Nick Roberts Goes to Bat
You’ve got to give Nick Roberts credit – he’s got guts. He took on the mayor and council today over what he feels is a “railroading” of the convention center site.
What’s most interesting is that City Manager Jim Couch, Mayor Mick Cornett and Councilman Larry McAtee say there has been NO site selected, no due diligence done. YET – the mayor once again said the convention center site selection is down to TWO sites. (The mayor also dismissed concerns about the convention center selection process as “conspiracy talk”).
Couch, meanwhile, told Nick city staff made a mistake describing this as a link between the park and the proposed convention center. He added this improvement is needed with or without the convention center – thus possibly eliminating the possibility that this expenditure will be cited as cause to move forward with Cornett’s favored site at a future date.
I don’t have a phone number for Nick – though I’m a reader of his blog, www.downtownontherange.blogspot.com. I look forward to catching up with him soon….
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KTOK also reported today an agreement to take bids to demolish the State Fair Grandstand. There has to be more to the plans than just this. Where will the new Expo Building be located on the Fairgrounds? Is it planned for the Grandstand site? And, why is the idle Grandstand demolition moving ahead faster than MAPS3, and other City projects?
As far as Nick’s questioning of the Council, way to go!
I was a regular Mark Shannon listener. Although I disagreed with his general opposition to MAPS3, I did agree with him that people should try to connect the dots, follow the money, and carefully scrutinize these projects, especially at a time when some are talking about a double-dip recession, and perhaps an extended period of higher-than-normal unemployment, even in OKC.
This isn’t a whitchhunt, but a reasonable request of our leadership to answer the questions which have still not been answered.
capcha of hamster
“Radar” – Demolition of a worn out Grandstand is a lot less complicated than coordinating all of the projects associated with MAPS. And you are probably right about the site being important, so they are moving forward with it.
As for the rest of you, you have been taking Lackmeyer drugs and he has all of you paranoid that everything going on downtown is a conspiracy. The ramp, Sandridge, C2S…
Nick Roberts, cheese and rice… you should get your own reality TV show with all of the publicity you seek.
Congrats to Nick!
IF “no due diligence [has been] done”, how is it that site selection is down to TWO sites”? Last I had read, there were FOUR sites being considered.
BTW, Steve you should be ashamed of yourself, getting called out by the Mayor as a “conspiracy talk” rabble rouser <>
Watch the video of the discussion – it should be available at http://www.okc.gov. He said “two sites.” And yeah, the “conspiracy talk” bit isn’t a surprise – it’s a line first introduced in this discussion (at least to me) by mayor’s aide, and now state senate candidate David Holt.
I’ve encountered such dismissals before – most notably by former county commissioner and city councilman Brent Rinehart when I was inquiring as to whether he had violated campaign finance laws (a crime to which he later plead guilty)
Inside those at the end of my post, should have been “j/k”
I don’t doubt it was said, but wouldn’t the elimination of 2 of the 4 sites imply that some due diligence had been performed? When they claim n=that NONE has happened (yet).
Mr. Holt’s departure would be wonderful for the City but horrible for the State. It has been my experience that he is one of the worst when it comes to spinning, answering questions that weren’t answered etc etc.
Oh, this is kind of embarrassing. Really didn’t want attention..keep in mind that when I finish my degree I’m just getting a job wherever one comes available. I appreciate the kind words.
I was thinking on my way back down to Norman how many fights are going on right now. Urbanists have been up against the establishment in this town a lot recently. It will be interesting to play out. In every other city on the planet where this struggle has played out, the establishment has won. Look at Robert Moses. Look at urban renewal everywhere. Look at highway lobbyists.
If we can win a single one of these dog fights it will be pretty big. SandRidge, the convention center, whatever else. The convention center is obviously still 10 years out, but these guys are going to press the issue while they can, or else we wouldn’t even go there for another 5 years. I hope that everyone that believes in downtown and growing a vibrant community will stand for what they believe in. If we can get that, we will win. OKC will win.
I was particularly cranky last night. Was cranking in a year’s worth of IDP into one night and the server was running thru molasses.
On a serious note, Nick, it does take a lot of guts to get up in front of the Mayor and be poised enough to argue a point.
Nick, thanks for not letting them go without a fight, I used to do that a few years back when I was your age, but now don’t have the time due to other obligations. I applaud you for keeping the fight going. Don’t get caught up just being an obstructionist though, it can easily sidetrack you from the real issues. Also if you want to work in OKC, I’m sure you can find a job here, it’s just where you set your mind where you want to be.
Sounds like Mayor Mickey Mouse & David Holt have been doing some more PR tactics and political grandstanding, they’re good at it and do it well. Hopefully we’ll get rid of them both next election cycle. Mick was good in his early years, but politics have gotten to him now. Sandridge could learn from their PR tactics.
When does public input start happening in regards to the proposed CC site?
Why is the city funding a 3rd study in regards to the proposed CC site, when two highly respected organizations have said the park site is the least desirable?
Slim, I’m not at all certain there will be a public process unless residents call their council members and demand that there be one.
Slim,
As Steve alluded there may be an open public process (see the Streetcar discussions) or there may not (as the Mayor defined the public process in determining MAPS 3 items, there were no public meetings but just an “open door” policy to contact the Mayor anytime you wanted). To be on the safe side, I would do as Steve suggested and contact City Hall, then if a more public process occurs, participate that way too.
Slim, adding to my prior post…
Oklahoma City’s Bricktown Association calls for openness on convention center site selection (Oklahoman, 7/2/10)
“It will be a very open process,” Cornett said. “I don’t know if my definition of an open process will meet everyone else’s definition. But I can’t imagine there will be any shortage of citizen input.”
Shades of the open process/public input that was promised by the Mayor in selecting the MAPS 3 items? There never were any public meetings (just the Mayor’s “open door” to any citizen that wanted to make a suggestion).
On the other hand, there has been the appearance of public input (a series of Lets Talk Transit meetings) for the Streetcar routes (still very preliminary).
We can hope…
When a politician is as blunt as the mayor is by saying “I don’t know if my definition of an open process will meet everyone else’s definition. But I can’t imagine there will be any shortage of citizen input” it ought to be a giant red flag wake up call to anyone and everyone who wants input and openness.
If the statement was devoid of politispeak, it might read like this:
People can offer anything they want, and will. But, we’re still going to do this my way.
Yep, he sure does. Would love to see it … OH … it should be on Channel 20 …