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City of Colorado Springs  
Meeting Minutes  
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Tuesday, July 2, 2024  
3:30 PM  
Council Chambers  
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1. Call to Order and Roll Call  
President Helms called the meeting to order at 3:30 PM.  
8 -  
Present:  
Councilmember Yolanda Avila, President Pro Tem Lynette Crow-Iverson,  
Councilmember Dave Donelson, President Randy Helms, Councilmember Nancy  
Henjum, Councilmember David Leinweber, Councilmember Brian Risley, and  
Councilmember Michelle Talarico  
1 - Councilmember Mike O'Malley  
Excused:  
2. New Business  
24-372  
2.A.  
A Resolution Issuing a Censure to Councilmember David Donelson for  
Breach of Decorum  
Presenter:  
Randy Helms, Council President and Councilmember District 2  
Attachments: Censure Resolution 7.2.2024  
Signed Resolution No. 60-24.pdf  
President Helms announced the order of the proceeding and read the  
Resolution issuing a censure to Councilmember Donelson for breach of  
decorum for disorderly conduct, including the violation of the Rules and  
Procedures, and disobeying the lawful directions of the Council President  
to cease his conduct in violation of the Rules and Procedures. He stated  
there will also be a ratification of Councilmember liaisons/membership to  
City Council appointed Boards, Commissions and Committees and  
Councilmember membership on Boards, Commissions, and Committees.  
Motion by Councilmember Donelson to allow citizens to comment for one minute  
each for a maximum of one hour. The motion failed for lack of a second.  
President Helms, Councilmember Risley, Councilmember Henjum,  
President Pro Tem Crow-Iverson, Councilmember Talarico, and  
Councilmember Leinweber read statements in support of the censure of  
Councilmember Donelson and his removal as a Councilmember  
liaison/membership to City Council appointed Boards, Commissions and  
Committees. Please see attached statements.  
Councilmember Donelson read a statement in opposition of the proposed  
censure and his removal as a Councilmember liaison/membership to City  
Council appointed Boards, Commissions and Committees. Please see  
attached statement.  
President Helms asked City Council to show grace and vote "No" to the  
censure and removal of Councilmember Donelson from Councilmember  
liaison/membership to City Council appointed Boards, Commissions and  
Committees because he would like to bring City Council back together and  
show the City a united Council without division and requested  
Councilmember Donelson to acknowledge the effect of his words which left  
a negative impact on fellow Councilmembers.  
Councilmember Donelson stated he understands his words had a big  
impact and he simply requested that three Councilmembers recuse  
themselves from a hearing as he has himself in the past and it is not a  
statement that he is accusing anyone of anything, it is simply a statement  
that to the citizens, that there may be an appearance of no impartiality on  
the vote.  
President Helms stated Councilmember Donelson’s comments did leave a  
sense of demeaning to fellow Councilmembers and he is asking that in the  
future, Council work together on issues without calling fellow  
Councilmembers out.  
Councilmember Donelson stated he is happy to work with his fellow  
Councilmember regarding Campaign Finance reform and guidelines for  
recusal.  
Councilmember Leinweber stated Councilmember Donelson stated he did  
not impugn any Councilmember, yet he identified him by name twice in  
public. He stated he campaigned hard to achieve the goals he wanted to  
achieve in the City and then took an oath to work as a team to work for the  
benefit of the City. Councilmember Leinweber stated Councilmember  
Donelson has not retracted the use of his power and words to make a big  
impact.  
President Helms requested City Council take a risk and trust him as  
Council President and vote no on these items.  
Councilmember Risley asked Councilmember Donelson if he would  
apologize today to the body of City Council and to the people of Colorado  
Springs, and our community at large for your comments and actions last  
week. Councilmember Donelson stated this a special session called to  
censure him and remove him from Committees and Boards, this is not a  
setting that invites open and friendly discussion. He stated he made his  
statement and will not add to it in this setting, but he is happy to sit down  
with any other Councilmember in a cordial setting to have discussion about  
anything. He stated that he has already spoken with many of the  
Councilmembers after the day this meeting was called, but he will not be in  
this setting.  
President Helms stated that if Councilmember Donelson would state that  
he did not imply the accusations against the other Councilmembers, he is  
hoping his fellow Councilmembers will take that as a high road so they can  
move forward together. Councilmember Donelson stated if he wanted to  
accuse or impugn someone’s integrity he would have done it, he denied  
that twice because he had not intended it that way, and his point was that it  
could create an appearance of a conflict of interest which is why he asked  
for their normal process of disclosing ex parte communications, recusal,  
etc. He stated it was simply a request for recusal, Councilmembers could  
have said that they can remain fair and impartial, he did not raise his voice  
or use profanity, it is part of their normal hearing process, and it is not  
wrong to do it as long as it is done politely and respectfully and that is how  
he attempted to do it.  
Councilmember Avila asked Councilmember Donelson if he will still  
request that the Councilmembers recuse themselves from the hearing on  
July 9, 2024. Councilmember Donelson stated he has already requested  
that they recuse themselves, those Councilmembers are fine if they are  
able to be fair and impartial.  
Councilmember Avila asked Councilmember Donelson if he recused  
himself from Wilson Tank hearing because he was the chair of Colorado  
Springs Utilities and because it was located in his district. Councilmember  
Donelson stated he recused himself because he had conversations with  
Leanne Wolfe, the owner of the Flying W Ranch, and he said that he  
thought the homes to the right of the water tank were even more out of  
place and he felt it would appear that he had already made up his mind and  
not be impartial.  
Councilmember Leinweber stated when he took the oath of office, he  
chose to represent the City and he should not be questioned about his  
motives. He said his name was brought up twice by Councilmember  
Donelson which was a direct confrontation on the dais in a public fashion  
without any warning.  
Motion by Councilmember Leinweber, seconded by Councilmember Risley, that  
the Resolution issuing a censure for breach of decorum be adopted. The motion  
passed by a vote of 6-2-1-0  
6 - Avila, Crow-Iverson, Henjum, Leinweber, Risley, and Talarico  
2 - Donelson, and Helms  
Aye:  
No:  
1 - O'Malley  
Excused:  
24-373  
2.B.  
Ratification of Councilmember Liaisons to City Council Appointed  
Boards, Commissions and Committees and Councilmember  
Membership on Boards, Commissions, and Committees  
Presenter:  
Randy Helms, Council President and Councilmember District 2  
Attachments:  
Summary of Boards, Commissions, and Committees Councilmember  
Assignments - July 2, 2024  
President Helms stated he knows the reason for the removal of  
Councilmember Donelson from Boards, Commissions, and Committees is  
because Councilmembers are concerned with him taking this issue  
forward to the Boards, Commissions, and Committees and requested that  
Council take the high road and vote no on this item.  
Councilmember Donelson stated he finds it ironic that the Councilmembers  
who will be voting to remove him from Boards, Commissions, and  
Committees already know what positions they will be filling if he is removed  
so it appears to be a conflict of interest and does not appear to be  
impartial. President Helms stated it is his responsibility as Council  
President to make recommendations to the full Council for those positions  
prior to this meeting.  
Ben Bolinger, Assistant City Attorney, City Attorney’s Office stated this is  
an administrative action and is Council's complete discretion who they  
assigned to which Board or Committee, there is not a hearing, it is not a  
quasi-judicial action, it is administrative.  
Councilmember Donelson stated the El Paso County Board of County  
Commissioners assigns Councilmembers to the El Paso County Board of  
Health and he does not resign from that position. President Helms stated  
the administrative list includes the nomination of Councilmember  
Leinweber to that Board, but the El Paso County Commissioners would  
have to make the appointment.  
Councilmember Leinweber clarified that he did not ask to be nominated to  
the El Paso County Board of Health, President Helms assigned him to this  
Board.  
Motion by Councilmember Leinweber, seconded by Councilmember Henjum, to  
ratify the proposed list of Councilmember Liaisons to City Council Appointed  
Boards, Commissions and Committees and Councilmember Membership on  
Boards, Commissions, and Committees. The motion passed on a vote of 6-2-1-0  
6 - Avila, Crow-Iverson, Henjum, Leinweber, Risley, and Talarico  
2 - Donelson, and Helms  
Aye:  
No:  
1 - O'Malley  
Excused:  
24-374  
2.C.  
Appointments to Pikes Peak Area Council of Governments Board of  
Directors and Pikes Peak Rural Transportation Authority Board of  
Directors  
Presenter:  
Randy Helms, Council President and Councilmember District 2  
Attachments: Appointments to PPACG and PPRTA  
Please see comments in Agenda item 2.B.  
Motion by Councilmember Leinweber, seconded by Councilmember Talarico,  
that the appointments to Pikes Peak Area Council of Governments Board of  
Directors and Pikes Peak Rural Transportation Authority Board of Directors be  
appoved. The motion passed on a vote of 6-2-1-0  
6 - Avila, Crow-Iverson, Henjum, Leinweber, Risley, and Talarico  
2 - Donelson, and Helms  
Aye:  
No:  
1 - O'Malley  
Excused:  
3. Adjourn  
President Helms stated going forward, he wants this to end here, he does  
not want this to carry over into next week or thereafter and Council can  
address the issues which have come out of this without calling out fellow  
Councilmembers.  
There being no further business to come before City Council, President  
Helms adjourned the meeting at 5:13 PM.  
Sarah B. Johnson, City Clerk