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IS IT TRUE August 12, 2013

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Mole #3 Nostradamus of Local Politics
Mole #3 Nostradamus of Local Politics

IS IT TRUE the City County Observer Mole Nation reports that the Edmund L. Hafer, Chairman of the Evansville Redevelopment Commission is also President of Evansville Regional Business Committee located at in a plush Executive office at One Vectren Square on the Seventh floor of the Vectren building?…we wonder who are the other members that serve of the Evansville Regional Business Committee located in the Vectren headquarters building happen to be and just what contributions to local prosperity this rather secretive group has made?…we wonder who is subsidizing the entire operation of the Evansville Regional Business Committee?…we wonder would appoints members to serve on the Evansville Regional Business Committee?…we also wonder what the mission of this group is and how they have been able to operate in such a stealth manner for so long? ….we wonder if this committee is registered with the IRS and whether they are for profit or a non-profit entity? …our readers look forward to either Mr. Hafer and/or Vectren’s response to just why this difficult to Google group merits accommodations in the showcase floor of a company that enjoys a monopoly over electric and gas utilities in SW Indiana?

IS IT TRUE the recent readers polls in the CCO have been solidly against the City Council voting to borrow money to give to an out of town hotel developer without a sufficient amount of time to thoroughly VET the project?…by a margin of 3 to 1 our readers agreed with the statement that the ERC is a lapdog organization for the Mayor of Evansville?…our readers also voted by a 3 to 1 margin that the City Council should not even vote on funding the hotel until 45 days after the end of the 2012 audit of the City of Evansville’s accounts?…the current poll at the time of this writing is running 5 to 1 in favor of the City Council waiting until 45 days after they have a copy of the entire business plan including critical assumptions and a pro forma for the hotel project has been in their possession to evaluate?…Councilman Al Lindsey did sponsor a resolution during the last year to strip the ERC of any ability to obligate the City of Evansville to any spending period unless pre-authorized by the City Council to do so?…this will be the subject of tomorrow’s poll?

IS IT TRUE the ERC is nothing but an appointed commission with enough mayoral appointments to turn it into an alter-ego of the Mayor whomever that is at a given time?…during the last 5 years the ERC has authorized the purchase of a $603,000 parking lot that sold for $125,000 at auction, supported Mayor Weinzapfel in his McCurdy ambitions that fell flat on their face, authorized three different hotel deals without doing sufficient VETTING of the companies on the Mayor’s preferred list, and managed the cash flow for the construction of Ford Center after biting hook line and sinker on a pro-forma that had the Ford Center profitable by now including servicing the debt?…the ERC has even had to endure the indignity of seeing one of the appointed members caught up in an alleged money laundering scheme for drug money?…in all honesty we cannot think of one damn thing the ERC has made an informed and competent decision on in the last 5 years?…it is time to just disband this appointed commission of puppets for the Mayor of the month and let the City Council assume these responsibilities?…if you agree with this premise the CCO would appreciate it very much if you would let your City Council member and all three of the at-large council members know this by phone or email today?

IS IT TRUE that prudent policy would be to vote on Councilman Al Lindsey’s resolution to clip the wings of the ERC before bringing any other funding vote to the floor for discussion?…the CCO believe it or not does recognize that a convention hotel will aid Evansville in bringing conventions to town?…we also recognize that conventions are going the way of the buggy whip and vinyl records?…there are still some stodgy old fogeys around who do the convention thing but the internet, “go to meeting”, and social media are rendering expensive travel to attend conventions obsolete?…attendance at conventions are down all over America but communication is increasing?…we therefore question the rationality that conventions are a significant enough economic force today or in the future to merit handing $37.5 Million of taxpayer dollars to a hotelier on the basis that the Centre will make up for that cost in new convention revenue?…the Centre lost money when the Executive Inn was open and run fairly well and will continue to do so with or without a new hotel?…for these reasons learned people in the financial spectrum need to do a thorough job of VETTING the payback to the City of Evansville in terms of real new tax dollars before proceeding with this project?…the case for this is not made because if it was we would not need tax dollars to make it happen?…the recent excuse of every other city does it does not hold water either?…we challenge those who use that argument to show us one that has worked with a 10 year track record of real results?…we don’t think they will be coming forth with any example of success?

Hafer email states that ERC voted for hotel without current financial projections or assumptions

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Ed Hafer, Evansville Redevelopment Commission
Ed Hafer, Evansville Redevelopment Commission

Evansville Redevelopment Commissioner Ed Hafer in an email to City Council Budget Chairman John Friend, CPA admits that the ERC voted unanimously in favor of the downtown hotel project without having current projections and pro-formas from the developer. An excerpt from the correspondence from Hafer to Friend is as follows

“With respect to the information you are seeking; I believe you are under the
impression that I have far more information than I actually have. All I have are
early projections as to the hotel operations and a one page pro-forma that was
completed in February that is very close to the final room count, but I do not
know if it conforms to their latest assumptions with regard to occupancy rates,
room rates, expenses etc.”

To Which Councilman Friend Responded as follows:

“Ed

Not sure if you received my email concerning confirmation that I can meet
with Rick Huffman tomorrow at 1 pm at my office. During our meeting with the
Mayor, last Tuesday morning, when I asked for the Business Plan, you pointed to
reports in front of you and indicated that you would have to speak with Rick
Huffman about releasing what clearly appeared to be an extension document. Now,
you are indicating that you do not have a comprehensive document, in some
circles a private prospectus and in others, a Business Plan. Please don’t tell
me that the ERC would take up such a multi-millions dollar project without the
benefit of receiving the comprehensive business plan, with pro forma information
over at least three years, the assumptions and assertions, management team
expertise, those sort of things. If this is the case, obviously, this would be
outside of the definition of “Best Business Practices” Please note that I will
be expecting to receive a comprehensive business [prospectus] Plan with all the
necessary assumptions, etc. therein tomorrow from Mr. Huffman…. Thanks, John

Forbidding the ERC from Spending Anything without Council Approval, Councilman Lindsey Sponsored Ordinance to do so

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City Councilman Al Lindsey
City Councilman Al Lindsey

ORDINANCE – G-2012- SPONSOR: LINDSEY COMMITTEE: ASD

AN ORDINANCE OF THE COMMON COUNCIL OF THE CITY
OF EVANSVILLE, INDIANA, AMENDING CHAPTER 2.50
ADDING SECTION 2.50.041 OF THE EVANSVILLE CITY CODE

WHEREAS, the City of Evansville, Indiana, has previously established the Evansville Redevelopment Commission; and

WHEREAS, the Common Council of the City of Evansville, as the fiscal and legislative body of the City wishes to affirm its role of fiscal oversight while assisting the Evansville Redevelopment Commission in continuing its redevelopment efforts,

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED by the City Council of the City of Evansville,
Indiana, that:

SECTION 1. Chapter 2.50 of the Evansville Municipal Code shall be amended to add the following
Section:

“Section 2.50.041 Redevelopment Commission

A. The following definitions apply throughout this section.

1) “Affiliate” means any person, board, body or entity subject in any
manner to the direct or indirect influence, control, appointment or
direction of the Redevelopment Commission.

2) “Obligation” means any bond, note, warrant, lease, synthetic lease, agreement, swap, derivative, hedge, installment purchase contract, grant, either directly or through a third party or other structure or instrument under which money is borrowed, or revenue is leveraged.

3) “Public Funds” means all fees, payments, tax receipts and funds of whatever kind of character coming into the possession of the Redevelopment Commission.

B. The Redevelopment Commission may not enter into any obligation, directly or in combination with or through any affiliate, payable from public funds, secured by public funds or guaranteed by public funds without first obtaining the approval, by Ordinance or Resolution, of the Common Council of the City of Evansville.

C. The Redevelopment Commission may not enter into an obligation payable from public funds, unless the Redevelopment Commission first obtains the approval of the Common Council of the City of Evansville as provided in subsection B. The approving Ordinance or Resolution of the Common Council of the City of Evansville must include the following:

1) The maximum amount of the obligation.

2) The maximum interest rate or rates, any provisions for redemption
before maturity, and any provisions for the payment of capitalized
interest associated with the obligation.

SECTION 2. The sections, paragraphs, sentences, clauses and phrases of this Ordinance are
separable, and if any phrase, clause, sentence, paragraph or section of this Ordinance shall be declared unconstitutional, invalid or unenforceable by the valid judgment or decree of a court of competent jurisdiction, and such unconstitutionality, invalidity or unenforceability shall not affect any of the remaining phrases, clauses, sentences, paragraphs and sections of this Ordinance.

SECTION 3. In construing or interpreting this Ordinance, the construction or interpretation that resolves any doubts, ambiguities or conflicts shall be applied and adopted which resolves all questions of application, authority or oversight in favor of the Common Council of the City of Evansville and preserves or extends the Council’s authority.

SECTION 4. This Ordinance shall be effective after its passage by the Common Council,
signature of the Mayor, and such publication as is required by law.

EPD Activity Report_August 10, 2013

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EPD PATCH 2012

EPD Activity Report_August 10, 2013

Winnecke Makes his Hotel Case on YouTube

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Princeton Review Names UE Among the “Best in the Midwest”

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UElogo

 

The University of Evansville is among the top colleges in the Midwest, according to education services company The Princeton Review. UE is one of 155 schools The Princeton Review recommends in the “Best in the Midwest” section of its website feature, “2014 Best Colleges: Region by Region,” posted today on PrincetonReview.com.

“We’re pleased to recommend the University of Evansville to users of our site as one of the best schools to earn their undergrad degrees. We chose UE as one of our ‘regional best’ colleges mainly for its excellent academic programs,” said Robert Franek, The Princeton Review’s senior vice president/publisher. “From several hundred schools in each region, we winnowed our list based on institutional data we collected directly from the schools, our visits to schools over the years, and the opinions of our staff, plus college counselors and advisors whose recommendations we invite. We also take into account what students at the schools reported to us.”

Comments from surveyed students are quoted in the school profiles on The Princeton Review site. University of Evansville students listed outstanding academic programs, personal connections with faculty members, and strong international programs (including study abroad and on-campus cultural engagement opportunities) as some of the most meaningful aspects of their college experience. One student called UE “a place where you will know all of your faculty and the faculty will know you and really care about you, a place where you can really talk to your professors about anything from work, to life, to your future.”

The 155 colleges that The Princeton Review chose for its “Best in the Midwest” list are located in 12 states. The Princeton Review also designated colleges in the Northeast, West, and Southeast as best in their locales. Collectively, the 643 colleges named “regional best(s)” constitute about 25 percent of the nation’s 2,500 four-year colleges. For this feature, the Princeton Review does not rank colleges hierarchically or in various categories.

 

Annual Day on the Bus event slated for August 13

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Prepared by Reghan Wetzel, communications intern in the Center for Applied Research and Economic Development

Article Photo

Over 50 faculty and staff members from the University of Southern Indiana, University of Evansville, Ivy Tech Community College, and Vincennes University will meet on Tuesday, August 13 for the annual Day on the Bus event. Hosted by all four institutions, Day on the Bus takes educators out of the classroom to get a look into big organizations and industries in the region, gaining insight into their specific challenges, how they operate, and what they look for in future employees.Sponsored by Old National Bank, Day on the Bus 2013 will focus on industries “here, near, and far away.” This year’s participating organizations will include Old National Bank, Berry Plastics, Flanders Electric, and the Ford Center as they represent homegrown organizations that also have a state, national, and global impact.

The purpose of the event is to promote long lasting collaboration business to university and university to university. This unique experience gives educators the chance to network with peers from other institutions and identify potential research projects they could not have known about from their campuses.

While the majority of students who attend USI, UE, Ivy Tech Community College, and VU are from this area, many of the educators are not. Day on the Bus gives the participants the opportunity to learn about the community they live in, and better prepare their students for employment in the region.

To date, over 400 faculty and staff members have participated in Day on the Bus. Some organizations that have participated in the past include Kimball International, Holiday World and Splashin’ Safari, Toyota Motor Manufacturing Indiana, Alcoa, Berry Plastics, St. Mary’s, Shoe Carnival, and Vectren.

For more information on Day on the Bus, contact USI’s Center for Applied Research and Economic Development at 812/228-5180 or appliedresearch@usi.edu.

Deaconess Recognized as “Most Wired”

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Deaconess1
In the July issue of Hospital’s and Health Networks Magazine (H&HN), Deaconess Health System was the only regional hospital recognized as one of 2013’s “Most Wired.” This recognition is the result of the magazine’s Health Care’s Most Wired Survey, conducted between January 15 and March 15, 2013. The survey asked hospitals and health systems nationwide to answer questions regarding their IT initiatives.

Deaconess received top honors thanks to our progressive approach to technology in the health care setting. The foundation of our digital strategy is early and successful implementation of a robust Electronic Medical Record system (EMR). This system improves operational, financial, and clinical performance throughout the entire continuum of care. It also enables us to significantly increase patient safety by creating alarms and alerts for potential medication interactions, linking hospital data back to the patient’s doctor, and safeguarding personal health information.

“Healthcare has historically lagged behind other industries in the adoption and use of technology. Our health system continues to be ahead of the curve because the Information Systems Department at Deaconess accepted a challenge from our leaders years ago to embrace health information technology and make it a meaningful part of how we provide care,” says Dr. Dan Edelman, Chief Medical Information Officer. He continues, “At the end of the day, our technology standardizes health care tasks. This allows the care givers to spend less time hunting for information, and more time caring for you.”

Survey respondents completed 659 surveys, representing 1,713 hospitals, or roughly 30 percent of all U.S. hospitals. Deaconess received this same recognition in July 2012, and earned Stage 7 HIMSS status in early 2012. HIMMS Analytics® tracks the rate of adoption of EMR by identifying 8 stages of completion. Stage 7 is considered the pinnacle of an environment where paper charts are no longer used to deliver patient care.

Pulmonary Support Group to hold picnic fundraiser

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st marys logo

St. Mary’s Pulmonary Support Group will hold a picnic fundraiser Saturday, August 17th from 11:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. at American Baptist East Fellowship Hall, located at 6300 Washington Avenue in Evansville.

The event will include bingo games, a K9 demonstration from the Evansville Police Department, jewelry making, a Tai Chi class, a cornhole competition, live music by The Fraley’s, and lots of great door prizes, including a big door prize drawing at 2pm. Those attending the picnic are encouraged to bring an item from their home to include in a White Elephant auction and a homemade dessert to enter into a competition.

The cost is $10 per person, $18 per couple, or $30 for a family of four and includes a two-piece chicken meal complete with mashed potatoes and gravy, macaroni and cheese, green beans, a dinner roll, dessert, and a beverage. All proceeds benefit the St. Mary’s Pulmonary Rehab Support Group, which offers educational and social opportunities for adults diagnosed with lung diseases.

To reserve your tickets, please call 812-485-5230. Payment is required with reservation.

Campaign to Name Art Gallery for Renowned Artist, Educator

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EVSC

              In honor of his service to North High School, and the countless number of students influenced and encouraged in their artistic and athletic abilities, the EVSC Office of Development is kicking off a campaign to raise money to establish the Jon Michael Siau Art Gallery at North High School. Siau retired from North High School in May, following 42 years of teaching and coaching.

The goal of the campaign is to raise $75,000. The net proceeds, after signage is created and other related expenditures, will be allocated primarily to the Visual Arts Program at North High School. Also, at Siau’s request, a modest amount will be allocated for Harper Elementary School which Siau attended; a scholarship for his alma mater – Harrison High School; and funding for a district-wide process to ensure all students reach their full potential.

“Jon epitomizes the characteristics of the involved and respected teacher, coach, and mentor – who engages students in and outside the classroom,” said EVSC Superintendent David Smith.

Co-chairs of the campaign, former North High School Principal Brenda Weber, Siau’s elementary school principal Mattie Miller, and classmate and friend from Harper Elementary School and Harrison High School Becky Dumes, say Siau’s fingerprint is evident throughout the community and its people. “Jon was born, raised, educated, worked and has lived in Evansville his entire life. His love of Evansville is reflected in all of his accomplishments and how he has “given back” to Evansville in every aspect of his life,” Dumes said.

“It is now time to recognize Jon for all of his efforts in offering the EVSC community-especially his students- his personal best. He has – and continues to be – an educator, friend, coach, mentor, artist, citizen, motivator and life coach to the citizens of Evansville, no matter the age or the situation. He always has a kind, encouraging word for all and focuses on moving forward and not looking back.

I don’t think many people realize the time and effort he has brought to his students in making them a priority. He has personally delivered artwork to out-of-area locations so his students’ projects could be delivered safe and sound for judging. If a financial situation might have prevented students from participating in an important art or sporting event, Jon made sure those students had the same opportunities as everyone else. Jon’s continued acts of devotion and generosity to his students, family, and friends cannot be matched.”

Siau taught visual arts at North High School. He also coached various athletic teams over the years including golf, track, girls tennis, and cross country, encouraging his students to strive to be the best at whatever their endeavor.

“Teachers like Jon Siau never give up on a child. They believe every child, regardless of race, income, or zip code, can achieve high standards in school,” said Margaret Spellings, former U.S. Secretary of Education when Siau was named  the recipient of the American Star of Teaching award out of 60,000 candidates in the United States in 2006 by the U.S. Department of Education.

Mattie Miller remembered Siau as a student at Harper Elementary School. His talents were evident then, as she remembered reading stories to him and his drawing pictures of what she was reading – one in particular from “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” has hung on a wall in her home for years and still gives her goose bumps. About the person he became following the early years at Harper, Miller said “he is an outstanding individual. Not only because of his talents and skills and the long time he has spent at North as a teacher. It may be because he IS a teacher, one of those individuals who has done so much for his students and for our community.”

“We had a strong relationship – not only me, but with my husband and my son – Jon’s just a great human being. He’s that way not only with his former teachers, but carriers it over to his students.    He cares about all of his students, and the older people,” Miller continued. “We can’t capture in words what Jon has done to help not only himself in his art and skills, but others.”

Brenda Weber was the principal at North High School for many of the years that Jon taught. She agreed that Jon has done much for the community. “Jon is so deserving of this honor,” Weber said. Teaching for Jon was not just a job or a career — it was his passion. He was a teacher, 24-7, 52 weeks a year.  We are talking about raising this money in honor of Jon, but I know he has spent at least that much on students over the years.  He always provided for students who needed something.  Maybe it was supplies… maybe it was a tux for the prom. Whatever was needed, he was there – helping any way he could.”

Anyone interested in donating to the Jon Michael Siau Art Gallery campaign, may do so by going to the EVSC Foundation’s secure website at evscfoundation.org or by mailing a check made payable to EVSC Foundation, to 951 Walnut Street, Evansville IN 47713.

Questions may be directed to Sandy Chamness at 812-435-0970.

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