This link to explore agendas.
Timetabling looks to be:
5:30 pm, Public Works.
6:30 pm, or following Public Works, for Work Session.
7:00 pm, or following Work Session, for HRA.
HRA is where the wastefulness will be a topic, although do not anticipate that term to arise at the front table. Bottom line flabbergasting number for Landform:
$465,761.59
Half a million for WHAT?
The proposal is to modify the agreement.
What about ceasing the blood-letting, give them the thirty day notice. Game over. Don't go away mad, just go away.
Will it have to take a series of new city mayor and council candidates next election cycle to end this level of decision making - or will the existing regime develop some semblence of cost-benefit balancing? So far it's been all cost, no benefit, with giving away citizen-paid parking to private interests being a cost, not any sane person's view of a benefit.
Jim Deal's effort got the VA clinic.
Allina was in planning back when Kurak was on council. This crowd, and its Landform affiliate, can take no real credit for those deals, nor for Coborns.
Of that entire thing, what's of any benefit? Coborns. The license center. A bus stop for a handful of bus riders, but very, very few.
Certainly not enough to justify tax money to the tune of fourteen million, and that's true regardless of how much of it is from taxes extracted by others than City of Ramsey, Anoka County, and the Northstar Rail Authority tax that used to never exist.
Clown Center Costs - Millions Wasted Upfront - $536,336.67, of current expense waste, this thumbnail, click to read:
This is waste. Together a million, which could have been spent for useful stuff. Road tarring, snow plowing, replenishment of reserves drained for an unneeded speculative land purchase, for a questionable water tower on Hwy 47.
Who are these people?
I endorsed Bob Ramsey last mayoral election. Did I think this would happen? Hell no.
It is garbage, and it was unexpected. I feel sandbagged. Violated. Fiscal conservatism was the message I heard. Opposition to waste.
Had Bob Ramsey and Colin McClone said in running, "We will blow millions of dollars of city reserves to buy distressed land. We will blow a million of current funds on BS," would you have voted for them?
Think that hummer over a bit.
I voted for Bob. I endorsed him.
McClone's out of my ward, but I supported Andre Champagne; having a sense less bad stuff would come of it.
Jeff Wise, I voted for, and he's appeared one of the more restrained of this batch.
But when it came to a vote, Dehen, Judge Dehen now, was the only no vote on the very first camel's-nose-under-the-tent $23,000 Landform contract. He's been the voice of reason until last year ended and his term on council segued to his move to the courthouse.
He sure looks really good, by comparison.