Hello,
This is my contribution for Citizen's Discussion for Tuesday's City Council meeting:
Good morning,
At the first meeting for the public comment process for the land swap the City disclosed that the Barr Trail has drainage problems and erosion damage.
They did not mention the fact that the City of Manitou Springs spends $40,000 a year doing repairs on the land the City wanted to acquire.
Why so much?
On January 31st 2018 Kurt Schroeder of our Parks Dept, said this in an email to me:
“Since 2013 RMFI has put $211,128 of maintenance work into Barr Trail”.
The fact that hundreds of thousands of dollars in work was being done on the Barr Trail was not disclosed during the public comment process.
Three more summers have passed since that email, has the City of Manitou Springs spent an additional $120,000 on the trail?
This land was appraised at $1.3 million.
If the land needed $130,000 in repairs that would constitute 10% of the appraised value.
If the land needed $260,000 in repairs that would constitute 20% of the total appraised value of the land.
The City does not consider this to be significant?
The City does not feel that the public had a need to know?
The appraisal submitted by the Broadmoor is invalid because the cost of the repairs was not considered.
The public has a right, and a need to know.
How much of that is spent repairing damage that the trail sustained over the previous 12 months, and how much is spent on long term repairs?
Do you have a yearly breakdown of the spending?
If the Barr Trail requires thousands, or tens of thousands of dollars to repair damage that occurs every year this is a red flag.
Something is very wrong with the Barr Trail.
This damage is caused by water running in the wrong places.
The erosion damage on the hillside is visibly worsening at an accelerating rate.
That is evidence of drainage problems.
Is the City of Manitou Springs correcting all drainage problems?
I do not believe that they are doing anything to address the drainage issues because a professional study is required to design the improvements.
Is this correct?
What is the estimated cost to complete all of the needed repairs to the Barr Trail?
When does the city estimate that all long term repairs will be completed?
Thank you, Carl Strow