Colorado government corruption
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In July 2008, in preparation for the 2008 DNC convention the American Civil Liberties Union sued Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper to release what he was spending $50 Million in city funds on. Mayor Hickenlooper, a longtime supporter of transparency as well as the ACLU, has refused to disclose the information, only saying that it is being spent on "security." The latest request is the fourth lawsuit filed by the ACLU against the city of Denver over the DNC convention
This case established that selective release of documents that fall within the deliberative process exemption to interested parties did not waive the right to exemption from the Colorado Open Records Act. [1]
The overwhelming bipartisan support in the House could mean an easier road through the state Senate, where a similar bill that would have required schools’ to post their finances online passed 28-6 earlier this year." Read the full article here.
"Making government transparent is a popular issue in the Colorado Legislature this year, where we've had several attempts to provide taxpayers with online access to Colorado's various governments spending habits.
Our bill, House Bill 1288, places Colorado on the cutting edge of transparency in state government, and if enacted, we will join more than a dozen states nationwide that have already put state expenditures and revenues online." Read the full column here.
"Denver Health Medical Center officials denied the existence of a key report that experts and observers say should have been available under state open records laws.
The report recommended that Denver Health station an ambulance at Denver International Airport after a series of CALL7 investigations showed that people who become ill at DIA experience long wait times to be transported to area hospitals."
"The city of Loveland charges the least of several government agencies in the area for copies of public records — 15 cents per page.
“We do our best to try to make it so it is not cost-prohibitive to get documents,” said City Clerk Terry Andrews."
"The Department of Natural Resources told lawmakers in 2007 that developing state oil and gas regulations could cost less than $7,000 the first year, while an internal department estimate put the cost of implementing the regulations at more than $1 million, according to documents obtained by The Associated Press.
The $7,000 estimate appeared in a February 2007 financial statement given to lawmakers as they deliberated the cost of enforcing a new regulatory regime affecting the energy industry.
Rep. Frank McNulty, R-Highlands Ranch, and Sen. Greg Brophy, R-Wray, questioned the estimate. They and eight other Republican legislators asked state auditors to check it. Auditors concluded the $6,840 cost was "reasonable" -- but were not given a department document containing the higher estimate."
"As one of his first official acts, President Barack Obama issued an executive memorandum instructing members of his administration “to operate under principles of openness, transparency and of engaging citizens with their government.” There are a number of ways Colorado state and local government can follow suit and join the president in his commitment to an “unprecedented level of openness in government.”
To begin, the Colorado General Assembly should immediately adopt and implement a uniform policy for the members and their staff, setting minimum standards and guidelines for the retention of electronic records, including e-mail records in particular. Incredibly, there is currently no policy at all."
"The Fort Morgan Times has filed a notice of appeal of a Morgan County District Court ruling on the newspaper’s counterclaim to a lawsuit filed by the city of Fort Morgan more than a year ago.
The original lawsuit stemmed from a request by the newspaper under the Colorado Open Records Act (CORA), seeking release of the performance evaluations prepared by individual members of the Fort Morgan City Council for their December 2007 personnel review of former city manager Michael Nagy."
Lawyers for both sides submitted their final briefs on October 13, 2009. They anticiapte the hearing for the appeal will not be scheduleduntil 2010.
"The House Ethics Committee on Tuesday once again asked Rep. David Balmer to provide records of phone calls and e-mail messages that could help the committee determine whether he broke House rules while he was running for the House minority leader’s seat last December.
The committee is looking into whether Balmer, R-Centennial, asked a lobbyist for the Colorado Chiropractors Association to pressure freshman Rep. Cindy Acree, R-Aurora, to support the lawmaker in his bid to become the House Republicans’ leader.
Balmer did not respond to the committee’s requests, but his attorney, Jonathan Anderson, sent legal analysis concluding that his client did nothing wrong and a letter in which he declined to give his home phone records, citing privacy concerns."
"The Routt County Board of Commissioners and Sheriff Gary Wall filed lawsuits against each other and the Steamboat Pilot & Today last week, seeking a court determination as to whether the county or the Sheriff’s Office is required to release copies of a disputed legal invoice.
The document in question is a $6,700 legal bill from Ralph A. Cantafio, who has acted as legal counsel for Wall in his ongoing disputes with the commissioners. After the invoice was forwarded to the county for payment, the county commissioners requested more information about what the bill was for — a question Wall has refused to answer, claiming that providing the information would force him to relinquish his attorney-client privilege and “jeopardize the sovereignty of my office.”"
"A District Court judge ruled in favor of the city of Fort Morgan Thursday in a lawsuit between the city and The Fort Morgan Times over access to records related to the evaluation of former city manager Michael Nagy.
Judge Douglas Vannoy’s ruling broke down the issues in the case and favored the newspaper’s position on some of them and the city’s stance on others. Vannoy’s final conclusion was in favor of the city."
"On Thursday's Mike Rosen Show, Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper criticized a coalition of defense attorneys who have alleged that the city could spend $500,000 to prosecute protesters arrested during August's Democratic National Convention.
Denver city officials, including Hickenlooper, have widely criticized the estimated tab, first reported in Face The State earlier this month but are now refusing to provide alternate figures.
During Hickenlooper's monthly appearance on Rosen's 850 KOA show at 10 a.m., Rosen raised the issue of the trials with Hickenlooper.
"Robert Corry, who's one of the defense attorneys, said that the city is spending more than $500,000 for prosecutors, judges, clerks, police officers and other witnesses," said Rosen. "Seems to me that's a fixed cost. These are people who are on salary anyways.""
"State District Judge Tim Williams ruled today in favor of Boulder City Councilwoman Linda Strickland's request to designate as public records a batch of individual employee survey forms filed with the city in July 2007.
City Attorney Dave Olsen unsuccessfuly argued that the forms, which were filled out anonymously, were "nonrecords" and would have violated employee confidentiality if they were declared public records. The city clerk is currently in possession of the surveys."
"A Denver district judge has ruled that records of work-related calls made by Gov. Bill Ritter on a personal cellphone are not open to public review under the Colorado Open Records Act.
Judge Morris B. Hoffman dismissed a lawsuit Tuesday seeking access to Ritter's cellphone bills.
The newspaper sued Ritter after he refused to turn over 19 months of cellphone records that contain the phone numbers of people Ritter has discussed state business with since taking office in 2007."
"A two-day bench trial in the case concluded late Tuesday afternoon in Morgan County District Court.
District Judge Douglas Vannoy gave attorneys for the two parties four weeks to submit findings of fact and conclusions of law, and said it could be an another two months before he makes a ruling".
"Are they — or were they — public records or not?
Trying to find an answer to that question was the object of a long day of testimony in Morgan County District Court on Monday as a two-day bench trial began in a lawsuit between the city of Fort Morgan and The Fort Morgan Times."
"The Delta County clerk and recorder’s policy of observing state law and making all public records available to the public on its website has encountered a question of privacy.
Delta County clerk and recorder Ann Eddins said that she is looking for a sensible solution. Eddins has written to the county clerk’s association attorney asking for guidance on how the office should handle public documents that contain sensitive personal information, including Social Security numbers."
"The abrupt resignation Thursday of a top elections official at the secretary of state's office happened in the midst of a watchdog group's investigation into her relationship with a local businessman who has contracts with that office.
Holly Lowder, 66, resigned from her post as elections director two months before what is expected to be one of the biggest elections in recent Colorado history. She held that job since 2006. Before that, Lowder served as Alamosa County clerk for about 25 years."
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