Petitioners start gathering signatures to recall 3 Palmer Lake Trustees over proposed Buc-ee’s development
PALMER LAKE, Colo. (KRDO) - Petitioners are starting to gather signatures to recall Shana Ball, Dennis Stern, and Kevin Dreher from the Palmer Lake Board of Trustees after the Town Administrator approved the petitions.
Mayor Glant Havenar told KRDO13 Investigates the petitioners have 60 days to collect 275 signatures from registered Palmer Lake Voters. If they hit that threshold it will trigger a special election.
That 275 number is based on the turnout from the most recent board of trustees election. The mayor said 275 equals 25% of the turnout from the most recent election.
Mayor Havenar says the election wouldn't just be to recall the trustee(s), it would require another candidate to be put up against them. This means that even if the recall is triggered, there is a chance a recalled trustee could win the recall election and keep their position.
"Those three trustees would have the opportunity to defend their seat and run against whomever comes forward, fills out the proper documentation, obtains the proper signatures, and chooses to run against them," Mayor Havenar explained.
KRDO13 Investigates obtained a copy of the petition filed with the Town administrator, specifically to recall Shana Ball.
The petition says Ball "unlawfully and recklessly approved annexation eligibility despite overwhelming public opposition," participated in executive session collusion, violated opening meeting law, failed to properly review the annexation application, and more.
"Just an overall lack of confidence in the three members that we have named, and a lack of confidence in their ability to represent the town fairly equitably." Dailee Fagnant is one of the three Palmer Lake residents who helped file the recalls.
Fagnant tells KRDO13 she's confident they will be able to get 275 signatures, "We'll go door to door. We'll start with our neighbors or closest to us, and then we'll probably come up with a centralized location or even meeting [with] people as they're able to be met."
Beth Harris, another one of the petition's leaders, was out of town and couldn't meet with KRDO13 Investigates for an interview. Instead, Harris provided this statement:
"Some members of the Palmer Lake Board of Trustees have shown blatant disregard for the will of the people they represent. In addition, they and the town's mayor have repeatedly violated multiple laws. The people of Palmer Lake don't want the Buc-ee's development and they want to be treated with the rights the law guarantees them -- rights the BOT and Mayor have repeatedly trampled."
However, Fagnant and Cody Fouts, another petitioner, said it's about more than just the Buc-ees.
"I think that that was definitely a sort of catalyzing event, where a lot of the way that the town is run was sort of put on display for a broader audience," Fouts said. "We're trying to do right by everybody and find the best electorates for representing constituents. We just don't feel like we've been well represented."
KRDO13 Investigates spoke to all three trustees at the center of the recall effort.
"I was not happy about [learning about the recall petition]. Simply because, as you've already heard, we have just been following the statutory rules of the State of Colorado by approving or considering approving voting on the eligibility for annexation for possible Buc-ees," Dennis Stern talked to KRDO13 Investigates about his take on the petition to recall him.
Stern said while he believes the core issue of the recall pertains to the conversation around the potential Palmer Lake Buc-ees, he thinks it's more than that. "The bigger picture is that there are outside influences that are trying to bully those of us in charge of the town of Palmer Lake into doing what they want done. In that regard, I just really don't appreciate that."
"It's disappointing," Kevin Dreher, Palmer Lake Trustee, told KRDO13 he doesn't think the reason for the petition is valid: "I think there's a group of people that think the board's going to vote a certain way on an issue that's coming up." That issue is the proposed Buc-ees location.
Dreher reiterated that the board of trustees hasn't officially decided on anything yet.
Read the full recall petition here
