Doragh Says G.S.D. Board "Achieved Much Less Than we Should Expect"

Pete Doragh was once the chairman of the Board of Supervisors. 2 years ago he decided not to run when a candidate he felt comfortable with decided to run against him. That candidate won, then had to resign shortly after being elected.

Doragh's position was filled by appointment, not election. Since then, Doragh has been wallowing on the useless traffic committee. He is again running for the board and I asked him to describe his vision for the future of Gateway.

My vision is for Gateway to remain a premier community which is a great place to live and work and raise kids. GSD plays a key role in this because GSD is responsible for maintaining much of the backbone infrastructure in the community. I think that over the last several years GSD has made some improvements in the community, but has achieved much less than we should expect. This primarily stems from a constant drumbeat of controversy and a focus on matters which are not at the core of the districts purpose.


We have I think to accomplish two major things to make progress, and everything else will flow from that.
We Need Civility Restored. First, we are a community of neighbors. Disputes should not be tong wars. Instead board members should seek to act by consensus as much as possible, and especially when consensus is not reached, comport themselves with dignity and mutual respect.

Unfortunately this has not been as commonplace in the last couple of years as it should be to the detriment of the community. Incivility casts our community in a bad light, undermines our ability to reason together, and encourages unnecessary and expensive escalation of disputes. We spend way too much now on fees and costs driven largely by the failure of our leaders to achieve consensus. I hope to see a sense of common purpose restored to board activity and my experience and background on the board and in the community position me well to lead in that direction.

We Need Practical Problem Solving. Second, any time a mistake is made at present the first order of business seems to be to determine who is to blame, and of course consequently, those in the line of fire react defensively. Again, the community is not being well served. In my view there are two priorities when a mistake is made. The first is to correct the mistake as quickly, fairly, and inexpensively as possible. Then we need to take corrective measures to prevent having the problem again.

I don’t think anyone who considers the Wetland 47 events or the current Lake Masters issue would think the board is being effective now. It is clear that the District Manager, Attorney, Operation Manager and Engineer as not working effectively together either. Whatever one thinks of the Wetland 47 resolution the reality is that this issue is now 3 years old and whether or not the district can protect itself against future permit violation costs is completely unresolved. This should be a major focus but is almost entirely off the table. The Lake Masters problem is now stalled because in a penny wise, pound foolish manner the District has decided not to use the services of a mediator. Mediation will occur. The only question is how much will be spent in attorney’s fees before that. Again, my track record is that I am effective at leading the board to such solutions and keeping the consultants working together, or seeking new ones that will.