Hello,

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

Good morning,

I have a question about the Conservation Easement that is on the land known as Strawberry Fields which was required as part of the land swap with the Broadmoor Hotel.

We were given false information about the Conservation Easement.

There are different types of Conservation Easements which require different processes.

We were told that this Conservation Easement was the type that does not exist until a year after the City Council approves the land swap, which was on May 24th, 2016.

Then, with no advance warning, on December 30th, 2016, the city announced that the land swap deal had closed.

The city said that the Conservation Easement had been completed.

Is that legally possible?

Were we given incorrect information before the land swap was approved about what type of Conservation Easement was commissioned?

If so, why?

Or was the deal closed illegally with an invalid Conservation Easement?

Did the city have a reason for closing the deal months early?

That act makes no sense at all.

Based on what we know, it appears that there is no valid Conservation Easement.

Is that true?

The city could not have made such an obvious legal mistake with the former State Attorney General as our mayor saying over and over that the land swap is good for the community.

Thank you, Carl Strow