An update on the effort to repeal Park County Growth Policy

I’m writing today with an update on the petition to repeal the Park County Growth Policy.

The petition, which would put the repeal to a vote of county citizens, has been gaining a lot of steam. As of today, more than 900 people have signed it, and organizers are approaching the 1,075 signatures they need for it to be on the ballot (likely next June) by September 20. 

We’re concerned that many of the signatures are because of misinformation being spread by petition circulators. We’ve heard from multiple community members that they signed the petition by mistake, and that the person circulating the petition misled them. 

PCEC staff recently went through the list, and we saw some surprising names on there. We called those people and found out that they misunderstood the purpose of the petition and the consequences of repealing the 2017 Park County Growth Policy. 

Want to take your name off the petition? Learn more below!

This is concerning. The repeal of the growth policy has serious implications, including making it less likely the county will receive federal funding for roads, bridges and other infrastructure. The repeal would also jeopardize conservation easements, stop neighborhood plans and billboard zoning, and nullify the Housing Action Plan. It would set the county back years.

Last month, we published a FAQ about what a repeal of the Growth Policy means. Learn more here!

So what do you need to know??

There are two petitions.

One would repeal the current growth policy. The second would require citizens to vote on future growth policies. The petition to repeal Park County’s 2017 Growth Policy is close to having enough signatures to be added to a future ballot. 

You can get your name off the petition.

If you signed the petition by mistake, go to the Park Clerk & Recorder’s office at the City/County Complex, 414 E. Callender Street, between 8 am – 5 pm, and ask to fill out a withdrawal form in the presence of a Clerk & Recorder officer. Your name will then be removed. 

Tell us your story.

Didn’t mean to sign it? Let us know. Reply to this email or give someone at PCEC a call. We believe it’s really important to call out the spread of misinformation by petition circulators.

We passed the 2017 Growth Policy more than six years ago. At the time, citizens showed up to the County Commission meeting and applauded its passage. We’ve implemented some good ideas from the plan, but there are many more goals that we have yet to accomplish. It’s time to do a thorough review of the current growth policy and consider taking action on items that will make our county stronger. From there, we need to work together as a community to make improvements and updates to the document.

County officials have expressed a reluctance to move forward on any proactive planning until this petition is resolved. If the question gets on the ballot, it’s going to be another nine months of inaction in our county. If it passes, there will be no growth policy for two years.

Every day we wait to get common sense growth regulations in place, our county is at risk.

We can’t afford to wait.