Hello,

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

Good morning,

Steve Bremner, President of Friends of the Peak said in the Gazette in late 2021 that he was of the opinion that the section of the Barr Trail that the city acquired in the land swap is not worth repairing.

Was the city not aware of these problems before the land swap was approved?

Is the city planning to close this section of the Barr Trail and build a reroute?

Rocky Mountain Field Institute does $40,000 of work on this section of the trail each year, they must know every detail of its needs.

Is it correct that RMFI has done over $400,000 of work on this section of the trail since 2013?

How much do they estimate that it would cost to repair this section of the Barr Trail?

It has been over two years since Mr. Bremner made his recommendation in the Gazette.

How much does the city estimate that it would cost to build a reroute?

How much does the city estimate that it would cost to repair the existing trail?

Does the public have a right to this information so as to be able to make their own informed opinion about the fate of the Barr Trail?

The Barr Trail did not go from being in good condition in 2016 to earning a recommendation that it be closed in 2021.

This section of the trail was in terrible condition before the land swap was approved.

RMFI was already doing $40,000 of work on the trail each year.

Why did the city not disclose the fact that RMFI was doing $40,000 of work each year on that section of the trail during the public comment process?

There was significant opposition to the land swap. A petition opposing the land swap had 5,500 signatures.

Would the opposition not have had many questions if the ongoing work on the trail had been disclosed?

How much has been spent on the trail so far?

How many more years will RMFI have to do $40,000 of work on the trail?

What is the total estimated cost of the needed repairs on the land that the city wants to acquire?

Oh, someone did ask that question – MANY TIMES!

Why did the city not disclose the ongoing repairs to that land during the public comment process?

Why is the city refusing to provide that information today?

The city deprived the public of this information during the public comment process for the land swap and now the city is depriving the public of the ability to weigh the merit of contructing a reroute for this section of the trail.

That trail is a National Recreational Trail, the public has an absolute right to this information.

Has RMFI provided the city with an estimate of the total cost of the repairs needed on that section of the trail?

What is the number?

Is it one million dollars?

The city has a legal obligation to provide this information to me.

Thank you, Carl Strow