By: Diane Benjamin
The email below proves the Town staff knows the Council will pass whatever is brought to them. All but one Trustee doesn’t make independent votes on what is best for the citizens, they vote for “progress” as defined by staff.
Just last Monday Doug Farr presented the Uptown South project as he envisions it. Town Planner Mercy Davidson was soliciting developers LAST JULY without approval from the Council.
Mercy knew the Council will vote to pass the plan. Of course the April elections could make that more difficult. The current “Board of Directors”, as Kathleen Lorenz calls the Council, represents staff, not the people who get the bills. Below is an email to the same developer who has backed out of building on the circle (see below). Trustees are elected to represent citizens not staff. Who you vote for matters!
I originally filed a FOIA request for communication with East View Partners with Iowa Developer in brackets behind it. The Town denied my FOIA saying no documents exist. An ELECTED CLERK (as required by law) would have fixed that FOIA request since it was obvious what I wanted. It should have been Eagle instead of East.
Eagle View partners did a feasibility study last September before committing to building Trail East and Trail West:
In November they backed out of the project:
The DCI Group mentioned in the emails if also Iowa based: https://dcigroup-us.com/
If they are interested in the project the Town hasn’t stated that. Of course they didn’t tell citizens Trail East and West are dead either.
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There had to have been significant time already invested in the project before it was at the point of sending solicitation emails.
When I worked in government, using taxpayer funded time and resources on unauthorized projects would get you severely reprimanded if not fired.
Normal obviously lacks basic accountability and respect for taxpayer dollars.
I’m guessing Eagle View realized all of the empty space in “uptown” and backed out under the guise of rising interest rates/costs. They know when to walk away. I count space rented by the town as being empty.
As for the council approving everything put in front of them…in other news, water is wet.