| 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. |
