To the editor,
Hypocrisy is a funny thing:
So, I laughed as I read the DAR interviews with former Poplar Bluff city managers and mayors. They all seem to be in lock-step with the current mayor Mr. DeGaris in their criticism of a possible plan to relocate city hall and the police department to the Northwest Medical building. Either their memories are short, or they think ours are.
The city complex on 2nd St. was purchased and fully renovated in 1990. Over the next 25 years, while Mr. Lawson and Mr. Bagby were city managers, and Mrs. Absheer and Mr. Edington were on the city council, the building was allowed to deteriorate to the point it cannot be saved without an extremely substantial expense to us taxpayers. The phrase 'penny wise and pound foolish' come to mind...
In Mr. Bagby's final years before an 'incompetent and rogue' city council dismissed him with no good validity, it's my understanding he was entertaining the purchase of the same Northwest Medical Center building that he now describes as unsuitable. I cannot imagine this was done without support and knowledge from the city council, which (again) included Mrs. Absheer and Mr. Edington.
It appears the current locations that city hall and the police department occupy are working fairly well with the exception of paying huge rents with no return, with our tax dollars. Like Mr. Bagby said, "the taxpayers don't want to see an elaborate city hall. They want something functional". And, then the council and city manager maintain it appropriately.
I'm not sure why the city is in such a hurry to spend $8-10 million dollars they apparently don't have. But, if the taxpayers and former city leaders want a city hall located downtown, why has the Black River Coliseum not been considered. I have been told that closing the doors could save the city $750,000.00 minimum, annually. (It costs $120,000.00 per year to heat the pool alone). And, while we're on the subject, the pool was supposed to be designed to host swim team meets, but, was built a couple feet too short for official recognition of swimmers times. This was done under the watch of some of the aforementioned leaders.
Whether or not the new city hall should be downtown, is certainly a debatable question. But, we all know the Coliseum and its location has been a dismal extremely expensive failure. And, now we want to listen to some of the same leaders that had a hand in locating it in a terrible location, again at taxpayer expense.
If we buy, renovate, or build a new city complex it must be done with careful consideration of the best interests of (ALL) Poplar Bluff's residents in mind and keeping the city as a (WHOLE) expanding and growing as it currently is.
It should not be rushed into, and it should NOT cater to the special interests of ANY of the city's former leaders, current businesses or individual wards.
Thank You,
J.R. Smith