The Development of Authority, Part 3: Dropping the Ball

[XLFD]

Starting the Ball Rolling

Back at the beginning of 2009, the Mayor and his family celebrated the New Year down in Grand Rapids, and watched them drop a New Year's Ball, much like the one that gets dropped annually in Times Square. They thought it may be a good thing to have happen in Ludington.  While some may have never connected the concept of lowering a lighted ball with the

beginning of a new year, I know a couple of people who just have to watch the ball drop on the TV to ring in the New Year.  It's about as good as any other tradition in that respect.

The idea of having one in Ludington germinated over the winter and began being developed by the Mayor at the monthly Downtown Ludington Board (DDA) by March.  By April's meeting, they were devoting funds to the project:

 and by June they planned on having the framework of the project available for the Fourth of July Parade. By September and October's DDA meeting, the funding of the ball and the various activities they had planned for the event was in full swing, with left over funds being used and sponsorships encouraged to cover the costs. 

 

Getting on the Ball

December saw flurries of activity in preparing for the event.  Although the CVB (Convention and Visitor's Bureau) were supposed to be putting together New Year's Eve (NYE) packages, City Hall (400 S Harrison) was getting the $10 payments for them, and the $20 for those who were ordering special glasses made by the Red Door Gallery. 

Light_Up_The_Lake_event_package.pdf

On December 15, the Daily News' Melissa McGuire reported that the ball was made by GLC, Harsco employees and the lights by Tye Signs.  “It’s really cool,” DDA's leader Heather Venzke said. “From what we know, it’s the biggest ball in Michigan. It’s pretty amazing that for such a small community we can do something so huge.”  She said most of the work and electrical equipment has been donated, except for the steel and lights.  Mayor Henderson said everyone is invited to come downtown for the free event and share in Ludington’s first ball drop.  On the 24th and 30th, Ms. McGuire wrote two more glowing stories about the upcoming event, and when the new year arrived, things pretty much went off according to plan.  

Knocking the Cover off the Ball

Let's not forget that in 2009, the DDA was primarily funded through tax-increment financing and a 2 mill tax.  This accounted for over 80% of its revenue, so that when they spent money it was almost exclusively from property taxes and 'captured' taxes from the city and county:  taxpayer money.  DDA's are required to have their financial records available to the public and their monthly expenses itemized and available by state law MCL 125.1654.  I managed to get these, even though the itemizing was not the best for determining what was spent in a lot of cases.  Here are the expenses of the DDA in 2009 earmarked strictly for the NYE Ball Drop:

12-03-09  Liquor License for NYE Ball Drop:   $25
12-07-09  One Day Liquor License          :   $50
12-07-09  Supplies/repairs    :  $798.97
12-22-09  NYE Ball- Ball Drop    :  $950
12-22-09  NYE DJ     :  $600
12-29-09  Supplies-Entertainment Tent NYE :  $594.80
12-30-09  NYE Glass Order    :  $160
12-30-09  Advertising- Light Up the Lake  :  $100
12-30-09  Transfer- NYE Dial-a-Ride       :  $200
12-30-09  Lights- NYE ball    : $6226.68
12-30-09  Supplies NYE     :  $679.40
12-30-09  Reimburse NYE Supplies   :   $86.16
12-30-09  Supplies- NYE     :   $77.66
12-30-09  Supplies- NYE     :   $25.86
12-30-09  NYE Fireworks Display    : $2000
12-30-09  NYE Supplies     :  $296.04
12-30-09  NYE Supplies     :  $191.49
12-31-09  Reimburse NYE Supplies   :   $59.94
12-31-09  Supplies- NYE Ball    :  $500
12-31-09  Supplies NYE Ball    :  $987.71
----------------------------------------------------
TOTAL SPENT DIRECTLY FOR NYE BALL DROP:   $14,549.23

Now there could have been some vaguely marked "supplies" or "advertising" earlier in the year that may have added to this total, since the records have no 'NYE' marked purchases before 12-3-09.  Let's just key in on this near $15,000 of public expense.  A DDA has limits on what they can spend their money on.  One could say that some of these were marketing initiatives that benefit retail and general marketing of the downtown district.  But many cannot, particularly when you break down the supplies into actual purchases. Bus transfers, glass orders, fireworks, etc. are dubious expenses that the taxpayer should pay for, particularly when the money spent by the DDA is unaccounted for...

For even though, they spent nearly $15K on the above, the revenue created for the DDA/City was recorded as $0. 

A bit hard to comprehend, when you consider that they sold at least 300 of the $20 glasses, and a good deal of $10 packages.  Some people in the city got pure profit from the taxpayer's money.  In the DDA's financial records they also had notated therein a figure of over $40,000 for "donated" items for the NYE Ball Drop, without itemization of where it came from, where it went, or how it figured into the equation.  Further inquiries into this amount yielded nothing new from the DDA or FOIA Coordinator.

Big BALLS

Amanda St. Hillaire of the DDA (the same one that made a motion to divert more funds to the NYE project in September) just so happens to make specialty glassware for the Red Door Gallery which made at least 500 of the $20 glasses.  Tye Signs Inc., ran by DDA member Nick Tykoski (the same Tykoski that motioned $1500 be diverted to creation of the ball in April) charged $200 of the vinyl lettering for glasses to the taxpayer, as well as $300 for lettered banners, and $987.21 on electrical supplies for the New Year's ball. It is hard to explain away the apparent conflicts of interest, and misuses of office and public funds.

 

[Dave]

No worries Cindy, the Soup posted all of his information on their site months ago, not exactly a big secret or anything. Not real sure why they felt the need to post all of his info.

[AQUAMAN]

C'mon Man, Disarmed Cyndi, do call me. The number is there, and you have nothing but rhetoric and BS as your usual statements of wishy-washy tactics. I want the real thang perp. You can spew alot of hatred here on a sober and realistic forum, behind a cowboy keybored, but it does nothing to impress the bunch. We want facts, figures, and dialog that is intelligent and positive, not just the Happy New Year offing that betrays the Holidays true intents on Love and Prosperity for the next 12 months. LOL.

[Guidothesemipsuedocaptitalistpig]

Emm probably because none of us on this site.. are the invisible little trolls your side seems to be all of us are known by name and even address for anyone who simply asked there. The only invisible people here, are the ones who seem to love to come post here from another web forum, (which seems to not have a lot of traffic these days)... Its no fun when you all agree with one another ehh??

[AQUAMAN]

I'm so glad I came to look-see over here today to observe the Ludington Resident, which I truly doubt is anything but trailer trash, bashing me and my family, for no other reason but libel and slander. If you have the guts perp, state whom YOU ARE in reality. You have some misinformation and hostilities that are not warranted nor desired in this forum. As for Brandy Henderson, quite the coincidence that our very own foreign Mayor has the same last name. Is this your daughter Your Honor? Or WIFE?  YOU yourself have NO GUTS to defend your own record and policies in this little town you run with an iron fist?  Everytime XLFD hits a nerve that the city cannot defend without more bashing and inuendo on the public, makes his case that much more convincing and suspicious for further investigation. If what he says is all false, why not offer the proofs of reality to show it? I know, you'd rather everyone just hide under a rock and pretend everything the city fathers do is just dandy and look the other way when it may not be. That's gone on long enough in Ludington, the State of Michigan, and the USA as a whole. People like the Tea Party and many others are finally fed up with mischief and misconduct and misappropriation of spent tax monies. Due tell us, so we all get the big picture, where X is wrong. Or continue to babble your extortion and lies.

[Sweater Cows!]

The problem X seems to have is not with the invent itself, but the lack of accountability with the CityoLud about where they are spending the taxpayers money. The city seems to have a hard time following the rules that were written for their DDA, competitive bids, parks Dept and everything else.

 

If somebody has an idea they seem to run with it. BUT they should read the rules about HOW they are to run with it FIRST.

 

And X, do you have a document with the DDA thing you posted above where it has an "IN" column, not just an "OUT".

Brandy, If you have that info on where this money came from that would be spectacular. It could end half these issues if someone actually did have the proper documentation. The Shay person has went above and beyond his job description in doing everything he can to keep the citizens of ludington from seeing the actual documents showing where there money goes.

 

The thing is, with the Co L and DDA, they need to be accountable to the public, yet they seem to be doing things wrong and then hiding it through FOIA denials.

 

Of course, that is just what the 'paper trail' appears to PROVE.

[XLFD]

The financial records has not only "out values" but "in" values too, as it should.  If they are not complete, then either FOIAC Shay did not fulfill my FOIA request, or there are some serious accounting problems in the DDA.  Both either indicate a high degree of incompetence and/or corruption. 

Brandy should have the proper connections to get some more data to confirm her points.  Positivity and optimism can only go so far for me.

[Sweater Cows!]

Event!!!! not invent! why can I no longer edit my posts for the first 15 mins they are up?? It has been this way for a couple months now, is this a NING dealie or a Torch setting?

 

I used to be able to put my cursor over my post it would highlight it and I could click on it to edit. Now it won't do that. Trtied on multiple PC's too>./p>

[XLFD]

Can 'invent' costly editorial mistakes.  It works every time it's 'Trtied'. 

I knew what you meant, Landon. 

[Sweater Cows!]

So, is this just a me issue or is it a NING or Torch change to the posting capabilities?

 

[XLFD]

I didn't know about this issue; as the site allows me (as site creator) to edit my posts at any time.  Who says rank has no privileges?  But I had no control over being granted such a power-- which I didn't have before.

Are you saying Ning no longer allows you to edit your own posts in the 15 minutes after you post?  If so, it is nothing I have enacted, and is probably a so-called improvement by the Ningcompoops I pay the big bucks to.

[Dave]

It does appear that Ning has changed how you edit your post... instead of just clicking on what you just posted, now there is something just below your fresh post to click on that says something about editing the post in 15 minutes. Not real sure why Ning would bother to change something like that now... guess they had a reason or something.

[Guidothesemipsuedocaptitalistpig]

You should have a little (Edit this link) for 15 minutes at the bottom left of your original post... If I use a custom skin for my browser its doesn't always show up very clearly...