Candidates for Fountain council talk about growth

Keeping pace with growth and expanding emergency services rank as the most critical issues facing Fountain, contenders for two open City Council seats said.

The seven candidates for the Ward 1 and 2 seats also agreed that a management audit now under way could provide some insight into whether the city is making the best use of its resources.

“We have to make sure we’re spending the dollars responsibly,” said Sam Provenza, one of three vying for the Ward 1 seat in Tuesday’s special election. The other two candidates are Gabriel Ortega and Judy Christian.

The city must put its basic needs first, said Provenza, flight program manager for the Memorial Star helicopter.

He noted that the fire department doesn’t have all the equipment it needs to access taller buildings.

How to fund those needs? “I’d want to see the results of the audit before I say we need to raise taxes,” he said.

The city must ensure an adequate water supply for the future, he said.

Christian, who has spent 18 years on the council — 10 as a member and eight as mayor, said she’d offer the experience “that’s been lacking” if she returns to the council.

Like others, she said she worries about emergency responders’ ability to cover the growing city. “Our services can only be stretched so far.”

Before offering any funding solutions, she said, she wants to see the audit’s results.

It’s rare for Fountain voters to approve tax increases, Ortega noted.

Fountain shouldn’t raise property taxes to pay for public safety, he said. It should focus on attracting more revenue-generating businesses. It also should discourage cookiecutter developments, said Ortega, a planning commissioner.

Ortega said his teaching experience in conflict resolution and team-building would serve the council well.

Competing for the Ward 2 spot are Louis Porsia, Jim Coke, Ratu Solanki and Mary DeGroot, who was appointed to the seat in January before city officials determined that a special election was required.

Porsia, a telecommunications consultant, said Fountain must emphasize public safety, attract more retail businesses and offer more for young residents. “They have absolutely nothing down here. There’s not a movie theater or skating rink.”

He said elected leaders should improve their communication with staff, residents and home builders, finding out what the last group needs to offer more high quality, affordable housing.

DeGroot also described affordable housing as a goal, as well as attracting more businesses.

Raising sales taxes seems the fairest way to pay for public safety improvements, she said.

She also said she thinks the city ought to again seek to eliminate restrictions imposed by TABOR, the statewide tax limitation amendment. Fountain has tried, but it failed to do so. If voters trust the council to spend the money wisely, she said, it should keep excess dollars.

Solanki, a retired sociology professor, said Fountain should work to attract new businesses so residents can work in their own city.

The rapid residential growth is too haphazard, he said.

“We can grow in a graceful way,” said Solanki, a planning commissioner.

He said Fountain should urge walkable neighborhoods and more open space. The city also should avoid assessing a stormwater fee, as Colorado Springs has. Instead, developers should plan drainage systems so homeowners don’t have to fix problems later on, he said.

Coke did not return a call seeking comment but has said his greatest priorities are dealing with growth, ensuring adequate water supply and preserving the area’s rural character.