Hello,

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

Good morning,

The city stated during the public comment process for the land swap that the land owned by the Cog Railway which the city wanted to acquire had drainage problems and erosion damage.

This was said on February 24, 2016 by Sara Bryarly at a public meeting at Gold Camp Elementary School.

I immediately began asking how much it would cost to do all needed repairs to the section of the Barr Trail that is on this land.

The city cannot introduce the fact that the land needs repairs and then refuse to disclose the cost of those repairs while the public is asking.

Further, the city never mentioned the drainage issues or erosion damage again after that night.

That is beyond suspicious.

The President of Friends of the Peak stated publicly two years ago that he feels that the section of the trail on this land is in such bad shape that it should be closed altogether.

This is proof that the land we acquired in the land swap needed major repairs at the time of the public comment process.

Were the cost of the needed repairs considered when the land was appraised at $1.3 million?

I expect that the answer is no, if not Mr. Damioli would have pointed this out to me during the public comment process.

If he had provided that information to the appraiser he would have had a number and would have provided us with the estimated cost of the needed repairs.

Instead, the city refused to answer this question throughout the public comment process.

But here we are, 8 years later and the city is still refusing to provide the public with the cost of the needed repairs.

That is beyond suspicious.

If the city even suspects that the Broadmoor failed to provide relevant financial information to the appraiser is the city not obligated to bring this to the appraisers attention?

Let's not cause problems, instead, please provide the public with the total estimated cost of the needed repairs on the land that we acquired from the Cog Railway in the land swap.

Thank you, Carl Strow