| LovelandPolitics.com |
| Larimer Commissioners Encourage Loveland's City Council To 'Just Say No' To McWhinney |
Loveland - April 6, 2009
The Loveland City Council received a letter by email signed by all three Larimer County Commissioners urging Loveland not
to approve McWhinney's request to take monies for improvements to the I-25 and U.S. 34 interchange. The item was first
reported by LovelandPolitics on March 25, and is scheduled to be voted on by Loveland's City Council April 7, 2009.
The letter dated April 6, 2009 and signed by Larimer County Commissioners Rennels, Johnson and Donnelly began;
"The Larimer County Board of County Commissioners would like to voice its opposition to any modifications to the
Master Finance Agreement for the Centerra Development that would delay the improvements to the I-25/ 34
interchange."
The letter concluded;
"We believe the McWhinny Corporation should fulfill their obligations under the Master Finance Agreement and
urge you to deny any request for modification that would further delay the improvement to the I-25 / 34
interchange."
A number of regional elected officials have questioned the ethics of the proposal by McWhinney to take away the $12 million
in tax money required for the interim improvements to the interchange while pretending the project has insufficient funds in
order to qualify the intersection for future federal aid.
"It is no different than a parent who falsely declares their child emancipated and poor to qualify them for federal college aid
while spending their college fund on a new sports car." declared one official familiar with the situation who asked to remain
anonymous. County officials are fuming mad about the bait and switch tactics McWhinney has played in order to raise
millions of dollars through public debt only to use the money for everything except what they originally promised -
improvements to the dangerous intersection between I-25 and U.S. Highway 34.
According to the Master Financing Agreement signed between McWhinney and the City of Loveland in 2004, some portion
of the public debt raised by the Metro District must be used for what are called "Regional Improvements" in the agreement.
Instead of complying with the agreement, McWhinney has used its influence with a majority of Loveland's City Council to
extract amendments that change the definition of "Regional Improvements." Contrary to what was reported in the Loveland
Reporter-Herald, the agreement doesn't have a requirement that a regional improvement must be made for every $70 million
of public debt raised by the Metro District. Instead, the agreement has a complicated formula that triggers the requirement
after 70% of the first money raised among other requirements.
During secret meetings held between members of Loveland's City Council and McWhinney, a majority of Loveland's City
Council appeared to have already approved the change contrary to the State of Colorado open meetings law. Sources close
to McWhinney have told LovelandPolitics that McWhinney expects the item to be approved on a 7-2 vote. The two
Loveland City Council members who have not apparently promised to support the change in advance of the public meeting
are Kent Solt and Cecil Gutierrez.
The Loveland Reporter-Herald has reported extensively on the importance of the safety aspects of the proposed
improvements to the intersection. Even McWhinney's loudest supporters on the council are privately wrestling with the
proposal since it will be difficult to defend during local elections next November. Many of the same members cited that
specific intersection and the McWhinney's promise to fix it as their reasons for supporting the diversion of Loveland tax
dollars to the McWhinney's organization for the next 25 years.
On 5/15/08 the Reporter-Herald reported;
"Right now McWhinney and the city are partnering to complete aesthetic and safety improvements at the
interchange.
Construction will begin in September and last 12 to 15 months. “It’s based on safety,” said Rich Shannon, vice
president of Centerra. The project will remove the loops at the northeast and southwest corners of the
interchange, and drivers getting off the interstate onto U.S. 34 will take a straight exit ramp up to a traffic
signal. This will remove the competing, unsafe traffic patterns underneath the overpass caused by the current
cloverleaf system. The $12 million project is being funded by McWhinney, as part of its Master Financing
Agreement with the city. Through this agreement, McWhinney collects some property and sales taxes to go
toward public improvements such as this interchange."
Council members who support the proposal to let McWhinney have the money and indefinitely delay the already funded
project may be held responsible by the electorate for additional injuries or even deaths that may occur there between now
and the local elections next November.
The Loveland City Council received a letter by email signed by all three Larimer County Commissioners urging Loveland not
to approve McWhinney's request to take monies for improvements to the I-25 and U.S. 34 interchange. The item was first
reported by LovelandPolitics on March 25, and is scheduled to be voted on by Loveland's City Council April 7, 2009.
The letter dated April 6, 2009 and signed by Larimer County Commissioners Rennels, Johnson and Donnelly began;
"The Larimer County Board of County Commissioners would like to voice its opposition to any modifications to the
Master Finance Agreement for the Centerra Development that would delay the improvements to the I-25/ 34
interchange."
The letter concluded;
"We believe the McWhinny Corporation should fulfill their obligations under the Master Finance Agreement and
urge you to deny any request for modification that would further delay the improvement to the I-25 / 34
interchange."
A number of regional elected officials have questioned the ethics of the proposal by McWhinney to take away the $12 million
in tax money required for the interim improvements to the interchange while pretending the project has insufficient funds in
order to qualify the intersection for future federal aid.
"It is no different than a parent who falsely declares their child emancipated and poor to qualify them for federal college aid
while spending their college fund on a new sports car." declared one official familiar with the situation who asked to remain
anonymous. County officials are fuming mad about the bait and switch tactics McWhinney has played in order to raise
millions of dollars through public debt only to use the money for everything except what they originally promised -
improvements to the dangerous intersection between I-25 and U.S. Highway 34.
According to the Master Financing Agreement signed between McWhinney and the City of Loveland in 2004, some portion
of the public debt raised by the Metro District must be used for what are called "Regional Improvements" in the agreement.
Instead of complying with the agreement, McWhinney has used its influence with a majority of Loveland's City Council to
extract amendments that change the definition of "Regional Improvements." Contrary to what was reported in the Loveland
Reporter-Herald, the agreement doesn't have a requirement that a regional improvement must be made for every $70 million
of public debt raised by the Metro District. Instead, the agreement has a complicated formula that triggers the requirement
after 70% of the first money raised among other requirements.
During secret meetings held between members of Loveland's City Council and McWhinney, a majority of Loveland's City
Council appeared to have already approved the change contrary to the State of Colorado open meetings law. Sources close
to McWhinney have told LovelandPolitics that McWhinney expects the item to be approved on a 7-2 vote. The two
Loveland City Council members who have not apparently promised to support the change in advance of the public meeting
are Kent Solt and Cecil Gutierrez.
The Loveland Reporter-Herald has reported extensively on the importance of the safety aspects of the proposed
improvements to the intersection. Even McWhinney's loudest supporters on the council are privately wrestling with the
proposal since it will be difficult to defend during local elections next November. Many of the same members cited that
specific intersection and the McWhinney's promise to fix it as their reasons for supporting the diversion of Loveland tax
dollars to the McWhinney's organization for the next 25 years.
On 5/15/08 the Reporter-Herald reported;
"Right now McWhinney and the city are partnering to complete aesthetic and safety improvements at the
interchange.
Construction will begin in September and last 12 to 15 months. “It’s based on safety,” said Rich Shannon, vice
president of Centerra. The project will remove the loops at the northeast and southwest corners of the
interchange, and drivers getting off the interstate onto U.S. 34 will take a straight exit ramp up to a traffic
signal. This will remove the competing, unsafe traffic patterns underneath the overpass caused by the current
cloverleaf system. The $12 million project is being funded by McWhinney, as part of its Master Financing
Agreement with the city. Through this agreement, McWhinney collects some property and sales taxes to go
toward public improvements such as this interchange."
Council members who support the proposal to let McWhinney have the money and indefinitely delay the already funded
project may be held responsible by the electorate for additional injuries or even deaths that may occur there between now
and the local elections next November.
| Click on the image above to see the list of projects McWhinney Enterprises' Centerra Metro District was supposed to fund according agreement with city. Now they are seeking others to fund them. |
