La Plata County Land Use Code - UPDATE - meeting Nov 27, 1:30-4:30

Since this blog was started in order to offer objective information as a counter to some malicious outside interest groups who invaded our community (in particular Koch’s Americans For Prosperity a brainwashing organization dependent on misrepresenting facts in order to fan fabricated fears. For supporting information see bottom of this post.) intend on instigating mistrust and tension amongst neighbors, rather than constrictively supporting our democratic processes that are already set up to deal with the Land Code and issues.

Something everyone has an opinion on and loves complaining about, but when it comes to the nitty gritty of doing the boring work that needs to be done, few show up.  In any event, I figure I should share the following official update.

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La Plata County Land Use Code
Policy Input:
Zoning

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La Plata County is working on the land use code revision project as a county-led effort that draws on internal resources, reviews of land use codes from similar counties in Colorado, and existing work products to craft a code that works for La Plata County. There are a number of policy issues that the Board of County Commissioners will give staff direction on how to address in the code revision process. The Board of County commissioners is considering these policy questions and will be providing staff direction after seeking public input on each of the issues, as well as considering best practices from a staff review of land use regulations in six other Colorado counties.

One of the most critical policy topics the Board of County Commissioners will consider is zoning, and we want your input to help guide the direction given to staff on how the revised land use code contemplates zoning. Your input will help inform the Board of County Commissioners decision-making on land use regulations. 

Background documents
Agriculture Plus Zone District (memo)
Overlay Zone Districts (memo)
Euclidean Zoning Policy Considerations (memo)
Zoning Comparison Exercise
Comparative Zoning Model
Potential Problems with Euclidean Zoning (memo)
Policy Consideration for Non-Conformities (memo)
Legal Overview of Zoning's Purpose & Implementation (memo)
Zoning Classification Implications on Tax Assessment (memo)

The board will discuss this topic and take public comment at a work session from 1:30-4:30 p.m., Tuesday, November 27 in the Board Room of the La Plata County Administration Building, 1101 E. 2nd Ave., in Durango.

Recall Petitioners' Blissfully Unaware of Koch's Klan Connection

I was driving home a couple days ago, when I saw a pick up truck at a pull out with a "Gwen Lachelt Recall Petition" sign and an old gal with a clip board in hand.  Driving by I started thinking about why she was doing it, so I turned around and drove back to ask.  She had the basic boilerplate complaints. Gwen went to Washington D.C. to raise a stink about oil company Fracking and Methane leak regulations.   What's wrong with that, I ask?  She was fulfilling promises that helped get her elected by citizens like myself, there was nothing secret or inappropriate about it.  

There was no answer forthcoming, instead she continued to the next point of contention, the awful Draft Land Use Code.  Well, okay, but is that really a justification for starting a recall petition, which is normally reserved for extreme misconduct and dereliction of duty, not for differences of opinions.  Why is only one of three commissions who shared blame for the Draft Land Code disaster being attacked?  Incidentally, what about the reality that the Draft is being reworked and already much improved, thanks to the normal run of our democratic process.  Again, not much of a response, instead we moved on to her trump card.

(This time I get personal and finish this post with pictures of my current renovation project.

Yup, you guessed it, making excuses for my sporadic posting record.)

DurangoTelegraph, Peters, Hawkins, Cugini - Oh the irony indeed! 3/15/18

It's not often I see the Durango Telegraph the day it hits the newsstand, but I did today.  When I opened up to the Letters section I see "New Questions for Gwen Lachelt."  It turned out to be the same old "news release" the Durango Herald covered a few weeks back.  

This is an example of the type of malicious deception these extremist depend on to make their case.  Lachelt received some money from a Denver group, that receives some money from Tom Steyer.  Tom Steyer knows nothing of Lachelt and vis versa but it's the sort of sliver of truth the Koch Klan has learned to manipulate and morph into a bludgeon for beating their targets to death.  It's contemptible, amoral and unAmerican!

While the holier than thou Peters, Hawkins, Cugini scream foul play over a small donation that was duly recorded and reported and that brakes no rules, these men are benefactors of a multimillion dollar DarkMoney machine that is trying to steal our government away from We The People.  Allow me to explain.

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Durango Herald's February 22:  “O the irony!” said Dave Peters, another (Lachelt) recall organizer, in the news release. “It turns out the queen of outside dark money is actually Commissioner Lachelt herself.” Recall supporters created a website, Save La Plata County, which explains why they are seeking her removal from office.”  

Oh the irony indeed!

What about The Rest Of This Story? 

What about SaveLaPlataCo.com’s many ties to unabashedly oil loving, environmentalist hating outfits with their vast amounts of Koch DarkMoney ready to be lavished on any go-getters ready to join their fabricated war on rationality and raise hell in their communities?

A network that Ken Francis alluded to in his thoughtful November 17th, 2017 Durango Herald opinion piece,” “Big oil and gas behind county commissioner attacks.” https://durangoherald.com/articles/195280 (at the end of this I share his insightful final paragraphs.)

Where is SaveLaPlata.com getting their funding from?  No hint at their blog.  I’ve sent Mr Peters an email requesting that information, we’ll see if I get a response. I will keep you updated.

Here we look at the brain-trust three locals depended on to fabricate their malicious effort to do an end-run around the democratic voters' will. 

(click on images for clearer view)

To begin with, isn’t their summary title a bit hysterical? 

¶ “O the irony!” says "Save"LaPlata's front man, Peters. The irony indeed.

Durango Herald's February 22:  “O the irony!” said Dave Peters, another (Lachelt) recall organizer, in the news release. “It turns out the queen of outside dark money is actually Commissioner Lachelt herself.” Recall supporters created a website, Save La Plata County, which explains why they are seeking her removal from office.”  

Oh the irony indeed!

What about The Rest Of This Story? 

What about SaveLaPlata.com’s many ties to unabashedly oil loving, environmentalist hating outfits with their vast amounts of Koch DarkMoney ready to be lavished on any go-getters ready to join their fabricated war on rationality and raise hell in their communities?

A network that Ken Francis alluded to in his thoughtful November 17th, 2017 Durango Herald opinion piece,” “Big oil and gas behind county commissioner attacks.” https://durangoherald.com/articles/195280 (at the end of this I share his insightful final paragraphs.)

Where is SaveLaPlata.com getting their funding from?  No hint at their blog.  I’ve sent Mr Peters an email requesting that information, we’ll see if I get a response. I will keep you updated.

Here we look at the brain-trust three locals depended on to fabricate their malicious effort to do an end-run around the democratic voters' will. 

(click on images for clearer view)

To begin with, isn’t their summary title a bit hysterical? 

¶ SaveLaPlataCounty's "Facts" Tainted by Koch's DarkMoney Tentacles

Examining the fundamental deception being foisted on us by “SaveLaPlataCounty” and the 

Koch DarkMoney funded web they are a part of.  

   

(click on image for clearer view)

To begin with, isn’t their summary title a bit hysterical? 

La Plata County doesn’t need saving.  Look around at our country, we are amongst the luckiest people in America, in the world.  What La Plata needs saving from is a ruthless, contrived campaign intent on injecting misunderstanding and divisiveness into local politics.

Second, they repeat idealistic sounding phrases, but show little concern for accurately representing facts, their own, or their opponent’s actual position.  Their narrative breaths contempt for environmental problems and safety regulations that benefit all of us, along with all who are concerned with those issues.  

Third, there’s nothing homespun or grassroots about SaveLaPlataCounty.com or their recall effort.  It is part of a national strategy to make end runs around “liberal” bastions of our country, and eject us from what they feel entitled to.  “All of it!”

Please consider the four references "SaveLaPlataCounty.com/the-recall-effort/" provides for supporting evidence of their claims.  Look at them.  None contain specific evidence or charges.  Instead they are agenda driven ‘news’ articles of carefully crafted word-salad.  Full of insinuations, attitude, but nothing solid except for links to Koch’s DarkMoney octopus and a distain for environmental safety standards. 

1, 3)  Western Wire Reports

Facing Recall, New Questions Emerge For Lachelt Ahead Of COGCC Hearing”

  -  By Michael Sandoval, February 12, 2018

Ethics Questions Continue To Swirl Around La Plata County Commissioner

  -  By Michael Sandoval, July 17, 2017

Western Wire is a project of Western Energy Alliance, a non-profit regional oil and natural gas association based in Denver, Colo., and active across 13 states. (http://westernwire.net/about/)

Michael J. Sandoval is a contract Energy Policy Associate Analyst for the Independence Institute.  Before that an investigative reporter for The Heritage Foundation and he is a 2013 graduate of the Koch Associate Program.   (https://i2i.org/about/our-people/michael-sandoval/)

Speaking of transparency, do you know who Western Energy Alliance is?

“Western Energy Alliance: The Voice of the Industry in the West - focuses on federal legislative, regulatory, environmental, public lands and other policy issues. We represent the voice of the Western oil and natural gas industry in a variety of ways.” 

https://www.westernenergyalliance.org/alliance/who-we-are/staff 

          https://ballotpedia.org/Western_Energy_Alliance

https://www.opensecrets.org/pacs/pacgave2.php?cycle=2018&cmte=C00426569

  

The Coors-funded Independence Institute is a free-market, libertarian think tank based in Denver, Colorado. The non-profit is a member of the State Policy Network. 

https://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Independence_Institute

2)  Free Range Report Depicts Lachelt’s Lobbying Activities

By Marjorie Haun  |  http://freerangereport.com/index.php/about/

The author Marjorie Haun has written for American Thinker, the Heritage Foundation’s Daily Signal, Watchdog.org, and Colorado Peak Politics…

https://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/American_Thinker

          https://mediabiasfactcheck.com/american-thinker/

https://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Heritage_Action_for_America

          https://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Koch_Family_Foundations

https://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Heritage_Foundation

watchdog org

Watchdogorg is a project of the Franklin Center for Government & Public Integrity, a non-profit organization dedicated to the principles of transparency, accountability, and fiscal responsibility.  (As part of our 501(c)3, non-profit mission, which is where the DarkMoney is)

Franklin Center Top Donor Is Right-

Joe Strupp   |   February 22, 2013

https://www.mediamatters.org/blog/2013/02/22/franklin-center-top-donor-is-right-wings-dark-m/192770

Franklin Center for Government and Public Integrity  -  Background

https://www.desmogblog.com/franklin-centre-government-and-public-integrity

https://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Franklin_Center_for_Government_and_Public_Integrity

3)  Colorado Peak Politics Article

“RECALL! Environmental Whacko Faces the Ax By Voters”

February 9, 2018   |  Colorado’s Conservative Bully Pulpit

poor job performance  -  A LIE !  -  https://gwenlachelt.com/commission-record/

double-dipping  -  A LIE !  -  https://durangoherald.com/articles/207192 

“No substance to the Lachelt recall effort”

repeatedly leveraged our public office for her private gain  -  A LIE !  -  https://durangoherald.com/articles/208122

“Recall effort: Blaming unpopularity of land use code on Gwen Lachelt alone is misguided”

That article is pure biased angry inflammatory bullying.  Venom filled words, but in the end very little substance and what there was of that was misrepresented.  This is precisely the kind of emotional vitriol that destroys the democratic civility we depend on to keep our society functioning.  Exactly what the oligarchs want, this cynical recall attempt is doing their bidding.        

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Gwen has been working for her constituents !  I copied this from 

https://gwenlachelt.com/commission-record/

Gwen Lachelt’s Work as La Plata County Commissioner, So Far:

• Re-ignited the Comprehensive Plan conversation and pursuit with the Planning Commission

• I supported the creation of the La Plata County Water Advisory Commission to aide the county both in planning for, and protecting, our waters.

• I sponsored the Public Lands Resolution, which passed unanimously, calling for maintaining federal ownership of our public lands.

• I advocated strongly in DC for passage of the Hermosa Creek Watershed Protection Act, critical to our tourism industry.

• I supported convening a Fiscal Sustainability Steering Committee to help the commissioners plan for the county’s financial future.

• I led the county in developing strong state air quality standards and the nation’s first rule controlling methane emissions from oil and gas operations.

• I testified in Washington DC in support of the BLM’s Venting and Flaring Rule to reduce emissions and protect the US Treasury.

• I served as co-chair of Hickenlooper’s Oil & Gas Task Force and fought hard to maintain the authority of local governments to regulate O&G operations.

• I have been serving on the boards of San Juan Basin Health and Housing Solutions for the Southwest.

• I advocate daily for diversifying our economy so we are not so dependent on any single industry.

• I’ve worked with residents and local businesses to strengthen our local foods economy, support community garden projects, and promote sound food policy by creating the Herbicide Carryover Working Group to educate growers and the community about the risks certain herbicides pose to gardens and farms in our region.

• I promoted the first community solar garden development on the Boys & Girls Club rooftop.

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Bonus, a couple peeks inside their master plan.

Follow the Money: Koch Brothers Back Pruitt to Head EPA  

By Elliott Negin | January 30, 2017

https://www.ecowatch.com/koch-brothers-pruitt-epa-2225721522.html

The two dozen nonprofit groups and Senate committee members defending Scott Pruitt, President Donald Trump's nominee for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) administrator, have at least two things in common.

Like Pruitt, they're climate science deniers. And, like Pruitt, most of them are funded by Charles and David Koch, the billionaire brothers who own the coal, oil and gas conglomerate Koch Industries.

Koch's Marriage with BigTobacco-1993-Citizens for a Sound Economy-Jeff Nesbit 

Adapted from Poison Tea: How Big Oil and Big Tobacco Invented the Tea Party and Captured the GOP, copyright © 2016 by Jeff Nesbit

https://americansforkochsprosperity.blogspot.com/2018/02/big-tobacco-koch-citizens-sound-economy.html

History is important, and its amazing how much history Koch’s Americans for Prosperity has.  Here I share some details from Jeff Nesbit who wrote: Poison Tea: How Big Oil and Big Tobacco Invented the Tea Party and Captured the GOP, which is followed by tips and links to 10 other articles about various aspects of this long running strategic campaign aimed at an ultimate hostile take-over of our United State of American’s government of the people, by the people and for the people, by a few wealthier than god oligarchs. 

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This is a personal unaffiliated effort to educate neighbors regarding Americans for (Kochs) Prosperity

citizenschallenge at gmail

Decline to Sign the Gwen Lachelt Recall - Reject dirty tricks!

Decline to Sign!

https://www.facebook.com/gwen.lachelt.LPC/

https://gwenlachelt.com/stop-the-recall-decline-to-sign/

We are all proud to call La Plata County our home. When we work together – heritage and hi tech, county and cities, old and new – we can all be a part of writing a better future for our communities. 

La Plata County has had the same Land Use Code since 1987, and it’s time for an update. But the first draft was rolled out wrong – it had a lot of errors, as the entire Board of County Commissioners agrees. They are taking seriously public concerns and comments. A second and third draft – which will also allow for our input – are forthcoming over the coming many months.

The current recall against Commissioner Gwen Lachelt was actually begun by the oil and gas industry, not landowners, over their frustration with Gwen’s 30-year career of working locally for clean air, water, and landowner rights. The recall “just happened” to be timed perfectly to dovetail with the very real concerns emerging from the first draft Land Use Code. Blaming the unpopularity of this first draft land-use code on just one County Commissioner is misguided. All three County Commissioners – and their staff – are equally guilty of not vetting the initial draft.

It is rural landowners who are most fired up about this. Their concerns are being fueled by Americans for Prosperity, a Koch Brothers group that “just happened” to have opened an office in Durango with the intent to “take an active role to influence the outcome of La Plata County’s proposed land-use codes.” (DH 1/29)

We need an open citizen conversation to write a new land use code. This is our opportunity to plan for protection of our heritage, for preserving what we all love most about our County, and to attract the types of new jobs and industries to our county that will build an economy where working people can get ahead. The recall petition is a move to alienate us from each other, and to distract from the work at hand to create a future that protect our lands, our health, and our kids. Further, if it succeeds, the actual special election that results will cost taxpayers $60,000.

DECLINE to SIGN
the recall petition.

     

https://www.facebook.com/gwen.lachelt.LPC/
    

https://gwenlachelt.com/stop-the-recall-decline-to-sign/

Koch's Marriage with BigTobacco-1993-Citizens for a Sound Economy-Jeff Nesbit

The Tea Party's Brain-Trust, John Galt and Ayn Rand.

Anne Rearick / Agence VU/Redux

History is important, and its amazing how much history Koch’s Americans for Prosperity has.  Here I share some details from Jeff Nesbit who wrote: Poison Tea: How Big Oil and Big Tobacco Invented the Tea Party and Captured the GOP, which is followed by tips and links to 10 other articles about various aspects of this long running strategic campaign aimed at an ultimate hostile take-over of our United State of American’s government of the people, by the people and for the people, by a few wealthier than god oligarchs.  

With Trump’s people holding the White House and a Republican party that has made itself cast of the ethics of honesty and are now blind to all but their own short-term self-interest - that achievement feels terrifyingly closer than ever.  

It would be easy to dismiss this as just an oddball treehugger's imagination run wild, but the thing is all the information I'm finding reveals my fears are supported by overwhelming facts.  Hell, it's worse than even I ever imagined.  Basically rational liberty loving people have one or two election cycles to make their stand, or forever hold your peace.

Citizens for a Sound Economy (AFP’s ancestor) - SourceWatch

Citizens for a Sound Economy - news and investigations - PublicIntergrity.org

Who Is Citizens for a Sound Economy? - Austin Chronicle

Anatomy of a fraudulent “grassroots” campaign: Citizens for a Sound Economy - Noah Page

Study Confirms Tea Party Was Created by Big Tobacco and Pollutocrat Kochs - Brendan DeMelle 

Tea Part Ties To Koch Brothers Ignored by Media in IRS Scandal - Jesse Coleman, 

Americans for Tax Reform - SourceWatch report

Americans for Tax Reform (ATR) Koch Industries Climate Denial Front Group - Robert Maguire and Viveca Novak

ATR’s Tax Forms Raise Questions About Use of Crossroads Grant, “Social Welfare” Purpose - OpenSecrets

Americans for Tax Reform (ATR) Koch Industries Climate Denial Front Group - Greenpeace report

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THE SECRET ORIGINS OF THE TEA PARTY

How Big Oil and Big Tobacco partnered with the Koch Brothers To Take Over The GOP.   By Jeff Nesbit  

http://time.com/secret-origins-of-the-tea-party/

The spring of 1993 was a lousy time to be associated with the Republican Party in Washington D.C. …

So I did what many others did in that spring of 1993 in the nation’s capital: I began consulting. My first client was a think tank that I’d never heard of—a small outfit with big dreams and a curious checkbook.

At the time, no one knew much about Citizens for a Sound Economy (CSE). …