About 50 people attended El Paso County Commissioner Douglas Bruce’s town hall meeting at the Falcon fire station in May.John Seetch from the Meadows Homeowners Association spoke about the organized opposition to the Falcon incorporation efforts. Seetch said the proposed city of Falcon charter contains dangerous provisions concerning the use of eminent domain, water rights and annexation with no limitation. He said he was concerned about the number of people in the incorporation area that didn’t know about the May 29 vote on incorporating Falcon.Bruce told the audience that Colorado Springs has no interest in annexing the Falcon area because “annexation increases their responsibilities faster than it increases their revenue.”Bruce also said his experience with Colorado Springs and the storm water fee is an example of why Falcon should not incorporate.”They would have no means of collecting the storm water fee if people unite and refuse to pay,” Bruce said. “They can send you a letter demanding payment; they can try to include it on your property tax bill; they can put a lien on your property; or they can try to sue you in small claims court.” He is among 25,000 people in the Springs who are refusing to pay the storm water fee. Bruce said he won’t pay the fee for the 10 properties he owns.This issue affects people who don’t live in the city, Bruce said. The city just billed the county $50,000 for the storm water fee and bills have been sent to the federal government and School District 49 as well.Bruce said he asked Sandra Damron, El Paso County treasurer, to explain the ramifications if people don’t pay the storm water fee. He said Damron told him she would file liens against properties for which the storm water fee is not paid. However, Bruce said the county attorney disagrees. Bruce said he also talked to Robert Balink, the county clerk and recorder, who said he won’t file liens against those properties.Bruce then resumed the discussion on the incorporation issue.Although it is legal for private groups to run their own elections, Bruce said the Legislature should change that law. “Elections should be run by the clerk and recorder,” he said. “If the Falcon incorporation succeeds, taxpayers will pay for the election. If it fails, the incorporation supporters will pay election costs.”Bruce also talked about development and building issues, stating that the county has desire to control its citizens. He cited the nuns at the Benet Hill Monastery in Black Forest. The nuns, whose average age is 74, are tired of walking the steep hillside to get from building to building. Bruce said they asked the county if they could build a single-level building, which required a land-use change.”The county required $3,600 from the sisters just for the privilege of asking,” Bruce said. The county granted them a 50-year variance and limited occupancy for 36 people. “If the sisters want to sell their property, the variance will expire, so they will never be able to sell their own property,” Bruce said.He said the Falcon Vista development near Falcon is another example of poor development practices. “The development has 57 lots, and the developer promised he would put in infrastructure, such as roads,” Bruce said. “But the county doesn’t have a requirement that infrastructure be put in at the same time construction takes place.” The roads were never put in, so now the county is going to assess the homeowners $20,000 per parcel for roads, he said.Government waste always is a bone of contention with Bruce. He referred to the 23 loaner vehicles owned by the county as a waste of $200,000 per year. He said county employees are allowed to take the cars home.Bruce commented on the voting record of the other county commissioners. Jim Bensberg (District 5) and Wayne Williams (District 1) have voted for spending 99.5 percent of the time, Bruce said. With the exception of one vote on a $32,000 item, Dennis Hisey (District 4) has voted with the majority every time, he said. “Sallie Clark (District 3) has never voted against a spending request,” Bruce added.He also said some of the high-use dirt roads in the Falcon area should be paved. “Paving would pay for itself in six years,” Bruce said. He suggested that people contact John McCarty of the El Paso County Department of Transportation.
