The Loveland City Council will be asked Tuesday night during a special meeting whether or not the city can go forward with a lawsuit staff is preparing against Larimer County. The discussion has been scheduled for the closed door portion of the meeting so the public will not be able to watch the discussion.
According to a source inside Loveland’s city hall, management has been asked to take action against the county to recover taxes and/or fees the city believes are owed for mitigation of the costs associated with the development of The Ranch (Larimer County Fairground Complex). According to the same sources, Loveland developer McWhinney has long complained the development should have paid more fees and was directing Loveland’s City Manager, Don Williams, to take more formal actions to enforce their agreement with the county.
So far, we have not heard the county’s side of the dispute. According to one attorney familiar with the issue it is largely a “technical” argument where the decision is not political or policy related but instead a difference on how the two sides interpret both the law and their agreements.
Curiously, Don Williams moved this item in the agenda from the June 2, 2009 meeting when the McWhinney’s request to have the council reduce their future CEF (Capital Expansion Fees) by 25% was also moved ahead to a special meeting. While there doesn’t appear to be any obvious connection between the two items (one agendized for public and the other private discussions) the City Manager has grouped them together. Perhaps, he wants to have McWhinney’s staff available when the lawsuit with the county is discussed so they can answer any questions that come up like – “why is the city doing this?”
Interesting story. I have a question.
Are the council members aloud to talk in these meetings about anything at all? Do you think they give direction to staff in these meetings or just take direction like they do in the public meetings?
Has anyone else reported this lawsuit story? If not why and what else is going on we don’t know about in city hall?
One thing your story missed is the fact these guys are all buddies. The county administrator Frank Lancaster is buddies with Don Williams and John Duval.
The real question is why people who are such good friends and put these agreements together don’t see eye-to-eye on what they agreed. To me its kinda of weird.
Is there anything the public can do to comment on this issue outside this website?