Mayor Rachel Medina, elected in 2022, announced her resignation Tuesday during the Cortez City Council meeting, ending her tenure two years early. The seat will be filled in the upcoming city election. Medina previously served on the council before becoming mayor.
While reading her resignation letter, Medina said her service to the city was one of the greatest honors of her life and explained that increasing personal and professional responsibilities made her decision necessary.
“Together, we have navigated challenges and celebrated milestones that have made our community a better place to live,” Medina said. “I’m incredibly proud of what we have accomplished during my tenure, and I want to express my sincere gratitude to my colleagues on this council and the dedicated city staff for their hard work and tireless partnership during the past few months.”
Medina said she will remain a strong supporter of Cortez and its future.
“I’ve come to realize that I must step back in order to prioritize ever-increasing demands upon my time that are conflicting with important commitments to my family and my career,” Medina said. “I’ve dedicated over 10 years of service to this city, and I’m confident I’m leaving it better than I found it … I have no doubt that our community will continue to thrive under the leadership of the next elected council.”
In other business, the council approved a site plan review for the LePew office and shop building at 1880 Industrial Road. Property owner Jenna Thompson told the council they were unaware of process issues and had received a building permit before construction in 2024.
Concerns about the property included the slope of the driveway, gravel, landscaping and drainage.
Public comments from Sheldon and Tiffani Randall, owners of STR Custom Coatings on Industrial Road, focused on consistency in enforcing the land use code. They argued that granting variances after construction creates an “uneven playing field,” rewards noncompliance and undermines trust in the process.
“If a code can be ignored, what is the purpose of having a code? Allowing this exception creates an uneven playing field and shows favoritism,” Sheldon Randall said.
The Randalls asked that the city enforce the same standards for LePew as for other businesses in Industrial Park.
“I want to begin by being very clear. We’re not opposed to this business, and we’re not opposed to growth,” Tiffani Randall said. “The land use code was adopted for a reason. It balances economic development with safety, consistency and long-term community value. When those standards are waived, especially because a project did not follow the correct process, the burden shifts to the neighboring businesses that did comply and play by the rules, or they’re put off for the future owner of the property to settle. We want Cortez to grow. We want businesses to succeed, but growth only works when rules are enforced evenly.”
Council members acknowledged past inconsistencies in enforcement and noted the development followed the previous land use code. They clarified that drainage issues raised by adjacent property owners have been resolved. The council voted unanimously to approve the resolution for LePew with recommended conditions.
The council also awarded a contract for repairs to the slide tower at the Cortez Recreation Center. Parks and Recreation Director Creighton Wright said staff addressed concrete falling off the structure by closing the area, installing netting to reopen the leisure pool and planning next steps.
Testing revealed chlorine-induced corrosion affecting the rebar in the tower, but repairs were deemed possible and more cost-effective than a full replacement. Wright estimated a full tower replacement could exceed $1 million.
The contract was awarded to Structural Preservation Systems LLC for repairs costing $211,181, with a $30,000 contingency for potential additional needs during repairs. The council approved the award and contingency allocation.
Additionally, the council introduced the first reading of Ordinance No. 1353, Series 2026, which sets four proposed ballot questions for the Tuesday, April 7, municipal election to amend the city charter. A public hearing and second reading are scheduled for Jan. 27.
