More reaction to the $5,000 pay raise for the director of the Arvada Urban Renewal Authority from Arvadan Cindi Kreutzer.
Letter-to-the-Editor sent to the Arvada Press; not yet published.
Soon, Arvada residents will begin to see the results of an urban renewal authority out of control.
They will watch a superstore being built by a notoriously greedy mega-corporation and an entirely inappropriate, meaningless, 5 story, contemporary apartment complex grow into the sky; both projects in the heart of the historic Olde Town area of their city.
If citizens wonder who is responsible for this "graffiti" on the character of our city, they need look no further than their city leaders. At last night's city council meeting [Monday, September 15, 2014] a vote of 7-0 approved another pay raise for the Executive Director of Arvada Urban Renewal Authority, Maureen Phair. Ms. Phair will now be paid retroactively to July, 2014 a salary of $130,000 per year, plus benefits, auto allowance and no requirement that she live in Arvada. She doesn't.
To "earn" this hefty salary Ms. Phair brought us the two projects known as Walmart and Park Place Olde Town utilizing some questionable professional behavior. An example of this is her attempt to coerce a business located on the future Walmart site into bowing to her wishes to reface their building by seeking to delay an application for a Conditional Use Permit for changes made necessary by the upcoming redevelopment. Fortunately, the Arvada Planning Commission did not agree. A second example is her refusal to respond to a citizens’ request for verification of the inflammatory content of a public speech she had given. Both of these examples have been documented either by audio recording or in her own written communications. There are other examples that could cause concern but she is likely behaving within legal limits.
Ms. Phair has not been alone in this behavior. On various occasions and on more than one subject, certain Arvada city officials have had knowledge of and even participated in these activities. If confronted about these issues, the justification is usually based on legalities with no consideration of any ethical concerns or constituents wishes.
On a more positive front, credit can be given to a few city council members who at last night’s council meeting, appointed a handful of outsiders to a new citizens committee formed to aid in determining Capital Improvement priorities in Arvada. An optimist might choose to see this as a sign that things could improve.
But if they don’t improve, do Arvada citizens want their unique and charming city to continue down this current path until it is just another Denver suburb?
Cindi Kreutzer
Arvada, CO
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