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Barlow looking to establish "veteran's memorial" ... without council discussion appoints "Wink" Chapman as "committee chairman" ALL HAIL KING ROGER! I sat in amazement, at the 14 August CP City Council meeting, as the rest of the Center Point City Council sat in a state of stupor and allowed themselves to be railroaded, by Council President Roger Barlow, without so much as a "by your leave sir" among them.
ELECTIONS!!
26 August, 2008 As for me ... I'm voting for Henderson for Mayor. Burkes couldn't even provide decent security for his own "Events Center" (thus initiating Center Point's first ever riot!). Additionally, the only time Burkes ever showed up to a City Council meeting was to whine about Center Point's sign ordinance. As for the race between Barlow and Pepper ... it may come down to the devil I know versus the devil I don't know. Still ... in my opinion ... Barlow is an egotistical, condescending demagogue. He's always right, he doesn't have to listen to you if he doesn't want to ... and he'll tell you so! He's raised taxes, taken away freedoms, and initiated and voted for invasive city legislation. I'm voting for Pepper for Place 3!
24 May, 2007 - CP City Council votes to pay $40.00 per month for Web site maintenance. Have you seen this site? I bet that none of our City Councilmen have seen this site. If they have, and it remains this way ... why? These guys, and gal, really think they're doing great by paying out thousands of dollars for this "Hometown Focus" television advertisement when they can't even properly maintain our city's "front door" on the World-Wide-Web. I'm so proud ... NOT!!
Property purchased ! Not enough police protection but lots of walking around space ... and at taxpayers expense!
Take a look at the property located between
Hillcrest Road and Reed Road. About 7 acres of "unincorporated"
Jefferson County according to Mayor Henderson. Could be nice
property for development of "garden" homes. If you look in the
lower center of this photo you can see the city symbol ... the "springs"
at the newly named Reed-Harvey Park. Mayor Henderson wants the
city of Center Point to purchase this property. Price tag ...
approximately $180,000 ... not in the city budget. Mayor
Henderson thinks this is a bargain. He believes that "garden" home
development in this area will bring more traffic to Polly Reed Road. I tried to warn you! The next time you need to call for a Jefferson County Sheriff's Deputy ... just take a walk instead. They should be able to get to you by the time you're finished. And never fear ... Councilman Kennemur will pray for you.
"Near Riot" in Center Point? What's going on here?! (UPDATE!) Now Burkes wants to be Mayor of Center Point ... what a joke!
I've received several e-mails concerning a
"near-riot" that occurred on 16 February, 2008. One of my avid
readers "sunnyandtoby5" wrote, "Post a story on the potential riot last
night, (this e-mail was sent 17 February, 2008) February 16, in front of
CiCi's Pizza. I have never seen so many people run from the police
as I did last night. I'm embarrassed to live in Center Point now.
I'm actually scared to allow my daughter to be anywhere near Center
Point at night anymore. This was a disgrace and Mayor Henderson
needs to act quickly. Shotguns being pumped, German Shepards on
leashes? Who allowed this party to get out of control?
People need to know that this is not a safe city to live in anymore." Gun fire in my peaceful little hamlet? Police feeling like "Custer"? A "riot"? What's going on here? Where was the adult supervision? Where was the Center Point Sheriff's Deputy when this "riot" started to crawl outside of the Event Center? Only one person was arrested ... the 14-year-old girl. What about those people "throwing things" at our law-enforcement officers? OK CP City Council and Mayor Henderson ... how are you going to guarantee that our citizens are safe from teenage thugs with guns? Why have I received more than 40 e-mails from concerned citizens asking me to write about this? Is it because not one of our Council thought it necessary to make a public comment on this situation? As for me ... inciting a riot, assault on a police officer, and disturbing the peace are still illegal! I could care less whether or not the offender is 14 or 40 years-old. I believe that if you throw something at a law enforcement officer you deserve a face full of mace and a bite by an anxious police dog ... at a minimum. As for those irresponsible parents who allow their, unsupervised, off-spring to engage in such illegal activities ... you deserve the same!! During the 28 February, 2008, City Council meeting, not one word was mentioned concerning this ever-growing crisis! WHY?!
The Center Point Chamber of Commerce ...
These pictures seem bleak don't they? Empty businesses. They've been there for a while. Why these pictures? Simple ... the CP City Council has paid the CP Chamber of Commerce nearly $80,000 in the past 4 years. My question ... is this what the taxpayers of Center Point expect? The Web site says Dina Foster is the President. The Birmingham News says Tim Gann is the President. They reside in City Hall for free. What do they do? They have luncheons. They sponsor pageants and parades. The only thing the CP Chamber of Commerce can't seem to do is attract businesses to Center Point ... regardless of whether or not Zorro is President. According to the Agreement between the City of Center Point and the Chamber of Commerce, "... the City and Chamber desire to enter into a contract whereby the Chamber promotes and advertises the City of Center Point beginning ... ." Have you seen any Chamber sponsored advertisement? Furthermore the contract says, "The Chamber shall, through recognized advertising media and other advertising activities obtain, generate, and distribute data, flyers, pamphlets, web content, and the like information, and to stage various public events necessary and appropriate to advertise and promote the City, its functions, undertakings, resources and programs." It also says, " The Chamber agrees to serve as a city communication conduit to secure, furnish and make available to commercial, residential and industrial prospects information, data and material reasonably requested or required by such prospects to encourage locating in the City.". My question ... Are we getting our moneys worth? Is any member of our City Council demanding accountability? Is this contract being fulfilled by the CP Chamber of Commerce? During the 06 December, 2007 City Council meeting, the CP Chamber of Commerce was paid $7,7000 (quarterly payment). For what? Look at the pictures above. If they are doing anything, does it appear successful? Is anyone on our City Council going to have the guts to ask for accountability? Just try to find their Web site ... then make up your mind as to whether or not our City Council is paying for anything with our taxpayer dollars.
Questions ... The City of Center Point has purchased a lot of "minor property." Is anyone keeping an inventory? When was the last audit of "minor property" conducted?
ABC "Hometown Focus" television commercials for Center Point again? OK. The citizens have spent thousands of dollars on late night television spots. Now ... what was achieved? Months later, can anyone tell me what goal was achieved? Sure, they were pretty commercials but ... you have to ask yourself, "Could we have spent the money on something better?" Once again the taxpayers of CP are going to pay thousands of dollars to "advertise" CP. 20 December, 2007, just before Christmas ... the Center Point City Council again gives ABC 33/40 a Christmas present. Why? What did we achieve from the last advertisement? And where is our Chamber of Commerce? Aren't they supposed to be doing this stuff? Why do I get the feeling that the citizens of CP are paying for snake oil by the barrel?
How much is
this Library in the window? - Payment for
purchase of building and property (general obligation warrant - CP
Ordinance 2005-21) - $663,000 Total to date - $676,020.00
How much is THIS Park in the
window?
- Payment for purchase of complex
(relieving loan by previous owners) - $34,000.00 Total to date - $244,502.75 How
much is
that Park in the window? - Payment to ATC Associates Inc. for ESA (Environmental Site Assessment) - $2,500.00 - Payment to Weygand Surveyors for ALTA survey - $2,000.00 - 24 March 2004 - 2.8 acres Barber Springs property (house, land, garage) - $200,000.00 - Payment to architectural firm to evaluate necessary repairs to proposed Senior Citizens Center - $2,400.00 - Payment for grounds maintenance equipment - $2,400.00 (The Mayor announced, 25 March, that Jefferson County committed $20,000 to the Barber Springs project.) (Note: Amounts listed are those publicly published.) - Payment to Abercrombie Land Surveying, Inc. for topographic land survey (required by ADEM) - $2,350.00 - Emergency electrical repairs to house on property - $1,935.00 - Payment to Hendon & Huckestein Architects Inc. for mechanical and electrical engineering work on proposed Senior Citizen Center - $7,800.00 - Structural engineering services from LBYD, Inc. (civil and structural engineers) to determine requirements to replace well roof. - $2,700.00 - "Professional services" from Hendon & Huckenstein Architects, P.C., for work on the Seniors Center - $approx. $10,000.00 - Wood roof structure for cistern by C&B Homes, Inc. - $44,000.00 - Ordinance 2005-21 - General Obligation Warrant - $650,000 - land for expansion of proposed park and purchase of property across the street from city hall to be developed into a library. (This amount is not being included until I get details on what amount went directly to the park.) - Birmingham Engineering & Construction Consultants, Inc and Parrot Structural Services, LLC (to fix the well foundation) - 18,503.00 - Clearing and mulching of recently purchased lots (approximately 7 acres) adjacent to existing park property by Green and Brindly (?) - $28,000.00 - Formworks Architects, Inc. - work on proposed Seniors Citizens Center at park - $3,404.82 - Sealing wood on well by Gaines Painting - $3,265.00 - Repairs on Barn located on Spring's property - $6,500.00 - Topographic mapping - $3,900.00 - Weygand Surveyors (for a boundary line survey of the common area between Lakeside Circle and Poly Reed Road - CP Resolution 2006-27) - $2,500.00 - InSite Engineering (for proposed Senior Citizens Center parking lot design/coordination, annexation review/descriptions, sub consultant expenses, and travel/mileage - $10,124.82 - InSite Engineering (for proposed Senior Citizens Center parking lot design/coordination, annexation review/descriptions, sub consultant expenses, and travel/mileage - $3,604.31 - Clearing the lake at Lake Road and Polly Reed Road - $11,312 - Payment of General Obligation Warrant on property - $169,003.56 - Formworks Architects for additional drawings regarding Senior Citizens Center - $10,000 Total to date - $548,202.51 Outstanding U.S. Public Debt - as of 20 August, 2008 - $9,611,290,117,656.62 Note: A newborn child in the U.S. now begins life $31,556.26 in debt! This is the largest national debt in U.S. history and is growing by $1.85 billion per day.
U.S. Iraq Death Toll (since war
began 3/19/03) -
4,144 Think about this ... the number of U.S. military members killed or wounded in Iraq is larger than the number of registered voters in the entire City of Center Point! Ask your representative ... when will this insanity end? |
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