planatlaw
Registered: 10/15/08
Posts: 21
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| #46 |
There is plenty of blame to go around. Staff has two functions - implement policy and recommend policy. Staff may have not done their best to recommend the best policies, but ultimately, it is the elected officials that set policies, goals, and pass the regulations that staff operate on in implementing policy.
If Brown was able to get away with anything, the regs were not there for planners to stop him and the political will was not there to give planners the tools to stop him.
Brown is an interesting character. At the time he started tearing down buildings, I have no doubt he thought he would be around to finish the job. Like so many ultra-rich, who think they know best, Brown put forth a plan and really though the community would embrace it. Brown was wrong on both counts. For a good model, look at Walter Paepke in Aspen, who came to town, offered help and support AND ideas. The community bought into his vision and away they went. Brown had vision, but no public relations skills. Who is to say whether Brown's vision for the town was a good one since he caused so many issues it blurred the vision.
In my estimate it goes back to a saying that says democracy allows the voters to elect officials who give them the government they deserve. It goes back to the voters who put the people in place - in other words, if you are going to start pointing fingers start with a look in the mirror. |
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Sherrill
Registered: 12/11/08
Posts: 98
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| #47 |
You are wrong about several items. The one I'll concentrate on is regulations and the "staff's" decisions - and how the voters are ultimately to blame for the inept departments.
Neither local planning departments regularly publish and/or update our badly needed regulations. They often admit to not having a regulation addressing a specific issue; in that case, the planner who a resident, realtor, developer, architect, engineer, surveyor, etc. deals with, makes a tremendous impact on a project, large or small. What staff doesn't know and cannot research, since the regs are so loosely conceived and poorly documented, they will concoct, invent, twist and "implement" any way they wish to do so - usually depending on their personal bias. Is that what you call, "implementing policy"...? Hmmm. Do you work for our town or county?????
For comparison, two entities I am familiar with and worked with for several years are quite different: The Town of Durango and La Plata County publish their regs and always have them on hand. They annually update and publish all changes, additions, deletions, etc. Complete copies of regs are kept at town and county planning departments and are always available upon request. The "regs" are the "bibles" of planning and dutifully/responsibly adhered to by the planners.
What the heck am I doing? This entire conversation is too convoluted and political to waste my precious retirement on! I think I'll do something productive, satisfying and community-minded -- I'll shovel some more snow! |
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sensetalk2000
Registered: 11/10/08
Posts: 109
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| #48 |
The writer suggests that the onus probandi is on us, as voters, to make the right choices and all will be well. That historically has been difficult for two reasons. One, you can't get much of a turnout in local elections, regardless of the weather or the importance of the election. Also, all the part-timers cannot vote on the issues or the candidates. I have seen some great candidates lose elections here because of a meager turnout on election day.
Sherrill is so right about Durango and La Plata County. They are so much more advanced in local government. I know, because I was involved over there as well.
Sherrill is also right about the convoluted mess, but I am to tired to do any more plowing and shoveling.
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Sherrill
Registered: 12/11/08
Posts: 98
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| #49 |
Let's start a snow plowing and shoveling thread! My goodness, it is almost Christmas and I'm no longer dreaming of a white one...we have one!
Merry Christmas to everyone! |
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sensetalk2000
Registered: 11/10/08
Posts: 109
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| #50 |
The most recent issue of the Pagosa Sun had two, classic examples of why Pagosa needs to change it's thinking. There was a Sheriff's report on numerous thefts and burglaries happening in a short period of time with no details provided, whatsoever. One of those burglaries happened not far from me and I would love to know more, if for no more than keeping my eyes open for future problems. In the daily
Sheriff's activity section, it was also reported that deputies responded twice to "unattended" deaths. This could be a person deceased from homicide, suicide or natural causes but how would anybody know, except those that responded and the person's family? Again, you would logically think that such things would be reported openly, as they commonly are in other towns and in enough detail to properly inform citizens.
An informed populace can make better decisions on just about every aspect of their life and provide extra eyes and ears for law enforcement. It is a well-known fact that dozens of retired cops live all over Archuleta County and could be a tremendous asset if facts are reported by the media.
We have to move beyond this mentality of concealing the bad things, for fear that people won't come here. That is simply a myth.
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Sherrill
Registered: 12/11/08
Posts: 98
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| #51 |
The local papers (I include the Durango Herald) refuse to disclose "bad" news -- succumbing to FEAR. Fear of frightening possible tourists and potential home and land buyers; fear of losing their major advertising income - the realtors! Censoring news for the advertisers' sake is a sell-out and a disservice to the locals.
Since we haven't any local TV and Denver stations totally ignore SW Colorado, the Farmington Daily Times is good alternative for facts about the Four Corners. If you are one of the few in PS who qualify for cable TV, you know the Albuquerque stations pay more attention to the Four Corners than Denver's stations do.
As advertising revenues decrease a paper's news inches shrink accordingly. Subscriptions and rack sales do not support newspapers - advertising supports newspapers and pays employees' wages. There is a ratio of advertising inches to news inches which must be maintained; all papers do this, not just the Sun.
There are fewer and fewer local writers contributing to our paper. Stories are reprinted from the internet which haven't any connection to local readership. The "local news" is about the theater and musical groups, the various crafting & quilting clubs, artists' events, "spiritual enlightenment" groups and an overabundance of church-related information.
This forum is really the only place truth and facts are available for disclosure, dispute and discussion.
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sensetalk2000
Registered: 11/10/08
Posts: 109
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| #52 |
In Response to Sherrill:
That was an eloquent explanation in response to my post. Thank you, well said.
One nagging question for me has been, why and how did SW Colorado become dependent on tourists, hunters, skiers and second-home owners? Why did we go down that road? Surely, it wasn't just the decline of the timber industry and the sawmill closing?
An article today in the Herald talked about all the "bargains" to be had in Telluride, due to the collapse of the real estate market. They talked about somebody buying a 1/8 interest in a home for only $250,000!!! When I read that, I just about fell out of my chair!! I couldn't believe what I was reading. They were actually serious.
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Sherrill
Registered: 12/11/08
Posts: 98
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| #53 |
Perhaps Pagosa chose appealing to tourists, hunters and second-home owners based on the success of Durango and Telluride doing the same? Big mistake, obviously. Skiers often cruise through Pagosa (from NM, TX, etc., via Hwy 84) to reach DGO and Telluride ski resorts because Wolf Creek Pass closures very often prevent skiers from reaching our ski area. South Fork realtors appeal to buyers by advertising, "Live in South Fork and always be able to enjoy Wolf Creek," with good reason.
Yes, losing the timber industry depleted Archuleta County of the only viable industry which ever existed here. Alternative industries and businesses are discouraged in order to maintain Pagosa's "clean, small town" appeal. Which brings me back to our planning departments: limiting "big box" developments limits our growth and our lifestyle improvement.
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sensetalk2000
Registered: 11/10/08
Posts: 109
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| #54 |
Another excellent answer from Sherrill.
I made a mistake in my previous post. The 1/8 interest in the house in Telluride was bought for only 205k, not 250k. The article described the buyers as a couple from South Louisiana. The other buyers were a couple from Atlanta who jumped on the "reduced" price of a condo for 1.74 million.
I have procrastinated all day going outside to shovel the masses. The other day I was worried that we might get more snow than last year. How stupid was that? Nobody has been down our road all day, but because of this forum, I know people are alive and well here in Pagosa!
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Sherrill
Registered: 12/11/08
Posts: 98
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| #55 |
Thank goodness for the forum and thank goodness for the internet. Reading worldwide newspapers, enjoying the ability to perform comparative research and having the world at our fingertips makes life in our remote area much more enjoyable! |
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Sherrill
Registered: 12/11/08
Posts: 98
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sensetalk2000
Registered: 11/10/08
Posts: 109
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| #57 |
Thanks for the web info.
I agree. I might perish without the internet. I daily open the CDOT cameras, http://www.cotrip.org and other webcams across the country. I read newspapers in close to 20 states and am able to maintain my sanity, while buried in an ice cave, a prisoner of the Pagosa, winter, penitentiary.
It has made me sick to know that the temperature is 75 degrees today in my hometown and they have tornado watches. I will trade a tornado watch or warning any day for 6 feet of snow. Shucks, they only last a few minutes anyway, even if you are blown away.
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Sherrill
Registered: 12/11/08
Posts: 98
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| #58 |
I'll correct my statement: life isn't really enjoyable here. I should have said TOLERABLE!!!! |
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planatlaw
Registered: 10/15/08
Posts: 21
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| #59 |
I really wanted to stay out of this conversation because I found it too superficial to be of benefit, but the focus on the need for "big box" development here is so repugnant to me I had to write something.
Big box development is an economic dinosaur built on cheap oil. The only way Farmington can make their economy go is by being and remaining a regional shopping hub. As Jay Harrington mentioned in the article about the downturn in Cortez sales taxes, people are more likely to shop locally when gas is at $4.00 @ gallon then when its at $1.75 @ gallon. Cortez sales taxes are up for the year and down for October simply because of the changes in gas expenses.
PS is and never will be a regional shopping hub. Big boxes need to locate where there are other big boxes to create a shopping synergy, which will not happen here so it will be difficult to attract a big box store here because they recognize the shortcomings we have in trying to compete with existing regional shopping centers.
PS needs to focus on shopping opportunties, but geared toward our strengths rather than our weaknesses. The oil economy is coming to an end, and this community needs to use its best efforts to mitigate the impacts resulting from these changes. Incentives for locally produced products, incentives for locally owned businesses, and adapting urban centers within our community to create synergies for retail/residential/office uses. |
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Sherrill
Registered: 12/11/08
Posts: 98
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| #60 |
Since you find this thread superficial, of no benefit and offering repugnant ideas, I believe:
1) you jump to some drastic assumptions
2) you misread and/or misunderstand much of the intent and content posted
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