| LovelandPolitics.com |
| CDOT & Greeley Warn Of Consequences if Loveland Reneges on I-25 / U.S. 34 Interchange Improvements |
Loveland - April 16, 2009
Two unwelcome letters arrived in Loveland City Hall this week in opposition to proposed amendments to the
city's MFA (Master Financing Agreement) with McWhinney. The amendment (proposed to Loveland's City
Council first in secret meetings with McWhinney last March) will allow McWhinney to take monies out of the
$12 million set aside by the Centerra Metro Districts for interim safety improvements to the I-25 and U.S. 34
interchange.
Both the City of Greeley and CDOT (Colorado Department of Transportation) wrote Loveland's Mayor and
City Council letters opposing the proposed amendments to the MFA while warning of negative consequences
for their actions if they go ahead. The amendments were first discussed in public by Loveland's City Council
on April 7, but were postponed for final action until April 21, 2009 so the City Attorney could prepare the
exact language required. Lovelandpolitics.com first reported the story on March 25, 2009.
CDOT's letter dated April 13, 2009
CDOT informed Loveland that the environmental impact report waiver among other exceptions made to
speed the repair of the intersection could be lost if the council approves the amendments to the MFA on
April 21, 2009. CDOT's correspondence (which was provided to the council during their study session last
Tuesday) strikes a significant blow to Chad McWhinney who argued the removal of the $12 million would
not significantly delay the start of the project during the April 7, 2009 televised council meeting. CDOT
instead confirmed the public's worst fears that allowing McWhinney to transfer the funds put aside for
public improvements into private hands will kill any prospect of fixing the intersection in the foreseeable
future.
Greeley City Council Letter
The Amy Oliver morning talk show on KFKA (1310 AM) in Greeley covered the issue by reporting the
LovelandPolitics.com story to her audience. The revelation that the out-of-state mystery "Fortune 500"
company McWhinney was bringing to Loveland was neither caused an immediate stir in Greeley where the
company is currently headquartered. The spin that pretends McWhinney had to choose between
transportation improvements or bringing important jobs to the area was concocted during the secret
meetings with Loveland's City Council members and McWhinney last March.
In fact, the employer is already in Northern Colorado and the only other competing property is also located
just on the border of Loveland near Centerra. see LovelandPolitics.com story from April 14, 2009.
Besides being completely disingenuous, the jobs versus transportation spin that was reported in local media
demonstrates a certain collusion between some members of Loveland's City Council and McWhinney in
private prior to the April 7, council meeting. This appears to be a violation of Colorado's Open Meetings law
as several councilors conditioned their support on McWhinney's proposal only if the false spin was
employed. The councilors, for their part, bought the argument and read from prepared statements during
the April 7, Loveland City Council meetings. There is no evidence they were aware of who the employer was
until it was leaked to LovelandPolitics.com by a different source.
Greeley Mayor Pro Tem Ed Phillipsen signed Greeley's protest letter dated April 15, 2009 that went to all the
members of Loveland's City Council. The letter was broken into four major points. The full text of the
Greeley letter can be accessed by clicking on the link at the top of this story.
In essence, Greeley is asking how the dilapidated condition of the intersection could have been used to
qualify McWhinney's properties for blight designation to receive subsidies but now is adequate to carry the
increased traffic loads created by McWhinney developments. In addition, the letter points to the fact that
taxpayers and shoppers in Centerra were told the extra tax money (McWhinney tax) was being collected to
improve the dangerous intersection.
Please feel free to comment on the blog.
Two unwelcome letters arrived in Loveland City Hall this week in opposition to proposed amendments to the
city's MFA (Master Financing Agreement) with McWhinney. The amendment (proposed to Loveland's City
Council first in secret meetings with McWhinney last March) will allow McWhinney to take monies out of the
$12 million set aside by the Centerra Metro Districts for interim safety improvements to the I-25 and U.S. 34
interchange.
Both the City of Greeley and CDOT (Colorado Department of Transportation) wrote Loveland's Mayor and
City Council letters opposing the proposed amendments to the MFA while warning of negative consequences
for their actions if they go ahead. The amendments were first discussed in public by Loveland's City Council
on April 7, but were postponed for final action until April 21, 2009 so the City Attorney could prepare the
exact language required. Lovelandpolitics.com first reported the story on March 25, 2009.
CDOT's letter dated April 13, 2009
CDOT informed Loveland that the environmental impact report waiver among other exceptions made to
speed the repair of the intersection could be lost if the council approves the amendments to the MFA on
April 21, 2009. CDOT's correspondence (which was provided to the council during their study session last
Tuesday) strikes a significant blow to Chad McWhinney who argued the removal of the $12 million would
not significantly delay the start of the project during the April 7, 2009 televised council meeting. CDOT
instead confirmed the public's worst fears that allowing McWhinney to transfer the funds put aside for
public improvements into private hands will kill any prospect of fixing the intersection in the foreseeable
future.
Greeley City Council Letter
The Amy Oliver morning talk show on KFKA (1310 AM) in Greeley covered the issue by reporting the
LovelandPolitics.com story to her audience. The revelation that the out-of-state mystery "Fortune 500"
company McWhinney was bringing to Loveland was neither caused an immediate stir in Greeley where the
company is currently headquartered. The spin that pretends McWhinney had to choose between
transportation improvements or bringing important jobs to the area was concocted during the secret
meetings with Loveland's City Council members and McWhinney last March.
In fact, the employer is already in Northern Colorado and the only other competing property is also located
just on the border of Loveland near Centerra. see LovelandPolitics.com story from April 14, 2009.
Besides being completely disingenuous, the jobs versus transportation spin that was reported in local media
demonstrates a certain collusion between some members of Loveland's City Council and McWhinney in
private prior to the April 7, council meeting. This appears to be a violation of Colorado's Open Meetings law
as several councilors conditioned their support on McWhinney's proposal only if the false spin was
employed. The councilors, for their part, bought the argument and read from prepared statements during
the April 7, Loveland City Council meetings. There is no evidence they were aware of who the employer was
until it was leaked to LovelandPolitics.com by a different source.
Greeley Mayor Pro Tem Ed Phillipsen signed Greeley's protest letter dated April 15, 2009 that went to all the
members of Loveland's City Council. The letter was broken into four major points. The full text of the
Greeley letter can be accessed by clicking on the link at the top of this story.
In essence, Greeley is asking how the dilapidated condition of the intersection could have been used to
qualify McWhinney's properties for blight designation to receive subsidies but now is adequate to carry the
increased traffic loads created by McWhinney developments. In addition, the letter points to the fact that
taxpayers and shoppers in Centerra were told the extra tax money (McWhinney tax) was being collected to
improve the dangerous intersection.
Please feel free to comment on the blog.
| Greeley City Council |
| Ed Phillipsen, Greeley Mayor Pro Tem, signed the letter to Loveland's City Council |
| (Movie Clip Above) See excerpts from Chad McWhinney's pitch to Loveland's council along with the comments from the public in reaction from the April 7, 2009 council meeting.. |