Steve Briggs from the CdA School District called me yesterday. He’s working on getting the information I requested about the remodel costs for Lakes Middle School and the estimated costs for a new Lakes building. I appreciate that he contacted me to clarify my request and the details of what I am seeking. The info will be interesting.
Any questions or comments on this or other subjects?
I am glad to hear this. Did he say when this information wil be available?
Comment by Mama Bear — March 18, 2008 @ 3:25 pm
He didn’t specify but I would guess sometime later this week.
Comment by mary — March 18, 2008 @ 4:23 pm
Observations from tonight’s Coeur d’Alene City Council Meeting:
1. Harold rocks! Gotta love that guy! ;^)
2. BIG Thumbs Up to Mike Kennedy for speaking up about the controversial sidewalk repair ordinance. Mr. Kennedy made the successful motion to revisit the best solution for getting the repairs made, realizing the people most affected are not buying into the current ordinance/solution. Way to hold off a rebellious uprising! My opinion: The city should pay 100% to repair the 100% owned city sidewalks (LCDC?). I hope some old lady sues the city over this to make a point. Priceless.
3. Thumbs Down to Ms. Goodlander for outwardly resisting #2 above and noticeably moaning and groaning during Harold’s (see #1) public comment time!
4. Mr. Edinger… please, please, please buy some cough drops. You’re making me sick. Those are mighty powerful microphones – we hear every whisper, groan and mucus filled cough LOUD AND CLEAR!!! YUCK!
5. Pre-fabbed concrete police/fire substation: Again… kudos to Mike Kennedy and the Woodman for asking good questions. I’m far from convinced this is necessary at all. My bigger concern is the funding. It is not in the current budget. The plan is to “ask” LCDC to pay the $50k upfront to make it happen NOW. Then the city will repay 50% in Feb 2009, from next year’s budget. This begs the question: Is the LCDC a slush fund or is there a clear and defined plan for their cash stash? This proves it’s a big slush fund for anybody’s pet project. What’s next? This is not a good precedent to set. Hello? Well… then pay for the sidewalks while you’re at it. The LCDC is under the control of the Mayor and Council. Not the other way around.
6. Did I mention Harold rocks!?! ;^)
Comment by Damn Yankee — March 18, 2008 @ 9:10 pm
Damn Yankee,
Kennedy’s effort was an effort to stall (my observation) and hold off an uprising. As far as I know the City is not under a Department of Justice order to fix the sidewalks to comply with ADA. Neither has the City entered into a consent decree in response to a lawsuit requiring the sidewalks to be fixed. There is some case law, applicable here, that requires the City and not the homeowners to pay for sidewalk repair. I suspect that the City is hoping homeowners will cave in and foot the bill for sidewalk repairs, because if the homeowners unite and resist, the City will be forced to divert some of its slush fund money in order to remain eligible for certain federal grants. You see, this is what it’s all about — federal grant money. If the City can’t get certain federal grants, it will have to reduce the size of its fund balances (slush funds) to a reasonable level to still do what it wants to do. Remember, though, those fund balances are still our money.
It’s frightening when the sharpest rubber stamp in the rack is Woody McEvers, but last night he was the only one that asked anything even close to good questions about the $50,000 prefab concrete mausoleum in the park. If Childers had made the presentation he did in a city with competent financial and governmental staff, he would have been laughed out of the room. That Longo allowed him to make such a poor presentation tells me that Longo has assumed the go-along-to-get-along position vacated by Wendy Carpenter. Then again, Longo and maybe Childers knew that the fix was in with the Council and LCDC and they didn’t really need to make a presentation to convince the taxpayers that this project was worth doing. The objective is a reasonable one, however there are other far better methods that would have enabled them to accomplish what they want to accomplish at a far greater value to the taxpayers. Unfortunately, the LCDC would not have been able to spend our money on the better method, so we’re going to be stuck with a $50,000 prefab concrete structure in the park.
Comment by Bill — March 19, 2008 @ 8:29 am
Where is a rendering of this proposed structure? Will it be nominated or considered for an AIA Award of Merit?
Comment by Susie Snedaker — March 19, 2008 @ 8:43 am
Mary, Have you heard from Steve Briggs about the bids or estimates on remodeling the old middle school?
Comment by Mama Bear — March 25, 2008 @ 12:51 pm