So yesterday our city council made two major decisions during their session. The first decision was to give the organization Destination Bayfront anywhere from 2 million to 4 million free tax payer dollars. Destination Bayfront had asked for this leftover bond money, that came from the 2008 bond for the realignment of Shoreline Blvd. Supposedly it is said that there is language in that bond that permits any leftover or not used money to be used on a park on the bay side of the newly realigned Shoreline Blvd. We have read that language and I guess interpretation is debatable.
Now this group, Destination Bayfront, was created two years ago to find a public purpose for the area that includes where the Memorial Coliseum use to stand. This group was very vocal about not saving the Coliseum and definitely did not want the use of public funds to help save it. Now it wants, and got, public money (tax payer money) to pay for an expert to design a master plan.
It has been reported as far back as October of 2010 that if the realignment project's cost was less then the 13 million the voters approved, the leftover money possibly could be used on bayfront park amenities. How is an over paid expert designer (2 to 4 million dollars) anywhere near a park amenity? It isn't. But does that matter, obviously not to our council. This park will bring the area of Whataburger Field, American Bank Center, the new Hurricane Alley water park many new visitors. Who stands to profit the most from that? Well just look into who owns these areas and facilities. They are using tax payer money to make their businesses flourish. Just look at some of the organizations members: George Clower (Clower Real Estate), Paulette Kluge (Dir. of sales for the Omni Bayfront), David Loeb (of the city council and V.P. of Landlord Resources), Trey McCampbell (chief admin. officer of American Bank, who works for Al Jones). That is just a few. No wonder this passed with such ease.
The second thing the council approved was the 350 foot setback rule for beach development. City staff had recommended that the city move the setback rule to 200 feet to promote island development .
It is said that by doing so we would stay competitive with Port Aransas in beach development. By leaving the setback rule at 350 feet some say that protects our dunes and protects beach erosion.
Now it is fact that the city is missing out on business and tax revenue by keeping the 350 foot setback rule in place. Cities such as Port Aransas, South Padre, and Galveston (pre-hurricane) all operate under the 200 foot setback rule for beach development. Those cities have seen (or saw pre-hurricane) their businesses along the beach thriving. These cities attract thousands of people a year for that very reason.
The council yesterday stated that this is about public responsibility. That they can't make decisions based on dollar signs, they have to make decisions based on public safety. Really? Really?
This is the same council that has neglected maintenance and repairs to our seawall. Know what the seawall does? It provides our city and its citizens protection from storm surges and flooding. We have a 20 million dollar seawall improvement fund balance, but our city is considering to use that money on something else. Making decisions based on public safety, right. Cut public safety sector funding, neglect the maintenance and repair work to our protection from a hurricane, the seawall, and yet still have the nerve to say that decisions are based not on dollar signs but public safety. Come on.
The reason the island, which is what it is people no matter whether it is developed or not, is so slow to develop is because there are some major contributors to certain campaigns that live out there. They like their island just the way it is. What these people do not understand is that the 350 foot setback rule actually devalues their property. Just compare them with our neighbor Port Aransas.
The citizens of our city deserve better then to be fed lines like "decisions must be made based on public safety and not dollar signs". One major reason the people here have a hard time trusting the people that are suppose to be running our city is that they seem to always contradict themselves.
So we will keep shoving things into the overcrowded area of the port and the bayfront and let our biggest assest, the island and it's beach, continue to stagnate.
What is your opinion on how the council voted on these issues?
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