It’s no surprise that I opposed Kenner Mayor Mike Yenni’s
2030 Plan to attempt to reinvent Kenner with $42 Million (plus another $17
Million in interest) in borrowed money. Sure Kenner could use a facelift but,
borrowing Millions and tying up Sales Tax Revenue for decades without any
research showing that the 2030 Plan will actually revitalize Kenner and provide
real Economic Development was foolhardy in my opinion.
I was also vehemently opposed to Yenni taking on the largest
debt in Kenner’s history without a vote of the people not to mention that some
parts of Kenner, including some of Kenner’s neediest areas, would be virtually
shut out of the 2030 Plan proceeds.
Case in point: Council District 1, where Kenner was founded.
When the 2030 Plan was announced, I called District 1
Councilman Gregory Carroll since there was little in the then $27 Million in
new projects (which has since ballooned to $37 Million) for District 1. In
fact, the largest line item at over $12 Million would be spent on Williams Blvd.,
which is a State Highway.
I told Councilman Carroll that I would help him organize a
Bake Sale so we could purchase a sign to put at the corner of Williams and
Airline Highway telling travelers from Armstrong Airport that “Rivertown Is
This Way ------>”.
Unfortunately, while I was joking, that would be more than
residents of District 1 would get under Yenni’s plan.
Now, with the bulk of the $12+ Million that was budgeted for Williams Blvd. improvements coming from the State and Federal Governments and the Regional Planning Commission, Yenni
wants to put the screws to District 1 residents again.
Last year, the East Jefferson Levee District announced that
they wanted to consolidate operations in Kenner.
Great, right?
Not if you’re a resident of South Kenner.
To accomplish the move, the EJLD wanted to buy some streets in South Kenner and limit access to historic cemeteries.
After a meeting at the Council Chambers that was filled with
angry Kenner residents and a City Council meeting that brought some residents
to tears and vague assurances that their homes wouldn’t be expropriated by the
EJLD, a compromise was reached between the EJLD and Councilman Carroll – a few
streets would be sold but access to the cemeteries would continue.
But, despite the apparent compromise, the Yenni Administration
still issued a veiled threat to South Kenner residents:
The four-street compromise plan might look good for now. But the other three streets -- Warren, Alton Street and Fourth -- are not permanently off the docket, said Kenner City Planning Director Jay Hebert, who recommended approval of the sale of the other four streets: parts of George Street, Hollandey Street and Centanni Lane between the Mississippi River levee and Jefferson Highway, as well as a long stretch of Worth Street.
"The understanding is that someday down the road, they could meet to discuss those issues further," Hebert said.
Are some of those chickens now coming home to roost in
another Yenni Shakedown of South Kenner residents?
“A Chevy or a Cadillac?”
If I told you that you could have a new Chevrolet or a new
Cadillac, and it wouldn’t cost you anything, chances are that many of you would
chose the Cadillac.
With all due respect to Chevy owners and Car Dealers, it’s
human nature.
When my Grandfather sold the family restaurant and bar and
retired, the first thing that he did was buy a new Cadillac. After working hard
almost every day of his life, he deserved it. He was so proud the first time that
he took me for a ride in it, he was almost bursting.
Now, Mike Yenni (in the form of his “bad cop” alter ego,
Kenner CAO Mike Quigley), is making a similar offer to Kenner – do you want a
“Chevy or a Cadillac” for your new Food Bank?
On the face of it, we all salivate and say “Cadillac,
please”.
But, as with everything that Mike Yenni touches, things
aren’t always what they seem and, like many transactions, you need to read the
fine print.
After putting the proposal for a new Kenner Food Bank out
for bid (remember that the EJLD is taking the land that the current Food Bank
is on and demolishing the building), the lowest bidder was still much higher
than the City expected.
In a letter obtained by ClickJefferson.com, Quigley, while
touting the $25 Million investment that the EJLD is making in Kenner (which, by
the way, the City of Kenner will be receiving ZERO in property taxes – but
let’s skip over that point for a moment), Quigley bemoans the economics of the
new Food Bank:
“A look at the bids shows that all responsive bidders came in much
higher than expected. Members of the Administration, together with the
architect on the project, Meyer Engineers, came up with a number of deductions
that lowered the bid contract amount to $550,965.”
What?
$550,000 for a new Food Bank? And, the original low bid came
in at $652,000!
Like the proverbial “As Seen On TV” huckster that he is in
real life, Quigley says, “Wait – there’s
more!”
In ‘STEP 2 – CHEVY OR
CADILLAC?’ Quigley gives the City Council three options:
“You have a number of options: accept only the $652,000 base bid as is;
accept the $652,000 base bid and approve change Order No. 1 (reducing the
contract amount to $550,965), or accept the base bid (with or without change
Order No. 1) and include up to three alternatives.”
Alternative No. 1 includes a loading dock, an additional
driveway and an overhead door. This will add another $76,650 to the cost. For
those playing at home, we’re either up to $627,615 or $728,650.
Alternative No. 2 includes additional concrete and the
electrical services that are necessary to accommodate a refrigerated storage
area outside of the Food Bank. This will add another $32,890 to the cost so, if
we include Alternative No. 1, we’re up to $660,415 or $761,500.
Alternative No. 3 adds more parking. I mean, after all, the
new Food Bank (with the addition of perishable goods in the new giant outdoor
refrigerator) will serve more Kenner residents, right? The cost of more parking
is only $36,330, so, added to Alternatives 1 and 2 we’re at $696,745 or $797,830.
$700,000 – 800,000
for a new Food Bank because the EJLD wants the land that the current Food Bank
is on (but isn’t giving Kenner the money to build a new Food Bank).
And, that’s before the inevitable Change Orders (just look
at The Jefferson Performing Arts Center’s budget – and it’s still not built).
Did I mention that the current Food Bank (which is in really
bad shape) is only worth $84,000?
Now, to be fair, Alternative Nos. 1 and 2 are required if
the City is to take advantage of a very generous offer from Crossroad Center
for “regular
tractor-trailer loads of food” per Quigley.
In addition, Quigley gushes, “That will ensure that the new Food Bank shelves will be fully
stocked.”
Later in the letter, Quigley makes an even more audacious
claim: “Because of the generosity of Crossroads Center, our new and larger
Food Bank will be fully stocked with food – more so than ever in the past. The
alternates will allow us to handle and distribute that food more efficiently,
ultimately allowing the Kenner Food Bank to serve more members of our
community.”
Quigley didn’t mention it but that also means ending the
need for the phony Mayor’s Prayer Breakfasts that were supposed to raise money
for the Food Bank.
While I, for one, would certainly be happy to end the
hypocrisy of Yenni’s Prayer Breakfasts, it might be cheaper to open a grocery
store, stock it once a week, and give away the products inside.
“Everybody form a single line and the first 100 customers
get to keep everything you can fit into a basket”.
So, if the money isn’t coming from the EJLD (which can’t, by
law, contribute to something that only benefits the residents of one community,
in this case, Kenner), where is the money coming from for a new Food Bank?
Ahh, here’s where it gets really interesting.
Quigley spells it all out in his letter.
By using old money from 2007 CDBG grants that were for land
for the Annie Washington Center, taking money from the 2010 CDBG fund that was
supposed to go to “Neighborhood Revitalization and Rental Housing
Improvements”, and taking more money from the 2013 CDBG fund that was supposed
to go to the “Regular Owner Occupied Rehabilitation Program”, the City can come
up with $179,122.
Now, mind you, most, if not all of this money was intended
to go to low income Kenner residents anyway which are disproportionately in
District 1 – meaning that District 1 residents were supposed to get this money
anyway.
“But wait – there’s
more!” Quigley says.
“Another source of funding would come from the sale of streets to the
EJLD.”
Excuse me?
What about the compromise that the EJLD made with Councilman
Carroll to not purchase more streets in
South Kenner?
Why is the City of Kenner selling ANYTHING to a government
entity that will provide no economic impact or property taxes to the City of
Kenner, but use our roads and streets (the ones that they don’t purchase
anyway) and cause more expense to Kenner taxpayers?
"But wait - there's more!"
After all of his financial machinations, Quigley
miraculously finds a way to get the new Food Bank funded without any of the
Millions hoarded by Yenni or any money from any other District.
“There are two other sources of revenue that could be applied to the
Food Bank. One is the $91,000 received from the sale of Blair Street. The second
is $180,000 from the proceeds of the sale of the Toy Train Museum. That brings
the subtotal to $704,240 – just above the goal of $695,835, and just enough to
pay for the Food Bank and all three alternates, after the cost savings from the
proposed Change Order No. 1 are taken into account.”
And, without touching the 2030 Plan stockpile – imagine
that?
The key takeaway here is that Quigley is spending money that
could and should go to District 1 projects, on a Food Bank that will serve ALL
of Kenner (and more of Kenner, by the way).
Shouldn’t money designated for District 1 go to projects
that benefit District 1 and not a single project that benefits all of Kenner?
Isn’t that what the 2030 Plan money should be for? The City just spent $512,000 renovating the Code Enforcement office and is spending another $1Million on some flower beds on Williams Blvd. leading into the Treasure Chest Casino but
Mayor Yenni can’t find the money for a new Food Bank without shaking down the
residents of South Kenner again and selling more of our city to a government
entity that provides little economic benefit to the city?
District 1, like most of Kenner, has severe drainage and
sewerage issues. The unemployment rate is higher than other Kenner Council
Districts, yet Yenni is putting ZERO Dollars into creating new jobs in South
Kenner or training the under and unemployed.
Rather than spend District 1 money on District 1, Yenni
wants to shakedown District 1 residents for every Nickel. If you live in
District 1, it’s not “Your Money” it’s “Yenni’s Money”.
Other District Councilmen get to spend their dedicated money
on their Districts, often getting even more money from the At-Large Councilmen.
Yet, Yenni and Quigley believe that District 1 Councilman
Carroll should just give the city a blank check and be happy that Kenner is
getting a new Food Bank, whether it’s a Chevy, Cadillac, Hyundai, or
Toyota.
Residents in other Districts would never stand by and let
Yenni scam them time and time again like he does to District 1 residents. From
trying to close the Lincoln Manor Playground to blocking access to cemeteries
housing their departed loved ones, and now using their money for a Food Bank
that gives any deserving Kenner resident food.
I’d say that “I’m shocked” but I think you know my sarcasm
by now.
Before someone writes in and tells me that I’m “bitter” or
“cynical”, the truth is that I think it’s great that Kenner is getting a new
Food Bank and, if we can afford it, a “Cadillac” Food Bank at that.
But it isn’t great that the burden for this “Cadillac” is
being put squarely on the shoulders of District 1 residents when South Kenner
badly needs every available dollar the City can spare and, while the need may
be greater in District 1, the Food Bank serves all Kenner residents, not just
South Kenner residents.
That being said, since the 2030 Plan budget has ballooned
from $29 Million in new projects to $37 Million, and since the State and
Federal Governments (along with the Regional Planning Commission) are paying
for improvements on Williams Blvd., improvements that Yenni sold to the people
of Kenner as a reason for taking on the largest debt in Kenner’s history,
shouldn’t the City shoulder the cost of a ‘Kenner’ Food Bank?
The cynic in me says that this proposal by Yenni and Quigley is about 2 things: taking money from other projects that could benefit District 1 residents and more contracts for Yenni's campaign contributors (who, thanks to Yenni, are all driving Cadillacs and Mercedes and not Chevys by the way).
But, I am smiling that now the proceeds from Yenni’s Prayer
Breakfasts and Sippin’ With Santa can hopefully go to another worthy cause
since the Food Bank will be stocked to the brim.
Perhaps a sign at the corner of Williams and Airline saying,
“Rivertown Is This Way ------>”.
Well, it’s just a
thought…
And, everyone knows how Mike Yenni loves my suggestions.
The Yenni/Quigley “Screw District 1 Residents Plan” will be
voted on at Thursday’s Council Meeting.
