To All: I send you this
information to give you a sense of the differing citizen comments and to let you
know
the mindset of our
officials.
Dear Ms. Huntington,
Thank you for taking the time to express your opinion. I'm sorry that
I did not infer that you would have liked a response. Please accept my apology
and let me offer some sort of explanation.
I try to make a point to respond to every correspondence and phone
call that is specifically addressed to me. I especially try to respond to those
particular citizens who reside in Ward 1, since that is who I am tasked to
represent. I generally don't respond to emails that are addressed to the Council
as a whole, since I don't speak for the Council as a whole. Additionally, many
emails that are addressed to the aggregate Council usually express a general
opinion, or are informational in nature, and do not have any specific question
to answer.
As you have pointed out in this and other emails, the documents that
the Council are charged with reviewing, evaluating, and eventually voting on are
complex and lengthy. As you may know, the elected Council position is a
part-time job with full-time commitments. In my own case, in addition to working
full-time at my own job, I am married with two children in elementary school,
and one in college. So, believe it or not, your statements to the contrary, I
still read every item that is presented to me, and frequently have spirited
discussions and debates with my fellow council members in the intervening days
between meetings concerning all these items. I believe that my fellow council
members also make the commitment to take on these tasks in addition to what is
assuredly an already busy daily life, just as the lives of those we represent
are busy. In the case of the Unified Development Code, for instance, not only
have I read it, but I have yet to find that it is anything other than what it
purports to be: a "unification" or streamlining of several codes that our City
has been using since at least the 70's, namely our transportation standards and
zoning regulations. Yes, there have been some design standards added, but only
as a minimum, and even then, there is an entire article devoted to the exception
to these same minimums. In short, because I view it as a tool, and use it on a
frequent basis, I find it hard to see it as a tentacle of a vast conspiracy. I
think there is a lot of misinformation being shared in our community by people
who have only cracked open the book long enough to find something that supports
that conspiracy theory, regardless of context, or whether some exception exists
elsewhere.
In any case, I wanted to let you know that I hear you. Your concerns
are noted, and no matter what they are, I feel my job as an elected official is
to make sure that as I read these documents, I keep your concerns in mind. And,
as I'm sure you're aware, yours is not the only voice in the conversation, so I
do my best to represent all those other varied opinions and concerns among all
those in my constituency.
And again, I apologize that you haven't been recognized specifically.
I know that in my case, I am trying to commit my limited time resources to
actually reading and evaluating the material, and letting my public words,
actions, and most importantly votes speak for themselves.
If, in fact, you reside in Ward 1, and need to speak with me
personally, please do not hesitate to call me at home. My number is
637-4504.
Yours in service,
Sean D. Allen
Sent from my iPad
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
On Feb 25, 2014, at 9:56, "Julie Huntington" <>
wrote:
Dear City Council Members and Mayor,
I am writing to you again, with regards to the PlanCheyenne (which goes hand in hand with the UDC codes), I guess you don't want to listen to your constituents. We've been hollering at you since you passed the UDC codes and now with the PlanCheyenne!?
You want to take the MONEY over the REASONS! IT'S NOT, an appropriate reason to pass something, especially when you have so much opposition to it. And, especially when I know you haven't READ the proposals!! When a person, a homeowner, a business owner CAN'T even have the ability to make changes on their property, unless it fits into the Codes; which are extremely excessive (Read the Plan); By forcing us to use bicycles, instead of our cars (Can't be done in our area, with our distances and the weather!) To force us into smaller areas, by eliminating homes with acreage, or forcing you to make your City property "GO GREEN" by not even letting you to have a lawn or gardens (because you're using water), and then it even states that you will have "Smart Meters" on your homes and we've ALL heard about this fiasco!! Enough!
You People are supposed to KNOW what you're voting on and NOT letting the organizers blow sunshine up your pants, without giving you ALL the FACTS! They give only the facts, they want you to know about, with the lure "You're getting Free Money" NO, YOU'RE NOT, getting FREE MONEY! Just because it's under the guise of Federal Funds; WHO DO you think pays Federal Taxes?! WE DO!! We PAY those TAXES! Once the Government Money is gone, then WE have to continue to PAY for the implementation of these policies!! Never once in the written information of PlanCheyenne, does it say HOW it will be funded, AFTER the Federal Money is gone.
The Utopian Viewpoint; IS NOT REALITY!
And having the originator of these plans, from Sweden, European Union! RED FLAG!!
I have not been able to attend the public meetings, because they are held when I'm working; BUT, I have written to you on numerous occasions, with regards to these issues, And NEVER have I had a response from any of you, with regards to the UDC and the PlanCheyenne, inquiries.
I am requesting that the PlanCheyenne, be put to a Public Vote. Let the People, who this affects, have the opportunity to Vote on this; since You already took it upon yourselves to disregard all of our opposition, to both the UDC and PlanCheyenne.
Money over Reason, that's all this boils down to.
With Blessings Always,
Julie Huntington
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