AMPT - Advancing Modern Professionals for Tomorrow

05/28/2026

The conditional use permit was approved earlier this month, and now Rock & Refuge is holding an informational meeting for community members who want to get involved!

Check out this incredible initiative tomorrow at 10:00 at J&L Cafe. See you there! 😁

🎉🎉 The Rock and Refuge is coming to Sterling! A Christian non-profit organization focused on at risk youth in our community. It will be an after school hangout and snack shop. We want to bring in mentors from the community to give these kids opportunities they wouldn't normally get, and have a completely safe place without judgment. Please join us at 10 am tomorrow, Friday at the J & L Cafe, for an informational meeting, and to get involved! Please join us!

05/25/2026

📋 𝐒𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐂𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐂𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐥 𝐑𝐞𝐜𝐚𝐩 | 𝐌𝐚𝐲 𝟏𝟐, 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔
𝘈𝘔𝘗𝘛 𝘣𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘱 𝘵𝘰 𝘩𝘦𝘭𝘱 𝘓𝘰𝘨𝘢𝘯 𝘊𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘺 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘺 𝘪𝘯𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘮𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘦𝘯𝘨𝘢𝘨𝘦𝘥 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘭𝘰𝘤𝘢𝘭 𝘨𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘯𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵. 𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘱 𝘪𝘴 𝘣𝘢𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘦𝘦𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘨𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘢, 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘤𝘪𝘭 𝘱𝘢𝘤𝘬𝘦𝘵 𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘢𝘭𝘴, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘮𝘦𝘮𝘣𝘦𝘳 𝘯𝘰𝘵𝘦𝘴.

🏛️ 𝗔 𝗙𝘂𝗹𝗹 𝗛𝗼𝘂𝘀𝗲 — 𝗜𝗻 𝗠𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗪𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝗧𝗵𝗮𝗻 𝗢𝗻𝗲
The May 12 meeting was quick and purposeful — and notable for the number of familiar faces in the room. AMPT board members were present alongside community members to witness something worth seeing: a fully seated Sterling City Council, moving through meaningful business with focus and efficiency. Here's what happened.

🪑 𝗝𝗼𝘀𝗵𝘂𝗮 𝗖𝗹𝗶𝗳𝘁 𝗦𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗻 𝗜𝗻 — 𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗹 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲𝘁𝗲
Joshua Clift was sworn in as Ward 2 Council Member, officially completing Sterling's City Council roster for the first time since January. Clift, a nine-year Sterling resident with two decades of management experience in commercial supply, was appointed unanimously at the April 28 meeting. Welcome, Council Member Clift!

🏠 𝗥𝗼𝗰𝗸 & 𝗥𝗲𝗳𝘂𝗴𝗲 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗵 𝗖𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿 — 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝗡𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗵 𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴
This was the moment of the meeting. Council approved a Conditional Use Permit for Rock & Refuge, a proposed youth and community center at 623 N. 3rd Avenue — right across from Sterling High School.

The vision behind Rock & Refuge includes dedicated study areas, recreational space, and community programming. Planned improvements include ADA upgrades, interior renovations, parking improvements, outdoor site work, and preservation of the existing building's historical character. The applicant, Alisa Lechman, noted that many attendees are expected to arrive after school or through shared transportation.

The Planning Commission reviewed the application first — examining hours of operation, parking, traffic, occupancy, and neighborhood compatibility — and recommended approval. Council followed suit.

A conditional use permit means the proposed use has been reviewed and approved as compatible with the surrounding neighborhood and zoning. It doesn't mean the doors are open yet — renovations and improvements still lie ahead. But the city has said yes, and that clears the way for next steps.

Sterling has needed a dedicated space for young people for a long time. This one is being built right where kids already are.

🚒 𝗡𝗲𝘄 𝗙𝗶𝗿𝗲 𝗖𝗵𝗶𝗲𝗳: 𝗖𝗮𝗽𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝗖𝗼𝗱𝘆 𝗛𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗹𝗹
After 24 years with the Sterling Fire Department, Captain Cody Howell has been appointed Sterling's new Fire Chief, effective May 23, 2026 — the day after Chief Ritter's retirement.

City Manager John Sheldon conducted a multi-panel interview process before recommending Howell, who has spent his entire career with Sterling Fire and brings deep familiarity with the community and its needs. Per city code, the Fire Chief is appointed by the City Manager with council approval.

Chief Ritter's retirement closes a significant chapter for Sterling's fire service. Captain Howell steps in as someone who has been part of that story for nearly a quarter century. The department is in good hands.

🔧 𝗪𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗲𝘄𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗧𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗙𝗮𝗰𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 — 𝗧𝘄𝗼 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘃𝗮𝗹𝘀, 𝗢𝗻𝗲 𝗕𝗶𝗴 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗷𝗲𝗰𝘁
Sterling's Wastewater Treatment Facility improvement project has been underway for years, and two resolutions at this meeting addressed important next steps — together representing over $339,000 in approved expenditures.

Wetland Mitigation Monitoring — $8,100

When the city received its federal Army Corps of Engineers permit for the wastewater improvements back in 2020, one of the conditions was annual monitoring of a wetland mitigation site until the Corps determines the wetlands are healthy and self-sustaining. Council approved a proposal from ERO Resources Corporation — who has handled this work before — to conduct the 2026 monitoring cycle, prepare required reports, and keep the city in compliance with its federal permit. Cost: $8,100.

Engineering Design Amendment — $331,424

The larger item was Amendment No. 5 to the city's engineering agreement with Mott MacDonald, LLC. During construction, the project used a common cost-saving strategy called value engineering — making design adjustments to manage expenses, sometimes working from informal marked-up drawings rather than fully completed plans. Now, to move toward project completion and ensure contractors can accurately order materials and complete complex electrical and mechanical installations, those deferred design elements need to be formalized into complete construction documents. The amendment covers full design of a new fine screen building plus comprehensive updates to electrical, HVAC, and plumbing drawings across multiple facility buildings. Cost: $331,424, funded from the Sewer Fund.

In plain terms: this is the engineering work needed to finish the project correctly. The city isn't going back to the drawing board — it's closing out design gaps so construction can cross the finish line.

🏗️ 𝗦𝗵𝗶𝗽𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗿 𝗠𝗼𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗶𝘂𝗺 𝗘𝘅𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗱
Sterling placed a temporary moratorium on shipping containers in residential and commercial zones back in January while the city developed permanent regulations. That process is taking longer than expected — a joint work session between council and the Planning Commission in February identified additional revisions needed to get the code language right. Council approved an extension of the moratorium through August 18, 2026, or until a permanent ordinance is adopted, whichever comes first.

The work session following this meeting included a deeper discussion on shipping container regulations — outcomes of that session aren't included in this recap.

🌿 𝗦𝗨𝗥𝗔 𝗕𝗼𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝗦𝗲𝗮𝘁𝘀 — 𝗡𝗲𝘄 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀
Mayor Fuller brought recommendations to fill two open seats on the Sterling Urban Renewal Authority board — particularly timely given the newly approved West Main Street Urban Renewal District. Four community members applied, and Council approved Mayor Fuller's recommendation for the appointment of Michael Jenson and Austin Rivers to the SURA board.

📜 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗰𝗹𝗮𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 — 𝗠𝗮𝘆 𝗥𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗴𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻
Mayor Fuller signed four proclamations at this meeting, honoring people who show up for this community every day:

National Peace Officers Memorial Day & Police Week (May 10–16) — honoring Sterling's law enforcement officers and remembering those lost in service. National Peace Officers Memorial Day falls on May 15.

International Museum Day (May 18) — a reminder to visit Sterling's own museum and the wealth of local history it holds.

National Public Works Week (May 17–23) — recognizing the Public Works team responsible for the roads, water, wastewater, and infrastructure that make daily life function.

Emergency Medical Services Week (May 17–23) — honoring Sterling's paramedics, EMTs, and the broader emergency response network, career and volunteer alike.

🐾 𝗟𝗼𝗴𝗮𝗻 𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁𝘆 𝗛𝘂𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗲 𝗦𝗼𝗰𝗶𝗲𝘁𝘆 — 𝗔𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗹 𝗥𝗲𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁

Director Terry Dowis submitted the April report: 36 dogs and 10 cats received, 7 adoptions, 120 animal control patrol hours, and 754 calls for service. A low-cost spay/neuter, microchip, and immunization clinic is in active negotiations to come to the Logan County Fairgrounds — details to follow once the Bergen Spay & Neuter Alliance website is live and promotion can begin. Good news worth watching for.

💬 𝗔 𝗡𝗼𝘁𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗖𝗹𝗼𝘀𝗲

A youth center across from the high school. A new fire chief promoted from within. A full council seated and working.

May 12 was a quieter meeting on the surface, but the decisions made reflect a community investing in its own future — in its young people, its infrastructure, and the institutions that keep it running.

That's worth showing up for.

➡️ 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐮𝐩: 𝐌𝐚𝐲 𝟐𝟔 𝐂𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐂𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐥 𝐌𝐞𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠
𝘍𝘰𝘭𝘭𝘰𝘸 𝘈𝘔𝘗𝘛 𝘰𝘯 𝘍𝘢𝘤𝘦𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘰𝘯𝘨𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘱𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘤𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘤 𝘶𝘱𝘥𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘴.

𝘚𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘊𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘊𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘤𝘪𝘭 𝘮𝘦𝘦𝘵𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘧𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘵𝘩 𝘛𝘶𝘦𝘴𝘥𝘢𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘩 𝘮𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘩 𝘢𝘵 5:30 𝘗𝘔, 𝘊𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘤𝘪𝘭 𝘊𝘩𝘢𝘮𝘣𝘦𝘳𝘴, 421 𝘕. 4𝘵𝘩 𝘚𝘵𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘵.

05/12/2026

There's a ton happening in Sterling these days, and our public City Council meetings are the the place to learn and weaigh in!

Tonight's agenda includes public hearings for special event and conditional use permits, discussion and possible action on the shipping container issue, the appointment of a new fire chief, and updates from the Humane Society on their achievements and challenges.

All of these issues are of interest to residents, so come out and be a part of the conversation!

See the full agenda and packet of supporting documentation on the City's website: https://www.sterlingcolo.com/government/council_boards_and_commissions_agendas_and_minutes.php

05/02/2026

𝐒𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐂𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐂𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐥 𝐑𝐞𝐜𝐚𝐩 | 𝐀𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐥 𝟏𝟒 & 𝐀𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐥 𝟐𝟖, 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔
𝘈𝘔𝘗𝘛 𝘣𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘱 𝘵𝘰 𝘩𝘦𝘭𝘱 𝘓𝘰𝘨𝘢𝘯 𝘊𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘺 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘺 𝘪𝘯𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘮𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘦𝘯𝘨𝘢𝘨𝘦𝘥 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘭𝘰𝘤𝘢𝘭 𝘨𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘯𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵. 𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘱 𝘤𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘵𝘸𝘰 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘦𝘤𝘶𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘤𝘪𝘭 𝘮𝘦𝘦𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘪𝘴 𝘣𝘢𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘰𝘯 𝘢𝘨𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘢 𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘢𝘭𝘴, 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘤𝘪𝘭 𝘱𝘢𝘤𝘬𝘦𝘵𝘴, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘳𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘴𝘤𝘳𝘪𝘱𝘵𝘴.

🏛️ 𝗦𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗴𝗲
A lot of ground covered in these two meetings. By the end of April 28, Sterling City Council had a full roster for the first time in months, approved a major community investment tool for the West Main corridor, and heard from a chamber packed wall-to-wall with engaged residents. Here's what happened.

🪑 𝗪𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝟮 — 𝗕𝗼𝘁𝗵 𝗦𝗲𝗮𝘁𝘀 𝗡𝗼𝘄 𝗙𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗱
This has been one of the longest-running items at Sterling City Council this year. A quick timeline: Ward 2 went vacant in January when Council Member Haynie left. Council couldn't agree on either of two applicants in March and reopened applications. Then on April 3, Council Member Raffaeli resigned — creating a second opening. Three applicants were eventually in the pool for two seats.

On April 14, council unanimously appointed Marty Smock — a 32-year Sterling resident, longtime manager at Logan County Lumber, and seven-year RE-1 school board member. He was sworn in April 28, and one of his first acts as a seated council member was to second the motion on the West Main Urban Renewal Plan.

Then, on April 28, council interviewed and unanimously appointed Joshua Clift — a nine-year Sterling resident who spent 12 years commuting from Brush before making it home. He has managed people and projects in commercial supply for two decades. Like Smock, he named the roads as his top concern and talked about wanting to get more involved in the community. Clift will be sworn in at the next council meeting.

Both appointments serve through 2027, when Ward 2 seats will appear on the regular election ballot.

📍𝘚𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘊𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘊𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘤𝘪𝘭 𝘪𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘧𝘶𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘴𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘥 — 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘴. 𝘈 𝘧𝘶𝘭𝘭 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘤𝘪𝘭 𝘮𝘦𝘢𝘯𝘴 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘰𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘳 𝘥𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘣𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘤𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘯𝘦𝘳 𝘷𝘰𝘵𝘦𝘴 𝘰𝘯 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘥.

⚡ 𝗫𝗰𝗲𝗹 𝗘𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗴𝘆: 𝗡𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗚𝗮𝘀 𝗟𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗥𝗲𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝗡𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗮𝘀𝘁 𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴
Xcel Energy presented the Sterling Natural Gas Project — a multi-year infrastructure upgrade kicking off this spring. Phase 1 covers approximately 2.4 miles of main gas lines in the northeast part of the city, roughly from NJC's main campus north to the Poly Tech campus, including all service lines connecting to meters in that area. Contractor is Centerline Energy; crews will be based locally.

Work runs Monday–Friday, 7:30 AM–4:30 PM. Expect some road and sidewalk closures and construction noise. All disturbed areas will be fully restored. Work near the schools is being prioritized ahead of August.

A public meeting is planned for late May or early June at NJC — all are welcome.
Weekly updates at the project website | Info line: 970-206-4357

𝙄𝙛 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙨𝙢𝙚𝙡𝙡 𝙜𝙖𝙨 — 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙧𝙤𝙩𝙩𝙚𝙣 𝙚𝙜𝙜 𝙨𝙢𝙚𝙡𝙡 — 𝙡𝙚𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙖𝙧𝙚𝙖 𝙞𝙢𝙢𝙚𝙙𝙞𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙡𝙮. 𝘾𝙖𝙡𝙡 911 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙓𝙘𝙚𝙡 𝙖𝙩 800-895-2999.

🏗️ 𝗪𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗠𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗲𝘁 𝗨𝗿𝗯𝗮𝗻 𝗥𝗲𝗻𝗲𝘄𝗮𝗹 𝗣𝗹𝗮𝗻 — 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗱
This was the big one. The chamber was standing room only.

The Sterling Urban Renewal Authority (SURA) has been developing a plan to designate the West Main Street corridor — from North Division Avenue west to County Road 37, including roughly a block north and south of Main Street — as a new urban renewal district. On April 28, council voted unanimously to approve it.

𝙒𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙞𝙨 𝙎𝙐𝙍𝘼, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙬𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙙𝙤𝙚𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙖𝙘𝙩𝙪𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙮 𝙙𝙤?

SURA has existed since the 1980s and has been at work in Sterling's downtown for decades — sidewalk improvements, façade grants, matching funds for businesses making improvements. This new district extends that same toolkit to the West Main corridor, which is now the most visible entry point into Sterling since the S Curve installation. An independent conditions survey identified significant challenges in the area: deteriorating structures, missing stormwater infrastructure, environmental contamination from underground petroleum tanks, and significant commercial vacancy.

The financing tool is 𝗧𝗮𝘅 𝗜𝗻𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗙𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗻𝗴 (𝗧𝗜𝗙). In plain terms: when properties in the district increase in value — because a business improves, a vacant lot gets developed, or infrastructure gets upgraded — a portion of the additional property tax generated above the current baseline flows into a SURA fund for reinvestment.

No new taxes. No tax increase. Just a portion of the growth in tax revenue, reinvested in the area that generated it, for up to 25 years.

This creates a resource, not a project list. SURA doesn't arrive with a predetermined map of what gets built where. They work with property owners, businesses, and the city to identify where the resources make the most difference — clearing environmental contamination costs that would make a project unfeasible, funding sidewalks and curb alongside road improvements, matching funds for façade upgrades.

𝙒𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙖𝙗𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙚𝙢𝙞𝙣𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙙𝙤𝙢𝙖𝙞𝙣?

When letters went out to property owners in the district earlier this year, they included eminent domain language — standard statutory boilerplate required in public notices. For many residents, that was the first they'd heard of the plan, and it was alarming. Neighbors talked. People showed up — in force.

Before the public hearing even opened, SURA confirmed what their board had already done at the April 14 meeting: eminent domain authority has been completely removed from the West Main Street Urban Renewal Plan. It was never SURA's intention to use it. When residents made clear how frightening that language was, the decision to strike it was easy. In SURA's 30-plus years of existence, eminent domain has never been used in any Sterling district.

Multiple speakers asked council and legal counsel to be precise about what that removal means going forward. The answer, stated clearly and repeatedly on the record: eminent domain cannot be added back to this plan without starting the entire process over — new conditions survey, new public notice to all property owners, new public hearing, new council vote. There is no back door.

𝙒𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙖𝙗𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙗𝙡𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙙𝙚𝙨𝙞𝙜𝙣𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣?

Several speakers raised this concern, and it deserves a straight answer. The blight designation is a legal threshold, not a label attached to individual properties. Under Colorado law, an area must exhibit at least four of eleven defined blight conditions to qualify for urban renewal. The West Main corridor survey found ten — things like deteriorating structures, drainage failures, environmental contamination, and commercial vacancy. That threshold is what unlocks the TIF financing mechanism.

It doesn't tag individual properties in public records, and it doesn't change zoning or permitted land use for anyone.

One concern that wasn't fully resolved in the meeting: does the blight designation affect individual property values? It's worth being direct about. Research on urban renewal districts consistently shows that it's the underlying conditions — vacancy, deterioration, and poor infrastructure — that drag property values down, not the designation created to address them. Urban renewal districts typically see property values rise after designation, as investment flows in and visible improvements take hold. That's the point of the tool. What would have been helpful to hear more clearly at the meeting is that the designation is likely to improve, not decrease, property values as residents and business owners access fundinf to improve the blight conditions.

Residential property owners within the district boundary also raised concerns about being included. SURA's response: the same infrastructure gaps — drainage, curb and gutter, sidewalks — affect those streets too, and the district gives SURA the ability to address them, both for resdents and for the current and future business owners on those blocks. Zoning doesn't change. Use doesn't change.

𝙒𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙢𝙚𝙖𝙣𝙨 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙎𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙜:

West Main is the front door to this community. There are currently 20-plus vacant commercial properties and lots within the plan area. This vote doesn't launch a construction project — it creates the conditions under which Sterling can attract investment, clean up contaminated sites, improve infrastructure, and grow its tax base in a way that benefits the broader community.

𝘐𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘢 𝘣𝘶𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘰𝘳 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘵𝘺 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘞𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘔𝘢𝘪𝘯 𝘥𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘪𝘤𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘯 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦, 𝘚𝘜𝘙𝘈 𝘮𝘦𝘦𝘵𝘴 𝘱𝘶𝘣𝘭𝘪𝘤𝘭𝘺 𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘥 𝘛𝘶𝘦𝘴𝘥𝘢𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘩 𝘮𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘩 𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘊𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘈𝘯𝘯𝘦𝘹. 𝘐𝘯𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘪𝘴 𝘢𝘷𝘢𝘪𝘭𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘢𝘵 𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘤𝘰𝘭𝘰.𝘤𝘰𝘮.

🚧 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗘𝗹𝘀𝗲 𝗪𝗮𝘀 𝗗𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗱
A few other action items across both meetings, briefly:

𝗖𝗗𝗢𝗧 𝗦𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝗥𝗲𝗺𝗼𝘃𝗮𝗹 𝗔𝗴𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗲𝘄𝗲𝗱 — Council authorized a new five-year contract for the city to continue plowing state highways within city limits (Main Street, Highways 6, 14, and 138). Annual reimbursement increases from $17,148 to $25,000; contract runs through 2031.

𝗕𝘂𝗹𝗸 𝘄𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲 — New rate of $9.20 per 1,000 gallons for large-volume non-metered water purchases (construction crews, tank trucks, etc.). Standard residential and business rates unchanged.

𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗷𝗲𝗰𝘁-𝗯𝗮𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘀𝗵 𝗽𝗶𝗰𝗸𝘂𝗽 𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀 — New fees for heavy construction debris: $100/truckload on city schedule, $150 on customer schedule. Routine household item pickup rates are not affected. A separate conversation about large-item residential pickup (mattresses, appliances) was flagged for the future.

𝗪𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗳𝗶𝗿𝗲 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗹𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝘆 𝗖𝗼𝗱𝗲 — Sterling adopted Colorado's 2025 statewide wildfire code into municipal code. Unanimous, no public comment.

📜 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐜𝐥𝐚𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 — 𝐀𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐥 𝟐𝟖
Mayor Fuller signed three: Mental Health Awareness Month (May 2026, in partnership with Centennial Mental Health), Professional Municipal Clerks Week (May 3–9, with appreciation to City Clerk Harmony Malakowski), and Public Service Recognition Week (May 3–9 — Fire Chief and Police Chief and a handful of other public servants were asked to stand; the room acknowledged them).

🏘️ 𝗔 𝗩𝗼𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝗙𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗶𝗰
Before the formal agenda on April 28, a resident who has lived in Sterling for most of the last 40 years came to the podium about something she's been raising for three and a half years: nuisance properties, most visibly the old motel on South Division. Graffiti. Broken windows. A fence that doesn't keep anyone out. Her message was plain — Sterling used to be a place people felt proud of, and she'd like to see the city take its own ordinances seriously, and find ways to help neighbors who want to do their part but don't have the means. She mentioned connecting with Council Member Knowles and reaching out to the high school about volunteer opportunities.

It's the kind of comment that doesn't always make headlines. But it matters — and it's worth asking: what is the current process for addressing nuisance properties in Sterling, and how can residents engage it — particularly with support and compassion for our neighbors?

🚨 𝗘𝗺𝗲𝗿𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗰𝘆 𝗔𝗹𝗲𝗿𝘁𝘀: 𝗦𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗰𝗵 𝘁𝗼 𝗘𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗯𝗿𝗶𝗱𝗴𝗲 — 𝗥𝗲-𝗥𝗲𝗴𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗡𝗼𝘄
This is actionable for every Logan County resident.

The Sterling Emergency Communications Center has switched from CodeRED to Everbridge after CodeRED suffered a major nationwide data breach last year. Everbridge is faster, covers all of Logan County, and — critically for this part of Colorado — weather alerts now trigger automatically through NOAA. Tornado warning, hail, severe weather: the alert goes out when NOAA issues it, without waiting for a dispatcher to manually send it mid-emergency.

If you were signed up for CodeRED, you need to re-register. Your previous enrollment did not transfer.

Sign up at Everbridge.com or scan the QR code when you see it posted around the community. Not sure if your info is current? Call Sterling dispatch — they can look you up and help.

🗒️ 𝗔𝗹𝘀𝗼 𝗙𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗖𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗠𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗿
Fire Chief search — Interviews are underway to replace Chief Ritter. The City Manager appoints with council approval.

Splash pad — Early conversations are happening with the Sterling Community Fund. No formal ask to council yet.

💬 𝗔 𝗡𝗼𝘁𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗖𝗹𝗼𝘀𝗲
The April 28 meeting was a case study in civic engagement working the way it's supposed to. Residents saw something that felt off — alarming language in a letter from a law firm — and they didn't let it lie. They talked to their neighbors, showed up prepared, and asked their representatives hard questions. Council and SURA met them with transparency, patience, and real answers.

What's worth holding onto is this: that same power is available on every issue, not just the ones that fill a room. Water rates. Snow removal contracts. Fire chief appointments. These decisions happen whether or not anyone is watching. Showing up or staying informed is always an option.

➡️ 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐮𝐩: 𝐌𝐚𝐲 𝟏𝟐 𝐂𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐂𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐥 𝐌𝐞𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠
Joshua Clift sworn in — Sterling fully seated
West Main Street Urban Renewal Plan: SURA public meetings, second Tuesday monthly

𝘍𝘰𝘭𝘭𝘰𝘸 𝘈𝘔𝘗𝘛 𝘰𝘯 𝘍𝘢𝘤𝘦𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘰𝘯𝘨𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘱𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘤𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘤 𝘶𝘱𝘥𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘴. 𝘚𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘊𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘊𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘤𝘪𝘭 𝘮𝘦𝘦𝘵𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘧𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘵𝘩 𝘛𝘶𝘦𝘴𝘥𝘢𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘩 𝘮𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘩 𝘢𝘵 5:30 𝘗𝘔, 𝘊𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘤𝘪𝘭 𝘊𝘩𝘢𝘮𝘣𝘦𝘳𝘴, 421 𝘕. 4𝘵𝘩 𝘚𝘵𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘵.

04/02/2026

AMPT's Spring Social Mixer starts at 5:30 PM at Hot Spot Smokehouse — and we'd love to see you there tonight!

Whether you've been part of AMPT for years or you're just curious about what we do, tonight is the perfect time to stop in, say hi, and share a meal with your community. Appetizers provided. Good people guaranteed.

See you tonight! 🍖🌱

03/31/2026

AMPT's Spring Social Mixer is THIS Thursday, April 2nd at 5:30 PM at Hot Spot Smokehouse at Sky Ranch. Come grab some BBQ, meet your neighbors, and see what AMPT has been up to — appetizers are on us 🍖

No membership required. Just community. Bring a friend! 🌱

03/30/2026

𝐀𝐌𝐏𝐓 𝐂𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐂𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐥 𝐑𝐞𝐜𝐚𝐩 | 𝐒𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐂𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐂𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐥 | 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗵 𝟮𝟰, 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲
𝘉𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘣𝘺 𝘈𝘔𝘗𝘛 — 𝘈𝘥𝘷𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘔𝘰𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘯 𝘗𝘳𝘰𝘧𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭𝘴 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘛𝘰𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘳𝘰𝘸

Some meetings are routine. Some change the trajectory of a city. After the drama of March 10th — deadlocked votes, a grant crisis, and a community searching for its footing — March 24th showed Sterling in its stride.

The vacant seat has a path forward. Three meaningful resolutions passed. And a resident showed up to public comment with an AI-powered candidate analysis in hand. It was active, it was engaged, and — ultimately — it was encouraging. Here's the full picture.

(𝘕𝘰𝘵𝘦: 𝘊𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘤𝘪𝘭 𝘔𝘦𝘮𝘣𝘦𝘳 𝘙𝘢𝘧𝘧𝘢𝘦𝘭𝘪 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘢𝘣𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘵. 𝘈𝘭𝘭 𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘮𝘦𝘮𝘣𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘵.)

📋 𝗥𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗕𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 — 𝗔𝗹𝗹 𝗣𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗲𝗱
A handful of items moved efficiently through the agenda:

✅ Bamboo Garden received renewal of their beer and wine liquor license at 1027 W. Main Street.
✅ Resolution 3-1-26 approved an agreement with RE-1 Valley School District and the Sterling Baseball Organization, which defines the roles of each organization for care, preparation and use of the RE-1 Valley baseball fields in use by the Little League program. (This is a recurring agreement that saw no changes this year).
✅ Resolution 3-2-26 approved a Cooperation Agreement between the City of Sterling and the Sterling Urban Renewal Authority to share incremental tax revenue under the West Main Street Urban Renewal Plan — a financing mechanism that reinvests growth back into the corridor to improve infrastructure and eliminate blight. Sterling will retain new revenue generated through sales tax in the corridor, and property tax growth will be diverted to SURA.
✅Resolution 3-3-26 approved a Professional Services Agreement with LJA Aviation for aviation and engineering support at Sterling Municipal Airport, authorizing the Mayor to execute the contract.

📣𝗣𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗶𝗰 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 — 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗪𝗲𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘀 𝗜𝗻 𝗼𝗻 𝗪𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝟮
Two residents showed up to speak about the Ward 2 vacancy and the council's deadlock in filling it.

The second speaker took a particularly notable approach: he obtained the recording of the candidate interviews — a public record, available to anyone — had it transcribed, and then used AI to evaluate the two candidates based on their responses.

💬 𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘬 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘥𝘰𝘭𝘰𝘨𝘺, 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘴 𝘤𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘤 𝘦𝘯𝘨𝘢𝘨𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘢𝘵 𝘪𝘵𝘴 𝘮𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦. 𝘈 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘯𝘵, 𝘴𝘦𝘦𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘤𝘪𝘭 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘥 𝘣𝘺 𝘢 𝘥𝘪𝘧𝘧𝘪𝘤𝘶𝘭𝘵 𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘪𝘤𝘦, 𝘥𝘪𝘥𝘯'𝘵 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘶𝘱 𝘵𝘰 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘪𝘯 — 𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘪𝘥 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘢𝘯𝘢𝘭𝘺𝘴𝘪𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘣𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘪𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦. 𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘵'𝘴 𝘦𝘹𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘭𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘧 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘪𝘱𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘥𝘦𝘮𝘰𝘤𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘺 𝘪𝘴 𝘣𝘶𝘪𝘭𝘵 𝘧𝘰𝘳. 𝘐𝘵'𝘴 𝘢𝘭𝘴𝘰 𝘢 𝘳𝘦𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝙥𝙪𝙗𝙡𝙞𝙘 𝙧𝙚𝙘𝙤𝙧𝙙𝙨 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙥𝙪𝙗𝙡𝙞𝙘 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙖 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙨𝙤𝙣. 𝘈𝘯𝘺𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘢𝘤𝘤𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮. 𝘈𝘯𝘺𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘦𝘯𝘨𝘢𝘨𝘦.

⚖️ 𝗪𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝟮 𝗩𝗮𝗰𝗮𝗻𝗰𝘆 — 𝗥𝗲𝗽𝗼𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗮 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗔𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗥𝗲𝗰𝘂𝘀𝗮𝗹
Council took up the Ward 2 vacancy again, with a notable undercurrent: the question of whether candidates with family members in city government should be disqualified — or required to recuse from certain votes — entered the discussion. It's a legitimate governance question, made more pointed by the fact that at least one current council member has already consulted legal counsel about their own recusal obligations.

💬 𝘐𝘯 𝘢 𝘴𝘮𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘰𝘸𝘯, 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘴 𝘨𝘦𝘯𝘶𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘭𝘺 𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘥. 𝘍𝘢𝘮𝘪𝘭𝘺 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘯𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘭𝘰𝘤𝘢𝘭 𝘨𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘯𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘯'𝘵 𝘶𝘯𝘶𝘴𝘶𝘢𝘭 𝘪𝘯 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘶𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘚𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 — 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺'𝘳𝘦 𝘢𝘭𝘮𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘵𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦. 𝘈 𝘣𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘬𝘦𝘵 𝘥𝘪𝘴𝘲𝘶𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘱𝘰𝘭𝘪𝘤𝘺 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘢 𝘴𝘪𝘨𝘯𝘪𝘧𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘰𝘧 𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘸𝘪𝘴𝘦 𝘲𝘶𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘪𝘦𝘥, 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘪𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴. 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘳𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘴𝘸𝘦𝘳 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘣𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘺 𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘴 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘵𝘸𝘦𝘦𝘯 "𝘪𝘵 𝘥𝘰𝘦𝘴𝘯'𝘵 𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳" 𝘢𝘯𝘥 "𝘪𝘵 𝘥𝘪𝘴𝘲𝘶𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘳𝘦𝘭𝘺" — 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘪𝘵'𝘴 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘶𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩.

After a 3–2 vote failed to reach the four-vote threshold required, further discussion brought both sides together. Council then voted unanimously to repost the Ward 2 position and open it to new applicants.

This is progress. After a heated deadlock, council found unanimous footing. The seat will be filled — and the process will be open to more of the community. If you or someone you know has considered serving, now is the time.

🏛️ 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗚𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘁 & 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗔𝗿𝗺𝗼𝗿𝘆 — 𝗔 𝗖𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗶𝘀, 𝗮 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗮 𝗗𝗲𝗰𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻
A special work session after the normal meeting brought remarkable clarity to a complicated situation.

𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙗𝙖𝙘𝙠𝙜𝙧𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙙: A previous City Manager secured a state grant to fund design plans for the armory — a building Sterling purchased with the intention of converting into a new police station and community asset. The grant required Sterling to provide matching funds. That commitment was never made, the money was never budgeted, and the state had been waiting.
At the previous meeting, council deadlocked 3–3 on whether to authorize the City Manager to send a letter committing to the match. The divide was real and reasonable on both sides.

𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙘𝙖𝙨𝙚 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙢𝙞𝙩𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜: Sterling desperately needs a new police station — the current one is too small for the department. This grant only covers design plans, but those plans unlock the ability to pursue future construction grants worth millions. Failing to honor the commitment risks not just this grant, but Sterling's standing with the state for all future funding.

𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙘𝙖𝙨𝙚 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙘𝙖𝙪𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣: Committing funds the city hasn't fully identified — or fully understood the scope of — is a legitimate fiscal concern. Besides potentially eating up funding needed in other areas, it presents its own risks to grant standing. Just as 𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘰𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨 to not follow thorugh with grant matching could hurt the city's standing, so too could 𝘣𝘦𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘶𝘯𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦 to produce matching funds when they become due. Council members who've hesitated aren't being obstinate. They're doing their job.

𝙒𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙠 𝙨𝙚𝙨𝙨𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙧𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙖𝙡𝙚𝙙: A representative from the state of Colorado who assists with grant applications attended the session and was refreshingly transparent. He shared that he had already asked City Manager John Sheldon to withdraw a separaate $1M grant application. Due to our current state with the armory grant, it would likely hurt Sterling's standing if our other appication went before committee. That kind of honest guidance from a state partner is rare and valuable.

Sterling's Chief of Police led council members on a tour of the existing police station. Seeing the space — and understanding firsthand why it's inadequate — brought the stakes into focus in a way no presentation could. The cohesion at the table was palpable.

The group also worked through a critical detail: Sterling had originally expected the building purchase itself to count as an in-kind contribution toward the match. That would have covered the match and eliminated the need to produce additional funds. But the city missed the 12-month deadline for that credit — by two weeks. It's a painful gap, but it's the reality.

City Manager Sheldon signaled that the remaining $176,000 needed beyond what's already earmarked can be drawn from the general fund. With that clarity on the table, and with both sides of the previous debate having been fully heard, council voted to notify Colorado that Sterling will commit to matching the funds and move forward under contract.

💬 𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘴 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘨𝘰𝘰𝘥 𝘨𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘯𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘬𝘴 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦. 𝘕𝘰𝘵 𝘢 𝘳𝘶𝘴𝘩𝘦𝘥 𝘷𝘰𝘵𝘦, 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘢 𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘢𝘮𝘳𝘰𝘭𝘭 — 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘢 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘤𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘭𝘦𝘨𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘳𝘯𝘴 𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘴𝘦𝘥, 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭 𝘪𝘯𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘨𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘥, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘢 𝘥𝘦𝘤𝘪𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘮𝘢𝘥𝘦 𝘵𝘰𝘨𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳. 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘤𝘪𝘭 𝘮𝘦𝘮𝘣𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘩𝘢𝘥 𝘩𝘦𝘴𝘪𝘵𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘯'𝘵 𝘸𝘳𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘢𝘴𝘬 𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘥 𝘲𝘶𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴. 𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘤𝘪𝘭 𝘮𝘦𝘮𝘣𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘱𝘶𝘴𝘩𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘮𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘸𝘢𝘳𝘥 𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘯'𝘵 𝘸𝘳𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘦𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳. 𝘉𝘰𝘵𝘩 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘴 𝘮𝘢𝘥𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘥𝘦𝘤𝘪𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘰𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘳.

𝙒𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙨 𝙣𝙚𝙭𝙩: This grant covers the design phase only. Once plans are drawn, Sterling becomes eligible to pursue future grants — potentially worth millions — to fund the actual construction of a new facility. The armory project is a long game, and this vote just kept Sterling in it.

🌟 𝗪𝗵𝗼 𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗜𝘀 — 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗕𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗥𝗲𝗳𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗵 𝗙𝗶𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀
The work session included a presentation from Blakely + Company, the marketing firm working on Sterling's rebrand. They came with findings from community research — and what they heard painted a picture of a city that knows exactly what it loves about itself.

From the business community: small town feel, outdoor recreation, agricultural heritage, quality of life, and opportunity for growth.

From the broader public: the people. The close-knit, neighbor-helping-neighbor character of Sterling. Community, connectedness, belonging.

💬 𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦'𝘴 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘲𝘶𝘪𝘦𝘵𝘭𝘺 𝘱𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘧𝘶𝘭 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘢 𝘤𝘪𝘵𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵, 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘢𝘴𝘬𝘦𝘥 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘦𝘴 𝘪𝘵 𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘪𝘢𝘭, 𝘱𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘩 𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳. 𝘕𝘰𝘵 𝘢𝘯 𝘢𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘺. 𝘕𝘰𝘵 𝘢𝘯 𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯. 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘦𝘰𝘱𝘭𝘦. 𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘵'𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘢 𝘮𝘢𝘳𝘬𝘦𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘭𝘦 — 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵'𝘴 𝘢 𝘧𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯.

The rebrand isn't about inventing an identity for Sterling. The identity is already there, spoken clearly by the people who live it every day. The work now is giving it a voice worthy of what this community already knows itself to be.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗕𝗶𝗴𝗴𝗲𝗿 𝗣𝗶𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 — 𝗔 𝗥𝗲𝗯𝗶𝗿𝘁𝗵 𝗘𝗿𝗮 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴
It would be easy to look at the last few meetings and see dysfunction — deadlocked votes, a vacant seat, a grant nearly lost. But zoom out, and a different picture emerges.

Sterling has new leadership, a community asking hard questions, organizations like AMPT helping residents stay informed and engaged, and a council that — when it matters — finds a way to move forward unanimously. The grant decision didn't happen despite the disagreement. It happened because both sides were heard.

That's not dysfunction. That's democracy working.

The rebrand, the armory, the push to fill Ward 2 with the right person — these aren't separate stories. They're threads of the same one: a city figuring out what it wants to be next. Sterling's leaders deserve credit for engaging that question seriously, and the community deserves to be part of answering it.

This feels like a moment. AMPT is proud to be part of it — and proud to help keep you connected to it.

🏙️ Your Community. Your Voice. Your Choice to Show Up.
📅 𝗡𝗲𝘅𝘁 𝗠𝗲𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴: 𝗔𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗹 𝟭𝟰, 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲

𝘐𝘯𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘪𝘯 𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘭𝘺𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘞𝘢𝘳𝘥 2 𝘷𝘢𝘤𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘺? 𝘞𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘯 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘢𝘳𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘺 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘫𝘦𝘤𝘵 𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘣𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘥? 𝘙𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘩 𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘈𝘔𝘗𝘛 — 𝘸𝘦'𝘳𝘦 𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘩𝘦𝘭𝘱 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘦𝘯𝘨𝘢𝘨𝘦.