[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZcAi5Onx0oM[/youtube]
“Anyone entrusted with power will abuse it if not also animated with the love of truth and virtue no matter whether he be a prince, or one of the people.” Jean De La Fontaine
City Hall, City Directors, City Councilors and certain people in the media seem to be parroting the half-truths about the indoor pool, and they are spreading like wild fire and it hasn’t even been 24 hours since the aquatic update.
FICTION: The city continues to tell us this is being paid for with ‘CASH’ on hand.
FACT: We are using money from a repayment from the Feds on a bond we took out for levees. We will still have to pay back this bond in a few years. So while we may have ‘cash’ on hand from the repayment, we are using ‘borrowed’ money to pay for the pool. Ironically there was a story in the Argus today about those bonds and levees, just no mention of the indoor pool.
FICTION: The city says the increase in price is due to adding a therapy pool and larger recreational pool from the original drawings.
FACT: The therapy pool was in the original drawings, and the rec pool is the same size, but what HAS changed is that the slides, current pool and outdoor patio have been scaled back.
FICTION: There has been a ‘slight’ increase in price.
FACT: An almost 17% increase in the price of the facility isn’t a slight increase on a multi-million dollar project, it is substantial.
FICTION: The project manager tells us the cost estimates were off before the vote because they just didn’t have the projections.
FACT: The city spent $46,000 on architectural drawings before the election to help project the cost. The drawings may have also been a violation of state law by presenting advocational presentations that swayed the vote.
FICTION: People voted for an indoor pool by voting against the outdoor pool. This statement was made by the city’s finance director and the Argus today.
FACT: There was no ‘indoor pool’ on the ballot.
FICTION: The quit claim deed doesn’t matter.
FACT: We are not sure if it does or not, because the city has made zero attempt to get a MOU from the VA about building the new indoor pool. At the last Listening & Learning session the mayor went as far as pretending he didn’t know what it was.
I’m all for moving ahead with this project, but let’s be honest and transparent in our intentions.
Sorry, I can’t watch this. There should be a 5 minute rule or at least a 7th inning stretch. To much propaganda all at once. No wonder people buy swampland in Florida.
It’s gonna happen and it’s not going to be all cash. When it’s half built, it must be finished. That’s when there will be an emergency bond situation.
It’s like all other city projects, no parking. The VA hospital has parking issues. It’ll be public parking they’ll use.
Once it fails, a commercial enterprise can acquire it and use the main pool for a ‘Swimming With Dolphins’ attraction. The therapy pool could become a lobster tank for the nearby country clubs.
I heard that the original cost estimate “forgot” the site work – things like the curbs, pavement, grading, drainage, etc. I guess the pool consultant must not have to worry about that type of stuff.
I see Whitney wrote a story today about the indoor pool not being a conspiracy and decided to reprint the quote from MMM that I mention above being a flat out lie, “This proposal does not add more debt. We’re able to do it with cash and reprioritizing some projects within our parks department.”
No, it just borrows from debt we already have. I puzzled why no one in the media questions this statement. It is a flat out lie.
So is the “fact” that they have added a therapy pool – when, in truth, it was always part of the original plan!
Last year the parks dept and mmm said they were popping over 54 mil for parks. If indeed they programmed that then no wonder they can redirect funds and use at will. Big slush fund
I sure hope they build the therapy pool as did Sanford wellness center. Enclosed walls and the pool is much warmer than a reg pool. But I’m sure any extra funds will have a nicer therapy pool and bar at the mmm tennis club.
Stu takes a shot at the conspiracy nuts. Do your job stu and you’ll learn most of this is not conspiracy. Take the old footprint of the place. Place it next to new one. Therapy pool? Oh yeah, a vast conspiracy by the dacola nut cakes. Not so fast stu. Therapy pool, exactly the same, before and after the 3.9 mil add on. Same for recreational pool dimensions which according to the city and stu is bigger and better? Take another look stu. Just take the short amount of time it takes to compare the old an new versions of the facility. Stu, see for yourself the majority of the 3.9 mil is being spent to accomadate Snofox club members. The only conspiracy being committed on this thing is by our so called fourth estate.
The therapy pool is to appease the VA. They gave the city forward approval provided there would be use and allowance for veterans swim therapy. The VA holds the perpetual ‘park’ restriction from the quit claim. I suggest the city plan a significant parking lot south from the building with an access drive up to the VA. The VA needs more parking and this could prevent federal intervention. Add another 3 million for a parking lot. There’s still the $500k Blauveldt curse. A kind woman died and donated money for a ‘park’. A major public arena is hardly trees and grass associated with a park.