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, the city failed to disclose the fact that $40,000 of work was being done every year on the land that was owned by the Cog Railway.

How much has been spent on that land in the last ten years?

In the winter of 2018, our Parks Department told me that $218,128 had already been spent doing repairs to the section of the Barr Trail that the city now owns.

The trail is in such bad shape that most of the annual $40,000 are spent on maintenance, or to repair the damage that occurs on an ongoing basis.

The city is being reckless and wasteful, not acting as "Proud Stewards of America's Mountain".

The trail desperately needs drainage improvements and those cannot be done until a professional design is commissioned.

Why has the city not performed the necessary drainage study yet?

Manitou Springs is being forced to waste $40,000 a year on what amounts to mostly Band-Aids.

The city had a legal obligation to learn of and disclose to the public all liabilities and issues with the land they sought to acquire in the land swap.

If the city did not know that the land required $40,000 in annual maintenance, they were negligent, and the public comment process is invalid.

The pubic cannot be deprived of the ability to make an informed decision.

Mr. Damioli of the Broadmoor and Karen Palus of our Parks Dept. heard me asking in person over and over for the total cost of all needed repairs.

Are we to believe that neither one of them looked into the issue?

If the city already knew or learned of the cost of the repairs during the public comment process that process is invalid.

The question is was the city negligent and ignorant to an unimaginable degree or did the city intentionally hide the information from the public?

I have proven that the city failed to provide financial information that was relevant, and which was specifically requested during the public comment process.

Upon realizing the mistake, the city has to immediately disclose the fact that a serious omission was made and provide the information to the public.

The people of our city must be informed and allowed to challenge the legitimacy of the public comment process and or the appraisal submitted by the Broadmoor for that land.

The city may not obstruct the public's rights in this matter.

Thank you, Carl Strow