Election issues
DP announces position on November 3 ballot measures
The Downtown Partnership Board of Directors endorses Ballot issue 2C, also known as the "A City Worth Fighting For!" initiative.
The proposed measure would establish a 6-mill property tax increase in 2010 and then increase one mill per year up to a maximum of 10 mills.
In its official resolution, the Board acknowledges "the goal of this initiative to be a reasonable measure designed to keep City services at the 2009 funding levels" and foresees that without its passage, "Colorado Springs will see a significant decline in our quality of life."
Elaborating further, DP Executive Director Ron Butlin says, "The Board does not view 2C as an ultimate solution, but it is a worthwhile interim step toward preserving basic City services at already reduced levels. Long term, there needs to be a meaningful discussion of the imbalance between residential and business taxes. Without that, there may come a time in the future when Colorado Springs is not attractive to businesses. They might leave, or not expand, or choose not to locate here. We all lose in an economy marked by declines in jobs and businesses."
For more information, visit www.cityworthfightingfor.com.
The Downtown Partnership opposes Ballot Issue 300, which would eliminate all enterprise payments, such as those for the Stormwater Enterprise, to the City.
"Eliminating the enterprise payments would increase the strain on the City's general fund, annually, by about four million dollars," Butlin says.
In its resolution against Ballot Issue 300, the Board cited the initiative as detrimental to the quality of life in Colorado Springs and the City's ability to provide basic services.
"This is an important election," Butlin adds. "We encourage everyone to get out and vote." |
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Be there
Downtown Partnership's 12th Annual Mayor's Breakfast
If you haven't done so already, you've got until October 22 to reserve one of the limited seats at this year's Mayor's Breakfast. The event occurs Thursday, October 29 at 7:30 a.m. at Colorado College's Edith Gaylord-Kinney Cornerstone Arts Center.
Downtown Partnership (and Colorado College) President Richard Celeste will serve as master of ceremonies. In addition to words from Mayor Lionel Rivera, special guest speaker Steven Pope, publisher of the Gazette, will talk.
Tickets are $20 for DP members and $25 for non-members. Full-table discounts are available. Call (719) 886-0088 to place your reservation now. |
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A time for every season
BID prepares for old man winter
Winter, as Mother Nature reminded us recently, will soon be here. The BID crew is working hard to ensure that spending time Downtown will be as pleasant and safe as possible during the season.
Summer seasonal workers are gone now, and the BID team of four full-time employees is busy cleaning out flowerbeds and pruning shrubs and perennials. According to BID Manager Beth Ortiz, the irrigation system will be blown out and shut down for the season on October 24th. New equipment will enable winter watering of recently planted trees and potted trees. If the season turns out to be dry, planters and beds will also be watered.
As appropriate during inclement weather, ice melt will be placed on pedestrian and handicap ramps, as well as the south sidewalks on east-west cross streets. Snow removal will include sidewalk plowing when accumulation is two or more inches, and shoveled paths from street to sidewalk. Business owners must remove lighter accumulations. Maintenance and preparation of all equipment is already under way.
The BID will expand the hugely popular tree lighting Downtown with additional lights on Tejon between Kiowa and Pikes Peak. Look for some drama as FIVE of the large trees at "Busy Corner" get lights!
Holiday decorations are now being cleaned, sorted and checked. Placement and hanging begins in early November, since it will take several weeks to cover the area, Ortiz says. Lights will be turned on the day before Thanksgiving.
Finally, Ortiz says that the BID crew continues its usual maintenance and clean up of the district through the winter months. Recently, strides have been made in alleviating a certain sticky situation. An environment-friendly product has been found and implemented in the removal of gum from sidewalks!
Direct questions or concerns about the BID to Beth Ortiz at (719) 499-7745. |
Go green to save green
Energy audits for business
Smart homeowners have long made use of Colorado Springs Utilities's free energy audits. Until now, business owners didn't have a free option. But with the recent announcement of a new program, 18 qualifying small businesses might find great ways to save on their energy bills.
With funding from the U.S. Department of Energy's Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant program, CSU is kicking off a pilot program through the City of Colorado Springs that will collaboratively offer free energy audits and partial cost recovery on retrofits to small businesses over a six-month period.
In partnership with Pikes Peak Community College, Colorado College and UCCS, CSU will hire an energy contractor to teach and work with students conducting energy audits and retrofits. CSU is seeking small businesses that:
- have annual utility energy costs between $20,000and $50,000
- have not had an audit within the last five years
- will supply their gas and electric costs for the most recent 12 months
- will implement half of low-cost measures identified by the audit
- will agree to match funds up to a cap of $15,000 to be spent on retrofit findings
- agree to publication of findings
- are in either the Office, Education, Retail, Food Service (restaurant) or Lodging (hotel) industry
Applications are due by Friday, October 23. All businesses will be considered and selection made by the City and CSU. Project funding is contingent on anticipated final appropriation approval by City Council on October 27. Work will begin on November 1.
To obtain an application, contact Gail Conners by e-mail at [email protected]. |
Can you guess?
Downtown Puzzler
Hungry for something new and different? This mural is certain to whet your appetite. Where will you find it? Answer below. 
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Accolades
McKay named to national post
Kimberly McKay, CPA and a Colorado Springs partner at BKD, one of the nation's 10 largest CPA and advisory firms, has been appointed to the national AICPA Health Care Expert Panel. Beginning this month, she serves for the 2009-2010 service year. |
Sidewalks and streets
Of pedestrians and parking
Two happy notes for Downtown travelers:
The sidewalk around the new USOC structure at Tejon and Colorado is finally open!
In case you're planning ahead for your holiday shopping and libations - meter parking Downtown will be free the first three weekends in December! Downtown businesses are reminded that this is a community courtesy (and incentive for shoppers) and not to be misused by employees. |
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Nonprofit news
ESM: Strengthening Community
Longtime Downtown nonprofit Ecumenical Social Ministries (ESM) continues to support overall community progress with a variety of outreach and programs. ESM promotes self-sufficiency by providing food, medicine, housing, job placement, educational programs, and spiritual encouragement. ESM was founded in 1982 by eight Downtown churches.
On Saturday, October 24, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at its 201 N. Weber offices, ESM will hold its second annual National Men's Warehouse Suit Drive. ESM is one of 200 organizations partnering with the national retailer to provide unemployed men (and working men in need of assistance) with work attire. Clothing available that day includes suits, sport coats, dress pants, dress shirts, and other business professional wear. Free parking will be available across the street at First Presbyterian Church's parking lot. A rain date is set for Monday, October 26, same hours.
For more information contact Jennifer Malenky at (719) 228-6795 or e-mail her at [email protected].
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We've got answers
Puzzled no more
This gorgeous mural can be found at Rasta Pasta, 405 North Tejon St. Great art, great eats! Rasta Pasta received a DDA Challenge Grant for its outdoor dining area and signage, too.
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| From the Downtown Snoopster
Who - or what - do you want to be?
Wanna be pregnant? Wanna be a pilot, a pirate, a princess, a pilgrim? Wanna know how the Snoopster can nose around incognito? Thanks to Zeezo's, we can all be what we can't be in normal life. Identities of many sorts are available at this family-friendly costume shop for ids of all ages.
In business since 1993, Zeezo's is the only remaining shop among 15 or so of the original franchise. According to owners Mark and Jessica Modeer, Zeezo's is the largest theater supply shop in Colorado, if not the entire Midwest. Recently the store moved from Bijou Street to 104 N. Tejon, where nearly 4,000 square feet house a comprehensive collection of costumes and accessories: wigs, eyelashes, bat wings, Shrek teeth, elf ears, creepy hands, and a Pinocchio nose, to name a few. For health reasons, only a few costumes are available to rent, rather than purchase, and these are high-end pieces that present no hygiene issues.
Besides thousands of costumes, Zeezo's sells make-up and shows the customer how to apply it. For the Halloween crowd, they offer workshops on make-up application, every Wednesday and Sunday in October. Contrary to what you might think, Halloween customers are mainly adults, not kids. Year-round patrons include police officers, the military (especially soldiers back from Iraq), theme-party hosts, churches, theater groups, and kids who want to dress like the movie characters they love (think Harry Potter) or historical figures they present in book reports, such as Thomas Jefferson and Albert Einstein.
No doubt at least one reason for Zeezo's long-term success is creativity. If a customer wants a costume that does not already exist, Mark and Jessica will fabricate one.
"We can figure out how to construct just about anything," Jessica says, "including, for one customer, a platypus."
So when ordinary life becomes just too mundane to tolerate, think of Zeezo's and the words of poet e.e. cummings: "Listen: there's a hell of a universe next door; let's go."
Zeezo's
104 N. Tejon St.
719-633-2571. |
Help us help you!
Send us your news
But please send it early!
The Downtown Partnership e-newsletter is sent out on or near the 15th of each month. If you have news or events to publicize, please keep that date in mind and submit your materials by the first of the month. If your event falls on a date during the first two weeks of a month, you'll want to contact us by the first of the preceding month. For example, a September 10th event should be publicized in our August15th newsletter... so we'd need to have your information by August 1. Questions? Contact Terri at 886-0088. |
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