IS IT TRUE JANUARY 13, 2016

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IS IT TRUE we were informed by several “Civic Center Moles” that Evansville Brownfield Corp shall be meeting on January 29  2016 somewhere in Evansville? …we are told DMD Director Kelley Coures is keeping the time and place of the 29th Brownfield meeting secret because he wants to keep local “Blight Fighter” George Lumley from attending and asking pointed questions about their activities?  …we must remind  Mr Coures  that Brownfield Corp receives public funds and must adhere to “Open Meeting Laws”?  …we hope Mr. Lumley will request an official copy of the agenda and give it to us so we can make it public?

IS IT TRUE some individuals are wondering how many properties were granted reappraisal approvals during the time Jonathan Weaver was Vanderburgh County Assessor? …people would like to know  if he every used these names for political purposes?

IS IT TRUE JoeBiden posted a comment that we found interesting?  …JoeBiden said; “Mayor Winnecke continues his mastery of Democrats as they even in-fight on the CCO while the Mayor rolls over their opposition like a Panzer division against bb guns”?

IS IT TRUE that on December 17, 2015 the State Board of Accounts held their “Exit Conference” concerning the December 31, 2014 audit with a couple of City Council. members? … prior City Administration’s “Exit Conferences” were always held before September 30th of any given year?

IS IT TRUE that the State Board of Account didn’t indicated to City Council members that attended this “Exit Conference”  when  the date of the  Water & Sewer Utility Department audit will be made public?

IS IT TRUE people who watched Mondays night City Council meeting are telling us that they are waiting for “Transparency” in City government to begin?  …Anna Hargis and Council President Missy Mosby seemly feels that they are being transparent? … that 4th Ward Councilwoman Connie Robinson feels differently?  …Robinson says all she sees are “sneaky deals”  orchestrated by the newly elected Council leadership?

IS IT TRUE at last Monday night City Council meeting members talked about and vote on each candidate whom was nominated for a board appointment?  …to bad that nominees for Evansville Police Commission weren’t handled like that?  …we congratulate Council person Mosby for making amends on how nominees to City boards should be handled?

 

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29 COMMENTS

  1. Editor,
    The Brownfields is a private club! The public does not attend the meetings because the only part that they consider not to be an executive (closed) session is the “adjournment”! I know because I was the only member of the public to ever attend one. The agenda was marked “CONFIDENTIAL” in one inch letters across the top. Bold RED letters. When one member asked about giving me one, Mr. Coures said he didn’t bring any extras. Nothing public about the Brownfields except the taxpayer money funded the organization and provides for the operation with city funding. Again the Brownfields only source of funding that I have found is Federal, State, and city grants along with the revenues the city provides through the DMD employees. It appears their grant funding has been cut off and determined an inappropriate use – and now they want a 1.7 million gift of riverboat monies to continue their special interest projects that would not be allowed under regular DMD/Building commission funding.

    • Let me add that when I first approached a board member I was told that the board members had agreed not to discuss Brownfields business with the public but to refer questions to the DMD. Yes, the DMD said to ask the Board members. Brownfields has no employees. The DMD conducts all the brownfields’ business. Maybe we should give every city department 1.7 million to spend on things not otherwise allowed. That would be the positive thing to do. Just cash the 25 million $ check from the riverboat and let the city council pass it out. We should trust them to do the right thing – without public comment. They already know what the people want.

  2. As we all recall the first meeting of the puppet council no discussion afforded the public prior to the vote. Then comes Weaver the Wessel nominating and voting for David Clark for one of the most spending board that was ever established, the ERC. According to the multi listings our boy (Wessel) works for Clark and allegedly while the Wessel was the County Assessor Mr. Clark found success in lowering his assessed values on many of his properties.

  3. Exit conferences across the country are late this year for some reason. We just had ours last Friday. The opinion was of course “Unqualified” and GAAP compliant which is as clean and transparent as is possible. I encourage Evansville to do what it takes to be GAAP compliant. It makes things easier and people don’t look at you with suspicion.

    • A lot of this, no doubt, deals with DMD and HUD CDBG Funds, and Evansville Brownfields has been, and still is certainly part of the problem with reporting compliance.

      * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

      FINDING 2013-001 – INTERNAL CONTROLS AND COMPLIANCE OVER THE SCHEDULE OF EXPENDITURES OF FEDERAL AWARDS

      The City did not have a proper system of internal control in place to prevent, or detect and correct, errors on the Schedule of Expenditures of Federal Awards (SEFA). The City should have proper controls in place over the preparation of the SEFA to ensure accurate reporting of federal awards. Without a proper system of internal control in place that operates effectively, material misstatements of the SEFA could remain undetected. During the audit of the SEFA, errors noted included several instances of each of the following: Incorrect program names and CFDA numbers, misstated program expenditures, incorrect or omitted pass-through entity identifying numbers, and incorrect pass-through entity name or designation as a direct grant. Additionally, two programs funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act were not separately identified on the SEFA by the inclusion of the prefix “ARRA -” as required. Also, the Economic Development Cluster was omitted from the SEFA. Audit adjustments were proposed, accepted by the City, and made to the SEFA presented in this report. These adjustments resulted in a presentation of the SEFA that is materially correct in relation to the financial statement.

    • While sipping my coffee this A.M. and contemplating the events of the last Council meeting and the amazing vote on terminating the “Home Rule” ordinance and it occurred to me that since Mosby is now in charge demonstrates the NEED for going outside the city limits to obtain talent. And of course poor old past Council attorney Scott Dank is left hanging. We must remember that in Mosby/Wessel world the slogan “Don’t let any good deed go unpunished” pointing at the fact that its alleged Scott Danks represented Mosby in her non-payment of her Evansville Country Club dues together with other past-due bills. Its also alleged Scott Danks represented Jonathan Weaver (the Wessel’s) recent divorce without compensation. This was Councilman Weavers second divorce within during first term in office. Oh, this divorce papers were filed in Warrick County prior the election of course to cover the issue from the voters.

      • I think some research will show that Mosby and Weaver are in violation of election laws if they accepted “pro bono” legal services from Mr. Danks. Even if it wasn’t illegal, what kind of public official does that? That question is rhetorical. I know what kind of people do that.

          • RE: DANKS
            NO legal counsel, who ever achieved anything – and I think Danks qualifies in that way – would do work pro-bono. Compensation was recorded, you can bet.
            Inhibiting liability is the fundamental specialty of counsel involved in public legal tasks.

      • I asked a lawyer I know about this. He says that if it is true and is proved, then Nosby and Weasel would have to resign from City Council.

  4. Evansville Brownfields Corporation

    Form 990 Filing 2014

    ____________

    Part I Summary

    1 Briefly describe the organization’s mission or most significant activities:

    TO ACQUIRE BROWNFIELD AND ENVIRONMENTALLY DISTRESS PROPERTIES LOCATED WITHIN THE CITY OF EVANSVILLE IN ORDER TO BENEFIT THE CITY OF EVANSVILLE AND ITS ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT THEREBY LESSENING THE BURDENS OF LOCAL GOVERNMENT

    * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

    Apparently the Evansville Brownfields Corporation has filed a mislead statement of their significant activities.

    Marriam-Webster

    Definition of brownfield: a tract of land that has been developed for industrial purposes, polluted, and then abandoned

    • Press,
      I agree it is misleading, but the more important misleading part is the “lessening of the burdens of local government”. From my calculations they are taking the resources that should be going to the neighborhoods and refocusing them on putting $180,000 into the Haney’s corner Dapper Pig, $500,000 into the high rent apartment building, $120,000 into a bar, $110,000 into a home for an artist, $40,000 for a vacant lot and the list goes on. The burden to the taxpayers still exist in the other neighborhoods but the moneys to help them is gone.

  5. Joe,
    I question that idea. If we made GAAP compliant financial records it would show the word where we really stand. It would look bad on Evansville. Hard to hide poor divisions with GAAP and there would be so much negativity. I think HGL compliance would be favored by the Mayor and Council. Non audited Happy Go Lucky (HGL) would be much better. Or maybe an ICB basis. ICB would be “Improved Cash Basis” where the total cash collected is the only thing reported. The council could just divide the cash up evenly among themselves and then hand out bundles of it with smiley face stickers to the department heads. Everyone would be much happier and we would cut out a lot of unnecessary record keeping, auditing, and the negativity that goes along with that.

    • According to the State Board of Accounts, Indianapolis, Ft. Wayne, and South Bend have received unqualified opinions based on GAAP. Evansville’s most published opinion compared to these cities was an adverse opinion (Failed). Why is it that the controller (Russ Lloyd, Jr.) a Certified Public Accountant) who by the way stated that the 2014 report would comply with the Professional Standards refuses to comply with those standards. Is it an intel issue????

      • Russ is taking one for the team. It may make him look unprofessional but that is better than telling the truth and destroying Evansville’s credit.

        • That as it may but the investing public (remember those nasty folks at the SEC) having been and will continue to be misleading. Cash basis financial statements are not worth ripping your backside. If you ever have the opportunity to review the City audited financial statements you will not find any mention of the nearly $240,000,000 obligation owing the employees post-retirement health benefit. If you were purchasing the city bonds you may want to know these sort of things.

  6. Elections have consequences, and the taxpayers of this city are going to face a lot of consequences. I’ll save DB the trouble and point out that this Mayor garnered 62% of the vote and has a mandate to do as he pleases. What a mess!

      • Indiana Enoch:
        That’s coming…..I agree.
        The Dems need a weed and seed action plan, or IT WILL happen next.
        LKB used to joke that a Winnecke re-election was too preposterous to consider, and we all know how that turned out.
        That being said: It’s not a problem. It’s an opportunity.
        But acceptance this is required does not appear to be in the cards.

  7. Do you think Danks would do free legal work for you or me? I don’t. The two small time real estate peddlers are small time influence peddlers, too if this is the truth.

    Danks isn’t the City Council lawyer any more, but I that doesn’t mean he won’t be representing people that go in front of the City Council. M&W won’t recuse themselves if he does. They already pulled the cash for handling the suit about the home rule ordinance out of his pocket, so that shows what a couple of ingrates they are.

  8. LKB threw her political clout solely behind the one person who could lose it for the democrats. That kind of shows both of their pecking order in the brood that rules Evansville.

    • IE – Don’t be such a jerk. Just because that is your political opinion do not assume that any of the rest of us agree with your assaults on Laura and her political choices. I think that there is more room to criticize you than Laura from many commented you have made here in the past. And by the way I hope this is good bye for a long time. We have begun looking for a place to move outside of Evansville. Probably won’t be far but it will at least be out of the high taxation district. The only reason we are staying close is something that no one would understand but it is important to us. Hopefully in the summer we will be watching from afar and giving thanks.

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