CITY STILL HEADING DOWN THE WRONG ROAD

These are the comments I will be making before the City Council today: Good afternoon, I have proven that serious problems exist with the land swap and the Manitou Incline. Because the City is refusing to discuss these issues, we will have to look closer at the conduct of everyone involved. Mr. Jack Damioli of the Broadmoor heard me speak about the needed repairs on the Barr Trail more than once. He had to know that the appraisal he submitted for the land swap was flawed. I have sent emails to our City Attorney’s office, what have they determined? Did Mr. Damioli conspire to defraud the City of Colorado Springs? Sara Bryarly of Parks and Recreation mentioned the drainage issues and erosion damage at one meeting. After that night the City removed that information from their presentations. Did Karen Palus or Sara Bryarly unlawfully withhold information from the public? Mr. Damioli promised to disclose his plans for Strawberry Fields, and then changed his mind. Karen Palus already knew that he was going to back out, and defended him. Are the City and the Broadmoor guilty of collusion? Save Cheyenne and City Council President Skorman do not agree that my concerns with the land swap are valid. Are the City and Save Cheyenne guilty of collusion? There is a long list of reasons why the Incline has to be closed. The undue influence that causes hikers to become obsessed. The broken promise of an alternate route down, and the chronic mismanagement which allows Incline users to overwhelm the Barr Trail. Who coined the phrase “unnecessary pain and suffering of Barr Trail hikers and backpackers?” Did the Manitou Incline Task Force withhold facts about the long term stability of the Incline? Did the City withhold crucial information from FEMA, GOCO, and HUD in the process of acquiring grants for Incline repairs? Two years ago I began sending complaints about these issues to the Attorney General’s office. They are trying to help us fix these issues on the local level. Our local media is aware of all of these issues, and they are trying to spare the City the loss of trust that will result if the whole story is made public. I urge all parties to stop playing games and make things right. Please do not take risks with our City’s reputation.