Voices raised to Westminster Council

Westminster City Council had not quite started its executive session last night when it took up the complaint voiced by a rodeo sponsor heard at the start of the meeting as part of public comment. Michelle Sanford complained about a city requirement to pay a $50 dollar charge to display a sign. Sanford’s complaint was one of handful of complaints heard during public comment. Most of them dealt with the city’s intent to adopt an ordinance that links the city’s right to annex property to requests for new water or sewer taps in the future. After hearing from four out of town utility customers who said they don’t ever want their property annexed, the council approved the ordinance on a 6 to 1 vote, with Councilman Yousef Mefleh casting the only no vote. Westminster building owner William McClure complained that he has been unable to get approval to re-open an E. North Avenue building for commercial purposes. According to what McClure and city officials said last night, there’s confusion over whether the DOT considers the location suitable for a new business under the grandfather clause, which would create an exemption from code regulations based on circumstances previously existing.