Board reopens Desert Hawk Management Board applicant pool; staff recommends joint appointments and a county briefing before changes
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Summary
The district reopened applications for Desert Hawk Management Board seats at Pueblo County’s request; staff recommended the district’s prior nominees remain under consideration and the board asked staff to prepare ranked options and a joint county briefing on the IGA and debts.
The board reviewed additional applicants for the Desert Hawk Management Board after Pueblo County asked staff to reopen the application window for two weeks. Chief Administrative Officer Katrina Peter said the district now had 10 applicants in total and reminded the board its earlier recommendation named Director Brian Axworthy as the Pueblo West representative with John Paulson recommended as the joint appointee.
Board members discussed the timing and the strategic importance of Desert Hawk. Several directors urged a joint educational session with Pueblo County to review the intergovernmental agreement (IGA), the golf course’s financial history and drainage/ditch issues before the boards attempt any substantive change. Director Joe Mahaney and others emphasized that the golf course is an amenity long tied to the development and that questions remain about which debts are required to be repaid under the IGA.
Katrina Peter said the county had not yet finalized its appointment and that the next Desert Hawk board meeting would not occur until late March; the board directed staff to prepare a ranked list of recommended appointees and to coordinate with the county about a joint meeting to review the IGA and background materials.
Why it matters Desert Hawk’s financial and operational status is entangled with an IGA and county obligations. Who serves on the management board will influence recommendations about operations, debt repayment and potential disposition of the property.
Next steps Staff will prepare a ranked recommendation of district appointees for the board to consider at a future meeting and will coordinate with Pueblo County about a joint informational session that will include legal counsel to review the IGA and the golf course’s fiscal history.