Letter to the Editor Regarding the Downtown Hotel & RFP’s in General

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Dear Editor:

As a concerned citizen, I fail to understand the logic of how the Mayor, City Council, and Evansville Redevelopment Commission is going about selecting a hotel builder for the downtown area. RFP’s were sent to a select group of prospective builders of hotels, and three proposals were received. The RFP’s have been cloaked in secrecy as to content, costs, and even who returned them.

The CCO is reporting that the Mayor has selected one builder, but that is also under lock and key until the Mayor has a chance to talk with each council member, one-on-one. Excuse me if I seem cynical, but this behind-closed-doors deals reeks of improprieties. If the Mayor needs to sell this project to the Council, would it not be prudent and above board to appear at a public City Council meeting and address the issue, make a recommendation, then let the Council be a part of the final decision?

I do not agree with RFP’s. That is just a SNEAGAL way of getting around bidding out a project.

Chuck Weisling

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3 COMMENTS

  1. Exactly! I think they have basically conceded that they always make the wrong decision. That’s why we ALWAYS get half-truths that are void of the opportunity costs that are lost when an inferior decision is made.

    We were never given the opportunity cost of losing a paid off arena when the ball fields were up for approval, we were never given the opportunity costs for a better route and/or a completely different mode of transportation when the new interstate was up for approval, and now we are not allowed to see the different competing hotel proposals to see which one is better.

    If Winnecke, Weinzapfel, the ECVB, the chamber, and all of the other failing city leaders are so convinced in their decisions, why do they always run yelling and screaming from the the counter proposals?

  2. A representative from the Mayor’s office should schedule an appearance before city council at which time it should be stated what the mayor would like to do and what he will be asking the council to do.

    There should be no individual arm twisting of city council members going on, and besides, that looks to much like a serial meeting. City council members should just decline such meetings with the mayor by saying that if the discussion is going to be about something the city council will be voting on, then I would rather you discuss it with the full council in attendance.

    Not doing things in this manner is what gave us the Earthcare fiasco.

    ___

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