Petition for a Public Process for Siting Protective Service Facilities.
By late June 2021, the Durango Fire Protection District (DFPD) had emerged as the buyer of Durango’s historic old High School site for a newly proposed “Emergency Services Center.” Citizens Voice Durango recognizes the long-standing need for a new state-of-the-art facility for this vital service to our community and fully supports the City of Durango (City) assisting DFPD in finding a new home.
The process among three publicly-funded entities, however, has been flawed from the beginning. Early in the sale by Durango School District 9R to the DFPD, Durango City Council said it could not get involved as it was not a party to the contract and had not seen any development plan. The DFPD, more recently admitting secrecy, did not talk to the City of Durango until it asked them on August 31, 2021 to co-locate its Police Department with the DFPD.
By design, the plan was withheld until after the purchase and, by circumstance, the Durango community has not been asked about its “best interests,” an early stipulation in the 9R-DFPD contract. The voice of our community is being stifled.
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