The State CLO and Government Transparency

Oklahoma Governor Mary Fallin is one of five Commissioners of the Land Office (CLO). Over four months ago, she issued a news release about the "Settlement Agreement" in "CLO v Pointe Vista Development, LLC."

This PROPOSED settlement agreement has yet to be submitted to the Oklahoma County District Court for approval by Judge Roger Stuart. The following Open Records Request was emailed on Friday, January 15. A hard copy was sent by USPS last Friday. This is the simple format for an official open records request. Anyone can make such a request.

The Fallin Administration is one of the least transparent of any in Oklahoma's history and one of the worst in the nation today. You and I have a legal Right to Know what this governor and the state land commission are doing behind closed doors with our public lands and tax dollars.

Lisa Blodgett, general counsel January 22, 2016
Commissioners of the Land Office
204 N. Robinson, Suite 900
Oklahoma City, OK 73102

RE: “CLO v Pointe Vista Development” [CJ-2014-152] – Oklahoma Open Records Request

Under the Oklahoma Open Records Act, Title 51, Sections 24A.1-24A.22, I am requesting any and all records regarding the following:

1) All of your communication about "CLO v Pointe Vista Development" are held in secret, behind closed doors in Executive Session. You claim exemption from the state Open Meetings Act because public disclosure will "seriously harm" your ability to work in "the Public Intererst."

Your secret legal discussions led to an agreement to release Pointe Vista from their development contract, and allow them to keep over 700 federally-protected acres of Lake Texoma State Park. What part of your proposed "Pointe Vista Settlement Agreement" (9/16/2015) did you determine serves the Public Interest?"

2) Please produce records showing the taxpayer's total investment in "CLO v Pointe Vista" which you declined to prosecute after almost twenty months of delays in the case.

3) Provide all documentation, including communications with CLO general counsel, regarding Pointe Vista's mortgage loans on former state park land subject to your litigation.

4) Provide all documentation regarding Pointe Vista's "self-dealing" land sales to their own corporate officers in August, 2014.

5) Provide all documentation you have regarding a possible bankruptcy filing by Pointe Vista Development.

6) When do CLO officials plan to submit the proposed Pointe Vista Settlement Agreement for approval by the Oklahoma County District Court?

7) Provide all documents regarding the official mediators in the "CLO v Pointe Vista" Settlement Agreement. What are their names? When were they approved by the Oklahoma County District Court to pursue mediation?

8) Provide all documents and communications with other state and federal agencies regarding federal laws, (ie. the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) Act and the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), applicable to the protection of Lake Texoma State Park.

Thank you in advance for your timely response!

Stephen L. Willis

Author: Stephen Willis

Company: The Lake Texoma Messenger

I began investigating the privatization of Lake Texoma State Park just over five years ago. I founded the Friends of Lake Texoma State Park and we got the Corps of Engineers to require a full EIS on the additional 1,022 acres of federal land which the Tourism Department is attempting to broker on behalf of Pointe Vista Development. WE raise the question to the Governor and Tourism Secretary Snodgrass: How do you plan on effecting the transfer of these park lands since you abandoned the federal Environmental Impact Statement in late 2011 without notifying either the press or the public stakeholders?

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Fishing Report from TPWD (Apr. 24)

GOOD. Water normal stain; 63 degrees; 1.32 feet below pool. Striped bass fishing is great on live shad in 30-40 feet of water on main lake points and ledges. Top waters working early around rocky banks, be on the lookout for white birds on the banks early. It will only get better as the striper finish their spawn and the shad start theirs. Crappie fishing is good on brush piles using jigs in 14-18 feet of water. Electronics help locate active fish roaming and sticking the brush. Monkeys milk and mo glo colors working the best. Bass fishing is good on top waters early and swim baits off the banks late morning. Live shad producing numbers and big spawned out fish along the bluffs. Catfish are fair on cut shad and prepared baits anchored in 40-50 feet of water in creek channels and near ledges. Look along the rocks for blues and channels spawning and looking for shad. Report by Jacob Orr, Guaranteed Guide Service Lake Texoma. Hybrid stripers are good on topwater along the bank early in the morning. Watch for egrets and seagulls. Then switch to sassy shad 4 inch glo on flats and points in 10-20 feet of water. Shad continue to spawn. Report by John Blasingame, Adventure Texoma Outdoors.

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