IS IT TRUE Rick Huffman of HCW, the downtown hotel developer, was bragging yesterday about putting $500,000 worth of art on the ceiling of the new hotel?….if one had to pick between an indoor pool and expensive art on the ceiling of the lobby which would it be?…we think the hotel would be more marketable by scrapping the artwork and going for a year round pool?
IS IT TRUE community comments and press releases printed by the City County Observer are not an endorsement of the candidate or writer?….we have received statement and press releases from candidates addressing blight but have weighed in substantively?….we think there is value in breaking the auction cycle this year?….We agree the City collecting blighted structures and unwanted vacant lots that would otherwise be auctioned by the County is a laudable initiative?….we understand that 70% of the parcels auctioned each fall return to the auction block within 3 years and many never have a dime in property taxes paid by the owner?….we’d like to think the County government would recognize the futility of auctioning properties multiple times without collecting any taxes, but the County has been unwilling to accept the liability of holding properties that could garner as little as $25 in an auction?
IS IT TRUE a property must be three consecutive property tax installments behind, which takes 18 months, for the Auditor to declare the property tax delinquent?….once the properties are declared delinquent, a sale of the tax debt is scheduled?….of the roughly 550 properties whose tax debt was offered for sale last week, less than half were bought?….a buyer of tax debt can make back the taxes paid plus 10% if the owner redeems the property within 6 months of the sale?….the buyer can reap his purchase price plus 15% if the owner redeems between the 6 and 12 month mark?….anything paid over the tax debt for a property will gather 5% over the year the owner has to redeem?….whether a tax debt was purchased last week, all 550 properties must sit for a year, so that the owner has his statutory opportunity to redeem?….while the investors probably had a good handle on who would pay up, most of the properties offered last week will not be redeemed?…twelve months from now, the County is the entity that by law can petition for tax titles of the unredeemed properties?….despite the fact that most of the unwanted properties are located in the City limits, it is the County who may petition for ownership?….it is these properties that have sat, often empty with no utilities connected, for the 18 months while taxes are not paid plus another year waiting on the owner to pay up, that are ultimately auctioned by the County?
IS IT TRUE if the owner wanted the property, they only must pay one tax installment out of every three to keep the property from being deemed delinquent?….if someone else wanted the property, they could buy it at the tax debt sale and wait out the year to see if it is redeemed?…a buyer at the tax sale of a property that is not redeemed may petition the Court thereafter for title?….the properties that go to auction are vacant lots that are too small to build on, lots in blighted neighborhoods or structures that are uninhabitable?….no one wants these properties that has any good intentions?…often the buyers at auctions strip the structures of recyclable materials and then abandon them back to the process?….adjoining landowner have already been contacted by and offered their neighboring property for the cost of transferring title? ….the County should see they are auctioning properties that will be auctioned again in two years, and in an ever declining condition, and stop the auction, but they claim they do not have the resources to raze 200 structures a year and mow and clean trash from the lots?
IS IT TRUE if the County lacks the resources to prevent uninhabitable homes from being auctioned to people who cannot or will not bring them up to code, what is to be done with these properties?….the City has been attacked by some for simply trying to create an answer to these properties cycling through the auction process for years while property taxes are not collected and the quality of life of the surrounding neighborhood is negatively affected?….not every act of government is shady or lacks merit?….the City has a responsibility to its residents to sort through the properties going to auction and facilitate rehabilitation where possible and demolition where not?
IS IT TRUE the issue is not the City collecting 200+ properties a year that would otherwise be auctioned to the detriment of neighborhoods?….the issue is what to do with the lots once unsalvageable structures have been removed and the structures that can be rehabbed secured?….this issue of whether the County keeps them or the City or a third party is an issue of control, liability, maintenance and marketing?….no one wants the annual maintenance costs or liability, however the past tells us that even auctioning vacant lots often results in the City still paying for the lots to be mowed and the trash removed?….the vacant lots auctioned have the same return rate of 70% as parcels with structures?….that one entity that pays for maintenance and demolition does not want another entity controlling the fate of the properties?….the City and County are both restricted in what kind of marketing it can do or placing requirements on buyers to actually do the necessary work to bring the property up to code?….government is largely limited to the auction process for its sales method, and that rarely works when the property is in need of great investment?….Indiana lacks the legislation so many other states enjoy that allows local governments flexibility in selling property?….we agree that it’s a problem as to where the properties go after the auction is stopped, but we agree the auction should be stopped?
IS IT TRUE we also agree that a broader initiative is needed to slow and/or prevent blight?….we would be remiss however not to acknowledge the elected officials who have already said as much?….Gail Riecken and Stephanie Brinkerhoff-Riley have both talked about prevention as it relates to blight and vacancy?….we agree with both and now Alex Burton that vacancy is a big driver of blight?…we must understand the causes of vacancy and work to keep people in their homes as the first line of defense against blight?….anyone who has taken research and statistics knows that there is much data to crunch?….does our vacancy come from more than just death and a declining population?….we do we have a foreclosure problem for owner occupied properties?….how do we help people on a fixed income keep up their properties, which has an impact on their whole block?….we are pleased to see so many people are now interested and to begin to  understand our blight problem from more than just a remediation angle?  …we would also like to thank “Blight Fighter Volunteer” George Lumley for stating the debate in earnest?…if we only stopped the auctioning of blighted properties every year, the process would never end?….blight is not necessarily finite?
IS IT TRUE the 41 North bus route is funded equally by a federal grant and the City?….the grant will expire in 2016 and cannot be renewed?….the cost of the 41 North bus route is more than $500,000 a year?….the METS new Five Year Plan (2017-2021) was tentatively revealed to the public in early July?….that plan gave consumers three potential 5 year plans?….none of the plans were cumulative in that they included the other two proposals?….all had bits and pieces of what would arguably be comprehensive but is deemed cost prohibitive?….the route changes in all three proposals met with resistance, and now the plan has been quietly tucked away?…it will not go to the Evansville Metropolitan Planning Organization for approval until November?….the impending funding crisis for routes, Sunday services, evening service, better transit stations, and the City’s aging fleet will not come up for decision until after the election?
Expensive art is portable. It can be taken out as quick as it is put in.
Evansville is known for its appreciation of “expensive” art. There is box somewhere in the basement of the local museum where they store it for years.
Great point. Where is that Picasso in the Box now? It would probably bring more at auction than the hotel is going to cost. It is absolutely stupid not to lease it out to a major museum. It would likely fetch $5Million a year. In it’s coffin it fetches nothing.
Knowing this town it was probably given away to one of Winnecke’s buddies.
I will ad that putting it on display would bring in some serious tourism for one summer.
What makes you think that it was not loaned out to someone during that time period, and was only “discovered” in the basement of the museum when someone started making specific inquiries?
If the Evansville Museums Picasso was put on the ceiling of the hotel, it would double the hotels value.
Need to start a list of cans which will be kicked down the road until after the election:
1) 2014 State Board of Accounts Audit (why ?);
2) CSO final agreement;
3) METS route changes;
4) Johnson Controls wireless meters status report
5) Milan trial
6) –please add more–
Yesterday’s Riecken press conference was excellent…and it is clear Ms. Riecken would like additional investments to continue the progress being achieved in downtown Evansville, so you can add a 2nd phase to be added to the downtown hotel to bring it to the number of rooms she was promoting in yesterday’s press conference. The growth downtown is good for the the local economy, and the Evansville business community stands behind the Riecken Mayoral Campaign’s efforts to lead on downtown Evansville’s continuing development.
So now you speak for the ‘Evansville business community’ too, in addition to speaking for Gail Riecken?
‘… , so you can add a 2nd phase to be added to the downtown hotel to bring it to the number of rooms she was promoting in yesterday’s press conference.’ ‘2nd phase to be added …’ , who said that besides you?
What does this mean? She indicated she would have planned it to expand as demand dictated. I didn’t hear her or your man Winnecke saying anything about adding on to Winnecke’s Folly. I don’t doubt Llordie will be saying that was his plan all along.
You are right, Gail Riecken’s press conference was excellent. It caused our inept little mayor to show the level of spite he is capable of. He is running scared.
Bandana….Again w/ this Winnecke stuff. I am voting for Gail Riecken. Ms. Riecken supports continuing the progress being achieved in downtown development. Bandana, what are you selling here? You are clearly insecure about something related to the Riecken Mayoral Campaign. I support Riecken ALL IN for downtown.
No, you actually probably won’t be voting at all in our upcoming election.
Why do you keep imputing things to Gail Riecken that she never said or in any way indicated? Why don’t you answer my questions about ‘who said phase 2’? You just made it up, weak damage control for Llordie. Your best shot at earning your pay is still to try to spin up a false equivalency between Gail Riecken and your man Cap’n Winnecke. You’re floundering.
Who is the ‘Evansville business community’ that you say ‘ … stands behind the Riecken Mayoral Campaign’s efforts to lead on downtown Evansville’s continuing development.’ ? Her campaign exists to get her elected and I hope it is successful. Does that business community need a 37 million dollar subsidy to stay in business? Who appointed or hired you to speak for them, whoever they are?
Winnecke is running scared. You are a very insecure individual, a hack that’s been made. All good.
Look. Anyone with whom you find disagreement is a liberal? (pick a name “GOP fan, winnecke voter, commie, facist”…). That kind of preposterous reaction is for I-E, and B-P and Crash. (No offense meant guys.) I’m not sure where this “you’ve been hired” by someone crap comes from. Winnecke lost my vote on the crosses across downtown Evansville fiasco. TOTALLY lost my vote for all time. (Pandering to extreme Chrisitians is pathetic.) It is clear from yesterday’s press conference (and any number of other statements of the same) Ms. Riecken prefers a larger footprint hotel in downtown than what is currently planned. That means phase two in the future…(remember, this was a “kick down the road list” being discussed here – of course you are clueless so you didn’t read that) Stop the distractions w/ this winnecke-hack crap Bandana. It demeans your credibility – on second though – exposes your failure to acknowledge the Riecken campaign’s commitment to robust downtown development. You are insecure about something, you hem and haw WAY TOO MUCH Bandana. Come out w/ it…
Becker you need to stick to your script, when you go off rail you simply make a fool of yourself. I understand your insecurity with Winnie running scared and being a failed mayor. You can only do so much, it’s probably seldom enough. Relax Becker, there’ll still be enough slushing around to pay you, Local Personality has his money-divining rod out and will see to it.
Gail cut the branch you had been crawling on out from under you yesterday, you didn’t see it coming. So, instead of going to Plan B you promptly pirouetted to something you, only you, call Phase 2. I guess you mean building on to the Short Stack Motel at some point in the future. That motel is a cheapo no matter what gets hung on it in the future. Bodett’ll be by to Sixify it in a few short years.
I very well know what Gail Riecken’s view on downtown development is. I support her candidacy. I also know you’ve been imputing things to her she hasn’t said or indicated. Your main focus has been to try to somehow equate your boy Winnecke with Gail in the public’s mind. It hasn’t worked. You’d done an average job of it until the past couple of days when the wheels came off. As I wrote somewhere else, if the Winnecke administration was half as transparent as you are they’d at least have one accomplishment to point to. The Blight Motel that Winnecke is building at great public expense is nothing like the hotel Gail wanted for our downtown and it isn’t going to get any better with your imagined Phase 2.
Well now. That is a bunch of unadulterated silliness. You used to command respect. What in the hell are you talking about Bandana?
Comrade Bandana was one of the very few low-level patronage/influence hires who was turfed by the Republican Winnecke’s minions when he came into office. Why was it fair for so many other liberal Democrats to keep their easy money when he was singled out? It is very difficult to make a living from the 25 cents per post he receives. His righteous anger is entirely justified. Who did more to extol the accomplishments of Jonathan Weinzapfel in tearing down the downtown hotel, building the Ford Center, and cutting that way-too-big Freedom Festival down to size?
Yes, he is a little nervous. Last week’s “town hall,” attended by about a dozen people and where her son-in-law asked questions while pretending to be Joe Citizen created a brief moment of despair for him. But he is a survivor and will be strong.
J. Coddington Fetlock IV
Maximum co-coordinator
Organizing for Idiocy
Evansville Cell
Frigging jerk.
Cash ballance. 3 months behind on bill no operating cash. Bond issue for operating cash?
Close out and results of DMDs stimulus grant and use of HUD CDBG funds to land Bank.
There is a lot of bad information in the is it true today about the auctioning of properties. This issue was largely resolved by state legislation that the city/county leaders were not aware of because they were miss informed. In this case there actually was a conspiracy to to NOT follow the new legislation that resolves the problem for the whole state of Indiana in the EYES of state legislators.
This conspiracy is born out of the fact that the city DMD can no longer fund their private behind closed doors Brownfields Corp club with HUD CDBG funds. This is not a stop the auction issue but rather a fund the Brownfields issue.
The commissioners have the power to hold properties from auction weather the Brownfields $1.2 million administrative cost are funded or not. In fact the commissioners are on record (their last meeting) saying they do not have a deal with DMD to stop the auction but would be glad to consider holding properties out of the auction (land bank) and give the city an opportunity to tear them down. I volunteered to co-ordinate this initiative since there is no record of other cooperation. The properties the city has funds to demo can be held out.
I have stopped the auction of the bad properties and I am awaiting a list from the building commissioner of those properties the city will clean up.
The county is a land bank. Maybe the Brownfields could reinvent itself as a street department and get funding that way. Better yet the Brownfields corp. could focus on the actual brownfields that exist in city like the warehouse that was recently in the news. Or some of the other abandoned gas station properties affecting the neighborhoods.
Or better yet, maybe Evansville Brownfields LLC could file for administrative dissolution. I think that would be the best solution.
Press, I attended two meeting yesterday where a need for a “brownfield” organization was discussed. One was the Starr Neighborhood association wher one of the citizens spoke on behalf of the neighbors surrounding the recently demolished wharehouse. They were concerned that they will be looking at an industrial brownfield forever and their property values and neighborhood will decline. They were not satisfied a fenced in area was what the neighborhood needed. At another meeting and individual participating in neighborhood revitalization complained about a brownfield are where a zesto and gas have been abandoned. I think you have a good idea to disband the club taxpayers have been funding and create an organization (called green neighborhoods) to address the commercial (brownfield) abandoned properties around evansville.
I would think that any of the present neighborhood association would qualify for federal and state funds for a true “brownfield” remediation. I am not sure that we need another agency to receive the funds and disburse them to the people doing the actual work. Let the funding agency supply a guideline or tic sheet for the project.
Very possible the city has been approached with funding like this for true “brownfields” but turned it down because that is not what Evansville Brownfields Corp. does. They specialize in the arts district. And now wanting to get into residential housing rehab and land banking.
Cap’n Ahab Winnecke must be made to pay at the ballot box this November. Do not let him think he got completely away with foisting that embarrassing little motel, Winnecke’s Folly, on the people of Evansville and then making them pay for it.
We’ve seen one striking example of how his desperation manifests itself. A blight going up on that perfectly good empty wine bottle lot. A cheapo by-the-hour. We need a vigilant council and citizenry to guard against his next good idea. It seems his obsessions grow exponentially more expensive when they lay dormant for a while. Who knows what grand plans roil in the little guy’s mind?
Tax sale: Even if the brownfields is funded they still have to follow the state law. Time frame of getting title to properties is the same except for properties sold in a special sale which the Commissioners can hold with or with out the Brownfields being funded as a land bank. If the brownfield or others want properties sold at a separate auction they should ask the commissioners to do that next year on the county tax warrant sale (already held) and this year on the Commissioners sale. It is my understanding that DMD is asking for special properties to be held this year. If they want to clear more blight they simply need to ask for the number of properties their budget can handle and maintain. The county is a land bank and holds properties. The commissioner have regular sales not called tax sales where mostly local people bid and buy properties they want.
If the city/county lacks funding for proper code enforcement as mentioned in the is it trues then the city need to budget more for code enforcement not Brownfields land banking.
Land banking is part of the problem. Sell the property to someone who will pay taxes and maintain. Code enforcement to assure that and resell if they don’t. Not one Dime of taxes will be paid by properties held in limbo by the brownfield and although they will be coming up with $1000,000 giveaways the taxpayer will be paying the cost of maintain the properties.
If the riverboat fund can bear the cost of land banking or caring for the properties does it matter if the check is written by the city or county.
If the county is trying to privatize their land banking responsibility what will be next the recorders office?
Just like the fact that 90 percent of all the fire and police runs to the blighted properties were to the same sixty homes the reruns through the auction are the same condemned houses that private enterprise erred in thinking it could salvage or stupid buyers at the shark feeding fest of “the tax sale”. There seems to be a direct intention to ignore the percentage of homes that private Enterprise take from the tax sale rehabs efficiently and returns to the tax rolls.
Again why interfere with private enterprise and put the burden on the taxpayer? As for the feeding fest – that problem has been resolved with out an additional land banking operation.
George, next time there is a fire run to one of these 60 blighted homes . . . .radio the EFD and tell them to SLOW DOWN, take their time getting there . . .
Maybe save a life from a prospective traffic accident, and now we have 59 . . . . .
Feeding frenzy is more like it.
Glad to see you’re back, I missed you!
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