we should have something about 9 or 9:30.
Im just guessing, but if he has not resigned by then, it will probably be Tuesday, unless of course, he does not get the job.
There are two other finalists who are also pretty good, and one of them has local connections or family or something.
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59 comments:
Seems to me a few commissioneers need to check their egos at the door and apologize and fix the relationship. Imagine what another search for a new city manager will cost. Thought they wanted to be resposible with city tax dollars. Seems to me they may be the cause of some bogus spending. Can't say that I blame him for moving on if it happens, rumer is they did him wrong! Maybe the traveler could find out the real story!
I think if you read the article in yesterdays paper where Kuhn said something to the effect of he and a couple of other commisioners (Amigos) not being bobbleheads, it is clear that although Russel was hired to think outside the box, the regime has since changed, and the Amigos do not like thinking outside the box. They like to run the city for the downtown business owners, and never mind any of this forward thinking business.
If he could just stick it out till the next election, it's obvious that the three amigos will be no more.
Cost will not be the only factor. Imagine how it will effect the entire City organization, turmoil and 6 or 8 months of no limbo. We will continue to get further behind, imagine the turmoil of this commission with no leader or guidiance.
Who would want the job knowing how screwed up the commission is?
What scares me is the fact that this goofy commission we be the ones selecting the new city manager if our current one leaves. This could have a profound negative affect upon or community!
What if everyone gathered at city hall and demanded that he stay?
Anyone up for a protest march?
What makes everyone think that Russell's ideas are so great?
You talk about his "thinking outside the box", fine what were some of these great ideas? Is it not possible that his ideas were wrong and as such the city commisioners voted against it?
The "three amigos" have become a scapegoat for everything in the city. If certain commissioners are for something than it is automatically considered wrong, or vindictive.
You want "outside the box" ideas? How about we clean up downtown, maybe make building owners repair windows. Schmidt Jewelry seems to be working on it, and Sparks Music is reworking their store front. All voluntarily it seems since the window ordinance was shot down.
Why was "outside the box" window idea shot down? Because it would cost Sybrant too much money. AC industries claim they want to improve Ark city.
So bring in a Lowes, AC Industries will make a large profit and it will help the town!!!!!
Remodel run down buildings in Ark City, no that will hurt the town. Namely because it would cost certian people too much money. It seems the only thing considered "good" for this town is something that will generate profits for a select group.
Sorry to ruffle your tailfeathers commissioner.
Tell us how you screwed him out of his contract!
come on peeps
he aint left yet !
quote from 20 minutes ago
"i am still the city manager"
The poster at May 23, 2008 8:01 AM is right. THIS whole thing is about power and control and the loss that the powers that be experienced during the last election. And most of you on here can't stand it. But if you talk to real people who have lived here all their lives and go into any coffee shop or the local hangouts instead of the home national lobby, you will hear how popular and appreciated the new commission really is. Call me a commissioner if you want, but I see things as they are. A select few with money is upset that they are no longer calling the shots. Russell leaving could very well be a good thing because this commission will get to select his replacement and carry on their out of the box thinking that brushes against the establishment. If you want Sybrant to run the town along with his buddies, vote these people out and start over where you left off a little over a year ago. If you want the town to be ship-shape and see the budget continue to get trimmed keep the current momentum. I read in another post that Ark City was the only ones to not get their taxes raised out of the college, county, and school district. Is this true James? That is a lot different than Sybrant wanting to raise your taxes to pay for his windows.
If it's true, you can thank the city manager not the commission.
They don't have a clue as to what they are doing. But that's alright, we've been through the bad before. Do your best to bring it back!
If you want the straight poop, go to the coffee shop and hear it. Because that is all it is. The biggest gossips in town causing the greatest disaster with their rumors and lies.
That is the heart of Ark City.
just a question
yesterday , was that a personal day off or was he paid to go interview , when searching for the opening ,was he using a city computer , or on city time ,
when he applied for the job , was he using a city computer , or on city time . these are things on my mind today
Every management job has paid days off for various reasons. I think the city has 10 days per year they can use as sick days, personal days, etc... I'd also bet that the city manager puts in much more than 40 hours per week and has addiditional personal days built in.
Either way, he doesn't seem like the kind of guy to cheat the system.
I don't even thing that deserves an answer. He hasn't shown anything but the absolute highest integrity
oh yea like the old saying "when the going gets tough the tough leave town"
Some of the posts say (to me) that perhaps noone really wants the city to succeed.
By that comment I mean you seem to look for an excuse to blame anyone for anything that you don't particularly agree with.
Sad to say. :(
yea your right i am the one blaming you right
whats so great about him anyway
whats so great about him anyway
He has a great understanding of how cities work.
Great organizational skills.
Has reduced the city debt load significantly.
Made the city government more efficient.
A very polished and smooth representative of the city at the state and regional level.
Goal oriented.
Gets things done.
And he is a really nice guy.
Well, that explains everything!
No wonder the 3 amigos don't like him.
We certainly don't want anything like that around here. Anything that might improve our community would reduce the negativity. The entire town would fall apart!
The amigos are responsible for having set an agenda of debt reduction that the manager has capably carried out. Pull your head out.
Can't wait until the next election. It will sure be a surprise to the power elites of old when the new government of the people confirms their role by retaining their rule with others of like mind--those who actually want to see success for Ark City and aren't just concerned about their own welfare.
It would be painful and bloody but maybe what we need is a civil war. First we could rid ourselves of all the people who don't pay taxes and anyone else who is too selfish and oblivious to be part of the solution. Then we can get rid of all of the people who still blindly support home national. Maybe that was all just one category? Sure they have good people working there but not the ones pulling the puppet strings who are offended by the amigos.
Then when the air clears we will have whoever is left who wants to contribute to the growth of the town. I realize there are good people in that mix but there are the blind followers the ignorant the uninformed the lazy too.
Come over from the dark side and join those of us who are working to make this a better place to live. No I'm not talking about Charles or Jean. If we had them elected we could go down to 3 commissioners because you'd need the extra air space they would take up.
We are talking about real progress and not just words and not just throwing money at projects. I intend to look up how many philanthropic and other activities home national has been a part of recently in Scottsdale and elsewhere. I have a feeling that since that is where their heart lies now they are spending a lot more money elsewhere. Too bad they can't spend it here. They could put windows in Sybrant's building for a start.
the next election will be interesting.
if more people get involved in the debate, and if more people start to take action, some good may come of all this.
I still say it isn't up to the commission to make things happen.
Agendas take years to incorporate. The changes now happened in budget sessions almost 2 years ago. Before the amigos.
Now that the amigos are in charge you can watch things go downhill. The city manager is pushing to do the right things, and try to follow the 3 amigos. Even with them working against him and them lying to him and others.
Ask them why they meet secretly. Ask them why they don't involve the other commissioners. Ask them how they have been dealing with the city manager. I'm sure you'll hear plenty of stories. But don't believe me. ASK THEM. If they are doing it right they have nothing to hide and should be proud of what they are doing. If you hear different stories there won't be any doubt.
But quit guessing. ASK THEM. You won't believe anyone. Get the facts. ASK THEM
I'm not sure why it keeps coming back to Home National. It seems to me that Union State Bank was openly against the big box. Ark City Industries is a group with Home National only as a member. It's amazing that USB standing alone beat out a group with HN only as a member. Makes me wonder who was in whose pocket.
How did USB stand alone? How did the 3 amigos work so well together and yet the others didn't seem to know about the wall? Which ones were working outside of the commission?
When will the honesty really start? Let's hear the whine. It's the only way you can pretend it didn't really happen the wrong way. You can pretend it isn't still happening the wrong way.
How do the 3 amigos know each others thoughts so well? From what I read in the paper the meetings seem to be balanced. How do they work together otherwise?
Here come the Home National defenders to the rescue. You should be proud. Keeping bending everybody over to accomplish your agenda. You try to make facts exist where there are none. Foss, is that you? No really if you want to look at facts look at the lawsuit against Home National for unjust enrichment and stealing from its stockholders. That scandal never made the local paper. Who did you say was in whos pocket? Looks to me that they are trying to do the same thing to the townspeople that they did to their own stockholders and former employees. Sure are a lot of people who went across the street. They saw the light.
Financial position of the city has to do with the current commission as far as I can see it. Prior commissions almost bankrupted the city. How many tax breaks can you keep giving to mr. warehouseman and expect to have any money in your coffers?
oh yeah, you make a good point to ask them what they did in executive sessions. too bad they aren't legally allowed to talk about that.
http://www.poncacitynews.com/NewsArchives/0299folder/lo020499.html
0299folder/lo020499.html
you make a good point to ask them what they did in executive sessions. too bad they aren't legally allowed to talk about that.
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Just a point.
The law never says they "have to" have an executive session (private meeting.)
Any member can talk about executive sessions all they want.
And they dont ever have to have them.
There are times when it is prudent to do things in private. But im just saying that it isnt required by law.
Also id say the city commission is pretty good about its executive sessions. They have even done some things in open session that could have been done in private.
I could tell you some horror stories. LIke one board i covered in south carolina. They had 10 employees, and every meeting had a 2 hour executive session for personnel matters. THeir open meeting usually lasted about 10 minutes. Thats abuse. :)
What was the dateline of that HNB article? In the article it said 1998. Looks like you had to dig pretty far to find some straws to grasp at. And even then it was just a dispute over how much stock was worth. What was the outcome?
The simple truth is this: I don't keep up on the cliches, or who runs what... all I know is that the three amigos ruined a chance for us to have a Kowe's store, and several other stores, and maybe a nice place to eat. AND they threw out my signature on a petition as if it meant nothing, because they were never interested in what the paople wanted, but only what the downtown business owners wanted. That is enough for me to vote them out at the next opportunity, and I know a LOT of people that feel the same way.
And if the amigos are talking aboiut business outside of meetings, then that is a violation of the open meetings act. What ever happened to their bid to try to change the policy on that?
I too have seen corrupt city councils, and I have seen them sanctioned and recalled for breaking the open meetings act.
Okay, it was "Lowe's" and "people". Sometimes it helps to turn a light on. ;)
You need to turn a lot more lights on than that. There is more than one suit against the bank right now but they have done such a good job of covering it up couldn't find it out there on the internet. I've never wanted to believe some of the things I've heard about that bank because I had such a reverence for Bob and his integrity. I guess times are different now. It is more about the holy dollar. It is more important in your estimation to sell out the longstanding community members who have contributed so much to this town in order that you can get a few junky stores with more neon. When is the last time you actually did any shopping here personally? That's what I thought. You want more places to shop and eat then keep going up to Wichita, down to Ponca and where ever else you go. You are stuck here and you would love to be somewhere else because you are embarrassed to tell people you are from here. You like how you feel when you are in cosmopolitan places. You love the shopping options. You love the food. You are just stuck here because you are tied down and can't leave. You are waiting for your parents to die or your friends to move or your retirement. At your next opportunity you will leave. In the time before that you will do your best to sell out the business owners who have risked and toiled so you can try to be a little more comfortable. Well it isn't worth it. I'm proud to be from here and like it how it is. I don't have to spend time with uppidy friends in other cities to make me feel good aboutmyself. If we could be less negative then that would be grand. If some people clean up their acts and show some pride of ownership that will make a big difference overall. For far too long you have run the show here and I'm glad to finally see some people stand up and face you head on and not be afraid. I think that is what we are seeing here. People are coming out of the woodwork and coming out of their shells because they see that they will finally be listened to and they will have a chance to make a difference. A Lowes was never the salvation of this town. The People are.
Woooooo!!!! Such a loyal person, but to the extent that we blast others for wanting more. Oh my!!
The dateline was 1999. You can call it grasping at straws if you want but most people call screwing good people out of their stock by artificially devaluing it fraud and outright thievery. Unjust enrichment is just a fancy word for stealing. They are continuing to screw the citizens in the same way. They pretend to give away a center to the college and I hear they made plenty of money off of that deal. They charged ungodly rates to the city for years and got away with it because no others got to compete. Who does that benefit? Certainly not the citizens.
I asked what the outcome was but you refused to answer, or didn't because it didn't back up your side of the story, who knows.
As far as that weird rant about how I love my uppity Wichita friend (or whatever, I just skimmed most of it) I think thou dost protest too much.
Why don't you prove some of these allegations agains HNB. This is the first I've heard of any of that. What, did they turn you down for a loan, forclose on your house?
First of all, those are not allegations. They are factual. As far as outcomes why don't you call some of the litigants. The bank did an amazing job of keeping this out of the press. That doesn't take much to keep you from hearing about it before. I actually don't have anything against them personally as they've never done me wrong as an individual. I have a problem with them because I see how bad they are for the town.
The best I can understand for not wanting growth in Ark City is that you either work for USB and are trying to tie up funds here, or you own a business downtown and can't handle the supposed competition.
I have to go to Wichita to buy things I can't get here. Sizes of clothing, specific types of shoes, and a variety of other things that I have to have.
A large retail store would attract other retail stors. Why can't I/we have it here? Why won't you let us have what we need? What are you really afraid of?
That's a funny question. I for one don't mind having other stores here in town even if they compete with existing businesses. It is more a question to me of how they get here. It all comes back to the unlevel playing field question. Sure I'd appreciate the possibility of being able to buy a few things locally that I can't now, but that doesn't make me feel like it is important enough to have that happen at any cost or in an unfair way.
I still don't get it.
Lowe's was not going to get any reduction in their taxes at all. In fact, all of their taxes would be rerouted to develop the full shopping center. Lowe's would have paid for the rest of the things we want. I think I heard that the taxes they paid would also go to improving the old roads up there too. So if Lowe's was going to be paying all of their taxes... what level playing field are we talking about?
Oh, I forgot to ask... Did the stores downtown have to pay to bring water and sewer to them? Did they have to pay for the parking on the street and behind them? Did the stores have to pay for lighting along the street and in the parking? I'm wondering why the stores downtown don't have to pay for those things to get the level playing field.
Keep believing the lies. Makes you wonder why the commission didn't want to go to the next stage and make things public.
I'm wondering why the stores downtown don't have to >>>
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The downtown businesses also did not pay for the mainscape project that was put in last year.
To get any business to move to town you have to give incentives.
Its just how the world works.
It's to bad it's kept such a secret.
Had the Lowe's deal gone to the next level, and had all the cards put on the table, and THEN the people and/or City council saw something they didn't like and stopped the deal, I don't think we would still be so upset about it.
It's the simple fact that it was shot down so soon, and for no reason, that there HAD to be some shady dealings going on within the council. It's obvious that the downtown business owners had the three amigos in their pocket from the get go. What would it have hurt to go on to the next step and see the whole picture? What would we have lost? ABSOLUTELY NOTHING! As it is now, we lost an enormous opportunity for growth, and ALL respect for the three amigos.
All the people who were for getting a Lowe's who showed up at the meetings, either in person or by an ignored petition, got slapped right in the face by the three Amigos. We will watch them slapped back at the next election opportunity. That is if they are stupid enough to seek re-election.
I hope they seek reelection and prove to you how ignorant you are. You are living in fantasy land and there are only about 300 of you that are in agreement. That small figure is not enough to oust them as you say. You will find that YOU are the minority and that they are doing the will of the broad majority of citizens and not just downtown business owners as you say. Your not liking what they do or don't do doesn't mean they are wrong or that they don't listen. Maybe they just disagree with you and your 300 disgruntled buddies. Having a different opinion does not amount to conspiracy. Don't forget, the County has stated publicly that even if the commission pushed this through to the next step, they would have canned it. This deal never would have gotten out of the gate because the county said they saw problems with it. The school district superintendent was lined up to do the same but kept his mouth shut because he did not want to unnecessarily jeopardize the school bond. Rest assured that if had come to the next stage, he would have pushed for the veto as well if the county had not. That all amounts to your contempt over nothing since what you wanted never would have been realized even if the processes to get there would have been more to your liking. Since your so-called petition was completely invalid, it was inconsequential and never was of any value other than your using it to concoct concerns that don't exist. If it had been a valid petition, you might have a point. Don't forget the lies that were at the top of the petition and what was promised to be brought here and who were the forces behind that who promulgated such falsehoods. So don't blame anyone but yourself if you were spurned. You were duped by your own ignorance or by the pie in the sky lies of the circulators.
"I hope they seek reelection and prove to you how ignorant you are. You are living in fantasy land and there are only about 300 of you that are in agreement. That small figure is not enough to oust them as you say. You will find that YOU are the minority and that they are doing the will of the broad majority of citizens"
It is true the census stats prove it. The majority of our population are ignorant and uneducated, welcome to Arkansas!
You are some piece of work my friend. And completely ignorant. How exactly was the petition invalid? Where do you get your information? (or do you just make it up?) It would have cost nothing to see the next step. Just because you and your buddies on the council have a plan to keep the downtown business owners happy doesn't mean they will be re elected. There are more people upset about the Lowe's deal than happy it was prematurely squashed.
Maybe you can be an amigo too if you know the secret handshake.
"It is true the census stats prove it. The majority of our population are ignorant and uneducated, welcome to Arkansas!"
Exactly why you should leave. You have no respect for this town or the people in it. When people don't fall in line with your way of thinking you choose to castigate them.
You should be ashamed and should leave with your tail between your legs and go play in the fountains up in your beloved Bradly Fair.
You mean like the secret handshake at the ACI meetings?
I went to one of those early last year. It was only the third time (and last) for me to attend. It was of interest to find that this meeting was different than the other two. Two things happened that will never be forgotten.
At one time a certain individual who you could say was "in charge" and appeared to speak for the others proclaimed that the downtown is dead. This offended me greatly but I said nothing as it would have been inappropriate since yours truly is not in the inner circle. When there was hearty agreement I knew it was the right decision to keep quiet.
I am not totally sure if they believed this or not when they said it but I suspect that they did. Otherwise it could have just been an excuse for moving the town out north and abandoning the downtown as part of the vision they have for our future. It seems suspect to me that the land they own is also out north. This turned my stomach needless to say.
The other agenda that did not at all sit well was when they were plotting on how to influence the selection of the new manager. They gave indication they wanted to see someone who would allow them to continue the influence they had in the prior administration. I could scarcely believe this was happening and again said nothing.
I am telling you this group is building kingdoms and not just buildings! I do not know how deeply this thinking goes to the bank itself but there is a close association I can tell you! Go to their meetings and see for yourself. I highly doubt if they would invite a newspaper representative to be in attendance!
How about naming some names, and giving some facts that you can prove? I know who you are, so you might as well come on out of the closet and say what you want to say.
if what I hear about the mafia is true that whistleblower is in big trouble
When and where are the ACI meetings held? I would like to see for myself.
At Jezebel's off of k-15
Is it libel if we do not mention names?
Is it libel if we do not mention names?
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If the person is recognizable it is.
like saying the tall guy at the city commission ...
But, I see no point in spreading rumors.
Why do you want to do it?
What benefit is there?
True, true...
Sometimes curiosity does kill the cat.
speaking of cats, what does it take to have a cat season in the city limits?
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