordinaces adequately address medical marijuana businesses and density

– 72 percent believe the city should adopt an ordinance that mirrors the El Paso County land-use regulations

– 83 percent believe standoff distrances from homes, schools and churches be at a minimum equal to that of liquor store criteria

–37 percent believe the city shoudl place a ballot issue for banning medical marijuana facilities within city limits oon the ballot for voter approval, as EL Paso County did on the Nov. 2 ballot

– 33 percent believe the city should ban medical marijuana businesses in city limits

On Dec. 15, City Council rejected stringent zoning regulations for medical marijuana, instead agreeing to a 400-foot buffer between centers and grade schools, residential child care facilities and drug and alcohol rehab centers.

Businesses are banned from residential zones, but can be allowed in industrial and office complex zones.

El Paso County still has temporary land use regulations in place for its existing medical marijuana facilities, which also restrict zoning and proximities  to certain facilities.

Posted in: medical marijuana • • • • • | Post a Comment »