Important Agenda Items: Approval of the deal for the Kevin Garn "Hot Tub" Hotel parking garage; Approval of the open space plan; An obvious attempt by Boss Godfrey to tie the hands of the future mayor with a "golden parachute" Chief Administrative Officer appointment
By Dan S.
Tuesday's council/RDA agenda is on the city web site and the big item is approval of the deal for the parking garage immediately north of the Kevin Garn Hotel. Garn will pay $750,000 for the property but has five years to do so. Meanwhile, the city will give him a grant of $550,000 out of the capital improvement fund (of which $244,000 is coming from sale of the land for the new IRS building)
The city will also lend Garn an additional $550,000 out of the sewer fund, which apparently has plenty of cash on hand (hardly surprising as I look at my latest bill). Garn would again have five years to repay this loan.
Here are the applicable council packets:
Also on Tuesday's agenda are approval of the open space plan (revised to restore some of the language describing city recreational programs and facilities such as the Marshall White Center), and appointment of a new Chief Administrative Officer to replace John Patterson.
This last item is an obvious attempt by the current mayor to tie the hands of the future mayor. As presented, it is not an interim appointment but a permanent one, which would entitle the appointee to six months severance pay if the future mayor wants to hire someone else instead.
© 2005 - 2014 Weber County Forum™ -- All Rights Reserved
7 comments:
Having Mark Johnson serve for 100 days and then collect a severance package for 180 days on top of it, sounds like more double dipping and lining his pockets before he gets the boot. That deal is better than some of the Mayor's favorite boys like Stuart Reid or Scott Brown or John Patterson or Dave Harmer or Jon Greiner or whoeveryou want. Godfrey is just taking care of his soldiers like he said he would with positions that another adminstration will decide, not his band of forty thieves. Just give Johnson a Hummer and send him out the door. The position should remain open until next January. He does not need another partner in crime at this late stage in the game.
Perhaps the Council, if it approves all this, could in the name of honesty rename the Ogden RDA Board the Kevin Garn Benevolent Society & Builders Club.
An interim appointment would be OK. But absolutely not a permanent one with full severance pay attached. The incoming mayor, whoever he or she may be, should be entirely free to name his own key advisers and officers without encumbering the city with fat severance checks for short-timer holdovers from Hizzonah's stable.
Is this the point of the blog where Blain Johnson's name needs to be injected? I believe Blain would be a great choice for a "temporary" position. Rumor has it his "representing clients" business is not so hot these days, even when it's 100 degrees outside! In addition, it may only require around $15,000 to retain him for this position, based on his history in public office. Sometimes you get what you pay for, and it would certainly be true in this case! (sarcasm runneth over)
Does anyone else want to know who Brandon asked and gave their affirmation he would make a great mayor? It has to be the same person who gave the thumbs up to Blain Johnson to take the controversial campaign contributions and then recommend he not divulge their names to the state attorney during the investigation. Is there really more than one person this stupid in the entire city of Ogden?
Let’s get this straight relative to what is actually going on with this downtown hotel project. I just read the packet that was provided to the City Council. The City Council is going to vote on this Tuesday. Pay Attention.
First the city is going to sell to the developer 1.75 acres of prime downtown property for $750,000, a significant discount to its actual value.
Then the city is going to give (in the form of a grant) the developer $550,000. So now the developers actual cost is really only $200,000. Keep in mind this is prime property located on the main drag in the heart of the city.
Then the city is going to lend the developer a low interest loan (4%) for another $550,000. Thus the city is going to finance his purchase balance on the property plus provide him with some $350,000 of start-up capital.
Then the city is going to help the developer secure federal loans to develop the hotel. All low interest rates and from what I can tell, non-recourse to the actual developer.
I don’t know if we’re dealing with cronyism or just a total ineptness of business sense but either way this transaction represents a wonton disregard for the responsibilities of office to protection of the assets of the city and act in the best interests of the residents.
Anyone on the City Council that goes along with this deal deserves to be removed from office at the next election and certainly should not be considered for the office of mayor.
The Council has to approve the appointment of thr new CAO. I just can't see the majority of them approving anyone whom
Godfrey choses.
Let the Council know how you feel about a permanent appointment and tying the new mayor's hands, but just more of the Godfrey crap that he's given Ogden for 12 years.
Post a Comment