(PALMER LAKE, Colo.) — A district court judge has dismissed a lawsuit against the town of Palmer Lake concerning mishandling of funds, among other allegations.
According to a release from the Town of Palmer Lake, on Oct. 3, a District Court issued an order granting the Town’s Motion to Dismiss, which dismissed the entirety of a lawsuit filed by Integrity Matters, a community activist group that has pushed back against the Town’s handling of matters related to the proposed Palmer Lake Buc-ee’s.
The dismissal follows a vote on Thursday, Oct. 2 by the Town’s Board of Trustees that sends the decision to the voters whether to annex 25 acres for the proposed travel center of Palmer Lake. The Board approved a special election in a 4-3 vote.
This special election is happening because earlier this fall, Palmer Lake voters approved a new law requiring voter approval for all annexations, essentially giving those who call the town home the final say over proposals like this one.
The board still has to finalize the wording of the ballot question. The annexation special election is expected to be held sometime early in 2026.
Following the dismissal of the case, Trustee and Mayor Pro Tem Amy Hutson resigned, stating she cannot carry out her duties any longer and cited stresses from contentious meetings and litigation as contributing to her resignation.
Read Hutson’s full resignation letter below:
To the residents of Palmer Lake:
I have volunteered for 5 years for the Town of Palmer Lake as both a Planning Commissioner and then as Trustee. During that time, I have helped write and implement the current Community Master Plan, rewrite the sign code, rewrite the land use code, push for a code compliance officer, and push for a real plan for the Elephant Rock property. I became a trustee to honor the master plan and the planning commission. I was always trying to help and make things better.
I have been yelled at, defamed, accused of wrongdoing, and sued. Breaking news….The judge has dismissed all charges against me and all the other charges against the town. “Integrity” Matters is a joke. Look it up. Look up also that they tried to get the town to pay $775,000 to settle.
My skin is too thin and I’m too bitter at this point to carry out my office. I officially resign my position as a Palmer Lake Trustee as of today October 3rd , 2025. And by the way, if BOT did get to vote on Buc-ee’s, I was going to vote No. Good luck finding someone who knows the master plan and code as well as I do who has a kind servant’s heart.
Amy Hutson
Anthony Sutton is a business strategist and writer with a passion for management, leadership, and entrepreneurship. With years of experience in the corporate world, he shares insights on business growth, strategy, and innovation through management-opleiding.org.
