08/08/06 7:00 PM
ACTION ITEMS:
5. REQUEST TO ENTER EXECUTIVE SESSION:
24-6-402(4)(E), C.R.S. - For the purpose of determining positions relative to matters that may be subject to negotiations, developing strategy for negotiations, and/or instructing negotiators and 24-6-402(4)(B), C.R.S. – Conference with Town Attorney White and Attorney McCargar for the purpose of receiving legal advice on specific legal questions regarding the sale of Lot 4, Stanley Historic District.
Motion: I move the Town Board go into Executive – For the purpose of determining positions relative to matters that may be subject to negotiations, developing strategy for negotiations, and/or instructing negotiators, under C.R.S. Section 24-6-402-(4) (E) and for a conference with Town Attorney White and Attorney McCargar for the purpose of receiving legal advice on the items listed above under C.R.S. Section 24-6-402(4) (B).
Your elected officials will not let you know what is going on with your property and what kind of arrangements they are cooking up with your money so the Estes Parkian will fill in the blanks while your elected officials palaver in the back room, with one more attorney (McCargar) hired to get Greg White out of one more law suite. Greg apparently has made a habit of ignoring Colorado State Statutes except, obviously, the C.R.S. (Colorado Revised Statute) that allows him to go into the back room out of our sight to palaver his mistakes.
You would have to wonder what gives in Town Hall. It seems they are going in circles, chasing their tails. Actions that would have gone on as business as usual are now being challenged at every turn. This speaks to an erosion of credibility within Town Hall; a conflict of personal gain verses community good has fogged the rolls of this government.
This Stanley Hotel Historic District Lot 4 quagmire is one more example.
The on going Chamber suite is another.
The town purchased Lot 4 of the Stanley Hotel Historic District using a cloudy combination of EPURA funds and “community reinvestment funds”.
Why would the town purchase this piece of property, open space, open space and view preservation (similar to the Knoll property), future development, was it a business investment, or political control of the property? The questioning of motives and procedures are play here. When members of the community suggested Lot 4 be used as an ideal location for a community theater a cold "NO" was the only response from town hall. A plan was in the works but it was not a public plan.
When Lot 4 was put on the market for sale three offers were received but two were dismissed by the town administrator (what were those offers we deserve to know it’s our property) and a purchaser was selected, Estes Winds, LLC, a limited liability corporation established in January 2003, Edward Grueff registering agent. He apparently really didn’t purchase the property; he negotiated a back door deal. Were the other two interested parties offered this same sugar deal?
Cardinal Properties, LLC, was established in July 2004 to develop the Conoco property through EPURA, also Mr. Edward Grueff as one of the principles. Cardinal Properties really didn’t purchase that property either, apparently.
Did Estes Winds, LLC purchase Lot 4 out right? Apparently not, there was a deal negotiated that made you and me a principle investor in Estes Winds, LLC. Apparently Eddy gets to use public property as collateral to get a loan at First National to finance construction; he sells off portions of the development to pay for the lot and his wedding center. Pretty good deal for Eddy, except look at all the commercial properties Eddy has developed that are empty.
Did Cardinal Properties, LLC purchase the Conoco property out right?
No. We still own those empty properties, apparently. (Trustee Eric B. needs to get his butt in gear here and get those properties sold. Come on Eric your not pulling your end of the load).
How did these newly formed limited liability corporations get the funding to make these improvements? Randy R. is on the board of directors of First National and good buddies with the president David. Hummm.
Good stewardship? Hummm.
The Standley Hotel has filed suite against the town questioning the town’s authority to sell Lot 4 without going to the electorate to ask permission to do so (one more of those annoying laws that requires the trustees to be accountable to you that is ignored as a matter of routine). That’s why the town had to hire one more attorney, McCargar.
