Today was the first morning meeting for the City Commission. They have meetings on the second and fourth Tuesdays of the month. Recently it was decided to have the second meeting of the month held at 9:00 in the morning instead of the traditional 7:00 evening meeting.
An interesting and well-spoken local businessman (Jason-didn't catch his last name) spoke during the Citizen's Forum portion of the meeting. He urged the Commission to consider carefully before spending additional money on the Kansas Logistics Park. He cited historical attempts with similar goals that had not succeeded. He has residential rental properties and stated that his tenants don't really care about what the city does until it impacts their own pocketbooks. When property taxes and water rates are increased and he must pass that on to his renters, then they care. He feels the City has "given away the farm" because of the deals they have made with the New Millenium Wind Energy Corp and the Tindell Corp to entice them to come to Newton. He is concerned that once the freebies are used, they will either fail or move on to another area.
As we have heard on a national level, renewable energy companies are known to fail and this would leave the City will a tremendous burden. He said that when an individual makes an investment, it is only that individual who loses; but when the City Council makes a poor decision, it is the taxpayers who suffer. I have learned that leadership often involves taking risks after a due diligence study has been performed. There are a lot of uncertainities in the world today and one must remember that this is historically a very conservative community. Between the KLP, the new Meridian Conference Center, and improvements to the Newton Airport, the City has spent money but it has also positioned itself for the next economic upswing. Activities like this are what has kept Newton from suffering the same fate that has befallen other small communities in the Midwest.
No comments:
Post a Comment