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| Grand Station At 'City of Centerra'? Click here to see the downtown plans or link directly to the McWhinney webpage showing the downtown for Centerra. |
| McWhinney Expansion Passes Council on 7-1 vote for 850 New Residential units for 'Grand Station' (see aerial photograph) and Updated story with video clips also see the original below the Background story |
| GRAND STATION TROLLEY ARCHIVE 1. Chad McWhinney and staff answer questions to the public - Aug. 1. Critical questions abound -Read Story 2. Hear McWhinney answer questions about LovelandPolitics.com (click for audio) or click here to see YouTube video Chad mentions during the meeting Aug. 1, linked to LovelandPolitics.com 3. READ WHAT IS BEING PROPOSED |
| Midnight Council Meeting Scheduled - To Amend McWhinney Agreement With City $79 Million Parking Garage Subsidy Included |
| City Council Takes Trolley Discussion Into Secret Session - Ignoring Opening Meeting Laws Read the Story |
| See Original Story Here McWhinney Asks to Amend Agreement with City Council Retreats To Secret Session to Discuss the Request read story |
| McWhinney Fratricide? Larimer County Officials Angry Apparent Attempt To Steal Hotel Developer Away from County to Grand Station Behind County's Back read story |
Loveland - Oct. 16, 2007
McWhinney Enterprises has asked that the nearly $80 million parking
subsidy for Grand Station be passed by Loveland's City Council just before
the next election. McWhinney is said to be concerned about the results of the
upcoming November 6, city election and pushed Loveland's City Council into
a midnight session in case Jan Brown, Steve Dozier or Larry Heckel are not
re-elected.
To avoid public scrutiny of the meeting and prevent timely coverage by local
media, City Manager Don Williams has scheduled a "Special Meeting" of the
City Council for October 23, late in the evening following what promises to be
a long and monotonous study session by the City Council. Williams has
informed staff that he expects the "Special Meeting" to approve the MFA
amendment for McWhinney will not begin until well after 11:00 PM and likely
not until midnight.
According to an unnamed source, Williams believes no one from the public
will be watching their cable access channel that late and the deadline for the
Loveland Reporter-Herald will have already passed when the meeting
begins. Williams seems to be willing to finagle the meeting time to discourage
any public participation or scrutiny as well. LovelandPolitics.com has learned
that McWhinney Enterprises informed key employees to be available passed
midnight but doesn't expect too many questions or discussion since the
Council has already discussed the matter extensively in closed session.
LovelandPolitics.com first reported on the proposed amendment (see
original story) which included the controversial subsidy of the trolley,
parking garage and also elimination of the separate contractor clause meant
to prevent any commingling of public and private funds for the project.
LovelandPolitics has been informed the Trolley is still too controversial for
the Council to handle before the election so Council only agreed to cover the
Parking Garage and possibly commingling amendments at the Oct. 23,
meeting.
McWhinney Enterprises has asked that the nearly $80 million parking
subsidy for Grand Station be passed by Loveland's City Council just before
the next election. McWhinney is said to be concerned about the results of the
upcoming November 6, city election and pushed Loveland's City Council into
a midnight session in case Jan Brown, Steve Dozier or Larry Heckel are not
re-elected.
To avoid public scrutiny of the meeting and prevent timely coverage by local
media, City Manager Don Williams has scheduled a "Special Meeting" of the
City Council for October 23, late in the evening following what promises to be
a long and monotonous study session by the City Council. Williams has
informed staff that he expects the "Special Meeting" to approve the MFA
amendment for McWhinney will not begin until well after 11:00 PM and likely
not until midnight.
According to an unnamed source, Williams believes no one from the public
will be watching their cable access channel that late and the deadline for the
Loveland Reporter-Herald will have already passed when the meeting
begins. Williams seems to be willing to finagle the meeting time to discourage
any public participation or scrutiny as well. LovelandPolitics.com has learned
that McWhinney Enterprises informed key employees to be available passed
midnight but doesn't expect too many questions or discussion since the
Council has already discussed the matter extensively in closed session.
LovelandPolitics.com first reported on the proposed amendment (see
original story) which included the controversial subsidy of the trolley,
parking garage and also elimination of the separate contractor clause meant
to prevent any commingling of public and private funds for the project.
LovelandPolitics has been informed the Trolley is still too controversial for
the Council to handle before the election so Council only agreed to cover the
Parking Garage and possibly commingling amendments at the Oct. 23,
meeting.
| Chad McWhinney |
| Archive of Related Stories |
| Chad McWhinney (below) is said to be worried that three of his reliable votes on the City Council (above: Jan Brown, Steve Dozier and Larry Heckel) may not win re-election on November 6. Therefore, he has asked for the amendments of the MFA between the city and McWhinney to proceed before the election. Don Williams, City Manager, is reported to have planned the "midnight meeting " scheme to try and pass the subsidy with little or no public attention. |
| Jan Brown |
| Steve Dozier |
| Larry Heckel |