Curmudgeon's prediction

Another bye week here for the Copperas Cove city council. Which means...who knows?

There is a clue that councilman Jay Manning gave at the end of the February 20 meeting, when he asked to discuss the city's fee schedule at a future meeting.

He seemed a bit hedgey about it. He didn't act like he wanted to elaborate. Is there a secret or a big announcement? What, pray tell, does he want to discuss that he didn't want to talk about then and there.

I was not figuratively on the edge of my seat, trying to guess what the discussion would be about.

But I'm going to venture a guess, right here.

When Mr. Manning, head of GOBC, was running for office in 2016, one of the things that gave him heartburn was the Chamber of Commerce's Military Affairs banquets and their demise and destruction. (Sorry, some snark crept it. Jeepers, I try to keep it from slipping out, but there it is.) Not that he had a problem with the banquets, not a'tall. I wonder how many military affairs banquets he has attended in the last several years? Hmmm?

Seeds were sown for this about two years ago, when the big rumbling between the council and the chamber was at its loudest. The poor, pitiful, victim of a chamber of commerce, just couldn't have its way and keep using the civic center because the council made fee changes for ALL, not just them. (Sooo, sooo, unfair, y'all!!) Mark Peterson, then one of the Military Affairs committee leaders, said in an open meeting that summer that, yes, the city had indeed presented chamber chairman of the board Butch Ronne with a proposed agreement to discuss, but he refused it. Then much whining ensued after that throughout the grapevine.

Um, in business, when someone you're dealing with makes you unhappy, do you think it helps to whine publicly about how "unfair" it is?

Anyhoo, I have a prediction for when this comes around again on the city council agenda.

I predict that Mr. Manning will bring up the fact that groups like the Military Affairs Committee should use the Copperas Cove Civic Center for FREEEEEEE because, well, they're the chamber of commerce and it's hosting commanders and soldiers from Fort Hood units.

He will ask that the fees be waived, or at least drastically reduced because (using my whiny voice), "It's such a longstanding tradition and it's the chamber, y'all."

You're right. The Military Affairs banquets are a more than 50-year tradition in Copperas Cove. We're thankful for our military. So let's just let every military-connected event use the Civic Center for FREEEEEEE.

But, dear council, let's remind yourselves again that the Copperas Cove Chamber of Commerce is a MEMBERS-ONLY, PAID organization. These military affairs banquets are NOT open to the public and even the committee members have to pay to attend. Funny, how the chamber makes businesses pay to join, but it expects special treatment and does not want to pay fees.

Anyhoo, dear council, go ahead. Because we DO love our troops, I think that if you let the CHAMBER, a MEMBERS-ONLY, you-have-to-pay-to-join organization, use the Copperas Cove Civic Center for FREEEEEEE, because it is networking with the military, then ANY GROUP that has a military connection should have the same discount or be able to use it for FREEEEEEE.

Just sayin'.

Watch for Mr. Manning ask for an ordinance amending the fee schedule, to AGAIN give special leeway to the chamber.

Dear Council, if you give it to one, you should give it to ALL if the same reasoning exists. Prepare for that.

AGAIN, here would be a member of the Copperas Cove city council using his energy to benefit an exclusive, members-only organization and something that does NOT benefit the majority of the residents of Copperas Cove.

Well, Copperas Cove, we elected 'em. And the conquest by the GOBC continues. . .

Bacon Fest

Curmudgeon here with a quicky for Thursday!!! 

Warning: snark alert.

Y'all -

I wanna have a Bacon Fest in City Park and use the park for FREE for a WHOLE WEEKEND. After the Copperas Cove city council said as long as we can establish a public purpose and benefit, we can do this! Yippee!

Why Bacon Fest?

Because...Omigerd! -- What's not to love about bacon?

I will have a greased pig contest, bacon eating contest, stuff for hunters to buy, bacon and pig crafts for sale, hog calling contest, bacon food vendors, t-shirts, and a feral hog hunt with a barbecue!

I will charge $20 per person to get in and I can keep the money! Let the pigs and people tear up the park....and NOBODY ELSE CAN GET INTO THE PARK FOR THE WHOLE WEEKEND. Wait. Maybe $20 per person is steep. How 'bout $10 per carload? And then I can charge for everything else on admission.

Because everyone loves bacon and will come to Copperas Cove!

Hotels will be FULL.

With all the feral hogs in this county and Texas, it is a win-win!

Especially for me!

Bacon Fest, forever!! Who's with me? I might share some of the profits, unless you're the City of Copperas Cove (wink).

It's got a public purpose, y'all!

Peace, love, and bunnies,
Curmudgeon out.

Dear future city manager (to be sung to the tune of "Dear Future Husband")

Not all of Copperas Cove ran Ms. Gardner out on the proverbial rail. It seems some of her employees wanted to wish her well in letters at least three feet tall.

So now the city of Copperas Cove is looking for a new manager. Or, the council is, rather.

Nobody wants to put a sign on the city's front door saying "Abandon hope, all ye who enter here," because that would be a tad dramatic.

So, is the Copperas Cove city council a good boss? That depends on which way the winds of change blow. It seems like every 10 years or so there is a big shake-up of some kind in city government or operations. A little more than 10 years ago a recall election - an initiative started by one bound 'n determined woman who used her energy in a different way other than complaining online - cleared out the city council so there was no government. Things still kept going in Cove. Like they will now.

Only, a segment of the "inner circle" led by the GOBC (Good Old Boys Club) is already pushing for getting things the way "they used to be." I will hold off on making any predictions this post and try to stick to the subject of city leadership.

Dear future city manager, be prepared for a council who will tell you one direction to go, but then won't let you make the managerial decisions to run things efficiently.

It's like hiring someone to build a deck on your house because you have limited carpentry skills. But instead of letting them build the deck, you keep grabbing the hammer and adding things, or ripping out what they've already done. Good luck with that, future city manager.

But, dear future city manager, our most recent manager found herself in a perfect storm that eventually resulted in the last nail in her managerial coffin being driven home, and she knew for certain she had done all she could here.

The perfect storm, part of which she helped create, was too much change in our fair city. Nobody likes change; people would rather keep things "comfortable", like a hoarder who panics when someone tries to clean house.

Take a look at all the changes in the last three years alone, added to a council majority which began to ask questions of local groups as to why things were being done the way they were.

I give Mr. Mark Peterson credit for starting to ask questions, at least three years ago, before MOST of the current council was even on board - the only one serving at that time being Mr. Frank Seffrood, as councilman before he was mayor. Quite frankly, and I never imagined writing this, I think Mr. Peterson ought to consider running for council again.

Anyhoo - those changes I was talking about.

• Two new highways, which have been received with mixed results; 
• A proposed new median down Highway 190 that has been in the works for several years, with people howling about it before the trees are being planted (oh wait!! NO TREES!!);
• A "downtown revitalization" project on Avenue D, with issues, putting it mildly; 
• Moving the Copperas Cove EDC employees "under" the city manager - saving the EDC tens of thousands of dollars yearly; 
• The city opening its own tourism department after the chamber of commerce decided not to apply for hotel occupancy tax funds, and of course, the city laid plans to use that tourism money for its own community events (something I am not a fan of - more on that another time); 
• And the last big nail in the coffin being a $7 million debacle that was transitioning the city's utility account management to FATHOM, an out of state service. 

(Changes ALL approved by the city council ($3000 trash cans and benches, y'all.) BUT FOR WHATEVER REASON, THIS IS "ALL ANDREA'S FAULT.")

It was way, way too much change at once. And when your most vocal residents AND council members aren't fans? Well, kudos to Ms. Gardner for staying as long as she did.

Then you throw in a disgruntled former city councilwoman whose knickers got in a twist and she resigned because she had "problems" with the city manager. This former city councilwoman alleged on social media that Ms. Gardner was verbally abusive to at least one city employee, but these employees were "too afraid" to come forward when former city councilwoman said she would try to provide "proof". Anyhoo, for whatever reason, former city councilwoman let her own personal offense make her leave office in a huff. (Oh, I do have a point in all this -- former city councilwoman was also the former chamber of commerce director.) She then rounded up the GOBC (Manning & company) who fall for the sob stories without substance and she used her personal issues with Ms. Gardner to advance her overall cause and fuel her personal pride. Then, she backed down on the verbal abuse allegations, said she would try to be more positive and moved away.

Now, we have a council majority who has the same leanings as this former councilwoman who once publicly said in a council meeting that the property tax rate explanation was "clear as mud".

So, dear future city manager, this is the fine mess you'll be walking into. A council majority with its own "inner circle" agenda rather than listening to the citizens of this city.

Now, dear readers and future city manager, if you've made it this far, here are the city manager qualifications as listed online in the job posting of the Texas Municipal League. If you want to keep reading for the kicker, skip to the end. This time, I will refrain from making snarky comments in the midst of listed qualifications:

SUPERVISION RECEIVED AND EXERCISED:

Works under the broad policy guidance of the City Council. Exercises supervision over all municipal employees either directly or through subordinate supervisors.

DESIRED MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

Education and Experience:

Graduation from an accredited four-year college or university with a degree in public administration, political science, business management or a closely related field and;

Minimum five (5) years of experience as a municipal administrator;

Master’s degree in public administration, political science, business management or a closely related field preferred and;

Three (3) years of experience as a municipal administrator.

SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS:

Must be bondable.

Complete the TxDOT Local Government Project Procedures Training within one (1) year of hire date and re-train every three (3) years.

Valid State Driver's License, or ability to obtain one prior to employment.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES:

Knowledge of modern policies and practices of public administration;

Knowledge of municipal finance, human resources, public works, public safety, and community development;

Skill in preparing and administering municipal budgets;

Skill in planning, directing and administering municipal programs;

Skill in operating the listed tools and equipment;

Ability to prepare and analyze comprehensive reports;

Ability to carry out assigned projects to their completion;

Ability to communicate effectively verbally and in writing;

Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with employees, city officials and the public;

Ability to efficiently and effectively administer a municipal government.

- - -

And now, this reminds me of the old song, "If you like pina coladas", about the discouraged boyfriend who takes out an ad, looking for a new "lady", and he lists everything he's looking for. Then, funny thing, he meets up with the one who responds to his ad - his "old lady", who unknown to him, was also looking for what she wanted.

Sometimes you don't appreciate what you've got until its gone. In the case of Copperas Cove, I don't think that will happen where she is concerned.

We're turning into The Woodlands???!!!

Dear Copperas Cove council,

Curmudgeon here again. One would think the Business 190 median project was going to be an effort to make the east side of Copperas Cove look like The Woodlands – trees everywhere!

That’s if you go by the citizen reaction at the last council meeting on Feb. 6. Except for some members of Keep Copperas Cove Beautiful, an entourage of residents expressed their extreme displeasure with all the "trees" and "grass" supposedly planned for the median.

“They’ll obstruct the view.”

“Who’ll keep up with all that grass?”

“What if trees branches fall in the road?”

Etc. A very grave concern indeed. We all know Mr. Joe Brown is VERY understaffed where grounds keeping crew is concerned. (Again, this is something the council could remedy if it so chooses!! HELLLOOO!) We sure don’t want trees on the median or anything that would obstruct or endanger drivers.

But, dear council, if you look back at the meeting records from City Council along with the Keep Copperas Cove Beautiful, you will see that in 2016,  an ADVANCE FUNDING AGREEMENT PLUS A MAINTENANCE AGREEMENT was approved between the city and TxDOT.

Look at the diagram below, the schematic for part of the median from Constitution to Dewald – paid for with the assistance of (now) $420,000 in state grant funds won by KCCB. This is part of Exhibit A attached to the January 19, 2016 agenda item. No hidden secret papers. 

Where’s the trees? All I see on that schematic are lantanas and crape myrtles.

No trees. Lantanas and crape myrtles are known for their drought tolerance and low maintenance. Something ideal for our area!

My big question is: WHERE’S ALL THE TALK OF TREES COMING FROM?

From here:

Oh, yes. The purty videos from the engineers that show – wait for it – oceans of green grass in the median and leafy trees.

Gee, thanks. I think engineers are extremely intelligent people, but this video is for the birds. BSP, you are talented and have done great work for our city. But this video? IT’S EXTREMELY MISLEADING. And this video has been shared over. And Over. AND OVER. AGAIN. No wonder people think there are trees coming, and people are losing their minds over it.

When there. WON’T. BE. TREES!!  (Again, look at the paperwork!!)

From Constitution to Dewald St. - no trees. Since this is part of a larger project, consistency will flow with the landscaping through Business 190 & Ave. D intersection, the end of phase 1.

I hate to say it, but we are literal people. We are like 4 year olds. If you show us a video with grass and trees, well, that’s what we believe will be there. But over and over in this discussions on the record, all I can see is talk of drought tolerant, low maintenance pants.Or, I should say LACK of discussion and information from the council. ("Is this a time to speak up during the workshop?") C'mon, speak up. Fix it.

Dear council, again – when will you speak up and correct this misinformation?

Of course, at least one of you has stated – Mr. Charlie Youngs – that he does NOT want the median.

There are some business owners who don’t want the median. I would venture to say Mr. Jay Manning, councilman, owner of a business that operates on Business 190, doesn't want it either. I think he should even recuse himself from voting on this median because of his own personal bias against it!

But for some reason, other cities seem to be doing just fine and flourishing, even with medians. 

Are we soooo special and unique that we as a city will no longer be able to function if there is a median? "That's it, close Copperas Cove down because ain't nobody gittin' anywhere, not no-how!" (Sorry, snark crept out again.)

Mr. Maples who owns Cove Plumbing told the council that Business 190 is still indeed a thoroughfare, especially at peak travel times during the day.

Yet Mr. Camp who owns an insurance agency farther east down the street said his business traffic on Business 190 has gone down due to the bypass.

Which is it, gentlemen? Is it still super-dee-duper busy, or is the bypass killing traffic, and installation of a median will be the death knell for businesses? It can’t be both.

Covites, don’t believe everything you hear in street corner, coffee shop gossip. No trees on the median.

It would be nice if our councilmen would be more vocal about what IS and IS NOT going to be part of this median project. It’s your job to keep us informed during these discussions. Nothing is “set in stone” just yet. One thing obvious for sure: NO TREES.

“Look at the trees, Lizzie! Look at the—” Oh wait.

Peace,  love, and lantanas, y’all.

A word from our sponsor

Who is Cove Curmudgeon?

We are Curmudgeon. We have opinions, but we look to base them on facts.
Not on gossip, not on conversations about knee-jerk reactions to situations and actions by our council, the chamber, the EDC, you name it.

Curmudgeon cares about Copperas Cove, its rough spots and all.
Curmudgeon has been here a long time.
Curmudgeon looks at details found in city records and meetings, and also looks at the big-picture.
Curmudgeon looks at history.
Curmudgeon wants people to stop and think, and look at the message and its contents instead of the messenger.

Is the message true?
Is the message verifiable?

Sometimes, you just need to read the message and shove your emotions out of the way. Making business decisions based on emotion or how someone "made you feel" is not a wise thing.

Let's hope that the messages are not the handwriting on the wall. Not a message of doom and gloom in Copperas Cove's future, but that if certain courses remain unaltered, we will see more of the stagnation that our community can't seem to crawl out of in spite of itself.

This is a pivotal time in our city. Because of the "infighting" and "keeping score" by certain groups (and readers likely fingerpoint at the group "they" have an issue with immediately), it doesn't bode well for us. The rest of Central Texas will continue to pass us by if we focus on our sacred cows instead of what is best for the city at large. Sometimes the best thing isn't what WE want, and when someone tells us so, we take that as a personal affront.

"And now, back to your regularly scheduled program."

It's been a "bye" week for the city council, sort of. More on that later.

Peace, love, and bunnies, y'all.

All hail the fest!

Dear Copperas Cove council,

I have watched with great interest the Feb. 6 workshop in which the chamber ordinance was discussed. 
 
Let me get straight to the point - 

Hey council, why are we residents who use City Park charged a restoration fee for the pool, sports, facility rentals, golf, etc. so we can help "restore" the effect of wear and tear in the parks and other city facilities, but it sounds like you want to let the Copperas Cove Chamber of Commerce use City Park for FREE, if this ordinance gets changed?

The sudden realization gave me so much heartburn that I had to pause the video after Mr. Payne brought up about the golf course and where those restoration fees went. 

He first asked Mr. Haverlah about where the money paid by the chamber to the city went? By "the money" I mean the "as much as 25% of profits". Does it go to the general fund, or what? Mr. Haverlah said the funds went to the general fund, but were dedicated to park improvements. 

So, dear council, why will you propose a group get special treatment, but those of us who use park programs get charged a fee to help "restore" the parks?

Who pays to restore City Park? 
Why shouldn't the chamber, or any other group, pay for the wear and tear its events, especially LARGE ones, have on the park? 

If someone rents the Civic Center, they have to pay a "restoration" fee. 

So why should the chamber get special treatment? 

This discussion starts around the 1:08:00 minute part of the workshop (1 hour, 8 minute point). 

Listen hard, y'all! 

Evidently the council is leaning toward the chamber receiving a free ride, except for direct expenses which the chamber already said it had no issue with paying. 

Let's just allow them to set up in City Park, let 30,000 people and thousands of vehicles tear the place up, without paying the city a dime, because we "all" benefit from it. 

Kumbaya, y'all.

Let's set up a rabbit statue and kneel before it, for all the things this festival has done for this city! 

Sorry, I said I can't help the snark sometimes.....

Anyhoo - Mr. Manning said the council could esteem that the cost of wear and tear is equal to the benefit that Rabbit Fest brings the citizens of Copperas Cove and he asked the attorney if it was that simple. Pretty much, the attorney said.

Mr. Yancey chimed in and said the wear and tear on the park is "subjective" and that the "benefit" to the city is somewhat "quantifiable" with heads in beds, although that was "somewhat subjective too". He said both those things cancel each other out. Um, really?

My interpretation of his remarks: the festival benefits the city so much, it's okay if the park gets torn up!!

We have long heard the song of "the motels are full" and that people shop and eat in Copperas Cove during Rabbit Fest. Just gobs of money pouring in, y'all!

I find that EXTREMELY hard to believe, council. 

Three reasons why:

First, look at the sales tax revenue reports for the month of July over the course of several years. 

When sales tax gets collected in the month of May, the city doesn't get paid for that until July. 

It would then follow that every July we should see a spike in sales tax revenue compared to the month of June, if all these TENS OF THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE shop and eat in Copperas Cove. 

Then, in August, the sales tax report amount should be lower due to the drop-off of that FOUR DAYS OF ECONOMIC BOOM! from the fest. 

IF over time, the city sees a sales tax benefit from Rabbit Fest, then it should see a spike in GENERAL over a pattern of years, yet accounting for dips for other reasons. 

Here we go. Cove's sales tax report $$$ from the state comptroller, for June-August for 2015-2017.

June - June 2015 $326,247.97; June 2016 $323,357.47; June 2017 $345,956.19
July - July 2015, $322,553.48; July 2016 $321,153.96; July 2017; $367,891.02. (THIS IS SALES TAX COLLECTED IN MONTH OF MAY IN COPPERAS COVE - WHERE'S RABBIT FEST BENEFIT?)
August - August 2015 $412,813.80; August 2016 $410,841.36; August 2017 $428,696.51

I don't see a Rabbit Fest sales tax benefit because it's not there. Numbers don't lie. People aren't shopping and dining IN Copperas Cove more than usual during Rabbit Fest. There may be a little uptick somewhere that I can't see, but the amount of tax doesn't justify tearing up the park. I don't see a public benefit. 

Two, the chiming in with the "heads in beds" mantra.

Take a step back and give the fest a good, hard look. I don't believe anyone within a 3-hour radius of Copperas Cove would come to our increasingly lackluster festival and pay for a hotel overnight because they just can't get enough of it. "But the carnival!!" - Nah, if I were to drive three hours and stay overnight for a carnival, I'd go to Six Flags or Fiesta Texas. If you're going to travel an hour away, or 30 minutes, you'd go straight home. Why stay in a hotel? Carnival people stay in trailers, maybe a handful of vendors, food or craft, stay in a hotel. 

We don't have enough hotel rooms in Copperas Cove for there to be a noticeable spike for hotel tax revenue in May. Even if there WERE, the amount isn't enough to justify the parks being used and torn up. 

Third, Mr. Manning said the city gets a share of the sales tax that vendors collect at the festival. Not entirely true. Those individual vendors file their sales tax reports with the state of Texas and must collect the full amount of what they sell, but their reporting is not city by city. The state knows how much is collected, but not city by city for each independent vendor. Also, see my first point above.

Sadly, if Rabbit Fest went away, it would not economically impact our city that much. There would be a time of mourning due to its sentimental value and then EVERYONE would blame the city of course, "because the city manager sucks, y'all, and there is nothing for anyone to do in Copperas Cove" (Oh, wait, she's going, going, and will be gone. Sorry, more snark leaking out here)

I will watch with interest what ideas the attorney comes up with and reports back to the council on Feb. 20th. But again, the poor, poor chamber wants something for nothing because, they're, well, the chamber, y'all, and we worship the bunny.

Two more things: 
Disclaimer: The Curmudgeon doesn't hate Rabbit Fest. It's been a family tradition for years. Rained on, hailed on, baked, fried, mud, etc. My own critique is that the festival has lost a bit of its luster. It has plenty of "thing-y" vendors you can find almost anywhere. Not to put down the direct sales vendors and those who sell "sniff-y, makeup-y, clothes-y, t-shirty, air cleaner-thingy, donate to our cause groups" and the sellers of whistles, fidget spinners, other fads, light-up swords, blah, blah, blah. They all have their place. 

But it's less and less appealing to PAY $5 to enter a festival ($1 if you walk) that offers far less than it used to. I think the vendors have to pay too much, discouraging other up 'n comers. 

Rabbit Fest needs a serious re-do and re-focus. While we enjoy seeing our local kids perform, we see them at EVERY festival. Why not spend the money to get someone to come to Copperas Cove that people would drive to Copperas Cove to watch perform, and then stay overnight on a Saturday and truly PACK all the hotels? 

Two:
I figured I should offer some "evidence" of the $3000 benches and trashcans on Ave. D I mentioned in my last post. Here it is, below. This is 1 page of one of the phases but you can see the amounts. There are 8 trashcans and 8 benches proposed with the winning bid, totaling about $48000. That's enough for a good park restroom re-do, council. THIS YEAR. Why do we need to have porta-potties for events at the park when we have restrooms? Oh, yup. Scary bathrooms from a bad SyFy apocalypse movie. Use your voice, council.

One more thing. Where'd I get the above document? Right on the city website. Not hard at all if you know where to look No "cover-up". No inside info.

Big thanks for reading all this to the end. Share with a friend and subscribe, whether it interests or irritates you! It's all good, either way.

Give the people something they can see

Dear Copperas Cove council -

I would love to tell you that the 30,000 or so residents in Copperas Cove really don't care about the bickering and in-fighting among the inner circle.

So, I am.

They really don't care.

Because residents care about what they can SEE. They want to see some tangible progress. It's where they "see" changes without knowing the reasoning behind them. Like literally crappy bathrooms in City Park yet there are sidewalks on Avenue D, so wide that one curb had to be cut back. People don't get it. Totally understandable. People go on what they can see, and appearances can be deceiving, or at the very least, misunderstood.

Here's a few tangibles -

1. City Park bathrooms. One word: EWWW. "Everyone" knows about how nasty they are, inner circle or not. So why hasn't a group (hello city council) specifically directed that gets put in the budget? Yes, I hear there is work on the parks coming, but c'mon. Replacing bathrooms NOW instead of waiting two more years would be chump change compared to the overall budget.

(After all council, you authorized the bid for the Avenue D sidewalks to allow the contractor to purchase $3000 trash cans and benches downtown, so, there's that. Look at the original quote from the contractor, the same one that built the curb too wide! Seriously. Every one of those trash cans and benches on Avenue D were 3-grand apiece. Then do the math. Adding bathrooms now is adding NOTHING to the renovation budget.)

2. Sidewalks. About five years ago (or more) the city did a sidewalk study and survey. It noted all the areas without sidewalks, especially those close to schools and in older neighborhoods. Everybody wants sidewalks, but nobody wants to pay for them. Figure it out.

3. Fix up the streets. Like Constitution Drive. As one of the access points to The Narrows, that would be money well spent to show prospective companies that Copperas Cove takes care of its stuff, and thus, will take care of its families, i.e., employees for the future companies that will bring operation or distribution here. Not to mention, it is a high-traffic area for locals to begin with. Watch your front-end suspension on the car heading down that street. I'm sure there are more in the same condition. But for years the city has put off any real work on streets.

Council, use your voice because it is OUR voice.

Don't get so caught up in a love affair with the Chamber of Commerce or another group that you ignore the much LARGER issues going on in our city that a far larger group - called CITIZENS - must deal with, not a "MEMBERS-ONLY" club (Chamber of Commerce) within the city.

Our chamber has been floundering and less than effective over the past few years and it is largely their fault. The success of businesses in the local area has less to do with the success of two annual festivals, the quality of which has gone down in recent years, less to do with bicycle races or running races. It has MORE to do with what the chamber SHOULD be doing and that is promoting and networking its business partners. It needs to SEEK OUT new businesses and welcome them to the community. Instead it is more focused on keeping a festival alive, one that needs freshening up if not a total extreme makeover.

Help them, council, if you will, but strongly encourage them to help themselves first instead of allowing them to remain in the rut they've  fallen into. Good people, but they are stuck on the same things they have always been stuck on.

Back to tangibles. The biggest tangible in the last year happened last fall, when EVERYONE in the city and beyond saw the newest section of Five Hills Shopping Center open.

Do you know why that happened? It was not the Chamber of Commerce's doing or any other sacred cow.

"She who shall not be named" brought the council a proposal from Endeavor Real Estate, which basically went like this: "Hey, y'all, we really want to get started on this next section but we need some funds. Can the City loan us $3 million? We'll pay ya back, with interest."

Andrea Gardner has done more in the last year to help make that happen than the chamber of commerce. She did her job. Did any of you come up with this solution? This project had stalled, it seemed, until this came up. Good thing she knows how to negotiate. So with the council's ok (thanks), the city loaned Endeavor Real Estate the $3 million from the city's Water & Sewer Fund and here we are today. McAlister's for lunch, a real shoe store, Ross, Bealls, etc.

But she's just been so awful for Copperas Cove (snort) that you were happy to show her the door because of your own PERSONAL biases. At least she gave us something we can see, before she leaves.

Peace, Love, and Bunnies

Can we all just get along?

I think that's what the Good Old Boys Club, or GOBC, would say. I don't think anybody has any ill intentions. Not in the least. "Everyone" is offended, thinks they're right, everyone believes they "know what's best for us."

So, "Let's get along, and get Cove back to being idyllic place where everyone knew their place, and entities could spend money without any questions except the 'allowed' questions, because, well, peace and love, y'all."

Nobody got their knickers in a twist over any questions because, well, everyone did what they thought best, because it's offensive and off-putting to ask certain questions and it's mean to hold people accountable.

Because, well, peace and love, y'all.

Then when questions are asked of the status quo and they are asked WHY and HOW money is spent - public money, then the GOBC gets upset. It becomes construed as personal attacks.

Anyhoooo, I have probably sounded a little hard on Charlie Youngs and Marc Payne, or anyone who is a "don't-question-the-chamber" fan of the Copperas Cove Chamber of Commerce. But I'm not mean, I'm just a curmudgeon.

Charlie ran on the let's-get-everyone-together-again campaign, which worked for him. That and the general voting population was voting against anyone who voted for FATHOM. So now we've got an ax-grinder on the council and it's pretty sharp.

(Look out, city tourism department, look out! Has the city done a good job with "tourism"?? So-so. Beefing up community events? Yes. More on that another time.)

At the last Copperas Cove city council meeting in January, the chamber asked the council to change its mind about charging the chamber (up to) 25% of the profits for using city property for an event. That didn't happen. Not yet. We'll see what happens this Tuesday.

The way the chamber reps made it sound, the chamber was in danger of something like imminent ruin if the chamber had to pay the city ANY profits at all for using a city facility, like City Park. (Skeery stuff, y'all!)

What kind of expenses/profits are talking about here? Tens of thousands of dollars? How much did the chamber get billed for from the city during 2016 and 2017 because of that ordinance the council approved?

If you watch the meeting video online, you can hear Mr. Stubbs say the chamber doesn't have a problem paying the city for direct services the city provides like police support, barricades, extra trash cans,  etc. He especially wanted to make sure everybody understood that. For Rabbit Fest 2017, the chamber paid for a little bit more than 20-grand in services. "No problem."

You would think to yourself, just how much money does this set the chamber back, that it can't afford to share profits?

Really what it sounds like is: the chamber doesn't want to share any proceeds for events that the chamber charges the general public to attend (or otherwise, participate in). "Not fair, y'all!!"
"Because other groups use the park, tooooooo!!" (Frown-face)

But do the other groups charge admission and block off access to the whole park? Ummmm...don't think so.

Come to find out, if you keep watching the video, you will see that in 2016 the chamber was billed $1,563.99, or 10% of profits for the YEAR. Not 25%.

You will also see that in 2017, the chamber was billed $6,209.91, or $20% of its event profits. Not 25%.

Also, if you watch the video, the city manager says that instead of paying that 6-grand, she and the chamber negotiated a donation to the city for 5-grand. $5000.

So what's the problem? The chamber can't afford those amounts? Just askin'.

Maybe it's just the "general unfairness of it all."

Didn't the chamber used to donate funds from Rabbit Fest to the city, to help keep up the park over the years?

Somehow or sometime along the way that changed and it seems like the city received nothing until this ordinance was approved in 2015? What are we missing here? Why didn't the chamber continue to contribute to city park? Or, if they DID, why didn't they make a show of it like every other group or business in this city making a donation?

Then, at that same council meeting, things got interesting when councilman Marc Payne expressed his miffage over one of the new parking lots to be installed in City Park this spring.

He's worried about how a parking lot will affect the carnival setup during Rabbit Fest. This carnival is set up for about FIVE DAYS out of 365-day public access to the park.

FIVE DAYS in which the ENTIRE park is closed off to the PUBLIC for nearly FOUR DAYS and NOBODY CAN GET INTO THE PARK without a parking pass, for which the chamber gets MONEY (after giving their cut to the Masonic Lodge - yes, the lodge gets a chunk of those gate fees - or did) and the chamber wants to use THE WHOLE PARK for FREE?

Just askin'. Yep, I'm lumping it all together.

But sure, to go with Mr. Payne's seeming train of thought, let's change the parking lot plan. Don't put in a parking lot and paths so people won't turn their ankles and so people with mobility issues can't get around the park. Because, well, Rabbit Fest, y'all.

Yep, and it wasn't just Rabbit Fest, I should add, to be fair about what Mr. Payne talked about.

Mr. Payne said putting in parking lots, paths, curbs and stuff like that would keep the park from having "large events." If you have ever been in the park in Harker Heights, they seem to do just fine with events and parking lots and BIG events to boot. They figured it out. Just sayin'.

Of course many oldtimers are in love with Rabbit Fest, but why should the city have to accommodate a multi-million dollar project for ONE festival? That used to be great in its heyday for what it used to offer, but now doesn't distinguish itself from any other festival other than what it doesn't have.

So, coming back around to the beginning, let's let the financially-strapped chamber keep their profits and get rid of that ordinance.

Let's do what one councilman suggested and charge a fee for whoever wants EXCLUSIVE use of the park and charges admission/parking fee or whatever to get in.

You restrict the park access, you pay for the privilege. That goes for anybody.

Because, peace and love and bunnies, y'all. Let's be fair. Let's see what happens Tuesday...