Sengenberger: Lakewood’s shady school deal gets even shadier
An article by Jimmy Sengenberger on Lakewood’s deal for Emory Elementary gets reinforced by residents on nextdoor.com
From Jimmy Sengengberger at the Denver Gazette:
“In Jefferson County, local democracy dies in darkness.
“That’s the inescapable conclusion from the shady business between Jefferson County Schools, Lakewood and a homeless-services nonprofit.
“This April, Lakewood authorized City Manager Kathy Hodgson to negotiate a $4 million below-market purchase of the shuttered 17-acre Emory Elementary. The plan? Flip 10 acres to the Jeffco Action Center for just $1 million — a sweetheart deal costing taxpayers $3 million.
“Here’s the scheme: In January 2024, Jeffco Schools quietly gave municipalities first dibs on closed schools through a new “Municipal Interest” process, dodging competitive bidding. A consultant told the board they could skip community feedback using this path.
“The Action Center can’t open this municipal backdoor itself, so Lakewood did it for them