You all are voting now on two questions.
First, should the majority of the Green Mountain Water and Sanitation District board members be recalled.
Second, if they are recalled, who would you vote – in to replace them.
Deb Romero and Dave Wiechman are both active citizens who have participated in varying degrees in defending citizens’ rights to have a seat at the table on land use public policy questions.
Both are self-nominated replacement candidates (one for Mr. Plotkin and one for Ms. Morgan).
And both have recognized that the current majority of the board – Jeff Baker, Karen Morgan and Alex Plotkin are at least – if not more so – adamantly against extraterritorial service – as are Deb and Dave.
(According to their published statements, Dave is opposed to extraterritorial service. Deb would consider an extraterritorial IGA in the future if the “details” were right.)
So. If the current majority of the board is opposed to extraterritorial service, and if Deb and Dave are also opposed to extraterritorial service, why are we doing this recall.
What is the point.
The majority of the board
- first with Jeff and Alex followed by Karen
- terminated the Big Sky IGA,
- continued to stand by the decision,
- worked hard to fight against the developers’ lawsuits,
- resisted efforts to settle (encouraged by Romero and the recall group) and
- ultimately won the lawsuits.
Why are they being rewarded for this work . . . . with a recall.
One real answer gets lost in a murky emotion filled mess of hurt feelings, slights, egos, power (by Adrienne Hanagan, Rita Bertolli and Counsel Timmins – who also made $500,000 off the District) and electioneering manipulation (by Lakewood City Council Candidate Christopher Smith (Arlen) . . . .
All of Which have absolutely nothing whatsoever to do with the critical public policy issue facing the Green Mountain Water and Sanitation District community:
who decides public policy about extraterritorial service –
the developers or the residents.
And, in order to justify the recall and her own election, Romero now embraces the nonsensical campaign to pit neighborhood against neighborhood – Green Mountain against Solterra.
Rate paying residents who are charged less for more service and have a vote versus rate paying residents who are charged more for less service and have no vote.
(Deb Romero’s recent post: “Does this seem odd to you” that Solterra residents who are Green Mountain rate paying customers (25% higher fees than voting customers) but can’t vote, dare to “care” about these issues – suggesting that they should mind their own business)
Deb Romero pitting neighbor against neighbor.
With the help of non-residents who collected 75% of the petition signatures.
I know I keep repeating myself but maybe every time I say it one more person will hear it – the only ones who are benefitting from the recall are the developer community.
Its time to say “no”, again.
Deb has been drawn in by several of the recall group who are part of the development community and clearly are not “pro-resident” when it comes to deciding land use public policy.
I just learned, for example, that this person, Brenda Bronson, one of the leaders of the recall group
is married to Thomas A. Walker.
And I just learned, Mr. Walker is a developer/builder who stands to benefit financially from promoting development in Rooney Valley.
https://www.buildzoom.com/contractor/thomas-a-walker
He has been very busy building new homes – 57 projects in the past three years including 25 in 2020 alone.
Here is Mr. Walker demanding that Jeff, Karen and Alex resign “or else” (May 11 Board Meeting):
Of the $8,277.32 collected and spent by the recall group (formally reported), $6,565.00 was collected and spent by Ms. Bronson/Mr. Walker. At least $2,500.00 was formally reported contributed in cash by Mr. Walker and the remaining $4,065.00 by his wife, Ms. Bronson.
https://tracer.sos.colorado.gov/PublicSite/Reports/ReportViewer.aspx
79.3 % of the funds came from a developer/builder. The rest came from Rita Bertolli.
So, 75% of the recall petition signatures were collected by non-resident paid canvassers.
And 79.3% of the reported recall committee funding (including all the cost of the paid canvassers) came from a developer/builder who stands to benefit financially from promoting development of Rooney Valley.
And we already know that the two most vocal voices of the recall movement, Devon Neill and Christopher Smith (Arlen) are devoted to developing Rooney Valley on the developer’s terms, with little or no input from the residents.
According to both Neill and Smith, the board is just a “toaster” “an appliance” to do whatever the developer community decides is best for Green Mountain.
(Brenda Bronson, and apparently her husband, think Devon Neill is “brilliant” and are actively campaigning for Mr. Smith, candidate for Lakewood City Council Ward 4 to Replace Mr. Skilling)
And we know that Neill/Smith have been communicating directly with the developer plaintiffs counsel and their supporters (including Mr. Eadie and Mr. Furman).
Devon Neill and Christopher Smith (Arlen) will do and say anything to advance the objectives of the development/Big Sky plaintiffs goal to develop Rooney on the backs of the Green Mountain Water and Sanitation District . . . because its cheaper for the developers.
I agree with Deb and Dave when they recognize that Jeff Baker, Alex Plotkin and Karen Morgan have fought harder than anyone to stand up to the development community and asserted, for the first time by any Lakewood public official, that the residents shall have a seat at the development table.
If you agree with Devon Neill and Christopher Smith (Arlen), then you should absolutely vote “yes” to recall the board majority and return the power to make public policy about water resources back to the developer community.
Vote yes with Neill and Smith and then vote-in one of the replacement candidates who will vote for a new IGA with Big Sky and give up (settle) the litigation, even though Green Mountain is winning the litigation.
But if you don’t agree with Devon Neill and Christoper Smith (Arlen) and you agree with Dave Wiechman and Deb Romero that no one has fought harder than the board majority to give the residents a seat at the table, then you should vote “no” on the recall.
And, if Deb and Dave think they can do a better job of defending your rights, then they can wait to persuade you of that in May at the regular election. It is not a reason for a recall.
The board majority should be honored and congratulated for winning this fight – not recalled.
They are winning their fight.
The community should stand behind them and continue to support their work in the face of constant efforts by the development community to undermine their work – a lot of work – on your behalf.
John Henderson