Durango City Council is weighing a proposal to require members to publicly disclose their business and property interests when seeking variances or public funding.
City Councilor Melissa Youssef introduced an ordinance to amend city code, citing transparency, accountability and ethical governance as the primary goals.
Youssef said she proposed the amendment after City Council learned that Councilor Olivier Bosmans failed to disclose a city grant he applied for and received in September for a building owned by a company he co-owns.
Councilor Dave Woodruff said Bosmans had previously expressed that public funds should not benefit private businesses or individuals.
Bosmans voted against an urban renewal grant for 11th Street Station at a May 8, 2023, Durango Renewal Partnership meeting, saying he was concerned about awarding taxpayer money to individual property owners, according to the meeting’s minutes.
The minutes show Bosmans was the only “no” vote on the seven-member board, which includes members of City Council, La Plata County Assessor Carrie Woodson and Durango School District 9-R Board Member Andrea Parmenter. Woodruff, who then was the restaurant and bar manager at 11th Street Station, abstained from voting.
“He received taxpayer money and he didn’t disclose it,” Woodruff said Tuesday. “I have an issue with that. Especially when you go on record saying, ‘I do not approve of this use of public money to be going toward this use.’ And to go and take it and not only (not) disclose it, but seemingly trying to hide it, I have an issue with that.”
Bosmans received a $5,000 matching Durango Re:New Grant for the relocation of an exterior door and window at 1175 Camino del Rio, a building owned by Globos Consulting LLC, which he co-owns, according to the grant application and related documents and emails reviewed by The Durango Herald.
In an email chain among City Manager José Madrigal, City Attorney Mark Morgan and city staff members discussing Bosmans’ grant application, Morgan said he saw no problem with Bosmans’ request. At Tuesday’s City Council meeting, Morgan said he consistently advises councilors to disclose personal interests that could be perceived as conflicts of interest.
He added that he similarly advised Mayor Jessika Buell to disclose when she sought a sublease with the city for office space for her business, Lucky Services, at the Durango Welcome Center.
Bosmans said he was never instructed to disclose he applied for and received an urban renewal grant.
He said the 1175 Camino del Rio property requires about $15,000 in improvements. The building is currently leased to The Hive Durango, which provides services to underrepresented youths. Bosmans said he intends to apply for additional city grants and other non-city resources. He said those grants would be used to “install, upgrade or get in compliance” city amenities in the public right of way, such as sidewalks.
Bosmans suggested the ordinance requiring councilors to disclosure private interests – and citing him as the reason for why such an ordinance is needed – is politically motivated. He is running for a second term on City Council.
Youssef first proposed the ordinance in January. It was presented for a first reading Tuesday.
“For a councilor who often speaks about transparency and openness, it is unfortunate that we must take this legislative step to enforce what should have been done voluntarily,” she said. “However, since it was not self-initiated, I believe this ordinance will help ensure that our community is properly informed moving forward.”
Bosmans joined other councilors in approving amendments requiring public disclosure of private interests when seeking variances or public funds from the city. The ordinance must pass additional readings before it is codified.
Bosmans faced scrutiny from fellow councilors at a March 4 City Council meeting, where councilors voted to censure and reprimand him for what they described as false statements regarding a closed-door meeting last month.
A censure would typically bar a Durango councilor from serving as mayor, mayor pro tem, or holding any leadership or representative role on City Council or its subcommittees, Morgan previously explained.
However, Woodruff moved to strike the language rendering Bosmans ineligible for such positions, defanging the censure, and other councilors followed suit.
cburney@durangoherald.com
