“IS IT TRUE” FEBRUARY 18, 2020

We hope that today’s “IS IT TRUE” will provoke honest and open dialogue concerning issues that we, as responsible citizens of this community, need to address in a rational and responsible way?

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IS IT TRUE members of the Vanderburgh County Commission and Evansville City Council just passed a minimum square footage housing ordinance that could allow ‘TINY HOMES” to be built within Vanderburgh County?  …right after this vote, Mayor Winnecke said: “Let the experts do what we’ve engaged them to do”?  …this vote put Mayor Winnecke in a real pickle because he hired an out-of-the-area consulting firm to study the outdated Zoning Codes of Vanderburgh County at the costs of $250,000?

IS IT TRUE that some people feel that Mayor Winnenecke could have saved thousands of dollars of our tax money by appointing a “Blue Ribbon” study committee to look at ways to improve some of our outdated Zoning Codes?

IS IT TRUE  we been told that Republican candidate for County Commissioner District One, Zac Rascher stated that he “would not simply hire consultants to tell us what our problems are”?….it looks like Zac Rascher and Mayor Winnecke may have a little philosophical difference over the hiring of consultants?

IS IT TRUE  if the Mayor’s statement is accurate that we should “Let the experts do what we’ve engaged them to do” then why have the projections or studies of past consultants missed the mark?

IS IT TRUE attached are a few examples of past studies or projections of consultants that our readers felt that may have missed the mark?  …a prediction if the City spends millions of our tax dollars to build around 24 expensive homes (that costs $250,000 each) for low to moderate-income folks in the Hayne’s area they would sell like hotcakes? … a study of expanding the University Parkway; a study that projected that the Ford Center would be a cash cow for the taxpayers of Evansville; the West Franklin Street parking study; a projection that predicted spending $18 million dollars on renovating North Street would generate unprecedented economic growth for that area; a study that predicted if the Evansville taxpayers would donate $30 million dollars to build a new downtown Hotel it would attract many major conventions; a study that convinced local officials that they should invest $250,000 towards the Earthcare project; the recommendation that locating the LST at Marina Point would become a major regional tourist attraction and doesn’t need any seed money to adequately promoted this project regionally; a study and predictions if donate $58 million dollars to help build a downtown medical school it would attract about 2,000 medical students, a consultant projected if the City installs “Smart Water Meters” the water customer would save a substantial amount of money on their water bills, and let’s not forget the numerous studies over the years concerning the re-routing of downtown traffic?

IS IT TRUE we predict that sometime at the end of this year an announcement will be made by the Vanderburgh County officials that they have agreed to renovate the County jail?  …we predict that the renovated jail will meet our needs for at least 20 years?

IS IT TRUE that the CEO/ President of the Evansville CVB just hired a key marketing person who use to work for the Old National Events And Convention Center? …that CVB CEO/President James Wood also hired an employee from City View? …we don’t remember this publically subsidized not-for-profit agency advertising these positions in area publications?…we have also been told that no minorities have been hired by the CVB as of yet?

IS IT TRUE we are told that several mover and shakers would like to turn the Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Coliseum in downtown Evansville into a Military Museum?  …we are told that they are getting tired of seeing this historic gem being used as a bingo parlor?