Thanks Coos Bay councilmember Daily for your 16 December guest Editorial. This Coos Bay citizen was not disappointed when reading that you and former councilor Muenchrath are demanding greater transparency by the Bay Area Hospital Board.
Councilor Daily, if you accept the challenge, this is your next battle for transparency; this time by the organization of which you are a part.
During early 2014, then Coos Bay councilor Muenchrath requested a legal opinion of the proposed South Coast Community Foundation (SCCF) concept from the city of Coos Bay legal counsel (lawyer). The mayor or city manager may sign the employment contract but the lawyer is employed by and paid by the citizens of Coos Bay; not employed by or paid individually by the city manager, mayor, or any councilmember. This is the proposed SCCF (inclusive of Community Enhancement Plan) being pushed by county commissioner Sweet where we tax paying citizens will lose all control of what will be significant tax monies to a small group of unelected people who do not report to the citizens. This is the proposed CEP that many of us believe is good for Veresen / JCEP but will yield significantly fewer dollars to the people as fees in lieu of taxes. We’re talking control of potentially hundreds of millions of the people’s money here. Much has changed in the past two years; and, at a minimum, before this CEP is next endorsed by any local professional politician, it’s time for the county assessor to go before the people and assure us that fees received and distributed to the people will be not one dollar less than the money to be received as tax during the next 20 years.
Councilor Muenchrath received that requested (written) legal opinion – acknowledged by the city manager to be on file with the city. Rumor circulated that the legal opinion did not support the SCCF. In writing, Dr. Muenchrath stated that he has no objection to the document being released to the public. During June 2014, with assistance from the county DA, a copy of the lawyer’s opinion was requested to be released to the public. This request was rejected by the city manager. It’s the people’s document, paid for with the people’s money. In your editorial words Councilor Daily, “What do you (council members) have to hide?” Please release the document in its entirety (currently relevant or not) now.
Fred Kirby
Coos Bay
Councilor Daily, if you accept the challenge, this is your next battle for transparency; this time by the organization of which you are a part.
During early 2014, then Coos Bay councilor Muenchrath requested a legal opinion of the proposed South Coast Community Foundation (SCCF) concept from the city of Coos Bay legal counsel (lawyer). The mayor or city manager may sign the employment contract but the lawyer is employed by and paid by the citizens of Coos Bay; not employed by or paid individually by the city manager, mayor, or any councilmember. This is the proposed SCCF (inclusive of Community Enhancement Plan) being pushed by county commissioner Sweet where we tax paying citizens will lose all control of what will be significant tax monies to a small group of unelected people who do not report to the citizens. This is the proposed CEP that many of us believe is good for Veresen / JCEP but will yield significantly fewer dollars to the people as fees in lieu of taxes. We’re talking control of potentially hundreds of millions of the people’s money here. Much has changed in the past two years; and, at a minimum, before this CEP is next endorsed by any local professional politician, it’s time for the county assessor to go before the people and assure us that fees received and distributed to the people will be not one dollar less than the money to be received as tax during the next 20 years.
Councilor Muenchrath received that requested (written) legal opinion – acknowledged by the city manager to be on file with the city. Rumor circulated that the legal opinion did not support the SCCF. In writing, Dr. Muenchrath stated that he has no objection to the document being released to the public. During June 2014, with assistance from the county DA, a copy of the lawyer’s opinion was requested to be released to the public. This request was rejected by the city manager. It’s the people’s document, paid for with the people’s money. In your editorial words Councilor Daily, “What do you (council members) have to hide?” Please release the document in its entirety (currently relevant or not) now.
Fred Kirby
Coos Bay
Related Posts:
Coos Bay School District Contract w/Superintendent Dawn Granger March 2014
LTE ~ Coos Bay School Board Ignoring Parents & Students
LTE ~ Leshley Still Uninformed
BOC ~ County Dog Board, Prisoner Release, Public Meeting for October 13, 14, & 15
Board of Commissioners Op-Ed for Measure 6-152 Transient Occupancy Tax
Coos Bay Alternative Location for Waste Water Treatment Plant Oct. 6, 2015
Bandon Cheese Factory Receives Private Financing & Still Pays No Property Taxes
LTE ~ Leshley Don't Know Dick About the JCEP Work Camp
Jody McCaffree Appeals LNG Road Construction Coos County Planning Oct. 9, 2015
Do Enterprise Zones Work? ~ An Ideopolis Policy Paper February 2011
Educational Enterprise Zone Workshop Roseburg OR Thursday, September 17, 2015
Coos County Planning Decisions on LNG & Effected Roads
LTE ~ CEP appears to be great for Canadian Veresen / JCEP
LTE ~ LNG Pipeline Man and His Bag of Money
LTE ~ Should We Be Worried Dealing with Veresen and the LNG
LTE~ A Package of Rancor for Coos County Commissioner John Sweet
Coos Bay School District Contract w/Superintendent Dawn Granger March 2014
LTE ~ Coos Bay School Board Ignoring Parents & Students
LTE ~ Leshley Still Uninformed
BOC ~ County Dog Board, Prisoner Release, Public Meeting for October 13, 14, & 15
Board of Commissioners Op-Ed for Measure 6-152 Transient Occupancy Tax
Coos Bay Alternative Location for Waste Water Treatment Plant Oct. 6, 2015
Bandon Cheese Factory Receives Private Financing & Still Pays No Property Taxes
LTE ~ Leshley Don't Know Dick About the JCEP Work Camp
Jody McCaffree Appeals LNG Road Construction Coos County Planning Oct. 9, 2015
Do Enterprise Zones Work? ~ An Ideopolis Policy Paper February 2011
Educational Enterprise Zone Workshop Roseburg OR Thursday, September 17, 2015
Coos County Planning Decisions on LNG & Effected Roads
LTE ~ CEP appears to be great for Canadian Veresen / JCEP
LTE ~ LNG Pipeline Man and His Bag of Money
LTE ~ Should We Be Worried Dealing with Veresen and the LNG
LTE~ A Package of Rancor for Coos County Commissioner John Sweet
RSS Feed
