March 30, 2021 – Today, the Board of County Commissioners (BoCC) unanimously approved an important Intergovernmental Agreement (IGA) between El Paso County and the City of Colorado Springs to establish mutually binding procedures relating to future annexations.

In early 2020, El Paso County engaged the City of Colorado Springs with the idea of improving collaboration on annexations and helping both jurisdictions coordinate planning for extensions and improvements to infrastructure. The agreement gives El Paso County and its residents in unincorporated areas a voice in the annexation process as well as:

  • Facilitates improved communication between the city and the county in relation to annexation matters.
  • Provides a fair and more collaborative process for future annexation.
  • Improves planning and orderly extension of municipal infrastructure and services.
  • Ensures equitable transfer of ownership and maintenance responsibilities associated with public improvements.

“I want to thank the City of Colorado Springs for partnering with us in order to move forward in a more effective and efficient approach to annexations”, said Stan VanderWerf, El Paso County Board Chair. “I hope other counties and cities across the state will use this as a model for future annexations.”

“We value transparency and this agreement memorializes a commitment to work with our city partners in a very open and transparent way for our citizens and for areas of potential annexation,” said Cami Bremer, El Paso County Board Vice-Chair. “I am excited at the level of transparency this will bring to everyone in the process, whether that is developers, property owners and neighbors. I appreciate the good faith effort of our city partners in joining with us on this. This is a great first step in the right direction in being total community partners with the city development process.”

“We took steps to collaborate with the city with the goal of having agreements like this with all municipalities in the County. We can do annexations better together and not just for tomorrow but 10, 20 years from now,” said Craig Dossey, El Paso County Executive Director of Planning and Community Development. “This is one of those moments that helps change how El Paso County and the City of Colorado Springs shape annexations for years to come.”

The next step is for the Colorado Springs City Council to review and vote on the agreement at their next meeting currently anticipated for April 13, 2021.