City leaders mock state legislature

In case you missed it, the State legislature passed a new law  last year changing the requirement for the management of Municipal Service Districts also known as MSD or BID (Business Improvement District).

For months now, I have been asking the City of Greensboro for criteria and process for the upcoming RFP (Request for Proposal), as I (and others)  intend to submit a proposal for the management and further evolution of Downtown Greensboro.  For months, the city has ignored my requests!

Considering DGI's recent achievements and its current unimaginative management, it should not be too difficult to dethrone ...unless, of course the game is rigged... Selfie Anyone?

According to the UNC school of Government, the first step was for the city to solicit input from residents and property owners.

The city's version of soliciting input from residents was achieved through:

- A lame/one sided survey, and, 

- 2 "drop-in" meetings; a well known way to manipulate data since no one can question a conversation held without an audience or a survey tabulated without transparency. 

I contend that a town hall style meeting would have been more appropriate, more transparent and certainly more democratic.

The second requirement is for the city to solicit proposals from potential suitors...so far, and only three months before DGI' contract expires at the end of June 2016... nothing has been done! No RFP was sent out and better yet, the city is silent on criteria and process. 

According to the UNC school of government, here is the process that needs to take place;

"The following sets out the basic process a unit should follow in creating and implementing the bid process (thanks to Norma for this framework!):

1. Identify criteria for selecting a private entity to perform the needed services in the downtown or urban area MSD. The unit’s governing board is free to select whatever criteria it deems appropriate given the particular needs of the MSD. The unit likely should identify the criteria after obtaining input from residents and property owners about the needs of the district.
2. Publicize that unit is soliciting proposals from private entities to perform the specified services in the downtown or urban area MSD. The announcement or advertisement should specify the criteria that the unit will use to select the winning bid. (Formal bid advertising is not specifically required, but inherent in a bid process is some form of public notice that the unit is seeking proposals.) The unit likely will want to set a deadline for receiving proposals.
3. Evaluate the proposals received. The proposals must be judged based on the criteria established in Step 1 and publicized in Step 2.
4. Select the private entity whose proposal “is best suited to achieve the needs of the service district.” This is a very broad standard of award. The unit may take into consideration cost, but it is not required to make its contract award decision on that basis. Instead, the unit must determine which entity satisfies the criteria specified in Step 1 and is best suited to meet the needs of the district.

I certainly do not believe in the current leadership's willingness to make this a fair fight for all as I witnessed first hand the disgusting and deceptive back door manipulations used to anoint unimaginative drunkass Matheny. 

I also am troubled by the simple fact that such irresponsible behavior is contrary to the greater good of Downtown Greensboro as we are being viewed as wannabes with more money than sense, or taste, or perspectives, or points of reference! 

Thanks to Senator Wade, the fight is not over...

Section 15.16B of S.L. 2015-241 also directs the Legislative Research Commission to study the “feasibility of authorizing property owners within a municipal service district to petition for removal” from the district. 

Another city of Greensboro deception...

As many of you know, the state legislature made it mandatory for municipalities to put the management of  municipal service districts up for  competitive bid.

A common sense approach would be to hold a referendum to see if the downtown property owners. ( which pay the extra tax ) even want to continue with what has been a dismal failure for the past 10 + years... The MSD has been in existence for longer but was actually a positive influence in the beginning.

For the record, our Mayor, Nancy Vaughan has told me that " ...she would never allow the MSD to be abolished, because the city needed the money..." So to appease the state legislature, the city is going through the motions and therefore settting up a" meeting"... A drop in meeting from 4 to 7... A meeting where no one will hear what others are saying, a meeting where the city only the city staff and city attorney will be aware of the "findings"... I call  BULLSHIT...We need a townhall meeting!

But wait there is more, the deviant players also put together an " elaborate survey"... read and laugh, or be sad...very sad!

It is obvious that the city folks have no plans to remove or replace DGI. They have no plans to make Greensboro better because our deceptive leadership likes it the way it is...they like unimaginative Drunkass Zack, because they can control him, and as someone close to him put it..." He can' t fuck things up any more than the other guys..."

In summary, the city will ask for public input but will eventually decide  that a Request For Proposal is not necessary. Sounds familiar?

Good thing that Ms Wade is now working on a process which will make it easier for Downtown property owners to opt out of The MSD. Of course , this is already allowed by law but one would have to sue...