08-10-09 Common Council Minutes - Laserfiche WebLink

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REGULAR MEETING AUGUST 10, 2009 UNFINISHED BUSINESS Kathleen Cekanski-Farrand, Council Attorney stated that On behalf of the family of Rollin Farrand, Sr., I would like to thank everyone for their support this past week. Our family would especially like to thank the Common Council, the City Clerk's special staff who brought food to our home, Mayor Steve for his very kind words at Rollin's funeral; the countless number of calls, emails, cards, & many donations made in his memory. We would also like to thank the many members of the South Bend Police Department and Fire Department for guiding us through the streets of South Bend for Rollin's final journey. We were able to see some of the many projects which began under Rollin. Rollin truly loved South Bend, and thoroughly enjoyed being South Bend's Director of Public Works under Mayor Miller and Mayor Nemeth, as well as being County Engineer of St. Joseph County. The community's many acts of kindness have truly been appreciated. We are blessed and most grateful. NEW BUSINESS Council President Dieter thanked Ed Ronco from the South Bend Tribune for his dedicated years of reporting the news to the South Bend area. He wished him well on his move to Alaska. PRIVILEGE OF THE FLOOR COMMENTS REGARDING THE COLLEGE FOOTBALL HALL OF FAME Jim Cierzniak, 1518 Pine Top Trace, Mishawaka, Indiana, spoke regarding the College Football Hall of Fame. Mr. Cierzniak stated last week Council Members were finally given the 2008 year-end operating statement for the College Football Hall of Fame. After months of trying to get the report after a Freedom of Information request, I received a copy also. He stated that he believes Mayor Steve could have acted to release the report month ago. Transparency, Mr. Mayor, transparency! Some observations on the report: 1. The Second Interim Agreement between the City and the National Football Foundation specified quarterly reports, not just at the end of the year. The second quarterly report should be available at this time, five weeks after the end of the quarter. The Council should have the latest information on the Hall before the budget hearing on it. 2. The tardy release of operating information is directly connected to this quote from the Second Interim Agreement, “…the NFF shall not have any financial reporting obligation to the City or the Board of Managers in connection with the operation of the Hall of Fame…” If there is Third Interim Agreement late next year, the City should not agree to this blackout of information. It is highly insulting to a city which has given the NFF a sweetheart deal for 40 years. 3. The financial report is too general. Contrast this report with the detailed ones prepared by Liz at Century Center for the years 1995 through 2001. For example, the signature event of the Hall is the Enshrinement ceremony. On the ’08 report, only the receipts are denoted ($243,340). The expenses are likely lumped into the “services” part of the report. That wasn’t the case for the NFF reports for the years 2002 through 2005. In those reports a “net” Enshrinement figure is denoted. But even that is a poor way to handle this category. The NFF should show the Enshrinement receipts and expenses as two separate figures. The reader can determine the “net” figure easily enough. 4. The one-page report does not contain the number of paid admissions. Why? 5. The report contains this eye-opening statement, “Revenues were lower than anticipated due to the elevator being down nine weeks requiring a major repair which caused cancellations to planned events during the football and holiday season.” An elevator inoperative at the Hall? Who knew? Why wasn’t the media informed? Whoever wrote that no doubt used the old “dog ate my homework” excuse I school. He stated that Council Members should th insist on the admission information and the June 30 report immediately. Two questions for the Council, from the report, please explain “Endowment Contribution” of $65,000 to your constituents? Please explain the term “Realized/unrealized investment income.” Since the figure for that category is $162,000 in parentheses, I guess that means the Hall had “unrealized income.” But what does that mean? Both figures are substantial; you should be knowledgeable about them. Also, you should know the expenses for 10