The Board buys a piece of property listed at about $300,000 that extends from Main St to Traders Alley. It is bought because more parking space is needed for their current building. There is a house and a very large parking lot on the property. The Seniors get a great deal on the property.
They pay about $165,000 for the property. They pay the cost of closing, insurance,etc. Then about 4 months later they sell the property for the same amount. What's going on? Does the public have confidence that they know what they are doing?
Why was there not a public announcement that they wanted to resell the property? As a public agency, did they not have to follow public procedures and law before disposing of the property? Why was there not a public bidding process put into place to get a better price for the property?
It sounds as if a current majority of the Board is playing politics to force a failure of anyone who is trying to keep the Center a success in downtown Clarksburg. They do this by leaving the current Center in a worse off position. Rather than an open-minded approach to find the best site for a Senior Citizen's Center, the current Board is trying to stack the deck to have it leave Clarksburg.
Where is the public scrutiny? Who has oversight? Maybe there should be some mass resignations until this gets straightened out. This is not a 'PERSONNEL' matter that should be held in Executive session. Is this a question of malfeasance, misfeasance or non-feasance? Until these questions are answered we don't know and this deserves an open airing.
posted by Gundovald at 5/18/2006 04:15:00 PM
6 Comments:
It seems as though some members of the board want the center on the property in Adamston.
I heard the same thing, eclectic, and of course it allegedly involves personal financial interests. But: the County Commission does the same thing. What's the deal with allowing select private interests to purchase the business park at bargain basement prices without coming forward with a public offering? That lucrative property went below market and it didn't have to. But: at least it made the papers. Also: keep the Festival in downtown!!
Actually, the County Commiission had NOTHING to do with the sale of the industrial park. That was the Develoment Authority.
The adamston property, regardless of your position of what it should be used for, has sat delapidated for 20+ years. I don't know who should get the credit, but the city have scheduled the stacks to be torn down and the EPA has given the property a green light for redevelopment.
The City has recently received some more 'Brownfield' money and I'm optimistic that they will use that to make that Adamston property more attractive to either investors or developers. Rarely will you see a "Hat's Off" column in the C'burg paper for the City management ( I personnaly have never seen any). But in talking to a few people, it sounds as if they are working closely with the EPA and are making good progress.
My suggestion for an investor or developer would be to consider the possibilities of turning that Adamston area into another Rosebud Plaza type investment. The parking might be smaller, but the access to a major highway should be more attractive. Build a new Kroger or Food Lion, add a CVS or Rite Aide and the mandatory "dollar store" with a couple of smaller areas for a couple of eating places and it would be a great shot in the arm for that end of town as well as the people who drive through that area on the way home.
Shame on the Development Authority. I don't think bids were widely advertised on that deal either.
It appears a few out spoken "seniors" are going to complain, no matter what a board of directors tries to do. Is there anything that will make them happy???? I don't go to the Clarksburg Center because I choose to be around happy, positive, people, not people who are going to complain about everything! I realize the complainers are the minority, however, the vocal minority overshawdow the silent majority.
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