"The initial intent was to do this behind the scenes so that our residents don’t have to see what goes on." ...City Council Member Kim Hoffman
I popped into a city council meeting last Wednesday. It was a joint meeting between the CPN Master Association and the City Council and about twenty residents were in attendance. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss repayment of approximately $200,000 of incorporation expenses loaned by the Master Association to support the incorporation effort in Castle Pines North.
Not long into the meeting, Council Member Kim Hoffman stated, “Just so you all understand, the Master and the Council were supposed to have a meeting and this got publicized and that’s why everybody is here. But the initial intent was to do this behind the scenes so that our residents don’t have to see what goes on."
I was stunned. Council Member Hoffman, the residents DO want to see what goes on.
A little research revealed that just last Thursday, city council held an executive session (no public allowed) to hear advice from its attorneys on strategy and negotiation tactics to be used at this very same meeting. (CPN City Council Agenda 7-23-2009) Your city council is now spending taxpayer funds to deflect citizen inquires about unfulfilled campaign promises.
When asked why only two council members were in attendance, it became clear that the City had failed to post notice of the meeting, providing a legal loophole for city council members to dodge the meeting. We suspect that the lack of notice was intentional, in order to shelter certain city officials, notably Mayor Shul, the prime proponent of the "loan" concept, from public scrutiny.
After an hour of discussion, nothing was really resolved at the meeting other than the city expects a report from their attorneys as to the legality of the now disputed loan repayment scheme and the Master Association board members expect to hear a report from a city official at their next meeting.
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
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It seems to me that you have taken things completely out of context. Kim Hoffman is one of the most valuable and upstanding members of our City Council. It's a few others that need worrying about!
ReplyDeleteI saw a blurb in the Castle Pines Connection about unincorporating (could be the wrong terminology here) and going back to being unincorporated. Does anyone know who is spearheading this and how the CPN homeowners can get involved?
ReplyDeleteThanks
I need to add to this posting that at one of the pre city formation info meeting where expenses were a prime discussion I stood & asked where the money was coming from to underwrite the all of the legal & other related cost. I don't remember who on the formation committee replied that the money was a loan from the Master Association. I ask if there was a written loan note & was told no, but every penny would be reimbursed to the Master Association. I am not a note taker & I can't say who replied to my question. But from what is going around now as for intent, I believe we were lied to & I can't tell you how disappointed we are in how this issue is being twisted.
ReplyDeleteLet's face the question - Are there are shenanigans going on behind the scenes that the city leaders do not want exposed to public scrutiny? What do they fear? It's shameful and disgusting when you hide from the constituents you allegedly represent. Secrecy is evil. When you turn the lights on, you can tell who the cockroaches as they are the ones scurrying for cover. We need righteous, honorable leaders, not sniveling cowards who fear the light.
ReplyDeleteJust another reason we should never have incorporated... The list seems to be endless. I'm still not sure who thought this was a good idea. As far as I can tell we have the same services after incorporation as before, but ultimately at a higher price to all of us and it comes with all this nonsense.
ReplyDeleteMaybe it's time to see about undoing this mistake. Un-incorporate. It would cost up front but be better in the long run for all of us.
Let these folks fuel their political egos on someone else's stage and using someone else's money.
I, too, attended the meeting that was to be an initial discussion between the Master Board and the City Council regarding the potential repayment of funds. To say that the headline you are running is out of context is a gross understatement. Councilperson Hoffman was not trying to hide anything…nor are any other members of the CPN City Council. It must be noted that the meeting was called for and organized by the Mayor – not an action taken when looking to hide something. This meeting was scheduled to be a discussion between the two bodies to determine what issues existed and possible options. The fact that the meeting was announced and opened to the public by the anti-city publication The Castle Pines Connection when it was agreed upon to be only between the two entities is no surprise. This was an initial meeting to set the goals of the discussions– nothing more.
ReplyDeletePerhaps CPN Citizens for a Solid Foundation, who fought hard against incorporation, should stop pointing fingers, trafficking in lies and misrepresenting information and face the fact that 74% of CPN citizens voted for incorporation. CPN Citizens for a Solid Foundation are tossing about personal attacks rather than focusing upon facts. The City Council has not raised taxes. The government of CPN (elected officials and staff) has worked hours upon hours to bring the 18 month old city to a strong financial footing. It must be stated that CPN City Council is VOLUNTEER, unlike the CPNMD board members who are paid for their meeting participation. All of the mud slug at the city council is completely misdirected.
But, back to the meeting in question. The attacks upon Councilperson Hoffman are disgusting. As a person who has served this community for just shy of a decade, the vocal minority should be ashamed. Yes, the meeting was not productive. This is not due to Councilperson Hoffman, nor any other representative from our strong city. From the outset of the meeting, Councilperson Clark clearly articulated that the council was not able to proceed without the direction from legal counsel. Those who represent CPN Citizens for a Solid Foundation (along with the handful of opponents of the city who attended) did not want to listen to the required legal process. Rather they just wanted to have a check issued, regardless of the TABOR or other related statutes. So, basically, you have a small group of people who were advocating the city violate the law.
As a resident of CPN, I do not want our volunteer council to violate the law, have a knee jerk reaction to unreasonable demands from a group that is not dealing in fact nor act in a manner that is not in the best interest of the ENTIRE city.
I applaud Council person Hoffman for her tireless efforts in support of CPN’s future. This petulant behavior of the anti-city group is embarrassing and has no place in this community.
Councilperson Hoffman has my vote. Resident Huff does not.
The city failed to provide the required notification of the meeting per the 1973 Sunshine Law as follows:
ReplyDelete(2) (a) All meetings of two or more members of any state public body at which any public business is discussed or at which any formal action may be taken are declared to be public meetings open to the public at all times.
c) Any meetings at which the adoption of any proposed policy, position, resolution, rule, regulation, or formal action occurs or at which a majority or quorum of the body is in attendance, or is expected to be in attendance, shall be held only after full and timely notice to the public.
In addition to any other means of full and timely notice, a local public body shall be deemed to have given full and timely notice if the notice of the meeting is posted in a designated public place within the boundaries of the local public body no less than twenty-four hours prior to the holding of the meeting.
The public place or places for posting such notice shall be designated annually at the local public body's first regular meeting of each calendar year. The posting shall include specific agenda information where possible.
(III) If elected officials use electronic mail to discuss pending legislation or other public business among themselves, the electronic mail shall be subject to the requirements of this section. Electronic mail communication among elected officials that does not relate to pending legislation or other public business shall not be considered a "meeting" within the meaning of this section.
The Castle Pines Connection is not the legal mode of notification for public meetings.
It's OUR money whether the City or the Master Association spends it. The city needs to stop spending more money (I do believe we are already 1.5 mil in debt) on attorney fees.
Council has again scheduled the issue of repayment of the $200,000 "loan" from the Master Association during their EXECUTIVE SESSION when all public review is prohibited. Citizens for an open and transparent (honest) government ought to show up 6:45 at Thursday's (August 13) meeting of City Council and demand that discussion of this issue be held in an open meeting. Your elected representatives...Shul, Gilbert, Havercroft and Hoffman continue to avoid discussion of the campaign promises they made as Master Association Board members and later as city officials.
ReplyDeleteYet again quotes taken out of context and facts misrepresented. Can't wait to see how The Connection reports (if you can call it that) on this!
ReplyDeleteAs for getting the City to pay the Master back...I thought Mr Huff was ON the Master Board - you'd have thought he wanted to get the money paid back, clearly not. The City are not legally obligated to pay the money back, they are morally obligated. If you want something from somebody attacking them is NOT the way to go.
It was clearly stated that the City had to wait for legal comment. Quite rightly so, but as the Solid Foundation Fan Club are obviously deaf and have selective hearing they chose not to listen and started the foot stomping. That's how to get something done and disrupt what could have been a respectful meeting.
Bravo to Councilperson Hoffman.
I would appeciate receiving emails drectly asking questions as opposed to the rumors put here. I will try to monitor better to correct the gross amount of misinformation. Chip.
ReplyDeleteHello, I do not agree with the previous commentator - not so simple
ReplyDelete