I recently submitted an email to each and every City Council member requesting the answer to several questions. One member referred my questions to City Manager Debra Figueroa. Apparently, she was out of town and her answers were terse and evasive. I had a very informative phone conversation with another.  Astonishingly, the council member who represents me did not even bother to reply to my email.

As Mr. Carleton Hubbard stated in a Sunday’s article regarding his career and community contributions, this town needs to step back and re-evaluate our community’s future. Tourism was placed on full-throttle back in the ’80s. We have now reached critical mass on tourism to the detriment of our community as a whole. Yes, tourism is our bread and butter, but we are still a community in need of sound governance and amenities for locals.

The resounding rejection of increased taxes for roads should have made it abundantly clear to the city that the taxpayers distrust our city government and feel our tax dollars have been mismanaged. There is a lack of transparency, and City Council seems to think they are immune to accountability. I recently learned the city has spent over $2 million for properties to house the maintenance department and other departments such as Parks & Recreation. This was due to the fact the buildings recently built for these departments were shifting and becoming dangerous. Only recently has City Council determined some kind of vacation rental regulations. VRBOs are ruining neighborhoods. This kind of “good old boy” policymaking goes on and on and on. Meanwhile, we have many banks and churches, but no amenities for families. This may sound frivolous, but I think a community of our size should be able to support a movie theater, bowling alley, and more than one affordable grocery store.

Barb Keller
Glenwood Springs