by Ruth Stodghill
TRINIDAD — It was a packed house at the June 12 Trinidad City Council work session and special meeting, with every seat filled and an overflow crowd spilling out into the hallway, many of whom were holding signs of protest.
But that protest went largely unheard, as the council raced through the work session, ending the public portion of the meeting in just under eleven minutes.
The issue that drew many to attend was not mentioned at the meeting, as it was not on the agenda: the recent promotion of a private event at a local business on the city’s website which some found questionable.
Satan worshiping in Trinidad – or much ado about nothing?
The controversy regarding the city’s promotion of private events began last week, when a link to a performance by the Pentagram String Band at The Well Hotel and Taphouse was included in a list of upcoming events on the city’s calendar and Facebook page, along with dozens of other public and private events scheduled for the week.
In the Facebook link to the event itself, the band was self-described as Gothic Funk Bluegrass: “Often involving cannibalism and murder, their lyrics focus on themes of misery and joys of death,” stated the Facebook post.
A community member approached the council at the June 6 regular meeting and spoke out against the city’s involvement in promoting the event. Council members Aaron Williamson, Eli DeBono, and Frank Shew responded to the complaint, sharing their own concerns regarding the promotion of the event.
Rumblings concerning the event have continued on both sides of the issue since the June 6 meeting, with many attending the June 12 work session to voice their views. However, with no public participation slated for the work session and no action items regarding the issue on the agenda, it remains to be seen how the council will address the controversy when it holds its next regular meeting, slated for June 20.
In other business
A slated presentation to demonstrate the Wish Trip App to promote and facilitate tourism in Trinidad was scrubbed due to technical issues.
The council then had a short discussion of proposed changes to the city’s planning fees, pertaining to the planning and construction of new housing developments in Trinidad. The council was presented with a new fee proposal which aims to consolidate the time required for new developments to move forward. Mayor Phil Rico noted that the proposal simplifies language and streamlines the process for both developers and city staff. The proposal will appear as a resolution at the next regular meeting.
Following this short presentation, the council went into executive session for a conference with the city’s attorney for the purpose of receiving legal advice on specific legal questions under C.R.S. Section 24-6- 402(4)(b) – New Legislation; Avoidance of legal liability.
