OR NOT SO PRETTY PICTURE:
(Playing an air violin duet with Brenda Bronson, his strongest supporter, co-leader of the failed Green Mountain recall campaign, part of a developer family, co-advocate for extraterritorial service to Rooney Valley and leader of the failed campaign against citizen initiative 200 – a loyal friend to the development community)
These screen shots were taken during two meetings this past Spring. Mr. Smith (Arlen) was mocking, harassing and openly insulting the Green Mountain Water and Sanitation Board as part of his campaign to force them to resign.
This behavior continued for 6 months.
So much for bringing people together.
Why was he so abusive, taunting, insulting, despite his complete absence of knowledge and experience?
Because the board majority dared to terminate the Big Sky IGA, and refused to settle with a new IGA which was near and dear to his sponsors – The Rooney Valley development community.
And, to be sure, Mr. Smith (Arlen) was paid well for his efforts to disrupt the Green Mountain board and try to coerce them into settling with a new IGA for Big Sky and the group of Rooney Valley developers:
In his 2019 campaign for City Council he collected $360.23 in contributions as of 9-3-2019
For the same time period this year ending 8-31-2021, he collected $10,670.00.
From $360.23
- in 2019 when he didn’t know anything about Green Mountain and the Big Sky IGA
To $10,670.00
- in 2021 during the time he was lecturing Green Mountain that they are an “appliance” for developers and trash-talking the Board on Next Door and Facebook.
His contributions came from leading pro-development donors and advocates for a new IGA in Rooney Valley including Brenda Bronson, her developer husband Thomas Walker, DMAR Realtor PAC, Mr. Eadie, Mr. Furman, Mr. Kerr, Ms Bertolli, Mr. Keefe, and Ms. Hanagan and her husband. Notably Mr. Senigla, the pro-extraterritorial service Green Mountain candidate was also among the group.
Here he is talking about recall with Mr. Eadie and Mr. Furman a couple of months before these pictures were taken:
He is agreeing that recall is an option to return control of the Green Mountain Board back to the developers.
See: https://rooneyvalleynews.com/source-of-green-mountain-recall-you-are-just-a-toaster-an-appliance/
And here he is explaining to the Green Mountain board that they are just an “appliance” “like a toaster” whose only job is to do exactly what the developers tell them to do and when to do it.
Mr. Smith (Arlen) lecturing the board on how to do their job . . . When he has zero experience and is simply parroting what his developer community sponsors have told him:
Here he is recently amending his message – terminating the Big Sky IGA was now ok on technical grounds – but the board needs to immediately enter into a new IGA so they can develop Rooney Valley on the backs of the Green Mountain District:
“Arlen said he believes current board members did the right thing — not as an effort to control growth — but because the agreement was incomplete.”
“Christopher Arlen, a Lakewood resident and 2019 city council candidate, has been a prominent voice in the recall movement. He thinks the bottom line is that the water district has been co-opted by a group determined to control growth in the Rooney Valley.”
“It’s (the recall) about re-setting government to work the way it’s supposed to work,” he said.
– JeffCo Transcript Oct 1, 2021.
“Work the way its supposed to work” – “like a toaster – an appliance” – serving up whatever the developer community orders.
- Even when the developer is outside the district and has their own sewer provider.
- Serving up what the developer orders just because its cheaper and will generate a higher profit for the developer
Here he is explaining that as a member of city council he wants to “move beyond 200” which means negate 200 – the citizen initiative to slow the rate of residential development:
“What are your top three priorities if elected?”
Christopher Arlen: “Moving Lakewood beyond 200 is imperative. The distal impacts to economic development, low income housing, and sales tax revenue impacts our collective future. . . .”
Yet, in his campaign literature, he states
“Holding developers accountable” – perhaps for his campaign contributions.
Otherwise he is in favor of the old way of doing things – let the developers tell us how much development and when.
The city council “is just an appliance – like a toaster” to serve up whatever the developer orders.
“Protecting our water and open spaces” – protecting them from citizens who have fought to restore balance and assert resident control, not developer control, of land use planning.
“Building Lakewood where families can live, work and play” by trash talking neighborhoods and residents he doesn’t like – calling them “racists” if they dare to challenge him.
Here he is “liking” a Facebook post initiated by B K Evans that mocks and makes fun of Solterra residents:
He wants you to know he was a veteran – but as he explained in 2019, he was discharged early. Reason unknown.
He wants you to know he has been a pastor – as he explained in 2019, a youth pastor and then a street pastor to AIDS victims and drug users in San Francisco for about a year.
When I first saw Mr. Smith (Arlen) in 2019, I was impressed that this might be a new fresh face untarnished by the political manipulation in Lakewood. He sounded interesting and independent even though he really didn’t have much substance.
“He was still learning” he explained.
I did some research and here is what I found. It was a little difficult at first because, as it turns out, his real name is Christopher Smith, not Christopher Arlen. Kinda important to know a person’s real last name to find out about them – especially if they are runnng for public office.
Here he is in 2005,
- the subject of criticism for cronyism in hiring,
- violating the bylaws,
- making back room deals and
- cutting staff
- to deflect charges of his own ineffectiveness.
This happened in the first 11 months he was there.
- He was gone in another year.
Christopher Smith. Not Christopher Arlen.
See, http://www.metroactive.com/papers/cruz/02.23.05/scap-0508.html
Here is reference to him as being replaced as the director of the Boulder County AIDS Project after just 11 months.
In his words, a “difficult and a poor fit”. 2007.
Christopher Smith. Not Christopher Arlen.
His description of his work history jumps from being fired in 2007, after only 11 months (his replacement went on to serve over 10 years), to 2014 when he “started the Soft Skills Company.”
And apparently changed his name to Christopher Arlen.
He does mention working as a limousine driver during that 7 year gap. Perhaps that is where he met Adam Paul.
So, only two substantive positions and he was fired from both, one after 11 months, another after only two years.
So much for his work experience.
He wants you to believe he is a unifier. An expert in bringing people together and forging strong healthy relationships.
Here is what he wants you to believe:
Yet, here again are just a few examples of his polarizing and divisive behavior in front of the Green Mountain Water and Sanitation Board:
To be sure, Mr. Smith has led an interesting life.
- He has experience in working with youth and gay men at a time when AIDS was a killer
- he himself admits to being a survivor of a “reckless and risky life style” at that time
- and ultimately worked to promote HIV testing and AIDS prevention.
- He is a passionate defender of Black Lives Matter and the LGBTQ community.
- All extremely important.
- All issues many of us have experience with and are also passionate about.
But he is not who he represents he is.
- He is passionate about returning exclusive control of land use planning back to the developers
- citizens have no seat at the table
- elected boards have an obligation to do everything they can to serve the development community
The City Council is “just an appliance – like a toaster” serving up whatever the developer orders.
Perhaps his experience with BLM, LGBTQ, HIV and AIDS prevention are reasons alone for him to earn a seat on the City Council.
Perhaps not.
But at least you know what you are voting for.
And if you are part of the 11% – 27% who want to return control of land-use policy decision making back to the developer community, then Mr. Smith (Arlen) is your man.
If you are part of the 89% – 73% who don’t, you have another choice.
Here are additional references for information on Mr. Smith:
http://www.metroactive.com/papers/cruz/02.23.05/scap-0508.html
https://arvadapress.com/stories/christopher-arlen-lakewood,312072
http://voyagedenver.com/interview/meet-christopher-arlen-soft-skills-company-lakewood/
And the public comment section of every Green Mountain Water and Sanitation board meeting since January, 2021:
https://www.greenmountainwater.org/RelId/656354/ISvars/default/Board_Meetings.htm
John Henderson