Manitou Springs residents turned out to speak to the Manitou Springs City Council at the June 4 meeting during Public Comment on Non-Agenda Items about a survey they received via text that, to some recipients, appeared to have come from the city – though the city quickly clarified it had not.
Citizens voiced distress that the survey was sent by an unknown source and seemed to have an agenda: pushing hypothetical ballot initiatives for the city to accept a donation of 15 acres of privately owned land and the creation of a Ruxton Avenue Access Road and a parking lot.
Mayor John Graham suggested that Norwood Development might be behind the survey, and suggested that recipients ignore it.
Resident Kimberly de La Harpe was the first to speak to council on the issue.
“This afternoon I received a text message that said that it was a 2-minute survey about Manitou Springs issues,” she said. “I just wanted to know whether or not that was an official survey by the Manitou Springs government, and whether or not you would see the responses from that survey.”
When no one on council immediately replied, de La Harpe asked the crowd of citizens seated behind her how many of them had also received the survey. Over a dozen hands shot up.
“So I just don’t know how they got our information, which is slightly concerning,” she said.
Mayor Graham explained it was council policy to not respond back during public comment.
“But I think we’re as bewildered as you are,” he said.
“We can understand your concerns and we’re concerned, too” he added, “but I’m afraid we don’t have an answer.”
Manitou Springs City Administrator Denise Howell said someone had called the city late that afternoon asking about the survey, which was the first she had heard of it. She said she had not received the survey, and was not aware at that time that any Manitou city staff had, either. Howell asked de La Harpe to forward the survey to her, and de La Harpe agreed to do so.
Former Pikes Peak Bulletin Publisher Ralph Routon also voiced concern about the survey. He said he had received the survey that afternoon, and the first survey question had to do with whether the respondent would vote in the upcoming election, and when. He said the next question was how one would vote in the US Congress race for this district.
“That was the first real red flag for me,” he said.
Routon said the text presented itself as if it were from an official source.
“It made it sound like it was from someone connected to city government in some way,” he said.
Routon said that due to his professional experience he could tell this was not an amateur endeavor.
“This is professionally done,” he said. “Somebody put some money into this survey and obviously tied to some ballot issues but probably with a few ulterior motives.”
Former Manitou Springs City Council member Steve Bremner also spoke, adding that the survey was a “push type of survey that tries to persuade and tries to get your information as well” such as about who you have voted for and will vote for, including for President in 2024.
“It tries to persuade you that a road along the Midland Railroad grade towards the cog would be a good thing,” he said. “I can tell you that probably 99 percent of the people who live on Ruxton Avenue, or Pilot Knob, or Illinois or Mesa Avenue or in any of that area would be opposed to another road going through that neighborhood.”
“We don’t need more cars on Ruxton Avenue; we need less cars,” he said, adding that the solution is parking outside of Ruxton Avenue and shuttles.
At the end of the meeting, Mayor Graham shared his thoughts on the matter.
“Having sat through this, I know who’s responsible for the survey,” he said. “It was David and Chris Jenkins, Norwood Development.”
“Well, I’m pretty sure,” he added. “That would be my take.”
“I would encourage citizens to disregard it,” he said.
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Word Doc – Survey questions sent by text message to phones in Manitou on June 4