City Council Minutes 1998 07 21 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Chip Heldman, 296 S. Adams Drive, Louisville, Colorado, stated he feels we have an obligation to preserve as much of nature as possible. He suggested that Council mm the area along Via Appia into a natural prairie environment with native grasses and plants and allow a small prairie dog population to reside there. This would provide a great service to the community by enhancing the quality of life, creating a unique educational opportunity, and demonstrating to surrounding communities that the natural world can coexist with the developed one. Colleen Elvidge, 920 Arapahoe Court, Louisville, Colorado, stated that she enjoys having the prairie dogs in the neighborhood and hopes that some will be allowed to stay. She feels the area has been neglected and that the prairie dogs are being blamed for its poor condition. She suggested that the City manage the area better by planting trees, native plants, and maintaining a habitat for the prairie dogs. Kate Heldman, 296 S. Adams Drive, Louisville, Colorado, asked to respond to Davidson's earlier comments. She stated that Susan Miller has been working hard to meet her relocation deadline; however, she was depending on the City of Louisville to auger starter holes for the prairie dogs and those holes were not augured properly. She does not feel the area is too small for prairie dogs, as they are flourishing there. She feels a lot of the prairie dog problems between the citizens and local government are based upon ignorance. She suggested forming a prairie dog task force to address these issues. Christine Szrnip, 800 Trail Ridge Drive, Louisville, Colorado, stated she has watched the ecosystem on the ridge develop, and the colony supports hawks, kestrels, fox and coyotes. She asked Council to allow a small colony of prairie dogs to remain on the ridge. She has spoken to several individuals photographing the colony and informed them that the City has done everything it can to remove the prairie dogs. She suggested turning the area into an outdoor wildlife classroom instead. Vicki Mandell-King, 601 Lincoln Avenue, Louisville, Colorado, stated that she believes in wildlife and open space and trying to find a balance among diverse interests. She agreed that a task force would help in that area. She suggested that the City incorporate "prairie dog sites" into their beautification efforts throughout the City. She is glad to learn the City has no plans to poison or set deadlines for the prairie dog removal. Davidson invited anyone interested in wildlife in urban areas to attend a conference presented by the Audibon Society on August 8, 1998 at the Raintree Hotel. The seminar begins at 8:30 a.m. and includes information on prairie dogs within a city. Linda Hultman, 563 W. Hawthorn Street, Louisville, Colorado, stated that the Louisville Recreation Center gymnasium is over-crowded. According to Ms. Hultman, the gymnastics, basketball, volleyball, dance, karate, and other programs are all competing for space. The gymnastics program has become quite large. There are approximately 1,700 children per year participating, in addition to a 65-member gymnastics team. The average wait-list for a gymnastics class, per session, contains 33 children. The over-crowding in the gym has also lead to accidents, as there are too many gymnasts