The Rifle City Council’s Aug. 20 meeting, led by Mayor Pro Tem Chris Bornholt, ranged from energy concerns raised by residents to ballot questions, grant applications and a new vision for open space south of town.

Public comment opened with longtime resident Leslie Robinson, who voiced opposition to the proposed NR41-3 pad, which would add 39 wells about 5 miles west of Rifle on Clough sheepland. Robinson said the project could significantly increase truck traffic and questioned why city officials were not represented at an Aug. 11 Garfield County commissioners meeting about the plan.

“It seems everybody considers Rifle an energy center except for Rifle,” Robinson said. “The 12,000 wells in our area surely represent impacts to our air, water and to our health. We’re going to face impact from data centers, nuclear interests and changing coal into natural gas powered energy plants.”

She urged the council to consider forming a community advisory group to evaluate future energy proposals before they advance too far.

Jen Edwards, another resident, also criticized the commissioners for approving the wells northwest of town but shifted her comments to housing, praising the city for new projects she said are helping address the affordability crisis.

“I am ultimately here to give general comments about housing as a young person here in Rifle. I want to commend the city for the developments that I’m seeing around town,” Edwards said, pointing to townhouses on Whiteriver Avenue, apartments behind the hospital, Rifle Heights and other projects. “Please continue to support housing and residential development here in Rifle and please continue to keep us informed.”

After public comment, council unanimously approved several amendments to the 2025 budget. The adjustments included funding for a dump truck, replacement of the Penwell transmission line, a maintenance contract and construction work at Birch Park.

Council also advanced a ballot measure asking voters to raise the city’s lodging tax from 2.5% to 5.5%. The tax, which applies to hotel stays and short-term rentals, currently supports events such as Hometown Holidays and Rifle Rendezvous, as well as projects like the Grand Hogback trail system, bike racks and downtown beautification.

Similar taxes in nearby communities range from 5% in Glenwood Springs, New Castle and Silt to 6% in Grand Junction, Fruita and Montrose, with only Carbondale lower at 2%. Rifle officials project the increase would double annual lodging tax revenues from about $220,000 to $440,000.

Council approved two grant applications to support city infrastructure. One seeks $30,000 from the Garfield County Federal Mineral Lease District to purchase a mobile column lift for heavy-duty vehicles. The other requests $1 million for the Rifle Park Avenue bridge and road extension, a $2.2 million project that will require the city to provide a 30% match.

The meeting closed with approval of a $49,922 contract with DHM Design for the South Rifle Open Space Master Plan. The 112-acre site behind Grand River Hospital is planned as a passive-use park that will preserve the area’s natural character while allowing some recreational use. The city budgeted $50,000 for the project and received a $25,000 Department of Local Affairs grant to help cover the cost.