Active threads this episode
New This Episode · Federal Housing Money
CDAB — The Community Development Advisory Board Reviews CDBG Funds
The Community Development Advisory Board (CDAB) met to review and recommend allocations for Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funding for 2026. CDBG money is federal — it comes from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) with relatively few strings attached and a mandate to benefit low-to-moderate income residents. El Paso County receives this money every year. Most residents have no idea. How it gets allocated, and who gets to weigh in on that process, is a civic decision that affects real services — housing repairs, accessibility improvements, community programs — and the CDAB is the body that recommends it. You can attend CDAB meetings. Most chairs are empty when you do.
↳ CDAB · Federal Money · Low Attendance
New This Episode · Individual Lives · Public Board
Community Corrections Board — Voting on People, One Case at a Time
The Community Corrections Board voted on individual cases — people applying for community corrections placements as an alternative to incarceration. These are real people, one at a time, in front of a board that most of the public doesn't know exists. The outcomes directly affect whether someone goes home, stays housed, stays employed. The board has seats. Most of them aren't filled by community members. The decisions don't wait for you to notice the process exists.
↳ Individual Votes · Community Seats Available
New This Episode · Metro District · Property Tax
Lorson Ranch Metro District #6 — $58 Million, 60 Mills, 291.9 Acres
The Planning Commission approved the Lorson Ranch Metro District #6 service plan. 291.9 acres. Maximum debt ceiling: $58 million. Mill levy: 60 mills. What does 60 mills mean in practice? At 60 mills, a home assessed at $300,000 pays approximately $18,000 a year in district property taxes — on top of county, school, and other levies. Metro districts are how Colorado finances new development infrastructure — roads, drainage, utilities. The debt is repaid through property taxes within the district. The people who will eventually buy homes in Lorson Ranch may not know this number when they sign their mortgage. They should.
⟳ Approved · Watch Future Build-Out · Tell Your Neighbors
Ongoing · Third Continuation
Rush Cafe — Still Waiting
The Rush Cafe liquor license application was continued again. This is the third time. No explanation on the record for why. A continuation is not a denial — but three continuations without explanation is a pattern, and patterns are worth naming. At some point, the absence of a reason is itself a reason. If anyone has direct knowledge of this application — the owner, neighbors, anyone who has attended one of these hearings — the tip line is open.
⟳ Third Continuation · Submit a Tip If You Know More
What happened · Three boards · Week of February 20, 2026
CDAB Reviews CDBG 2026 Funding Recommendations
↳ Recommended to BOCCThe Community Development Advisory Board (CDAB) reviewed and recommended allocations for Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) federal funding for 2026. The BOCC (Board of County Commissioners) will ultimately approve the allocations. CDBG funding is administered by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and directed to low-to-moderate income benefit activities — housing rehabilitation, public improvements, community services. El Paso County has received this funding for years. The CDAB's job is to make recommendations about where it goes. Their meetings are public. Their seats are frequently empty. If you work in housing, nonprofits, or community services, this is the room where federal money for your neighborhood gets recommended for allocation.
Community Corrections Board — Individual Case Votes
↳ Individual Cases DecidedThe Community Corrections Board voted on individual placements — people applying for community corrections as an alternative to incarceration. Each vote is a decision about a real person's immediate life circumstances: housing, employment, family access, treatment. The board includes county representatives, treatment professionals, and community members — and community member seats exist specifically so the public has a voice in these decisions. Most of those seats go unfilled. The board meets regularly. You can apply to serve. The decisions happen whether or not the community shows up.
Planning Commission — Lorson Ranch Metro District #6 Service Plan
✓ Approved · 291.9 Acres · $58M Max DebtThe Planning Commission approved the Lorson Ranch Metro District #6 service plan. Key numbers: 291.9 acres. Maximum debt ceiling of $58 million. Mill levy of 60 mills. At 60 mills, a home with a $300,000 assessed value pays approximately $18,000 per year in district property taxes — before adding county, school district, and other levies.
Metro districts are the primary financing mechanism for new development infrastructure in Colorado. Developers form them, issue bonds to pay for roads, drainage, and utilities, and then the debt is repaid by property taxes from residents who move in later. Future homebuyers in Lorson Ranch will inherit this obligation. The service plan approval is the moment when that obligation becomes legally binding. It happened in a Planning Commission meeting that most people in El Paso County didn't know was scheduled.
Metro districts are the primary financing mechanism for new development infrastructure in Colorado. Developers form them, issue bonds to pay for roads, drainage, and utilities, and then the debt is repaid by property taxes from residents who move in later. Future homebuyers in Lorson Ranch will inherit this obligation. The service plan approval is the moment when that obligation becomes legally binding. It happened in a Planning Commission meeting that most people in El Paso County didn't know was scheduled.
Rush Cafe — Liquor License Continued (Third Time)
⟳ Continued · Third TimeThird continuation. No explanation on the record. The applicant is still waiting. Three continuations without a stated reason is a pattern, and patterns deserve scrutiny. If you have direct knowledge of this application — if you are the owner, a neighbor, or someone who attended one of these hearings — submit a tip. Something is going on here and the public record isn't telling the full story.
Key votes · Three boards · Week of February 20, 2026
| Board | Item | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| CDAB | CDBG (Community Development Block Grant) 2026 funding recommendations — federal housing and community development allocations | Recommended to BOCC |
| Community Corrections Board | Individual community corrections placement cases — voted one by one | Various · Individual Decisions |
| Planning Commission | Lorson Ranch Metro District #6 — 291.9 acres, $58M max debt, 60-mill levy, infrastructure service plan | Approved |
| BOCC | Rush Cafe liquor license application — third continuation, no stated reason on record | Continued (3rd time) |
Sources: El Paso County CDAB Meeting, Community Corrections Board Meeting, Planning Commission Meeting — Week of February 20, 2026 · agendasuite.org/iip/elpaso · Not affiliated with El Paso County government.
The Short Version — Episode 002 at a glance
- Three boards met in one week. Most people had no idea. The county kept moving anyway.
- CDAB (Community Development Advisory Board) reviewed federal CDBG (Community Development Block Grant) housing money. The meetings are public. The chairs are empty. The money goes somewhere regardless.
- The Community Corrections Board voted on individual people's placements. Community seats exist. They go unfilled.
- Lorson Ranch Metro District #6: 291.9 acres, $58 million maximum debt, 60-mill levy. At 60 mills, a $300K assessed home pays roughly $18K/year in district taxes. Future buyers may not know this when they sign.
- Rush Cafe continued again. Third time. No stated reason. Three continuations without explanation is a pattern.
Full summary
"Three meetings. Three days. Most people had no idea any of them happened. The county allocated federal housing money, voted on individual people's lives, and took on $58 million in infrastructure debt — while a restaurant down the road still couldn't get a yes."
This is the week that made it clear how much of county government happens in rooms the public never visits. Not because people aren't allowed in. Because nobody told them the rooms existed.
The Community Development Advisory Board (CDAB) is the body that recommends how El Paso County allocates its Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funding — federal money from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) that comes to the county every year specifically to benefit low-to-moderate income residents. Housing repairs. Accessibility modifications. Community services. This money is already coming. The question is who gets to weigh in on where it goes. The CDAB's meeting was public. The room was not full. It never is.
The Community Corrections Board voted on individual placements — one person at a time, one vote at a time. These decisions affect whether someone goes home tonight or doesn't. The board includes community member seats that exist specifically so residents have standing in that room. Most of those seats are vacant. The decisions happen anyway.
Lorson Ranch Metro District #6 is the one that will matter for years. The Planning Commission approved a service plan for a new metro district covering 291.9 acres in the Lorson Ranch area with a maximum debt ceiling of $58 million and a 60-mill property tax levy. Colorado uses metro districts to finance the infrastructure for new subdivisions — roads, drainage, utilities — and then the bonds are repaid by the property taxes of whoever moves in afterward. At 60 mills, the math is not subtle: a home assessed at $300,000 generates approximately $18,000 per year in district property taxes. That number doesn't appear in the real estate listing. It appears in the closing documents, if the buyer reads them carefully.
The mosquito in the title is not a metaphor. It's a reminder that the county operates at multiple scales simultaneously — large infrastructure decisions and small procedural continuations, all moving on the same schedule, whether or not anyone is in the room watching. The Rush Cafe liquor license was continued for the third time. No explanation. The mosquito keeps showing up.
Upcoming · Dates worth knowing
CDAB Meetings
Ongoing
Community Development Advisory Board · Public meetings · Recommendations on CDBG (Community Development Block Grant) federal funding · Check elpasoco.com for schedule
Community Corrections Board
Apply to Serve
Community member seats available · Your voice in individual placement decisions · storyseedstudios.com/volunteer
Rush Cafe · Next Hearing
Watch Agenda
Fourth appearance · Check agendasuite.org/iip/elpaso · Submit a tip if you know why this keeps being continued
Take action · Five things, four minutes each
Apply to Serve
Community Corrections Board and CDAB (Community Development Advisory Board) both have community member seats. You don't need a law degree. You need to show up and be willing to read meeting materials. The decisions happen either way.
Look Up Your Metro District
If you live in or are considering buying in a newer development in El Paso County, look up whether it's in a metro district. The mill levy and debt ceiling are in the service plan — a public document. At 60 mills, $300K assessed = $18K/year in district taxes.
Submit a Tip
If you know why the Rush Cafe liquor license keeps getting continued — you're the owner, a neighbor, someone who attended a hearing — upload here. Three continuations without explanation is a pattern worth understanding.
Check the Full Agenda
Three boards met this week that most residents never knew about. Check agendasuite.org/iip/elpaso to see every board, commission, and meeting scheduled for El Paso County — not just the BOCC (Board of County Commissioners).
Comment on CDBG Funding
Federal CDBG (Community Development Block Grant) funding allocations are a public decision. If you work in housing, social services, or community programs and want to weigh in on where that money goes, email the Clerk and ask how to participate in the CDAB (Community Development Advisory Board) process.
Watch for · What's coming and why it matters to you
Lorson Ranch Metro District #6 — Build-Out and Home SalesLong-Term · Ongoing
The service plan was approved. The $58 million debt ceiling is now legally in place. As Lorson Ranch Metro District #6 builds out and homes are sold, the buyers who move in will inherit the district's mill levy — approximately $18,000 per year in district property taxes at 60 mills on a $300K assessed value. That number will appear in mortgage estimates and closing documents. Most buyers won't know to look for it. If you know someone considering buying in this area, mention it. The Planning Commission approval is the historical moment when this obligation was created. This page is the record of it.
Rush Cafe — Fourth Hearing (If It Comes Back)Watch Agenda
Three continuations with no stated reason is unusual. A fourth would be a story. Check agendasuite.org/iip/elpaso weekly. If you have direct knowledge of why this keeps being continued — neighboring business concerns, documentation issues, anything — submit a tip. The public record should say what's happening here.
CDAB — CDBG 2026 Final AllocationsOngoing · Watch for BOCC Approval
The CDAB (Community Development Advisory Board) recommended 2026 allocations. The BOCC (Board of County Commissioners) will formally approve them. Before that vote, there is a public comment opportunity. CDBG (Community Development Block Grant) money is federal — it comes regardless — but who gets how much is a recommendation the community can weigh in on. If you work in housing services, nonprofit services, or community programs and want to know where that money is going this year, the CDAB recommendation will appear as a BOCC agenda item.