Hello,

This is my contribution to Citizen's Discussion at Tuesday's City Council meeting:

Good morning,

During the public comment process for the land swap with the Broadmoor Hotel, I asked how much liability would come with the land owned by the Cog Railway.

I knew that the trail needed a huge amount of work and that there was major erosion damage on the hillside on that land.

It is not legal for the city to conduct a public comment process and to fail to disclose requested facts concerning financial liability.

We know that at the time of the public comment process Rocky Mountain Field Institute was already doing $40,000 in work on that land each year.

Once I asked how much work that trail needed the city had a legal obligation to find out and to provide the public with that information.

The city deprived the public of the ability to make an informed decision on the land swap.

That is the purpose of the public comment process.

Inform the public of all relevant facts, of the city's recommendation and answer all further questions.

Then the city can gauge public support or opposition to the proposed deal.

There was significant opposition to the land swap, and we can assume that there would have been more if the city had disclosed the fact that the land that was appraised at $1,300,000 needed hundreds of thousands of dollars' worth of work.

Even more disturbing is the fact that to this day the city is still refusing to disclose the dollar figure to the public.

What has RMFI told our Parks Dept?

Does that land need one million dollars' worth of work?

Does it need $500,000 worth of work?

In 2019 the city informed me that the land requires “$40,000 in annual maintenance”.

That answer is incomplete.

Is the city saying that this land will always need $40,000 of work every year for decades or forever?

That is absurd.

If that is the case that fact would have to be disclosed to the public.

Is there any way that we can end the need for annual maintenance?

RMFI has a reputation for being at the top of its field.

What is the estimate of the total cost of all needed repairs on that land?

If our Parks Dept. has not obtained a comprehensive estimate of the cost of all needed repairs on this land that would be gross negligence.

Is the city claiming that they don't know the total cost of the repairs, or that they are not required to disclose the cost to the public?

The city erred during the public comment process. The city now has a legal obligation to provide the information that I requested.

Thank you, Carl Strow