Eye On Englewood

Link: http://www.eyeonenglewood.com

It don't look good, folks. Frank Gryglewicz,Director of Finance, issued this week a Summary of the Updated General Fund Financial Report to City Council, Englewood, Colorado. While April is generally the month that a huge influx of taxes show up in the City budget, this April 2010 shows "Expenditures exceeded revenues by $393,740."

Nevertheless, the financial report was listed as last on City Council's agenda on Monday, and in the end, they simply ran out of time to address it. While a lot of people have been screaming about the Englewood budget,--and being ignored by their Council Representatives,-- the real issue has become obvious. Fiscal Mismanagement. It's a simple lack of leadership in the making of financial policies for the kind of economy Englewood has faced for years.

While Englewood was gladly and deceptively collecting the sales taxes from the City of Centennial, the problem stayed so well hidden that Englewood seemed rich. But Centennial caught on to the sales tax drain, and throughout 2008, formed their own Home Rule City in order to fight back.

Englewood City Manager, Gary Sears, continues to spend wildly as if the funds will come from somewhere, but where's that, folks? And also Mayor Jim Woodward feels entitled, as he expressed in his Monday evening address: I've put out enough of my own money for travel, and I want the City to pay for my retreat. Of course, he wasn't obligated to go to any such retreat he has used your tax money for. He simply wanted to go. The upcoming Breckenridge retreat will cost constituents $900 per council member for one night's stay.

Twelve items of "less than last year" representing thousands of dollars each, were listed in Mr. Gryglewicz' Report. But there is no recommendation to cut back in any area of spending. The silence is deafening because it is not their money that is being spent, and Council members are bought and paid to keep their mouths shut so long as they get their retreats and their power showers.

In this week's Arapahoe County political meeting, Gene Turnbull, a member of the Englewood School Board raucously teased County politicians for the same kind of silence. He stood up and said, "I'm stealing from you, and you are not paying attention." Several people finally noticed his point. Who on City Council has the balls to stand up and say the same thing? Mr. Rick Gillit, from District 4, alone. He is the only one who continues to make a stink about the unreconciled spending practices of City Council and Gary Sears.

Gillit sent out an e-mail to District 4 saying, "Pay Very Close attention to the graph on top of Page #9) Our city had a nearly $450,000 deficit in income in April alone. If this trend continues we will be in deep trouble if we do nothing to change. With this in mind I was "SHOCKED", to say the least, that the Mayor - Jim Woodward, Council Member Bob McCaslin - (At Large), and Council Member Joe Jefferson (District #1) would ask for the city to pay nearly $1,000 each to attend a retreat in Breckenridge Colorado and attend the Colorado Municipal League annual meeting/retreat. Some of you may remember that there was outrage last year on the news about how residents felt that this was a waste of money during hard times. Looks like we don't learn much about what the residents feel!

He continued, "I guess what is most disturbing to me is that we may possibly have to cut some services, salaries, and possible employees if the financial situation does not get better and we are sending people to a retreat that is not required. This is so extremely bothersome to me! The city just spent almost $10,000 in March to send some council members and the City manager to Washington DC for the National League of Cities retreat. Again, a non required trip that has not brought any benefit to our residents and here we go again. Please someone help me understand how we can bleed our city dry during obvious hard times? When will my fellow Council Members say "NO"??? How bad do things have to get before they are pressured to stop spending??? These trips seem like a small amount but they could be the difference of whether or not we cut a position, or some other service."

Anyone in the City can contact Representative Gillit at: RGillit@EnglewoodGov.org or call(303) 246-4780. But because he only represents District 4, he is limited in his power to represent the entire City. That should be the Mayor's Job, and he simply doesn't care.

Link: http://www.EyeOnEnglewood.com

“Open, Open, Open!” is the public meetings law mantra in the State of Colorado. Ruling City Council activities throughout Colorado is Robert’s Rules of Order together with Colorado Open Meetings law, Open Records law and Sunshine laws. These insure the spirit of transparency and accountability of elected officials to their constituency.

On January 11, 2010, the public was initially denied access to this Study Session in which the public was about to be interviewed by City Council for Boards and Commission seats. Both Jill Wilson and Bob McCaslin attempted to keep a member of the public, Matthew Crabtree, out of the room despite the meeting being published to start at 6:15pm and already called to order and announced as a public meeting. This was in direct violation of the Colorado Open Meetings Procedures and Laws. When finally allowed to enter many of the council members were already discussing policy decisions. This audio can be found here.

On February 8, 2010, Mayor Jim Woodward takes responsibility specifically for what happened at the meeting in regards to Matt Crabtree, stating that the meeting was posted to start at 6:15, and stating that he had made announcements before the meeting started, although the public was entitled to be aware of that. This audio can be found at ECOG. at the Communications /Citizen Engagement audio, at recording point 2870.

In 1990, the City of Englewood adopted Resolution 48, Series 1990, which is a public policy of decorum at City Council meetings. It states that executive sessions may only be called by the Mayor upon the majority vote of Council. Council has regularly ignored its own procedures by holding secret meetings without them being called and voted upon prior to being held.

Executive sessions regarding real estate for public property has occasionally been cited for Englewood executive sessions, but there is no city right to hold an executive session for secrecy when the taking of private property for private use is the issue being discussed.

It seems the City of Englewood continues to be suspect as to its stated intent to be open and transparent. Attorney Brotzman stated that social engagements prevent all public meetings from being recorded, published and reported. He gave the National League of Cities field trip sponsored by taxpayers every year as an example of the difficulty in cross-over meetings. Englewood pays over $20,000.00 to belong to the NLC, and in addition, spends another $20,000.00 to send council members and select staff to the conference in Washington D.C. Several other issues of perception and transparency are also discussed in the above selected audio from February 8, 2010, which is published on the Englewoodcitizens.org website.

One of these issues is the City's latency with Comcast Channel 8. Comcast pays the City of Englewood a franchise fee for every household link, yet the City continues to say that publication of televised agendas or meetings are too expensive to air. Rick Gillit requested that City Manager Sears provide an actual cost scenario to back up Staff's reticence to air the meetings. The City's newest Water Plant Sewage video monitor cost $41,000. state-of-the-art, but LeAnne Hoffine's general assessment of costs for airing the meetings even on the City's own website was "$50,000 at the low end."

Newly elected City Councilmember, Rick Gillit, was personally skewered and quizzed for a half hour regarding his personal website EnglewoodCitizen.com as to personal transparency. Councilmember McCaslin specifically tendered his shirt sleeve because he was hurt that Gillit had not been transparent with him about personal matters. Gillit aptly responded that his personal life was not an issue of transparency. Nor, is McCaslin’s interpretation of transparency between councilmembers the issue at law. It is the accessibility of the public to the City’s business that is at stake. Englewood Mayor, Woodward, rather than obviating the roasting of Gillit, not only started the fire, but added wood to it repeatedly.

The Mayor’s duty according to Resolution 48, Series 1990, section II A is to “preserve strict order and decorum”. Decorum is later defined in the same document, VII.Q. “Decorum.

While the City Council is in session, the members must preserve order and decorum. A member shall neither, by conversation or otherwise, delay nor interrupt the proceedings, nor the peace of the City Council, nor disturb any member while speaking, nor refuse to obey the orders of the City Council or its presiding officer.”

It seems clear that personal attacks from Jill Wilson, Mayor Jim Woodward and Robert McCaslin are not only a diversion, but a waste of time and inappropriate to the meeting.

More specifically, “Getting the Floor” section VI C. means: “Every member desiring to speak shall address the Chair and, upon recognition by the presiding officer, shall confine himself/herself to the question under debate avoiding all personalities and indecorous language.”

Interruptions of each others' comments are also prohibited, section VI D. It is obvious, that the discussions at council are wasting time by addressing comments to and about each other rather than discussing the public policy listed and published for discussion. This is a very embarrassing situation in Englewood and must be stopped.

Argument about public perception ensued, but the obvious question regarding what the definition of "public business" is pertaining to the law never came up. Joe Jefferson suggested that negative public perception would be curbed if all of the public meetings were held in the same room. Jill Wilson suggested she should contact her constituency directly and assure them personally of the reality of the Council's intent to be open and transparent.

If transparency is Jill's concern, how can she vote to approve a City budget in October that doesn't get published until the next year? Why does she approve of keeping the line item budget in Englewood off of the City Council agenda and out of public purview?

Nevertheless, these and other material secrets are kept against public knowledge in that every Monday, City Council uses tax payer’s money to feed themselves. During a tough economic time, when so many people are losing their jobs, it seems unacceptable and nonconsensual that people who cannot spend $8.00 for their own Chipotle burrito are force to provide meals of at least $10.00 in value to each City Council member and attending staff, when the City Council meetings could be held a hour later.

The time retrieved by holding meeting a hour later, by City council showing up on time, and by the Mayor properly controlling the agenda and comments made out of step would cheer up the baby considerably.