annexation issues

As far as anyone can see, VG has done NO due diligence or addressed any of the other issues with annexation, besides talking to some of the owners of some of the possible annexed properties. Talking to several VG residents suggests NO other issues has been revealed or discussed with them in ANY Council session. The dozen or so didnt even know the other issues existed. If VG wants to annex polluted lands, that is up to them. If they want to have NO CONTROL over zoning and what can and cant be put into their lands that is THEIR business. MS has FIVE times their population and has a bigger stake in the proceedings, so if VG doesnt want to do DUE DILIGENCE, that is their choice. We do want, and REQUIRE, due diligence from our City officials before making any decisions. Who decided that VG should get the cream of the crop in those areas between 36th st and 41st street? That is clearly MS area, on the North side of 36th strett. Let VG have area 9.

meaningless numbers?

IF the County retains control of zoning and folds in the car rental, bus, and train terminals into the MIC it wont make much difference what they put on the remaining 10%. It also makes the City Managers numbers on current taxable land value for area 9at the very least, meaningless. Once they are folded into the MIC we will receive NO tax revenues from those properties. Its a lot like annexing the stockade- another area that wont yield any tax revenues- bad business. Are there any OTHER surprises we should know about, but dont, because no semblance of DUE DILIGENCE has even been attempted? Why arent the Council asking these questions? Billy? Garcia? Best? Youngs? The only one who seems to be interested in these questions, and answers, is Dotson. Hes a voice of prudence and reason in a cesspool of vanity and blind ambition.

area 9 concerns, part 2

What ARE the exact boundaries of area 9? I am under the impression that the MIC will bring NO taxable value to the owners, is that correct? If so, and the car rental places, train and bus terminals will be IN the MIC, what will be left? Warehouses? What are the development plans for that area? does anybody know? Residential? Condos? Low-income housing? Office buildings? Parking garages? Are there pollution concerns there? Who will keep zoning control? County planners should let us know BEFORE we vote, not after. The MS Council SHOULD ask, if they were really doing any due diligence. Apparently they think "due diligence" somehow doesnt fall into their job description because they havent done any recently. Billy is ruling by decree, HIS decree, and somehow doesnt need to look at all the possibilities BEFORE deciding. He summarily ruled out refurbishing as an option for the gym and has NOW decreed that pollution, zoning, mitigation fees, and accurate revenue numbers are irrelevent to him, as they could possibly hinder his vanity-filled legacy projects.

magicians?

By the City Manager's own admission the County has been LOSING hudreds of thousands of dollars each year in area 9. What sort of magic are WE going to do that the County COULDNT do that will change it from an area that LOSES hundreds of thousands of dollars per year to one that will yield US a profit of 498k per year? Are the tax values trending up, or down over the last 5 years? What sort of infrastructure will be necessary? How were those numbers determined? Are those the County's numbers or OURS? If it starts showing a profit, will we THEN have to start paying mitigation fees? What about any possible pollution? Who will control the zoning?
Why havent ALL of these issues been discussed by Council as a part of their DUE DILIGENCE obligation? Has somebody relieved them of their obligation to do due diligence AGAIN? It DOES come with the job, no? They are miserably failing the due diligence process and the people who elected them, AGAIN. One pollution cleanup could easily wipe out any profits we might make. A possible new sewer system could do the same thing. No ongoing entity can survive this lack of vision and responsibility for long and survive. We are throwing the dice and hoping.