craigdailypress.com

To the Editor:

At the March 13 City Council meeting, your reporter objected to the holding of an executive session to discuss negotiations (pertaining to an insurance claim against the city) on the basis that the announcement of the session was not specific enough to satisfy the Colorado Sunshine Laws. While we now know that this was a rehearsed attempt to make your own news where there is none, it is still useful for us to review what has happened since.

1) Your reporter left the council meeting, never to return. When the council came out of executive session to discuss aspects of the situation that could be addressed in public, the Craig Daily Press was nowhere to be found. If you had been there to actually observe the discussion (rather than relying on a tape recording, which we all know cannot capture the mood, subtleties, body language, etc. of direct observation), maybe you would not now be in the unfortunate position of having to backtrack from your use of the emotionally charged word and concept of "reprimand," a totally inaccurate portrayal of what occurred. Your editorial this morning was a beginning to make amends, but we believe you need to further examine and address your conduct if you are to be a credible advocate for good and open government in this community.

2) Judge Ossola of the District Court (visiting Judge from Glenwood Springs) has now decided that your contentions regarding the inadequacies of the Steamboat Springs School Board's executive session announcements are so wrong, he not only ruled against you, but even made you pay the Board's attorneys fees. Judge Ossola was apparently not convinced that you were doing anything other than falsely impugning the integrity of the School Board.

3) In light of the above, we are asking for your formal apology -- make that two apologies. The first one should be addressed to Councilman Herod for your clearly reckless (if not intentional) implication that he was formally disciplined by the Council. The second apology should go to the City Council and the people of Craig for your deliberate and frivolous attempt to undermine confidence in their integrity.

4) We do appreciate that you shared some correspondence with your attorney (regarding the issue of executive session) with the City Manager. From this correspondence, your attorney knows that recent decisions by the Colorado Court of Appeals (which he acknowledges might be reversed by the Colorado Supreme Court) have absolutely nothing to do with executive session announcements, but rather with the validity of those sessions themselves and with the agenda clearly stating that action may be taken with respect to a listed item. So now we know exactly what happened March 13 and why it happened and who was behind it.

The irony of all this is that you are hurting the cause of open government by your irresponsible actions: Rather than uncovering any real violations of our Sunshine Laws, you have tried to raise an implication of wrongdoing that clearly does not exist -- the symbolism of leaving the meeting and not returning sort of says it all, doesn't it? To compound that error by falsely portraying Councilman Herod, who was bending over backward with honesty and candor (and mischaracterizing the actions of the City Council) is truly contemptible.

We believe that a good and open government needs an honest, vigorous and vigilant press and it is in the spirit that we write this letter to you. We hope you will sit down with us at your earliest convenience to explore how we might all better work in the future.

On behalf of all members of the City Council, of the City of Craig, Colorado.

Mayor Don Jones

(Editor's note: This letter is being reprinted due to a word missing from the original. This letter appears edited only for grammar. However, there are factual issues in the letter that must be clarified. The Craig Daily Press has not published any information about the city of Craig not meeting requirements of the Colorado Sunshine Laws or accused the city of Craig City Council of any wrong doing. The Mayor bringing up our questions about executive session is the first time that they have been published.

The Craig Daily Press has no contention or had any such ruling made by Judge Ossola, the case mentioned is between the Steamboat Pilot & Today and the Steamboat Springs School Board. To say so is like saying the Steamboat Springs City Council actions are the same as the Craig City Council's.)