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!

Peace, love, and bunnies, y'all!

It’s that time of year again, dear readers, when Copperas Cove’s City Park is transformed into everything bunny, without the bunnies, of course.

It’s Rabbit Fest time, when scads of people come to tear up the park with their feet from now until Sunday and the City of Copperas Cove charges the chamber of commerce nothing for the use of the park, because the Copperas Cove city council doesn’t think the city should.

NEVER MIND that the rest of us commoners

whose children and grownup selves pay for sports leagues, using the pool and the golf course, and IN ADDITION TO THAT we ALL (exceptin’ the chamber of course) have to pay a RESTORATION FEE which will then be going back into the parks to keep them up.

In theory, it’s a good idea.

But here we are again, with the chamber of commerce getting perks that the commoners don’t get. 

Don’t forget, dear readers, that the chamber is a “members-only” business club that businesses must pay dues to in order to belong. 

So I’d love to know what other businesses get to do things in the city for no cost. 

We can go ‘round and ‘round again that businesses in the city see a “boost” from the festival.

Keep yer eyes peeled this weekend, Dear Readers. 

If you see a stranger in these here parts, ask ‘em if they’ve schlepped on over to Copperas Cove for the weekend to go to a carnival and buy whatever MLM business fill in the blank! 

I dare ya! I’d love to hear some real numbers on that because as a reminder, dear readers, sales tax figures DO NOT LIE. 

Our city sees NO sales tax boost because of Rabbit Fest. Sales are reported in the month of May and then are issued to cities two months later. We’ll see this check in July. And every July, we don’t see this massive spike in revenue.

See what I mean here:

It's an old post from last Feb. and you'll need to read/scroll to the sales tax figures:

http://copperascovecurmudgeon.blogspot.com/2018/02/all-hail-fest.html

Think about it while you eat your turkey leg or funnel cake this weekend. 

In other news, City Park made the bigtime with its stanky-leg bathrooms.

You can see it here: 

https://www.kwtx.com/content/news/Copperas-Cove-Parents-frustrated-over-dirty-restrooms-at-park-509885141.html 

Ewww....

And Sorry-Charlie Youngs doesn’t think the city should spend more money on parks…as he said at a council meeting earlier this year.

What’s gonna happen now that Joe Brown has moved on to greener pastures of Killeen? 

Dunno. Hopefully the ball will still keep rollin’.

If it’s not too rainy, I might just schlep on over to the park myself this weekend for a root beer.

The Curmudgeon is not against Rabbit Fest itself. 

Curmudgeon is against special interest, members-

only clubs getting perks that the rest of us do not, and against people ignoring the numbers because they’re so in love with a festival they can’t see the reality. 

Peace, love and bunnies!

Curmudgeon talks Rabbit Fest and “Tourism” Or: We just ain’t a hot spot

Curmudgeon mentioned last week I was working on my Rabbit Fest review, so here ‘tis. I don’t know how long this post will be, so bear with me, dear readers.

It rained at least one morning – Sunday. Not sure if it was a total wash (ha ha ha) because Curmudgeon didn’t attend on Sunday. Or, maybe i did. Wouldn’t be RF without a good downpour.

Oh yes – Curmudgeon did go to Rabbit Fest this year. Curmudgeon has attended many, many times

over the past years. ALL HAIL THE BUNNY!! LET’S USE THE PARK FOR FREEEEEE BECAUSE RABBIT FEST BRINGS SO MUCH DOGGONE MONEY AND BENEFIT INTO COPPERAS COVE!!! WHAT WOULD WE DOOOOO WITHOUT IT????

Sorry, a snark leak. Had to get that out of my system.

Okayyy, now. Curmudgeon has to admit that Thursday’s opening ceremony complete with flags waving, a bit of pomp ‘n circumstance and some Bulldog cowbell, with appreciation shown to the Rabbit Fest founders and committee members was quite fitting.

But if you talk to longtime Cove residents you will hear all about how great “Rabbit Fest used to be.”

Yep, there was a lot more to it. There are reasons, of course, why some of those things went away and not all of the “used to be” things went away for the same reason.

Curmudgeon wonders why the Copperas Cove Chamber of Commerce doesn’t hire a bigger-name draw to the festival. “Back in the day” Rabbit Fest held concerts with headliners like Alan Jackson.

Curmudgeon remembers rumblings in the past by some in cahoots with those in charge that it was “too expensive” to bring bigger draws to the festival and “anyway, it’s about the festival, not the concerts.”

Well, with all that money the chamber is saving by not having to pay the city part of its profits, maybe it can now afford to book some larger gigs.

Okay, I’m laughing right now because according to the city council and chamber reports, the MOST the chamber has had to pay the city in profits was a $5,000 donation last year in 2017.

(I MOVE THAT THE COPPERAS COVE CITY COUNCIL DO AWAY WITH THE RESTORATION FEES. WHY CHARGE RESIDENTS TO “RESTORE” THE PARKS WHEN IT LETS THE COPPERAS COVE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE WELCOME 20,000-PLUS INTO THE PARK TO TEAR IT UP FOR FOUR DAYS – WITHOUT ANY “RESTORATION” FEE???? WHY DOESN’T THE COUNCIL COME UP WITH A RESTORATION FEE OF $5,000 – THAT’S 25 CENTS PER RABBIT FEST ATTENDEE. BECAUSE, DEAR CITY COUNCIL, WHO DO YOU REPRESENT – THE PEOPLE OF COPPERAS COVE AS A WHOLE, OR THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE???!!!)

Which brings me back around to the good old days. Rabbit Fest USED TO contribute to the betterment of the city park. It built the Fester’s House bandstand/stage. It USED TO do a lot of things to help the park. Now it seems that over the past however many years, the chamber stopped giving to the park.

Again, it and the chamber started wanting something for nothing, and the council fell for it again because it worships The Bunny.

Newer readers and older ones who need a refresher can read more about my rantings and curmudgeonly rambles about The Sacred Rabbit Fest here:

Peace, Love, And Bunnies

and 

All Hail the Fest!

and particularly, a pure snark leak of which I am particularly proud:

Bacon Fest

At a future time, Curmudgeon will shine a spotlight on chamber’s finances and its “nonprofit” numbers

Back to the not spending money on a big(ger) name to come to Copperas Cove.

Ummm…you really need to take a good, hard look at what motivates people to attend an event.

So…..What were the big draws to Rabbit Fest this year?

The carnival was the biggest by far. They had a few new rides and some old ones. Either you love it or you hate it, but the carnival is there and it was packed. Curmudgeon heard whining online about how “expensive” everything was at the carnival. Curmudgeon also heard a few vendors disappointed in 2017 that all the crowds were at the carnival and not by them.

This year, lemonade. Lots of vendors had it. Lots of people drank it. The refillable metal collector cups.

Sporting events. I heard some people “complaining” that there were ball games held during RF weekend. Um, don’t you want people to attend? One kid typically brings at least 3-4 people with them to a game. Do the math. It’s a built-in opportunity for making sure you have people coming to the park.

Shopping was meh as far as quantity goes. Curmudgeon didn’t count the vendors but there were not nearly the same number there have been in the past. There were some new vendors Curmudgeon hadn’t seen before with some ACTUAL handcrafted items. That was nice. But the overall offerings seemed limited.

Now, the obvious elephant in the park was the parking. Curmudgeon has schlepped across the park at Rabbit Fest from days gone by, stumbling on rocks and stomping through dust or mud, depending on the year.

The V-shaped parking lot was not finished. It was the location of the disabled parking, which had to be shifted to just beyond the duck pond. This year, it seemed to work. Curmudgeon parked wayyyyyy in the back and it didn’t seem a bigger deal than usual.

But of course, let’s blame the city for the parking not being done. Because, the poor, picked-on chamber who gets to use the park for free because Cove is so benefited by a carnival.

Because that’s what it is…a carnival with a few add-ons.

Methinks the chamber could host a carnival in the fall at another location and still make bank with a lot less effort.

Over and over, Curmudgeon heard, where are all the rabbits? A shame there were no actual rabbits highlighted at the festival itself. Yes, Curmudgeon is aware there was a rabbit show on Saturday morning. A few years ago someone tried to do some rabbit-themed events at the fest itself, but, well...

And the Saturday morning parade? Not very much participation, maybe 25 entries if that? And only one had any kind of decor or embellishment related to The Sacred Bunny. It was the Five Hills Scholarship Pageant Royalty, who had their float decorated with rabbit shapes. Great effort!

Sad, sad level of participation overall, however. Why do other cities have bigger parades? There's no incentive to enter this one other than trying to be a good sport and be supportive. But, Curmudgeon digresses...

Why doesn't the chamber just rename it Cove Fest and be done with it? 

This ain't my Rabbit Fest, y'all. 

Maybe later this week, I’ll talk tourism. Because right now at this moment, neither the chamber nor the city really know what they are doing for effective tourism. Key word: effective.

We just ain’t a hot spot. Sorry, y’all.

Peace, love, and bunnies. 

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Ain’t got no time to sing Kumbaya on Business 190

Curmudgeon has had heartburn this week, since Tuesday night’s city council meeting.

Sometimes, you just want to say:

How what works?

Well, some residents are all up in arms and rage and ready to bring out the pitchforks and torches about the Business 190 project.

Should the council say yes to the city spending $1 million on the design?

Um.

Yah, they kinda already did.

This was discussed and talked about at the August 1, 2017 city council meeting, during which they said “YES” to professional services agreements with BSP Engineering doing the design work, environmental report and contract bidding for the Business 190 median and other projects.

Back then, it was expressed to the council that the method to pay for this $1 million in design for the Business 190 project, would be via the 2018 certificate of obligation bonds. 

I fail to understand why councilman James Pierce Jr. wanted to remove something he had already basically agreed to back in August? 

This is not a cut-and-dried decision, just to put to the voters. That was a horrible idea! Sorry, dude.

WHY SHOULD THIS HAVE COME AS A SURPRISE TO ANYONE ELSE, IF THEY ARE PAYING ATTENTION TO WHAT IS GOING ON IN THIS CITY, INSTEAD OF LISTENING TO THE POT-STIRRING ON SOCIAL MEDIA?

This should be old news IF anyone has been following this saga, instead of the, again, pot-stirring via social media that shows VIDEOS of a MEDIAN with TREES.

Sooooo…the big question Tuesday night – should this $1 million in funding decision go to the voters to decide?

Ummmmm. So it would be at least six months until November, when this could be voted on. And, of course, people are HORRIBLY misinformed on this project to begin with. 

Curmudgeon DOES believe in the voice of the people.

But what do you do when you have a severe lack of understanding among voters, a lack of not wanting to know the facts because they have already made a misinformed judgment and don’t want to hear anything else?

There lies the conundrum.

Curmudgeon has hassled Councilman Jay Manning about having heartburn, so perhaps it is why Curmudgeon had heartburn this week after the meeting.

But Mr. Manning made an EXCELLENT point on Tuesday and I am not so curmudgeonly not to give credit where it is due.

During Tuesday night’s meeting, he basically said, why put the decision to the voters, to expect them to read up on the information when they are not informed and even some of the council members do not understand it, either? This is why they, the council, are elected, to make decisions like that.

Wow. Mark this date on the calendar. Curmudgeon agrees with Mr. Manning.

But residents are missing ONE IMPORTANT THING:

Who “owns” the road that is called Business 190?

The city? The voters?

No way. It belongs to the state of Texas and is maintained by the Texas Department of Transportation.

They pay for improvements, paving, striping, etc., etc. Some of our city streets are part of that road system. Most, aren't. Most that aren't have only seen repairs over the past five years. 

Dear readers, if you want to get torches and pitchforks out, start petitioning the council to GET SOMETHING DONE about our streets. Put your energy toward that.

Over the past years, any road resurfacing that has taken place in this city has taken place on a STATE OWNED AND MAINTAINED ROAD.

The State of Texas is the State of Texas, and the State of Texas will ultimately DO WHAT IT WANTS TO DO with the road that we call Business 190.

No, they’re not trying to hassle us.They're trying to make what will be a very difficult change, a little easier, if that is possible. 

Although for every near miss on Business 190 I see or experience, I say, "PLEASE, put in that median!"

If the State was REALLY trying to be a hassle, the city would not have had meetings after meetings starting as far back as 2015 on this highway project.

The Business 190 project was not an evil plot by the council before Charlie Youngs who said "feelings have changed" with this "new council". I really don't think the state gives two hoots about anyone's feelings about the road.

(Um, since when did we govern by FEELINGS? But then, he's been axe-swinging since his swearing in. But, I digress.) Feelings of individuals themselves can change, especially over time.

The Business 190 project was not an evil plot by She-Who-Shall-Not-Be-Named.

The STATE is doing us a courtesy by letting the city have a hand in the design.  TxDOT has standards, and those standards will be followed, you can be sure.

This isn't a case where we all get warm fuzzies, because, doggone it, Business 190 is OUR ROAD, and how wonderful it is that we can CHOOSE what happens to it. Let's all sing Kumbaya together. Um, no.

Look at all the changes to F.M. 116 north between Cove and Gatesville. Not in city limits, but still a state road that affects a lot of drivers as we have all seen!

Anyhooo, Curmudgeon hears there is a public meeting on May 31 with TxDOT when reps will be in town to discuss the Business 190 project. 

I hope there is good security at that meeting as well as EMS staff on standby for those who faint and experience severe heartburn over the trees, the TREES—Dear Lord, the TREES—that were proposed for the median. No, no trees. 

PLEASE, FOR THE LOVE OF CRAPE MYRTLES, THERE WILL BE NO TREES ON THE MEDIAN. 

I refer the reader to Curmudgeon’s most-read post thus far:

We’re turning into The Woodlands?!

Meanwhile, dear readers, Curmudgeon notices that there have been 10,772 page views of Copperas Cove Curmudgeon Speaks since January.

Wow. Love me, hate me, don’t ignore me.Thanks, gracias, merci, danke.

One more thing: After my Tuesday night snark leak, I notice that the issues with our councilmen and ethics….well, ah. Nothing, nada, after that executive session discussing Marky-E-Marc’s alleged shenanigans. Nada after Dapper Dan’s clear meddling in what was not his to meddle, with corroboration from a third party.But of course Dapper Dan wasn't the subject of discussion, either, although he should have been, shame on him! 

Peace, love, and bunnies, y’all! – It’s almost time for Rabbit Fest! All hail the bunny!

Curmudgeon out. Share with a friend.