The Roanoker Magazine on Countryside Golf Club

The November/December issue of The Roanoker Magazine has a four-page article that has been in the works for several months. Working with Elizabeth Parsons, author of the article was a pleasure. She took it very seriously and did her homework. Parsons who knew nothing about the subject she was assigned seemed overwhelmed at times admitting she did not know it was "such a tangled web." After reading it several times it became clear that the only team still clinging to their position that buying Countryside for development was a good idea is Burcham and Townsend. Developers and appraisers say "no way."

"Howl O'Ween" SPCA Slideshow

On Sunday the Roanoke Valley SPCA held it's 16th Annual Walk for the Animals. They raised in excess of $30,000 for the SPCA. Contests categories were the scariest, cutest, and the dog that looked most like its owner. There was a "dog walk" around downtown Roanoke prior to the contest.

Retired General Wesley Clark Video

Wednesday night Retired General and former NATO Supreme Allied Commander, Wesley Clark, stumped for Democratic Presidential candidate Barack Obama. He arrived at the Jefferson Center about 5:45 PM shortly after Virginia State Senator John Edwards warmed up the crowd. The video is a snippet from the rally.

Public Art eats small child!

Notice the small boy that appears in the Pelican's stomach.

Saturday morning at Fire Station #7 on Memorial Avenue a "Meet The Artist" event was held as the last installment of Public Art was admired by this young fellow who lives on Grandin Road. Now, I know you don't believe he has been swallowed by this Pelican made out of copper, steel, brass and aluminum but the piece is titled "Second Chances." The Pelican's mouth moves in the wind while the fish try to escape with a second chance at life. The artist is Eldon Slick from Tucson, Arizona. The art will be on display until April 2010. Pictured with the artist is City Manager, Darlene Burcham.

Market Building - Welcome Mat Still Out

All the holes are patched so says the City. Did they forget the front door? This is the entrance from Market Street within view of the esthetically challenged former Billy's Ritz pictured below.
Does anyone see the irony here? The "spiffing up" of the Market area for the grand opening of the Taubman Museum when right next door is this eyesore. In just a few weeks people and officials from throughout the State will attend the much anticipated opening on November 8th and 9th. Now I know that the developer is "loan challenged" in these tight credit economic times but isn't there something they could do to minimize the visual impact. With construction halted have the mice that are no longer frequenting the Market building taking up residence back here again? Perhaps the developer should hire an exterminator to check it out. I have a vision though not a pretty one of a cartoon like event at the museum opening and mice scampering across feet or even waiting at the door to get in. The City needs to attack the mice issue and as according to one shop keeper roaches as well with a total downtown approach not just one building. Even a layman understands that solving one building's pest infestation just sends them to another. Roanoke City should address this with the developer and soon ... like now!

Countryside Golf - Another Year, again!

Father and Daughter Day!

Per Brian Townsend the current operators of Countryside Golf Course will only go for a full year lease. The City Manager had expressed at Council that the preference was to have a lease no longer than fiscal year end June 30, 2009, thereby giving plenty of time for an RFP (Request For Proposal) to be issued. This RFP would be for 10 year operation. So by waiting last minute (lease ends Oct. 31st) the City was faced with a "take it or leave it" situation. If it closed down Oct. 31st the City would be responsible for upkeep of this 140 acres. Let's put the RFP for ten years out there now and fix it up. I should add that this goes before Council on October 23rd.

Action Taken on Countryside Golf Course

A letter from the City Clerk on September 17th advising that on September 15th that Council "took the following action in connection with the Countryside Golf Course:"

Countryside Golf Course remain an 18-hole golf course; that the City design improvements necessary to preserve an 18-hole golf course and to create a quality golf course and to provide cost estimates for those improvements; that after the drawings and estimates are completed, City staff prepare and distribute a Request for Proposal (RFP); that the RFP allow the potential golf course operators the flexibility to propose a lease-term sufficient for the improvements of the golf course as have been identified; that the City Administration also prepare its own response to the RFP for the City's payment of improvements and operation of the golf course so that it can be compared to the private-sector responses; and in addition, that City staff bring to Council before the RFP is distributed, identification of "potential" land that can be sold by the City for residential and non-residential purposes that is in excess of what is needed to operate a quality 18-hole golf course.

Explaining the Virginia Public Procurement Act

At the City Council Retreat on September 30th Mayor Bowers attempted to explain the bid procurement procedure. Bowers said, "once the RFP has been issued it is not something that council members ought to be involved with … and my suggestion to the manager is to send us a message if she wants us to be involved." Bowers explained that it takes on legal connotations once the RFP is issued and when it is being evaluated. If Council members are contacted by potential bidders or their representatives Council may be accused of having influenced the decision. He said, "if someone is not awarded the bid and they hear that Council has unintentionally interfered you are probably asking for some problems."

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Darlene Burcham went further asking to clear the air - All localities are governed by the Virginia Public Procurement Act. Currently the policy authorizes the city manager, not the City Council, to award contracts. So when in closed session there is the understanding not to bring Council into the decision making. Under Procurement there are strict guidelines on how proposals are to be evaluated. The City always uses the Committee process. That proposal [Market building] had an outside member from Hotel Roanoke. Only the committee can pose a question to a vendor. Not even the City manager can pose a question to the vendor. It can only be posed by the Purchasing manager.

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Burcham said it was an unusual situation for someone to ask to see a proposal before it is awarded or rejected. If any member of Council in the future is interested in seeing a response we need to have it known to the full Council then it can be made available to those Council members interested in seeing it. She said she had "never had a request like that before or at any other place she had worked." Burcham said in regard to the request made by Councilman Court Rosen that her answer was appropriate as it was prior to Council having any discussion on it. She thought that all Council members now know what is appropriate as a result of that example. Burcham said, "I do agree with the Mayor's statement and I know where on a recent RFP some of you were contacted." Council will be contacted in the future by individuals to give a sales pitch in advance of awarding a bid. Work up to that point should be done in a confidential manner. Burcham said this is the way we keep ourselves from being sued or having challenges to the process.

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Rosen said, "certainly when I asked for that [DRI Market proposal] it was not that I wanted to share any information. I am just surprised on such issues of this magnitude to the community that nobody has asked to see a proposal -Like proposals for Countryside - like right now I’d like to ask can we see proposals for Countryside."

Burcham said, just because they [DRI] went public with it it does not absolve us from liability.

Rosen said, "as a member of the legislature I should be able to see the proposal before decisions are made - that’s what people expect."

Burcham said - "lessons learned and roles need to be clarified."

Gwen Mason said "it is really easy to make a misstep in ethics or impropriety."

Bowers said we can try to help our citizens understand what the role of Council is. What is and is not the roll of the mayor - Educate the public. Bowers said we have a Council manager form of government. Virginia is the only state with complete division between County and City.

Mayor Bowers On The City Market Building - Audio/Video

Below is the context of what Mayor David Bowers said in comparing the "hope" of the opening of the Market Building to 9-11. I was there and no Council member gave any indication that the comparison offended in any way. I barely remember it. The most glaring declaration during the Retreat has been overlooked by the media. Councilman Nash wanted to NOT reopen the Market building period.. He was supported by Rosen. Dr. Trinkle and Mason questioned Darlene Burcham on the "bond" they had with the vendors. Burcham said that after all the city's and vendors' hard work if Market building did not reopen the city would get a "black eye." Lea and Bowers agreed with Burcham as I believe did Price. Though Nash pressed more on not reopening, in the end Burcham convinced them that if they did not the public not to mention the vendors would not be pleased.

City Council Retreat - “the best ever”

City Attorney William Hackworth, exclaimed that this had been “the best retreat ever.”

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The day began promptly at 8:30 AM with an ambitious agenda that lasted until 4:00 PM. The Retreat was held at the Police Department on Campbell Avenue in the community center. The facilitator was Bill Kennan who teaches at Radford University.

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The morning session was centered around Process, Information, and Priorities. It ranged from televising briefings to Councilman Nash's 30 minute questioning on why the Mayor gets the last word at Council meetings. After an exhaustive explanation on that by Mayor Bowers and Vice-Mayor Lea, Councilman Nash then said he did not want to "seem petty" about it. Mayor Bowers explained that since the Mayor chairs the meetings he is restrained from interjecting his comments during the comment period. Vice-Mayor Lea explained that the Mayor is busy recognizing everyone else and it is not easy when Council members start talking to each other rather than waiting to be recognized by the chair. The Mayor is also restricted from making motions while chairing a meeting and that is why he relinquished the chair to Vice-Mayor Lea when he wanted to make a motion at a previous meeting.

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Mayor Bowers said there are many times he would like to get into the discussion but has to restrain himself and wait until the end before a vote. He said that it does not mean that anyone would not be recognized in response to his comments and recalled that he had done just that. Other Council members agreed that was the case. Though Nash still admitted to wanting to have "the last word." Everyone "chuckled" as it was said in a good-natured way.