GSF Business Improvement District & GSF Metropolitan District Nos. 1-2

Overview

 Information on this site is for GSF Business Improvement District.

The GSF Metropolitan District Nos. 1-2 are currently inactive and no meetings are scheduled for 2025.

What is a Metropolitan District?

The District was organized by Ordinance of the City of Colorado Springs on April 24, 2021, to provide the financing, acquisition, construction, completion, installation, replacement and/or operation and maintenance of public improvements authorized under Colorado law for business improvement districts. The District will own public improvements as constructed that are not otherwise dedicated to other public entities for operation and maintenance. The District's service area is located entirely within the City of Colorado Springs, El Paso County, Colorado.

How to Become a Board Member

Regular special district elections are elections held for the purpose of electing eligible electors to the Board of Directors of the special district.  Elections are held biennially on the first Tuesday after the first Monday of May in odd-numbered years.  C.R.S. 1-13.5-111(1).  A regular election may include the submission of questions to the eligible electors or any ballot issue required under TABOR.  A canceled election counts as having conducted an election; the directors are elected by acclamation.

Special elections may occur in February, May (even years), October, November, and December.  An election question may be asked at any election.  A TABOR ballot question may only be asked at a regular special district election date, the general election date, or the first Tuesday in November of odd numbered years.

Directors typically serve staggered 4-year terms.  For special districts with five Board members, two directors serve until the next regular election after the district organization and three directors serve until the second regular election after organization.  Term limits apply to special district Board members. The voters of any political subdivision may lengthen, shorten or eliminate the term limits.  Art. XVIII, Sec. 11 Colorado Constitution.

An eligible elector is an individual who is registered to vote in Colorado and is a resident of the special district (regardless of property ownership) OR an owner, or the spouse or civil union partner of an owner, of taxable real or personal property situated in the district.  A partnership, corporation, or trust cannot register to vote, is not a "person" in the context of voter registration and therefore is not an eligible elector.  CRS 32-1-103(5).

Under certain circumstances, a person may qualify as an eligible elector if the person is obligated to pay taxes under a contract to purchase taxable property within the boundaries of the special district.  Such individual is considered an owner of property for purposes of eligible elector status.  CRS 32-1-103(5).

A special district candidate must complete a self-nomination form, which form is due 67 days prior to the regular election date.   No earlier than January 1 and no later than the normal close of business on the 67th day before the date of a regular special district election, any person who desires to be a candidate for the office of a special district director shall file a self-nomination and acceptance form or letter signed by the candidate and the candidate’s signature/form must be witnessed by an eligible elector of the state.  An amended self-nomination form or letter may be accepted by the Designated Election Official up to the normal close of business on the 67th day before an election.  C.R.S. 1-13.5-303.

Alternatively, a special district candidate may complete a write-in affidavit, which affidavit is due 64 days prior to the regular election date.

All candidates must comply with the Fair Campaign Practices Act (FCPA) and Amendment 27 of the Colorado Constitution.  Information on campaign finance laws and regulations may be obtained from the website of the Colorado Secretary of State.

Under the election laws, the board of directors of the special district is charged with appointing a Designated Election Official (DEO) who oversees the election.  C.R.S. 1-13.5-103(2), C.R.S. 1-13.5-108(1).

If the number of candidates is equal to or less than the number of seats available, the election may be canceled, and the candidates are elected by acclamation.  The election may be canceled at any point in time after the 63rd day before the election.  C.R.S. 13-5-513(1).  However, if the electors are to consider the election of directors and ballot issues or ballot questions, the election may only be canceled if those ballot issues or questions have been withdrawn.  No election may be canceled in part.  C.R.S. 1-13.5-513(3),(4).

Additional information regarding special district elections can be found on the Department of Local Affairs (DOLA) Special District Elections website.

GSF BID Financial Obligations

A. Maximum Debt Service Mill Levy for a commercial district: 50.000 mills, subject to adjustment as set forth in the Operating Plan.

B. Maximum Operations and Maintenace Mill Levy for a commerical district: 10.000 mills, subject to adjustment as set forth in the Operating Plan.

C. Current Debt Service Mill Levy: 0.000 mills

D. Current O&M Mill Levy: 0.000 mills

E. The mill levies will change as development progresses.

F. The District does not currently have any general obligation debt and does not intend to issue debt at this time.

G. The District is party to the following developer reimbursement agreements:

1. Reimbursement Agreement between GSF Business Improvement District and Nor'wood Limited, Inc., dated May 21, 2021.

• Term: Automatically renews annually
• Interest rate: 8%

          2. Facilities Funding and Acquisition Agreement between GSF Business Improvement District and  Nor'wood  Limited, Inc., dated May 21, 2021.

• Term: December 31, 2051
• Interest rate: 8% 

GSF MD No. 1 and No. 2 Financial Obligations

A. Maximum Debt Service Mill Levy for a residential district: 30.000 mills, subject to adjustment as set forth in the Service Plan.

B. Maximum Debt Service Mill Levy for a commercial district: 50.000 mills, subject to adjustment as set forth in the Service Plan.

C. Maximum Operations and Maintenace Mill Levy: 10.000 mills, subject to adjustment as set forth in the Service Plan.

D. Current Debt Service Mill Levy: 0.000 mills

E. Current O&M Mill Levy: 0.000 mills

F. The Debt Service Mill Levy for a residential district may not be in place longer than 40 years except as provided in the Service Plan.

G. The mill levies may increase as development progresses.

H. The District does not currently have any general obligation debt and does not intend to issue debt at this time.

I. The District is not party to developer reimbursement agreements.

Services Provided

 Public improvements.

Overlapping Entities

El Paso County, EPC Road & Bridge Share, City of Colorado Springs, EPC - Colorado Springs Road & Bridge Share, Colorado Springs School District #11, Pikes Peak Library District, Southeaster Colorado Water Conservancy District, Colorado Springs Downtown Development Authority, Colorado Springs Downtown Developement Authority (TIF DDA), 

Contact Us

The following systems are in place for contacting someone associated with the District.

Regular business hours are 8am-5pm, Monday-Friday. For any after-hours emergencies, such as issues with irrigation, water line breaks, or sanitary sewer emergencies, please contact our after-hours call service at 1-800-215-8299. For general inquiries or other non-emergent issues, please reach out to District management during regular business hours."

All contact methods available on the "Contact Us" page".