Metro board forms committee to look at COA

COA board member Gene Montoya steps down to deal with family illness.

By MIKE SPENCE
The Pueblo West View

The Pueblo West Metropolitan District board of directors is continuing its reorganization of the Committee of Architecture.

During public comments at the June 23 meeting, Metro board Chairman Jeff Sloan pushed for the creation of a committee that would look at COA operations and come up with ideas to make the body more efficient and effective.

"The metro board is working on making substantial changes in the COA's structure," Sloan said. "I would like to create a committee that would work with some or all of the COA board and Laurie Cozzetto to come up with some ideas."

The metro board dissolved Triark, the board that had served to oversee COA operations, and assumed those duties itself. The board also took the COA under the district umbrella and included it in its budget for 2009.

In the past, the COA was funded by land sales and by the fees it collects. However, land sales have shriveled to virtually nothing and the fees collected haven't been sufficient to fund the office. Twice last year the COA went to the metro board for supplemental funding and was given funds totaling $125,000.

Metro board members John Van Auken and William Vickers volunteered to work with the COA members on the committee.

Van Auken has a long history of working with the COA and knows its history as well as, perhaps, anyone. Vickers has been critical of some COA actions and has been a driving force behind revamping the body.

"There are a lot of pros and cons to look at," Van Auken said. "I would be pleased to be part of that process." Vickers defended the board's takeover of the COA, saying that much of the legal buffer Triark was supposed to offer the metro district, was already available to the district through the Government Immunity Act.

That was true to a degree, said metro district Legal Counsel Thomas Mullans, but the act didn't protect the metro district in all cases. The metro board also considered a replacement for COA member Gene Montoya. Montoya, who was re-appointed to the board earlier this year, submitted a verbal resignation recently, because his wife is ill and he doesn't have the time necessary to devote to COA meetings.

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