Draft fire evacuation plan

City of Glenwood Springs staff will be presenting what they are calling a Traffic Incident Management Plan Agreement (TIM) and Emergency Operations Update, which is essentially a fire and emergency evacuation plan for the city. 

City Engineer Terri Partch and Glenwood Springs Fire Chief Gary Tillotson will both be presenting on the plan.

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Staff has been working toward implementing three different measures to plan for emergency events and evacuations, according to the packet presentation going to council. 

The TIM Plan is a defined procedure and direction for city agencies to follow if there is a partial or full highway closure in the case of a large-scale accident or natural disaster. 

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With the recent fires and mud flows in Glenwood Canyon and South Canyon, the plan anticipates complete highway closures in Glenwood Canyon, South Canyon and State Highway 82, according to the packet. Highway 82 was added to the plan to recognize the effects of a closure westbound at Garfield County Road 114, or Spring Valley Road, which travels to the Colorado Mountain College Spring Valley campus at Glenwood Springs.

In the case of an emergency, the plan allows the incident commander to direct a highway closure of Highway 82 at that point.

The Garfield County Emergency Operations Plan requires local jurisdictions to have an Emergency Operations Plan and a local emergency manager. Glenwood Springs is still required to identify a city emergency manager, according to the packet.

In the packet, starting on page 198.

 Tourism Board appointments 

City Council will also be appointing multiple positions to the Planning and Zoning Commission and Tourism Board at Thursday’s meeting.

For the Tourism Board, this will include two representatives from tourism-related businesses located within the city; two representatives from lodging businesses located within the city; one representative from a restaurant or retail businesses located within city; one representative from the Glenwood Springs Chamber Resort Association; and three people who are residents of the city, that may have a financial interest in a tourism-related business, according to the packet for city council. 

Mayor Pro Tem Willman and Councilor Paula Stepp are recommending to reappoint Suzanne Emery to the lodging seat with a term to expire February 2026 and to appoint Justin Bishop to the restaurant seat with a term to expire February 2025.

Downtown Design Standard Overlay 

New zoning standards are being presented to create a pedestrian-oriented business and service character in Glenwood Springs’ central core to support a more active street life. The item is expected to be continued to the Feb. 2 meeting.

The following standards are being considered, according to the packet.

1. When a non-residential building is proposed on a vacant lot within the downtown core, a minimum of 75% of the gross floor area on the first floor shall involve uses that generate sales and/or lodging revenues for the city. 
2. When a non-residential building within the downtown core is demolished, 75% of the first floor of the new building shall involve uses that generate sales and/or lodging revenues for the city. 
3. 100% of off-street surface parking is required to occur behind the rear wall of the primary building. Parking structures proposed within the overlay zone are exempted from these standards and shall be processed according to the Special Use Permit process

School mental health counseling update

The City provided $260,000 to the Roaring Fork Schools from the Tobacco Tax Fund, along with a partnership with the Hope Center to increase access to school-based mental health services. City Council will hear a progress report.