Mayor Funky's Weekly Fail

Here's the latest list of excuses from the lame duck Mayor. Looks like Gloria Squitiro is rewriting history and reminding folks to eat their veggies. Life is give and take. Sadly, even Gloria is ignoring a rather gully correction from Councilman Russ Johnson as well.

Check it:

Funk's Front Porch

12 June 2010

Dear Folks,

This Week's City Business

The Mayor will deliver his State of the City speech next Thursday, June 17, at 1 p.m., on the 26th floor of City Hall, in the Legislative Chamber.

His entire staff have been busily planning and preparing for this annual event. The Mayor and his communication team have written his speech, which is now undergoing the many edits that it takes to produce a document that is worthy of being delivered to the Mayor's constituents.

His administrative staff has printed both electronic and hard copy invitations that were sent out over two weeks ago to the Mayor's supporters, board appointees, council members, and civic and business leaders. But in keeping with the Mayor's tradition of inclusiveness, just like all of the Mayor's events, including his Inaugural Ball, all Kansas Citians are invited and encouraged to attend.

A reception, which includes light refreshments, will be held directly after the speech in the Rotunda, on the 1st floor of City Hall.

The Mayor looks forward to sharing the state of your city with you, and imparting his vision for the changes you elected him to make. The day promises to provide encouragement and hope for a bigger and better Kansas City for one and all.

In addition to preparing for his State of the City speech, it was an extremely busy, but productive week in the Mayor's office last week.

The Mayor voted against a City Council resolution that called for the city to spend $250,000 to secure a site for a proposed 1,000-room, $315 million convention hotel.

When the Mayor heard this was on the agenda to be voted upon, his first thought was one that continues to stick with him today, "You have got to be kidding me."

The city has spent nearly $500,000 over the last decade on studies that give conflicting projections for the success of a new hotel. The Mayor stated that if history serves us, the most recent consultant projections are overenthusiastic.

Convention hotel plans often don't play out as consultants project, the Mayor said. In St. Louis the $277 million, 918-room Renaissance Grand Hotel & Suites went into foreclosure last year. Closer to home, taxpayers in Overland Park were called on to pay $2.4 million when the Sheraton Overland Park didn't meet projections.

The Mayor points out that hotels have failed, are failing, across the country: Waikiki, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Scottsdale, Orlando, Boston. He stated that there is no scenario that he can imagine that says now is the right time to do this.

The Mayor believes that the way to fix Downtown is to fix the neighborhoods around it and that the way to grow our city is to take care of our citizens and our neighborhoods. This is the way to true economic development. This is the way to new jobs. He stated that it's time to reform our government and go back to tried and true ways: a focus on our neighborhoods, and on our small businesses.

The Mayor noted that a $315 million hotel likely will require a commitment of tens, if not hundred of millions, of dollars from city taxpayers. This makes absolutely no sense to the Mayor.

Beyond the financial commitment, the Mayor Funkhouser called it "foolhardy" to pay for development rights for a "phantom" developer. He said that this property isn't going anywhere.

When the idea of a convention hotel initially bubbled to the surface, the Mayor stated that he would keep an open mind about it. He asked a series of questions about the proposed hotel project last August, but none of the questions he asked have been answered, and the hardest question has been ignored entirely: How will we pay for it?

The Mayor said that one thing is sure: the hotel will cost our residents dearly. And it will cost our current hotel owners dearly if it comes to pass.

Lastly, the Mayor said that the need for an ongoing public subsidy for the hotel project is likely, and the city's consultant backed him up by saying that the project will not be profitable enough to make its debt payment.

Because of the above, the Mayor was the lone vote against the convention hotel project.

In his weekly Town Hall meeting with city residents, the Mayor heard concerns about neighborhoods, schools, crumbling streets, inadequate sewers and sidewalks.

He told the crowd that our city government's main job is to provide the basic services every citizen expects, every day, and to make our neighborhoods clean and safe. He said that our families, at some point, have got to come first. Our families have waited long enough, and as Mayor, he said that he has waited long enough as well.

This week, the Mayor also held a media conference to discuss something that is near and dear to his heart: his proposed process to begin a pilot program for the $24 million in new neighborhood funds approved two weeks ago by the City Council.

Each council district will have $4 million dollars for small neighborhood projects in addition to what they normally get for capital improvements for projects such as sidewalks, crosswalks and catch basins that are in and around neighborhoods and schools. Mayor Funkhouser and city staff has been meeting to determine the best way to ensure a portion of the funds is used to target small projects and to create jobs this year. The Mayor feels that maintaining and restoring our neighborhoods by providing quality basic services is the way to true economic reform.

Through the process that he has in place, the Mayor wants to ensure that neighborhood leaders such as home owners associations, neighborhood associations, school officials, and community groups have access to these new funds for small, neighborhood level improvements.

You can apply for these funds through the home page of the City's web site: http://www.kcmo.org/CKCMO/index.htm.

Earlier in the week, the Mayor spoke in front of the Kansas City TIF Commission and called for a financial audit of all active Tax Increment Financing plans. The TIF Commission approved the Mayor's request on a voice vote.

The Mayor said that Kansas City has been very generous with economic incentives, but that it was important that we be as vigilant today as we were generous over the last few decades. With over 50 active TIF plans, he said that we should be very sure our taxpayer's investment is being spent properly.

Mayor Funkhouser also called for EDC-KC to seat the members of the TIF Administrative Commission. Five members representing other taxing jurisdictions affected by TIF plans were given a greater role by a City Council resolution in January. The five members have been selected by the other taxing jurisdictions, but have not yet been seated by the EDC.

The Mayor said that these taxing jurisdictions deserve a voice, and that he has been fighting for that since he took office. He concluded by saying that in order for them to have an administrative voice on issues like this audit, they need to be seated immediately.

On a More Personal Note

Our own little "urban garden" has taken off with all the rain we've had this spring. Until this week, all we've produced were weeds. Lately we've been enjoying cherries, sugar snap peas, collard greens and rapini. But the best reward is that our children are finally old enough to enjoy tending to the garden, instead of complaining on end about being sticky, hot and dirty. and having nothing to show for their efforts except that they have to eat more vegetables . . .

In faith,
Gloria & Mark



The Mayor's Public Appearances

Saturday through Monday U.S. Conference of Mayors Oklahoma City, OK

Tuesday 10:30 a.m. City Council Committee Chairs Mayor's Office, 29th Floor, City Hall
3:30 p.m. A City That Works 10th Floor, City Hall

Wednesday 8:15 a.m. Finance and Audit Committee 10th Floor, City Hall
2 p.m. Metro Patrol Station Ribbon Cutting 7601 Prospect 5 p.m. Major League Baseball Announcement!!! Kauffman Stadium 6:30 p.m. Town Hall - Plumbers Union Local 8 and Pipefitters Union Local 533 8600 Hillcrest Road

Thursday 10 a.m. Police Athletic League TBD
1 p.m. Mayor's State of the City Address City Hall, Legislative Chamber, 26th Floor 2 p.m. Mayor's State of the City Reception City Hall, Rotunda, 1st Floor

Friday - Tuesday 7:40 a.m. Fridays with Funk, Chris Stigall Show 710 KCMO AM

Saturday 3 p.m. Mayor's Night Hoops Tip-Off? Southeast Community Center??
5 p.m. Taking Back Our City, Keeping the Dream Alive Rally? 31st & Troost??

Sunday 7 a.m. KMBZ Weekend News (Exact time TBD)??
1 p.m. Your Kansas City ?KSMO-TV

The Next Town Hall Meetings June 16, 2010 - 6:30 p.m. Plumbers Local 8 - Pipefitters Local 533 8600 Hillcrest Road
June 23 - 6:30 p.m. Platte Wood United Methodist Church 7310 Northwest Prairie View Road June 30 - 6:30 p.m. Thai Information Center Plaza Library 4801 Main Street July 14 - 6:30 p.m. St James Lutheran Church 1104 N.E. Vivion Road July 21 - 6:30 p.m. Benjamin Banneker Charter Academy of Technology 8310 Holmes July 28 - 6:30 p.m. KC Hispanic Chamber of Commerce 1600 Baltimore Avenue August 4 - 6:30 p.m. Missouri Bike & Pedestrian Federation Location TBD August 11 - 6:30 Northeast Chamber of Commerce; Scarrett Neighborhood Assn and Indian Mound Neighborhood Association Grace Church of the Nazarene 4300 Independence Ave August 25, 2010 - 6:30 p.m. Revolution Methodist Church 500 W. 40th Street