I am at a crossroads on this issue, with the latest decision by the Council to give the Obici House to Mr. Roundtree via his existing RFP and lease for the Golf Course, without open bidding. I have personally talked to the Mayor and Mr. Parr, and both have assured me that there would be “no public money spent on another historical project” in this hard economy. I thought that was very clear and to the point, but what is the difference between Mr. Roundtree spending the rent money from the Golf Course Lease payments to renovate the Obici House, which would accrue to the city (ie: PUBLIC MONEY!!!) and just spending more PUBLIC MONEY??? This is a farce to say the least and will lead to spending “Public Money” for another historical project by way of the BACKDOOR! This backdoor method to get at “PUBLIC FUNDS” in these hard times, is not what we were sold. Don’t get me wrong, I do support a “privately funded effort” to save this important home, but this is just more sleight of hand under the guise of a solution! I also believe that this just might violate the Virginia Procurement ACT, by making such a significant change to the RFP/Lease and all without open bidding or public comment...
Then there are the many questions about: How and to what level this restoration will be done? Will it be done to the accepted standards and by the “book”? Who will monitor the process for “Historical Appropriateness” or for proper adaptive reuse since it is outside the "Historical Overlay District"? Who will monitor Mr. Roundtree’s plans and expenditures for what is nothing more than the spending of "accrued public rent monies" that would have been paid to the “General Fund” just like our taxes? Will these expenditures of public funds, that would otherwise be in the public coffers, be fully accounted for and spent wisely?
So as I see it, too many questions and too few answers.
21 comments:
So, Roundtree originally responds to the RFP, but it is thrown out with the CPOH proposal.
Two organizations give unsolicited bids - and more rules change.
Through all of this the people speak. Citizens clearly want to save the historical home.
Roundtree didn't want it in the first place. He clearly did not want to use his own funding. He now has stepped up to the plate, but there are still questions about the ethics involved with the city's process.
Something is not right.
How true it all is Roger. I predict that we will hear that Roundtree is above it all because he is already known by the city, but is that the way it should work legally? NO, it is not and then there are still all the other questions too. I predict that the mayor and council will hunkerdown (an old army term) and try to ride this out as they take some flak. The queestion to really get to is: will this be how all the RFP's and deals with the city will go from now on and if so who will want to trust them, again?
Again, Roger has summerized the issue at its core about our failed city council. Why is it that he has no real position in our city on a board of commission to help lead our city out of the wilderness that is the utter lack of leadership. It seems clear that he is a leader and smart too!
Roger is one of the best thinkers in our city. Roger - do not let this issue drop! Keep on it. Give us your thoughts. Do the research. Tell us more. Uncover the issue more deeply.
I was thinking about the same as this post is explaining all the while Mr. Gardy was telling at the council meeting how no city tax money would be spent on the OH.
The issue now shifts from Historic Preservation to the use of tax money. This is where the great disconnect exists for the citizens of Suffolk.
At the slightest suggestion of a historic building being threatened they raise a fuss, write editorials in the newspapers and call their City Council representative. Then when it is perceived "saved" with our taxes they disappear and hit the social circuit for praise and recognition. If they were ever to rail against high taxation they would be treated as outcasts, starving government programs and welfare for the wealthy.
We can only presume they don't care about how much they are taxed as long as the shrines like Riddick's Folly, Suffolk High and now the Obici House are preserved with their names recorded on it. The Phoenix Bank and the old courthouse will be their next philanthropic venue. This obvious moral weakness will not go unobserved by council. The next budget cycle we will dearly pay for their neglect. Instead of writing and calling city council, why not contact those that wrote editorials in the papers, they get things done. Doug, Susan, Elizabeth, Dorothy, Richard, Leandra and Shirley your names are first on the contact list.
Great, I now find out that the nincompoops on market street are at it again. I have struggled to pay my higher (yes higher) taxes again this year and they seem hell-bent on spending even more to perpetuate the cycle I suffer, where they take and take, but give little.
I am feedup and mad and I will not take it anymore! Just as we have seen in the latest election vote for Sentor Brown over the Democratic machine of the "O-Man" I will vote to get all of these big spending bums out in the next election. I must admit that I have been one of the passive and have not voted regularly, but this kind of thing has me fired-up.
I now vow to vote, work, and get others involved in firing all the encumbents now in place on council and to clean house on staff too. I have read and thought some of the comments here and in the paper have been harsh, but that was wrong, it was not harsh enough about how badly they are doing. I did not support Ms. Johnson, but now with how she has lead, or rather faield to lead on this issue of ever more spending, I am now one who works against her and her friends like Parr. I live in Parr's district and will vote for anyone that runs against him. I will donate to anyone that runs against any Suffolk encumbent and I plead that my fellow Suffolk residents do so too! We need a change and house cleaning of all that "Just do not get it"!
I think all the "group" that is still desperately holding onto their claim of fame by now attacking anyone but themselves who want to restore the Obici House are just putting their collective "foot" in their collective "mouth," when in reality it should be put on the other side of their collective anatomy. Surely they should have listened to Mrs. Naismith's council comments. Surely those of the "group" have had their 15 minutes and should now find other trees to save while the City goes forward and saves the Obici House in spite of the few remaining malcontents in the "group." Thanks to the firemen for having more dignity and not pouting and having contined ego tantrums.
After the post above where the remnants of the defunct CPOH group provide us with a "list" of the first they will contact if the City and Ronnie Rountree don't "act right," I notice they don't include Miles, the mentor of the group, or Mary Jane, the lady who praised the City and Ronnie at the Council meeting.
Also, now that they have once again attacked the City for making a subsidy to the Suffolk Center for Cultural Arts, what side will Doug take since he was an employee of the SCAA anda leader on its Board? Also, does the "Committee" still harbor anger at the Obici Foundation directors and leaders, including Doug? George Birdsong?
Those who criticize the City government and civic leaders should have learned now the folly of putting all their barbs in the basket of some now infamous and screaming CPOH leaders and their plans to move the downtown restaurant.
This entire mess reminds me of being a parent of a teenage daughter and it's prom night. I will leave it at that
Why complain about "the group" they are not spending our money like Ronnie will be as he diverts the lease payments to restoring the house. The real issue is how this was handled and why our money that was supposid to come from the golf course lease is now no longer going to come to the city account. Talk about idiots, this is a mess and Linda Johnson should stand up and be the big girl and demand a fix for her and gardy's mess. This is bad and getting worse as we speak. Want to bet what it will look like in another few months? Ronnie coming and asking for more money right out of the city budget!
As for Mr. Roundtree and his last minute change of heart, let's not celebrate just yet. Far too little is known about his so called proposal and that is no accident. The way this entire process has been handled from the awarding of the golf course lease to the now "saving" of the house stinks to high heaven.
There were 2 other proposals, one of which would have assured that the house was restored in a manner befitting the significance of the structure without costing the citizens of Suffolk one red cent. It was rejected and we still don't have an official reason as to why.
One thing you can bet for sure is any monies spent on renovation will be deducted right off the top from lease fees to the city for the golf course. Indeed if Mr. Roundtree spends just a fraction of what he says he plans to spend on that and other structures, then it will be years before we see a dime in revenue from the golf course, if ever...and that will cost the citizens of Suffolk plenty. And there is no guarantee that he will do a proper historical restoration.
No, there is no cause for celebration just yet.
I agree that this issue stinks and I place the fault right on the wide lap of "Mayor Pants Suits" Johnson and her herd of council boys. The problem is that they seem to honestly believe that these behind closed door deals are the way to govern and that we are just to stupid to understand what is good for us, so they do as they see fit, not do for us. Well Mayor of the polyester pants suits, it just is not so. We all know that you detest us all with your arrogent manner and contempt towards us, or if not you would actually provide open and transparent government.
Faith in your ways is waining and one could hope that we could thin your herd of complying councilman in November. My contempt for you is only less than it is for my own councilman Pair. He has done little but shine his own apples and provide a show of concern for others. I look forward to voting and helping others to vote Parr out of office. The anger of the people may not be so easy to sway this time around in November and I hope to see some new people on council. In a short two years your own seat will be up again mayor. I feel we all have learned our lessons about you and will not make the mistake of supporting your run again. Hope you have a retirement plan, you and your boys will need it.
When it is in the city treasurer's office it is not your money any more, it is their money. The city needs money to do things and that is how it is. The rich wite folks should pay more. So if you own a home in suffolk, pay up. I don't own one and don't get service like you do. pay the city more and we all live better.
Since the renovation of the OH has been given to an individual and not a group what happens if Mr. Rountree becomes disable or god forbid something worst happens to him, and we pray not, and he can no longer continue or complete the renovation project does the lease/contract answer to this?
I just got on this site after a friend told me of it and what a find. We need to see more discussion like this about how our local leaders and anything but leaders. I really agree witht he sentiments that our local government has slipped downhill since Mayor Johnson has come into power. She seems to be bound to run our fine city into the ground with her self-serving manner of doing almost everything.
Mr. Parr is my councilman and he has been a friendly, but ineffective leader too. He seems more interested in doing what the Mayor tells him than being our rep on council. Shame is inadeqite to discribe how he must view himself when he looks into the mirror. I really hope a strong candidate runs against him this November. I had no idea that as his first agenda item, demanded his property be rezoned in south-Suffolk to make it more valuable to sell and seel he did! Not how things are supposed to work.
So keep it all going folks, I love to read the inside scoop on "In-Side Suffolk"!
Yippee-skippee Rountree is trying to save the O-House by soliciting support. Will the scammers please line up on the right and the frauds on the left. The mayor and city council will be holding the audition in council's private chambers.
Some are bickering about the plans Rountree will use to restore the Obici House. The RFP may allow him to use the work of others like the CPOH to create a framework for restoration. Let's hope so.
CPOH should be involved in the process if for nothing more than recognition that they are a good solid resource and interest. We need a novel change in this and that is open inclusion of all Suffolk citizens.
We do not need more of the mayor's closed meetings and secret deals!
Maybe the next "public" hearing can be shown on the cites cable network. Didnt council learn from how well the debate on health CONTROL worked on C Span
If Mr. Rountree really wants to save OH all he has to do is get the proposal submitted by the CPOH and follow it to the letter. It met every requirement set by the RFP and had the input of seasoned professionals who have done these kinds of restorations many times before. We would be assured of a true historical restoration and he could then use state and federal tax credit money to offset a great deal of his expenses.
Mr. Gardy stated at the council meeting where Roundtree LLC was awarded the house that "we finally have a real proposal with real money behind it" or something to that effect. Well they had a real proposal from the CPOH and thay rejected it because they said their funding source wasn't identified, which is false.
According to the article in Tuesday's SNH Mr. Roundtree now plans to divert the funds he planned to spend on new facilities at the golf course to the OH. These funds will be subsidized by the city as they will be deducted from any lease payments due. So I guess the "real money" Mr. Gardy was refering to is OUR money.
In addition, Mr. Roundtree has an estimated start date of Feb. 2011. How much further deterioration of the structure do you think one more year will bring?
CPOH has already done all of the legwork. Why not take advantage of that and utilize some if not all of their proposal? Could it be because the true intent of this manuever is to stall the project until it's no longer worth doing?
Hmmm, lets see what juicy morsels will be doled out to the members, friends and family of CPOH to keep them quite. Who's nephew will be doing the carpentry work? Who's husband the tile work and who will be doing the brickwork? Lets not forget the roofing, electrical, plumbing and HVAC to bicker over. The paint, plaster and flooring portion also remains to be settled. Who will be the primary contractor and does he want a piece of the action? Folks, if this sounds like a pack of hungry wolves ripping apart a carcass in the dead of winter? You're right. If Mr. Rountree is wise he would keep close to the North Suffolk pack and maintain a very healthy distance from the downtown pack. They will bite the hand that feeds them.
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