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As I was comfortably sitting in the City Council Work Session last evening referencing the CIP Reports, Chief Webster was the first to ask for all sorts of new things, including 4 new 4 wheel drive vehicles. He said, not that is snows here often, when it does, these vehicles come in real handy. ARE YOU KIDDING ME? Here's a thought for you Chief. RENT THEM WHEN YOU NEED THEM!Then came the Fire Department introducing millions and millions of dollars in renovations, equipment, new fire trucks and ambulances.
While the Chief was smack dab in the middle of his speech, in walks Jim Rapp! I thought to myself, self, I was here first! I truly had no idea he was scheduled to be there because they called him up during the Public Works portion of this meeting.
Jim was asked to come forward to discuss quite a large figured item and it turned out it was the new building the AZA is demanding. I learned a few things from this surprise. Jim stated that the AZA is demanding it be constructed by summer of 2008. He mentioned that as long as it was well under way they would be fine with it but he had to be under construction by that time.
Then he went on to explain where the money was going to come from. He said they had found a Zoo in New Jersey they wanted to copy their building and that they were going to ask the City for $500,000.00 for a building my wife Jennifer had been asking for over the past 15 years. It seems that now that she raised enough stink about it and it was brought to the AZA's attention they agreed and demanded it be built.
Nonetheless, they want $500,000.00 from the taxpayers when Alessi stated very clearly not a dime would come from the taxpayers. Then they are "hoping" to raise another $500,000.00 from the Feds through Grants. The rest they figured would be raised through a company they're interested in hiring that raises funds by calling people and harassing them for money over the phone.
So what I'd like to get across to ALL of you is this. IF they do not raise the proper funds and this thing gets under way before the AZA deadline, know the City will then FORCE the taxpayers to pay off the rest. This will be just the beginning of what will be a long range of tactics just like this for the rest of their Master Plan. Do also note that this building is not and was not a part of that Master Plan. They actually intended to build out the new Zoo without this building in mind. The AZA should have sanctioned them right then and there for that alone.
Anyhow, the City fronted some $65,000.00 already for drawings for the building they can actually get the full plans from within that Zoo in New Jersey. Alessi is too stupid to do that though and he'd rather spend that money to support his friends then do what is right and give that money back to the City.
I decided I had heard enough and I didn't want to watch Jim Rapp start shaking in his boots because I was in the room first, so I decided to leave. Thanks for the update Jim.
1 comment:
Might I add, my guess is that silly grin on Jim's face will soon disappear once a New City Council is on board. As a matter of fact, I'd be sharpening my pencil and applying for new jobs across America if I were him because I don't think this new Council is going to like his behavior in the past. That goes for several others working at the Zoo as well.
Heck, in two years there will be a new Mayor as well. Looks to me like Jim Rapp will be desperate to get out of a failing Zoo anyway because they won't have this $2,000,000.00 building completed anyway. If the Mayor and Council were smart they'd wait till all the money was raised for this project. Instead, what they'll do is, start the construction to lie to the AZA and make it look like they're doing fine and the project will be completed some time in 2008. You wait and see. No one is donating any funds to the Zoo but you read about SU, UMES and so many other local organizations getting serious donations but the Zoo has failed to gain such funding. Gee Jim, I wonder why?
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