IS IT TRUE October 9, 2012

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IS IT TRUE October 9, 2012

IS IT TRUE it appeared as though there were some citizens who showed up at last night’s meeting of the Evansville City Council as the CCO had recommended?…we have no way of knowing how many tuned in to the WNIN broadcast of that meeting that saw a Finance Committee meeting that nearly lasted for four hours?…there was plenty of controversy and enlightenment offered up on the hot button issues of Roberts Stadium and AuditGATE and that there is a more clear understanding of both as a result of some of the dialog?…there was exactly ZERO public comment at the end of that meeting so we must assume that the public has decided not to have any say in the matter while standing before the City Council?…that some of the constituency of Evansville must have been using the phone, emails, or letters to let their Councilpeople know how they feel because those communications were openly discussed during the meeting?…for the first time in a while it seemed as though the City Council actually did two things they are supposed to do before acting?…those things are to listen and to think?

IS IT TRUE the first topic addressed was the looming demolition of Roberts Stadium and the costs associated with that job which has grown from a supposed $200,000 under Mayor Weinzapfel to a quote of $958,000 today?…that Building Commission Director Dave Rector even called that $958,000 a moving target and hinted that it may be done for less?…that moving targets have a way of moving up when it comes to spending government money so to translate Rectorspeak that likely means that the job will cost more, expensive change orders will be plentiful, and other things LIKE THE REMOVAL OF THE PARKING LOT that were not in any of the quotes will add to the cost?…that Mr. Rector’s response when the question of the parking lot removal was that he had a quote in hand to do it for FREE if they move quickly because the quote is only good for 60 days?…that Mr. Rector told us that same story about this time last year about Roberts Stadium?…this revelation was pure déjà vu as the same sucker’s assertion was made last year that Klenck would tear down Robert’s for the scrap value?…we just have to ask “hey Dave, how did that FREE DEMOLITION OF ROBERTS WORK OUT FOR YOU”?

IS IT TRUE that this writer was party to a parking lot removal process in Vanderburgh County in 1999?…that particular project was in the unincorporated county, did not pay prevailing wages as the City of Evansville will have to as an entitlement city, and did not involve any filling of a hole afterward?…the cost of that removal was $3.00 per square foot?…that it would be rash to think that government can do this for less than double that amount?…any way one runs the numbers the removal of a parking lot that accommodates over 3,000 cars at $6 a square foot works out to about $750,000?…this is from the CCO who projected last year that the demolition of Roberts would be about $1 Million when the Weinzapfel Administration and Rector were bouncing between FREE AND $200,000?…this is from the same CCO writer that projected in the summer of 2010 that the downtown hotel would have a value of about $20 Million yet cost $40 Million when all was said and done?…that once again a project seems to have started out like a CARNIVAL SIDESHOW GAME enticing the people of Evansville into the game with promises of FREE work and a Park to play in?

IS IT TRUE that Councilman Adams made a strong constituent based case for auctioning Roberts off and putting it back on the tax rolls even if it only brought $10?…that echoes the sentiments of CCO poster and sometimes author Brad Linzy?…Dr. Adams was correct in his assertion that selling the stadium has not even been given serious thought or consideration?…the CCO has consistently advocated that if Roberts has to be decommissioned that selling to a private entity is the best move and that demolition with public money is a last resort?…that now that we know that the complete demolition will approach $2 Million or more that should be etched in stone?…we completely agree with Councilwoman Mosby who clearly stated that “Evansville cannot afford another park at this time”?…that Councilman Dan McGinn made a well researched plea to proceed to demolition but not with a park on the basis of “these old buildings are bleeding Evansville to death”?…Councilman McGinn cited the Old Court House, the Old Post Office, and the Greyhound Bus Station as old architecturally significant buildings that have bled the City of cash for years while being sparsely used?…McGinn even compared the architecture of Roberts Stadium to a utilitarian facility designed by the former USSR?…he has a point and as usual it was well thought through?…Roberts is actually more Classic Midwest than Klassic Khrushchev but we understand the comment?

IS IT TRUE that when all was said and done the City Council voted 6 – 3 to remove the transfer of $187,000 into the demolition fund?…that the City of Evansville is so poor with managing money that even old Dave Rector had not been paid for work done at Roberts and Mesker?…this was just the latest exposure of utter ineptness in the management of local government?…the incompetence exhibited in the whole Roberts fiasco has been of monumental proportions but it does not compare with what the other 3 hours of last night’s meeting covered which will be the topic of IS IT TRUE Part 2?

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33 COMMENTS

  1. Jenny still gets to keep her $81,000 a year job. The city brings in all these CPA consultants but can’t keep any on the payroll for any extended period of time?

    Like I said yesterday, Jenny is like King Midas but the opposite. Everything that she touches turns into poop. SMG, City Controller’s Office, and now the City Utilities.

  2. Perhaps a better question for your Reader’s Poll should be: “What should the county do about AuditGate?”

  3. The cronies,crooks and clowns have conned the city for too long!! Let us balance the books and find the truth to what is happening in Evansville! The few, the proud and the scammers have had thier hand in till for to long!!!

  4. Did anyone notice last night that Big Dan from Umbaugh took the entire width of their widescreen tv. Of course he was here all last week. He was working on his “healthy” figure at the Fall Festival while he was billing the Utilities hundreds of dollars an hour. Big Dan is really an idiot who tries to use big words to confuse people.

  5. The big story here is how two former mayors, one current mayor, and the Evansville Courier&Press were able to keep this information from the public for a year and a half!

    What kind of banana republic are we running here? Do they still sell Banana Republic t-shirts at the mall? I think we all should buy and start wearing one.

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  6. The Old Courthouse is bleeding the city to death? I didn’t know that a county-owned building had that much of an impact on the city’s finances.

    • Adams said the Old Court House is bleeding the County to death. He was making the case that most of the buildings on the historical register are expensive to maintain and have not been able to attract occupants that provide enough revenue to maintain the buildings.

      Roberts will be torn down. I side with Adams that we need to get that 24 acres back on the tax rolls, and along those lines, why not sell it, for a nominal fee, to the developer who comes up with the best and most viable plan for the property. Set a date for the proposals to be in, and reserve the right to refuse all proposals that do not meet the needs of the city. Also have a clause where the property reverts to the city if the proposed project is not completed in an agreed upon time period.

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      • You could also sub divide the 24 acres and do the same thing with each sub divided property. Not every project needs 24 acres.

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  7. The big story here is how two former mayors, one current mayor, and the Evansville Courier&Press were able to keep this information from the public for a year and a half!

    What kind of banana republic are we running here? Do they still sell Banana Republic t-shirts at the mall? I think we all should buy and start wearing one.

    http://www.cafepress.com/mf/21134260/banana-republic_tshirt?cmp=knc-pla-164877325&utm_term=164877325&utm_medium=cpc&utm_cp_signal=93&pid=3607873&utm_source=google&utm_campaign=sem_product_feed

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  8. How long till Jenny has her 10 yrs. in and can draw her pension? The premis that the software sucks doesn’t hold water. When I buy a computer[ or anything else] that won’t work it’s goin’ back. Not in 2 yrs., NOW. The assistant who quit must have been a way better bookeeper than the one in charge, cause she messed things up, leaving a moron in charge. I’d like to draw $81,000 a year to hand over my duties because I couldn’t do it. Does the city counsil have the power or guts to dump her and get a portion of the wasted program money back?

    • I think that decision would come from the Mayor. I can not imagine why anyone would oppose such a termination.

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      • Skeletons…..both still walking the halls of the civic center and the ones buried in the basement which conceitedly is where the SBOA auditors work when here trying to uncover them I’m told. 🙂

        JMHO

    • I see it more like exercising their statutory oversight mandate. These department heads may report to the Mayor but the funding for their departments is contingent on the city council’s understand and approval of their operations. The council has the power of the purse.

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      • Additionally, the council of a 2nd class city has the power to investigate by compelling to appear before the council, and answer questions, municipal department heads, officers, employees, or contractors who may have or propose to have business with the city. The council also has statutory access to all records pertaining to such an inquiry. [IC 36-4-6-21]

        It appears that is what happened at the city council finance committee meeting last evening.

        • I think that the department heads should be called up on a regular basis to give a brief synopsis of what is going on in their departments, percent of budget expended and the like. If they would keep a lid on all the banter and BS going on at the council meetings and present a more business like atmosphere they could get home in time to watch most of the game.

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          • I thought there were a several key individuals who approached last evening’s hearing in a business-like manner. But you have to expect a couple of photo-opportunists on any 9-member political panel.

          • Again I agree with what your saying….

            I might add that if the council was interested in having meeting that lasted longer than 1/2 hour, last nights meeting was about right in length to me, the council was presented with lots of info to digest and as a tax payer I felt like I got my money’s worth for their time unlike the normal meeting where they rush through things so they can get on with their evening plans.

            JMHO

  10. I agree that he did a wonderful job at last city council meeting.

    The taxpayers of this community should be very thankful to have John Friend on City Council.

    • Friend, showed that he has no buisness, being in his buisness. He was, and is, the Finamce chair for the city of Eville. He has conducted budget hearings for TWO years without having a clue as to the finances of Eville. How in the hell, can he make anyone believe he did a good job last night, or any other time? I for one dont believe he did not know, and if he did honestly not know, he should resign in shame. IT IS HIS JOB to know. That is what we, as tax paying citizens are paying him for, as finance chair. And, this should include then Pres BJ Watts, and current Pres Robinson. As Presidents of this council, it is their job to make sure they know, and other council persons are doing their jobs.

  11. The CPA that was hired to audit SMG’s books (for the time frame of 2006 – 2010/11?) said they were in such terrible shape that they couldn’t audit them. They issued a disclaimer and suggested the audit be changed to a review. Was Jenny in charge @ SMG when these books were mangled? She went from hosing SMG’s book to the City’s to the Water & Sewer Dept.? Sound like she is the queen of promotion due to incompetence (Peter Principle).

    • The sorry truth is that we may never know what took place between the City of Evansville and SM&G from 2006-2011.

      If restoring public trust is your goal, then I think some forensics are in order here. Ticketmaster might be able to help with the reconstruction of the records.

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      • One might also look at the finances of those bonded employees who handled SM&G funds. They were bonded, right?

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      • I think there is alot more to discover about the City dealings with SMG and who was being comped by SMG.

  12. The Mayor should fire Russ Lloyd, Jr. and Jenny Collins both shoud be fired for hiding this major bookkeeping problem from city council and the taxpayers.

    • Do you think the Mayor should likewise be removed for withholding this vital information from the public?

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  13. It was apparent after watching the marathon BudgetGate meeting that city council is done with the free passes.

    Many questions posed on the convoluted Stadium demolition contract, unpaid bills, a year and a half of silence on the lack of reconciliation, similar problems with the water department and Rumpelbeancounter admitting the 2012 accounts have only been reconciled though May, etc. etc.

    At one point the parks girl stood up, or at least it looked like she stood up, to make an explanatory point on the claim that Rector has not been paid for maintenance and utilities for Mesker and Roberts. She proceeded to open mouth and insert foot by stating they did not always receive invoices on a monthly basis. He then proceeded to pull out monthly invoices to the contrary.

    As far as the BudgetGate portion, all I can say is when Jenny smiles it looks like a frown.

    The cover-up added insult to injury on the BudgetGate debacle. One can be sure the rating agencies will not take kindly to this audit and the continuing fiasco at the office of bean counting.

    I’d fire ’em all.

  14. I am going to speak to the Indiana Attorney General’s Office today and see about filing criminal negligence/malfeasance charges against Taxzapfel and Princess Jenny. You can’t tell me that not reconciling the books all year isn’t a crime as well as not informing the Council of the problem.

    Russ better watch out because he’s starting to do the same thing. He says that they are reconciled. Who verified this? Why are they doing it by hand when they spent over a million on a new system? Shouldn’t this new glorified system be able to do that too?

    • That is the most positive step ever proposed. Some writers have suggested the Attorney General be involved, but you are the only one who is willing to step up and get it done. Good for you, and thanks

  15. Wasn’t Steve Titzer,CPA on Mayor Winnenke election team? If so, why didn’t he tell the Mayor about this accounting problem before the Mayor took office.

    Also, wasn’t Steve Titzer,CPA the President of the City of Evansville Utilities Board when the $54 Million Johnson Control back room political deal was cut?

    Also when Steve Titzer,CPA was President of the Evansville Utilities Board did his accounting firm provide any accounting services to that city run department?

  16. City watch, great questions for Mr. Titzer, CPA to answer. I hope the answers to all your question will be “no”.

    If not, looks like we may have a new “GATE” on our hands. I think that we could call this,”comflict of interest gate”!

Comments are closed.