Hello,
I spoke before the City Council dozens of times between the spring of 2016, which is the time of the public comment process for the land swap, and the spring of 2019.
I asked the same question over and over and over, namely what is the estimated total cost of the needed repairs on the section of the Barr Trail that we acquired from the Cog Railway in the land swap.
The city now claims that they answered my questions in an email that I received on June 13th 2019 from Britt Haley of our Parks Dept.
Britt Haley is an attorney, she used to be with the City Attorney's office before she transferred to Parks Dept.
She copied her email to me to both Karen Palus and Kurt Schroeder.
The cost of the needed repairs to the Barr Trail is not listed in her email.
At the City Council meeting on September 10th 2019 I spoke again. When I finished speaking Councilman Pico, President Skorman and the Mayor's Chief of Staff Greene all stated that my questions about the land swap had already been answered.
Here is a link to the video of that meeting.
City Council Meeting 9/10/2019
Move the slider to 2:09:45 to hear my prepared comments, and to 2:12:49 to hear city officials remarks to me.
President Skorman states that “Mr. Strow doesn't want to communicate with the Parks Dept.”
This is because our Parks Dept. has a history of giving me non answers and brush off emails like the one from Britt Haley. The appropriate response of a Citizen in that case is to complain to the City Council, and seek the answers directly from our elected officials.
Instead of being accountable and making it right our City Council stated that my questions have already been answered. This defames my character by implying that I am being obstinate, unreasonable or irrational by continuing to ask the same question.
Councilman Pico states that “my recollection is that the questions have been answered a couple of times, just not accepted”.
Chief of Staff Greene states that “I know that (indiscernible words) has address these concerns and questions many times”.
They said that the answers would be reposted at the next City Council meeting.
I was not able to attend the next Meeting but I received no email communication with their reposted answers.
That took place two years ago.
Since then, I have spoken in person at their meetings (until the pandemic), and through repeated emails asking the same questions many times.
Here are the questions:
What is the estimated cost for a drainage study for the section of the Barr Trail that is on the land that we acquired from the Cog Railway?
What is the estimated cost for the actual drainage work?
What is the estimated cost for all needed stabilization work on the trail?
What is the estimated cost for all obstacle removal and repair of washouts?
What is the estimated cost to repair all erosion damage on the hillside?
What is the estimated cost to replace the fence that is along the trail?
What is the total estimated cost for all needed repairs on that land?
City Officials lied at the meeting of September 10th 2019, if I am wrong show me where the answers to the above questions are to be found.
The city has a legal obligation to answer honestly. I asked these questions during the public comment process in 2016, this is documented in my Facebook page COS Land Swap, and on City Council meeting videos.
The city may not fail to provide all requested relevant financial information during a public comment process. Doing so invalidates the process entirely.
Thank you, Carl Strow