Letter: Questions for the Snowmass mayor
Mayor Bill Boineau, in your December 2013 letter to the editor titled, “Why I said ‘no,’” which ran in both The Aspen Times and the Aspen Daily News, you wrote, “I want to assure the community that your voice matters deeply to me, and as I told the Aspen Daily News, I look forward to discussing changes in how we work with the facility and area experts to improve conditions at Krabloonik through a robust public process, regardless of the outcome of the trial.”
Your letter came after your decision to close public comments about Krabloonik during the Dec. 16 Town Council meeting.
In an interview with 9News that aired on Jan. 12 you said, “I know Dan loves his animals.” 9News went on to say, “Boineau says there are no plans to break the 20-year lease. … ‘We have an arrangement. And I need to honor that arrangement,’ said Boineau.’”
In the Dec. 24 Aspen Daily News article titled, “Criminal case crucial to Krabloonik dog-sledding’s future,” Snowmass Village Town Attorney John Dresser said, “If Dan’s convicted, that would not be compliance. Failure to comply would be a black-and-white issue that the town could terminate the lease on.”
You state in the 9News interview, “It seems like this came down when a fellow was trying to buy it and he couldn’t make it work.”
Mayor Boineau:
1. Are you and will you be supporting Dan MacEachen and his business while the animal cruelty charges are pending?
2. What is the robust public process you refer to in your letter to the editor and when does this process occur?
3. Is it a mere coincidence that you are echoing the same sentiments as MacEachen’s attorneys — suggesting that this issue is about a failed sale of the business rather than the abuse or neglect of the dogs?
4. You are aware, are you not, that allegations of animal cruelty against MacEachen date back decades?
5. In light of town attorney Dresser’s statement, will you be reviewing the lease between the town and MacEachen in the near future?
6. Are you protecting MacEachen?
7. Do you have concerns about the welfare of the dogs?
8. Mayor Boineau, are you aware of the fact that Voices for the Krabloonik Dogs and others have been working to raise the standards of the care for the dogs prior to Guy Courtney’s employment with Krabloonik?
9. Do you recall sitting in on an advisory committee meeting with Voices in 2008 — prior to Courtney’s employment, and stating that you were in support of a sale of Krabloonik as MacEachen could not make any of the suggested changes for the dogs’ welfare?
10. Would you agree that it would be near impossible for a “conspiracy” including any one person, the town of Snowmass Village, Town Council, Voices, the police, the Pet Animal Care Facilities Act investigators, the media, the District Attorneys Office and eyewitnesses (dating back to 1978) to have resulted in the filing of criminal charges against MacEachen?
11. Are you speaking with MacEachen’s defense team to refocus pubic opinion away from the cruelty charges and towards a sale of the business that never happened?
12. What plans do you have in the event that MacEachen is convicted of one or more charges?
Your constituents and concerned citizens would appreciate it if you would clearly define your role as mayor regarding Krabloonik. The people deserve to count on you as a leader and await your response to these inquiries.
Please see the link to the CNN story and images that were published on Jan. 13. http://www.cnn.com/2014/01/13/us/colorado-dog-sled-cruelty.
Voices for the Krabloonik Dogs
