Severance Town Council work Session/Regular, Oct. 27, 2026

Stories from this meeting

1. Severance proposes 6% wastewater rate increase, 1.5% for water

   The proposed bills set a $38.15 water base fee plus $8.88 per 1,000 gallons, and $39.81 for the first 5,000 gallons of wastewater. A public budget hearing is set for Nov. 10.

   Item A1

2. Severance starts annexation process for 3.668 acres of Berrado land

   A public hearing is set for Dec. 8 at 6 p.m. to consider whether the proposal meets state and constitutional requirements. Reviews by special districts and local governments would follow before a final council vote.

   Item C2Carried

3. Severance sets Dec. 8 hearing on Buffalo Creek annexation

   The hearing is set for 6 p.m. at the Severance Town Council Chambers, 3 S. Timber Ridge Pkwy. The council will determine whether the proposed annexation meets constitutional and state-law requirements.

   Item C3Carried

4. Severance starts Ridgegate annexation process, sets Dec. 8 hearing

   The hearing will determine whether the proposal meets state constitutional and statutory eligibility requirements, not whether to annex the land.

   Item C4Carried

5. Severance restores permits to grade land before final plat approval

   A $2,000-per-disturbed-acre bond and town engineer approval are required. The permits cover preliminary grading only, not building or infrastructure work, and do not guarantee final plat approval.

   Item C5Carried

6. Severance raises lot, street setbacks near plugged, abandoned and reclaimed wells to 75 feet

   Future plats must place plugged and abandoned wells and production facilities in separate non-buildable tracts with access. Existing wells retain a 350-foot lot setback, while streets may not be platted within 150 feet.

   Item C6Carried

7. Severance approves zero-foot front setbacks for Town Core multifamily housing

   Multifamily housing may have no front setback there. Nonresidential buildings with a shared party wall also may have no front setback.

   Item C7Carried

8. Severance council allows itself to bypass planning panel on code text amendments

   The ordinance lets the council skip commission review after a motion at or before introduction, but it must still apply code criteria and hold its own public hearing with at least 15 days’ notice.

   Item C8Carried

9. Severance sets 30-day restart window for paused land-use applications

   Only applications already on hold at an applicant’s request and not already void are covered; they must be restarted in writing after the ordinance takes effect or become void, requiring a new filing and applicable review fees to proceed.

   Item C9Carried

10. Severance council directs search for outside legal counsel

    The town has an interim attorney, and the council was asked to guide management on what to do next, the town manager said. An outside firm could offer attorneys with different specialties for work a single in-house attorney would handle, a council member said.

    Item C11

Decided6

• Consent CalendarCarried

• Call to order regular meeting (6:00 pm) 5 itemsAdopted with the calendar

  Show the 5 items

  • Item B4aPg. 260 - Severance High School After Prom Community Grant Application
  • Item B4bPg. 266 - Resolution 2026-31R: A Resolution of the Town Council of the Town of Severance, Colorado confirming the effectiveness of Ordinance no. 2026-12 and the Town's approval of the consolidated service plan for Northgate Lake Metropolitan District Nos 1 through 7
  • Item B4cPg. 268 - Meeting Minutes 9.22.26
  • Item B4dPg. 272 - September 2026 Financial Statements
  • Item B4ePg. 319 - September 2026 Payables

• Approval of AgendaCarried

• Council appoints Knott to Planning CommissionCarried, 6–1

  The Town Council appointed Duff Knott to the Planning Commission; Karl Lyons also applied.

• New developments must provide electric infrastructure for build-outCarried

  Residential, commercial, industrial and mixed-use developments must provide underground conduit, vaults, transformer pads, easements and related infrastructure required by the applicable electric service provider.

• AdjournCarried

Also discussed2

• Historical society invites public to ceremony

  One speaker used the off-agenda comment period to invite the public to a historical society ceremony.

• Sentry Pad and Trail Discussions Raised

  A speaker said they had spoken with Nick about the sentry pad. Another speaker said a discussion about the sentry pad would be coming at the next meeting.