Aren’t you all having fun? You talk about this stuff as though there is nothing you can do about it. Are you so subservient that you aren’t willing to fight over anything? This is your livelihood, your life, your career. It’s as though if someone raped your daughter you’d simply say “well, what ya gonna do?”
Won’t someone call Mark Igel at Reel Mountain and ask for a meeting time? He volunteered the space for cripes sake.
Won’t someone hold a planning session about closing down the Town’s attempt to put you out of business?
Why doesn’t someone call all of the local groups, including Fine Arts, CACEP, EALA, Wedding group, B&B, talk to downtown merchants and for once in your miserable life work together and stop this intrusion into further illegal activities by the Town.
If you are not willing to step forward, please blow your brains out so we don’t have to hear you bitching.
This all happened because you let it happen! Where is the OUTRAGE?
Tuesday, February 28, 2006
Monday, February 27, 2006
BALLS THE SIZE OF CHUCH BELLS
No sooner had I posted my check list blog on what we can all begin working on to improve our Estes Park and before I could start my daily routine of life my town buzz-o-meter went off. In fact the alarm went to Defcon 5.
For the uninitiated this last weekend is very significant to all the shop owners in Estes Park. It is the weekend of the annual Denver Merchandise Mart Gift, Jewelry & Resort Show. This is where masses of manufacturers assemble to sell their wears to gift shop owners. The gifts many of the shops downtown sell are purchased at gift shows like the one at the mart this weekend. Picking up popular and profitable lines of merchandise is serious competition amongst shop owners.
This weekend Susan Blackhurst Town CVB (a town department) employee was busy purchasing lines of merchandise at the Denver Merchandise Mart Gift, Jewelry & Resort Show for the Towns very own gift shop located in your own visitors center. That would be Susan Blackhurst town employee wife of town trustee candidate Eric Blackhurst, acting as purchasing agent for the town CVB.
Isn’t the purpose of the visitor’s center to direct visitors to the businesses that sell the gifts?
By golly I bet the visitor center/gift shop has adequate parking space.
Here’s to you stakeholders, your sales tax dollars at work,,, bend over.
The town is spending sales tax dollars to purchase gift lines for resale to tourists, in direct competition with every business in Estes Park.
Are they out of their ~#^*& %@ minds.
Okay that’s it - if you do not get it by now Estes Park - you will never get it.
Town Hall is a snake pit and you keep eating up the lies.
For the uninitiated this last weekend is very significant to all the shop owners in Estes Park. It is the weekend of the annual Denver Merchandise Mart Gift, Jewelry & Resort Show. This is where masses of manufacturers assemble to sell their wears to gift shop owners. The gifts many of the shops downtown sell are purchased at gift shows like the one at the mart this weekend. Picking up popular and profitable lines of merchandise is serious competition amongst shop owners.
This weekend Susan Blackhurst Town CVB (a town department) employee was busy purchasing lines of merchandise at the Denver Merchandise Mart Gift, Jewelry & Resort Show for the Towns very own gift shop located in your own visitors center. That would be Susan Blackhurst town employee wife of town trustee candidate Eric Blackhurst, acting as purchasing agent for the town CVB.
Isn’t the purpose of the visitor’s center to direct visitors to the businesses that sell the gifts?
By golly I bet the visitor center/gift shop has adequate parking space.
Here’s to you stakeholders, your sales tax dollars at work,,, bend over.
The town is spending sales tax dollars to purchase gift lines for resale to tourists, in direct competition with every business in Estes Park.
Are they out of their ~#^*& %@ minds.
Okay that’s it - if you do not get it by now Estes Park - you will never get it.
Town Hall is a snake pit and you keep eating up the lies.
Estes Check List
Start working on this list:
* No business incentives
* No business community unity
* No community vision
* No community unity
* No business vision
* No community identity (describe Estes in fifty word or less)
* No business identity
* No business coalition (the Chamber is dead)
* No community pride (how's the local high school sports team doing?)
* No business pride
* No community appreciation of business
* No community support of business (shop locally?)
* No local banking support
* No parking
* Three months to pay twelve months of bills
* Negative public perception of business
* Leadership or lack there of (do you see local political banners?)
* If you do not agree with these assertions "please" feel free to prove me wrong.
* No business incentives
* No business community unity
* No community vision
* No community unity
* No business vision
* No community identity (describe Estes in fifty word or less)
* No business identity
* No business coalition (the Chamber is dead)
* No community pride (how's the local high school sports team doing?)
* No business pride
* No community appreciation of business
* No community support of business (shop locally?)
* No local banking support
* No parking
* Three months to pay twelve months of bills
* Negative public perception of business
* Leadership or lack there of (do you see local political banners?)
* If you do not agree with these assertions "please" feel free to prove me wrong.
Sunday, February 26, 2006
Gee Daddy, What Should We Do?
One site visitor asked, what would be some suggestions for moving Estes Park forward? If one would read through this diatribe over the past year one would see the numerous suggestions to do just that. The following are the Cliff Notes version of those suggestions.
1. Trustees are elected at large and should be elected by district.
2. Trustees, once elected, get shuffled off to oversee a department and are not able to collectively run the Town. They leave that to staff. This is just wrong and not what they are elected to do. A Trustee, when asked to serve on the Blue Team should say –NO! I came to serve everyone.
3. All committees are appointed by the Mayor. This is wrong. We end up with staff making up the majority of the committee, with votes no less. A committee should have no more than one staff member – ever, with no vote.
4. Home Rule. If we don’t get Home Rule we need a natural disaster to wipe the Town off the map and put us out of our misery. It is idiotic that we don’t have Home Rule. Ninety three percent of the population of Colorado lives under Home Rule. Why? Not just for banning pit bulls, which we currently can’t do, but so we can create a marketing district and tax visitors (as all other resort communities in Colorado do) and use that money to market the area. Currently, the Town uses a percentage of collected tax to market and provide visitor services as well, but it is ILLEGAL for them to do so. And, they aren’t any good at it. Visitation is down, sales tax is down, stores are closing which will further erode sales tax collections and the money that was once used to “market” is spent on salaries for full time staff that are useless. Tom Pickering has a high salary job and is a confirmed back stabbing liar which several Trustees have admitted to. That makes them culpable and makes them as bad as he is because they allow it.
5. Eliminate EPURA! They don’t fulfill the function they were formed for and calling it the planning arm of the Town is obscene. They should have used the money to help, no demand, that downtown buildings be brought up to code for asbestos, electrical, etc. and improve their appearance. Nothing has been done downtown since the flood. That’s more than 20 years ago!
6. Move the municipal building out of our most valuable asset, our downtown. Think of all the parking that is consumed by town employees alone. Some have suggested that store employees park elsewhere. Get a clue. Where would that be? We have no parking!
7. Build a parking garage. Signage does nothing. It is suspected that the Town couldn’t pass an audit and therefore can’t get bonding for a large project. Some say we don’t need parking as it would ruin the small town flavor. They are idiots. They must like traffic jams, people run over in the street by frustrated visitors and visitors unable to shop because THERE IS NO PLACE TO PARK.
8. Perform an independent audit on the Town. Follow the money!
9. Hire a town manager that is experienced in Home Rule. Repola is a friend of a friend of so and so and is further eroding the town with his personnel policies and the control he is gaining over all aspects of Town operations. Trustees should be in charge, not the hired help.
10. Build a performance center. This could really put us on the map as a cultural center and give us more year-round activities. This would be good for everyone.
11. Hold a moratorium on studies. The current (and past) administrations don’t listen to them anyway, so stop wasting time. A good example is the group asked to guide the Town regarding the CVB. They didn’t say to build the CVB but that is what the Town staff wanted so they lied about the study and said “they told us to do it.”
This is easy stuff if people will get involved, which they won’t. Just remember, you have the solution before you. You could follow this blueprint for a better Town that would thrive. But you won’t. Those that have tried to come forward with energy, dedication and great ideas are thought to be rebels, uninformed and bad for the community. It’s a shame. So we’re left with a pathetic little community that offers nothing to anyone, unless you work for the Town.
1. Trustees are elected at large and should be elected by district.
2. Trustees, once elected, get shuffled off to oversee a department and are not able to collectively run the Town. They leave that to staff. This is just wrong and not what they are elected to do. A Trustee, when asked to serve on the Blue Team should say –NO! I came to serve everyone.
3. All committees are appointed by the Mayor. This is wrong. We end up with staff making up the majority of the committee, with votes no less. A committee should have no more than one staff member – ever, with no vote.
4. Home Rule. If we don’t get Home Rule we need a natural disaster to wipe the Town off the map and put us out of our misery. It is idiotic that we don’t have Home Rule. Ninety three percent of the population of Colorado lives under Home Rule. Why? Not just for banning pit bulls, which we currently can’t do, but so we can create a marketing district and tax visitors (as all other resort communities in Colorado do) and use that money to market the area. Currently, the Town uses a percentage of collected tax to market and provide visitor services as well, but it is ILLEGAL for them to do so. And, they aren’t any good at it. Visitation is down, sales tax is down, stores are closing which will further erode sales tax collections and the money that was once used to “market” is spent on salaries for full time staff that are useless. Tom Pickering has a high salary job and is a confirmed back stabbing liar which several Trustees have admitted to. That makes them culpable and makes them as bad as he is because they allow it.
5. Eliminate EPURA! They don’t fulfill the function they were formed for and calling it the planning arm of the Town is obscene. They should have used the money to help, no demand, that downtown buildings be brought up to code for asbestos, electrical, etc. and improve their appearance. Nothing has been done downtown since the flood. That’s more than 20 years ago!
6. Move the municipal building out of our most valuable asset, our downtown. Think of all the parking that is consumed by town employees alone. Some have suggested that store employees park elsewhere. Get a clue. Where would that be? We have no parking!
7. Build a parking garage. Signage does nothing. It is suspected that the Town couldn’t pass an audit and therefore can’t get bonding for a large project. Some say we don’t need parking as it would ruin the small town flavor. They are idiots. They must like traffic jams, people run over in the street by frustrated visitors and visitors unable to shop because THERE IS NO PLACE TO PARK.
8. Perform an independent audit on the Town. Follow the money!
9. Hire a town manager that is experienced in Home Rule. Repola is a friend of a friend of so and so and is further eroding the town with his personnel policies and the control he is gaining over all aspects of Town operations. Trustees should be in charge, not the hired help.
10. Build a performance center. This could really put us on the map as a cultural center and give us more year-round activities. This would be good for everyone.
11. Hold a moratorium on studies. The current (and past) administrations don’t listen to them anyway, so stop wasting time. A good example is the group asked to guide the Town regarding the CVB. They didn’t say to build the CVB but that is what the Town staff wanted so they lied about the study and said “they told us to do it.”
This is easy stuff if people will get involved, which they won’t. Just remember, you have the solution before you. You could follow this blueprint for a better Town that would thrive. But you won’t. Those that have tried to come forward with energy, dedication and great ideas are thought to be rebels, uninformed and bad for the community. It’s a shame. So we’re left with a pathetic little community that offers nothing to anyone, unless you work for the Town.
Friday, February 24, 2006
Cripple and Lame Lead Sack Race to Oblivion
Pinkham is leading a group of activist citizens who had hopes that they would actually contribute something to the community and its future. Unfortunately, from what can read in the EP Frail, they collectively can’t even see what is wrong, so how could they possibly fix it?
So, Pinkham notes that we should “retain the essence of Estes Park." Bill, please, that is what is wrong with EP, the essence. The essence is that we all live in a beautiful community with absolutely nothing going for it. The Town blatantly steals from the community, the “clubs” are filled with folks that think only of their single interest and not the town, the shop owners barely speak to one another, the CVB makes every attempt to hurt local business by competing with them and there is a hatred for some factors of our school population while real estate values are stagnant.
Dwindling disposable incomes? What a pile. People that settle into a community have the opportunity to spend more money in that community because they live there. The fact is we have a turnover of retirees, but we aren’t growing that population because the people that fit that category (lots of free time, active and still youthful, able to contribute but want to be stimulated) don’t move here because we aren’t an attractive community. All we offer is a beautiful geographic area, with a terrible political infrastructure. The Town wants to control everything and that makes business fail. The Town used to market a bit, but now they just use that money for the idiots that run the CVB. Those same idiots, using Town money, start competing businesses to those that were created by local business; such things as a wedding group. This is not only unfair, it is INSANE!
The people that move here are generally those that have visited since they were 2, they spent 2 weeks at a time and just loved it. They then move here and after 3 weeks find out how little there is for them for stimulation, shopping and activities and North Dakota starts to look good again. What will the Economic Advisory Committee come up with to help the Town prosper? Who cares! The Town won’t listen to them anyway and it will be another failed committee.
Isn’t it interesting that Pinkham actually believes that on the one hand locals won’t drive to the valley in the future because of increased energy costs, but people from Kansas will drive here because they will have more free time. Get your head out of your Butt.
So, Pinkham notes that we should “retain the essence of Estes Park." Bill, please, that is what is wrong with EP, the essence. The essence is that we all live in a beautiful community with absolutely nothing going for it. The Town blatantly steals from the community, the “clubs” are filled with folks that think only of their single interest and not the town, the shop owners barely speak to one another, the CVB makes every attempt to hurt local business by competing with them and there is a hatred for some factors of our school population while real estate values are stagnant.
Dwindling disposable incomes? What a pile. People that settle into a community have the opportunity to spend more money in that community because they live there. The fact is we have a turnover of retirees, but we aren’t growing that population because the people that fit that category (lots of free time, active and still youthful, able to contribute but want to be stimulated) don’t move here because we aren’t an attractive community. All we offer is a beautiful geographic area, with a terrible political infrastructure. The Town wants to control everything and that makes business fail. The Town used to market a bit, but now they just use that money for the idiots that run the CVB. Those same idiots, using Town money, start competing businesses to those that were created by local business; such things as a wedding group. This is not only unfair, it is INSANE!
The people that move here are generally those that have visited since they were 2, they spent 2 weeks at a time and just loved it. They then move here and after 3 weeks find out how little there is for them for stimulation, shopping and activities and North Dakota starts to look good again. What will the Economic Advisory Committee come up with to help the Town prosper? Who cares! The Town won’t listen to them anyway and it will be another failed committee.
Isn’t it interesting that Pinkham actually believes that on the one hand locals won’t drive to the valley in the future because of increased energy costs, but people from Kansas will drive here because they will have more free time. Get your head out of your Butt.
Performance Park Another Town Bust!
The Town has continuously made bad decisions and spent money illegally for no real gain.
If you recall, the Town solicited to create a kayak course that has no water but they had to call it something so what the hay. It turned out to be the river front beautification project that benefited only the Silver Moon. What a hoot. Now it seems that since they have been allowed to build on the new beautified river, they complain that the noise level in the “award winning” Performance Park is too noisy for them.
It will be interesting to see what the noise police do when things get rocking. Especially when the Repola Crusaders show up for their Christian battle of the Jesus Bands. Make too much noise and they’ll be Crucified!
Remember, the Town uses EPURA as their “planning arm” (Baudek quote) and they spend willy-nilly at the rate of $500K at a time and hope no one notices. Well, hopefully people are noticing and will turn this cash cow into hamburger. The Town can’t continue to spend money this way and only we can stop it.
If you recall, the Town solicited to create a kayak course that has no water but they had to call it something so what the hay. It turned out to be the river front beautification project that benefited only the Silver Moon. What a hoot. Now it seems that since they have been allowed to build on the new beautified river, they complain that the noise level in the “award winning” Performance Park is too noisy for them.
It will be interesting to see what the noise police do when things get rocking. Especially when the Repola Crusaders show up for their Christian battle of the Jesus Bands. Make too much noise and they’ll be Crucified!
Remember, the Town uses EPURA as their “planning arm” (Baudek quote) and they spend willy-nilly at the rate of $500K at a time and hope no one notices. Well, hopefully people are noticing and will turn this cash cow into hamburger. The Town can’t continue to spend money this way and only we can stop it.
Monday, February 20, 2006
EPURA cont.
In 1947 the Colorado State legislature passed a law that allowed communities to create urban renewal special districts through the vote of the general electorate. The purpose for the law was to create a vehicle by which communities could rehabilitate slum and or disaster areas within their communities.
The Estes Park Urban Renewal Authority is an independent and separate governing body and was created and approved by a vote of the citizens of Estes Park, to rehabilitate the Downtown Commercial District after the 1982 Long Lake natural disaster. The powers and authorities of the district are confined to the voter approved improvement district, in the case of EPURA, the downtown commercial district. To accomplish the recovery after the 1982 disaster, money was raised through the issuance of bonds; investors purchase the bonds (shares). As a TIF district money to pay back the investors are accumulated within the community using TIF, tax-increment-financing.
To accomplish the rehabilitation of slums or disaster areas effectively urban renewal authorities are granted special powers of authority not granted to town trustee bodies. It is assumed that special or emergency conditions require special powers and authorities to raise money and accomplish planned and approved projects. Urban renewal authorities and powers are intended to be expressed on a very specific and defined area with a very specific and defined plan during a predetermined span of time.
To better understand urban renewal authorities it is necessary to understand the definitions of the powers that these authorities have.
The definitions of the powers and authorities that EPURA has are listed:
(1) Authority or "urban renewal authority" means a corporate body organized pursuant to the provisions of this part 1 for the purposes, with the powers, and subject to the restrictions set forth in this part 1.
(2) "Blighted area" means an area that, in its present condition and use and, by reason of the presence of at least four of the following factors, substantially impairs or arrests the sound growth of the municipality, retards the provision of housing accommodations, or constitutes an economic or social liability, and is a menace to the public health, safety, morals, or welfare:
(a) Slum, deteriorated, or deteriorating structures;
(b) Predominance of defective or inadequate street layout;
(c) Faulty lot layout in relation to size, adequacy, accessibility, or usefulness;
(d) Unsanitary or unsafe conditions;
(e) Deterioration of site or other improvements;
(f) Unusual topography or inadequate public improvements or utilities;
(g) Defective or unusual conditions of title rendering the title nonmarketable;
(h) The existence of conditions that endanger life or property by fire or other causes;
(i) Buildings that are unsafe or unhealthy for persons to live or work in because of building code violations, dilapidation, deterioration, defective design, physical construction, or faulty or inadequate facilities;
(j) Environmental contamination of buildings or property;
(k) (Deleted by amendment, L. 2004, p. 1745, § 3, effective June 4, 2004.)
(k.5) The existence of health, safety, or welfare factors requiring high levels of municipal services or substantial physical underutilization or vacancy of sites, buildings, or other improvements; or
(l) If there is no objection by the property owner or owners and the tenant or tenants of such owner or owners, if any, to the inclusion of such property in an urban renewal area, "blighted area" also means an area that, in its present condition and use and, by reason of the presence of any one of the factors specified in paragraphs (a) to (k.5) of this subsection (2), substantially impairs or arrests the sound growth of the municipality, retards the provision of housing accommodations, or constitutes an economic or social liability, and is a menace to the public health, safety, morals, or welfare. For purposes of this paragraph (l), the fact that an owner of an interest in such property does not object to the inclusion of such property in the urban renewal area does not mean that the owner has waived any rights of such owner in connection with laws governing condemnation.
(3) "Bonds" means any bonds (including refunding bonds), notes, interim certificates or receipts, temporary bonds, certificates of indebtedness, debentures, or other obligations.
(3.3) "Business concern" has the same meaning as "business" as set forth in section 24-56-102 (1), C.R.S.
(3.5) "Displaced person" has the same meaning as set forth in section 24-56-102 (2), C.R.S., and for purposes of this part 1 shall also include any individual, family, or business concern displaced by the acquisition by eminent domain of real property by an authority.
(3.7) "Governing body" means the governing body of the municipality within which an authority has been established in accordance with the requirements of this part 1.
(4) "Obligee" means any bondholder, agent, or trustee for any bondholder, or any lessor demising to an authority property used in connection with an urban renewal project of the authority, or any assignee of such lessor's interest or any part thereof, and the federal government when it is a party to any contract or agreement with the authority.
(5) "Public body" means the state of Colorado or any municipality, quasi-municipal corporation, board, commission, authority, or other political subdivision or public corporate body of the state.
(6) "Real property" means lands, lands under water, structures, and any and all easements, franchises, incorporeal hereditaments, and every estate and right therein, legal and equitable, including terms for years and liens by way of judgment, mortgage, or otherwise.
(7) "Slum area" means an area in which there is a predominance of buildings or improvements, whether residential or nonresidential, and which, by reason of dilapidation, deterioration, age or obsolescence, inadequate provision for ventilation, light, air, sanitation, or open spaces, high density of population and overcrowding, or the existence of conditions which endanger life or property by fire or other causes, or any combination of such factors, is conducive to ill health, transmission of disease, infant mortality, juvenile delinquency, or crime and is detrimental to the public health, safety, morals, or welfare.
(8) "Urban renewal area" means a slum area, or a blighted area, or a combination thereof which the local governing body designates as appropriate for an urban renewal project.
(9) "Urban renewal plan" means a plan, as it exists from time to time, for an urban renewal project, which plan conforms to a general or master plan for the physical development of the municipality as a whole and which is sufficiently complete to indicate such land acquisition, demolition and removal of structures, redevelopment, improvements, and rehabilitation as may be proposed to be carried out in the urban renewal area, zoning and planning changes, if any, land uses, maximum densities, building requirements, and the plan's relationship to definite local objectives respecting appropriate land uses, improved traffic, public transportation, public utilities, recreational and community facilities, and other public improvements.
(10) "Urban renewal project" means undertakings and activities for the elimination and for the prevention of the development or spread of slums and blight and may involve slum clearance and redevelopment, or rehabilitation, or conservation, or any combination or part thereof, in accordance with an urban renewal plan. Such undertakings and activities may include:
(a) Acquisition of a slum area or a blighted area or portion thereof;
(b) Demolition and removal of buildings and improvements;
(c) Installation, construction, or reconstruction of streets, utilities, parks, playgrounds, and other improvements necessary for carrying out the objectives of this part 1 in accordance with the urban renewal plan;
(d) Disposition of any property acquired or held by the authority as a part of its undertaking of the urban renewal project for the urban renewal areas (including sale, initial leasing, or temporary retention by the authority itself) at the fair value of such property for uses in accordance with the urban renewal plan;
(e) Carrying out plans for a program through voluntary action and the regulatory process for the repair, alteration, and rehabilitation of buildings or other improvements in accordance with the urban renewal plan; and
(f) Acquisition of any other property where necessary to eliminate unhealthful, unsanitary, or unsafe conditions, lessen density, eliminate obsolete or other uses detrimental to the public welfare, or otherwise remove or prevent the spread of blight or deterioration or to provide land for needed public facilities.
“Blight” as defined in Estes Park by EPURA may mean many of the buildings in the down town business district are a “blight” can be confiscated torn down and replaced. Many if not most of the properties in the downtown business district pose fire hazards, contain toxic molds, inadequate electrical wiring, are in need of extensive repair, are empty or closed the majority of the year posing an economic “blight”. If you are a building owners in the down town business district and have not been paying attention you should, Forever Living Resorts, the EPURA corporate partner in the development of the Conference Center, purchased the building on the corner of Elkhorn and Moraine, they are extensively renovating it. EPURA “blighted” the Visitors Center, spent TIF tax monies to build a new one. EPURA can take your property using the property tax you pay into the system to do it.
The members of the EPURA board are appointed by the Mayor. Current Board members are Randy Repola; Irene Little; Paula Steige; Gerald Swank; Ron Wilcocks; John Ericson Jr.; the paid director is Will Smith. They meet the third Wednesday of each month at 8:00 am in town hall.
EPURA is set to expire in 2008, the town has hired a team of attorneys to explore ways to indefinitely extend the powers and authorities of EPURA. The mayor has on many occasions falsely labeled EPURA the planning arm of the town. There are many valid reasons to mandate the retirement of EPURA.
In an intergovernmental agreement negotiated in a series of executive sessions between EPURA and the Town Trustees the majority of EPURA TIF funding is handed over to the town and combined with the general fund. The laws of Colorado are very specific about intergovernmental agreements between special districts and other governmental bodies, such agreements and assumption of power must be approved by the electorate in a general election any such agreement has never appeared on any general election ballot here in Estes Park.
31-25-115. Transfer - abolishment.
Statute text:
(1) Notwithstanding any other provision of this part 1, the governing body of a municipality may designate itself as the authority when originally establishing said authority. A transfer of an existing authority to the governing body may be accomplished only by majority vote at a regular general election.
The use of an established urban renewals real powers to accomplish rehabilitation of slums and blighted areas is one thing, the misuse of these powers to accomplish economic development where blight and slum are not present is a growing problem across Colorado there are several pieces of legislation currently being developed to eliminate the abuse.
The Estes Park Urban Renewal Authority is an independent and separate governing body and was created and approved by a vote of the citizens of Estes Park, to rehabilitate the Downtown Commercial District after the 1982 Long Lake natural disaster. The powers and authorities of the district are confined to the voter approved improvement district, in the case of EPURA, the downtown commercial district. To accomplish the recovery after the 1982 disaster, money was raised through the issuance of bonds; investors purchase the bonds (shares). As a TIF district money to pay back the investors are accumulated within the community using TIF, tax-increment-financing.
To accomplish the rehabilitation of slums or disaster areas effectively urban renewal authorities are granted special powers of authority not granted to town trustee bodies. It is assumed that special or emergency conditions require special powers and authorities to raise money and accomplish planned and approved projects. Urban renewal authorities and powers are intended to be expressed on a very specific and defined area with a very specific and defined plan during a predetermined span of time.
To better understand urban renewal authorities it is necessary to understand the definitions of the powers that these authorities have.
The definitions of the powers and authorities that EPURA has are listed:
(1) Authority or "urban renewal authority" means a corporate body organized pursuant to the provisions of this part 1 for the purposes, with the powers, and subject to the restrictions set forth in this part 1.
(2) "Blighted area" means an area that, in its present condition and use and, by reason of the presence of at least four of the following factors, substantially impairs or arrests the sound growth of the municipality, retards the provision of housing accommodations, or constitutes an economic or social liability, and is a menace to the public health, safety, morals, or welfare:
(a) Slum, deteriorated, or deteriorating structures;
(b) Predominance of defective or inadequate street layout;
(c) Faulty lot layout in relation to size, adequacy, accessibility, or usefulness;
(d) Unsanitary or unsafe conditions;
(e) Deterioration of site or other improvements;
(f) Unusual topography or inadequate public improvements or utilities;
(g) Defective or unusual conditions of title rendering the title nonmarketable;
(h) The existence of conditions that endanger life or property by fire or other causes;
(i) Buildings that are unsafe or unhealthy for persons to live or work in because of building code violations, dilapidation, deterioration, defective design, physical construction, or faulty or inadequate facilities;
(j) Environmental contamination of buildings or property;
(k) (Deleted by amendment, L. 2004, p. 1745, § 3, effective June 4, 2004.)
(k.5) The existence of health, safety, or welfare factors requiring high levels of municipal services or substantial physical underutilization or vacancy of sites, buildings, or other improvements; or
(l) If there is no objection by the property owner or owners and the tenant or tenants of such owner or owners, if any, to the inclusion of such property in an urban renewal area, "blighted area" also means an area that, in its present condition and use and, by reason of the presence of any one of the factors specified in paragraphs (a) to (k.5) of this subsection (2), substantially impairs or arrests the sound growth of the municipality, retards the provision of housing accommodations, or constitutes an economic or social liability, and is a menace to the public health, safety, morals, or welfare. For purposes of this paragraph (l), the fact that an owner of an interest in such property does not object to the inclusion of such property in the urban renewal area does not mean that the owner has waived any rights of such owner in connection with laws governing condemnation.
(3) "Bonds" means any bonds (including refunding bonds), notes, interim certificates or receipts, temporary bonds, certificates of indebtedness, debentures, or other obligations.
(3.3) "Business concern" has the same meaning as "business" as set forth in section 24-56-102 (1), C.R.S.
(3.5) "Displaced person" has the same meaning as set forth in section 24-56-102 (2), C.R.S., and for purposes of this part 1 shall also include any individual, family, or business concern displaced by the acquisition by eminent domain of real property by an authority.
(3.7) "Governing body" means the governing body of the municipality within which an authority has been established in accordance with the requirements of this part 1.
(4) "Obligee" means any bondholder, agent, or trustee for any bondholder, or any lessor demising to an authority property used in connection with an urban renewal project of the authority, or any assignee of such lessor's interest or any part thereof, and the federal government when it is a party to any contract or agreement with the authority.
(5) "Public body" means the state of Colorado or any municipality, quasi-municipal corporation, board, commission, authority, or other political subdivision or public corporate body of the state.
(6) "Real property" means lands, lands under water, structures, and any and all easements, franchises, incorporeal hereditaments, and every estate and right therein, legal and equitable, including terms for years and liens by way of judgment, mortgage, or otherwise.
(7) "Slum area" means an area in which there is a predominance of buildings or improvements, whether residential or nonresidential, and which, by reason of dilapidation, deterioration, age or obsolescence, inadequate provision for ventilation, light, air, sanitation, or open spaces, high density of population and overcrowding, or the existence of conditions which endanger life or property by fire or other causes, or any combination of such factors, is conducive to ill health, transmission of disease, infant mortality, juvenile delinquency, or crime and is detrimental to the public health, safety, morals, or welfare.
(8) "Urban renewal area" means a slum area, or a blighted area, or a combination thereof which the local governing body designates as appropriate for an urban renewal project.
(9) "Urban renewal plan" means a plan, as it exists from time to time, for an urban renewal project, which plan conforms to a general or master plan for the physical development of the municipality as a whole and which is sufficiently complete to indicate such land acquisition, demolition and removal of structures, redevelopment, improvements, and rehabilitation as may be proposed to be carried out in the urban renewal area, zoning and planning changes, if any, land uses, maximum densities, building requirements, and the plan's relationship to definite local objectives respecting appropriate land uses, improved traffic, public transportation, public utilities, recreational and community facilities, and other public improvements.
(10) "Urban renewal project" means undertakings and activities for the elimination and for the prevention of the development or spread of slums and blight and may involve slum clearance and redevelopment, or rehabilitation, or conservation, or any combination or part thereof, in accordance with an urban renewal plan. Such undertakings and activities may include:
(a) Acquisition of a slum area or a blighted area or portion thereof;
(b) Demolition and removal of buildings and improvements;
(c) Installation, construction, or reconstruction of streets, utilities, parks, playgrounds, and other improvements necessary for carrying out the objectives of this part 1 in accordance with the urban renewal plan;
(d) Disposition of any property acquired or held by the authority as a part of its undertaking of the urban renewal project for the urban renewal areas (including sale, initial leasing, or temporary retention by the authority itself) at the fair value of such property for uses in accordance with the urban renewal plan;
(e) Carrying out plans for a program through voluntary action and the regulatory process for the repair, alteration, and rehabilitation of buildings or other improvements in accordance with the urban renewal plan; and
(f) Acquisition of any other property where necessary to eliminate unhealthful, unsanitary, or unsafe conditions, lessen density, eliminate obsolete or other uses detrimental to the public welfare, or otherwise remove or prevent the spread of blight or deterioration or to provide land for needed public facilities.
“Blight” as defined in Estes Park by EPURA may mean many of the buildings in the down town business district are a “blight” can be confiscated torn down and replaced. Many if not most of the properties in the downtown business district pose fire hazards, contain toxic molds, inadequate electrical wiring, are in need of extensive repair, are empty or closed the majority of the year posing an economic “blight”. If you are a building owners in the down town business district and have not been paying attention you should, Forever Living Resorts, the EPURA corporate partner in the development of the Conference Center, purchased the building on the corner of Elkhorn and Moraine, they are extensively renovating it. EPURA “blighted” the Visitors Center, spent TIF tax monies to build a new one. EPURA can take your property using the property tax you pay into the system to do it.
The members of the EPURA board are appointed by the Mayor. Current Board members are Randy Repola; Irene Little; Paula Steige; Gerald Swank; Ron Wilcocks; John Ericson Jr.; the paid director is Will Smith. They meet the third Wednesday of each month at 8:00 am in town hall.
EPURA is set to expire in 2008, the town has hired a team of attorneys to explore ways to indefinitely extend the powers and authorities of EPURA. The mayor has on many occasions falsely labeled EPURA the planning arm of the town. There are many valid reasons to mandate the retirement of EPURA.
In an intergovernmental agreement negotiated in a series of executive sessions between EPURA and the Town Trustees the majority of EPURA TIF funding is handed over to the town and combined with the general fund. The laws of Colorado are very specific about intergovernmental agreements between special districts and other governmental bodies, such agreements and assumption of power must be approved by the electorate in a general election any such agreement has never appeared on any general election ballot here in Estes Park.
31-25-115. Transfer - abolishment.
Statute text:
(1) Notwithstanding any other provision of this part 1, the governing body of a municipality may designate itself as the authority when originally establishing said authority. A transfer of an existing authority to the governing body may be accomplished only by majority vote at a regular general election.
The use of an established urban renewals real powers to accomplish rehabilitation of slums and blighted areas is one thing, the misuse of these powers to accomplish economic development where blight and slum are not present is a growing problem across Colorado there are several pieces of legislation currently being developed to eliminate the abuse.
Sunday, February 19, 2006
Time to Move Forward
While it has been interesting seeing the comments regarding impressions of our Hispanic population, it has had nothing to do with any of the topics that were first started. This is commonly known as a “red herring,” and many people followed the comments and forgot the topic. So, these side-bars may be removed in the future in hopes of sticking to meaningful dialog regarding the important issues that affect our community and our lives, things we can actively do something about.
One can imagine that it has been fun for Pickering and Repola to try to steer the discussion, enough is enough. Why don’t all of you loyal readers revisit these past blogs and make relevant comments regarding the actual topic?
It is important that your feelings are heard on:
Parking
TIF
Upcoming election for Trustee
These are things we can make a difference on. Are you willing to do the work? Will you run for office?
Will you support candidates that agree with change?
Will you help put an end to EPURA?
These are the important issues. Where do you stand?
One can imagine that it has been fun for Pickering and Repola to try to steer the discussion, enough is enough. Why don’t all of you loyal readers revisit these past blogs and make relevant comments regarding the actual topic?
It is important that your feelings are heard on:
Parking
TIF
Upcoming election for Trustee
These are things we can make a difference on. Are you willing to do the work? Will you run for office?
Will you support candidates that agree with change?
Will you help put an end to EPURA?
These are the important issues. Where do you stand?
Saturday, February 18, 2006
Are We Seeing Racism Here?
There has been a recent thread to comments on this blog that show a decided bent toward racism, masked behind the flag. While some of the comments may have a bit of accuracy based on the writers first hand knowledge, the writers are painting with such a broad brush that they aren’t effective commentary, just hate statements. This is not appropriate for this blog, but more importantly, it is a detriment to our community. We’re right back to the comment in the last blog – “It’s not my fault, it’s your fault and you can go to hell.” Is that really what our community has become? The thought here is that it is a symptom of the bigger problem, that being the Town’s actions causing a neutering of concerned, educated and caring citizens that truly want some changes. We can’t have change, can’t grow and prosper and will surely see more failures of businesses and see more citizens move on. What a shame.
How long can one drink from a poisoned well?
How long can one drink from a poisoned well?
Grossly Obscene
Estes Park has once again hidden behind “the study.” If one were to look at town in the summer they would find that this is the most miserable place in the universe to park. Driving endlessly around the small parking lots in hopes of finding a spot is upsetting to visitors and shopkeepers as well. It is estimated in national studies, that each parking spot generates a minimum of $15,000 in revenue. It is estimated, again nationally, that the number of parking spaces needed for 1000 sq feet of retail is 5 or 6; Estes Park has 2.
The single biggest complaint of visitors is parking. Second is probably the tacky inventory our stores carry, but that’s for another comment.
So, what is the solution? It seems that 82% of shop owners feel we have a parking problem, with 34% saying there are not enough spaces. The answer is “we need more signage.”
Paint the signs a different color, valet parking, have employees parking elsewhere.
Employees should park elsewhere. Just where would that be? A really good idea is to turn the Knoll into a great big parking lot. It’s useless for anything else. Sorry, there was one person there a few weeks ago, but then they could still poop their dog there.
These solutions are an excuse to do nothing, which is the one constant in this town. If you want it, you can’t have it and it’s not our fault, it’s your fault.
Here’s the solution:
1. Have employees park in Loveland and walk up.
2. Turn visitors away and route them up HWY 34 and Hwy 36 and force them to go Hwy 7 back to Lyons without entering the town. If we didn’t have so many people we wouldn’t have to have so much parking and wouldn’t have to re-paint the signs those gay colors.
3. Give parking spaces to the National Park so we can have more empty cars downtown with no shoppers at all. This will help the retail store in the visitor center that the Town wants to compete with downtown.
4. Keep stores open 24 hours to stagger the parking. The study says midnight is a good time to park.
The only paint this town needs is to broadcast our true colors – Black. That would fairly indicate our future, which is very bleak.
The single biggest complaint of visitors is parking. Second is probably the tacky inventory our stores carry, but that’s for another comment.
So, what is the solution? It seems that 82% of shop owners feel we have a parking problem, with 34% saying there are not enough spaces. The answer is “we need more signage.”
Paint the signs a different color, valet parking, have employees parking elsewhere.
Employees should park elsewhere. Just where would that be? A really good idea is to turn the Knoll into a great big parking lot. It’s useless for anything else. Sorry, there was one person there a few weeks ago, but then they could still poop their dog there.
These solutions are an excuse to do nothing, which is the one constant in this town. If you want it, you can’t have it and it’s not our fault, it’s your fault.
Here’s the solution:
1. Have employees park in Loveland and walk up.
2. Turn visitors away and route them up HWY 34 and Hwy 36 and force them to go Hwy 7 back to Lyons without entering the town. If we didn’t have so many people we wouldn’t have to have so much parking and wouldn’t have to re-paint the signs those gay colors.
3. Give parking spaces to the National Park so we can have more empty cars downtown with no shoppers at all. This will help the retail store in the visitor center that the Town wants to compete with downtown.
4. Keep stores open 24 hours to stagger the parking. The study says midnight is a good time to park.
The only paint this town needs is to broadcast our true colors – Black. That would fairly indicate our future, which is very bleak.
Friday, February 17, 2006
Wednesday, February 15, 2006
ONE YEAR
The Estesparkian is calibrating its first year on the job.
Thank for participating.
Let us know what interests you.
Thank for participating.
Let us know what interests you.
Tuesday, February 07, 2006
What is TIF?
One approach to financing redevelopment is the creation of a tax increment financing (TIF) district. TIF is a financing technique wherein bonds are issued to fund redevelopment and the bondholders are repaid through the new (or incremental) tax revenues generated by the new construction/development. Only urban renewal authorities and downtown development authorities have the ability to create a TIF district.
For example, suppose the city of Anytown, Colorado creates a Tax – Increment – Financing (TIF) district to facilitate redevelopment of several adjacent properties, including aging and vacant industrial buildings and a former rail yard. The TIF district would be fixed size and the redevelopment will add new industrial and retail buildings to take advantage of short haul rail access, nearby highways, and downtown access, creating and economy where none existed before.
Once the properties within the TIF district are redeveloped, property values will increase, which result in increased tax revenues. These property tax revenues from the TIF district are split into two revenue streams:
The first stream (base) is equal to the “As – Is” property tax revenues without redevelopment and goes to the same city, county, school district, and other taxing entities (the base is allowed to increase with the market over time).
The second stream (increment) is the net increase in property taxes resulting solely from new development. The increment is used to fund the redevelopment
City officials claim the development is paying for itself. The reality, however, is that the tax increment would normally go to schools to educate the children living in the development; to water and sewer, fire and police, and other public costs of the development. Since the TIF siphons these funds away, taxpayers in the rest of the areas must pay for the schools, water, sewer, fire, police and other urban – services needed to support the new development. If tax rates aren’t raised, then everyone pays by getting lower service levels. Often cities will suffer some financial crisis, leading to demands that taxes be increased to pay for some needed service such as a fire district, schools, libraries, when no such crisis would have existed without the tax-increment financing.
The easy availability of TIF money creates a moral hazard for developers. With development getting tax subsidies, what developer would be willing to invest in a project without subsidies? Meanwhile retailers and other business in existing business must continue to pay taxes to subsidize their competition. In Estes Park retailers move to the new subsidized developments, thus hastening the blighting of the existing malls and buildings in the historic down town area hastening the blighting of this historic area and creating new opportunities for TIF- financed redevelopment the only one to profit being the developers.
TIF also creates a moral hazard for city officials and planners. If redevelopment requires huge subsidies, then it may in fact be more expensive than so called sprawl. Since the creation of EPURA the downtown business district has sprawled east and now west and yet the original historic downtown business district is empting out contributing to an accelerated blight. More or less a never ending cycle.
Sunday, February 05, 2006
EPURA
How well do you know you’re Town Estes Park? Small towns always have the reputation that everyone knows everyone else’s businesses.
How well do you know the business of Estes Park?
What is EPURA?
What is TIF?
How does EPURA work?
What is EPURA doing now if anything?
Answer in the comments area, Please.
How well do you know the business of Estes Park?
What is EPURA?
What is TIF?
How does EPURA work?
What is EPURA doing now if anything?
Answer in the comments area, Please.
Friday, February 03, 2006
Speak Estes
Does anyone out there believe that Mayor John Baudek has a future in politics at the next level up?
County Commissioner, etc.?
County Commissioner, etc.?