Saturday July 23, 2016 – Mayor Gary Gygi responded to CHCRG email  (see previous CHCRG post) "CHCRG to Mayor Gary Gygi – "Is it True?" – ALCOHOL sales were approved for the Golf Clubhouse?

Mayor Gygi wrote:

Mr. Cromar, thank you for your interest in our city.  I will answer your questions but feel free to reach out to the city manager or city attorney for more information.  Yes, the city council did vote to approve the third party vendor who runs the grill to be able to sell beer in the grill by a 4 to 1 vote, Mr. Crawley voted against it.  I do not write the agendas for the council meetings, a staff member writes the agenda language.  I do know that some people are against alcohol at the golf course and grill and some people are for it.  I did step out of the meeting to take care of some other city business, there was a house in Cedar Hills that recently almost burned down, the father rushed in to save his son and both were injured but alive.  The fire chiefs were meeting with the father and his wife, they invited me and I was gone for about 30 minutes.  The rest of your questions relate to my feelings on the matter, I am not in favor of what the council did, I would not have voted for this if I were to have voted.  As you know, the mayor only votes to break a tie which this vote was not.  I have stated publicly that I don't think the city should ever get a liquor license and sell alcohol in the rec center.  The ordinance that was passed is not allowing Cedar Hills city to sell the beer but I am still not in favor of it.  I don't believe much revenue if any at all will go to the city, the revenue goes to the grill vendor but one could make the argument that the city may attract more golfers who like to have a beer after golfing.  People that were in favor of the vote presume that all drinkers are responsible which is not true, those who were against it presume that all those who drink beer are not responsible and this is not true either.  Finally I believe that you know what your rights are and actions available to you are now that the council has acted.

Sincerely,

-Gary

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CHCRG Head Researcher Ken Cromar replied to Mayor Gygi…

From: Ken Cromar

Subject: Mayor Gygi deceives CH Residents / promotes alcohol… Re: Is it true? – ALCOHOL sales were approved for the golf clubhouse grill on a 4 to 1 vote Tuesday?

Date: July 25, 2016 at 9:01:42 AM MDT

To: Gary Gygi <ggygi@cedarhills.org>

Cc: Rob Crawley <rcrawley@cedarhills.org>, Jenney Rees <jrees@cedarhills.org>, Daniel Zappala <dzappala@cedarhills.org>, Mike Geddes <mgeddes@cedarhills.org>, Ben Bailey <bbailey@cedarhills.org>, David Bunker <DBunker@cedarhills.org>, and Friends of CH and other CHCRG members, and some Press

 

Mayor Gygi,

Thanks for your response [above], but unfortunately, you failed to answer some key questions:

1.)  Did you write up the July 19th Council agenda doc?  If not, who did please?

As you know Mayor, you are responsible for the Agenda, regardless of who may draft it for you.  Why are you throwing some unnamed city employee under the bus?  This is your responsibility.  You didn’t do your job.  Own it.  

 

2.)  Was this omission of the subject of “Alcohol” done to hide or deceive the public regarding this important community issue?

Whether you take responsibility for your actions or not, the result is the same — an attempt to put alcohol in at the Family Rec Center — without CH residents knowing it was on your agenda.  You deceived CH residents when you left “Alcohol” out of the Agenda #15 description, thus secretly promoted alcohol at our “Family" facility.

 

3.)  Would you like to see this action repaired with a fully informed Public?

Do you want to take responsibility for your leadership and public disclosure fail, will you STOP the contract process before it gets signed, and start the public process over?  Yes or no?

 

City Council members, you too should have known better.  Reportedly Councilman Crawley and City Manger David Bunker encouraged the Council to table this issue until properly noticed to the public.  You went ahead and voted for this anyway.  This is not ethically defensible.  But, good news!  it’s not too late.  You can still fix this error.  Please be honest with CH residents.  Please be fair.  Start the process over and be responsible.  If you don’t, please consider this headline:

Mayor Gygi deceives public, allows Council to secretly vote on Alcohol at our Family Rec Center, endangers our children.

 

Mayor, in conclusion, your email response is unsatisfactory.  It is obviously duplicitous of you to write, "I have stated publicly that I don't think the city should ever get a liquor license and sell alcohol in the rec center.”  when you simultaneously facilitate alcohol at what was supposed to be the  FAMILY REC CENTER without informing CH residents.  

Please stop insulting the public, own and fix this error immediately.

Sincerely,

Ken Cromar – researcher for 

Cedar Hills Citizens for Responsible Government

former elected Cedar Hills Councilman 1994-2000

 

 

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