IS IT TRUE August 20, 2013

1. Further Evidence that Evansville is a “Crooked LITTLE town”!
   Free Speech is under assault in Evansville!
   VERY DISTURBING! VERY TROUBLING!
   Next? As this New LOW hit’s the population?
   We can expect the “Not Me”s to flow like the sludge from the Combined Sewers from the politicos.

   • Don’t be surprised, this is the outfit that refuses to pay a local contractor for their work tearing down the Executive Inn Garage and then will be giving the property to some panhandlers out of Missouri and threatened that if they sue, no more contracts from them. Gangland tactics? Then, of course, let’s not forget about the McGladrey Scandal, remember the denial that a report existed, and, when quailed out, the censorship from the media. One would think we are living back in the Richard M. Nixon era. What’s next, we have the secret society called the Evansville Regional Business Committee headed up by our own Ed Hafer, remember Eddie, the guy who allegedly received south of a million dollars on Russ Lloyd’s downtown baseball deal and now the President of the Evansville Redevelopment Commission spear heading the Hotel. Well, Nixon had his “Plumbers” and this Administration has its secret society. Wake up Evansville!!!

     • inquiringminds–You need to use your inquiring mind to check out the facts before attempting to smear the City.

       Example: The City did not have a contract with the local contractor (Klenk) to tear down/cleanup the Executive Inn mess. The local contractor (Klenk) had a contract with Martin Woodruff Hospitality. If Klenk was not paid, it is not the City who owes the bill.

       Your other comments are not accurate or on point.

       • The work was done on City land and the City benefited. They should pay. Isn’t that called aiding and abetting theft? The jerks even stole artwork from a website yesterday. No morals in the bowels of the Winnecke Administration. Didn’t Weinzapfel rob Klenck? Wayne why are you lying to cover Weinzapfel’s ass? I didn’t know you loved him too.

         • Yoda–What is inaccurate about my statement above? If the City owes a bill they should pay for it. In this case, they do not legally owe Klenk. I hate it he did work and did not get paid for it. Hopefully he will get paid.

           I am certainly not trying to help Weinzapfel.

           As far as the website matter is concerned that was a bad idea/joke. I see the pro-hotel site has been modified and the initial artwork used has been removed and new material put in its place.

           • SNEAKY but Legal

2. Not to be reported in the C/P.

3. Is it true…..That in the legal notices today the Evansville-Vanderburgh School Corporation is seeking an Additional Appropriation to their budget of $4.million?

   ____

   “The foregoing appropriation is in addition to all appropriations provided for in the existing budget and tax levy, and a need for such appropriation exists by reason of the inadequacy of the present buildings to provide necessary school facilities in the school corporation.”

   ____

   Didn’t they just blow through $149.million in Bertram’s Strategic Initiative? Do they not have an energy savings contract for the corporation’s buildings? Do they not have a declining enrollment?

   I would hope that the Department of Local Government Finance would not have any trouble with turning this request for an additional appropriation down.

   ___

4. Which local politician went through somebody’s trash?

   • We used the word alleged for both garbage digging and sign theft because we had many calls and emails during the last city elections about such things. No one ever produced a picture or filed a charge but both sides made multiple allegations. Believe me, if we had been handed a picture of either it would have been published. This Facebook artwork theft is absolutely real and in the person who created its face. We do not know who did it, but anyone can see who “like”s it.

     • Well who “allegedly” did the trash diving? I knew about the signs.

       • I can vouch for the sign theft at the polling places. I spent 9 1/2 hours putting signs up at polling places for the Libertarian Party (from 5Pm-2:30AM), and when I went to the polls the next morning, nearly every sign in Evansville was either moved or stolen. In each of the spots that our signs were at had recently placed Bucshon and Romney signs. I didn’t make a huge deal about it, and did not filed any charges, just simply emailed the Republican Party and asked for the ones back that were taken. Never heard anything.

         • Bart, same think happened in 1992. Signs from any third party were stolen and thrown away. Pretty standard practice.

           Brent

       • We can’t disclose who as it is much like the signs. The one(s) who made the accusations did not make said accusations personal. Both major parties were at the other end of the pointing fingers. We even offered a reward for the sign thieves and had no takers.

5. Are we going to head down this road?

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

   City of Branson

   5 Year Report on Tax Increment Financing

   http://bransonmo.gov/reports/financial/5yeartif.pdf

   __

6. A project conceived in controversy:

   http://bransonmissouri.missourinetizen.com/2012/12/city-of-branson-intervenes-in-branson.html

   __

7. HCW hotel project is a done deal – HCW already has Evansville downtown hotel project on their website. If anyone opposes or questions the expenditure, they are labeled as being “anti-Evanville” – City Council will approve it. It’s all about politicians adding city improvements” to “revitalize” a dying downtown on their resume for the next rung on their political ladder. Doesn’t matter if development is unnecessary or diverts much needed funds that should be allocated for betterment of existing public properties/services.
   Isn’t the current administration was Republican, which decries the use of public funds for just about anything. If there is such a demanding need for this type of hotel downtown, why aren’t there venture capitalists lining up with proposals? And isn’t the Casino a fairly nice downtown hotel?

   I’m fairly new to Evansville, and I just don’t get it. What am I missing?

   • This has been on the HCW website since January.

8. Never fear, you got the Airhead and her dream team of rookies on the audit this year. This bunch of non-CPA’s will find all of the City’s problems. Saw Cowabunga waxing his surfboard in the Civic Center parking lot this morning!

   • Don’t forget about the Heifer. Impolite and arrogant. Can you say “Moo!”

9. I sure hope Councilman Friend makes sure the $1.5 million allocated for Roberts Park is thrown out of the budget. He has said nothing either way so I’m kind of nervous he may have forgotten about it, and it could slip past the council.

   This is a total waste that needs to be thrown out on Day 1.

   • Agreed. Plus, he needs to make sure that Mesker has the funds it needs to be preserved and stabilized. I have already asked the Mayor for a meeting to discuss gaining access to Mesker to clean up and do some painting using 100% volunteers. The roof on at least one structure will need to be replaced. There is grass growing on it, and it’s likely been leaking for some time. He has told me he would call and schedule a meeting. I’m still waiting for that meeting.

     • And here I was under the impression that we should sell these facilities when they need work.

       Although Mesker’s estimate is on the minimum side of $9.7 million (a figure that is over double the Roberts estimate) all the way up to $15.7 million before you even consider luxury boxes that would have to be the main source of revenue (that would tack on another 6.2-11.8 mil), it is still within a saving condition.

       Depending on what you use it for, it too should be eligible for Innkeepers Tax funds. But the ECVB is currently on track to basically deplete most of that if they build these ball fields at Goebel (did you get my message about that on facebook?)and ignore those who can get national grants for the project.

       Yes, it’s going to cost several mil to fix, but that’s the price you pay to build a city. Just like it would have been with Roberts which would have already had over 80% of its financing if the two mil from the ecvb for the hotel and the 1.5 mil for this park were allocated for it instead. The rest would have come through naming rights, fundraisers, and private donations/auctions.

       • Selling Mesker would be preferable to letting it fall in on itself and become overgrown. At least then it would be developed and something would come of it, rather than it just sitting there.

         The difference is, getting Mesker up to scratch would cost far less than it would have cost to get Roberts up to scratch. Mesker is an outdoor amphitheatre also, and wouldn’t be a “surplus” property. It has features that distinguish it from Roberts and Ford.

         I think we can both agree spending on Mesker would be far preferable to spending on a dog park at Roberts. We should prioritize.

         • Completely agree that funding Mesker is a much better idea than funding a lousy dog and “the great yawn”.

           Completely disagree on that idea that Mesker was cheaper to renovate or more versatile than Roberts. Don’t get me wrong, I fully support Mesker, but it is certainly not in a better situation than Roberts.

           The costs to renovate Roberts was $4-4.5 mil. This included the roof, the HVAC, general maintenance (Bill Nix tells me this included the locker rooms and bathrooms), demo’ing the precast concrete above street level, etc, etc.

           Even if you add the entire 25 year replacement of the central plant system (estimated to be 5 mil by HNTB), it would only come to 9-9.5 mil which is still less than the min for Mesker. Furthermore, Roberts had at least three anchor tenants interested in it, it had two arena management companies interested in it, it had a citizen who has worked in D.C for FEMA/Red Cross for over 20 years willing to help obtain funds to make it a disaster relief area, and one official in the Winnecke admin told me confidentially that the BA had been approached from multiple organizations wanting to rent the parking lots.

           Mr. Parke loves telling us that we need to bring in conventions with this new hotel. Well, why shouldn’t we have supported down sizing Roberts and demolishing the precast concrete to bring in large trade shows (i.e Boat Show) that cannot go in the Centre?

           Also, Roberts was not a surplus property if it “wasn’t distinguishable from the Ford Center”. Saying a mid-sized Roberts was identical to the Ford Center was like saying Blue is like Orange because they are both colors. None of the tenants interested in Roberts could afford the FC. Likewise, tenants like the Icemen and premier concerts could not use Roberts Stadium, no matter what the city tries telling you. It just wasn’t physically possible.

10. I really hope the amphitheater will be saved.

    It is unique in that it is an open air venue that has seen many uses over the years. Why is it that when the city allows a property to deteriorate year after year they then feel justified to destroy it?

    This property has always been a popular site that has strong ties to the west side and beyond. I’m quite surprised there hasn’t been more debate.

    Adding ‘luxury boxes’ for the special people would ruin the ambiance of Mesker. Let them keep their luxury boxes at Ford and wherever else. Actually, venues that are paid for from our taxes aren’t necessarily there to make a profit. They are there for our enjoyment as taxpayers.

    Do we need to show citizen outrage? Do we need a facebook page? What?

Comments are closed.