$250000.00 QUESTION

One should view the first 10-15 minutes of the April 12 Council meeting being broadcasted on the local channels. Specifically the discussion on Resolution 138-10. Please read Plaintalker's April 13 comments regarding this resolution as well as mu April 14th blog titled Council Meeting #2. Once again I apologize because I can only enter the links to the blogs themselves but not to the referred postings.
(Bernice supplied the link: http://plaintalker.blogspot.com/2010/04/senior-center-costs-more-than-1.html)

To refresh memories the resolution as listed today in the agenda on the city's site simply states to execute an agreement with Dortnoch to purchase the Senior Center Condo for $1.00. Since I did not retain my copy of the meeting agenda I was under the impression that that resolution was to approve $250+K to Dornoch for completion of the Center. I could be wrong and the sum may have been in the attached papers, if so there was an attempt to hide from the public an expenditure of a quarter of a million dollars. On the other hand I am sure what drew my attention to this resolution was that it was worded to approve (retroactively) the money owed for the completion of the Center.

In any case there is an odor to this resolution, which was tabled. Councilors spoke of discussing it in executive session and I trust a report will be available at the Agenda setting session.

Unanswered is how could an agreement or contract be made for the expenditure of $25+000.00 without a Council Resolution. The City Administrator attested that the Acting Comptroller, since we still do not have a CFO, certified that the fund s were available!

When further questioned she referred back to a previous Ordinance? of several years ago authorizing a bond issue for a subsequently abandoned Senior Citizen's Center. No mention was made if the bonds had been issued or if they were specifically designated how could the money be used for an entirely different project?

If I write as if I am confused, I am, and so should be every taxpayer as to the legitimacy and ethics involved in this so called building costs.

By the way I believe that the original agreement with Dornoch had a specific date for the developer to turn the functioning center over to the city. That date was never met.