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All right, Commissioner, you ready to go? Yes. All right. All right. If we will, please come to order. Welcome every

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button to the Board of County Commissioner, Special Business Meeting. It is Monday, August 31st,

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2026. The special business meeting is a continuation from our August 28th, 2026, special meeting.

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At this time, if everyone will please stand and join me in the pledge of allegiance.

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I

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pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic for which it stands

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one nation under Gender God, individual with liberty and justice for all.

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All right, turning to the county attorney for certification of the agenda.

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Yes, so the county attorney is also reviewed the item on the agenda.

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And you have a appropriate jurisdiction of its matter.

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All right. Thank you, Councillor Comissioners. Any disclosure,

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Mr. Stridems on the agenda today.

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No, sir.

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I have none, Mr. Chair.

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Thank you.

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All right.

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I have none, either.

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Thank you, gentlemen.

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Let's get into our regular agenda.

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We, too, have a resolution referring a ballot measure to preserve all Douglas County voters

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rights to elect all members of the Douglas County Board of County Commissioners on the ballot

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for voter consideration.

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Jeff Garcia, Douglas County Attorney, presenting for staff.

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Thank you, sir.

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So, I was given the direction to protect voter rights and permit county-wide elections.

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So to do that, the county is allowed to refer ballot measures, specifically ballot measures,

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or in this case ballot measures regarding the composition and number of county commissioners.

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The three to five valid uses the Adams County language, but in doing so, they left off the county white election portion of it.

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Call out our law permits voters.

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The opportunity to decide the composition of the Board of County Commissioners on three bases.

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That's the number of commissioners either three or five.

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If there are five by five district or three by district into it large,

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And then if those district commissioners are elected by district or by countywide.

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So the language on the left is the ballot language on the initiated ballot measure.

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And then the language on the right is the language from the Adams County initiated ballot measure.

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You'll notice that that third option has been left off on the Douglas County.

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So the language proposed is in the event that the size of the Douglas County Board of County commissioners

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is increased from three to five members.

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Shell, all the county registered voters continue to be permitted to vote and elect all members

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of the Douglas County Board of County Commissioners.

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There are benefits to this, other than just throwing on a third option.

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It allows the initiated measure to still decide the number and the number of commissioners

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and the office type, whether it's the five district or three district and two at large.

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It also returns that option and gives the Douglas County voters the full breadth of options that have been afforded by the statute.

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Now, I will say that the language on this is something that we could address.

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I've worked somewhat quickly on this.

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If there is any kind of wordsmithing or things that the board would like to change, I'd be happy to do that,

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but this is the language.

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All right. Thank you, Councillor.

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Questions for the county attorney?

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For me, Mr. Chair, it seems pretty straightforward.

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Thank you, Commissioner.

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Not at this time.

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My question for the County Attorney is, so we can see demonstrated that Adams County had the three legal options for expansion to five commissioners on as part of their ballot measure.

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That was not included by the three to five petitioners.

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My question is which one did Adams County voters choose to pursue?

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I believe that. I believe that. I believe that.

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Adams County voters did select the third option that five commissioners at larger.

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Okay, so they did actually choose the five out large commissioners.

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Got it. All right.

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I think those are my questions for the county attorney.

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Board, any another opportunity to ask any questions of the county attorney?

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perhaps later, Mr. Attorney, one is noodling around my mind, but we can hear from the public first and then I can ask legal questions.

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Okay, cool, cool. In that case, let's go to public comment. I do have people scheduled to speak on public comment.

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First person up, Deling Grondo,

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Delah in Grondo,

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come on up, Delah, Delah, Delah, you are no stranger to members of the board, but please do give us your name, until it's where you're from, ma'am.

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Good morning, thank you all for all the work you all do. When you all just wanted to say, I'm Deling Grondo and I live here in Casa Rock and the

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Board of County Commission did change.

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And they didn't follow everything they caused 13s and died of their eyes, everything is perfect.

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They went to a lawyer and everything is done.

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So it is a done deal.

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Do a can I ask you to please?

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Do a can I ask you to please address the board?

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The big but is why do they wait so long to do this when the other group works so hard?

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to put it on the ballot and on the other ballots through the years, I'm going back through years,

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they never had the cost effect put in, but I will say it is enlightening and I did appreciate that.

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So, that's about it,

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I am four or five commissioners, I will vote for five commissioners and we need five commissioners on the board.

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That's it. Thank you.

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All right. Thank you very much, man. We appreciate your comments.

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Erin Yao,

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if you keep please give us your name. Tell us where you're from.

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Yep, so my name's Erin Yao, from this county, Littleton, specifically in Sterling Ranch.

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So I'm against adding an option for five at large, and the reason being that it would kind of negate

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the reason that I supported adding this measure to the ballot. I was hoping to see better representation

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of smaller communities within Douglas County on the board of commissioners and for those

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folks who are elected to be more accountable to residents.

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So I've been to a few of these meetings before and a recurring theme that I've seen is that

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I've seen that I've seen is that there's despite mass showings of

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Kenyan and one certain direction the commissioners have often voted in the other direction

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and you know thinking about who supports things first who doesn't

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you see people from a specific community all speaking in one direction

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whereas people outside of that community community is speaking in the other direction

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so I would just really hope with having the sound of the ballot that we would get

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better representation by districts

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And yeah, that's what I wanted to say.

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So I'm going to add an option and that's because it would

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just credit why I signed the ballot initiative

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to begin with.

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Thanks.

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Okay, thank you, ma'am.

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Appreciate your comments.

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Next up, I have Bill Jack.

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And Bill, please give us your name again.

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And until three from.

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Good morning, commissioners.

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My name is Bill Jack.

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I'm a resident of Castle Rock.

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I want to thank the commissioners for providing clear and understandable language on the ballot.

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Vultures deserve to know exactly what they're being asked to decide.

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And clear ballot language supports and informed and transparent election process.

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I'm here to express my opposition to adding commissioners to the board.

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Concerns about how government operates are never solved by simply adding more government.

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In considering support or opposition to this initiative,

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voters should ask themselves three questions.

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One, what jurisdictional issue facing Douglas County residents

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has this board fail to address.

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And two, how will this jurisdictional issue be solved

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simply by adding two more commissioners?

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And then finally, if adding commissioner solves problems

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and why stop it, too?

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Let's expand it to seven, nine.

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This initiative mirrors the attempt to stack the U.S. Supreme Court simply because those in...

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Opposition do not like the court's decisions. It is disingenuous and deceptive on the part of those

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who have put forward this initiative in the name of accountability and transparency, now to

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oppose the board's transparent language entitled, which will certainly give voters necessary

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information so we can make and inform decision. It should make voters suspicious of the

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with clear, accurate, and impartial ballot language.

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And I thank you for that.

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All right, thank you, sir.

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We appreciate your comments.

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Mark Custer,

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Mark gives you a name again,

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and tells where your from, sir.

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Yes, I'm Mark Custer from Highlands Ranch.

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Law, lifelong conservative, registered Republican

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in 2026, Delicate to Douglas County, and State Assembly.

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I'm here to save yourself.

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It's here to save you from yourselves.

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Don't add the five at large option.

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It will just confuse things and anger the electorate against you.

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You must remember, the largest voting block is unafiliated.

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They are 53% of the registered voters in Douglas County.

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The unafiliated in the last primary broke two to one

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with the evil Democratic Party in the primary.

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So, if every but one votes along party lines, the five at large loses by 52% to 48.

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16% of the evil Democrats and 36% of the unaffiliated going with them and then and other

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versus the 30% Republicans and 18% of the unaffiliated and other.

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The question to five commissioners, most likely passed by a minimum of 52 percent, again,

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16 percent of the evil Democrats and 36 percent unaffiliated.

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Your best outcome is the three districts and two at large.

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I think it can win because of the fiscal conservative of the unaffiliates will vote for it.

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It will be closed and if they vote like the primary five districts, five by district will probably win 52 to 48.

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Next point is since you need to create a county gray book because you'll have at least two ballot measures.

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The three to five question in the school board tax level.

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It's summary, do not put the five at large.

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It will anger the unaffiliated.

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The evil Democrats are organized.

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And I'm sorry that it's unfortunate that the DCGOP is in disarray.

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Sir, if you could please wrap up your question.

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I'm trying to turn Doug O. Blue with your shenanigans.

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and read Michael Brown's sub-stack article and listen to KMC.

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Sir, if I could please ask you that.

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I would like to wrap up your comments.

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Thank you so much.

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I appreciate your comments, sir.

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Sue Pro.

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Hey, y'all, right.

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Me, I'm come on up and correct my pronunciation.

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Good morning.

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My name is Sue Pancioco, I live in Parker, and I am in April, Democrat.

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I'm here to speak directly to the Board's actions regarding the three to five commission

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initiative.

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Specifically, this proposal on the agenda to introduce an all-it-large option, more than

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20,000 residents sign the original petition in good faith based on clear language aimed

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providing better localized district representation for a county of nearly 400,000 people.

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I myself are one of those people that sign that.

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Introducing this last minute alternative to elect five commissioners entirely at large,

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completely muddies the water.

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It directly dilutes the localized representation that the community explicitly petitioned for.

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For this board to use it's power to alter the framework and introduce competing measures

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That directly protects their own seats is a blatant conflict of interest

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It's exactly like a child on a playground who brings the ball and then continuously changes the rules

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Just so they would just to ensure that they win

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I urge this board to respect the true intent of the 20,000 residents who sign this petition

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Stop altering the battle

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Let's start using public safety as a political shield and let the voters decide on the clean measure that they actually signed up for. Thank you.

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All right. Thank you, ma

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'am. Appreciate your comments.

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Paul Ackerman, please.

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Sir, if you could please give us your name and tell us where you're from.

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Good morning, commissioners. On Paul Ackerman, I live in Parker and I'm here to speak against the addition of this new ballot measure.

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I feel the title of it is deliberately

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obfuscating the true intent that says nothing to do with voters' rights.

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You may have the legal authority to add an additional measure,

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but to frame it as voter rights, clearly obfuscates the intent

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that the original three to five ballot measures, as was mentioned,

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signed by over 20,000, more than 5% of the residents of the county.

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In addition, the addition of the additional language that was proposed at the last meeting

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speaks to that same desire to cloud the issue and confuse voters rather than presenting

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the straightforward intention that's obvious in the original ballot measure.

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Thank you.

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All right.

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Thank you, sir.

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Folks, please hold applause.

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This isn't a Trump rally.

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Let's go ahead and conduct ourselves.

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See, they thought it was funny, Kevin.

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I thought it was funny too, but thank you all.

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But let's hold off.

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I appreciate you, thought my joke was funny.

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That's great.

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But let's hold off on applause.

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And let's say, I will say, at the stage of the game.

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Let's everybody show some respect to your neighbors

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who may be here and who may be listening.

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Moving along, Julie Ort, please.

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And Julie, you are no stranger to the board, but please come on forward.

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Give us your name.

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Tell us where you're from, ma'am.

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Thank you.

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My name is Julie Ort, and I'm live in Highlands Ranch.

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I highly value serving as an election judge.

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Every year I'm partnered with someone who I think will have absolutely nothing in common with ideologically.

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Only to find that we share one of the most important values.

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and unwavering commitment to ensuring free and fair elections that honor and respect every single of voters intent.

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This resolution is a blatant attempt to so confusion and disarray into an election.

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By attorney Garcia's own legal citations last week, the ballot title shall not conflict with those titles selected for any other measure in the same election.

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And yet now you interject this Hail Mary on 3rd option.

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Did you have 20,000 registered voters ask you to do it?

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Did you even have 20?

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The 3 to 5 petition effort was in the news for months, and yet this urgent revelation

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came to all three of you one week before the ballot deadline.

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Douglas County voters aren't stupid.

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We may be ideologically diverse and outspoken.

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Our debates may be often be heated.

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But we are united and unified when it comes to an intolerance for corrupt manipulation or any attempt to suppress our votes or voting power.

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And right now some of your loudest most fervent critiques on radio and imprint are coming from thoughtful conservative voices.

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Because 3-5 never was some, quote, Denver Liberal Activist Moonshot, it has always been a thoughtful, nonpartisan plea for greater transparency, accountability, insight and governance.

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voters are smart enough to see your unnecessary and unmandated meddling for the desperate

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power grab that it is and ultimately it will backfire. Please show some respect and

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restraint and discard this needless resolution.

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All right, thank you, ma'am. Appreciate your comments.

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Laura Thomas.

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Ma'am, you're no stranger

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to the board, but if you can please give us your name, tell us where you're from.

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Good morning, commissioners. My name is Laura Thomas. I live in Highlands Ranch. I just have a simple question. I'd appreciate it if this board could provide the statute number that requires the commissioners to add.

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Fiscal impact to this ballot question. Thank you for your time.

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Thank you, ma'am. Appreciate your comments. We'll try to answer that question after public comment.

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Thank you, Commissioner. Good point. Kim, turn, Aegee, turn it.

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You, ma'am, I invite you to please correct the

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pronunciation of your name and tell us where you're from.

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Yes, I corrected that pronunciation on Friday when I was here for two and a half hours.

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Thank you.

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Call about a lot of establishes that counties may expand to five commissioners.

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It is not allow a larger number than five as one commenter suggested.

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That same statute allows a petition to move the commission to five members to include two of the three

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possible options that Mr. Garcia noted at the beginning of his presentation.

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two options have been included in the citizen-led initiative that was signed by over 20,000

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Douglas County residents.

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The ballot language presented today for the Commissioner of ballot question is misleading.

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Your own outward facing communications all include the phrase entirely at large.

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That is an email on your website and in your social posts and in some of those communications

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that phrase entirely at large is included more than one time.

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That wording, however, is not included in your proposed ballot language.

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I was here for two and a half hours on Friday as this board doubled the number of words

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in the Citizen Let initiative.

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I hope we will see you apply equal diligence as you consider whether the ballot language

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you propose communicates clearly and accurately and transparently as you so deliberated on

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Friday.

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If you must include an option to the citizen-led petition, and I would request that you

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not, as many other commenters have, that you instead discard this motion today.

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But if you must, I would ask that you add the clear language you used in all your outward-facing

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communication, because this is, in fact, an initiative to elect the board entirely at large.

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Thank you.

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Thank you, ma'am.

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Appreciate your comments.

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Rachel Lesser, please.

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Ma'am, please give us your name and tell us where you're from.

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Good morning.

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I'm Rachel Lesser and I'm from Sterling Ranch.

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I'm here today because I have deep concerns about the commissioner-led,

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created ballot initiative that will be voted on today.

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The initiative, as written, is misleading.

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It does not clearly state that this is a third option,

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competing with the Citizen Lead Initiative.

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It does not state that this option would create five at large commissioners using those words specifically.

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Instead, it implies voters are simply being asked whether they want to keep the right to vote for all commissioners.

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Today's vote is, again, a conflict of interest.

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You are piggybacking onto a citizen-led valid initiative without their partnership on an issue that directly determines your own offices.

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This is not neutral rule-making.

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It's self-interested manipulation of the process.

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And finally, you have not explained how competing outcomes will be reconciled because your valid initiative has confusing wording.

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It is likely that in their confusion, voters will select a district-based-based option as offered in the citizen-led initiative, as well as your initiative.

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If this happens, the numbers will not match and there will be no clear winner for any option.

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Please tell us publicly and before the vote, how that would be resolved after the election once all votes are in.

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For these reasons, the commissioner led initiative creates confusion and functions as a clear effort to undermine a nonpartisan citizen led initiative.

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I urge you to not place this on the ballot and to recuse yourselves from any further decisions on this issue since it directly affects your own offices.

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Thank you very much.

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Thank you, ma'am. We appreciate your comments.

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00:24:31,970 --> 00:24:33,250
Mary Wilson, please.

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Mary, you're not a stranger to the board.

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Please give this your name.

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Tell us where you're from.

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Mary Wilson, Castorot, Colorado.

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I also want to just kind of mention,

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I do tend to go to Larksperr and Frank Town

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in those areas as well,

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that we don't seem to have a lot of representative here,

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which before I start my discussion,

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I just want to remind people,

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we are not Adams County.

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we're...

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Our Douglas County.

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So what the initiative that you're suggesting does does in fact rob those smaller towns of their voice to pick their own representative. District 2 should be allowed to vote for their representative, not district 3, not district 1, district 2 should be allowed to vote for their representative.

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Franktown should be allowed to vote for their representative and not have Highlands Ranch put their

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thumb on the scales. What you're suggesting here is to rob them of their voter rights.

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Thank you. All right. Thank you, ma'am. Appreciate your comments, Mary.

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Chest and Harris, please.

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May I please be give us your name, correct my pronunciation and tell us where you're from?

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I live in Castle Pines, I lived in Douglass County for 23 years.

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Setting aside any possible legal issues of your addition to the measure, there are obvious

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ethical and more considerations with hampering with this measure.

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What stopped you and stops you from collaborating with citizens on these things?

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This addition confuses the original ballot measure.

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What are you afraid of by not collaborating with the citizens?

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And furthermore, what are you afraid of by not refusing yourself from something that directly affects your office and your employment?

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If you're going to persist in the shenanigans,

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Please remove the conflational language about the preserving of voters' rights.

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That was never in a question.

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Thank you.

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All right.

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Thank you, ma'am.

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Appreciate your comments.

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00:26:57,700 --> 00:26:59,020
Angela Thomas, please.

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Angela, please, do you give us your name?

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Tell us where you're from.

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Angela Thomas.

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I live here in Casarac.

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And I was the author of the original petition.

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I want to address the claim we continue to hear regarding the options that must

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you're on the ballot. Colorado law allows two of the three statutory options to be placed

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before voters. It does not require all three. While we did use the Adams County language,

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we chose not to include the third measure or third option. The reason we did that was because it was

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a citizen led initiative, not a commissioner ballot measure.

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The Adams County Commissioners placed that measure on the ballot in 2011 was referred by

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them, not the citizens.

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The citizens have a voice here.

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This originated with the people of Douglas County, not Adams County, we simply use their

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template.

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More than 23,000 citizens signed petitions asking for a specific question to be placed before the voters.

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More than 20,000 of those signatures were verified.

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Those voters were not petitioning for the Adam's County model.

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They were petitioning for our measure using the options permitted under Colorado law.

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30, 10, 30, 6, 5.

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This statute gives voters a choice.

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The existence of a third legally permissible option does not mean it must be inserted into a citizen-led petition, simply because another county chose to include it.

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And this is where the issue becomes larger than three commissioners versus five.

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This is about whether citizens can use the initiative process provided to them by Colorado Law and have the question they petitioned for fairly presented to voters.

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The Board should not substitute its policy preferences for the choice made by petitioners.

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We follow the law.

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We gather the signatures.

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We qualify for the ballot.

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Now let Douglas County voters decide the question we put before them.

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This is what the initiative processes for.

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Thank you, gentlemen.

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Thank you, ma'am.

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Let's hold applause, folks.

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Thank you, Angela.

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Appreciate your comments.

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Kim Carroll, please.

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I don't know.

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I don't know.

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I don't know.

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I don't know.

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Man, please give us your name, tell us where you're from.

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Hi, my name is Kim Carroll, and I have lived in Parker for 20 years now.

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Every time I sat down to write my comments, my brain was all over, so I'm winging it at this point.

380
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First of all, I agree with everyone.

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This does not need to go on the ballot. It is confusing, and this weekend I did...

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It's something I never do for my mental health. I went on next door, and it is a cesspool. But all this

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did, it confused everyone. There were 50 some odd comments, and some of them were like, wait a

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minute, the measure is going to take away my right to vote. I'm a register voter, then that, no,

385
00:30:21,760 --> 00:30:28,760
it doesn't do that. It does this. No, I know what new what this was doing. The other one, I don't

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the language but we'll campaign against it. That's a campaign issue at this point because you're not

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changing it. This you can change. Just because you can put something on the ballot doesn't mean you have to and it

388
00:30:43,000 --> 00:30:52,160
doesn't mean you should. Once again, 20,000 people signed that petition. Many of us in this audience stood

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outside in the blistering heat and casserole, in Parker, in Franktown, in Highlands Ranch, in

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Sterling Ranch, we had cops called on us. We had people's scream at us. I had many people

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call me a woke Democrat. Yeah, I'm woke. But we talked to people. If we got 23,000 signatures,

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you can bet we probably talked to 30,000 people. Some signed something and they understood that

393
00:31:23,580 --> 00:31:31,720
they had the option to vote? No, if they wanted to. But they understood the two valid options.

394
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So I would urge you, leave this off the ballot. It doesn't make any sense and you're putting your

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on the scales. Thank you.

396
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All right. Thank you, ma'am. We appreciate your comments.

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Jacob's in please.

398
00:32:08,140 --> 00:32:10,180
Sir, please give us your name. Tell us where you're from.

399
00:32:10,660 --> 00:32:13,680
Jacob's in Casa Rock, Colorado. Good morning, gentlemen.

400
00:32:14,940 --> 00:32:15,900
I'm going to be brief.

401
00:32:16,720 --> 00:32:17,800
I oppose this.

402
00:32:18,360 --> 00:32:22,120
And as a modest student of the founding fathers and tensions,

403
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I think five is better than three.

404
00:32:24,260 --> 00:32:29,660
One other reason, and I will continue to be brief, is you're accounting on what this will

405
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cost.

406
00:32:30,080 --> 00:32:31,160
Thank you.

407
00:32:31,480 --> 00:32:31,700
All right.

408
00:32:31,780 --> 00:32:32,360
Thank you, sir.

409
00:32:32,640 --> 00:32:33,760
Appreciate your comments.

410
00:32:36,980 --> 00:32:38,740
Bob Marshall, please.

411
00:32:38,740 --> 00:32:41,180
And representative, please do give us your name.

412
00:32:41,260 --> 00:32:42,240
Tell us where you're from.

413
00:32:43,120 --> 00:32:47,540
Bob Marshall, Highland Ranch, have to throw out comments again because of the stuff going on.

414
00:32:47,740 --> 00:32:52,940
This measure is very deceptive because of Adam's County never gave the option for five by

415
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district.

416
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Those are two at large options.

417
00:32:55,120 --> 00:33:20,440
And the reason I was able to get it through the House this time by a wide margin and over to the Senate to change it was because the Adams County reps became outraged when they found out the Adams County commissioners were being deceptive with them and said we gave that option they did not that five by this people went to the closest one five by district you have someone on the board of the commissioners calling people saying they're extreme left socialist trying to put this through.

418
00:33:20,440 --> 00:33:24,800
Boulder County is putting the exact same measure on it for four years. I've been fighting this

419
00:33:24,800 --> 00:33:29,940
and people are hearing and getting traction. Am I an extreme left socialist?

420
00:33:31,200 --> 00:33:35,760
The Republican parties own Liberty Scorecard ranks me as the most conservative

421
00:33:35,760 --> 00:33:41,600
Democrat in the capital and the most independent legislator. I have awards from many organizations.

422
00:33:41,840 --> 00:33:47,240
The forward party and legal women voters for good governance. This is good governance work

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00:33:47,240 --> 00:33:52,580
and you're spitting in the face of the 70% of the petitioners who signed it, who are unafiliated

424
00:33:52,580 --> 00:33:58,360
and Republicans, at large voting has a notorious history. It's always used to keep down political

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minorities for those in power. Half the states elected their congressional delegations at

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00:34:02,940 --> 00:34:08,520
large when the United States first started. So jacked up in 1842 Congress came down and outlawed

427
00:34:08,520 --> 00:34:13,120
it. That's why we have the districts we have today. After the Civil War it became notorious

428
00:34:13,120 --> 00:34:19,600
to use it to keep them racial political minorities. So throughout the South, all the city councils,

429
00:34:19,800 --> 00:34:23,700
all the board county commissioners, all the school boards would be elected at large to prevent

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any representation from any minority group. And people understand this. El Paso County went to

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00:34:29,340 --> 00:34:33,320
five commissioners. They were three at large and they actually had one Democrat, but they went to

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00:34:33,320 --> 00:34:38,600
five by district and the Democratic district came. So you're going to be sitting here saying,

433
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At large now, at large tomorrow and at large forever.

434
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That is your legacy.

435
00:34:44,260 --> 00:34:45,360
Thank you.

436
00:34:45,780 --> 00:34:46,860
All right, thank you, Representative.

437
00:34:47,500 --> 00:34:48,600
We appreciate your comments.

438
00:34:49,080 --> 00:34:50,620
Let's hold the applause, folks.

439
00:34:52,140 --> 00:34:53,200
Gay and Smith, please.

440
00:34:53,640 --> 00:34:54,340
It's really good.

441
00:34:54,480 --> 00:34:55,540
I'm putting money.

442
00:34:55,720 --> 00:34:56,780
I'm putting the money.

443
00:34:56,880 --> 00:34:58,060
It's a pleasure of legislatures.

444
00:34:58,180 --> 00:34:58,700
Or not.

445
00:35:03,640 --> 00:35:06,480
Mr. Smith, please give us your name. Tell us where you're from.

446
00:35:06,920 --> 00:35:13,140
Name is Dan Smith, I'm from Highlands Ranch, and to use the language of a former speaker here.

447
00:35:13,520 --> 00:35:20,000
I would like to consider myself a virtuous and fiscally conservative Democrat, rather than an evil Democrat.

448
00:35:21,360 --> 00:35:26,520
I'm going to speak on a different topic than what a lot of other people have been saying here.

449
00:35:26,520 --> 00:35:37,260
that topic comes back to likely costs to the county. Colorado statutes that discuss changing

450
00:35:37,260 --> 00:35:46,260
the title of a document, Colorado regulatory statutes 31-11-1111, says that commissioners may

451
00:35:46,260 --> 00:35:54,700
change the title, but they put a limit on that. They say that it must correctly and fairly express

452
00:35:54,700 --> 00:35:58,540
the true intent and meaning of the original petition.

453
00:36:00,260 --> 00:36:04,600
Mr. Smith, you're, you're, you're straying from the topic at hand, kind of getting into

454
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the topics we had on Friday.

455
00:36:05,960 --> 00:36:07,240
Can I ask you to return to the topic?

456
00:36:07,540 --> 00:36:07,960
Yes.

457
00:36:08,440 --> 00:36:13,840
This topic, the addition of option three, not only is not sanctioned by law and no one in the

458
00:36:13,840 --> 00:36:14,120
language.

459
00:36:14,140 --> 00:36:19,760
Does it say that county commissioners can materially deviate from what was signed to

460
00:36:19,760 --> 00:36:24,680
exposes the county to lawsuits, lawsuits that we are likely to lose because they're

461
00:36:24,680 --> 00:36:52,480
is no precedent in state law that gives commissioners this kind of latitude to dramatically alter the intent and meaning of what more than 20,000 petitioners proposed for the sake of Douglas County taxpayers, as well as for the sake of the 20,000 voters who signed the petition without option three, I encourage you, please do not include option three on this.

462
00:36:52,480 --> 00:36:56,000
Thank you. Thank you, sir. We appreciate your comments.

463
00:36:57,320 --> 00:37:03,560
Stacey Rogers. Stacey, you're no stranger to certain members of the board, but please do give us

464
00:37:03,560 --> 00:37:08,180
your name. Tell us where you're from. My name is Stacey Rogers. I live in Castle Rock. I'm no stranger

465
00:37:08,180 --> 00:37:13,620
to members of the board. Specifically George, member of the board, Abe.

466
00:37:15,880 --> 00:37:17,540
Please be sure to, please be

467
00:37:17,540 --> 00:37:19,260
to address the board, please.

468
00:37:19,740 --> 00:37:20,160
I was.

469
00:37:20,580 --> 00:37:20,980
George?

470
00:37:22,440 --> 00:37:23,540
Why, Abe is not here.

471
00:37:23,760 --> 00:37:25,300
So I don't, I didn't can't address him.

472
00:37:26,060 --> 00:37:32,060
But to remind you, I initiated the elected mayor

473
00:37:32,060 --> 00:37:36,180
petition and brought you, George, member of the county

474
00:37:36,180 --> 00:37:40,860
board, Mary, on board, Randy Reed, former mayor,

475
00:37:41,200 --> 00:37:42,220
and Wayne Harlus.

476
00:37:43,980 --> 00:37:57,300
We wanted proper, we wanted different representation regarding our mayor, instead of the board, the commissioner, should I can't remember it's been so long since I'd been able to count meeting.

477
00:37:58,040 --> 00:38:05,760
I lose my mind if I keep doing that representation, six districts, and an elected mayor at large.

478
00:38:05,760 --> 00:38:13,000
not everybody, not all the districts, or all the membership of what it is a seven at large.

479
00:38:13,580 --> 00:38:20,740
But that's what you're doing here. When we did the elected mayor effort, we did it to keep

480
00:38:20,740 --> 00:38:27,380
the representation in the different districts and that the voters choose the mayor.

481
00:38:30,980 --> 00:38:32,120
Do you remember?

482
00:38:32,920 --> 00:38:37,700
Okay. I just wanted to make sure you remember. Thank you.

483
00:38:37,700 --> 00:38:40,280
Thank you, ma'am, appreciate your comments.

484
00:38:42,220 --> 00:38:43,680
George Jackson, please.

485
00:38:49,620 --> 00:38:50,420
Good morning, commissioners.

486
00:38:50,540 --> 00:38:51,740
My name is George Jackson.

487
00:38:52,000 --> 00:38:53,240
I live here in Castle Rock.

488
00:38:54,100 --> 00:38:59,380
I just simply want to repeat what we've already heard here from a number of people.

489
00:38:59,820 --> 00:39:02,320
This option three does not belong on the ballot.

490
00:39:02,400 --> 00:39:03,880
It should be taken down.

491
00:39:04,060 --> 00:39:11,740
It is going to do nothing but cause more confusion and it's running contrary to what the voters have asked for.

492
00:39:11,740 --> 00:39:15,660
So I would just ask that you just remove it, keep it simple.

493
00:39:16,080 --> 00:39:16,860
Thank you.

494
00:39:16,920 --> 00:39:17,640
All right, thank you, sir.

495
00:39:17,780 --> 00:39:18,660
Appreciate your comments.

496
00:39:19,720 --> 00:39:24,760
That concludes those who I have signed up for public comments.

497
00:39:25,300 --> 00:39:28,220
Is there anyone else who would like to give public comment at this time?

498
00:39:28,480 --> 00:39:29,660
Ma'am, a front here, please.

499
00:39:30,960 --> 00:39:31,680
Please come forward.

500
00:39:31,780 --> 00:39:32,340
Give us your name.

501
00:39:32,460 --> 00:39:33,300
Tell us where you're from.

502
00:39:34,960 --> 00:39:35,540
Good morning.

503
00:39:35,580 --> 00:39:38,800
My name is Carol and upden, and I am from Castle Rock.

504
00:39:40,320 --> 00:39:43,760
In reading the proposed language,

505
00:39:44,800 --> 00:39:49,220
Shell, all Douglas County resident registered voters

506
00:39:49,220 --> 00:39:52,020
continue to be permitted to vote,

507
00:39:52,420 --> 00:39:57,740
and elect all members of the DCBOC that appears

508
00:39:57,740 --> 00:39:59,960
designed to mislead.

509
00:40:00,000 --> 00:40:09,620
We need voters into believing that they must vote yes to preserve their right to participate in free and fair elections.

510
00:40:10,940 --> 00:40:21,200
It frames the voting question as the voter rights are at risk. It discourages voters from considering alternate forms of representation.

511
00:40:22,380 --> 00:40:24,980
It's not clear and neutral wording.

512
00:40:26,160 --> 00:40:30,180
That's the opposite of the clarity that we voters deserve.

513
00:40:31,520 --> 00:40:34,620
Free and fair elections depend on honest,

514
00:40:35,000 --> 00:40:36,960
understandable ballot language,

515
00:40:37,940 --> 00:40:41,260
not wording that creates fear or confusion.

516
00:40:43,200 --> 00:40:46,840
I moved here four years ago from Michigan.

517
00:40:47,900 --> 00:40:49,060
From large county,

518
00:40:49,060 --> 00:40:58,900
We had 19 commissioners. Each represented approximately 63,000 people and they were elected by district.

519
00:40:59,920 --> 00:41:09,440
That structure gave each commissioner a clear responsibility to represent the voters and their district and those interests of the people.

520
00:41:11,740 --> 00:41:20,360
Douglas County is long overdue for a representative structure that better reflects its population and gives residents more

521
00:41:20,360 --> 00:41:23,560
direct accountability from their elected officials.

522
00:41:25,060 --> 00:41:31,620
The parents is that you, the current board, are opposed to expanding the board from 3-5

523
00:41:31,620 --> 00:41:33,240
elected by district.

524
00:41:34,140 --> 00:41:42,190
The question voters should ask is why voters should consider where, whether this is a problem,

525
00:41:42,790 --> 00:41:48,710
or exactly the kind of accountability representative government is supposed to provide?

526
00:41:48,710 --> 00:41:48,790
Okay.

527
00:41:49,370 --> 00:41:52,630
Madam, if you could please wrap up your comments, well thank you very much.

528
00:41:53,270 --> 00:41:55,530
We appreciate your comments, ma'am.

529
00:41:55,870 --> 00:41:59,390
I think I had other folks who would like to give a public comment.

530
00:42:00,390 --> 00:42:01,570
Ma'am, please come forward.

531
00:42:01,690 --> 00:42:02,350
Give us your name.

532
00:42:02,450 --> 00:42:03,270
Tell us where you're from.

533
00:42:03,550 --> 00:42:04,710
I see you in the back.

534
00:42:05,950 --> 00:42:06,130
Okay.

535
00:42:06,130 --> 00:42:06,430
Hi.

536
00:42:06,550 --> 00:42:07,490
I'm Bridget McKiewin.

537
00:42:08,070 --> 00:42:09,590
I reside in the Highlands Ranch.

538
00:42:10,370 --> 00:42:11,110
I'll set it up.

539
00:42:11,130 --> 00:42:12,710
Why wait to be great?

540
00:42:12,910 --> 00:42:13,810
Am I right, Abe?

541
00:42:14,670 --> 00:42:22,330
Hey, I just want to make sure that we don't reinvent the wheel and we just steal from

542
00:42:22,330 --> 00:42:23,190
Adam's County.

543
00:42:23,930 --> 00:42:29,850
I mean, come on, we pay millions of dollars for attorneys that we hire out.

544
00:42:30,530 --> 00:42:37,530
We pay hundreds of thousands of dollars for you people that we have elected.

545
00:42:38,270 --> 00:42:43,650
And I'd really like to see you guys do the right thing and quite high in under

546
00:42:43,650 --> 00:42:44,970
other people's skirts.

547
00:42:45,830 --> 00:42:46,510
All right.

548
00:42:46,610 --> 00:42:47,410
Thank you, man.

549
00:42:47,510 --> 00:42:48,710
Appreciate your comments.

550
00:42:49,350 --> 00:42:51,570
I had a hand raised in the back.

551
00:42:51,890 --> 00:42:52,670
Come on forward.

552
00:42:56,560 --> 00:42:58,920
Amy, you're no stranger to the board, but please come forward.

553
00:42:59,060 --> 00:42:59,640
Give us your hand.

554
00:42:59,640 --> 00:43:00,440
Tell us where you're from.

555
00:43:01,740 --> 00:43:02,160
Good morning.

556
00:43:02,240 --> 00:43:04,660
My name is Amy Wenji and I'm from Castle Rock.

557
00:43:04,920 --> 00:43:06,700
I want to thank everybody.

558
00:43:07,060 --> 00:43:08,960
I want to thank the people in attendance.

559
00:43:08,960 --> 00:43:11,260
I want to thank the commissioners.

560
00:43:11,820 --> 00:43:19,260
This is an amazing measure that's being presented in front of our community and it is the

561
00:43:19,260 --> 00:43:22,620
first time I believe we've been doing this in 30 years.

562
00:43:23,520 --> 00:43:29,860
One of my main issues is if we go to the measure where it says three districts to outlard,

563
00:43:30,640 --> 00:43:36,540
this then has the probability of reducing each residence vote to 60%.

564
00:43:36,540 --> 00:43:39,360
Right now, we vote for commissioners at large,

565
00:43:39,440 --> 00:43:40,840
each person in this district.

566
00:43:42,300 --> 00:43:44,780
If it's going to be down to each district,

567
00:43:44,880 --> 00:43:47,740
then that vote gets reduced to 20%.

568
00:43:50,880 --> 00:43:53,660
I find that really concerning because as a county,

569
00:43:54,180 --> 00:43:58,020
we pool money and collectively from all of the county.

570
00:43:58,520 --> 00:44:00,220
It isn't from just one district.

571
00:44:00,840 --> 00:44:04,620
So I think it's very important that we have true representation.

572
00:44:04,620 --> 00:44:15,880
If we have people represented on the commissioner board that are from District 1, 2, or 3, as a currently is, each one is responsible for the county as a whole.

573
00:44:16,380 --> 00:44:23,240
If it's going to go down to districts, where's the accountability as a whole? I'm not sure. I don't see it.

574
00:44:24,280 --> 00:44:29,420
The other thing is, I've heard a lot of things about the wording and how we can't change things.

575
00:44:29,420 --> 00:44:37,100
have you guys ever seen what the Colorado State title board does? I mean time after time,

576
00:44:38,060 --> 00:44:43,660
ballot measures gets stuck on court and some of them don't even make the ballot. I think

577
00:44:43,660 --> 00:44:48,540
regardless of what some people think about the commissioners, they have been doing an amazing

578
00:44:49,540 --> 00:44:57,640
job at trying to be as transparent possible with this ballot measure. So thank you very much.

579
00:44:58,920 --> 00:44:59,860
All right, thank you, man.

580
00:45:02,580 --> 00:45:05,140
Does anyone else who would like to give public comment?

581
00:45:05,620 --> 00:45:06,520
Ma'am, come on forward.

582
00:45:09,220 --> 00:45:14,460
Look at that Stacy. I call on Casey Neal to come forward and give public

583
00:45:14,460 --> 00:45:19,620
public comment. Casey, you're no stranger to the board, but if you could, please give us your name.

584
00:45:19,760 --> 00:45:23,680
Tell us where you're from. My name is Casey Neal. I live in unincorporated Douglas County.

585
00:45:24,580 --> 00:45:30,340
Gosh, I don't even know how to respond to that, George. I really hadn't planned on speaking.

586
00:45:30,340 --> 00:45:32,020
And I was just kind of come here and listen today.

587
00:45:32,280 --> 00:45:35,940
But I do, and maybe I'm just lost in tall weeds here.

588
00:45:36,760 --> 00:45:38,340
But I'm super confused.

589
00:45:39,080 --> 00:45:40,060
So what happens?

590
00:45:40,600 --> 00:45:42,280
And obviously you're not going to answer me here.

591
00:45:42,400 --> 00:45:46,200
But I would like to hear that answer before this goes

592
00:45:46,200 --> 00:45:48,920
any farther in discussion with you guys.

593
00:45:49,300 --> 00:45:52,780
So what happens when, if, when, not if,

594
00:45:52,800 --> 00:45:59,240
when this ballot initiative that has been that's going to be

595
00:45:59,240 --> 00:46:04,060
the ballot that over 20,000 people agreed, you know, voted on and it's going to be on the ballot.

596
00:46:04,540 --> 00:46:14,500
What happens with that if when that passes and what happens when or if this little piece of

597
00:46:14,500 --> 00:46:23,380
legislation passes as well? I mean, clearly, there's a dichotomy here. So what happens at the end of the day?

598
00:46:23,380 --> 00:46:27,540
I mean, confusion aside on a voter's perspective, you know,

599
00:46:28,040 --> 00:46:30,640
how do you, as county people deal with that?

600
00:46:31,220 --> 00:46:34,400
And I, I just don't think that this has been well thought out.

601
00:46:34,640 --> 00:46:36,320
It's not been well thought through.

602
00:46:36,800 --> 00:46:41,760
And with all due respect to the attorneys and the people who came up with this

603
00:46:44,420 --> 00:46:58,520
I think that it's really a disservice to the people who have voted for you, and as well as the people who did vote for you, but all of the residents in Douglas County.

604
00:46:59,160 --> 00:47:01,820
And I want to go, I have 21 seconds left.

605
00:47:02,080 --> 00:47:07,220
I do want to address Amy's concept of everybody getting voted in and stuff.

606
00:47:07,220 --> 00:47:10,480
and I'm wondering how she feels or you all feel

607
00:47:10,480 --> 00:47:14,460
about having districts in the state house

608
00:47:14,460 --> 00:47:16,600
and districts in the U.S. House of Representatives.

609
00:47:17,500 --> 00:47:19,280
And I mean, do we just get rid of all of that?

610
00:47:19,940 --> 00:47:21,500
Because, well, you know, it's a little bit more transparent.

611
00:47:22,360 --> 00:47:22,900
It's not.

612
00:47:23,580 --> 00:47:26,260
Please reconsider this and please explain to me

613
00:47:26,260 --> 00:47:29,660
what happens when chaos reigns on November 4th.

614
00:47:30,680 --> 00:47:31,900
All right, thank you, ma'am.

615
00:47:31,960 --> 00:47:32,980
Appreciate your comments.

616
00:47:34,060 --> 00:47:36,840
I have one hand over here, gentlemen in the back

617
00:47:36,840 --> 00:47:39,100
in the red, check shirt.

618
00:47:39,780 --> 00:47:40,600
Please come forward, sir.

619
00:47:40,700 --> 00:47:41,320
Give us your name.

620
00:47:41,540 --> 00:47:42,620
Tell us where you're from.

621
00:47:46,800 --> 00:47:50,740
Hi, I'm the best bargea living in Hylens Ranch.

622
00:47:50,920 --> 00:47:54,220
If you look above, there is government for the people

623
00:47:54,220 --> 00:47:56,780
by the people and for the people.

624
00:47:58,660 --> 00:48:01,020
This is not for the people.

625
00:48:01,980 --> 00:48:03,280
Please reconsider this.

626
00:48:03,540 --> 00:48:04,260
Thank you.

627
00:48:04,680 --> 00:48:05,560
All right, thank you, sir.

628
00:48:05,600 --> 00:48:06,560
Appreciate your comments.

629
00:48:06,560 --> 00:48:11,240
I had, ma'am, over here in the horizontal stripe.

630
00:48:12,520 --> 00:48:13,040
Please come forward.

631
00:48:13,220 --> 00:48:13,780
Give us your hand.

632
00:48:13,880 --> 00:48:14,740
Tell us where you're from.

633
00:48:22,980 --> 00:48:23,420
Good morning.

634
00:48:23,620 --> 00:48:25,080
My name is Margaret Bradley Green.

635
00:48:25,100 --> 00:48:26,400
I live in Sterling Ranch.

636
00:48:26,540 --> 00:48:28,020
I'm honored to be here today.

637
00:48:28,500 --> 00:48:32,060
I would respectfully request that the commissioner is

638
00:48:32,060 --> 00:48:36,460
Look at me while I speak and let me know that you're paying attention

639
00:48:36,460 --> 00:48:41,040
and that this issue matters to you and that you're not doing something else.

640
00:48:47,960 --> 00:48:56,540
I'm wondering when the commission will be answering the questions that have been raised today regarding the motivation for the referred ballot measure.

641
00:48:56,700 --> 00:49:10,240
We heard some of that from the attorney and all of the other questions that have been raised. Are you bound to answer those? Are you legally bound to answer them when will you the commissioners be responding to issues raised here?

642
00:49:10,240 --> 00:49:25,000
And the question I have is how do you feel about going against the citizens who have signed this petition and who are here today out of concern for how this is being put forward?

643
00:49:25,000 --> 00:49:35,540
I'm just curious to know where you stand on determining how you're going to move forward against the voices that have been raised today.

644
00:49:35,540 --> 00:49:39,560
I'm just answering questions and I'd like to know when you'll respond. Thank you.

645
00:49:39,780 --> 00:49:41,680
All right. Thank you, ma'am. Appreciate your comments.

646
00:49:43,460 --> 00:49:48,780
Anyone else like to give public comment? Yes, ma'am in the back. Kind of denim jacket.

647
00:49:49,740 --> 00:49:50,740
Come on forward.

648
00:49:53,390 --> 00:49:58,490
And, Danie, you know, stranger to the board, but please be given a

649
00:50:01,380 --> 00:50:15,120
I do oppose the three to five initiatives. I oppose more government and want less government. However, I do appreciate the transparency. I appreciate the transparency of the cost in the initiative title.

650
00:50:15,580 --> 00:50:22,840
And let's face it. The law does say that you are that title board and you are the ones who are supposed to clarify that for us. So thank you.

651
00:50:22,840 --> 00:50:26,640
I do appreciate the transparency of all of the options.

652
00:50:27,160 --> 00:50:34,620
I think everyone here should be able to appreciate the title, the initiatives on the ballot.

653
00:50:35,000 --> 00:50:40,840
We are voting on it, and we as citizens, Castle Rock, your district commissioner,

654
00:50:40,900 --> 00:50:48,920
Teal, we all have the option of voting for every single option, all of the options are transparent.

655
00:50:49,160 --> 00:50:50,700
And we appreciate that. Thank you.

656
00:50:52,680 --> 00:50:54,940
All right, thank you, B.M., appreciate your comments.

657
00:50:55,440 --> 00:50:57,880
It's anyone else who'd like to give public comment on this matter.

658
00:50:59,740 --> 00:51:04,840
I am seeing none, so let's close public comment, bring it back to the board for

659
00:51:04,840 --> 00:51:09,160
discussion, any possible motion, and of course any follow-up questions.

660
00:51:09,640 --> 00:51:16,640
Before we get to that, MAM, a second-of-last speaker, you asked, you had questions,

661
00:51:17,320 --> 00:51:19,520
and just like a couple of other people had questions.

662
00:51:19,520 --> 00:51:24,160
You had asked when are we going to address those questions?

663
00:51:24,500 --> 00:51:26,740
My hope would be that in the discussion,

664
00:51:26,960 --> 00:51:28,300
we're going to address some of the questions

665
00:51:28,300 --> 00:51:29,300
that were brought up.

666
00:51:29,720 --> 00:51:33,940
As to your question of, are we legally required

667
00:51:33,940 --> 00:51:36,240
to answer those questions?

668
00:51:36,660 --> 00:51:38,760
I want to say the answer is no.

669
00:51:39,360 --> 00:51:43,040
However, you know, we are representatives of the people.

670
00:51:43,380 --> 00:51:44,840
We were elected by our neighbors.

671
00:51:46,240 --> 00:51:48,060
I've lived here for almost 30 years

672
00:51:48,060 --> 00:51:54,200
and people who I've known for 30 years voted against me voted for me, and but we were elected

673
00:51:54,200 --> 00:52:00,240
to be here. So we probably should try to address the questions. I'll do my very best to answer

674
00:52:00,240 --> 00:52:07,740
those questions as I can. I leave it to my colleagues to proceed as they see that.

675
00:52:08,120 --> 00:52:15,760
With that said, commissioners, we do have a resolution before us discussion, possible motions.

676
00:52:17,360 --> 00:52:19,880
Well, and, of course, any follow-up questions to staff?

677
00:52:23,640 --> 00:52:24,600
Well, thank you, Mr. Chair.

678
00:52:28,590 --> 00:52:32,910
Do you know, in representing March and never stays,

679
00:52:32,910 --> 00:52:34,530
for questions, I hate it?

680
00:52:36,790 --> 00:52:40,370
How was it that we got accused a lot of, you know,

681
00:52:40,410 --> 00:52:43,190
with Homer we had 17 town hall meetings.

682
00:52:43,310 --> 00:52:44,110
We had press conferences.

683
00:52:44,510 --> 00:52:46,310
We had lots of open meetings.

684
00:52:47,290 --> 00:52:48,530
But on Friday it was accused,

685
00:52:48,530 --> 00:52:51,370
Just ear accused constantly of doing that in the dark.

686
00:52:55,250 --> 00:52:58,730
Of course, thank you.

687
00:52:59,810 --> 00:53:06,550
Do you know how it was determined to keep the voters from having the third option as permitted by law?

688
00:53:08,770 --> 00:53:14,710
Was there, like, were there town hall meetings or public meetings?

689
00:53:15,070 --> 00:53:17,530
Who determined to keep that away from the voters?

690
00:53:17,530 --> 00:53:21,530
I'm not aware of how the initiative works through their decision making process.

691
00:53:22,010 --> 00:53:22,190
Okay.

692
00:53:22,510 --> 00:53:23,910
I'm not aware of any meeting.

693
00:53:24,850 --> 00:53:25,070
Okay.

694
00:53:25,110 --> 00:53:29,650
We have the state Adams County major up here, but really that's, we should probably should

695
00:53:29,650 --> 00:53:30,790
have it as the state law.

696
00:53:32,510 --> 00:53:35,470
But we can go directly into the language if that's okay.

697
00:53:36,350 --> 00:53:36,850
Mr. Chair?

698
00:53:37,910 --> 00:53:38,330
Absolutely.

699
00:53:39,490 --> 00:53:42,690
Before we go into the question, Commissioner Layton, just trying to

700
00:53:42,690 --> 00:53:48,690
just because you're remote today, hope you're getting better. Hope that needs healing for you.

701
00:53:49,590 --> 00:53:53,310
Train to you. Any questions, any opening comments before we get into the language?

702
00:53:56,350 --> 00:54:02,430
Thank you, Mr. Chair, and thank you to the citizens who defied today, managing medical appointments at the same time,

703
00:54:02,730 --> 00:54:10,890
but this is critically important. And, you know, candidly, it's pretty straightforward in my mind, the question of whether or not all of the citizens

704
00:54:10,890 --> 00:54:15,610
voting electorate in Douglas County should have a right to elect their commissioners or not.

705
00:54:15,830 --> 00:54:21,170
So it's very straightforward to me. Thank you. All right. Thank you commissioner. Julie

706
00:54:21,170 --> 00:54:29,910
Audit. No, 20,000 people did not ask me to preserve the at large voting on the Board of

707
00:54:29,910 --> 00:54:36,930
County commissioners. 20 definitely did. I guarantee it. 20 did. No, I did not take their names.

708
00:54:36,930 --> 00:54:38,790
No, I did not make them sign a piece of paper.

709
00:54:39,210 --> 00:54:43,090
They approached me because I'm in their commissioner.

710
00:54:44,310 --> 00:54:46,170
They probably voted for me.

711
00:54:46,390 --> 00:54:48,230
Maybe they didn't vote for me.

712
00:54:48,650 --> 00:54:49,970
But the bottom line is yes.

713
00:54:50,170 --> 00:54:53,390
I had at least 20 people ask me to preserve

714
00:54:53,390 --> 00:54:55,970
at large voting for the Board of Accounting Commissioners.

715
00:55:00,080 --> 00:55:04,240
Third option required, and now deal with that later.

716
00:55:06,500 --> 00:55:14,020
Hey, Mary, and Stacey, thank you so much for reminding us on the thing that we worked on together

717
00:55:14,020 --> 00:55:21,220
here in Casorock. Yeah, I mean, I do believe that a mix of that large and district voting is actually the best.

718
00:55:21,860 --> 00:55:28,380
I don't think I said a word, actually, against the options put forward by the petitioners the other day.

719
00:55:28,380 --> 00:55:46,320
The reality is, I have had people say that no, they want to be able to vote for every member of the board of county commissioners, and by the way, when those 20 more than 20 people put that to me, I did argue with them, yet at the same time, I've got a responsibility to acknowledge it.

720
00:55:46,420 --> 00:55:57,080
Just like every one of you should appear expecting us to listen, I've got to listen to those people too, so that's going and even if I argue back with them.

721
00:55:57,080 --> 00:56:06,160
So, thank you very much for reminding me of the good old days here in Casorock, but that is guiding my actions today.

722
00:56:07,560 --> 00:56:10,180
I loved to, I actually, it's too bad that he left.

723
00:56:10,820 --> 00:56:16,860
I actually liked Representative Marshall's analysis of that large versus district representation.

724
00:56:18,220 --> 00:56:19,820
That was pretty cool.

725
00:56:21,420 --> 00:56:27,140
And then, well, I'll tell you what, that's me on my soapbox.

726
00:56:28,160 --> 00:56:32,200
Commissioner, you asked to get into the language before us on this resolution.

727
00:56:33,120 --> 00:56:33,440
Please.

728
00:56:33,760 --> 00:56:34,880
I invite you to kick off the conversation.

729
00:56:35,660 --> 00:56:36,780
I think he was a champion before that.

730
00:56:36,780 --> 00:56:39,200
There was one question that was raised during public testing.

731
00:56:39,360 --> 00:56:43,540
There seems to be some confusion about why, in our measure, it's basically clean, it's

732
00:56:43,540 --> 00:56:45,440
just that's in the method of voting.

733
00:56:45,660 --> 00:56:48,540
It's not going into the residency requirements.

734
00:56:48,540 --> 00:56:53,620
So I do have a question for our counselor to kind of specify why

735
00:56:53,620 --> 00:57:00,820
we don't duplicate or copy or try to, you know,

736
00:57:00,940 --> 00:57:03,600
restate what's already being stated in the first

737
00:57:03,600 --> 00:57:06,100
ballot measure that was approved on Friday for title.

738
00:57:07,920 --> 00:57:11,400
The residency, I understand, I mean, the citizen initiative already

739
00:57:11,400 --> 00:57:15,320
dictates the residency so we don't need to confuse things

740
00:57:15,320 --> 00:57:17,840
or try to overrule that, in any way,

741
00:57:20,560 --> 00:57:25,380
but perhaps you could explain why our measure doesn't

742
00:57:25,380 --> 00:57:29,280
need any reference to residency requirements and things like that, which are already

743
00:57:29,280 --> 00:57:30,040
covered in state law.

744
00:57:30,760 --> 00:57:31,200
Yeah, absolutely.

745
00:57:31,700 --> 00:57:36,500
So, I'm with regard to residency requirements in the county, which is brought up on Friday, you

746
00:57:36,500 --> 00:57:39,180
have to be a county resident to run for the office.

747
00:57:39,320 --> 00:57:41,760
I mean, that has nothing to do with what's being asked before us.

748
00:57:42,000 --> 00:57:45,300
With regard to their question, I think there's a little bit of confusion and maybe it's

749
00:57:45,300 --> 00:57:50,660
the lack of clarity on my part about what at large versus county wide means at large is

750
00:57:50,660 --> 00:57:51,440
the residency requirement.

751
00:57:51,480 --> 00:57:55,380
At large means that you can be anyone who lives in the county in run for that at large

752
00:57:55,380 --> 00:58:02,320
position or as county wide or so by contrast district so in a district you would be required

753
00:58:02,320 --> 00:58:06,860
to live within that district to run for that position so not the entire county.

754
00:58:07,300 --> 00:58:12,920
With regard to county wide in contrast to at large county wide is how it would be voted for.

755
00:58:12,920 --> 00:58:15,280
So the entire county, as it is today,

756
00:58:15,640 --> 00:58:19,300
gets to vote for 100% of the Board of County Commissioners.

757
00:58:19,680 --> 00:58:22,400
And as I believe one of the folks at that would change

758
00:58:22,400 --> 00:58:25,400
if it was one district, if it was about a lot of over 20%

759
00:58:25,400 --> 00:58:27,420
if it was two at large and one district would be a lot

760
00:58:27,420 --> 00:58:29,120
to vote for 60%.

761
00:58:30,720 --> 00:58:34,160
So residency isn't in ours because one to the county,

762
00:58:34,280 --> 00:58:35,500
it's not necessarily because it's not the question.

763
00:58:36,100 --> 00:58:39,640
And it's not in this because it's addressed in their question.

764
00:58:40,080 --> 00:58:43,500
Because ideally, you're asking all three questions

765
00:58:43,500 --> 00:58:47,460
to the point that has been brought up about 3 or 6.5.

766
00:58:47,860 --> 00:58:50,440
There's actually five outcomes that could come out of this.

767
00:58:50,720 --> 00:58:53,800
You could vote no one three, and it stays exactly the way it is.

768
00:58:54,300 --> 00:58:59,200
You could vote yes on three, and then you get to choose if you want district or at large.

769
00:59:00,020 --> 00:59:02,580
And then after you choose whether you want district or at large,

770
00:59:02,660 --> 00:59:03,860
which is the question brought forward.

771
00:59:04,540 --> 00:59:08,580
You get to choose whether or not you continue to vote the way you do today for 1%

772
00:59:09,220 --> 00:59:11,880
or if you want to vote just for your district.

773
00:59:12,740 --> 00:59:15,140
or by the district and bat bat large.

774
00:59:15,480 --> 00:59:18,060
So it allows you to continue to have that county white option,

775
00:59:18,460 --> 00:59:21,060
which was not asked, but is permitted by the law.

776
00:59:21,700 --> 00:59:24,280
This Douglas County in the way it's done it

777
00:59:24,280 --> 00:59:26,680
is given all the options permitted by law.

778
00:59:27,040 --> 00:59:30,120
So under the 306.5, they're giving all the options.

779
00:59:33,480 --> 00:59:35,260
Okay, well that makes sense.

780
00:59:35,580 --> 00:59:36,340
Thank you.

781
00:59:42,010 --> 00:59:44,030
A lot of people are really interested.

782
00:59:44,390 --> 00:59:45,730
They're in a digital mood today.

783
00:59:46,090 --> 00:59:47,490
A lot of that will happen.

784
00:59:48,730 --> 00:59:52,830
Commissioner what do we want to go from here hold to be fair Mr. Chair. I have spent a lot of time

785
00:59:53,710 --> 00:59:59,970
In the statute books and the laws on this so to me it makes sense, but I think maybe

786
01:00:00,000 --> 01:00:05,540
Before the average person who hasn't been spending as much time in the statute books, it may not.

787
01:00:06,080 --> 01:00:11,980
So one of the things, I think it's to be clear about today, we're not deciding how it ought

788
01:00:11,980 --> 01:00:16,400
to work. We're deciding whether the voter should have the third option hidden from them

789
01:00:16,400 --> 01:00:24,480
or given to them. So I think it should be, I don't know, I don't even know how the decision

790
01:00:24,480 --> 01:00:30,060
was made, I don't think anyone knows how it was made, to keep off the third ballot option

791
01:00:30,060 --> 01:00:30,600
there.

792
01:00:33,270 --> 01:00:33,290
But...

793
01:00:33,290 --> 01:00:33,950
Come on, folks.

794
01:00:34,370 --> 01:00:35,030
We had public cards.

795
01:00:35,030 --> 01:00:36,110
I was not invited.

796
01:00:36,430 --> 01:00:37,490
One town hall.

797
01:00:37,610 --> 01:00:41,370
I wasn't invited anything that was like, hey, we should take away people's right to vote.

798
01:00:47,270 --> 01:00:53,470
So I was, yeah, we could help this out with just young, creating a member of the audience

799
01:00:53,470 --> 01:00:55,690
to maintain order and decor.

800
01:00:56,890 --> 01:00:57,770
I don't.

801
01:01:01,250 --> 01:01:02,510
Commissioner, I think you can proceed.

802
01:01:02,990 --> 01:01:14,830
Okay, well, it's hard to talk, but I think we should get to the measure at hand, which I think we can probably clean up and just make is this clear as possible same as we did on Friday for the people that it's going to do.

803
01:01:14,850 --> 01:01:19,930
One, I think there's basically just a lot of words and some of them are duplicative, some of them are necessary.

804
01:01:21,330 --> 01:01:28,330
So Mr. Chair, if I could propose, we start with the very first line, which,

805
01:01:31,060 --> 01:01:34,660
how would, let's give our attorney a moment here?

806
01:01:34,660 --> 01:01:38,060
because I'm going to be proposing amendments to the language.

807
01:01:43,130 --> 01:01:46,710
I think we can just avoid some confusion for the voters,

808
01:01:47,370 --> 01:01:50,570
as is required by the law that we need to be clear title,

809
01:01:51,490 --> 01:01:52,710
clearing concise as possible.

810
01:01:53,210 --> 01:02:01,110
So I would propose that we remove the size of in the very first line

811
01:02:01,750 --> 01:02:07,050
and from 3, the number 3, 2, 5, the number 5.

812
01:02:07,050 --> 01:02:12,750
So would read in the event, the Douglas County Board of County Commissioners is increased to five members.

813
01:02:15,450 --> 01:02:21,690
In the event, the Douglas County Board of County Commissioners is increased to five members.

814
01:02:22,710 --> 01:02:26,450
We're just deleting some words that I don't believe I'd value.

815
01:02:33,180 --> 01:02:44,140
All right, let's, okay, we've got our first option as to amending the recommended staff language board.

816
01:02:45,580 --> 01:02:47,860
Commissioner Layton, what do we think about that?

817
01:02:50,250 --> 01:02:54,690
Yeah, I don't disagree with that, Mr. Chair, and I would commend Commissioner Van Winkle.

818
01:02:55,130 --> 01:02:59,310
You have spent the bulk of your entire life in your career.

819
01:02:59,570 --> 01:03:05,050
Both as a state representative, a state senator, and I was a commissioner deep diving into the law

820
01:03:05,050 --> 01:03:10,890
and statute. So respect the amount of time and effort you've put into looking at this and understanding it.

821
01:03:10,890 --> 01:03:15,970
And I believe that the north of 100,000 people that voted for you.

822
01:03:15,970 --> 01:03:19,290
certainly appreciate that as well. So I do support the amendment.

823
01:03:19,770 --> 01:03:23,870
Okay. I'm okay. I'm okay, Kevin.

824
01:03:28,090 --> 01:03:33,510
I'm okay right now. Let's continue with this. I might roll back up on it. Let's continue.

825
01:03:35,030 --> 01:03:37,190
Do you have any other changes?

826
01:03:37,970 --> 01:03:42,710
So, would now read in the event that Douglass County Board of Commissioners is increased to five members.

827
01:03:43,950 --> 01:03:55,070
I would say shall all registered Douglass County voters continue to elect all county commissioners.

828
01:03:55,310 --> 01:03:57,990
So, we would delete to be permitted

829
01:04:01,190 --> 01:04:10,090
and we would delete members that Douglass County Board of because that's already established it on the very first line that it's the Douglass County Board of County Commissioners.

830
01:04:10,090 --> 01:04:11,050
legal term

831
01:04:13,420 --> 01:04:19,340
and we would delete I think it's key here and we may

832
01:04:19,340 --> 01:04:27,210
require debate on the subject be permitted to vote. It'd be the term be be permitted to.

833
01:04:37,760 --> 01:04:38,000
I

834
01:04:42,380 --> 01:04:49,240
think including the term be shall all this kind of register voters be permitted to

835
01:04:49,240 --> 01:04:53,380
continue to vote. It is actually accurate I think it's completely true.

836
01:04:53,380 --> 01:04:54,500
Um, also.

837
01:05:00,000 --> 01:05:06,500
I also think it may be seen by some is

838
01:05:12,960 --> 01:05:18,290
take it overly complicated. I'll say.

839
01:05:21,220 --> 01:05:22,840
Simple question, keep it clear.

840
01:05:23,740 --> 01:05:24,960
Commissioner Layton thoughts.

841
01:05:33,120 --> 01:05:37,500
Vice-flight, and I define that to the much tighter and much more concise.

842
01:05:38,320 --> 01:05:41,400
And there for the voter to stand.

843
01:05:42,920 --> 01:05:45,640
Okay. Thank you, Commissioner. All right. Here's what I got.

844
01:05:45,640 --> 01:05:51,300
And the event that Douglas County BOCC is increased to five members shall all Douglas County

845
01:05:51,300 --> 01:05:56,980
registered voters continue to vote and elect all county commissioners commissioner.

846
01:05:57,240 --> 01:06:04,060
Do you think we need a four between vote and continue to vote for and elect all county

847
01:06:04,060 --> 01:06:06,500
commissioners or do you think the four is extraneous?

848
01:06:09,140 --> 01:06:16,300
So all Douglas County commission shall all the registered voters continue to tell the

849
01:06:16,300 --> 01:06:20,680
I don't know if

850
01:06:23,300 --> 01:06:24,030
we need the word for.

851
01:06:25,120 --> 01:06:27,200
I mean, they should be allowed to vote for it or again.

852
01:06:27,440 --> 01:06:28,460
So I don't want to.

853
01:06:29,910 --> 01:06:30,390
Oh, okay.

854
01:06:30,470 --> 01:06:30,970
I got you.

855
01:06:31,110 --> 01:06:31,490
I got you.

856
01:06:32,090 --> 01:06:33,730
That that presumes.

857
01:06:35,170 --> 01:06:36,450
A type of vote.

858
01:06:36,750 --> 01:06:37,590
We could say.

859
01:06:38,250 --> 01:06:39,950
Continue to vote for it against intellect.

860
01:06:40,110 --> 01:06:40,810
All kind of commissions.

861
01:06:40,990 --> 01:06:44,010
But I think those are extra words that may not be necessary.

862
01:06:44,850 --> 01:06:46,070
Continue to vote and elect.

863
01:06:47,870 --> 01:06:48,970
I just continue to vote.

864
01:06:49,570 --> 01:06:49,710
Yeah.

865
01:06:49,710 --> 01:06:55,430
Okay. I got six. All right. That was a history major. I wasn't an English major. That was sweat.

866
01:06:57,710 --> 01:06:58,270
Okay.

867
01:07:21,220 --> 01:07:25,480
Let's get a capital C in a capital C for county commissioners at the end.

868
01:07:25,780 --> 01:07:30,060
I think that would be consistent with the work we did on Friday.

869
01:07:32,040 --> 01:07:36,080
I invite discussion on that topic from the board.

870
01:07:36,080 --> 01:07:43,300
And they apologize, I think I may have just missed that last edit, regarding for my, I don't.

871
01:07:43,560 --> 01:07:46,240
Let me know if there should be additional items to this.

872
01:07:46,820 --> 01:07:48,740
Guys, please train your attention to the screen.

873
01:07:48,900 --> 01:07:51,980
Let's make sure we agree on that.

874
01:07:54,590 --> 01:07:54,810
Or...

875
01:07:54,810 --> 01:07:55,730
I can give it a go.

876
01:07:59,770 --> 01:08:01,590
Cancels this for the...

877
01:08:20,050 --> 01:08:22,730
Hey, guys, we're trying to read and we're trying to do this.

878
01:08:29,280 --> 01:08:30,480
That looks like what I got.

879
01:08:30,840 --> 01:08:32,080
What do we think, guys?

880
01:08:32,080 --> 01:08:33,000
for the discussion.

881
01:08:45,630 --> 01:08:49,910
I was probably appropriate considering we have monitors of the screen up here.

882
01:08:50,090 --> 01:08:52,430
I get it. So that was probably appropriate. Thank you, Councillor.

883
01:09:02,410 --> 01:09:03,730
All right, board for the discussion.

884
01:09:14,300 --> 01:09:16,920
What may not need to be capitalized. What do you think about the commissioner?

885
01:09:17,360 --> 01:09:22,240
County commissioners at the end. We need to be capitalized because it's not a county commissioner.

886
01:09:22,860 --> 01:09:26,720
George Teal is just county commissioners. I mean, they're titles, right?

887
01:09:28,460 --> 01:09:30,160
Isn't that a proper noun?

888
01:09:30,460 --> 01:09:31,740
An English major.

889
01:09:32,780 --> 01:09:33,680
If it was done this county,

890
01:09:33,820 --> 01:09:35,460
I think you would capitalize the county commission,

891
01:09:35,560 --> 01:09:36,780
if itself isn't.

892
01:09:37,740 --> 01:09:39,180
But I don't think it changes the meaning.

893
01:09:40,700 --> 01:09:42,740
I think if that's where our biggest problem is,

894
01:09:42,900 --> 01:09:44,120
is whether those C should be capitalized,

895
01:09:44,200 --> 01:09:45,640
I think we're doing pretty good on the ballot measure.

896
01:09:46,100 --> 01:09:47,180
Yeah, I think so too.

897
01:09:51,400 --> 01:09:56,360
All right, Phil is sounds like we're not a sense of sounds.

898
01:09:57,100 --> 01:09:59,820
Sounds like we're about there unless we've got

899
01:10:00,050 --> 01:10:19,610
For the concerns, I would have loved at the Capitol, by the way. My representant, when representant Marshall presents an amendment, it's on a physical piece of paper that's distributed only to the committee and no one else can see it until it's actually in law. I wish we would have this at the Capitol. This is nice.

900
01:10:22,010 --> 01:10:26,150
It's much more open. Something for us to talk to our representatives about.

901
01:10:27,150 --> 01:10:30,430
It was an uns, I mean,

902
01:10:33,780 --> 01:10:39,580
well, when representing Marshall, it's a throwaway comment, it's not necessary for the record at all.

903
01:10:39,900 --> 01:10:43,160
I was just saying, when I was at the Capitol, I would love to have a system such as this.

904
01:10:43,220 --> 01:10:46,400
At the Capitol, when representing Marshall, for example, presents an amendment.

905
01:10:46,980 --> 01:10:51,500
It's on a physical piece of paper that just shows you the only committee members.

906
01:10:51,920 --> 01:10:54,780
No one in the audience of the public can see it until after it's adopted.

907
01:10:54,780 --> 01:11:02,920
It actually it's the next day when the whole house or Senate would accept those amendments that it then becomes fully public

908
01:11:03,560 --> 01:11:09,660
But I was it would have been nice to have this then makes I think I would have what did a grammatical grammatical errors

909
01:11:10,780 --> 01:11:20,390
In state statute as we do sometimes have so I don't have any further changes. I think it's clear concise that people don't like it

910
01:11:20,390 --> 01:11:23,130
They do have two options. They can vote yes or no

911
01:11:25,290 --> 01:11:33,630
The residency requirements, if I was a voter, you could vote yes or no, three commissioners or go to five.

912
01:11:33,990 --> 01:11:43,150
If it goes to five, do I want them only district-based as in four of the five commissioners will be making decisions.

913
01:11:43,930 --> 01:11:46,610
But I don't get to vote for those four of five.

914
01:11:47,150 --> 01:11:50,790
Or you have the hybrid model of residency.

915
01:11:51,130 --> 01:11:53,910
We're not touching either of the residency or the district

916
01:11:53,910 --> 01:11:54,610
requirements.

917
01:11:55,330 --> 01:11:57,570
I'm that would entirely be decided by the first question.

918
01:11:58,210 --> 01:12:01,670
And then this just gives the third question which I do like.

919
01:12:01,770 --> 01:12:02,390
I would vote yes.

920
01:12:02,510 --> 01:12:03,790
If I don't like I would vote no.

921
01:12:04,490 --> 01:12:06,770
So it's pretty clear in concise.

922
01:12:11,270 --> 01:12:12,670
Can I show you anything else?

923
01:12:13,490 --> 01:12:16,230
No, I think it, I mean to me it would be clear.

924
01:12:16,230 --> 01:12:27,670
the language of Mary, each other, and they would presumably be presumably being next to each other in the ballots since there are the two counting measures.

925
01:12:30,750 --> 01:12:32,430
Can I show you the late any thoughts?

926
01:12:35,890 --> 01:12:36,270
Nope.

927
01:12:36,610 --> 01:12:36,870
None for me.

928
01:12:36,970 --> 01:12:38,310
Thank you.

929
01:12:38,910 --> 01:12:39,330
All right.

930
01:12:40,950 --> 01:12:44,990
Well, sounds like we have language for the resolution gentleman.

931
01:12:45,770 --> 01:12:46,350
Is there a motion?

932
01:12:52,850 --> 01:12:54,230
Let me be specific.

933
01:12:54,230 --> 01:13:04,210
Is there a motion on the to adopt the resolution for an ballot measure per our discussion?

934
01:13:05,210 --> 01:13:05,510
Tonight.

935
01:13:05,810 --> 01:13:06,490
Yes, Mr. Chair.

936
01:13:06,610 --> 01:13:09,770
I move to approve the amended resolution referring to ballot.

937
01:13:09,910 --> 01:13:14,330
Make sure to preserve all Douglas County voter rights and elect all members of the Douglas

938
01:13:14,330 --> 01:13:19,830
County Board of County Commissioners to the ballot for voter consideration and eventually wish to speak.

939
01:13:20,290 --> 01:13:21,430
Thank you, Commissioner.

940
01:13:21,970 --> 01:13:23,310
Is there a second that motion?

941
01:13:23,850 --> 01:13:24,210
Thank you, Commissioner.

942
01:13:25,730 --> 01:13:26,470
Thank you.

943
01:13:26,750 --> 01:13:27,970
Commissioner, I appreciate it.

944
01:13:28,310 --> 01:13:30,650
Commissioner Ben Winkle, speaking in the favor of the resolution.

945
01:13:31,310 --> 01:13:32,410
Thank you, Mr. Chair.

946
01:13:32,870 --> 01:13:38,170
Right now, the way it's set up the way our county government works.

947
01:13:38,310 --> 01:13:40,950
The way almost every county government in Carda works really.

948
01:13:41,630 --> 01:13:48,030
There's only three that have gone to either a district or a hybrid model out of the 64.

949
01:13:50,150 --> 01:13:58,950
So the way it works now is every voter in Douglas County gets to have a say in every single

950
01:13:58,950 --> 01:14:01,130
commissioner and hold those commissioners accountable.

951
01:14:01,710 --> 01:14:07,270
We hear a lot about accountability and I face accountability just as much today as a voter

952
01:14:07,270 --> 01:14:11,050
from Sedelian Highlands Ranch and Lontree as I do Franktown.

953
01:14:11,050 --> 01:14:19,410
If there's a water problem in Sedelia, I have a keen motivation to help those people of

954
01:14:19,410 --> 01:14:26,430
Sedelia has quickly and efficiently as possible because I represent them.

955
01:14:26,430 --> 01:14:30,910
I'm accountable to them and they will vote for or against me and can vote for against

956
01:14:30,910 --> 01:14:31,910
me.

957
01:14:32,590 --> 01:14:38,070
If a commissioner makes a bad decision in the future about your taxes, your roads, your property

958
01:14:38,070 --> 01:14:43,870
or if they already have, then they hold the accountability to the people who's roads they neglected

959
01:14:43,870 --> 01:14:51,890
or the water systems they abandon or the property or the taxes that they changed, and they'll

960
01:14:51,890 --> 01:14:59,050
hold the accountability for that. The current citizen initiative takes that power away by carving

961
01:14:59,050 --> 01:14:59,970
our county into...

962
01:15:00,000 --> 01:15:09,740
To single member districts, it would slash the voting power to only a fraction of board. Think about that. What that means of practice, a commissioner across the county could vote to

963
01:15:09,740 --> 01:15:19,620
re-sources from your neighborhood. And you would have absolutely no power to hold the mechanical at the ballot box. It replaces a countywide vision with the divorce ward,

964
01:15:19,620 --> 01:15:23,300
style politics, like more of a legislature as opposed to executive,

965
01:15:23,860 --> 01:15:25,980
paying it neighbors against each other.

966
01:15:26,560 --> 01:15:29,220
And it creates a very real possibility that you could have,

967
01:15:29,220 --> 01:15:30,860
say, three hundreds of entrepreneurs,

968
01:15:31,100 --> 01:15:32,760
two hundreds of entrepreneurs in a loan tree

969
01:15:32,760 --> 01:15:35,360
representative control all the resources for the county.

970
01:15:36,460 --> 01:15:39,740
And actually, if they diverted money for roads from somewhere else,

971
01:15:39,780 --> 01:15:41,660
and they can't even move to into their districts,

972
01:15:42,020 --> 01:15:43,600
they would be rewarded the ballot box,

973
01:15:43,640 --> 01:15:47,460
and the people who lost those roads or revenues,

974
01:15:47,460 --> 01:15:50,080
would have no recourse whatsoever.

975
01:15:54,420 --> 01:16:04,080
It also opens the door to Gerrymandering, which is just, as we've seen nationwide, and here

976
01:16:04,080 --> 01:16:09,240
in the state of Colorado, it has created tremendous political fights or boundaries.

977
01:16:10,060 --> 01:16:14,060
State law explicitly allows five-member boards to be elected entirely at large, at the

978
01:16:14,060 --> 01:16:16,780
sponsors of the initiative, purposely hit that option for the people.

979
01:16:17,580 --> 01:16:23,480
Our community challenge is traffic water, economic growth, don't stop at neighborhood lines in our leadership doesn't either.

980
01:16:25,850 --> 01:16:31,790
Today we are considering putting the at large option on the ballot. We don't get to make the decision for you or for the voters.

981
01:16:31,990 --> 01:16:37,730
We are giving the choice that was hidden from them. We're just giving the other choice to the voters.

982
01:16:38,970 --> 01:16:43,670
I say we protect the voting power. I say we give the choice to the voters and let the voters decide.

983
01:16:45,110 --> 01:16:47,830
All right, thank you commissioner, Commissioner Layton.

984
01:16:48,950 --> 01:16:50,030
Any comments on the motion?

985
01:16:53,400 --> 01:17:02,620
No, I agree with that analysis, and in many respects, you know, heard some comments about, you know, why can't we beat more Congress or more like this feature?

986
01:17:03,720 --> 01:17:13,360
And with all the respect, bodies, the average citizen does not believe that those governing bodies are making nearly the level of difference that they should be.

987
01:17:13,360 --> 01:17:17,280
Very proud of what has happened in Douglas County.

988
01:17:17,320 --> 01:17:22,280
We do have a particular history associated with every voter

989
01:17:22,280 --> 01:17:26,340
having the opportunity to weigh in and make decisions about

990
01:17:26,340 --> 01:17:30,560
what happens and who is elected to serve the entire county.

991
01:17:30,700 --> 01:17:33,120
So I do support the analysis and support the motion.

992
01:17:33,840 --> 01:17:35,320
Very good. Thank you, Commissioner.

993
01:17:37,760 --> 01:17:40,900
I had said before actually really enjoyed

994
01:17:40,900 --> 01:17:47,860
Representative Marshall's comments on how he talked about the structure of governance, the structure of government.

995
01:17:48,380 --> 01:17:58,250
I did appreciate Mary Wilson and C.T. Rogers reminding us all of our efforts here in the town of Casorac to do to introduce a

996
01:17:58,900 --> 01:18:04,620
at large and district representation model to the Casorac town charter.

997
01:18:05,580 --> 01:18:15,200
I think the thing that's missing in the debate that is very, very important is when we look at the examples of our federal Congress.

998
01:18:15,820 --> 01:18:19,580
Yes, you have the Senate, which is at large voting.

999
01:18:20,500 --> 01:18:23,420
You have the House of Representatives, which are district-based voting.

1000
01:18:23,900 --> 01:18:30,940
It was phenomenal the way representative Marshall took us through the history of how we came to that.

1001
01:18:30,940 --> 01:18:42,620
Even though initially states, per the Constitution, had many of their House of Representatives members appointed or elected at large.

1002
01:18:43,400 --> 01:18:54,560
And so too, you know, that was a time when the Senate was often not an at large voting, but it was a appointment out of the state legislatures.

1003
01:18:55,360 --> 01:18:57,560
I appreciate him bringing that up.

1004
01:18:57,920 --> 01:19:02,120
I appreciate him bringing up the fact that here in the state of Colorado, we have preserved

1005
01:19:02,120 --> 01:19:06,480
district representation in both the House of Representatives in the state Senate.

1006
01:19:07,580 --> 01:19:13,280
And then, as I said, I appreciate Stacey and Mary bringing up the changes that we work together

1007
01:19:13,280 --> 01:19:18,200
to bring to the town of Caseroch, by the way, Casey Neill didn't agree with that, so she's

1008
01:19:18,200 --> 01:19:19,880
giving me a dirty look right now.

1009
01:19:19,880 --> 01:19:27,500
And so I appreciate that, yes, we work to bring a mixed representation of that large

1010
01:19:27,500 --> 01:19:34,580
and district representation to the town of Casorock changing the Casorock town charter to do so.

1011
01:19:36,040 --> 01:19:42,560
The three bodies that I have just mentioned, or the three levels of government I have just mentioned,

1012
01:19:43,380 --> 01:19:49,840
federal, state, and even here in municipality of Casorock, are all legislative bodies.

1013
01:19:52,350 --> 01:19:59,970
solely legislative. The cast-track town charter for those of you who haven't had the pleasure of reading it through, particularly section one.

1014
01:20:00,000 --> 01:20:08,500
One is very clear that the town council has no administrative, no executive functionality in the town. It is strictly

1015
01:20:08,500 --> 01:20:15,880
a legislative body. And then, of course, I think we've all been taught since grade school, that the separation of powers we have at the federal level,

1016
01:20:16,300 --> 01:20:23,840
between the legislative bodies that is Congress with the House of Representatives and Senate, is mirrored here in the state of Colorado,

1017
01:20:23,840 --> 01:20:40,440
where you have the legislative bodies of the committee as a committee as a whole, I think it's referred to here in Colorado in the legislature versus the executive office of the governor and then at the federal level, the executive office of the presidency.

1018
01:20:42,500 --> 01:20:52,560
Under Colorado Constitution, however, the boards of county commissioners exist in a hybrid state where we are both legislative,

1019
01:20:52,560 --> 01:20:59,180
of, but then we are executive, as was brought out during the

1020
01:20:59,180 --> 01:21:06,200
homeral discussion, as a statutory county, Douglas County is, you

1021
01:21:06,200 --> 01:21:08,760
know, an arm of the state government.

1022
01:21:09,040 --> 01:21:14,400
We are not an independent, uh, polity form of governance.

1023
01:21:15,400 --> 01:21:16,700
That would have been changed with homeral.

1024
01:21:16,880 --> 01:21:17,460
That's okay.

1025
01:21:17,820 --> 01:21:21,920
Everybody decided to keep it the way it is, but that's important in

1026
01:21:21,920 --> 01:21:30,300
discussion. The way it is now is we do have an executive role as an arm of the state, as

1027
01:21:30,300 --> 01:21:38,300
an agency of the state of Colorado. Therefore, to say that district representation is the ideal

1028
01:21:38,300 --> 01:21:47,480
is the optimal. Is ignoring this very big fact that the Board of County Commissioners of all

1029
01:21:47,480 --> 01:21:53,200
But four counties in the state of Colorado who have chosen to go home rule is inherently

1030
01:21:53,200 --> 01:21:56,300
both mixed legislative and executive.

1031
01:21:58,790 --> 01:22:05,450
We do not form in the United States of America at the federal level or at the state level

1032
01:22:06,290 --> 01:22:14,010
coalition governments like parliamentary governments do, like Canada, like Britain, etc.

1033
01:22:14,830 --> 01:22:23,790
Instead, we do form a single unified government, defined by one party, sometimes it's Republicans,

1034
01:22:24,170 --> 01:22:30,750
sometimes it's Democrat, really that's what we've had ever since, really ever since the air of the Civil War,

1035
01:22:31,050 --> 01:22:32,510
when the Republican Party was formed.

1036
01:22:33,670 --> 01:22:41,170
And so to say that district representation is the only proper option, I would say is incorrect.

1037
01:22:41,170 --> 01:22:51,850
I, myself, I like mixed governance at the legislative level. I think that's the appropriate

1038
01:22:51,850 --> 01:22:56,710
method of governance. But the Board of County Commissioners under the Colorado State

1039
01:22:56,710 --> 01:23:03,890
Constitution is not just legislative. Is it a legislative and executive? So therefore,

1040
01:23:03,890 --> 01:23:11,650
or despite the arguments, I do not see Julie or left in the audience.

1041
01:23:11,950 --> 01:23:16,610
I realize I'm probably talking way too long and people got bored with me.

1042
01:23:16,930 --> 01:23:24,010
But as Julie asked, have 20 people even asked us to preserve at large voting for the Board

1043
01:23:24,010 --> 01:23:26,230
of County Commissioners, my answer is yes.

1044
01:23:26,970 --> 01:23:29,010
That is an interest that is out there.

1045
01:23:29,010 --> 01:23:33,550
due to the executive nature of the Board of County Commissioners,

1046
01:23:34,210 --> 01:23:39,150
I actually do think that preserving at large voting for the B.O.C.C.

1047
01:23:39,430 --> 01:23:43,230
is appropriate. It isn't appropriate choice to put to the people.

1048
01:23:44,010 --> 01:23:50,010
I get it. I've heard it. I respect the work that was done to get 20,000 signatures.

1049
01:23:51,970 --> 01:23:53,670
I understand how hard that is,

1050
01:23:56,170 --> 01:24:00,570
but there's about 400,000 people who reside in this county.

1051
01:24:00,570 --> 01:24:04,190
That's going to come out to around 350,000 voters.

1052
01:24:05,170 --> 01:24:05,230
Ish.

1053
01:24:05,890 --> 01:24:10,530
Jack can correct me afterwards on the number of actual registered voters in the county.

1054
01:24:11,750 --> 01:24:13,150
They haven't been heard from.

1055
01:24:14,830 --> 01:24:17,730
They have the right to be heard from.

1056
01:24:17,850 --> 01:24:20,450
They have the right to have this question on the ballot.

1057
01:24:20,910 --> 01:24:22,230
I speak in favor of the motion.

1058
01:24:23,550 --> 01:24:26,570
Board, any further comments before we call the vote?

1059
01:24:31,240 --> 01:24:32,020
For the discussion?

1060
01:24:33,720 --> 01:24:35,600
for me, Mr. Chair.

1061
01:24:39,170 --> 01:24:39,790
Very good.

1062
01:24:40,110 --> 01:24:42,050
There is a motion and a second.

1063
01:24:42,750 --> 01:24:47,890
The language was amended for the resolution before us.

1064
01:24:49,010 --> 01:24:50,110
All in favor, say aye.

1065
01:24:52,890 --> 01:24:53,070
Aye.

1066
01:24:53,710 --> 01:24:53,810
Aye.

1067
01:24:53,810 --> 01:24:54,010
Aye.

1068
01:24:54,550 --> 01:24:55,750
And that passes unanimously.

1069
01:24:55,910 --> 01:24:57,710
The resolution is approved.

1070
01:25:02,000 --> 01:25:07,800
Well, that does conclude our work for today on the special business meeting on August 28, 2026.

1071
01:25:08,560 --> 01:25:13,660
Next special business meeting will be called as needed. And we look forward to seeing everyone at our

1072
01:25:13,660 --> 01:25:20,040
regularly scheduled business meetings on the first and third Tuesdays of the month. We are adjourned.