8 Responses to “City Council: July 15 Minutes, Sept. 2 Agenda”

1. posted by brenda p at September 3, 2008 12:50 pm :
   

   The P-I discusses two items from last night’s meeting, the bottom line of which is given as follows:

   1) “City Council voted unanimously last night to provide $5 million to the Petersburg Library Foundation toward the construction of a new library.”

   2) “City Council also voted 6-1 to give a vacant lot at 3 E. Old St. to the Petersburg Area Art League to create an art park.”

2. posted by brenda p at September 8, 2008 9:13 am :
   

   Additional coverage in the P-I relates to how the state-level spending reductions will affect Petersburg:

   Petersburg hit harder by state cuts (Sept. 6 2008)

   Toward the bottom of the article:

   Council also approved Tuesday night borrowing money, not to exceed $5 million, to ensure sufficient cash flow to meet the city’s contractual obligations for the coming fiscal year.

3. posted by John H at September 8, 2008 10:42 am :
   

   2) “City Council also voted 6-1 to give a vacant lot at 3 E. Old St. to the Petersburg Area Art League to create an art park.”

   Does anyone other than me have an issue with this?

4. posted by brenda p at September 8, 2008 10:56 am :
   

   At the Council meeting, Gloria Brown suggested that Old Towne property is of high value and that giving the property away for free was perhaps not the best strategy. The one dissenting vote was Councilman Pritchett, who said that he is not against a sculpture garden operated by PAAL, but rather is against giving away valuable property that per the R/UDAT report, could be used for infill and sold for good value. He also suggested that the sculpture garden could go, as an example, in the open space immediately north of the Farmer’s Market building (that space being similarly sized to the lot under consideration). I will also note that several individuals in attendance at the meeting were not of the opinion that this was a good idea, but there was also some confusion. The agenda read that the discussion pertained to a potential disposition of the lot, and thus folks in attendance thought that meant there would not be a final vote on the issue at the meeting. Per the P-I article, it seems that, indeed, the property is to be transferred.

5. posted by John H at September 8, 2008 1:28 pm :
   

   Thanks, I was at the meeting, but like Gloria, Linas and so many others. I am trying to figure out why we are giving all these properties for free away.

   Each year my property taxes increses, yet each month for the last several months. I have seen the officials of the city giving away property to groups such as this and Pathways as though we are oblivious to the fact that it is not right for them to take on these actions.

   As stated on another page. the ER is correct some strange things are going on in Petersburg, and to give Petersburg away to these individuals is like selling our sould to the devil.

6. posted by brenda p at September 8, 2008 3:10 pm :
   

   Hey John, I think the recipient orgs are doing outstanding work for our community, so do not quite agree with the ’selling our souls to the devil’ metaphor; maybe more appropriate would be to say the city is simply leaving money on the table (in some instances).

7. posted by John H at September 8, 2008 3:25 pm :
   

   and this is where the unclear point for me is coming. Not that I disliked what PAAL thought to do, but agree with Pritchett as far as location, and Brown as a matter of cost and ownership.

   Also when we turn these properties over to places like Pathways what do we get in return? Are they paying the city back? One month ago they were given two pieces of property that the city paid about 50k for, does the city get that 50k back once houses are sold? If so then I have no issue with it.

8. posted by brenda p at September 8, 2008 3:43 pm :
   

   At the most recent Ward 5(?) meeting, Canada mentions how the Pathways/City partnership is intended to work. Listen to that clip here. To summarize the example cited, the city bought a property in foreclosure, the city transferred the building to Pathways, Pathways will upgrade the building for home ownership, and upon the sale of the building to the homeowner Pathways will return part of the proceeds to the city — thereby creating a revolving fund to increase area homeownership with the help of Pathways.

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