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 public was not told that $40,000 of work was being done on the land that the city wanted to acquire from the Cog Railway each year.

This is a huge problem.

On the one hand the Broadmoor, like a used car salesman, would be required to disclose all flaws, liabilities or needed repairs on the land that he was seeking to swap to the city (the taxpayers).

On the other hand, the city, like a person who is recommending that the taxpayers buy this used car, would have a legal obligation to thoroughly research all flaws, liabilities or needed repairs to that land.

Did the Broadmoor and the city not know that $40,000 was being spent on that land each year?

Does the total cost of the repairs needed render the appraisal for that land invalid?

Are our Mayor and members of City Council not even interested in researching these questions?

A Citizen asked for the total cost of needed repairs during the public comment process.

A Citizen is still asking the same question today.

I am questioning the legitimacy of the entire land swap.

The city in a sense does not exist.

By this I mean that it is not a private, sovereign or independent entity.

It is only representative of the taxpayers.

You are doing business for us, we are in charge, we are the actual bosses.

If a city official betrays our trust, we have a right to remove that city official from our service.

My questions are of great interest to the taxpayers of our city.

If one Citizen asks relevant financial questions about a multi-million dollar transaction that the city executed on our behalf, city officials have a legal obligation to inform the taxpayers (your employer).

"We have discovered a potential legal flaw in the land swap that was done in 2016".

Maybe the City Attorney's office feels that the issues are not serious enough to change the outcome of the land swap, but some citizens disagree and want to sue over this.

One or more Citizen could feel that the Broadmoor defrauded or cheated us or may feel that the city was negligent and misrepresented the actual value of that land.

Perhaps a Citizen would want a Judge to determine whether the appraisal submitted by the Broadmoor is actually valid.

The city, by keeping these questions quiet is depriving the Citizen's of our city of the right to oversight on this matter.

Thank you, Carl Strow