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November 04, 2005
CO: Victory for organizers opposing private prisons!
Private prison in Lamar needs voters' approval
By ANTHONY A. MESTAS
THE PUEBLO CHIEFTAIN
LAMAR - Citizens voted Tuesday to change the city charter, which will now require a vote before a privately owned prison can be built or operated in town.
The measure also bars the city from selling water or sewer services to a privately owned prison or from using city funds or staff time to recruit a prison without a vote.
The ballot measure passed 1,007 to 816.
Plans to build a privately owned prison in town surfaced in 2003 and the issue has sparked a long fight.
Concerned Citizens of Lamar, the group battling the prison proposal, have fought with city officials for the past three years and on Wednesday members said they were elated to hear the election results.
"It's been a long and hard struggle - from lawsuits to protests - we are extremely happy that the citizens get to decide if there will be a prison located here," said Verdell Howard, CCL president.
City Administrator Jeff Anderson said Wednesday that the people have spoken and he supports the outcome of the election.
"We needed to hear from the people and the best way to do it is through an election," Anderson said.
Anderson said that the prison issue may be over.
"To move forward and try to recruit a prison, in my opinion, would be going against what the majority of the people have spoken for - that's just my feeling. I can't speak for the whole town," Anderson said.
"I think we need to be very cautious before we ever approach this issue again."
The fight to keep a privately owned prison from being constructed gained momentum last March when District Judge Douglass Tallman ruled against city officials who filed a lawsuit questioning the legality of a petition seeking a vote on the issue.
City officials filed suit in Prowers County District Court in August 2004 questioning if CCL's petition had more than one subject.
Tallman ruled against the city, clearing the way for CCL to proceed with the initiative process that was stalled when the lawsuit was filed.
After months of fighting city hall, the petition was approved by the city clerk in April.
CCL turned in more than 300 signatures to the city clerk this summer. Only 167 signatures were needed to put the issue on the ballot. "We had a rough time, but we are glad to see this outcome - it tells us that people do want to make the decisions in our town," Howard said. Although the measure passed Tuesday, the fight is still not over.
Last week, Howard requested that District Attorney Mike Davidson investigate whether Prowers County Development Inc. has violated a campaign law.
Howard alleges that members of PCDI were lying to the public about the ballot measure in fliers and cards they were circulating. Officials at PCDI said that the measure could have a negative impact on attracting new jobs to Lamar and Prowers County.
Howard and a group of CCL members met with Davidson Wednesday. Davidson is still investigating to see if there was a violation.
Howard said that the CCL will lay low for now, but they will continue to fight for the citizens of Lamar on other issues.
http://www.chieftain.com/metro/1131011552/15
Posted by lois at November 4, 2005 09:49 PM