City Council Gets Copy of Wetlands Agreement After Journalist Does Public Records Request

How very shameful for local government that the City Council was asked to approve a multi million dollar real estate transaction last night without being given a copy of the Real Estate Transaction.

Sitting at Council last night, I went on line and found that a local journalist -- Bill Pearl -- who publishes www.lbreport.com made a public records request of the City and received the full real estate transaction between the City and LCW a limited liability corporation for millions and millions of dollars in City land and property owned by LCW south of Second Street.

No one had any explanation as to why the document was not included in the council agenda or made public to anyone else.

I read a portion out loud during "debate" which indicated that the City had agreed it could not go on the property it was receiving to determine how much of it really, really is "wetlands" -- that "priceless" land for which the owner is receiving valuable industrial property owned by the City in exchange.

Some councilmembers cheerleading for this land swap for the past 18 plus months declared that "if you love the wetlands then you'll vote for this deal." 

Well, I would say what was more appropriate on the same night we discussed a growing multi million dollar deficit: "If you really love the taxpayers of this city, then you won't vote to give away city land and you would have demanded that the city found out what it was taking before it agreed to the deal."

Talk certainly is cheap around here. Wait, I smell a development coming at 2nd and PCH.