OUR VIEW: Where's the city's PR department?

At least two of the juiciest tidbits in the national media’s curious interest in the Colorado Springs budget shortfall involve statements that are false. City Hall’s reluctance to counter them may reflect a worsening standoff between city government and citizens. Negative, false stories about Colorado Springs will never help this city succeed.

ABC World News anchor Diane Sawyer delivered one of the early reports, inspired by a Denver Post article, in which she gave national exposure to a silly myth about lawn mowers and parks. Her report resulted in a media copycat phenomenon, in which reporters have borrowed false information from one another. Sawyer, in a Feb. 1 broadcast, said this: “residents are being asked to bring their own lawn mowers if they want the lawns trimmed in the parks.” Great stuff, but not true.

Sawyer also said the city was closing museums, which had only been threatened. At the time of the ABC report, the City Council had found ways to keep its two museums open while members sought sustainable sources of revenue. The future of the museums remains unclear.

One might expect the city government’s public relations department to counter a report that inaccurately said the city’s museums were doomed, when elected officials had embarked in good faith upon a plan to keep them open in spite of economic challenges. Similarly, one might expect public information officials to counter a report that falsely claimed city officials had asked residents to bring their own lawn mowers and start mowing parks. After all, lawn mowers can be dangerous. But Skiffington-Blumberg had this to say, in an interview with Gazette reporter Daniel Chacón, shortly after the ABC report: “Everything they reported is a fact.”

Tuesday, Chacón learned the lawn mower story wasn’t true. Kurt Schroeder — the city’s maintenance, trails and open space manager — said city officials have never asked residents to bring their own lawn mowers because of obvious liability concerns.

In an interview with The Gazette’s editorial department, Skiffington-Blumberg said her department has contacted ABC to explain that a volunteer mowing program has never moved beyond discussion. She said she first defended ABC’s report as factual, because some parks employees had mentioned volunteer mowing as an idea to consider. Skiffington-Blumberg said city officials are still considering a conceptual plan, similar to a highway cleanup program, in which organizations could volunteer to help mow parks. The work would likely involve supervision, liability waivers and instruction about safety and equipment.

The idea of a future program, involving supervision of approved volunteer groups, is a far cry from the dramatic message: “residents are being asked to bring their own lawn mowers if they want the lawns trimmed in the parks.”

Unfortunately, National Public Radio, talk radio, and various media organizations have repeated the misinformation and will probably continue doing so. Hopefully, they won’t have the blessing of City Hall.

The fact these stories may cause some to haul out their lawn mowers and head for the parks this spring is somewhat disturbing. A greater concern involves the obvious lack of interest by city government’s public relations officials in countering unfair stories, planted by God-knows-who to denigrate voters for refusing new taxes.

This column expressed a similar concern last summer, regarding an apparent lack of interest by city officials to cast Colorado Springs in a positive light when given a home-run opportunity. In August, Colorado Springs was named “best city in which to live” by the trendy Outside magazine. Mike Kazmierski, executive director of the Colorado Springs Economic Development Corp., said the publication reaches exactly the demographic his organization tries to attract. Unfortunately, city officials were busy spreading messages of gloom and doom about Colorado Springs as a result of opposition to higher taxes. The city’s public relations department told The Gazette it would make no effort to promote the award, and would not bother posting a notice or link on the city’s Web site.

If city leaders want public support, they must find a way to honor and respect the citizens they are paid to serve — no matter how those citizens vote. If they don’t, this downward spiral of negativity — this ugly standoff between city government and those who pay for it — will continue. When city officials respect the public again, voters will support them. How to get from here to there is the biggest challenge we face. — Wayne Laugesen, editorial page editor, for the editorial board

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Our View editorials have no connection with The Gazette’s news division and do not express the views of all Gazette associates