Pot stirring, the Five Hills Pageant, and the BAM club

Curmudgeon brought up pot-stirring in the previous post on Saturday. 

What, pray tell, is pot-stirring?

According to the urban dictionary (not Webster), it is:

“one who causes unrest; one who stirs the pot.”

A pot-stirrer is “Someone who loves to proliferate the tension and drama between two or more feuding people/groups in public to get a raise of people in hopes of starting a ****storm of drama and uncomfortable conflict, sometimes for personal gain but oftentimes just for the thrill of confrontation.”

Curmudgeon noted a recent news article, which in Curmudgeon’s opinion, serves no other point than to stir the proverbial pot.

Curmudgeon refers the reader to this article which appeared in print and online:

As Five Hills royalty represent Cove, taxpayers cover some expenses

The article basically calls into question the $20,000 expense of the Five Hills pageant float and goes into the years’ long saga to make the float a reality for the pageant, which ended up “under” the Parks & Recreation Department after the pageant essentially got the boot from the chamber right before the 2017 pageant.

According to the article, the rub ‘n chafe is:

The City of Copperas Cove paid for the pageant float - $20,000.

The City of Copperas Cove pays for the annual insurance for the float - $276.

The City of Copperas Cove didn’t charge the pageant to use the Civic Center this year - $1,000 savings for the pageant.

After hashing over the pageant’s history and what the winners do in the community, the article goes for the jugular with:

“The city, however, is facing the need to issue nearly $10 million in certificates of obligation for capital outlay and capital improvement projects, and citizens often complain during City Council meetings about the state of city streets, asking that taxpayer funds to be made available to pay for vital infrastructure concerns.”

Therefore, the article's point is, ergo:

Because the City of Copperas Cove, via the council’s authorization, paid $20,000 for the float, and because Joe Brown of Parks & Recreation both authorized the paying of insurance for the float along with the waiving of the fee for the civic center, the city can’t fix its streets.

Um…

This is only pot-stirring at its very finest.

Curmudgeon believes the thinking reader and discerning citizen will not accept this silliness at face value and take a look at MORE history and FACTS that would change a pot stirrer’s opinion on "spending on the pageant."

Such as:

Curmudgeon would remind the reader of what happened at the May 16, 2017 meeting, when the council and city administration were discussing the new IT building, which was paid for by BONDS (see above quote) , the same kind of BONDS as the $10 million above, mentioned in the news article.

Here is something from the minutes of that very meeting:

“Ms. Andrea Gardner, City Manager, presented to City Council two drawing options for a new dais and quotes that include laminate and granite surface tops.  A new dais with a winged design and a laminate counter top was quoted at $19,511.50; the same design with a solid granite counter top would cost an additional $3,088.50.  A new dais with a curved design was quoted at $24,479.63 with a laminate counter top.  The cost to have a solid granite counter top would also increase (bold from Curmudgeon) the cost an additional $3,088.50.  After discussions, Council Member Yancey made a motion to accept the bid for the drawing representing the winged design (first drawing in packet) with the additional cost of $3,088.50 for a solid granite counter top.  Council Member Lack seconded the motion and with a unanimous vote, motion carried.”

Guess which dais the council approved?????

Yeppers! Ding-ding-ding – winner, winner, chicken-dinner! You, dear reader, read it correctly.  

The Copperas Cove city council spent $3,088.50 for the solid granite countertop, with Councilman (Dapper) Dan making the motion. Almost $3,100 EXTRA FOR A TAXPAYER-BOND-FUNDED PROJECT.

Go granite, or go home, Curmudgeon always says! (Oops, sorry, snark leak.)

So, why was it OKAY in 2017 for the council to spend $3,088.50 MORE for a BRAND SPANKIN’ NEW granite dais instead of a less expensive, laminate dais? – again, paid for by TAXPAYER BONDS?

Taxpayers paid for granite instead of laminate, y'all!

Does this bother the reader to the extent that it has bothered some in the community about paying for the pageant float?

Should it bother the reader?

I am SURE there are OTHER TAXPAYER-BOND-FUNDED GENERAL FUND EXPENSES approved by the council that add up to WAY more than $20,000, approved by the council. 

If you don’t believe me about the added-on, UPGRADED GRANITE DAIS the council approved, go check the city of Copperas Cove’s meeting minutes and watch the video for that date. 

It is there, plain as day.

I remind the reader of this, in the event that some pot-stirrer approaches the Copperas Cove city council with this tidbit of information regarding the above news pot-stirring article about the pageant float and expenses.
 

Since it worked for the Copperas Cove Chamber of Commerce, the Five Hills Scholarship pageant director might do well to REMIND THE CITY COUNCIL of the FINANCIAL BENEFITS and MORE that the pageant has brought into the city.

Curmudgeon has seen the pageant people on Facebook, here, there, and everywhere over the past more than four years. Turn around, and there's a crown! 

These FINANCIAL BENEFITS from the pageant titleholders have helped the Copperas Cove Animal Shelter in the form of cash donations and supplies for more than two years.

CURMUDGEON WOULD VENTURE A REALLY GOOD GUESS THAT THE DIRECT FINANCIAL BENEFIT FROM THE PAGEANT TO THE CITY IS MORE THAN $20,000. 

So, instead of getting yer knickers in a twist over the $20,000, take a deep breath.

So, maybe the dear reader and some of the dear city council do not like the pageant and what it does. 

Curmudgeon reminds the dear readers and you, dear city council, that the pageant volunteers have helped raise these donations which have SAVED THE CITY MONEY in probably more than a few areas.

For example:

One of the young misses, according to a news article published by the same news outlet that also published the bit of pot-stirring verbiage in the link above, received $3,000 from the Fort Hood Thrift Store for Copperas Cove Animal Control.

OH! And this same young lady wants to raise funds to BUILD A DOG PARK FOR COPPERAS COVE. Something the council said two years ago the city can't afford to do on its own.

OH! this is the same Animal Shelter with the potential $7 million bond issue that is worrying property owners right now.

OH! One royalty lady raised funds for SENSORY PLAYGROUND EQUIPMENT for special needs children to enjoy at COPPERAS COVE CITY PARK like other children can. How many thousands of dollars is that equipment costing, and how much did the pageant winner raise so the CITY’S parks and recreation department doesn’t have to? OH, she, too received $1,000 from the same thrift store.

I'm thinking just with the Animal Shelter fundraising and supplies, adding on the $4,000 in monetary donations from the thrift store given to the pageant winners FOR the city, and adding on some other things, we're well over $10,000 and Curmudgeon hasn't done the research for the rest of the money.  

I'd say the pageant has more than EARNED the float they ride on and will represent Copperas Cove on all over Texas. About time we get some good news ambassadors instead of being a laughingstock over our EDC mish-mosh and chamber drama, etc.

It sounds to me like this bit of pot-stirring wants to stir up the B.A.M. (*ITCH AND MOAN) Club to start trouble and play on people’s outrage and worry.

Yes, people should be worried about tax increases. Curmudgeon pays property taxes too.

But, y’all don’t unfairly single out something to cause controversy – such as the float and other expenses and IGNORE the other things the council has approved for taxpayer-paid bond funding, etc.

Since we’re keeping track of the $$, again, Mrs. Sledd the pageant director would do well to add up the DIRECT FINANCIAL BENEFIT the city has derived from the pageant and present her records to the council, one meeting, during open forum. Curmudgeon has already given her a head start.

HEY! AGAIN, IT WORKED FOR THE COPPERAS COVE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE!! They get to use all of City Park for FREE during Rabbit Fest because they bring so much to the city, allegedly. Gobs and gobs of money y’all.

I bet Mrs. Sledd has plenty of records for what her band of tiara’ed volunteers have done since 2014, plenty of records to show the council what the pageant has done for the city. 

FINANCIALLY, AND OTHERWISE.

Keep calm and wear that crown!

Whether the council needs to author a special resolution or ordinance or SOMETHING to permit said waiver of fees and payment of insurance, or whatever, for the pageant as it does for the chamber, this is not a solution-less issue, especially if, like the COPPERAS COVE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, the FIVE HILLS SCHOLARSHIP PAGEANT shows the Copperas Cove city council AND the city itself the FINANCES of what it brings to the city. 

I'd like to say to some of the naysayers -
How have YOU helped your city other than being a member of the BAM CLUB? 

Peace, love, bunnies and tiaras, y’all!

Curmudgeon out.

Déjà vu all over again (Copperas Cove Civic Center Heartburn)

Here we go again.

The Civic Center rental fees and any issues thereof will be looked at by the Copperas Cove City Council on Tuesday night. We shall see what happens with this.

Here is information provided by the city about how much the Civic Center has been rented over the past four fiscal years and the current status for this fiscal year (2017-2018). This document is attached to the meeting agenda for Tuesday.

At the March 6 meeting, Councilman Jay Manning expressed what he saw as the ultimate tragedy of the city’s facilities seeing less revenue over the past couple of years, as he ASSUMED, from the increased rates of the civic center.

He did NOT quote fees from civic center rentals, as one local publication claimed. NOPE. The numbers he quoted were for CITY FACILITIES as a whole. NOT just the civic center.

Mr. Manning was piecing together an ASSUME-PTION. Yes. ASSUME-ing.

Take a look at the figures again. Civic Center Rental has NOT gone down drastically. 

Or has it? 

It's gone down, some. But is the reason because of the rates? 

Or is it because the facilities themselves don't compare well to other places? 

Is it because the parking isn't that great? 

Look at the graphic again. If you click on it, it will get bigger.

So there you have it. I wonder if the council GOBC (Good Old Boys Club) members will have the Copperas Cove Chamber of Commerce reps there, again, staged, to make their plea without making a plea for cheaper rates.

Things that make you go hmmmmm…

(B’ware the walking quorum, y’all.)

#idontunderstand #again

Next up – again – is the “more information” that councilman Jay Manning wanted about the proposed agreement that Deputy Fire Chief Gary Young NEVER EVEN HAD THE CHANCE TO TALK ABOUT because Mr. Manning wanted to postpone the discussion because he needed “more information.”

I won’t repeat myself – aw shoot, yes I will. Never mind that DC Young had a company rep with them plus information in a presentation along with the agreement details. Is anyone else in Copperas Cove other than me and (I’m guessing) DC Young embarrassed at this action?

Here is the last post to refresh your memory of why Mr. Manning’s request was so baffling at the last meeting.

Show me the money - oh wait, nevermind 

Anyhoo, HERE is apparently what Mr. Manning wanted to know:

Does EMSMC perform this service?

No. EMSMC is responsible for claims submissions, denials, and appeals from the initial patient care report. Reimbursements from the insurance payers and self-payers are paid to EMSMC and are in-turn sent to the City minus their fee for service. (Curmudgeon here: EMSMC is short for Emergency Medical Service Management & Consultants, the company that handles the process of recovering funds from Medicaid or self-pay patients.) 

Is there a collection agency and do they perform this service?

There is a collection agency that handles the portion of the EMS bill that insurance companies do not pay or payments that are received from self-payers that the patient is still responsible for. Balances not received are eventually written-off as bad debt. It is this written-off portion that Change Healthcare Technology applies for reimbursement of a portion of this bad debt from the Texas Department of State Health Services. Neither EMSMC nor the collection agency is able to perform this specialized task within the scope of their responsibilities.

What is the anticipated revenue for this program?*

Due to the fluctuation in claims payments, it is difficult to forecast an accurate dollar amount. However, based on trends in collections from EMSMC and the amount of bad debt remaining, the City is anticipating approximately $131,000.00 the first year of the program and approximately $225,000.00 annually in the following years.

What is the set-up fee?*

There is an initial set-up fee payable to Change Healthcare Technology in the amount of $5,500.00. This fee has been budgeted from the Fire Department’s Operations budget.

Curmudgeon here again. (The above was copied AND pasted directly from the agenda for the meeting.)

Okeydokey, so the first two questions must to be follow-up questions from Mr. Manning. 

Um, so WHY didn’t he ask them during the meeting? 

Why did he feel he had to wait, or want the entire council to wait? 

WHY didn’t other council members ask, “WHY DO WE HAVE TO POSTPONE THIS? WE HAVE A COMPANY REPRESENTATIVE RIGHT HERE?” Nope, all except save two (Mr. Morris and Mr. Pierce) voted in favor of  postponing this.

I am wondering if Mr. Coyle with the company will be there again. (Embarrassing, again.)

*The last two questions were answered during the March 6 meeting, but given that the fire chief is being thorough, the answers are spelled out again for Mr. Manning’s convenience and information.

Curmudgeon will watch and see. 

If you did not know, the meetings are live on the city channel on Spectrum. 

OR there is a very convenient replay available on the city’s website.

Thanks for reading. Subscribe with your email and you can read it FIRST before you see it on Facebook. Love it, hate it, question it. 

Peace, love, and bunnies, y'all.

Watch for another Déjà vu post again – this one, about the Copperas Cove Economic Development Corporation.