In response to an ongoing disagreement about representation, the Town Council of Monument has drafted its own amendments to the charter creating the Fountain Creek Watershed District. “We’re due our own representation,” said councilman Marco Fiorito at a discussion about the change at a me eting Tuesday night. The watershed district is an organization comprised mostly of local government representatives from El Paso and Pueblo counties. The district makes funding decisions on how to preserve and improve the watershed of Fountain Creek, which reaches 70 miles from Pikes Peak to the Arkansas River. Monument’s dispute arose last spring with the death of Councilmember Jim Romanello, who previously held a seat at the district representing all the small municipalities where Fountain Creek and its tributaries run. Monument nominated Romanello’s appointed replacement on the town council, Chad Smith, for the district’s opening. The change required approval from the Colorado Springs City Council and the El Paso County Board of County Commissioners. While the City Council approved Smith, El Paso County did not come to a formal decision. Commissioner Bill Wysong previously told The Gazette that the commissioners “didn’t know enough about” Smith to carry a majority vote on the appointment in an informal meeting. Monument has responded with two letters to the commissioners asking for a decision, which Mayor Mitch LaKind says have gone unanswered. With the appointment process deadlocked, the district board has chosen an alternate to serve in the seat. The new charter language Monument is proposing would add two seats to the watershed district’s board: one representative for Monument alone, and one more representative appointed from Pueblo County. Fiorito said that Monument’s population had outgrown its designation on the board. With approximately 11,000 residents in the last census, the town is significantly larger than other municipalities that have representatives like Green Mountain Falls and Manitou Springs. Besides Colorado Springs and Pueblo, Fountain — which has a population of approximately 30,000 — retains a seat on the board. Monument Councilmember Steve King said that the town held an important place in the watershed as the headwaters of one of Fountain Creek’s tributaries. He also said Monument was the “last stop” before the U.S. Air Force Academy when it came to water management in Northern El Paso County. To become official, the charter language would need to be approved by the Colorado legislature. LaKind said he would be working with the town’s legislative team to find a state representative pick it up for presentation this year. “None of these smaller municipalities are being represented properly,” he said. ...read more read less