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SPOTLIGHT!
on what YOUR DougCo government is doing. . .in the SHADOWS
Hello, fellow light-seekers!
We have POSITIVE NEWS to report to all who desire transparency in Douglas County government!
I finally--FINALLY!--received the letter dated August 21, 2025 from the Cherokee Ranch & Castle Foundation terminating its MOU with the Board of County Commissioners from my September 18 public records request for "All correspondence from the Cherokee Ranch and Castle Foundation (CRCF) since July 1, 2025 when the Board approved giving the Foundation $575,000." You may recall from last time the stonewall I was receiving from the County on this particular request; obviously they did NOT want this letter's existence or the Foundation's decision made public. CORA record requests are supposed to be answered within three working days. Moreover, the copy of the returned check was NOT initially provided with the letter and I had to "remind" the County that "correspondence" includes enclosures and attachments!
Turns out the letter was hand-delivered to Douglas County, along with a cashier's check for the original grant of $575,000 PLUS interest of $927.54! The CRCF Board members were so ethical and professional that they included interest for the time they actually had the County's money!
Here is the important paragraph from the Termination letter:
"However, given the misunderstanding about appointments to the CRCF Board of Directors and the problem which it creates for the CRCF Board, the Cherokee Ranch & Castle Foundation has decided to withdraw its request for funding at the present time and is exercising its right to terminate the parties' Memorandum of Understanding (the "MOU") pursuant to paragraph thirteen (13). A cashier's check in the full amount of the awarded funds, with interest, is enclosed."
If the Douglas Commissioners had any respect for Colorado's Open Meetings Laws, they would have recognized the problems created in putting TWO commissioners, a quorum of the Board of Commissioners, on the CRCF Board of Directors.
Paragraph 4 of the MOU clearly spelled out the requirements of receiving two Foundation board appointments in exchange for $575,000. Keep in mind that the agreement called for two seats, a commissioner and "one BOCC designated resident" who lived in Douglas County.
This is just another glaring example of the "Pay to Play" policy this BOCC continues to employ. When federal dollars to help businesses after COVID were provided to the Park Meadows Resort, Laydon insisted an "advisory board" be created--naturally to include himself--to oversee the expenditure of $3M. Laydon even insisted on putting several questions on the County's 2023 Citizen Survey about providing "daycare" and other amenities in shopping areas because he wanted Park Meadows to provide "free daycare" even though there was evidence that this amenity would prove to be financially unsustainable. Click here to see the 2023 Citizen Survey - Question 43
While obviously a difficult decision given the amount of money involved, I nonetheless think the CRCF Board demonstrated great wisdom in avoiding obvious future problems by terminating the MOU and returning the funds with interest.
Click here for a copy of the letter from Foundation President Jeffrey Battin to the BOCC
Click here for a copy of the August 21, 2025 check for $575,927.54
Click here for the MOU between BOCC & CRCF
Click here for CRCF donation page
A subscriber sent me this AI generated explanation of this situation between the BOCC & the CRCF
Always remember:
Sunshine is the best disinfectant--so LET THE SUN SHINE!
Lora Thomas
Tidbits
The BOCC recently voted 3-0 to provide $336,769 from the County's General Fund to install field lighting to the synthetic turf fields at Castle View High School. When I first heard of this proposal, I thought the funding was coming from the Open Space and Parks sales tax fund and NOT the General Fund. While I'm looking forward to seeing the County's 2026 budget, no information on such has been forthcoming, and I certainly don't understand why General Fund dollars are being used to put sports lights on fields that are the responsibility of the Douglas County School District.
I had planned to attend the October 2 Parks celebration at Highlands Heritage Park and provide a report for you, but instead attended Jewish Yom Kippur services at Simchat Torah Beit Midrash. I'll continue to keep monitoring the Zebulon project.
Taxpayer Funding for the Douglas County Economic Development Corporation and Ensuing Questions Re How That Money Has Been--and Is Still Being--Spent!
Just an update: To remind, in January 2025 the BOCC gave the DCEDC $937,500 of taxpayer dollars with no mechanism for this organization to report to the BOCC (and residents) how those dollars are being spent. Repeated records requests to Douglas County have provided NO RECORDS on information for the expenditure for these dollars.
In looking at the agendas for the Board meetings for the EDC, I can find NO financial reports provided to the Board of directors.
I thought I might take a look at the Purple Label lobbying firm that DCEDC President and CEO Reynolds co-owns, according to Purple Label's website. Information about lobbyists is required to be reported to the Colorado Secretary of State (SofS), and below is a list of clients reported by Ms. Reynolds.
Almost MILLION dollars in taxpayer funds was received by DCEDC. How has it been--and is being--used? How much time is Ms. Reynolds devoting to the DCEDC while lobbying for the number of clients listed?
Below is a page from the SofS site with the clients of Ms. Reynolds. Click here for page
I noticed that Johnson Controls is a client of Ms. Reynolds. This is the company that owns/controls EVOLV, whom Laydon insisted be the sole provider of entry way technology for STEM High School without a competitive bid process.
Cumulative Disclosure Statement for Ellie Reynolds Lobbying Activities
From the Secretary of State (SofS) website Click here for the direct page
Click this link for prior year cumulative reports from the SofS
Commissioners (BOCC) Schedule for the week of October 6
Nothing new on the TRANSPARENCY front with the Douglas County Board of Commissioners (BOCC) - still no links for citizens to virtually watch our government doing our business, AND the stealth/secrecy continues in that specific locations of events are not provided - just the town where the event will be held.
Monday is the quarterly elected officials' luncheon in Castle Pines. Duke's Steakhouse?
On Tuesday the schedule shows a Zebulon work session, but when the agenda is opened, we learn it is yet another secret, behind-closed-doors Executive Session, this time for "real estate matters, to receive legal advice, and to develop strategy for upcoming negotiations with Zebulon Request for Expressions of Interest (RFEI) respondents."
Another Executive Session at 11AM with the Sheriff about Personnel Matters.
At 1PM the BOCC has an Administrative Meeting that involves "the Fairgrounds Business Model Adjustment, a 'Lot Line Adjustment' and more discussions about Boards and Commissions."
I recently listened to the audio of the September 8, 2025 work session about changing the focus of the Fairgrounds from a "Community Center" to "maximizing economic development." Only Laydon and Van Winkle were present for the discussion - no Teal in the discussion. There was a guest in the session, but the quality of the recording was so poor I could not understand his name. He is from Castle Pines and had suggestions to use the Fairgrounds for AKC Dog shows and how much money could be realized. The discussion included selling the naming rights for the Fairgrounds, perhaps to pet food giant Purina, to cover costs to expand the availability of electrical power and hiring more staff. The proposal is to increase the rental rates at the Fairgrounds 50% because they are "too low."
When I served as a commissioner, our focus regarding these facilities had been on providing space at a rate that community members and non-profits could afford at the Fairgrounds, since it had been funded with taxpayer dollars and therefore, belonged to the People.
Five new county employee positions--an administrative position and 4 operational positions--were authorized to manage planned increased usage of the Fairgrounds, and it's estimated that additional revenue will cover the costs of these positions. Open riding hours at the Fairgrounds will increase, but there will be changes for shooting and 4-H events because in the past "they got whatever they wanted" but going forward 4-H will have to be "more flexible."
There was discussion about hosting dog shows and 3-day music festivals. The Fairgrounds is very nearly booked-out through 2026, but at 10:30 in the recording link posted below of the discussion commissioners stated that they reserve the right to re-schedule smaller events to different dates--essentially unilaterally modifying existing contracts.
Dynamic pricing will be developed to give large events preference over smaller events. At 27:09 in the audio link below was a statement directing staff, "to immediately communicate with folks who have already contracted for next year that your date may be changed."
There was a suggestion to include Ellie Reynolds and the Douglas County Economic Development Corporation in marketing these changes. Click here for a recording of the 9-8-25 discussion Click here for a written summary of the meeting
The Boards and Commissions discussion might be interesting. I hear that Mark Hampton, leader of Parker Conservatives, has been recently appointed to the Planning Commission. If you recall, Mark's wife, Pam, was appointed early this year to the Library Board. Click here for Planning Commission roster
Finally, a public budget discussion about Capital Improvements is scheduled for Tuesday at 2PM - this appears to be the first public discussion about the 2026 budget. By October 15, the Preliminary Budget for 2026 must be available for the public to review, so time is running out! Imagine planning a complex budget like Douglas County's--well in excess of a half-billion dollars--in just 8 days! Leaves one to wonder whether secret discussions have already been taking place outside of the public domain...Click here for the adopted 2025 budget
On Wednesday and Thursday, the commissioners are attending the "Site Selection Conference" and the public is only told that meetings are in Englewood and Denver--no other venue info is provided. It appears from the Metro Denver Chamber of Commerce website that the Thursday night dinner for this conference is at the Stockyards Event Center at the National Western Center. The Douglas County EDC is a sponsor of the event, meaning your tax dollars are helping make the event possible but the BOCC doesn't even bother to tell us taxpayers where it is!
Click here for the link for the BOCC schedule
If you or someone you know would like to subscribe to this SPOTLIGHT, please email me at Lora@LoraThomas.org to be added as a subscriber.
Ask Miss Information!
Dear Readers,
Continuing our theme of citizen involvement, Gertie and me thought y'all might interested in learning about PUSH POLLS, which according to Wikipedia is a form of telemarketing-based propaganda and rumor-mongering masquerading as an opinion poll.
Juicy, no?!
Now in November, residents in Castle Pines will be electing a Mayor, so there's lots of campaigning going on--with the usual wheelin' and dealin'. Last week, an unknown entity sent out a text with a link that included several questions about candidates for Mayor in Castle Pines, as well as a question about the proposed McDonald's in that town. I got ahold of that poll, and we thought this would be a great opportunity to help you all understand what's going on when you get one of them-there "push-polls." You might remember a similar type of poll went out during the Home Rule debacle that the commissioners foisted upon us just a few short months ago.
Below are some screenshots from the poll - it's been taken down by the originator so I can't provide you with a working link.
These are just a few of the questions on the PUSH POLL, but Gertie--Dr. Watson to my Sherlock--got on that Internet and did some snoopin' to see if any of this stuff was even true.
One of the questions in the PUSH POLL had to do with "judgments" against Mayoral candidate and current Castle Pines Councilman Roger Hudson, and she found a Douglas County "Transcript of Judgment" against the Hudson Firm LLC for $2009.77, as well as a 2010 IRS claim in Texas from 2010 against Roger D. Hudson.
She also could not locate a record of any real property owned by Roger D. Hudson in Castle Pines. Hmm. Runnin' for Mayor and doesn't even own property in town?!?
Gertie will keep lookin' into this PUSH POLL, but what this highlights is why it is so dang important for you voters to pay attention to what you can find out about these candidates before you give them your very precious VOTE!
PS I remember learnin' about W-W-2--the BIG ONE!--and the government was always warnin' folks that "Loose Lips Sink Ships!" and that they shouldn't talk about anything going on where they worked or what they heard or saw pertaining to the war effort. The reason? ENEMY INTELLIGENCE! Bad idea to give the bad guys free info. So when you get one of these polls, why in the world do you want to tell someone--or someTHING--who you are supporting any-hoo?!
If an entity like your government or church or school--someone you TRUST--sends you a POLL and you trust the source, perhaps answering it might be a benefit to you in the future. But otherwise, don't be a Tik-Tok ChiCom stooge and shovel free info to those who surely don't have your best interests at heart.
Just like you all are becoming experts at not clicking on links in emails for texts that are from scammers who want into your bank accounts to rip you off, become smart and not let nefarious folks into your thoughts! One of your most valuable possessions is your VOTE--keep it as safe as your money! These scamsters don't care about you or what you care about - they are up to NO GOOD!
'Til the next SPOTLIGHT, we remain the ever-vigilant,
Miss Information...and Gertie, too!