Public commenters clash over causes of Wellington high school delay and urban renewal funding

Two members of the public used the meeting's three-minute public comment slot April 22 to present sharply different accounts of why Wellington's high school was delayed.

Eric Sutherland, who identified himself as a Fort Collins resident, told trustees statements attributing the delay to him were "patently false." He said Poudre School District has long described him as having held up construction but disputed that characterization and warned trustees that the district will face financial pressure going forward. Sutherland also alleged that property owners in Wellington and the school district were paying about "six tenths of a mil" to backfill Poudre School District revenues lost to a neighboring municipality he referred to as the "town of Timoth," which he said resulted from how the district calculates tax increment financing; he called the diversion "probably the most crooked thing I've ever seen nationwide." These comments contained several characterizations and allegations about tax flows and urban renewal use.

Curtis Bridges, who said he owned the land where the school was built, responded during public comment that the process "took three years" and said, "Eric Sutherland ... delayed it, caused constant problems" during that period. Bridges said he and others worked for three years at his kitchen table to complete the process and that he considers the school now a positive outcome.

Trustees did not take action on the claims during the meeting. The remarks were made during the public comment period and represent the speakers' views; no town staff presentation, investigation or factual finding was offered at the meeting to corroborate or refute the competing accounts.