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, I asked for the total cost of all needed repairs on the land the city wanted to acquire from the Cog Railway.

The city ignored my questions as though they were not relevant.

Several years later, Steve Bremner, President of Friends of the Peak, stated in the Gazette that he feels that the condition of the section of the Barr Trail on that land is so bad that the trail should be closed entirely.

We were told that the land had drainage issues and erosion damage, but we were not told that the trail was so outdated that it might have to be closed.

Did the city know about this issue during the public comment process?

What has the city decided?

Is the city planning to close the section of the Barr Trail on the land that we acquired from the Cog Railway and build a reroute?

Mr. Bremner's feelings about the matter were in the paper nearly 2- and one-half years ago.

Why has there been no further discussion of this issue in the media?

Does the city claim that they had no idea that the trail was in that bad of shape during the public comment process?

Did the city consult with Timberline Landscaping, Rocky Mountain Field Institute or anyone else about the condition of the trail or the cost of the repairs during the public comment process?

RMFI was doing $40,000 of work each year on this land at the time, does the city claim that they did not even know?

How could that be possible?

Did the city not research that land before deciding to recommend to the public that it be acquired?

The city had to have known that RMFI was doing $40,000 of work on this land each year.

That work was being funded with fees from the Barr Trail parking lot as was mandated by the lease agreement for the lot between CSU and the city of Manitou Springs.

Our City Council is also the CSU advisory board.

Does the city claim that they did not discuss this land, the repairs being done, or the condition of the trail with the city of Manitou Springs before or during the public comment process?

CSU required the city of Manitou Springs to use some of the fees from the Barr Trail parking lot to do repairs to the Barr Trail.

RMFI had been doing $40,000 a year of work on that section of the trail since 2013.

This proves that it was known that the trail on the Cog Railway's land was in very poor condition and that it was in desperate need of repair.

Cog Railway officials had to know.

Broadmoor officials had to know, Mr. Damioli himself was the President of the Cog Railway.

Friends of the Peak had to know.

RMFI had to know.

Our Parks dept. had no idea?

No one had mentioned anything to them?

The city was operating the Manitou Incline at the time and using that section of the Barr Trail for “Incline return traffic”.

The city claims that they were not aware that RMFI was doing repairs on that land every year and that the work was being funded by the city of Manitou Springs.

Please disclose the estimated cost for all repairs needed on this section of the Barr trail.

Thank you, Carl Strow