Update: This story has been expanded and updated in a separate Jan. 6 article available here.
WINDSOR — Windsor Town Board member David Sislowski, who represents District 6 in the Northern Colorado municipality, is expected to ask the rest of the board to discuss revoking emergency powers granted to the town manager at a special meeting Jan. 4.
The powers, which were granted to Town Manager Shane Hale by resolution in March, are broad and have no set expiration. The powers also have no checks and balances by the Town Board. No one can overrule Hale. The mayor is, however, the only one who can revoke the resolution by revoking the emergency power.
“I wasn’t real happy with it at the time,” said Sislowski. “I was surprised by the scope of authority that was granted. I wasn’t real tickled, but I figured if the rest of the board thought it made sense, I went along with it. You pick your fights.”
Some of the powers granted to Hale include:
- Create a town curfew for up to 72 hours.
- Evacuate all or part of the town and create transportation routes.
- Close private businesses for up to 72 hours.
- Allocate and expend funds, execute contracts, obtain property – all with no limitations.
- Suspend or modify any provision of any town ordinance.
- Accept services, gifts, grants, loans, etc. – with no limitations.
Sislowski will ask to readdress the authorization after Hale entered into an agreement with an out-of-town delivery service that would use taxpayer money to subsidize the business without going through a request for proposal protocol ,and then informing the town board that he had the power to do it without their approval.
Complete Colorado will have the full story on Wednesday.
