By Riggs Robertson
Ethics allegations were brought before the Longmont City Council on Aug. 25 against Mayor pro tem Sean McCoy concerning emails sent in June. Council members also discussed the possibility of endorsing measures that will appear on the ballot later this year.
Transit development
Development on the ongoing Coffman Street extension and transit center construction projects continues. The designated area was determined to be blighted, allowing for redevelopment of the area. A blighted area is generally defined as a space that has been neglected and shows signs of deterioration. Asbestos was also found at the site, but steps are being taken to remove it before construction.
A certificate of participation, or COP, is scheduled to be sold on Oct. 14 to provide additional funding for the project. Current funding for the transit project totals $34 million and was obtained from multiple sources. The estimated cost of the project is $59 million, leaving a $24 million gap. The COP is expected to help bridge that gap.
The Coffman Street extension faces a similar funding gap, with $6 million raised for a $10.7 million project, leaving a $4.7 million gap.
Endorsement of ballot measures
Several of the items discussed concerned whether the council should formally endorse ballot measures that will be presented to voters.
Councilmember Matthew Popkin advocated tabling the decisions until the second meeting in September to allow the council to better understand the financial burden the measures could place on the city before endorsing them. Councilmembers Alex Kalkhofer and Jake Marsing agreed.
Mayor Susie Hidalgo-Fahring said she wanted the community to know where the council stands on the measures, while Councilmember Crystal Prieto said she wanted voters to have the opportunity to vote and did not want to discourage participation.
Some of the measures presented were approved for official council endorsement, while others were not.
A measure that would increase property taxes to provide additional support for child care failed to be tabled and failed to receive an official council position. Marsing had a conflict of interest concerning the measure and left the room during deliberation and voting.
A measure to increase the city's public safety tax to provide additional funding for the local public safety budget, including hiring more officers and purchasing equipment, was approved. The council is allowed to issue an official position on the measure.
A measure requiring voter approval before open space land could be sold was also approved.
Ethics allegations against Mayor pro tem McCoy
Concerns about the ethical conduct of McCoy were brought before the council by Daniel J. Meester. Popkin noted that Meester had previously raised ethical concerns about him, but those concerns were dismissed, and Popkin said he believed he could still participate impartially.
Marsing also noted that Meester had brought ethical concerns against him twice, both of which were dismissed. Marsing said he also believed he could participate impartially.
Meester's allegations stemmed from email exchanges between McCoy and the manager of the Longmont Airport concerning aircraft flight paths and noise levels. Meester characterized McCoy's words as threatening and alleged that the Mayor pro tem attempted to use his public office to obtain special treatment from the airport.
A third-party analysis of the situation was conducted by a hearing officer, who determined that the conduct constituted an ethical violation and recommended a formal reprimand. The hearing officer also noted that there was no financial gain for McCoy.
Meester argued that McCoy's actions represented an abuse of administrative power and an inappropriate use of a city staff member. He said his concerns were neither personal nor political.
McCoy acknowledged that his phrasing was poor and said he would apologize for it. He said his intent was to advocate for residents who had expressed frustration over noise issues and flight paths.
“I represent people who felt unheard, not myself,” McCoy said.