Design plan approved by council
ALAMOSA — The Downtown Design Plan was approved by the Alamosa City Council last night, but not before one resident questioned the council on why southside businesses were not included.
Ruthie Brown, the owner of the Green Spot, questioned the council since they are the ones elected and represent the citizens of Alamosa. Last month she brought up the fact that the Alamosa Police Officers are not paid enough for what they have to deal with daily. This month she asked what the priorities are of the council to increase officers pay and the pay-scale for officers.
Her next question was when is it acceptable to let plants die or be destroyed to put in new landscaping that was paid for by residents.
Her final point was that none of the business owners on the southside of Alamosa were mentioned in the design plan. “Not one business owner [in my neighborhood] could remember a member of City Council actually coming to them and sitting down. Having a cup of coffee,” and asking them what their thoughts and concerns are about business on the southside of the railroad tracks.
“It’s just sad, and it’s an insult” for the southside business owners.
The council did not respond, but Heather Brooks, city manager, said that all employees are valued. Some of the jobs at the City of Alamosa are more dangerous than others. In 2015 the city did a market study of municipalities of comparable size and budget and cities that employees have gone to work for. She cited several including Cañon City, Delta, Fort Lupton, Lamar, Montrose, Alamosa County and the Colorado State Patrol.
The study showed that police officers should be at “grade 8.” However, the city put them at “grade 9.”
Under the 2020 budget proposal, Brooks said employees are scheduled for a 6 percent increase for police officers.
As for the issue of plants dying, Brooks said that Brown has the phone numbers of the city employees that handle that, and she can bring those concerns to them.
Brooks then turned to the omission of southside businesses in the design plan. She said that the plan was for the downtown area because “the pedestrian behavior is not the same as pedestrian behavior on the west side. ... It’s not the same as pedestrian behavior on the southside” of Alamosa.