Pueblog USa
Thursday, September 06, 2007
Who’s the Boss
The answers, such as they are, are in….
The “Open Questions to the Pueblo City Administration” were not specifically directed to Mr. Galli, the City Manager, though it appears he has taken it upon himself to answer the questions. Is it possible the City council doesn’t know the answers because he does not keep them informed or is it that Council doesn’t care to know the answers. Who’s the boss the City Council or the City Manager? The City Council must follow their own “Core Values” to gain and maintain public trust. The City Council should not leave such sensitive issues such as the City/YMCA deal in the hands of the City Manager and not be informed about all aspects of deal. The City Council should consider one of two options:
Have the funding for the YMCA deal made as a separate line item on the budget. Maybe after looking at the facts the Council might change their minds.
Put the issue on the November ballot and let the voters decide.
The following are the questions submitted , the answers, and a critique of the answers.
Question: What is the City’s total outstanding bond debt? Poor question, should have been total debt (see question 3).
Answer: $8,078,000 as of December 31, 2006
Critique: After 8 months this amount could be more or less, and it does not include the amount owed on the convention center.
Question: On an annual basis, how much of the city’s revenues, approximately $64 million, go toward paying the bond debt.?
Answer: $1,253,552.
Critique: Not bad, that’s paying off the bond debt at 15.5% annually which means the debt should be paid off in approximately 6.5 years.
Question: What is the existing capital fund requirements for the City to maintain, infrastructure, buildings, etc.?
Answer: Per Capital Improvement Plan, $149,512,774 over the next 5 years.
Critique: Simply dividing the 149 million by 5 we come with 29.9 million which is getting close to being one-half of the City’s total revenue. The City does not have 29.9 million to spend on keeping the City from literally falling apart and budget for the services the people require. So how can they justify giving money away, that they don’t have, to the YMCA.
Question: How much did the City pay for the properties which will be used to locate part of the new City campus?
Answer: Athey Beaman: $266,000; La Tolteca: $415,313; Santangelo: $250,000; Total $931, 313 Critique: Sounds, OK. Though it makes you wonder what the people think about what you are paying them for their commercial property.
Question: The City Purchased land from the Catholic Church, were the funds used for the purchase in the budget?
Answer: Yes over multiple years. The City has not yet purchased the land from the Catholic Church. We have an option to purchase the land that expires at the end of 2008.
Critique: It is understood that the City has been leasing the land in question for many years and maintaining it for the Church. Now, the church has made an ultimatum that either the City buy the land for over a million dollars or they will sell it to someone else. First it’s the Catholic Church and now it’s the Young Men’s Christian Association wanting the City’s money. Your answer is not clear, the City budgets on an annual basis so the funds must be in this years budget or it will be in the 2008 budget or the City must be planning to ask that a bond be issued so the property can be purchased over time. What is it?
Where did the City get the $1 million plus to buy the property?
Answer: Lottery Funds.
Critique: If the Church just this year demanded that you purchase their land, how is it that the City could have accumulated enough Lottery Funds to cover the purchase? Does the Lottery permit carryover from year to year for the use on unspecified projects or is the City planning to request funds from the Lottery. The answers to both questions 5 and 6 definitely need clarification.
Question: What does the City plan to do with the Property?
Answer: Continue to use them as parks.
Critique: That’s wonderful! Let’s hope that if the City finds the money from somewhere to buy the land that they do a better job maintaining it than they are with all the other parks.
Question: Did the management of the City’s golf courses go through a bid process?
Answer: Yes, the golf course did go through a bid process.
Critique: At one time the City did go through the bid process and it was awarded to the previous manager. When that manager left prior to the contracts expiration, the management of the golf courses was turned over to the existing manager. In simple terms a service contract defines the terms and conditions and the services to be rendered and signed by both parties. If a contract is terminated for whatever reason a third party cannot work under the terminated contract. This means that a new contract must be generated and after a reasonable amount of time ,usually 60 to 90 days for most government agencies, a bid for the services should go out. During the interim a short term contract can be negotiated. The answer to this question should have been, NO.
Question: How long has the Jagger Law firm been the acting City Attorney?
Answer: Tom Jagger has been City Attorney since 1971.
Critique: Wow, that’s a long time! It’s safe to say that there are not too many people working for the City today that were employed by the City back in 1971. Mr. Jagger obviously has connections and people who owe him favors. There has got to be law firms that are qualified and would love to have the $800,000 a year the City is paying the Jagger Law Firm. It is amazing that other law firms haven’t been heard from, but given the opportunity it’s a good possibility that they would be willing to serve for maybe $500,000 or $600,000, or $700,000 per year.
Question: Why have there not been a maximum term set for the City Attorney and/or the services of a law firm gone out for bid?
Answer: The contract renews automatically each year.
Critique: DUH! It is obvious that the contract has been automatically renewed each year for 35 years. Since the City Attorney is not a City employee, his services should be handled in a similar fashion as to the management of the City golf courses and swimming pools, that is they should go through the bid process. The City needs to procure the best possible services available at competitive prices. The City should want to maintain the people’s trust which means that the opportunity for misunderstanding that might exist for “good ole boy deals”, special favors, under the table deals , and secret deals need to be eliminated as much as possible.
Question: When did the YMCA first go to the City for help and what did they ask for?
Answer: Late 2006. Help in possibly obtaining grants or looking for other sources of revenue to complete the Community Campus.
Critique: Either somebody has misinterpreted the question or they have a short memory. There is a document which was introduced by Randy Thurston on December 11, 2006 and approved by Mike Occhiato, President of City Council at that time. This document was an agreement among the City of Pueblo, the County of Pueblo, the Pueblo Board of Water Works, the Pueblo West Metropolitan District, and the Young Men’s Christen Association of Pueblo. It is amazing what is in that document, the City Administration surely must remember what it contains. In it, the YMCA would convey the entire campus to the City and in turn the City would lease back the campus to the YMCA for $1.00 per year for twenty-five years. Of course the Government Entities were to give the YMCA something ,such as, soliciting grant applications from resources available to Government Entities for the purpose of funding improvements on the campus Regional Park. Also, the Government Entities would make the Regional Park a high priority over competing grant applications for recreational projects. Enough said, the new contractual agreement took over 7 months to negotiate, it’s hard to believe that 4 Government Entities could negotiate a contract in less time. So late 2006, cannot be the answer as to when the YMCA first went to the City for help. To gain and maintain public trust the City Administration must answer questions more precisely, and most importantly correctly.
Question: Why does the YMCA need the tax payers money?
Answer: This should be directed to the YMCA.
Critique: How in the world can the City give money to any private organization and not know why that organization wants the money. Passing this question on to the YMCA is a disservice to the people of Pueblo. Both the City Administration and the citizens have the right to know where, why, when, how, and by whom tax money is to be spent. An answer by the City Administration is definitely required. Remember, gain and maintain public trust.