GIVE THE RAMP TO UPTOWN REINVESTMENT

GOOD MORNING FLINT
2/4/2010


A FRIEND ASKED ME,

Terry why does UPTOWN get all the goods and other folks and tax payers foot the bill?


That does not seem right does it?

Yet our City policy has been to rebuild Downtown first then the College Corroridor then the neighborhoods.

Concentrating resources has allowed success downtown.

We do have a right to know who is benefiting?

However it came about about ,no matter who worked the deal we have a parking ramp. this ramp is
needed for long term revitalization of downtown Flint.

The DDA/with the city of Flint has a long term obligation financial to pay off the ramp.

The City does not have the money.

If UPTOWN as a non profit organozation takes over the complete obligation for the ramp thats good for Flint.

I do not know enough to answer the questions,

1.Who is UPTOWN Reinvestment.

2.Is everthing called UPTOWN Reinvestment [UR] a non profit or is there a for profit component.

3.Are there overlapping private and public interest for the individuals on the Board of UPTOWN reinvestment?

I do not know the answer.

As long as we have an arms length fair market transactions then UR is doing what we want non protifs to do, preform a public good.

In this case the Public Good is rebuilding Downtown Flint.

The greater Downtown to Kettering , to Mott, to U of M is turning Flint into a college town, thats good.

What we need next is a focused neighborhood agenda.

The Land Bank and the City are getting millions for clearance.

What we need now is to end the preoccupation with downtown.

We need to have the parking ramp issue settled. The UR efforts will be looked back as one of Flints great success, rebuilding downtown.

The Mott Foundations involvment and funding, though I cannot tell you what it was specifically, has allowed Downtown Flint to rise again.

I work in Downtown Flint, live near by, dine there, taken in theater and movies in the area.

I was born in Flint. My view is Downtown Flint is back.

Flint Citizens realize the Mott Foundation is like a natural resource. we are lucky to have it in our back yard.

I am naturally suspicious of them because they have a lot of money and I don't.

I am suspicious of UpTown reinvestment because they are putting together deals I don't understand.

Buts thats life.

We should thank them and hope they continue their good work.

We always have a right to know where our tax money has gone.

So let Uptown have the ramp, just give it to them, if they can put together one of their magical mystical financial packages with the omnipresent Mott Foundation.

Thats a good thing.

It will free up city money for public saftey.

Flint today has a critical mass of private and public leadership interested in Flint.

I like the current Flint City Council and all its members.

We have a good Mayor who is in the middle of his first test of fire.

I like Uptown Reinvestment.

As A Flint Citizen I am grateful for the Mott Foundation and its contribution to our community.

As a citizen my preference is for the publics business to be authorized by elected mayors and councils in Flint.

Flint Citizens desire the process of revitalization to be fair, transparent, and free from individual enrichment not part of the public plan.

The Mayor and the City Council need to do what it takes to unburden the tax payers from the parking ramp, keep the City of Flint SAFE AND SOLVENT.

they should continue to build the programs under way, citizen organization, land clearance, master plan creation and build a NEIGHBORHOOD AGENDA.

Mr. Mayor and Flint City Council when this all shakes out your political reputation and future depends on your efforts on the issues of financial solvency, public saftey and neighborhood revitalization.

posted first to Flint Talk http://flinttalk.com/viewtopic.php?p=52436#52436

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What elese can you not manage Mr. Mayor?

GOOD MORNING FLINT!
01/03/2010
BY Terry Bankert

Give me a break.

There is very little that affects our life more, after the well being of our family, than our jobs.

There is very little that affects moral more than the threat of impending job loss.

In Flints troubled time we want a dedicated high moral public safety team.

You Mr. Mayor and who ever is running HR casually send out wrong layoff notices , twice this month.

See:
http://www.mlive.com/news/flint/index.ssf/2010/02/flint_police_layoff_notices_we.html

How can that happen.

If you cannot administer something as basic as proper layoff notices
what else can you not manage.

Your mistake, your human relations directors mistake to threatened the livelyhood of these city employees is unacceptable.

We are on the verge of not trusting you.

You should not hide behind a communications director when there is bad news.

You are still my mayor and have my support, so far.

Your reputation of being the best and the brightest is on the verge of
melting down along with Flint's finances

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Flint City Council Responsibility!

GOOD MORNING FLINT!
01/31/2010

RESPONSIBILITY.

Just who is responsible for Flints Budget?

The Ward 9 Council person said at the last special council meeting that the council is not responsible for making mid term budget cuts that is the Mayors job.

The Ward nine council person then chastised the Flint Journal reporter present 3 times for saying effectively that the council was facing hard decisions with the projected budget short fall.

So just what is the council responsible for?

Now I do not want to offend the delicate sensitivities of a couple of council members.

But just who is responsible for making sure, on behalf of the taxpayers, that Flint has a balanced budget?

What accountability exists?

Whenever you hear the council say they are not responsible they mean they do not want to be accountable.

Flint is facing a budget shortfall, what is the councils role?
http://www.mlive.com/news/flint/index.ssf/2010/01/city_of_flint_looking_at_proje.html

Lets avoid the head in the sand approach the council took in the Stanley Administration.

The mayor presides over the officials responsible for the day to day work of the city .

The Mayor is assisted by a City Administrator.

The Flint City Council is a legislative body.

It can introduce and pass legislation proposed by the Mayor.

The council has the authority and responsibility to audit the city books.

These two branches of municipal government are meant to be a check on each other.

Not to just point fingers but to cause accountability.

How can the council protect us. Not by pointing fingers and saying its not our fault.

The Flint City Charter 3-205 to 3-207 grants the City Council substantial powers of investigation.

The Council may ,as group or committee, look into the conduct of the City’s Executive branch.

This is an important check on the use of power by the Mayor.

The City Council is RESPONSIBLE for auditing the City financial records at least annually.3-404 to3-405 Flint City Charter. So who is responsible for the city budget.

The Mayor or the Council?

They both are. So if there is a projected budget shortfall the Flint City Council does have hard decisions to make.

The drafting of the budget is the Mayors responsibility.

This budget is presented to council on or before the first Monday in April for its examination and adoption before July 1st of every year.

Flint City Charter 7-104. A. At any time during the fiscal year, upon written request of the Mayor, the City Council may consider amendments to the previously adopted budget which (1) transfer an unencumbered appropriation balance from one program service or activity to another (2) provide for expenditure of revenues in excess of those in the budget or (3) meet a public emergency affecting life, health, property or the public peace which may require emergency appropriations as provided by statute.”

The Mayor can always spend less than the budgeted amount.

The council may investigate him if he chooses not to reduce expenditures in the face of declining revenue.

Management of declining revenue then is the primary responsibility of the mayor and the council protecting the taxpayer may investigate and hold him accountable.

At all times the City must meet the solvency requirements of State Law.

So the council now does face tough choices.

Now that it has exercised its power to monitor city financing through its audit function and now has knowledge of a revenue short fall its role for us is to question the mayor on how solvency will be protected and to investigate and possibly hold hearings should he chose not to react.

It may be the mayors responsibility to spend the budget.

Its is the Flint City Councils responsibility to protect the taxpayers from insolvency.

The Flint City Council has some tough decisions to make.

Josh Freeman explains the audit. http://flinttalk.com/viewtopic.php?p=52285#52285

Posted here by Terry Bankert

http://flinttalk.com/viewtopic.php?p=52291#52291

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