IS IT TRUE that on first examination that the Johnson Controls deal that is adding $51.3 Million to the debt of the City of Evansville but has been advertised to be FREE since it is paying for itself with so called “savings” does not appear to be doing that at all?…that much of the “savings” is actually projected to be increased water and sewer bills to the people of Evansville because our old meters are alleged to be measuring incorrectly to the low side meaning that we have all be using more water than we are being charged for?…that just over $30 Million of the $51 Million that will be borrowed and spent will be for new and better meters that will enable the City of Evansville to measure our water use at higher levels than it has been so we pay more for water?…that maybe this is legitimate and maybe it is not?…that the City of Evansville should publish the test results that were used to determine that the meters that we have now are under reporting water use and let the people of Evansville make this decision?…that if we have indeed used more than we have been paying for that it should be reflected in higher rates?…that maybe a downward rate adjustment is in order if we have been paying for the wrong volume of water?…that we encourage the Winnecke Administration to investigate this thoroughly before going ahead with this contract which is by no means fully understood by the people that signed it and has a checkered performance record in other localities?

IS IT TRUE that the CCO staff and members of the “MOLE NATION” would like to announce that the “CCO AWARDS LUNCHEON” to be held at the Casino Aztar Walnut room on this coming Tuesday at noon has been totally sold out? …we are sorry that we couldn’t accept any additional reservations from interested citizens to attend this worthy event?…that next year we will expand this event to accommodate even a larger crowd?

IS IT TRUE that the City County Observer will be coming out with a list of the 10 things to get right in 2012 during the next few days?…that we are fully aware that things like consolidation, the state elections, the national elections, the transition to the Winnecke Administration, jobs, etc. are all worthy of being included?…that we would like to hear from our readers on what other items are worthy of being on the top 10 to get right in 2012 as we form our final list?…that we encourage you all to submit your entries to the comment line on this IS IT TRUE for the things that you think Evansville most needs to get right in 2012?

IS IT TRUE that there are four people that have thrown their hat into the ring to be selected to fill the vacancies on the Vanderburgh County Council?…that three of them are familiar as they are three Republican candidates for Evansville City Council during 2011?… that Alan Leibundguth, Michelle, Mercer, and Pete Swaim will be joined by newcomer Aaron Kendall in seeking to fill the openings?…that we wish them all wisdom and good luck in their quest to serve the public?

IS IT TRUE that the CCO wishes each and every one of our readers a Happy and Healthy New Year as we all continue to try to make Evansville a better place to live?…that in a short 24 hours the reign of Jonathan Weinzapfel will be over and that this publication shall never publish that name again?

IS IT TRUE that Mayor Elect Winnecke has once again taken an action that was true to his campaign words?…that yesterday Winnecke appointed a 15 person committee to determine the fate of Roberts Stadium?…that this committee will have at least 3 months to do their job and that there is currently no mention of any wrecking ball?…that Winnecke even had the presence of mind to appoint the #1 Save the Stadium advocate Jordan Baer to the committee?…that now is the time for ideas and investors who have real tangible solutions on what useful functions that Roberts can serve to step forward with proposals?…that if Roberts eventually has to meet the wrecking ball that Mayor Winnecke’s hands will be clean and the blame will simply be on either the lack of investment dollars or worthy ideas coming forward?

IS IT TRUE that Evansville icon Industrial Contractors has been sold to a Swedish Company?…that the familiar headquarters of ICI behind the Aztar parking garage is no longer under local ownership?…that sometimes an acquisition is the right thing for a business to take the next step up the growth curve and that we hope this joining of forces will turn out to be positive for the Braun family, the employees of ICI and its subsidiaries, and the Evansville region?

IS IT TRUE that the Sears and Roebucks Company has failed to change with the times and that it was recently announced that about 100 stores of the Sears and K-Mart brands would be shut down across America?…that Evansville is all out of K-Marts and down to one Sears from past shuttering efforts so it was no surprise that the anchor Sears store at the Washington Square Mall which is actually making a good comeback is not on the closure list?…that Sears may not be the fashion magnet that it was when we were kids but when it comes to appliances, tools, and tires, Sears is still a good and convenient choice?

IS IT TRUE that the Freedom of Information Act request with respect to the FREE $51 Million deal between Johnson Controls and the City of Evansville has finally borne fruit?…that yesterday after posting that the time to respond had passed that the CCO was contacted by the City and supplied with all that we asked for?…that all of the documents and presentation materials that are less that 2 MB are posted and available on the CCO and that we will gladly sent the 3 file over 200 page contract to anyone who makes a direct request to us?…that the pro-forma on the surface appears to project savings over the life of the equipment that exceed the cost of purchase and installation?…that nevertheless the City of Evansville does appear to have another $51 Million debt on its books with all of the monthly payments coming from “savings”?…that we are very interested to see how this plays out and what “savings” really means?

IS IT TRUE that the CCO is pleased to congratulate the University of Evansville Aces on a conference win over Southern Illinois last night at the Ford Center in front of a respectable crowd of 6,105 people?

IS IT TRUE that there are now only 2 days left in the Weinzapfel Administration?…that it seems as though the Water and Sewer Department that is administering the Johnson Controls contract is the new employer of choice for those close to the Weinzapfel Administration?…that we must say that some of these people are quite talented and that we congratulate them on finding a new place within the City of Evansville structure to keep working?

IS IT TRUE that the City County Observer would like to thank and congratulate Sara Miller and Jay Miller, both members of the Evansville Redevelopment Commission for their cognizant yet practical thoughts that lead them to vote “NO” yesterday on the McCurdy Hotel assignment and extension issue that was brought before them?…that the last four years would have gone much smoother if such deliberation and thinking would have prevailed for the whole time?…that going forward that the ERC needs to be a group of appointees all of whom are willing to think and vote to use the taxpayer’s dollars as they would use their own?

IS IT TRUE that yesterdays proposal made by Randal Lloyd on behalf of the newly formed McCurdy Development LLC essentially said this “I don’t know if your project is worth doing or not, I know it will cost $2 Million more than has been thought, I know that you ERC are in a bind, your project needs to be vetted, and I won’t even vet you unless you vote to assign the deal to me”?…that given such an open ended ultimatum that two members of the Evansville Redevelopment Commission, namely President Bob Goldman and Jody Phillips voted in favor of Lloyd’s ultimatum?…that calling a last hour special meeting to try and cram through a face saving deal for the Weinzapfel Administration just backfired in a 2 – 2 no-action vote but exposed the allegiances of two members of the ERC as face savers as opposed to stewards of the taxpayer’s money?…that we hope Mayor Elect Lloyd Winnecke will make a note of this as he contemplates on who should make good appointees to the 2012 ERC?

IS IT TRUE that attorney Marco DeLucio, City Councilman Elect Al Lindsey, City Councilwoman Elect Stephanie Brinkerhoff-Riley, and Rodney Witherspoon all spoke before the ERC to urge them to take some time and make a prudent decision?…that fortunately for the people of Evansville there were two members of the ERC who stood up and stopped the insanity of this four year saga?…that the CCO truly hopes that a real plan with a well funded and experienced developer comes forward to develop the McCurdy Hotel into something of beauty and significance early in 2012?…that this action will erase the four year failure of the boondoggle forever etched into the legacy of the Weinzapfel Administration from the memory of the people of Evansville?

IS IT TRUE that the CCO still stands beside our assertion that the highest and best use for the McCurdy Hotel is to be the Vintage Historic Hotel that it was meant to be?…that we hope that when this happens that the owners take better care of the painstaking renovations that the owners of the Victory Theatre have taken care of it?…that some of the beautiful restoration work in the Victory Theatre is beginning to peel and flake yet no budgets are allocated to maintain it and no discussions are held to talk about what needs to be done?…that the Victory Theatre is a big ticket deferred maintenance project about to happen?…that the Winnecke Administration would be well served to appoint a Minister of Maintenance to tabulate just how many neglected treasures that there are in the City of Evansville?…that the last four years has truly exposed how negligent the caretakers of the City of Evansville have been when it comes to taking care of the things that we have?