The following letter was published in the May 24, 2001 edition of the Tri-Lakes Tribune

John Bailey, Ernie Biggs, John Dominowski and their friends have publicly and privately attacked me and the Coalition of Tri-Lakes Communities on numerous occasions. It is time to set the record straight.

The Coalition started in 1999 as a group of citizens opposed to the two concrete batch plants proposed to be built on North Washington Street near Highway 105 not far from Safeway. At the hearing before the Monument Board of Trustees on February 28, 2000, the Coalition presented facts about the proposed Transit Mix plant and its likely impacts. Despite the numerous negative aspects of the project that were obvious to most of the hundreds of attendees at that hearing, Trustees Bailey and VanKekerix, and then Mayor Si Sibell supported a motion by Bailey to approve the project. If Trustees Ed DeLaney, Kristi Schutz, Glenda Smith, and Leon Tenney had not opposed it, the Monument area would now be clogged with hundreds of batch plant-related truck trips every day.

The Coalition’s widely respected attorney, Jim Colvin, sent the Board a letter strongly recommending that they leave the matter as it stood February 28th. Since the statute of limitations on that decision had expired, a lawsuit from Transit Mix would be avoided. Despite that sound and well documented legal advice, the matter reappeared on the agenda for the April 3rd meeting of the Board. As became clear at the meeting, the matter was placed on the agenda at the insistence of the then Town Attorney James Fokestad. My apology at the April 3rd meeting was for misinterpreting who had placed the item on the agenda. Bailey, Sibell, and VanKekerix may not have placed the item on the agenda but the same group still supported the ill-conceived Transit Mix project and voted for Bailey’s modified motion for approval. Despite additional conditions included in the new motion, it failed by the same vote as on February 28th. By reopening the issue, it allowed Transit Mix to file suit against the Town.

Due to the arrogant disregard for residents’ concerns displayed by Bailey, Sibell, and VanKekerix, Monument residents who had worked with the Coalition in fighting the Transit Mix concrete plant proposal, distributed voter information cards identifying a preferred list of candidates. Those who had supported the Transit Mix proposal were not on that list. On April 4th, the day after the second meeting on the proposed Transit Mix plant, the recommended candidates were elected by an overwhelming majority. Bailey, Sibell and VanKekerix were defeated because of their positions on the issues. The Coalition’s role was to remind voters of those positions.

The Coalition has also been criticized for raising questions about the likely impacts of the Supercenter Wal-Mart proposed to be built on Baptist Road across from King Soopers. The Coalition’s Wal-Mart Committee is continuing to track that proposal and provided information on it at the well attended Community Meeting on Saturday, May 19th. Information presented there is available on our web site at www.CoalitionTLC.org/wal-mart.htm.

Of course Bailey and his allies hate me and the Coalition. We alerted residents to their plans to push through two proposed concrete batch plants and a Supercenter Wal-Mart. We let the voters know that given the chance, these people would destroy our area so a few wealthy landowners could make millions.

They accuse the Coalition of opposing every project. The truth is that although we have provided information to residents on a variety of projects including the Knollwood Center, Misty Acres Ranch, and Struthers Ranch, Coalition Committees have actively opposed only the Monument and Palmer Lake concrete batch plants proposals and the proposed Wal-Mart. Another Coalition Committee successfully campaigned against Taxcut 2000 (Amendment 21 on the November 2000 ballot) because of its projected devastating impact on the special districts such as fire protection, school, and library districts that provide essential services in our area. In addition, many associated with the Coalition are also working on revising Monument’s Comprehensive Plan and some also worked on the recently completed update to the County’s Tri-Lakes Comprehensive Plan.

Although I do not own land in Monument, I shop and have many friends in Monument. The evolution of Monument is crucial to the quality of life throughout the area. It is very telling that Bailey and his allies do not seem to understand why anyone would take an active committed interest in events in Monument and the Tri-Lakes area unless they stand to gain financially. Rather than questioning the motives and agenda of citizens who want the best for the community, questions should be asked about the motives and agenda of those who would discourage citizen participation by spreading vicious accusations and telling us that concrete batch plants and Wal-Marts are inevitable and even the salvation of the community.

Over the next five years, the Tri-Lakes area is targeted for rampant growth. The Coalition was formed to help concerned residents get the information they need to take an active role in shaping that growth. The Coalition gathers that information from a variety of public sources including the Tribune, Gazette, El Paso County News, Denver Post, and town and County planning departments. Participation in Coalition efforts is open to all. We urge everyone to check out the information on our web site at www.CoalitionTLC.org and get involved. If you don’t, then Bailey, Biggs, and their friends will again gain control of Monument, our quality of life will suffer, and we will lose the very things that drew us to this area.

Updated Sunday, May 27, 2001 © Copyright, 2000- 2004. All rights reserved. The Coalition of Tri-Lakes Communities, P.O. Box 1763, Monument, Colorado 80132-1763