COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KKTV) – The Colorado Springs City Council passed the first reading of an ordinance Tuesday that would use nearly $458,000 in marijuana sales tax revenue to fund increased security along South Nevada Avenue.
The measure passed 7-2. If approved at a second reading, the city would contract with the Colorado Springs Urban Renewal Authority to carry out the security plan.
Security plan details
Under the ordinance, the city would hire Fidelis Security, a third-party security company, to station six guards per day, seven days a week in the South Nevada area. The company would also operate a drone to monitor the area for 12 hours a day.
The $458,000 allocated for the project would come from the city’s marijuana sales tax fund, which has generated $6 million total.
Business owner cites crime concerns
The owner of Edelweiss Restaurant near Ramona Avenue and South Nevada Avenue said crime and theft have been ongoing issues in the area.
“There is open drug use, there is vagrancy, theft…people coming in I have had stuff stolen from the bathroom, I have had stuff stolen from the patio and back dock. So yeah it’s for sure a problem around here,” said Dieter Schnakenberg, owner of Edelweiss Restaurant.
The ordinance must pass a second council vote before it can take effect.
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