On Tuesday, the Cortez City Council plans to vote on a grant application for the Police Department, potential rules for public comment and more.
Cortez Police Chief Roy Lane is requesting the council’s support for a Department of Local Affairs grant application that would help pay for new equipment.
The council will vote on that request, as well as a resolution setting a time limit on public comment periods that was tabled at the July 10 council meeting.
Tuesday’s meeting will begin at 7:30 p.m. in City Hall, after a 5:30 p.m. workshop that is also open to the public.
In a memo to the council, Lane said the police department’s communication equipment, which is used to operate emergency dispatch for the entire county, is nearing the end of its life.
The equipment was installed in 1996, and Lane said the department is having difficulty finding replacement parts for it.
If approved, its grant application would seek $750,000 from the state to help pay for an upgrade.
A another communications-related issue, the council will vote on a memorandum of understanding under which the state of Colorado radio equipment located in the old Montezuma County Justice Building would be moved to the Cortez Police Department tower.
The agreement stipulates that the state would pay for the equipment’s move.
Another item on the agenda is a resolution regulating public comment during council meetings.
One version of the resolution, which council members have been discussing for months, was tabled July 10 because its wording failed to address opportunities for comment during public hearings.
On Tuesday, the council will vote on a new version, which clarifies that “no time limit will be set during public hearings for the proponent’s presentation.”
If approved, the resolution would establish a four-minute time limit for all other types of public comment during meetings, and allow speakers to address the City Council twice per agenda item.
The meeting on Tuesday also will include a public hearing, in which the council will vote on the final reading of an ordinance setting Municipal Judge Jim Shaner’s salary at about $18,000 per year.
Also during Tuesday’s workshop and meeting, the council will:
Discuss emergency training for the police department.Hear an update on the Public Arts Advisory Committee. Review draft public survey questions for the fiber project.Vote on a letter of support for a statewide “single filing portal” that would allow businesses with multiple locations to file taxes from one website.Set a public hearing date to vote on a new liquor license for Jimmers, a restaurant on 439 E. Main St.Vote on a contract for municipal judge services.Vote on whether to appoint Rachel Medina to the Board of Adjustments and Appeals.Hold a public comment period.
