IS IT TRUE August 6, 2013
IS IT TRUE there is so much to address today that we may be challenged to bring up all of the relevant topics in our allotted 750 +/- words but here goes?…as has been published here before Evansville needs a good dose of not only THINKING OUTSIDE OF THE BOX, but enough intestinal fortitude to actually DO SOMETHING THAT IS OUTSIDE THE BOX?…THE BOX in each and every cliché’ about BOXES is that BOX known as “the way things are always doneâ€?…building an arena, convention center, hotel, etc. in a downtown on a wing and a prayer is the old time old boy way of trying to kickstart a dead downtown?…such things have not been documented to have worked anywhere at all so WHY IS IT THAT OUR ELECTED OFFICIALS KEEP GOING BACK TO A LOSING PLAYBOOK?…the next paragraph is an OUTSIDE THE BOX THOUGHT that is worthy of consideration and gets our leaders everything they think will work without taking on any new debt so please think this one through?
IS IT TRUEthe best and least expensive way for the City of Evansville to GIVE a $37.5 Million incentive to a hotel developer is to GIVE THEM THE CENTRE?…The Centre has been losing money since day one with and without a convention hotel next to it and supposedly is worth about $38 Million so let’s get rid of non-performing asset that is costing taxpayers money every year and get a hotel in one fell swoop?…the County is already being badgered by the City to refinance The Centre to contribute to the hotel’s welfare?…borrowing additional money against The Centre will add to the annual losses and run the debt on the taxpayers of Vanderburgh County (including the City of Evansville) even more than the $37.5 Million that Mayor Winnecke is trying to strong arm the City Council into borrowing?…our proposal is to deed The Centre over to the developer in exchange for the developer doing the $75 Million project as planned?…this is simple, it is elegant, it saves the taxpayers of Evansville a bundle of money, and it puts the convention future of Evansville into the hands of private enterprise?…it also saves the County the embarrassment of learning the collateral value of The Centre and the million bucks in underwriting fees associated with refinancing?…we invite your comments on this totally outside the box idea?
IS IT TRUE that the pictures posted of boxes full of waste being stored at the Mesker Amphitheatre set off a storm of calls and emails wondering just what is in those boxes?…upon being enlarged the boxes which are standard Gaylord boxes used in the plastics industry seem to be filled with industrial waste of some kind?…some of our readers have expressed concerns that the contents of these boxes may be hazardous?…the City County Observer would like to ask the Winnecke Administration and/or the Parks Department to advise the public just what is the waste in those boxes, where did it come from, and why Mesker is being used as a landfill?…it was also pointed out that the chairs from Roberts Stadium that were to have been installed at Mesker are nowhere in sight?…that calls into question the intention that the City of Evansville has for the Mesker Amphitheatre?…we invite the opportunity to publish the written plans that the Winnecke Administration has for the once wonderful venue known as the Mesker Amphitheatre?
IS IT TRUE that we also wonder just why Mayor Winnecke is in such a blasted hurry to get the Evansville Redevelopment Commission and the City Council to sign on the dotted line to accept the undisclosed deal he has made with a hotel developer?…high pressure rush sales are the domain of timeshare condos, used cars, oceanfront property in middle America, and of course Congress of the United States?…Councilman John Friend’s call to wait for a period of 40 days to review the agreement and verify the cash flows is both prudent and responsible?…rushing something through in the style of Weinzapfel’s Johnson Controls deal is neither responsible nor mayoral?…we hope that the City Council forces Mayor Winnecke’ hand and thinks this one through before rolling over and giving it up?…any member of the City Council that supports this before the 2013 audit is completed and a 45 day deliberation period does not deserve to be re-elected and that includes Finance Chairman John Friend, CPA?…we encourage Councilman Friend to be strong, be vocal, and to see his call for due diligence through?
Brilliant idea CCO. Giving away the Center as an incentive is an absolute stroke of genius.
Don’t hold your breath until the morons that run Evansville get on board with this.
I agree with you. This idea is off the charts brilliant. I wonder who thought of this. There is no way something this creative came from the City of Evansville. It is simple and it would work for everyone.
Not only does this brilliance ensure City officials didn’t think of it, it also pretty much ensures they won’t consider it either, e.g. auctioning Roberts and adopting meterless water billing.
Excellent Is it True!
I talked to a State Board auditor. Same old song and dance. They don’t reconcile and no one in the Controller’s Office knows what they are doing. They are letting their “internal auditor” run the show. She barely has a good enough diploma and is not really an internal auditor. They’ve spent millions on this software and they’ve yet to balance. Mainly because they had to “dumb it down” so the buffoons could use it. But how dare they report that the City isn’t doing their jobs? Rumplebeancounter and McClintock are above them, so they think!
Mantis,
Are you stating that the SBOA Audit for 2012 has ALEADY started ?? I was told by a guy who would know that it doesn’t get kicking until 9/1 ???
Harold
I saw a few more than usual running around the third floor and heading towards the basement. I’ve seen Airhead, Heifer, the elder Heifer, and Sheldon Cooper all within the past few weeks. Their boss dude looks more like he doesn’t want to be there everyday!
The contents of those boxes at Mesker are the chairs from Robert’s Stadium. Was just up there and noticed that is what is in the boxes.
Didn’t the City promise the Zoo use of the Mesker Amphitheater for possible expansion? Perhaps this was just a suggestion. I also remember that seats were supposed to be dedicated from Roberts Stadium for that use too. It could easily serve a dual purpose for use by the zoo and as a rental if given to the right hands.
The contents of the boxes at Mesker needs to be addressed by Wnnecke directly. I’ve heard speculation they’re full of asbestos from the Roberts demo. If they’re full of Roberts seating, that’s definitely better than asbestos, but some explanation of this Mayor’s plans surrounding a structure coming up on its 80th Anniversary is long overdue. I intend to call the Mayor’s office daily until such a plan is publicly released. I hope many others will join me. We cannot simply allow neglect to destroy what belongs to our kids.
The government quite simply needs to get out of the entertainment business, and the real estate business, and all the other “markets” that are traditionally filled by private enterprise.
Government needs to return to the smaller, more streamlined provider of essential benefits that are “necessary” to the function of a city or county government.
It is not “necessary”, as a citizen of Evansville, that government tax revenue provide me the opportunity to see Barry Manilow.
Government was never meant to be invested with the power to decide who will be the winners and who will be the losers in the business community.
On Thursday Svengali will again show you who is running things in Evansville. There may even be some light entertainment whereby a couple of those who draw short straws will actually vote against the proposal. But never forget that the final outcome of the vote is not in any way in jeopardy.
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You know what? I agree with you! Goverment should stick to roads and bridges, schools, water, sewage, police, fire protection, etc.
On the winners and losers thing? Meh. Just think if Obama had a NASA like project to find the fastest, most efficient solar cell instead of subsidizing Solydra. Handing out grants or prize money to the winners wouldn’t be so bad. Just a thought.
I do think that the city has some vested interest in providing the citizens of Evansville some sort of stadium/entertainment venue, but yeah providing the whole thing is really stretching it way too far.
Shiloh, Illinois:
Has a population of less than 8,000.
The median income for a household in the village was $57,692, and the median income for a family was $67,054. Males had a median income of $42,083 versus $30,843 for females. The per capita income for the village was $25,550. About 6.1% of families and 7.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 11.1% of those under age 18 and 1.6% of those age 65 or over.
Boom or bust? I would say gambling has done for the citizens of Shiloh about the same thing it has done for the citizens of Evansville.
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If it is only the roberts seats up there, you need a jump to conclusions mat for your office.
The question had been asked for weeks with no answer. One paragraph in IIT and voila we now have an answer. Sometimes it takes making a conclusion to extract an answer from those who do not practice transparency. Quite frankly someone was actually told by the Mayor’s office recently that the Roberts seating was not suitable for outside use. My how that story changed this morning.
Ok, but assuming they’d put some kind of hazardous waste on the stage at the Mesker Amphitheatre just seems odd. Why would they haul it way out there? If they wanted to sneakily get rid of hazardous waste that’s an odd place to put it.
Actually our readers suggested that when they saw the pictures so we asked the question. The answers came when we published IIT.
I was told by Sheila in the Mayor’s office yesterday that she did not know where those Roberts Stadium seats were, but was graciously going to try to find me an answer. I never heard back from her, but according to some here today who got a closer look, they are indeed the Roberts seats. That is the good news. The bad news is the poor state of the paint, the trees and vines growing out of the structure, and the weeds and grass growing on the roof of the structure, coupled with the fact that the Stadium seats are still in boxes on the stage rather than assembled and installed, tells me there may be other intentions with Mesker we’re simply not being told about. I sincerely hope this isn’t the case.
Sheila did tell me during the course of our conversation that according to her understanding, the Roberts Stadium seats were not put into place because they were deemed unsuitable for outdoor venues. I did not understand this at the time because to the best of my recollection the seats are of polymer construction.
I have been talking to some other people who are keen to see Mesker restored about approaching the Mayor to get approval to use volunteer labor to renovate Mesker, to solve the weed problem, cut down the trees, take care of the painting, and install the seating. We are hoping to get an audience with the Mayor to discuss options. Anyone keen to join in the effort, please email me: bradlinzy@gmail.com
Subject Hotel—Editors & Commenter’s–Are you guys joking? If not, you guys sure are outside the box–you are in another world if I understand your suggested plan correctly.
The Hotel Company wants to limit their investment in Evansville to $36.5 million. Your self described “simple and elegant plan”, wants the Hotel Company to pay the City’s part $ 37.5 million plus also assume the debt of the Centre because you are going to give them deed. That would put the Hotel Company way over $75 million when thet want to limit their investment to $36.5 million.
Is that your “simple and elegant plan”?
Are you saying the debt on the Centre is more than the cost to build it. If so that is not only newsworthy it implies that it has been refinanced before. Even if the City and County had to retire the debt on the Centre, it would be better than continuing to service debt on a non-performing asset and borrow $37.5 Million to gift to the Samaritans who are willing to accept it and build a hotel. Yes, this is our simple and elegant plan. Get rid of a loser while getting what the Mayor thinks will save the city without adding debt.
For a deal to consummated, two parties must agree. Each party must believe it was a good deal for them. Your “simple and elegant plan might be good for the City but certainly not good for the Hotel Company.
I have some under performing assets. I will sell them to you at my initial/building cost. Would you like to buy them?
This dog is not going to hunt. Need a new plan.
The Centre may not under perform under new ownership. This dog may not be allowed to hunt by administrations that seek control without financial performance but it could just work for the people of Evansville if it is on the table for discussion.
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