| Is Rice Involved In Ft. Collins Recall Effort? Questions city participation in 'Local Governments for Sustainability' |
Loveland -- May 5, 2010
While the Ft. Collins City Council was learning for the first time about a recall effort against Ft. Collins City Councilwoman
Lisa Poppaw, Loveland's City Council heard a protest from its newest member regarding the city's membership in the same
international organization that has become the lynch pin of the controversial Ft. Collins recall effort against Poppaw.
Loveland Councilwoman Donna Rice raised questions about Loveland's membership in the same organization during
Tuesday's council meeting (see video right of this story) which occurred at the same time Ft. Collins' council was first
learning about the recall effort. This begs the question of why Rice knew the city's membership in the same organization
would soon become a political issue.
Coincidence or collusion? That is the question many in Loveland City Hall are asking after Councilwoman Donna Rice raised
the issue last Tuesday in an effort to get her colleagues to defend the organization. Curiously, Rice's recent campaign to be
elected to council centered on her concern over Loveland candidates receiving campaign donations from Ft. Collins City
Councilwoman Lisa Poppaw. Rice publicly accused the Ft. Collins City Council of interfering in Loveland politics.
Both Loveland Councilwoman Donna Rice and Ft. Collins recall backers against Poppaw have taken issue with the Local
Governments for Sustainability organization. Poppaw has been a high-profile backer of the Local Governments for
Sustainability which both Ft. Collins and Loveland are members.
Local Governments for Sustainability - who are they?
The group was created in 1990 during the "World Congress of Local Governments for a Sustainable Future"
organized by the United Nations in New York City. Critics claim the group is a thinly disguised left-wing environmental
movement using tax dollars to advance radical environmental causes that erode U.S. sovereignty.
The ICLEI Local Governments for Sustainability describes itself as a non-partisan international organization dedicated to
assisting cities in creating "sustainable" growth in urban areas. The group's official name is 'ICLEI-Local Governments for
Sustainability'. In 2003, ICLEI's members voted to change the organization's charter, name and mission. The 'International
Council for Local Environmental Initiatives' became 'ICLEI—Local Governments for Sustainability' with a more generic and
less controversial image. Today hundreds of cities around the country and world are active members of the group.
The Coloradoan reported that Stacy Lynne, a critic of Poppaw who is behind the recall effort, was motivated to initiate the
recall effort due to Poppaw's support for this group. The Coloradoan story announcing the recall effort reported,
"Of particular concern is Poppaw’s support of the Climate Action Plan, he said. Lynne claims the plan is a
product of the United Nations and the International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives, or ICLEI,
which offers support for sustainable development."
The affidavit for the recall effort against Poppaw was filed late Tuesday by Ft. Collins resident Bill Flinn who lives in
District 2, Poppaw's District, which includes areas east of College Avenue between Harmony Road and Drake Road.
The recall petitioners will now need to collect 1,039 signatures of registered voters within District 2 in the next 30 days
to call a special recall election. Poppaw can run in the election to retain her seat but challengers may also file and run in
the same election. The cost of forcing the recall election, if successful, is estimated at $50,000.
Supporters of Poppaw point to the fact most of Ft. Collin's City Council supported the city's membership in the Local
Governments for Sustainability program as did all the members of Loveland's City Council.
Did Rice Bait the Hook?
Councilwoman Rice raised the issue Tuesday night (before the recall had been reported in local media) in apparent
effort to draw her colleagues into a discussion about the organization before the recall effort was known to Loveland's
council. If that was the purpose in raising the issue than it did not succeed in drawing any Loveland councilors into a
discussion defending Loveland's official membership in the organization.
Instead, Loveland City Manager Don Williams defended Loveland's membership with the group in what he called a
"short answer" but offered to speak more about it in a future meeting if Rice desired. Rice quickly responded that she
did want to discuss the issue further but said she needed to speak with Don privately first. Rice also appeared to be
soliciting support to put the item on a future council meeting agenda but failed to get any backers.
One problem for Rice will be explaining why her fellow Republicans support the group she, like the recall campaign,
are said to describe in private as a radical left-wing organization. Whether Republican Loveland councilors like Larry
Heckel, Carol Johnson or Daryle Klassen will now disown their previous support of the organization and its work
remains to be seen. Heckel and Johnson will be up for re-election in another year and may not want to make an issue
over the organization they previously supported.
Rice Unhappy With Downtown Consultant Choice
Rice also raised concerns over the selection of the consulting group TST being selected by her previous council
candidate opponent Rob Molloy, Chair of Loveland's Planning Commission, to assist the city in downtown
revitalization efforts. Rice's protests about not being prepared to vote on the issue fell on deaf ears as Carol Johnson
defended the choice and made a motion to accept the recommendation.
Rice curiously voted in favor of a motion to direct the city manager to negotiate a contract with TST for approximately
$80,000 despite having just stated she was not ready to vote for the contract that evening. The vote was unanimous in
favor of hiring the firm which received supportive comments from members of the public active in downtown
revitalization efforts who also attended the council meeting.
While the Ft. Collins City Council was learning for the first time about a recall effort against Ft. Collins City Councilwoman
Lisa Poppaw, Loveland's City Council heard a protest from its newest member regarding the city's membership in the same
international organization that has become the lynch pin of the controversial Ft. Collins recall effort against Poppaw.
Loveland Councilwoman Donna Rice raised questions about Loveland's membership in the same organization during
Tuesday's council meeting (see video right of this story) which occurred at the same time Ft. Collins' council was first
learning about the recall effort. This begs the question of why Rice knew the city's membership in the same organization
would soon become a political issue.
Coincidence or collusion? That is the question many in Loveland City Hall are asking after Councilwoman Donna Rice raised
the issue last Tuesday in an effort to get her colleagues to defend the organization. Curiously, Rice's recent campaign to be
elected to council centered on her concern over Loveland candidates receiving campaign donations from Ft. Collins City
Councilwoman Lisa Poppaw. Rice publicly accused the Ft. Collins City Council of interfering in Loveland politics.
Both Loveland Councilwoman Donna Rice and Ft. Collins recall backers against Poppaw have taken issue with the Local
Governments for Sustainability organization. Poppaw has been a high-profile backer of the Local Governments for
Sustainability which both Ft. Collins and Loveland are members.
Local Governments for Sustainability - who are they?
The group was created in 1990 during the "World Congress of Local Governments for a Sustainable Future"
organized by the United Nations in New York City. Critics claim the group is a thinly disguised left-wing environmental
movement using tax dollars to advance radical environmental causes that erode U.S. sovereignty.
The ICLEI Local Governments for Sustainability describes itself as a non-partisan international organization dedicated to
assisting cities in creating "sustainable" growth in urban areas. The group's official name is 'ICLEI-Local Governments for
Sustainability'. In 2003, ICLEI's members voted to change the organization's charter, name and mission. The 'International
Council for Local Environmental Initiatives' became 'ICLEI—Local Governments for Sustainability' with a more generic and
less controversial image. Today hundreds of cities around the country and world are active members of the group.
The Coloradoan reported that Stacy Lynne, a critic of Poppaw who is behind the recall effort, was motivated to initiate the
recall effort due to Poppaw's support for this group. The Coloradoan story announcing the recall effort reported,
"Of particular concern is Poppaw’s support of the Climate Action Plan, he said. Lynne claims the plan is a
product of the United Nations and the International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives, or ICLEI,
which offers support for sustainable development."
The affidavit for the recall effort against Poppaw was filed late Tuesday by Ft. Collins resident Bill Flinn who lives in
District 2, Poppaw's District, which includes areas east of College Avenue between Harmony Road and Drake Road.
The recall petitioners will now need to collect 1,039 signatures of registered voters within District 2 in the next 30 days
to call a special recall election. Poppaw can run in the election to retain her seat but challengers may also file and run in
the same election. The cost of forcing the recall election, if successful, is estimated at $50,000.
Supporters of Poppaw point to the fact most of Ft. Collin's City Council supported the city's membership in the Local
Governments for Sustainability program as did all the members of Loveland's City Council.
Did Rice Bait the Hook?
Councilwoman Rice raised the issue Tuesday night (before the recall had been reported in local media) in apparent
effort to draw her colleagues into a discussion about the organization before the recall effort was known to Loveland's
council. If that was the purpose in raising the issue than it did not succeed in drawing any Loveland councilors into a
discussion defending Loveland's official membership in the organization.
Instead, Loveland City Manager Don Williams defended Loveland's membership with the group in what he called a
"short answer" but offered to speak more about it in a future meeting if Rice desired. Rice quickly responded that she
did want to discuss the issue further but said she needed to speak with Don privately first. Rice also appeared to be
soliciting support to put the item on a future council meeting agenda but failed to get any backers.
One problem for Rice will be explaining why her fellow Republicans support the group she, like the recall campaign,
are said to describe in private as a radical left-wing organization. Whether Republican Loveland councilors like Larry
Heckel, Carol Johnson or Daryle Klassen will now disown their previous support of the organization and its work
remains to be seen. Heckel and Johnson will be up for re-election in another year and may not want to make an issue
over the organization they previously supported.
Rice Unhappy With Downtown Consultant Choice
Rice also raised concerns over the selection of the consulting group TST being selected by her previous council
candidate opponent Rob Molloy, Chair of Loveland's Planning Commission, to assist the city in downtown
revitalization efforts. Rice's protests about not being prepared to vote on the issue fell on deaf ears as Carol Johnson
defended the choice and made a motion to accept the recommendation.
Rice curiously voted in favor of a motion to direct the city manager to negotiate a contract with TST for approximately
$80,000 despite having just stated she was not ready to vote for the contract that evening. The vote was unanimous in
favor of hiring the firm which received supportive comments from members of the public active in downtown
revitalization efforts who also attended the council meeting.
| Loveland City Councilwoman Donna Rice |