3rd Ward Republican Candidate Offers Position Paper

City Management: Compliance or Non-compliance?

The City and County elected officials will soon draft the budget for 2012. There is a lot of power in the purse, so we must be sure that our new budget is transparent. We, the people, need to know that our money, including federal money, is being spent wisely. All accounts and sub-accounts should be open for inspection.

I have taken a brief look at the 2009 Audit of City of Evansville, prepared by State of Indiana auditors in compliance with State Board of Accounts directives. This is Evansville’s yearly report card on where and how it accounts for money spent. This report is public record on the Indiana SBOA web page under resources and reports.

There are 5 discrepancies on the 2009 report, one of which shows 12 accounts had been overdrawn.

I have two reasons for concern here, (1) the City of Evansville, in this report, was cited for violations of state statutes; one has carried over for two or more years. These discrepancies should have been cleared in a timely fashion, and then re-inspected. Has this been done and by whom?, and (2) it seems logical to me that a new budget cannot be correctly prepared with open discrepancies, items that should have been fixed in early 2011. How about first things first? It seems like the City Council should have taken the lead here, fixed the problems, filed the appropriate reports of completion with the State Board of Accounts, and then informed the public of what they had done. Do we have any record of this?

For example, there is a discrepancy in the 2009 report citing that parking meter fees continue to be deposited into the general fund, “As stated in several prior reports” … meaning that someone in City Council has repeatedly ignored this discrepancy which states that these funds are to have a separate account. This is a repeat write-up. Placing designated money in the general fund makes it too easy to spend it unwisely. In a year when every tax dollar counts, don’t we all want to eliminate sloppy management, caring even in the small things, and directing dollars appropriately?

Where has the Evansville City Council been on following this up, since they approve all budgets? Granted this is a small thing, but it may represent a lax attitude of council members with respect to oversight of community revenues. With Democrats in control of the council for the past few decades, are they telling us that this is how they do the business of the city?

I am the Republican candidate for City Council, Ward 3 and I have had experience in the inspections and management of military units. It was my job to know higher headquarter directives and ensure compliance. When discrepancies were found, it was my job to fix them quickly. The military had a good system and it worked well.

I think Evansville government would benefit by changing the way it does business.

I wonder if accounts are still being overdrawn and the parking meter fees are still being deposited into the general fund?

We are Evansville, watch us grow.

The College of Nursing and Health Professions at the University of Southern Indiana is expanding its graduate nursing program offerings and student financial assistance with federal grants totaling $2.2 million recently received from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

“The HRSA grants provide the opportunity for our college to expand our graduate nursing programs,” said Dr. Nadine Coudret, dean of the college.

A new psychiatric-mental health nurse practitioner program and a new clinical nurse specialist program (CNS) will be offered.

“We’ve used similar funding to start the family nurse practitioner program and the acute care nurse practitioner program and, we are excited to be able to have these new programs at USI,” Coudret said.

A master’s degree program and a post master’s certification will be available in both areas. Each grant is for three years. The psychiatric-mental health nurse practitioner program will be funded with a $720,850 grant. A $705,980 grant will fund the development of the clinical nurse specialty program.

Family psychiatric-mental health nurse practitioners are able to provide children and adults with primary mental healthcare. “There is a major shortage of psychiatric-mental health care providers at both the regional and national level,” Coudret said. Graduates of this program will provide urgently needed services to patients in our community. Dr. Kathy Riedford, associate professor of nursing and a practicing psychiatric-mental health nurse practitioner, will direct the program development. Dr. Riedford holds a Ph.D. in Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing from Indiana University and is a board certified Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner(PMHNP).

Clinical nurse specialists are expert nurse clinicians in a specialized area of nursing practice, such as geriatrics, oncology, critical care, and emergency room care. Their practice setting is typically in a hospital or extended care facility. Research has demonstrated the importance of nursing to patient care outcomes. The clinical nurse specialist is prepared to provide care, lead, educate and consult with the nursing staff to advance the level of nursing care in our hospitals. Dr. Judi Kuric is the project director of the clinical nurse specialty. Dr. Kuric earned a Doctor of Nursing Practice degree from Rush University.

A grant of $748,805 will provide funding to expand the doctorate in nursing practice (DNP) program which began in 2008. The first class of 15 DNP students graduated this spring. The influence and leadership of DNP graduates in addressing major health problems is evidenced in the numerous publications and presentations that describe the graduate projects that were carried out in schools, hospitals, long-term care facilities and in the community. Dr. Ann White, associate dean of the college, is the project director and serves as director of the program.

A fourth grant of $77,049 will be used to fund nursing traineeships. This funding is available for full-time students and for students in their last year of graduate study. Dr. Mayola Rowser, director of the graduate nursing programs, is the project director.

Four nursing specialties are currently offered at the master’s level in the College of Nursing and Health Professions including acute care nurse practitioner, family nurse practitioner, nursing education, and nursing management and leadership in addition to the doctoral degree in nursing practice. The college also offers master’s degrees in health administration and occupational therapy. Total enrollment for the college is 2,218 undergraduates and 458 graduate students.

Source: USI.edu

Thursday, August 4
11:30 a.m.
The Chamber of Commerce of Southwest Indiana, 318 Main Street, 4th Floor of Innovation Pointe

Tomorrow, approximately 65 volunteers from Evansville’s Young Professionals Network (YPN) and fourth grade teachers from three EVSC elementary schools will be at The Chamber of Commerce of Southwest Indiana to kick off the Fun Steps Program, a program that teaches students the importance of healthy living and exercise. The program, sponsored by Northwestern Mutual Financial Network, Kosair Children’s Hospital, The Chamber of Commerce of Southwest Indiana’s Young Professionals Network, and the EVSC Center for Family, School, and Community Partnerships, is aimed at fourth grade students at Hebron, Stockwell and West Terrace.

The kick-off event will begin at 11:30 a.m. with a check presentation for the funding of the program. Then trainers from Kosair will explain the program to volunteers and teachers and teach them how to implement it in classroom lessons and other activities.

Time 8:00 AM – 10:00 AM
Subject TREE ADVISORY BOARD
Location 318
Recurrence Occurs the first Thursday of every 1 month effective 8/4/2011 until 9/1/2011 from 8:00 AM to 10:00 AM
Reminder 15 minutes
SHAWN DICKERSON @ 475-1426
Categories ROOM 318

Time 9:30 AM – 1:30 PM
Subject CONTROLLER
Location 307
Reminder 15 minutes
JEANIE @ 4918
Categories ROOM 307

Time 10:00 AM – 11:00 AM
Subject EMPO TECHNICAL
Location 301
Recurrence Occurs the first Thursday of every 1 month effective 8/4/2011 until 9/1/2011 from 10:00 AM to 11:00 AM
Reminder 15 minutes
KARI @ 7833
Categories ROOM 301

Time 1:30 PM – 3:00 PM
Subject BOARD OF PUBLIC WORKS
Location 301
Recurrence Occurs every Thursday effective 8/4/2011 until 9/1/2011 from 1:30 PM to 3:00 PM
Reminder 15 minutes
Sharon Evans @ 4982
Categories ROOM 301

Time 4:00 PM – 5:00 PM
Subject EMPO POLICY BOARD
Location 301
Recurrence Occurs the first Thursday of every 1 month effective 8/4/2011 until 9/1/2011 from 4:00 PM to 5:00 PM
Reminder 18 hours
KARI 2 7833
Categories ROOM 301

Time 5:00 PM – 6:00 PM
Subject RE-ORGANIZATIONS COMMITTEE
Location 301
Reminder 15 minutes
MARISSA
Categories ROOM 301

Who is Shaking Who Down?

It has been nearly a year now and the project manager for the new Evansville Arena and the management of the Evansville IceMen can’t seem to come to terms. Mr. Ron Geary, the owner of both Ellis Park and the Evansville IceMen went public with his plea for an intervention yesterday by the Evansville Redevelopment Commission on the IceMen’s behalf. Mr. Geary went so far as to state that “it seems as though the City of Evansville does not care if the IceMen play in the Arena or not”.
John Kish, the project manager for the Arena confirmed Geary’s statement with one of his own in stating that “the Arena will not be hurt by the loss of the IceMen”. He went on to state that the City of Evansville will not propose or support hockey if it loses money.

Excuse us, Mr. Kish but didn’t you just manage the investment of the people of Evansville’s $128 Million to build a hockey arena? Roberts Stadium is a basketball arena that is not large enough for hockey so the IceMen have spent their short time in Evansville at Swonder building a solid fan base of about 1,200 people. These fans are accustomed to paying ticket prices that are under $10 with abundant free parking close. This is the experience that this fan base is comfortable with. Changing this dramatically will risk alienating this fan base and blunt the efforts to attract additional fans.

The pro-forma for the new Arena projects 38 hockey games per year with an average attendance of 3,500 people starting from day one. Day one is October 21, 2011, a mere 10 weeks from now. The annual revenue projected from these 38 games is nearly $3 Million. The 38 games make up 28% of the events projected for the new Arena.

Mr. Kish, have you reviewed your own pro-forma lately? Are you seriously expecting the people of Evansville to believe that $3 Million in revenue and 28% of the events in the new Arena can be lost and that the performance will not be hurt? Sir, we may be from Evansville as opposed to Indianapolis but we are not that stupid. Please stop treating us like we are.

The IceMen were chosen as our hockey team. If the IceMen are not profitable we will have no team just as we have no BlueCats and no professional basketball team. If the Arena loses money we still have the Arena as it does not appear to be portable. Please come to your senses and reach an agreement that enables the Evansville IceMen to be financially viable while they continue to build a fan base and hire high quality players.

This is not the time to cripple this team with oppressive rental fees that reportedly are over 5 times what they are paying at Swonder. This is the time to develop an agreement that will incent the IceMen to excel on the ice and to grow their fan base so that Evansville will have a successful hockey franchise long into the future. The position of taking no risk and absorbing no losses on the part of the Arena is neither logical nor financially responsible. We can’t afford to lose this team right now. The Arena that you are responsible for can’t either.

We the people of Evansville just invested $128 Million and counting for a new Arena and we were not given the courtesy of a vote to do so. We were told all about how hockey was the game of the future and have eagerly watched as our HOCKEY ARENA has taken shape under your management.

The Arena is not yet finished. Mr. Kish, you have proven your capability to manage the Arena construction project but your prowess at getting a hotel deal and negotiating a win-win agreement with the IceMen is lacking.

We respectfully request that you concentrate on what you know (construction) with all of your might during the next 10 weeks so that the IceMen’s game on October 21 can actually be in the Arena. We also wish you well in your relocation back to your home in Indianapolis that we are certain will happen within days of the Arena’s opening.

We respectfully recommend and request that you leave further negotiating to someone or some group from Evansville. We have to live with the agreements and we do not wish to be saddled with any more legacy problems that have their origins in Indianapolis. Thank you for managing the Arena construction, now please take your money and go home.

As a request to the Evansville Redevelopment Commission we are begging you to do your jobs and manage the money of the people of Evansville responsibly. We realize that you all have jobs and lives but you did accept this political appointment voluntarily. The time for blindly following pied pipers and dancing when the puppet master pulls your string is behind you. We encourage that you take your appointments seriously and make the decisions that you would if this money were your own or your employers. You members of the ERC are Evansville people. It is time for you to start acting like it.

“All Seats Sold” is Reported to be Part of the Sales Pitch

Multiple Moles, people, and business owners have come to the City County Observer after hearing the sales pitch for premium seating in the new Arena. The most recent sales pitch was heard in mid July, a full 2 months since the head of VenuWorks Evansville operation was congratulated by Mayor Weinzapfel for selling “ALL” of the Skyboxes.

According to our sources the sales pitch is a page right out of the marketing manual for time shares and bubble gum machines with the premium seats becoming the exclusive territory where there is always only one remaining. Here is an overview of the pitch as it has been described to the City County Observer. The pitchman in every case that the CCO has been advised of has been the project manager of the Arena construction project, Mr. John Kish. In some cases Mr. Kish was approached by a business and in others the businesses were approached by Mr. Kish. The sales song remains the same.

The Pitch: We are so happy that you have expressed an interest in the premium seating in the Arena. It just so happens that we only have one left and it is currently under consideration by another business so you need to make your decision quickly. You also need to know that the list of companies that have already committed to the premium seating that you would like to have includes the prestigious list right here.

In one case our source said that he was shown a rendering of the inside of the Arena with names of businesses on the skybox ad aprons. In this case our source excused himself and made a few calls to the businesses that were represented to have already secured the skyboxes. The results will surprise you as some of these businesses have been box holders at Roberts Stadium for a number of years. Some of the calls resulted in the business owners stating that they had been served the same sales pitch by Mr. Kish but that they could not afford the rates that were quoted and would not be buying the premium seating at the offer price. All were told that there was only one left.

The Facts: VenuWorks does not have a contract. The Evansville IceMen are in meltdown mode with the negotiations and may not be in the new Arena at all. Mr. Kish is now on record as saying that the IceMen who are projected to make up 28% of all of the events in the Arena are not necessary. The University of Evansville Aces have been reported to have no contract. The Evansville Redevelopment Commission has not authorized even one long term agreement in a public meeting yet VenuWorks was congratulated by Mayor Weinzapfel for a sell-out 2 months before they were authorized to sell anything. The Freedom of Information Act request filed by the City County Observer requesting all contracts yielded exactly ZERO signed contracts. We did receive blank agreements for both Loge seating and Skyboxes.

So let us ask the question, “what business person in their right mind would contractually commit to expensive premium seating in an arena that does not have contracts with any long term tenant?”

The Reality: The reality given the set of facts that have been established is that there has never been authority granted until July 19th for long term contracts for premium seating to be sold by VenuWorks. People have been subjected to a sales pitch that is misleading at best. There is a reasonable probability that the whole “we are sold out” announcements are really just a sales pitch of a different form. There may be an opportunity for the general public to have a shot at the premium seating if the facts are supported by the reality of the situation.

The Rewards: The City County Observer will offer a 1 month tower ad free of charge to any business or person that will come forward with a signed agreement for the purchase of a skybox in the new Arena that is dated prior to June 1st and signed by representatives of the company and a surrogate for the City of Evansville or VenuWorks.

The City County Observer will also offer a 1 month tower ad free of charge to the first three businesses or people that come forward with a story similar to “the Pitch” that we have outlined above provided that we are granted the rights to interview and publish the account of what your particular case entailed.

What do you think Evansville? Are the premium seats really sold at the $55,000 price that has been widely reported?