In the course of my unsuccessful bid for City Council,
my campaign raised some issues
regarding the way certain downtown projects get funded
while other areas in Greensboro are neglected.
immediately after an election
delayed a targeted taxpayer subsidization of a downtown hotel.
We provided factual information
showing that a group of developers and lawyers
who benefit directly from downtown projects supported by taxpayer funds
are also the biggest donors to the campaigns of some City Council members.
for several of the same campaign contributors,
along with a donor/owner of a local newspaper
that endorsed candidates and reaped revenue from political ads.
Throughout the history of Greensboro,
there has always been a small group of wealthy and powerful people
who dictate policy and growth patterns,
enriching themselves and their business associates in the process.
didn’t mind until accusations of “crony capitalism” and “corporate welfare” erupted.
Although the media didn’t pick up on it, this is a big story
that helps to explain the current proposal to spend $60 million
on two parking garages.
To avoid perpetuating this pattern of cronyism...
Greensboro
As pre-election campaign finance reports were due Oct. 30,
the election took place on Nov. 7,
and the rest of the pre/post-election filings are due Jan. 26,
the public will be not be fully aware of who received what from whom
before the rescheduled vote on Dec. 19.
As both projects are developer construction reimbursements,
it’s unclear how much benefactors stand to personally profit from deals
“the mayor is authorized ... to effectuate ...”
after most of the council received financial support from relatively the same patrons.
Please advocate for full transparency.
Greensboro’s voters deserve to know
how tax monies are allocated in our community’s best interests, or not.
George Hartzman
.
.
City of Greensboro open public records requests
Please provide documents and communications regulating, limiting or identifying how much CHI Greensboro, LLC and Elm Street Hotel, LLC could profit from the design and construction of the two new parking decks planned for downtown Greensboro.
Please provide the feasibility studies of downtown Greensboro's current parking decks
What are the indirect "financial incentives for their proposed projects"?
"the developers will not receive any direct city financial incentives for their proposed projects"
Jim Westmoreland
Please provide all information, documentation and communications concerning the selection process which determined which sites were selected for the placement of two new downtown parking decks, including the locations of the sites not selected and why they were not approved
Please provide information, documentation or communications concerning any of the City of Greensboro's past business dealings with any of those with a direct financial interest in projects associated with two new planned downtown parking decks
Please provide the City of Greensboro's past approved direct city financial incentives for any of those with a direct financial interest in projects associated with two new planned downtown parking decks, who Jim Westmoreland is saying "will not receive any direct city financial incentives for their proposed projects"
Please provide the City of Greensboro's past direct city financial incentives provided to any of those with a direct financial interest in projects associated with two new planned downtown parking decks, who Jim Westmoreland is saying "will not receive any direct city financial incentives for their proposed projects"
Please provide all documentation and communications related to the RFP process, legal notices, requests for bids, advertisement of bids, qualifications of bidders and decision process involving the approval of the developers for both parking deck projects planned for downtown Greensboro.
Please provide all documentation and communications between anyone at the City and the ICRCM, involving "an information workshop on Dec. 12, from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m., at the International Civil Rights Center and Museum" concerning "an effort to better inform the public on the details of both parking deck projects, the city plans to host".
Please provide the contract for "an information workshop on Dec. 12, from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m., at the International Civil Rights Center and Museum" concerning "an effort to better inform the public on the details of both parking deck projects, the city plans to host".
Please provide all details of the selection process which determined how developers were selected for the placement of two new downtown parking decks, including the names of the developers who didn't win in the bidding process
Please provide all details of "Both parking decks will include ground-floor retail space" cited by Jim Westmoreland, including who will pay for the creation of the spaces, who will own the spaces, who will realize the lease revenue and what realtors will market the spaces
Please provide the City of Greensboro's past financial subsidies/incentives/services/infrastructure allocations to "the developers" who Jim Westmoreland is saying "will not receive any direct city financial incentives for their proposed projects"
Please provide the City of Greensboro financial anaylysis showing "The debt service on these bonds will primarily be financed through monthly and hourly parking fees (in the new decks and the existing parking decks), and through new city sales and property taxes to be generated by the new private development projects that are expected to occur as a result of the city building the new parking decks" cited by Jim Westmoreland
Please provide the City of Greensboro legislation which states the City is obligated to provide "off-street parking (both surface lots and parking decks) to meet the needs of downtown businesses" cited by Jim Westmoreland
Please provide the "analysis" with the underlying data cited by Jim Westmoreland that "the demand for the new decks was validated last year by a Department of Transportation analysis"
Please provide the current and anticipated occupancy of the three proposed new downtown hotels, including the current and projected occupancy of existing downtown and surrounding hotels
Please provide sustainability data incorporating three new taxpayer subsidized downtown hotel plans along with hotels already in the area
What is the anticipated tax value of the land underneath Roy Carroll's new parking deck?
Please provide any communications, data or information concerning who is paying to create/build "ground level retail space" for CHI Greensboro's downtown parking deck.
Please provide any communications, data or information concerning who will profit from lease revenue associated with "ground level retail space" incorporated within CHI Greensboro's design plans for a downtown level parking deck, and how much any non-subsidized businesses in the area stand to lose from increased competition.
Please provide any data or information concerning anticipated parking revenue impact associated with downtown Greensboro's new performing arts center, relative to the creation of two new parking decks within the same area.
Please provide the identities of any legal representatives and the names of any legal firms involved with Randall Kaplan's Elm Street Hotel, LLC's, and Roy Carroll's CHI Greensboro, LLC's parking deck projects.
Please provide the names of any individuals with any financial interest in Randall Kaplan's Elm Street Hotel, LLC's parking deck project.
Please provide the names of any individuals with any financial interest in Roy Carroll's CHI Greensboro's parking deck project.
Please provide finding, and the data supporting the finding, that Roy Carroll's CHI Greensboro's parking deck project is “likely to have a significant effect on the revitalization of the city’s central business district” to justify entering into a binding contract with CHI which would include both a public and private facility.
Please provide the data showing "within the downtown core, the City is projecting a deficit of parking spaces within the next two (2) years due to new residential, office development, commercial, and hotel development" in the attached document.
http://gsoapps.greensboro-nc.gov/downloads/PIRT/7179/17-0257%20CHI%20GSO%20LLC%20Resolution%20%205-2-17.pdf
"State law requires city council to make a finding that the projects are “likely to have a significant effect on the revitalization of the city’s central business district” to justify entering “into binding contracts with one or more private developers with respect to acquiring, constructing, owning, or operating a downtown development project comprising of one or more buildings and including both public and private facilities.” The council has already made the finding for the parking deck planned to support Carroll’s project, but not the Elm Street hotel. In the latter case, the finding would be made as part of the resolution approving funds for the deck."
https://triad-city-beat.com/city-considers-56m-outlay-parking-decks-support-hotel/
Please provide the data related to "over the past twelve months the City of Greensboro has experienced a significant growth in parking demand due to new and anticipated development in downtown Greensboro" in the attached documents
http://gsoapps.greensboro-nc.gov/downloads/PIRT/7179/17-0201%20Elm%20St%20Hotel%20LLC%20Resolution%204-18-17.pdf
http://gsoapps.greensboro-nc.gov/downloads/PIRT/7179/17-0257%20CHI%20GSO%20LLC%20Resolution%20%205-2-17.pdf
Please provide any communications and/or documentation to or from any City Council members concerning parking decks, since 1/1/2017
Please provide a copy of Lewis Pitt's 11/22/2017 "Request for all documents related to Downtown Projects, parking decks, subsidies, etc. as described below" #7461
Please provide any communications and/or documentation relating to "Request for all documents related to Downtown Projects, parking decks, subsidies, etc. as described below" #7461 in electronic form.
http://www.greensboro-nc.gov/index.aspx?page=3765
Why would the City of Greensboro take 11 weeks to produce an advisory opinion on the Justin Outling and United Healthcare conflict of interest?
http://greensboroperformingarts.blogspot.com/2017/11/why-would-city-of-greensboro-take-11.html
On April 18, 2017, Justin Outling seconded and voted to give Brooks Pierce Partner George House Greensboro taxpayer monies while Justin worked at Brooks Pierce
http://greensboroperformingarts.blogspot.com/2017/11/on-april-18-2017-justin-outling.html
