Sunday in Palmer Lake marked the return of the annual Yule Log Hunt, a seasonal holiday celebration in which residents gather at the rustic town hall in red and green capes to search for a hidden Yule log.
It’s a cherished tradition for the El Paso County community of nearly 2700, and a moment of normalcy for a town that over the span of little more than a year has seen its government implode, lawsuits come and go, and relationships splintered amid accusations of threats, vandalism and other impropriety.
The culprit? A big happy beaver, the company it represents and its desire to build a massive travel plaza on nearby Monument Hill.
The most recent casualties in the fight over whether or not the town will help Buc-ee’s with that goal are two trustees and the city attorney, all of whom resigned last week.
This round of resignations comes shortly after the board filled another seat left vacant by a resignation in early October.
The only remaining Palmer Lake trustee who was on the board when the annexation conversation publicly began last year is the current mayor, Dennis Stern, who circumvented a recall effort when he was appointed to the position after the resignation of former mayor Glant Havenar. Trustee Atis Jurka, who has opposed the project since he joined the board in early 2025, also remains seated.
Stern currently faces questions related to his current position; a fellow member of the board, Roger Moseley, is asking a judge to decide whether or not he properly resigned his seat as a trustee before taking the title of mayor.
All told, the seven-member board has seen four resignations (not including Stern’s change in position) and two recalls, all related to the fight over Buc-ee’s.
‘My cardiologist advised me to get out of politics’
Last week’s resignations included Palmer Lake Trustee Michael Boyett, who cited health concerns exacerbated by vitriol over the proposal. Boyett was named to the board in August to fill Stern’s seat when he became mayor.
“It seems civility, thoughtful comments, and the ability to see the other side of an issue have taken a back seat to anger and abuse,” Boyett wrote in his resignation letter posted on the town’s website.
”In November of this year, I underwent a heart procedure that was brought on, in part, by the stress I feel as a … trustee,” he wrote. “My cardiologist advised me to get out of politics, so I am going to take his advice and resign my position.”
Boyett wrote that when he threw his name into consideration,“I knew at the time that there was a lot of anger in the community over the Buc-ee’s annexation proposal, but I felt I would be able to weather the storm and be an asset for our community. It turns out I was wrong.”
Boyett, with a background in water issues, said the atmosphere had him labeled “an enemy by those opposed to the issue” without him ever taking a meaningful vote on it He also said he’s feeling uncharacteristic anger and that he behaved out-of-character during a December 11 trustees meeting in which he turned his back on a fellow trustee who was speaking "at the lectern as a citizen against our town attorney… at that moment, I did not know any other way to protest his comments and actions.".
Stern also turned his back when trustee Moseley spoke against the town attorney.
The second trustee to resign last week, Tim Caves, cited an erosion of civility. Most recently, Caves was facing a potential recall in a March special election over what his critics called a failure “to provide fair, transparent, and responsible leadership,” and “disregarding the community’s interest and rights.”
In his resignation letter, Caves said, “My service has always been guided by stewardship and a sincere desire to protect the character and future of our town.”
”God has made it clear to me, I am called to serve where knowledge is respected, experience is valued, and truth is not twisted. Yet in the current climate, where misinformation, personal attacks, and division prevail, such service is no longer possible.”
Caves also encouraged residents to “get engaged, seek out the real facts, and weigh decisions carefully. Our town’s future depends on informed voices, not headlines or social media posts.”
It’s a message also evoked by town attorney Scott Krob in his resignation as town counsel.
“In departing, my advice to you is limited: Choose wisely in deciding who to listen to,” Krob wrote in his letter to the mayor and trustees. “Unfortunately, there are a large group of people, mostly from outside the Town, who, to paraphrase a well known novel, are providing a tale told by a fool, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.
”Resist the inclination to be moved by angry, uninformed mobs. Listen carefully to the well-reasoned and fully informed.”
Krob's resignation came after he addressed and rebutted complaints regarding him and his law firm's work with the town that were filed by Moseley. Moseley’s concerns included whether or not Krob understands the town’s budget; as well as accusations that he "rubber stamped" contracts and wasn’t transparent about the legal troubles of his son, who also previously worked as Palmer Lake’s attorney, and more.
Krob accused Moseley of creating a hostile work environment and putting the town at risk of liability before ultimately resigning.
In his letter, Krob said his goal, “has always been to pursue the best interests of the Town as determined and directed primarily by the Board of Trustees.”
He closed by saying he will stay on if desired until the town chooses a new attorney.
Now what?
Since a special election in September when voters gave themselves the final say on any annexation applications, the board has disagreed over how to interpret the new statutes, and at what point in the annexation process the public vote should occur.
In two meetings earlier this year, Krob gave the board conflicting interpretations of when he believed the election should take place.
In early October, the board of trustees narrowly voted to send the annexation question to a special election prior to considering zoning conditions related to the potential new Buc-ee’s. According to town documents, Buc-ee’s representatives asked to shelve the zoning conversation until after the will of the people is known.
At the time, Krob said the statute required holding the election sooner rather than later.
“My recommendation is that in order to comply with the initiative that was passed by the electorate you need to have the election and then you can proceed after you’ve gotten that direction,” he said, indicating that to do otherwise would open the town to potential litigation.
But in a prior meeting when the board officially adopted the new ordinance, Krob said that while the voter-approved measure did not specify when the public vote should take place, he interpreted it to mean the decision should go to the voters at the end of the process, “because it’s really only at that point that the electorate would know this is what we’re voting on.”
At Thursday’s trustees meeting, Krob called the two timelines "options." The board voted 5-2 to ask a judge to settle the question of when to hold the election. The no votes came from Jurka and Beth Harris.
At the time, Krob was tasked with drafting a complaint that outlines the issues at hand. It’s unclear if he will stay on to do that after his resignation.
Meantime, amidst the fight over whether Buc-ee’s will have its second Colorado location on Monument Hill, Lamar has invited the Texas company to consider the town. Pueblo, which recently welcomed a new 12,500 square foot TA travel facility, also passed a resolution in October expressing support for a Buc-ee's there. Neither area draws the same volume of traffic as northern El Paso County.
As of September, a Buc-ee’s representative said the company remains committed to pursuing the Palmer Lake location. Expansion plans as tracked by trade publication C-Store Dive still have the Palmer Lake location on its list.
