the Controversial Committee Report
“We don’t raise sacred cows...we just butcher them.”
“Collusion, Clowns, and Compromise”
Well, dear readers, the “somewhat portly” lady (the CCRs attempt at being PC) hasn’t sung, so the city council clown car is still in motion regarding the payment of TIF funds to ARK.
Yes, the city council did vote (5-3 in favor of the resolution to pay ARK what is due them — with stipulations), but the action still leaves a few trifling points, bureaucratic details, and questions in limbo.
Currently, ARK will be paid…when the city manager states the “picky requirements,” for one facility, have been completed. This has been a major point of contention during the past several months! And it all goes back to the feeble definition, inflicted by the city staff and council, regarding the term “project completion.”
As stated previously in CCR reports, this restaurant project was not even part of the TIF funding agreement and should not have been held over ARKs head as a stalling tactic.
The following DMN article identifies the mechanics of what occurred at the council meeting (10-18-18) to “quasi-approve” the ARK TIF funding. The only thing which could have been added to this article would be a note at the end stating: To Be Continued.
One other consideration should be noted if utilizing Chris Allen’s nomenclature for his ‘group,’ “Irving Taxpayers Matter.” This name reeks of being disingenuous. Smashing all Irving taxpayers into his cute rhetoric is totally incorrect! His group should have been identified as “TIF Taxpayers Matter.” Only those businesses, actually in this TIF district, are being taxed! Is this really too hard to comprehend?
For those not familiar, the TIF board, which is akin to the city’s Planning and Zoning Commissions when voting on items, has penultimate decision making authority! The city council makes whatever decision they want with issues submitted by the TIF board and/or the Planning and Zoning Commission.
Perhaps, the one matter which hasn’t seen the light of day is the high probability of someone leaking executive session information to parties involved in the law suits against the city.
Inquiring Minds Are Curiously Wondering!
The apparent leaking, of highly sensitive council details, is what conspiracy theorists could weave as to what happened before the council voted this week. The leaking could have severely influenced the councils actions at the Thursday (10-18-18) meeting when voting on the ARK funding. And this leaking action certainly would benefit those suing the city.
After the city council left the Wednesday (10-17-18) executive session, the compromised resolution for the agenda was going to be to pay ARK $40M now and hold $4M, until the “pesky details” of a project, the storefront of a restaurant, was completed. These were the compromise details, hammered out in multiple meetings between the city and ARK, to reach resolution of this issue.
At the Thursday council meeting, the resolution which passed, after over an hour plus in executive session, was: pay ARK $44M after the “pesky” restaurant facing, etc. was completed. This was not what the city and ARK had agreed upon the previous day. And this is the same proposal turned down at a previous council meeting.
And the altered resolution was approved on a 5-3 vote. Palmer was not in attendance. Those voting NO were: Meagher, Taylor and Stopfer.
It stands to reason that this revised, contorted, and changed agenda item might have been approved for the benefit of Chris Allen and Billy Bob’s legal maneuvering.
If Billy Bob and/or Chris Allen was provided with the executive session compromise details in advance, then Chris Allen, who might not have standing in his law suit against the city and ARK, might be standing high and dry.
However, knowing the council would be paying the $40M to ARK probably caused Chris Allen to turn his disruptive PR-baton over to Billy Bob, who would have better standing when filing a Temporary Restraining Order to halt any payment to ARK.
After all, the day of the council meeting, Chris Allen dropped his law suit against the city (which doesn’t mean he won’t later file another law suit). And at basically the same time, Billy Bob filed an amended law suit against the city and ARK which would note the upcoming agenda actions the city council was planning to take by paying ARK.
In the meeting, the council and public was treated to Chris Allen’s sanctimonious sermon of how he was now a team player with the city and ARK by withdrawing his law suit…Torofeca©️! (Could staff of the CCR be the only ones not believing his disingenuous blathering?)
Dear readers should remember, Chris Allen and Billy Bob started this whole process by: closing restaurants, filing separate law suits, utilizing the same lawyer, and proceeded this charade at the same time. Collusion? Same play book?
When all of these events are noted, one can only imagine how valuable the executive session information might have been to Billy Bob and Chris Allen. And one will continuously wonder who the leaker, with their self-interest agenda, might have been. Any guesses? Wasn’t the city council really played by Chris Allen and Billy Bob’s actions?
If the “somewhat portly” lady develops a mild case of laryngitis, she will not be able to hit the terrific high notes until: ARK receives the $44M due them; or Billy Bob’s law suit is dismissed and he ambles off, tone deaf, to his next big business mashup; and the city council’s clown car is put in the repair shop to be ready for the next circus they create.
Suggestion: the city council clown car should be worked on in a shop that doesn’t collude with any council member, crony capitalist, or special interest mechanics.
After all, nine council members, plus city bureaucrats, have already filled the clown car to capacity!
……………………………..Mark Holbrook
Editor’s Note: Some individuals are viewing the actions, of the current city council’s handling of the ARK partnership, as being more disastrous and disruptive, to the city’s needs and interest, than the reigns of Morris Parrish and ex-Queen BVD. Individuals didn’t think city leadership could ever reach this low level of obtuseness, simplemindedness, or caring about personal/political agendas over citizen’s concerns for ARK and the ITMF. After all, being recognized worldwide, Irving’s status locally and worldwide has been savagely marred by the current city council’s actions!
Dylan Westie
