Call me clairvoyant!

Curmudgeon doesn't like being clairvoyant, but here it is, folks.

No Fall-o-Ween Festival this year, not like it has been.

So apparently, going by what was said at last night's Copperas Cove Chamber of Commerce will SAVE THE DAY where these events are concerned.

Like the above.
And Polar Bear Plunge.
And the Farmers market.
And the Tree Lighting.
And next year's Food Truck Festival?

With what money will the Copperas Cove Chamber of Commerce do this, to support ALL of these events, when obviously according to Sorry-Charlie Youngs they were cut off at the knees and dying, because they haven't applied for hotel occupancy tax funds since 2016 ('exceptin' for Rabbit Fest this year.).

How are they going to SAVE THE DAY to do these events too when for whatever reason they did the other events for which the council approved funding last night - events they've done for three years now! -- with out hotel occupancy tax funding.

I don't get it, y'all.

Better not be any back room negotiations going on with city funds, is all I'm sayin'. 

And now a Copperas Cove city employee finds herself with one more event to oversee and run -- the Food Truck Festival -- before she loses her job at the close of business on Sept. 30.

Keepin' it classy, y'all. 

More on this later but wanted to get this much out there. 

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.

Copperas Cove versus Mega-Bunny!

Cue the music for The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly, y’all!

Coming, to a city council chamber near you – the City of Copperas Cove versus Mega-Bunny!

On one hand, you’ve got the Copperas Cove Chamber of Commerce, “cut off at the knees” according to Sorry-Charlie Youngs, as it crawls and stumbles on its stumps, the appendages it has left.

On the other hand, you’ve got the City of Copperas Cove Tourism Department, busily promoting its festivals and events and sports and pool stuff.

The $100,000 question is: WHO’S GONNA GET THE FUNDING?

What funding, you ask, dear readers? 

HOT funding. Hotel occupancy tax funding.

The brass tacks of it is, dear readers, what do residents want?

Here 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

Staff: 1 full time (to run the office and plan events), 1 part time (for event setup etc.); to advertise the city and what it has to offer; 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.  

Lemme shock you, dear readers, by taking hard look at the City’s proposed activities, first. Good things and things that could be better.

GOOD things for the community – Ever since the City of Copperas Cove established its visitors bureau, it has expanded its current events and added to them for the benefit of the community. That’s a plus for residents.

BUT are any of these events that put “heads in beds” and bring people to Copperas Cove?

Not necessarily. Although, the Farmer’s Market will bring people to it. There are plenty of people who go to Killeen and Harker Heights for their farmer’s markets. Also, people will come to Copperas Cove for a food truck festival, if they go to the same in other communities. So, not heads in beds – who would come overnight to go to a farmer’s market or overnight to go to a food truck festival?

The city has used funds for recreation guides, which are very nice to inform people of the recreational activities and festivals. But, will children’s sports activities bring people to the city for tourism? Other cities also have their programs, some of which are cheaper than Copperas Cove’s.

While the city’s programs have contributed to the overall quality of life in Copperas Cove, Curmudgeon does not believe these programs have increased tourism.

I would tend to agree with the current chamber president that likely not very many people say, “Oh, I’m going to Copperas Cove for vacation,” or something like that.

Now, for the Copperas Cove Chamber of Commerce events.

More of the same old, same old. They divvied up their funding requests like the city did and we can actually see this time around what they plan to spend the HOT funds on. The city council can ask to see receipts and how the money was spent – just like everyone else. So that is a improvement!

But these are the SAME events the chamber has always put on – and continued to put on since 2016 without ANY funding!!!!

What do they plan to do now? Same activities.

I swear, if I see one more plastic lightup sword or thingie like it at Krist Kindl Markt --- !!!!  

The chamber already improved Krist Kindl Markt on their own without funds from the city.

So why do they want it now??????

What do they plan to do to improve things??????

Again, the lion’s share of the HOT funding the chamber is asking for is for its employee salaries where it concerns tourism events.

That’s a snazzy approach, y’all!!

The Copperas Cove chamber be like:

“Let’s do some tourism events and get the CITY to pay for a chunk of the events through hotel occupancy tax funds!!!”

“Let’s make the events the SAME!!”

Let me remind you of how much money the chamber used to receive and now wants to have again, to continue doing what it has “always done.”

At one point during its heyday, the Copperas Cove Chamber of Commerce received nearly $200,000 in hotel occupancy tax funding!!!!!!! For pretty much the same events – see back in 2011 when they received almost $200,000 in funding!!!! See here, y’all. I’m not yankin’ yer chain on this.

Mind you, 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??

Your Sorry-Charlie Place 7 councilman has made it clear from the very beginning that he was ON THE COUNCIL TO SUPPORT THE CHAMBER because it was “DESTROYED!” His word, not Curmudgeon’s.

How then, has the chamber managed to function for three years after being DESTROYED??

Seems like they are still alive and well, and are continuing the battle with the city that has been ongoing for years.

For cryin’ out loud, neither the city nor the chamber would budge on NOT having a TREE LIGHTING on the same night!! Why would we divide our time between two events, taking away from them both? You will remember the kerfuffle over Krist Kindl Markt versus the City’s Christmas Extravaganza on the same evening. Nobody would budge.

And yet Sorry-Charlie who promised the chamber they would all “TAKE THE CITY BACK” will likely get his way.

Let’s hope someone has the spinal and intestinal fortitude to not take some of this event funding away from the city.

Who’s gonna lose in the end?

Who will be the REAL losers????

Residents who want activities for families and yet two powers-that-be can’t get it in gear and cooperate over a simple one-night festival, that's who will lose out.

That, dear readers, would have been an easy fix with the CITIZENS’ BEST INTEREST IN MIND.

What a fine kettle of fish! Because the city has already factored its tourism department into the budget, that will be undone, and two employees will be LAID OFF so the city can fund the chamber. 

We’ll see, come August 13. It may have already been decided at tonight’s meeting if the chamber “gets tourism back”. (Yawn)

Peace, love, and bunnies, y’all!

P.S.: I am busy and overdue on some posts - but there's the election with TWO incumbents without opposing candidates. TWO. Dapper-Dan, who likes to skate around the city charter and work behind the scenes as long as no one knows! And Manning, who has had heartburn over the civic center fees because of the poor, picked-on chamber who couldn't afford to rent it anymore (remember, dues-paying club, y'all!) Anyhoo. Filing for office ends in TWO WEEKS!

Water for yer shower, water for yer potty, money for the shopping center, money for a rainy day

Happy almost-August, dear readers!  
 

So if you have noticed, the city of Copperas Cove is recommended a 1 percent increase for water and sewer rates for the upcoming year.

Plus a 5.5 percent increase in solid waste rates for $1 per month.

This will be discussed by the council on Tuesday evening.

We were warned, back when She-who-shall-not-be-named was city manager, that because the council did not approve any utility rate hikes for years, there was some catchup to be made. Water costs more. The city buys its water, dear readers. There’s no magic well that the city draws from and sells the water. It ain’t free. So the city turns around and sells it to us customers. Plus, after we potty and shower, the city takes that water and treats it. It’s got to go somewhere y’all, and not in the ground because that’s just nasty and gross. So it costs to treat the water. That all makes sense.

But, if *I* were on city council – and I’m not – I’d recommend NOT raising rates this coming year. Not a’tall.

Let’s talk about the fund, as taken from the actual 280-page proposed city budget itself:

“Total expenses are estimated at $13,889,410, which is $26,535 less than the amount projected for the fiscal year 2018-2019. The Water & Sewer Fund realized a decrease in debt service requirements in fiscal year 2019-2020 as anticipated by the debt service schedule, estimates a 6% increase in the cost for water purchases, and the repair or replacement of vital equipment in operation facilities.”

Okie dokie. They expect costs of water to go up 6%. Not something the city can control.

Before we look at the numbers, let me ask you this: How many of us have 90 days of household expenses saved up in case of disaster or need?

Nope, I didn’t think many of us do.

Welp, those city funds have “fund balances” of at least 90 days of operating expenses. It’s a rainy day fund, or emergencies, or whatever. Back sometime ago, the city council itself approved an “ideal fund balance policy.”

Basically, the city manager MUST or IDEALLY keep at least 90 days of expenses in that fund. If the apocalypse happens, or whatever, we will still be able to keep operations going. Maybe not the apocalypse, but you get the idea. You just never know. But a city manager should adhere to the policies his bosses – the city councilmembers – have asked him to adhere to. Or, he could be fired. 

Yep.

Dear readers, let’s look at the fund balances for Water & Sewer, and Solid Waste, as taken from the proposed budget for the next fiscal year itself:

Okay. Look at the funds. Look at the fund balances. Presently, the city’s Water & Sewer fund is $201,189 OVER the ideal fund balance. Also, the Solid Wate fund is $1,604,535 OVER the ideal fund balance.

That’s OVER. In excess of.

Those funds already have $2,464,549 in Water/Sewer, and $2,678,691 in the Solid Waste fund. Waiting to be used. If needed. Like a disaster or something. Or?

Now….getting back to my “if I were on council” statement.

Dear readers, dear council members (some of whom read and scowl at this blog and perhaps curse me silently or not-so-silently), the funding of FATHOM has been a general clusterf*** of three years now. We still hear the problems popping up. Things weren’t GREAT under the old system, but at least you knew it was local.

Anyhoo, the more PRUDENT action this year for those funds would be to HOLD OFF ON ANY RATE INCREASES.

Think of YOUR customers, dear city council. You are customers, too. We elected you to keep OUR interests in mind. Now, granted, some of our interests are nice, but aren’t things that are for the good of all.

Curmudgeon believes the council should take a step back and instruct our city manager to use some of that fund balance INSTEAD OF raising rates. Make it a goodwill gesture to your customers. It is sad that most people equate ANY rate increases with feeding the coffers of FATHOM, but factoring FATHOM into the budget as it is now, STILL leaves us with a healthy fund balance.

Is a couple hundred grand more THIS year going to change much?

Are you going to fire someone if the balance dips slightly below “ideal?”

Well, since the council doesn’t follow its policies regarding conduct anyway, as evidenced by past actions of the council without nary anything but a “my bad” from Sorry-Charlie for violating Texas Ethics Commission regulations. 

https://www.coveleaderpress.com/news/former-councilman-calls-out-ethics-violation-alleges-city-charter-violations

Just sayin.

I remind my dear readers of the THREE MILLION DOLLAR LOAN the city made FROM THE WATER AND SEWER FUND to ENDEAVOR REAL ESTATE so it could build the section of the shopping center where we now enjoy places like McAlister’s, etc., on down the line to Burke’s outlet. 

It was perfectly legal for them to do so, but it is interesting at how robust a fund is that seeks an increase in funding.

Endeavor should be paying us back, I believe, on that loan. Sooooo, tell me about that rate increase again, dear council!

Curmudgeon will be all ears about the upcoming discussion this week.