06/09/2026
The following statement was provided by Walsenburg Mayor Gary Vezzani regarding recent discussions surrounding the former youth camp property and references made to the Walsenburg Golf Course:
“I want to acknowledge that the Hospital is a vital part of our community. I would never do anything to create unnecessary problems. I served on the hospital board when it opened at its current location, and I have great respect and admiration for its administration.
On September 5, 2025, the Walsenburg City Council unanimously approved Ordinance 1208 to sell the youth camp to the Hospital District for $800,000 in cash. I supported the Hospital’s purchase of the facility. Their immediate cash offer likely secured the sale over the other proposal of $1.1 million, which was contingent on a grant. Shortly afterward, a sales contract was prepared, and Dotter Abstract was selected as the title company.
For all practical purposes, the Hospital District was the owner of the property. I believed the $400,000 check that Kay Whitely said she had in her pocket had been given to the city. I now know that it was not. During this same time frame the city administration listed the $800,000.00 as revenue in the 2026 budget.
I asked the Hospital—specifically Kay Whitely and Antone Aldretti—about the kitchen equipment because, during the walkthroughs, the Hospital indicated it was not reusable and would be discarded. They agreed it could be removed. I then contacted the Walsenburg Golf Course to see whether they wanted any of it, since the course is owned by the City of Walsenburg and is always looking for ways to stay afloat. The course took some items, and Eric Andreatta (son of Julia Scarcella, golf course bookkeeper at the time) took the rest in exchange for installing the water line for the course’s new maintenance shed.
The only items used on the golf course were a couple of stainless-steel shelves. The ice maker and a few other items are stored in the new maintenance shed.
Because there was a possibility the Hospital might no longer be interested in the facility, I contacted MTI Dream Builders to see whether they were still interested. I told them the Hospital had reported vandalism at the property. They remained interested and toured the facility on June 1, 2026. They saw no significant changes and confirmed that the kitchen equipment was not reusable and would need to be replaced. They indicated their offer remains the same if the Hospital backs out.
The main issue was the timeline of the sale. Government processes move slowly, and Kay told me she was frustrated by the delays. I had no control over that process. We had to contact several surveying companies before finding one that could meet our needs, and we also had to go through county planning and zoning.”
