AUNTY DEVELOPMENT'S NEW YEAR'S ADVICE FOR ROYAL GORGE DEVELOPERS

Well, Kirk, Todd, and Mark, it's certainly been quite a year since you wrote me just last April asking how you could woo little Serene Lakes with all that sly talk about "connectivity" and "bed base". You apparently failed to take Aunty's sound advice and, since you haven't sent me any further queries about how to deal with your "lack of real relationships with surrounding communities", I thought I'd take advantage of the coming New Year, and talk to you like a "dutch uncle"- because you fellows are not behaving well at all in how you're pursuing your proposed Royal Gorge timeshare and condo development.

It seems you boys forgot that admonitory tale of the little wooden boy whose nose grew and grew whenever he told a whopper.  That must explain why you authorized  your employee, Mike Livak, to tell the Sierra Lakes County Water District ( SLCWD), at both the October and November meetings, that as sure as hasty pudding they would receive the results of the ongoing water study at the same time as Placer County and the public. (and boys, even an old Aunty knows that giving something to the county should equal giving it to the public)  And then you turned around and gave it, and specific plans, and other documents to Placer County the day before Thanksgiving, at the same time as you posted on your website that you anticipated a submission after the first of the year, and you told the County not to share it with anybody!  Anybody's nose feeling a little itchy?

Well, as to whether Santa left coal in your stocking- that's between him and you, but why did you invite Placer County Planning to join your secret club? Aunty's read all the letters that have been published, and talked to folks, and she does want to advise you that it's not polite to point fingers- and saying the County made you do it just isn't going to get you off the hook.  (and boys, if the County has to go to court and loses for you,  it's the county who must pay court costs and attorney's fees- not you- something that makes Aunty, a taxpayer, just a wee bit peeved)

So, in light of the fact New Year's Day is fast approaching, and it's a terrific time to make resolutions, why don't all you boys turn over a new leaf, start off on a new foot,  and promise to be genuinely open and transparent, and promise to stop trying to get plans "pre-approved" behind closed doors in Placer County?  Oh, and maybe get a dictionary at an after Christmas sale, so you can double check that what you're saying to the public isn't double talk- because when you give people  the sorry excuse you didn't really "promise" to do something, but you only "intended" to do something- and other similar embellishments, well, they're going to start regarding your noses as promising new timber sources.

Developmentally yours,

Aunty