Dear Editor,
Once again, I attended a Grand County Council meeting concerning joining the Six County Infrastructure Coalition that seemed predetermined. The voting on the coalition issue was put on the agenda without much public notification.
Council member Elizabeth Tubbs made some thoughtful comments concerning slowing down the process, as was reflected by her vote. Other members seemed less concerned.
I heard a remark about appointing a member of the council to the coalition from the council table, but no public discussion took place nor was it noted on the agenda. As the crowd dispersed, a quick vote was taken and council member Lynn Jackson was appointed to represent Grand County.
Some of the CIB funds have already been transferred to the coalition for a $2-3 billion dollar railway project in Carbon and Uintah counties, rather than being distributed for impacts to local communities from mineral and gas extraction. The funds are being used to build facilities for the private oil extraction business. The hurried efforts by the council to join a process that will create more government, not less, I find alarming. We are literally being railroaded.
