Zukowski to Leave Council Post Early

Councilwoman Jaime Zukowski, who announced earlier this year that she would not seek reelection this fall because she is moving to Colorado with her family, has decided to leave her post early.

Her last council meeting will be July 23, she said Wednesday.

Zukowski’s husband, Mark, a scientist at biotechnology giant Amgen, was transferred to Boulder, Colo., more than a year ago. The family has been divided since then, often flying back and forth on weekends.

Zukowski said she decided to leave the council early to settle into Boulder before the school year starts so her sons Daniel, 13, and Thomas, 11, can have an easier transition.

“We made a family decision that since my husband has been working out of state, we needed to relocate, and we made our decision to relocate around the children,” she said. “We want to be there for the start of the school year.”

Zukowski has notified the city clerk’s office that July 23--the final meeting before the council’s monthlong hiatus in August--will be her last, she said.

Before she leaves, Zukowski said she wants to participate in the performance evaluations of City Manager Grant Brimhall and City Atty. Mark Sellers. And she would also like the council to reconsider her proposal to place development impact fees on builders to offset the effects of growth on city services.

“There are issues a new council would benefit from, and I would like to see them resolved,” Zukowski said. “But this [development impact fees] is something that will surely be stretched until after the elections, at least.”

If the City Council decides that such a move is necessary, it could appoint an interim council member to fill in for the final months of Zukowski’s term.

A smaller council, however, could also approve the long-disputed $75-million expansion of the Hill Canyon Wastewater Treatment Plant with a 3-1 vote. The council Tuesday hired accounting firm Price Waterhouse to perform an audit of the waste-water facility’s operation since 1987.