Here is the email that I sent in for Tuesday's City Council meeting:
Hello,
This is my contribution for Citizen's Discussion for Tuesday's City Council meeting:
Good morning,
City Council President Richard Skorman and other City Officials have stated publicly that my questions concerning the land swap have been answered. This claim is factually incorrect.
That claim defames my character and demands remedy. The public has a right to learn of any and all flaws in this transaction.
Here are a few unanswered questions:
Did the City learn during the public comment process that the appraisal being submitted by the Broadmoor was invalid?
Did the City participate in collusion with Save Cheyenne President Richard Skorman during the public comment process, and agree to tell those who heard me speak at public meetings that they had looked into my concerns and that there was nothing useful to their cause?
Did Save Cheyenne or the City tell anyone during the public comment process that I was lacking in soundness of mind?
What is the estimated cost of the needed repairs to the Barr Trail on the land we acquired in the land swap?
Please tell me specifically the estimated cost of:
A drainage study.
The needed drainage work.
The cost of a new fence.
The cost of all stabilization work needed.
I am attaching a copy of the email that I received in June of 2019 from Britt Haley of our Parks Department. If the answers to my questions are in this communication, please show me.
Thank you, Carl Strow
Here is the email that I received from City Parks Dept. on June 13th 2019:
------ Forwarded Message --------
From: Haley, Britt I <britt.haley@coloradosprings.gov>
Date: 6/13/2019 5:09:22 PM
Subject: RE: Land Swap
To: Murray, Bill <bill.murray@coloradosprings.gov>, cstrow539@hotmail.com <cstrow539@hotmail.com>
Cc: Palus, Karen <karen.palus@coloradosprings.gov>, Schroeder, Kurt <kurt.schroeder@coloradosprings.gov>
Hello Councilman Murray:
Thank you for sending the questions from Mr. Strow to our office for response. Please find our responses to Mr. Strow’s questions in blue below. I am copying Mr. Strow as well.
Regards,
Britt Haley
Britt I. Haley CPRP
Parks Design and Development Manager / TOPS Program Manager
City of Colorado Springs Parks, Recreation and Cultural Services
1401 Recreation Way
Colorado Springs, CO 80905
Office: 719-385-6530
Email: britt.haley@springsgov.com
cid:image001.png@01D4E486.AE796950
From: Carl Strow [mailto:cstrow539@hotmail.com]
Sent: Tuesday, June 11, 2019 7:31 AM
To: Suthers, John; allCouncil@springsgov.com; kjaray@comsgov.com; citycouncil@comsgov.com; save cheyenne; krdo; koaa; kktv; fox; citydesk@gazette.com; news@csindy.com
Subject: Land Swap
CAUTION! - External Email. Malware is most commonly spread through unknown email attachments and links. DO NOT open attachments or click links from unknown senders or unexpected email!
Hello,
Here are my comments for the City Council today:
Good afternoon,
Did the City learn during the public comment process that the appraisal submitted by the Broadmoor for the land swap was flawed?
The City does not agree with your premise.
Why did the City remove mention of these repairs from their presentations after the meeting of February 24th 2016?
It is nearly impossible to identify from the question what presentations you are referencing. With regard to the Broadmoor land exchange presentations, subsequent presentations focused on other issues pertinent to the subject being presented at the particular time.
Why does the City refuse to even mention the repairs to this day?
The City is more than willing to discuss repair and maintenance issues related to the Manitou Incline and has never hesitated to do so.
If members of this Council have learned that the land swap is legally flawed, you are each required by law to disclose this fact to the public.
The City disagrees with your premise. The Colorado Supreme Court has determined that the Broadmoor land exchange was lawful. Based upon the fact that the Save Cheyenne organization took the issue of the land trade through the court system and the courts found nothing illegal about the trade, we would submit that the trade had no legal shortcomings.
If the City is claiming that they have not looked into the cost of these repairs, you should know that such a claim is not believable.
The City was well aware of the repair and maintenance issues associated with the Manitou Incline at the time of adoption of the agreements which served to legalize the trail and has taken the appropriate steps to address those issues.
I asked and asked during the public comment process about the cost of the needed repairs on the land we were acquiring. If you are buying a used car and it needs engine work, do you not learn the cost of the repairs before purchasing the car?
The City of Colorado Springs was responsible via intergovernmental agreement to conduct repairs on the Manitou Incline well before the land exchange occurred. The land that was acquired under the land exchange agreement did not affect those Manitou Incline maintenance and repair costs. It was always anticipated that the cost to repair the Manitou Incline would be significant. In as much that both City Councils were actively promoting legalization, until the legalization agreements were completed it would not have been prudent to have invested in the engineering investigation to determine those costs. That investigation was completed post legalization and the repairs were accomplished primarily through grants.
I spoke at public meetings. I spoke before this Council. I sent emails to the Mayor, the City Attorney, and to this Council. Karen Palus and Jack Damioli both heard me speak on more than one occasion. The claim that the City did not investigate this question before approving the land swap is not believable.
The Department is unsure what question you are saying that was not investigated nor who may have claimed this. Please clarify. However, legalization of the Manitou Incline occurred years before the land swap was ever contemplated.
Why is the City of Manitou Springs spending their own money to do repairs on the land that Colorado Springs now owns? When do they estimate that all repairs will be completed? What do they estimate the total cost of the needed repairs to be?
The City of Manitou Springs has put $35,000 into the repairs of the Manitou Incline. They have put dollars into the maintenance of the Barr Trail. Their participation in Barr Trail and Manitou Incline maintenance was anticipated and discussed through the development of the master and management plan and identified in the license agreement they have with Colorado Springs Utilities for the management of the Barr Trail parking lot.
When do they estimate that all repairs will be completed? Repairs on the Manitou Incline have been completed.
The maintenance for any kind of infrastructure is ongoing. The cost of this can be variable depending on use, weather impacts, etc.
What do they estimate the total cost of the needed repairs to be?
Repairs to the Manitou Incline cost approximately $4,000,000 with the overwhelming majority of funding coming in the form of grants. Annual routine maintenance costs are very low due to the involvement of the Friends of the Manitou Incline. Rocky Mountain Field Institute (RMFI) estimates annual maintenance to the section of Barr Trail impacted by Incline return traffic to be approximately $40,000.
Historically, has the City of Manitou Springs been pushed around or taken advantage of? Did the Broadmoor cross the line in obtaining tax breaks from them for the work being done on the Cog Railway? I email my comments to them, why have they not spoken up about the cost of future repairs on the Barr Trail? Have they been discouraged from telling what they know?
These are all questions that would be most appropriately addressed to the City of Manitou Springs.
Is it true that the original motivation for the land swap was to protect the Manitou Incline? No. My understanding is that the Federal Government never wanted the Incline to become legal, they preferred that it be shut down instead.
Legalization of the Manitou Incline as a trail took a bi-partisan bill before Congress sponsored by Representative Lamborn (R) and Senator Bennett (D) and signed by President Obama. This is indicative of the federal government’s support of its legalization.
The Cog Railway owned a revocable license for the middle section of the Incline. If the Cog Railway was ever sold the new owner would have been able to force the rightful closure of the Incline. Most people either don't know about the problems with the Incline, or for some reason are not capable of speaking out about them. Did the City conspire to obstruct the government from carrying out its plans to eventually close the Incline?
No.
Thank you, Carl Strow