Town Fighting for Survival Stonewalled By County, State Officials at Every Turn
In the last year, I have researched and written more than 50 posts that mentioned Colony Ridge, the controversial Liberty County development with suspect drainage practices. In the last six months, County and State officials have stonewalled requests for documents that could help prove or disprove Colony Ridge violations of the County’s own drainage regulations.
During that year, Wayne Dolcefino, an eminent investigative journalist with a long list of awards, also started investigating Colony Ridge. He, too, has been stonewalled.
Dolcefino Consulting is independently investigating on behalf of neighboring Plum Grove. Residents allege that water spilling out of Colony Ridge has repeatedly contributed to flooding their properties. They have been stonewalled.
Likewise, Colony Ridge drainage wiped out FM1010, a major access road to Plum Grove, because of uncontrolled drainage coming the ditch shown above.
Dolcefino and the City of Plum Grove have filed even more requests for information than I and received little. Today, Dolcefino launched another broadside to remind people that their elected representatives seem to be representing a developer instead of them. See his report below.
Dolcefino Stonewalled; Issues Press Release
The tiny Liberty County, Texas town of Plum Grove has been fighting to save itself from real estate developer Colony Ridge, and now the town is battling back with subpoenas for the records that will prove whether missing drainage records ever existed at all.
One of those subpoenas was delivered to LandPlan Engineering—the engineering firm that allegedly prepared the plans for the sprawling Colony Ridge subdivision that caters to illegal immigrants with owner-financed lots that do not require government documents to prove identity.
LandPlan has been asked to produce drainage records, but they have also been asked to show the information that they received about flooding events that have helped swamp Plum Grove properties and destroy the town’s roads. In other words, once Colony Ridge created a subdivision that flooded its neighbors, did anyone care?
The fact that drainage records were missing was uncovered by Dolcefino Consulting, who were hired by the town to investigate possible corruption involving the Liberty County officials who approved what is now becoming the biggest community in the entire county.
“Good Ole’ Boy Protection Racket”
Liberty County has known for months the drainage records were missing and has ignored calls to force LandPlan and Colony Ridge developer Trey Harris to produce the records. An alleged investigation by the Liberty County Attorney Matt Poston has never been produced. Emails show that the county engineering firm LJA hasn’t pressed the issue either.
“There is absolutely no excuse for Liberty County to have not forced the production of these records long ago,” said Wayne Dolcefino, President of Dolcefino Consulting. “The Liberty County Judge Jay Knight has proven his negligence, his absolute disdain for the people of Plum Grove, and the next time it floods, if animals or people die, the blood will be on his hands. That’s the bottom line. I bet he would care if it was his neighborhood.”
The former county engineer Louis Bergman was also subpoenaed. When Bergman left his job with Liberty County, he left with many of the Colony Ridge development records.
“Bergman should have been brought before a grand jury to detail his relationships with Colony Ridge and whether his recommendations to approve these neighborhoods were based on facts or good ole’ boy engineering,” Dolcefino said.
Bergman is the father of the Liberty County District Attorney, who has ignored calls from Dolcefino Consulting.
The flood dangers created by Colony Ridge have threatened the world-famous Ima Survivor Sanctuary in Plum Grove, prompting angry calls for action from hundreds of thousands of supporters across the globe.
“Time is running out Judge Knight,” Dolcefino said. “When Plum Grove proves the truth—and the lawyers at Lloyd Gosselink will—the truth will come out.”
The Plum Grove investigation has led to the filing of a criminal complaint by Dolcefino Consulting against the State Representative for Plum Grove Ernest Bailes.
Bailes refused to provide phone records that were sought in the investigation of his relationship with developer Trey Harris. Bailes has refused to deny acceptance of any trips or private business from Harris. The San Jacinto Sheriff Greg Capers has refused to investigate Bailes.
“This good ole’ boy protection racket would rather protect Representative Bailes than the public right to know,” Dolcefino said. “Since our reporting on San Jacinto County began, we have received some interesting tips. Stay tuned.”
I might add that for months I have been stonewalled, too. Not one of my inquiries about the county’s drainage investigation which was launched last January has even received an “I can’t comment about ongoing investigations”!
Posted by Bob Rehak on 7/15/2021 based on a press release by Dolcefino Consulting
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The thoughts expressed in this post represent opinions on matters of public concern and safety. They are protected by the First Amendment of the US Constitution and the Anti-SLAPP Statute of the Great State of Texas.