By: Diane Benjamin
Received by FOIA.
I seem to remember Pam Reece saying at meetings that staff can’t investigate any issues the Council doesn’t authorize. Since the sport complex suddenly reappeared, Stan Nord sent this email to Pam:
Pam responded – note she responded to the entire Council instead of who Stan copied.
Is Kathleen Lorenz the Council snitch? Are Council members not allowed to talk to interested parties?
Pam’s response:
Maybe this email to a citizen will explain how Kathleen feels about Stan:
Think Kathleen understands why Stan got elected? I don’t.
Kathleen was referring to Stan’s comments in this story: https://blnnews.com/2019/08/06/normals-stan-nord-fires-back/
I’ve got much more from this FOIA, interesting stuff.
Kathleen is well connected in the soccer community because of her kids involvement. She should recuse herself from these negotiations because she’s definitely pushing a self serving agenda
Stan should also recuse himself. Look who owns the land off of Six Points Rd where the soccer fields are.
Except that Stan has little or no financial conflict of interest. Stan is voting whether or not to build a complex that would compete with soccer teams using land that the Nords in general (I don’t think Stan personally) are more-or-less donating to the soccer teams; my understanding is they can continue to ‘volunteer’ it or take it back at any time regardless. He doesn’t stand to gain by use of taxpayer money, or by inappropriate refusal to use taxpayer money in a situation where it should be used.
If one assumes the worst, Kathleen would be voting to use taxpayer money to build a complex that otherwise would have personally cost her X thousands of dollars if built by the local soccer group(s). (Or multiply it out if one considers the conflict to be on behalf of her soccer associates.) I don’t know this for certain, so I won’t say she Does have a conflict of interest, but it’s possible she Might have a conflict of interest, whereas Stan simply does not
Millennium FC won’t be playing at a sports complex if it is built. Playing on Nord family land isn’t a conflict of interest because there is no financial benefit for Stan from voting yes or not on a complex.
Incompetence, lack of staff, postponements, rubber stamping, when bundled and used as explanations infers that something is very, very wrong.
Byars was the chapter president of Turning Point (www.tpusa.com). TP is a student org promoting limited gov., free markets, and capitalism. I find it interesting she wants to consult with him.
The council should repeat this over and over: We do not need a sports complex. We cannot afford a sports complex.
there it is again the Public/Private investment line. Taxpayers are the public and taxpayers are the private. so in other words,its all funded by the taxpayers. until the low information people realize that,public/private is just another catch phrase for fully funded by the people we will continue to see more and more of this. and in the end,its the taxpayers that get the screw.
Just some comments on the CVB /Sports Commission side of this. IMHO, Crystal Howard has zero background or any knowledge of athletic facilities or events and how to manage them. Her only athletic experience was dating a former college basketball player. Matt Hawkins is a good guy and only pursuing this because he is told to by the Sports Commission Board. The only member of the Sports Commission worth a damn is Steve Newman. Lorenz likely begged her way on to the Commission to wield influence for her kids. She has no experience whatsoever to make knowledgeable decisions on any of these matters other than being a parent. Saying football would have equal use concerning this proposed facility would be a joke. Most people on this Committee outside of Newman and Hawkins disdain football.
Not to mention the schools have their own fields
Per my understanding, the use the SC is talking about is youth football. Yes, the youth teams and high schools have their own fields but they are likely talking tournaments or special events like high school seven on seven tournaments. That said, it’s a non issue since most of the SC members are anti football.
This has been a solution looking for a problem since 2012. B.S. reasons given through Carl Olsen at the airport to PCSL (it’s about safety, but you’re good for 5 more years). Then the soccer groups taking that as gospel and panicking looking for gov’t handouts.
Meanwhile a splinter group (Millineum) goes and does there own thing – admirably!
Too many greedy and illusion travel soccer parents driving this. Not the non-travel parents who are the backbone of recreational PCSL (although there are always exceptions).
The CVB and Sports Commission leadership staff is, shall we say, less than exceptional.
Superb post.