Letter to the Editor: 227 Residents Sign Letter Opposing Mineral Rights Sale

The following letter was sent to Mayor Andrew Moore, Councilmember Brian O’Connor, and the Erie Town Council via [email protected], and was signed by 227 residents. Yellow Scene Magazine was asked to republish it in the interest of community transparency and public accountability. As with all Letters to the Editor, the views expressed are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the publication.

Dear Mayor and Members of the Erie Town Council,

I am writing to urge the Town Council to vote NO on the proposed sale of Erie’s municipal mineral rights. This letter is submitted on behalf of myself and the 227 Erie residents listed below, all of whom oppose this transaction.

Last week, the Council heard testimony from residents who have invested their lives in this community. The Council listened, and the sale failed on a 3–3 vote. We also know that the absent council member, Mr. Hoback, opposed the sale. The outcome reflected the will of the people who showed up, submitted comments, and remained engaged on this issue for more than two years.

One week later, the vote has been resurrected. Residents were given one business day’s notice that a re-vote would take place. Many had barely drawn a breath of relief before being asked to once again submit comments, prepare testimony, and restate a position that this Council heard clearly seven days ago.

I ask the Council to reject this sale based on the following critical points:

1. Erie’s Mineral Rights Are Not Symbolic—They Are the Town’s Strongest Tool

Under SB24-185, signed by Governor Polis on May 22, 2024, Erie’s unleased mineral interests cannot be force pooled. If Erie refuses to sell, SM Energy is legally required to avoid the Town’s unleased mineral interests. The Town’s own presentation to Council on June 2, 2026, confirmed this in plain language: “The unleased portions MUST be avoided unless leased or voluntarily pooled.”

This is the Town’s own legal assessment, presented by Town staff. Selling these rights means permanently surrendering the strongest legal tool Erie has to protect residents from drilling beneath their homes.

The claim that “drilling will happen regardless” is misleading. The Town’s minerals sit directly in the path of a significant number of planned laterals. Without these mineral rights, SM Energy cannot drill through those zones.

2. The Deal’s Value Has Been Significantly Overstated

The headline figure of $465 million includes speculative future property and sales tax revenues from undeveloped land—projections that depend on decades of assumptions, not contractual commitments from SM Energy.

The Mayor publicly acknowledged that the immediately quantifiable value is closer to $44 million. Other Town estimates place it at approximately $17 million over 20 years.

Meanwhile, retaining the mineral rights preserves Erie’s royalty interests and, critically, preserves the Town’s legal authority to prevent drilling through its mineral zones. That authority has value that cannot be reduced to a dollar figure because it protects residents’ health, safety, and property values on an ongoing basis.

3. Clear and Documented Conflict of Interest

The Town retained Alameda Mineral Advisors to negotiate this deal—a firm led by a former Civitas executive. Paying an industry insider to represent the same community that spent two years fighting Civitas creates a severe conflict of interest.

Furthermore, Alameda’s fee is contingent upon the deal closing. Its CEO is not a neutral advisor; he does not get paid unless the sale is approved.

Following the June 16 vote, Alameda’s CEO publicly stated on LinkedIn that he lobbied for a re-vote. That post was subsequently edited. Many Erie residents read the original statement and can attest to its contents.

When the person brokering a deal has a direct financial stake in the outcome and is actively lobbying elected officials after a failed vote, residents are entitled to question whose interests are being served.

4. Plugging Legacy Wells Is a Safety Obligation, Not a Bargaining Chip

The framing of plugging 17 old wells as a benefit or gift to the Town is misleading. Remediating aging and orphaned wells is a matter of basic public safety that should have been addressed long ago.

It is an industry obligation, not a concession that justifies a massive new mineral rights sale.

5. The Process Has Undermined Public Trust

Negotiating a deal of this magnitude largely in private executive sessions, retaining consultants with undisclosed industry ties, and rushing a re-vote within seven days of a failed motion have all eroded public confidence that this process is being conducted in residents’ best interests.

6. Erie Is Thriving Without This Deal

Our Town is thriving. Property values have skyrocketed. Downtown Erie has become a destination. Schools, restaurants, and local businesses have transformed this community—all without oil and gas involvement.

Erie is attractive to young professional families precisely because of what it is today. This deal puts that identity and growth trajectory at risk.

Residents have told this Council they will consider leaving if drilling proceeds beneath their homes. The economic damage from declining property values and departing families could far exceed whatever speculative benefits this transaction promises.

The community has spoken clearly and consistently. Hundreds of Erie residents submitted comments. The June 16 meeting filled the council chamber. Hundreds more have expressed opposition on social media. Letters have been sent to the Colorado Attorney General’s Office. This letter alone carries the names of 227 residents asking you to vote NO.

This level of sustained community engagement is extraordinary for a town Erie’s size, and it points in one direction.

We are not asking for anything unreasonable. We are asking our elected officials to listen to the residents they represent, protect the legal leverage the State of Colorado granted this Town, and reject a deal that primarily benefits the operator and its paid intermediary.

A NO vote is not a rejection of economic opportunity. It is a decision to protect the Town’s most valuable assets—its families.

Please vote NO on the sale of Erie’s municipal mineral rights.

Submitted by 227 Erie Residents