Debate held on stormwater ballot measure

With less than three weeks until Election Day, a controversial ballot measure on stormwater issues continues to create mixed opinion in the Colorado Springs area.

To help educate voters, a debate was held Thursday night at the Penrose House. The debate focused on Measure 1B, a proposal to create a regional drainage authority and levy fees to property owners to pay for more than 100 flood control projects.

The authority also would control a separate fund for stormwater emergencies.

The panelists included Colorado Springs City Councilman Don Knight, El Paso County Commissioner Amy Lathen, 1B Campaign co-Chairman Dave Munger and Vince Rusinak, a businessman and civil engineer.

Rusinak was the only panelist generally opposed to the measure.

“It excludes vacant property and streets and roads,” he said. “It includes nonprofit agencies. It just doesn’t work.”

Munger admitted the measure isn’t perfect, but it’s a plan that most local leaders agree on to address overdue stormwater projects.

“We spent two years just getting to this point,” he said. “There’s no plan B. If this fails, it’ll take at least another two years to come up with something else. We can’t wait.”

The panelists answered questions from the audience during the 90-minute debate sponsored by the El Pomar Foundation.