IT'S THE FREAKIN' APOCALYPSE, Y'ALL!!!

Here we go, Copperas Cove!!

Tuesday night will be a big evening for the city and its residents. Many will not know nor care until it is too late. 

Fall-o-Ween festival?

Buh-bye.

Christmas Extravaganza?

Buh-Bye.

Farmer’s market in City Park?

Buh-Bye.

Polar Bear Plunge?

Buh-Bye (after about 15 years!).

Food Truck Fetsival?

Buh-Bye.

All of the above will go away as we know them, Copperas Cove. 

If we’re lucky, durn lucky, we might see a shade of what these events used to be. Safe Trick or Treat, Christmas Extravaganza, and Polar Bear Plunge all existed before the city took on tourism with its 2016-2017 budget. They were very small, but were something.

Come Tuesday night, it looks as though the Copperas Cove city council will make all those go away when it will (LIKELY) designate the Copperas Cove Chamber of Commerce as being the “official” visitors bureau of the city.

The council will also let one full-time worker, the tourism director, know they don’t want her to have that job anymore. Who knows what she’ll be doing in the city, or if the job will be the same wage/salary as she has now. Maybe she can drive a truck for Solid Waste, but who knows????

If they approve that ordinance, they will ALSO approve GIVING the Copperas Cove Chamber of Commerce funding for ALL THEIR EVENTS and MONEY TO HELP RUN THEIR OFFICE AND PAY SALARIES.

Instead of events for our community, more events than the chamber used to “give” us.

All, for the sacred bunny and the Copperas Cove Chamber of Commerce.

Curmudgeon does not need to refer the reader to the wildly humorous and histrionic grandstanding of Copperas Cvoe city councilman Charlie Youngs, who from the dais made it very clear on Tuesday evening how he feels and how he is using his position to essentially say “UP YOURS” to five individuals – former City Manager Andrea Gardner AKA “Darth Vader” – Charlie’s moniker for her; and four Copperas Cove city councilmen – George Duncan, David Morris, James Pierce Jr, and Matthew Russell, whom Charlie also claimed “DESTROYED” our city and also “DESTROYED THE CHAMBER” ----- Um, what about the chamber was destroyed, Charlie?? – and “DESTROYED THE EDC” – maybe I’ll talk about that another time.

What  so HORRIBLE has happened to the chamber other than them NOT getting big fat checks from the city to help run their office and bring a handful of running and a couple bicycle races to the town,

and one large festival in dire need of revamping, and an open air Christmas market with plenty of plastic toys for kids and plenty of vendor things we can find anywhere else?

When will the voters of Copperas Cove get tired of Charlie? 

One more year, y’all, one more year, and his position will be up for election. 

Who knows what nonsense he will be able to do in the next year??

The four horsemen simply asked the chamber to be ACCOUNTABLE like EVERYONE ELSE getting hotel occupancy tax funding to provide receipts for what they used those funds. And a former president couldn’t do that. 

Not until she quit the job, they brought in a new president who conducted an extensive audit --- as required not only by the council BUT required by the chamber’s own bylaws when a president leaves.

Nothing “bad” was found but it was an interesting sight to see, I’m sure, what they spend their dollars on.

Here again is what the city wants to use the funding for:

Fall-O-Ween - $11,805

Tree Lighting - $12,550

Polar Bear Plunge - $8,325

Farmer's Market - $3,400

Food Truck Festival - $19,225

City of Copperas Cove Visitors Bureau - $75,147 to fund the CVB itself to include 1 fulltime staff person to run the office and plan events, 1 part time person for event setup etc.; advertising the city and what it has to offer; and publishing a quarterly recreation and activities guide.

Here is what the Copperas Cove Chamber of Copperas Cove wants to use the funding for:

Krist Kindl Markt -  $17,400

Jack Rabbit Run - $1,417   - Running event

Rabbit Fest - $18,375

Summer Run to Fun - $1,962  - Running event

Gallop or Trot - $1,499 – Running event

Chamber of Commerce and Visitors Bureau operations, etc.  - $106,695

Staff – 2 full time, 1 contract worker. Also for advertising the city and what it has to offer. A tourism guide. 

Remember, dear readers, the chamber is a PRIVATE, DUES-PAYING organization.

It is a MEMBERS-ONLY CLUB.

There is nothing wrong with a members-only club.

But we are on the brink of going back to the same-old, same-old.

What’s the solution, council?? More on that in a moment.

OH, AND LET’S NOT FORGET A MUCH SMALLER THIRD PARTY –

The Five Hills Art Guild. They have requested $16,000 of hotel occupancy tax funds for their festival. Have you been, dear readers? The vendors at that fest pretty much blow away the vendors at Rabbit Fest. No commercial “vendors” as such. AND – somehow that group is able to put on a two-day festival run by VOLUNTEERS.

What will they do if the council does not give them the tiny slice of the pie they have requested?

Charlie Youngs is a hateful bitter man who is using his position to be vengeful and vindictive.

He’s a bully, and NO ONE has had the courage to tell him to shut his pie hole.

He’s like the creepy uncle who comes around at Christmas and makes people uncomfortable and says things that make the rest of the family cringe, but NO ONE says anything because they don’t want to “cause drama.”

Cause some drama, council. Why let him be a bully and act as he has? Call his behavior out on the dais, as he is conducting himself in a boorish manner. 

I've heard it said that my posts are "EMBARASSING" to the city. Well, Charlie Youngs is a HUGE EMBARASSMENT and is continuing to use his position for a special-interest group.

Chambers of Commerce historically help BENEFIT businesses in a city - um, their MEMBER businesses, that is.

 It is clear that both Charlie Youngs and councilman Jay Manning want the chamber to handle all  the tourism for the city. Jay Manning said he was ready to vote too, but wanted to let the presentations be made after hearing back from the Texas Hotel Lodging Association.

So, what would Curmudgeon do, if Curmudgeon had a seat on the dais and a vote? 

Fund the city events.
(But Don’t let the city pay for a recreation guide with hotel occupancy tax funds).

Fund the chamber for Rabbit Fest and Krist Kindl Markt. Don’t pass out, dear readers. At least give them something for their festivals and a chance to prove people wrong and make them better.

Fund the art guild festival.

And that’s it. It’s late and I have not crunched the numbers to see if it works and doesn’t dip into the HOT fund balance.

Has anyone checked to see how many of the seated council members own or work for businesses that are MEMBERS OF THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE?

Of COURSE you will vote for your own organization!

Joann Courtland AKA Dark Horse. Operation Stand Down Central Texas – chamber member.

Fred Chavez. Longtime chamber sympathizer. Unsure of his chamber affiliation.

Dapper Dan Yancey – First National Bank VP. Chamber member.

Jay Heartburn Manning – Manning Homes. Chamber member.

Kirby Reverend Lack – Minister and yes, chamber member – I believe.  

Marky-E-Marc Payne – unsure of his chamber affiliation.

Sorry-Charlie Youngs – chamber’s biggest fan. 'Nuff said  Sure hope former councilman Marty Smith is proudof his behavior.

Should the majority of the seated council recuse themselves???? Their own organization will benefit financially from the council’s action to approve funding. But it happens all the time, y’all.

The Copperas Cove city council would do well to remember that there at least 200 city employees and Curmudgeon would venture to think that they are ALL registered voters. It’s not a union, but they can share their voice with their votes.

It’s (almost) the most wonderful time of the year

In lieu of Christmas in July, dear readers, Curmudgeon is celebrating the upcoming Copperas Cove city council election season.

It starts in a few days, on July 20, when all the would-be’s have the chance to toss their hats into the proverbial ring for one of three spots:

Copperas Cove city council, Place 3 – presently held by Dapper Dan Yancey. No he is not term limited – yet – because he just finished his first full term in office. City charter limits place holders to two consecutive terms in the same position.  

Copperas Cove city council, Place 4 – presently held by Jay Heartburn Manning. He came onto the scene in 2016, nudged into running by who-knows-who and expressing “heartburn” over a number of things. He hasn’t used that term as much lately.  

Copperas Cove city council, Place 5 – presently held by the Reverend Kirby Lack. Reverend is a repeat council member, having held a position in the early 1990s. Kinda like Sorry-Charlie Youngs, who was wont to tell everyone of how things were done “when he was on council before.”

Early candidate predictions

So, the big question for future would-be’s is:

Who of the three incumbents will run for office again?

Curmudgeon predicts that both Dapper and Heartburn will run again. They’ve hit some momentum (self-perceived) and don’t want to lose any of the reversals that they and their fellow members of the GOBC (Good Old Boys Club) have enacted ever since Marty Pitch-a-Fit-on-Facebook Smith threw one and left the council in 2016, when she and former city manager Andrea Gardner had a bit of kerfuffle. ‘Nuff about that.

The Reverend will likely not run again, Curmudgeon thinks. He’s done what he set out to do – enact some long-put-off park improvements.

Candidate predictions:

Curmudgeon believes that some former candidates will fill out the paperwork and get out there again to see if they can get more votes this time.

It would not be surprising to see Ron Nelson up there again after he lost the bid for mayor. He has kept his social media page afloat and active, even since the special election in April.

Curmudgeon will watch for other former candidates Joey Acfalle and Azeita Taylor to make another bid for one of the chairs on the dais. Mr. Joey has kept busy in the community and has had incrementally higher numbers than his first bid for an office (Coryell County district clerk).

Curmudgeon is unsure about 3^rd, 4^th or 5^th time’s a charm Taylor. Her Azeita Taylor for Copperas Cove Mayor Facebook page is up and active, although the position of mayor won’t be open again until November 2021.

Former city councilmen and councilwomen might be up there again. Curmudgeon will watch to see if George Duncan, David Morris, Cheryl Meredith, or Matt Russell will file to run again. 

Mr. Duncan was one of the first to follow former councilman Mark Peterson’s lead and start questioning groups on how they spend hotel occupancy tax funds. 

The relentless and justified questioning of the chamber’s expenses, questioning led by him, which eventualyl led to a 2016 shake-up to the chamber of commerce’s very foundations, and also led to what appears to be an ardent reboot of the organization to be more business-focused as opposed to tourism focused, so it could use at one point NEARLY $200,000 in HOT funds! – to help pay a robust staff and office. Whew, that was a long sentence. Let it sink in. Don't forget the numbers I gave you previously, dear readers, to show you how much the chamber was given to produce little results, far littler than now with their ZERO funding!

Now, things are different for groups seeking HOT funds, as it should be. Hopefully this change will “stick” and continue to be applied to the chamber. Sorry-Charlie insists that the chamber was “cut off at the knees.” Yet, surprisingly, the chamber has continued to flourish with ribbon cuttings and business events, despite not having HOT funds to pay for its staff, etc., for three years.

I digress…where was I? Oh, possible candidates!

James “for it before I was against it” Pierce is presently occupied with his first six-year term on the CTC board of trustees, the election victory which was a minor coup of the status quo in that arena.

As always, Curmudgeon will look for a Dark Horse newcomer to the ranks, a local citizen who has quietly been educating themselves on municipal operations and already has an established support base, and who is ready to campaign. Place 1 councilmember Joanne Courtland is a prime example of that Dark Horse finishing first in the 2018 election.

Dark Horse newcomers, do not be like Ms. Brandi Weiand, who did virtually no campaigning, missed one of two political forums, and at another forum talked about things that were more relevant to school district than city operations. And, got 15 votes. She had more attention locally after her arrest for an alleged assault charge earlier this summer which she contends was self defense. Then, she has taken to rants on social media as well, clearly perturbed at the current mayor.

All of this goes to say, Dark Horse and/or newbie candidates, prepare for people to follow you and question you about your life and what what you do.

Anyhooo, July 20 and the 30 days to follow, and the time leading up to November 5 will be interesting, to say the least.

Hail to the chief

On Tuesday night, Copperas Cove will have a mayor again.

On Saturday, mayor elect Bradi Dewald Diaz rode in the Rabbit Fest parade.

See here?

So what’s with Mayor Elect / Chamber of Commerce logo?

Is she mayor elect of the chamber of commerce or of the City of Copperas Cove?

Just askin’. Why not have Mayor Elect Bradi Diaz? Why Mayor Elect Chamber of Commerce??????

Why????

The Chamber of Commerce is a dues-paying members-only club. There’s nothing wrong with having a chamber of commerce, but should a private organization have that much pull in a city?

Not that a mayor has a vote, but a mayor has pull and gives steering and guidance.

Lines will begin to be blurred again.

Perhaps she ought to resign her position on the Copperas Cove Chamber of Commerce board…

Hey, chamber members, did any of you vote her onto the board last year????

Just askin’.

Will rubber-stamping of budgets and decision making go back five years or more, to “how things used to be”?

I remind the dear readers that the “ruckus” of the past few years wasn’t without some truth in it.

None of the powers-that-be – the Copperas Cove Chamber of Commerce, nor the Copperas Cove Economic Development Corporation – appreciated being questioned.

Now, Curmudgeon understands that some of what was said didn’t have the best tone. But one must look to the best interests of the city and its citizens.

Councilman Mark Peterson was one of the first to start questioning the spending of hotel occupancy tax funds – questioning America’s Drug Free Productions which held the Heart of Texas Bowl in our City for well more than a decade.

That questioning of expenditures then segued into subsequent councilmen asking similar questions – George Duncan and Matthew Russell, in particular, who were backed by both former councilmen David Morris and James Pierce Jr  – asking questions of the Copperas Cove Chamber of Commerce and the Copperas Cove Economic Development Corporation.

It was around that time, also, that our current mayor-elect (who at the time was the chair of the EDC board appointed by the council) who said she was “done” with volunteering for the city because she’d been called a “thief” etc. We won’t rip that open again, but she objected to the questioning. Or, perhaps it was the way the EDC was questioned.

SHOULDN’T the city council QUESTION the EDC – and any other city entity which spends taxpayer funds? In the case of the EDC, sales tax dollars? 

Not dredging up old wounds, but those of us who FORGET history are bound to repeat it. Here we go again...

 

Former Chamber of Commerce president Betty Price was questioned – or the chamber, rather – of how it was spending the hotel occupancy tax funds. It got to the point that Price quit the position and it took a new president who got an audit done as customary and was able to give the council an accounting of how they spent those funds on “tourism activities” – more than $100,000 annually.

SHOULDN’T the council question the chamber of commerce for how it will spend those funds? Or any group, for that matter?

REMEMBER, dear readers, neither the Chamber of Commerce NOR the Copperas Cove Economic Development Corporation are EQUALS to the city government. They do not have a seat at the table as an equal. A "valued partner", perhaps? But they are not equals.

(From an old post, and bears repeating:

 

Please remember, dear readers, in the grand scheme of things, the Copperas Cove Economic Development Corporation and the Copperas Cove Chamber of Commerce are NOT EQUALS at the table with the City of Copperas Cove.

The CCEDC is a voter-approved organization which is funded by SALES TAX DOLLARS and seeks economic development opportunities for the City of Copperas Cove and an EDC, in some way, shape or form, has been singing the same song for more than 20 years with nearly ZERO primary jobs to show for it!!! The voters approved 3/8-cent of sales tax dollars to go to the EDC. It is a valuable commodity but only when operated correctly. 

But the CCEDC is NOT equal to the city. Its board members are citizens appointed by the city council.  

The Copperas Cove Chamber of Commerce is a “nonprofit” organization that is made up of PAYING BUSINESS MEMBERS. The Chamber does NOT represent ALL businesses in Copperas Cove only those who PAY THEIR DUES. It is a members-only club which is as only as effective as its programs, which for YEARS had been so caught up in races and in bicycling and worshipping the all-holy-rabbit-fest that it lost sight of the BUSINESS COMMUNITY. 

Breaking ties with getting hotel occupancy tax funding was the BEST THING that could have happened to the chamber to get it back on track)

Back to Tuesday night's upcoming meeting: 

In the latest hearing for the city budget amendment to give funds for the chamber – after the deadline of course, making them YET AGAIN an exception for the rule, the chamber’s request for funding included $1,260 for the “registration of convention delegates.”

So, dear city council, what the heck does that mean and what is that money being used for?

Nobody’s asked them, have they?

**crickets crickets crickets**

If not, why not?

Who the heck stayed in the hotels this long for Rabbit Fest last year?

All the vendors? I call bs

Don’t be afraid to ask questions, council! (And not questions about flying cars, pleeeeeez)

Duncan and Russell were part of the crew who said yes to FATHOM – a painful, ill advised decision that will affect us for 12 more years.

I would hope that ALL the council members, both past and present, have learned the sore, sore lessons of the past few years.

DON’T STOP QUESTIONING.

HAVE PUBLIC DISCUSSIONS.

Speaking of public discussions, WILL SOMEONE PLEASE AT LEAST LET US KNOW WHY WE HAVE NO CANDIDATES FOR CITY MANAGER?

When was that agreement with the headhunter group approved? November? And here it is, almost summertime?

What are we waiting for?

The municipal government/city manager field is not a huge pool, y’all?

Who are you waiting for?

The council has an executive session on the agenda for Tuesday night.

Let’s see if they remember how to say something, anything, after that meeting.

Give us something to go on.

Or, is Dapper Dan negotiating behind the scenes like he did with the interim city manager, cherry-picking and trying to get his own candidate of choice on board?

Don't forget this
https://copperascovecurmudgeon.blogspot.com/2018/04/this-is-serious.html

Filing opens in July, y’all, for council! 

Has anyone counted the number of questions I've asked in this post?

I've been told by one commentor previously that my posts don't have legitimacy.

Well, then, how about someone else step up to ask these questions?

If the questions, themselves, are valid?

Curmudgeon believes they are...

Peace, love and bunnies, y'all.

Hail to the chief.