Now it’s up to the voters.

At its Sept. 3 meeting, the Woodland Park City Council approved a referendum to put a proposed 0.25% sales tax to benefit the Woodland Park School District on the ballot.

Unlike the previous school sales tax, the revenue from this tax would be managed by the city and restricted exclusively for making payments on outstanding Certificates of Participation issued for capital improvements.

“The city collects the tax, the city distributes the tax – or pays the COP — directly to the institution and that’s pretty much it,” Mayor Pro-tem Catherine Nakai said. “It has three sunsets. It sunsets if the COP is paid off, it sunsets if a competing tax is ever passed and it sunsets after five years unless it is voted on again by the citizens.”

Fire ordinance

Council approved amendments to the City Code “to regulate fires that are intentionally, knowingly or negligently started.”

“This just gives the staff or the police department the ability to cite,” Mayor Pro-Tem Catherine Nakai said.

In other business

Council directed city staff to begin exploring options should the City of Colorado Springs follow through with a proposal to withdraw from the current 911 Authority.

Council extended its intergovernmental agreement with the Pikes Peak Regional Building Department. The two entities have been working together since 2013.