Remarks prepared for February 19, 2019 city council meeting for City Administrator Aaron Burnett:
The city crews have been working diligently plowing and hauling snow through January and February. This has occupied a large amount of time for many departments and has limited the amount of other work that can be accomplished. Winter temperatures also pushed several facilities’ HVAC systems to the limit and several repairs were required. Many of these failures were believed to have occurred because of the historic lows and not because of underlying issues with the systems.
The River City Renaissance Project continues to be a large focus of my efforts. Working with the partners, the arena is getting through design and interior renderings should be available soon. I was hoping to have the predevelopment presentation at this meeting, but we still have a few items to work out on the integration of the skywalk construction and ownership into the hotel construction now that they are some more dependent upon each other. For instance, the hotel elevators act as the elevators for the skywalk on one side. I have been working with Gatehouse and the attorneys to get a determination on this item, but this tweak has pushed the presentation schedule back a bit. On timeframe, I do not believe this will cause any long-term delays because we can still continue to get the development agreement prepared for council consideration.
Housing developments have been an ongoing source of meetings and some discussions with the Park Board. One developer had interest in an area next to Willow Creek that would have required the development of some park land into a public parking lot. This deal was not able to be completed, but this housing developer and other developers continue to look for opportunities for new construction in the City of Mason City. Working with the North Iowa Corridor and Development Services, efforts are continuing to bring a development agreement forward with these parties.
The budget process is nearing completion with the public hearings and approvals of the Capital Improvement Plan and Budget occurring over the next month. This approval will give staff the authorization needed to start preparing items for execution over the next fiscal year. Several projects require engineering work and/or coordination such as the storm water projects, road projects and the water meter replacement project.
Lastly a bit of positive news, the library has completed its needed repairs and is now fully reopened. Programs can be returned to their normal areas and normal operations. The high cost of these repairs will be covered by insurance and we believe the problem is addressed with the repairs made last fall.
Excuse Me? Toyota and Amazon? What on earth would convince you that Mason City was ever in the running for either?
Lets start with Toyota. The San Antonio plant employs 1,850 people. According to published reports, they cannot get enough skilled workers to fill additional jobs. San Antonio has 2 million people living there. Exactly how do you think a small town the size of Mason City (44,000 in the County) could ever fill those jobs if San Antonio is not able to? Be realistic.
San Antonio, Bexar County and the State of Texas put together a $133 million incentive package to lure Toyota. You would be extremely naive to think Mason City could even come close to matching that. Again, be realistic.
Finally! A person on this site that gets it!! Mason City has severe issues with its workforce that makes it very unattractive to many employers. First off, our workforce is old (young people do not stay here after school). Second, our workforce is not well educated (also a function of our young folks leaving). Net effect: we are not well positioned to land growth industries because we do not have the workforce they require.
But would if we start investing in things that make our city more attractive and desirable so that our young folks stick around!!! Eventually we may develop a critical mass of amenities and our demographics will start to shift more favorably aligned with the workforce needs of growth industries.
Or we can continue to listen to geriatric curmudgeons and invest in nothing, thinking the world owes poor old mason city a favor.
when does he have time to work on this, according to the city expenditures he is gone most of the time to training or conferences.
A study should have or should be done by the city council of Mason City. Start the study by counting all of the ice arena’s that have filed for bankruptcy t If you type ice arena’s bankruptcies in to google there is a mile long list of them with a staggering amount of unpaid debt.
Good thing we’re not building a ice arena then! Glad we had the foresight to build a multi purpose arena that already has secured a rent paying tennent for 2/3 of the year!!
There is not one city project ready to be bid not even a portion of a plan! How is it possible to know the over all cost or schedule of any of it with out a detailed plan? A plan is typically any diagram or list of steps with details of timing and resources, used to achieve an objective to do something. The mayor,city council and the chamber of commerce should put these wordstheir not familiar with (PLAN)on flash cards and go through them right after role call .
Nice comment about the library. I went to use the archives one time and had to wait about 5 minutes until the half-wit using the picture scanner would look up and offer to help me. Acted like it was a big bother and acted like she was way to important to help out a patron. And I help pay her salary.
City Administrator works for a paycheck so he really doesn’t care what you think. Robin Andersen, Bill Shickel, Casey Callanan, Pat Wright and the rest of the County & City liars don’t care what you think either!! They are getting paid with your money cause you taxpayers approved it. So you idiots voted for the morons in office – now you have to deal with and get them out instead of just bitching online.
I like the statement “will be cover by insurance”. Last I knew, when you file a claim your premiums go up, so we will pay in the long run. Henkle remodeled the building several years ago and failed to do it properly. Low bid, I guess!!! Then we pay again to have them fix it again. Government has no accountability.
Why on earth does anyone think Mason City needs new housing development? So much of the housing in this area is vacant or underutilized. Figuring out a way to use that surplus is what smart city planning would do.
But there wouldn’t be as much money in it for developers, so that’s that.
I was going to add my two cents but it sound like most folks agree with what I have known for year. The problem with this city (Other than the government) is, was and always will be the Chamber of Commerce that controls the city government. Instead of pouring money into the dead downtown they should spend the money on the rest of the city.
Mason City has very corrupt underpinnings. They always have their anonymous cheerleaders promoting their garbage. Some guy on here is doing their bidding and just another of the Chamber stooges!!!
This anonymous Socialist wants to promote these Public/Private ventures. Socialist/Communists don’t believe in Capitalism and Free Enterprise that promotes competition and low prices.
Then this idiot doesn’t know that it was the Chamber Of Commerce and City Elite that kept Target and many great paying jobs from locating in Mason City over the Decades. A “former councilman” wasn’t around when Ford, IBM, Armour Foods and others from locating in Mason City.
I have been in the “inside” with the “elite” movers and shakers for decades, and you mister don’t know what the hell you are talking about.
Liar, liar, pants on fire. it most certainly was not the city council or chamber of commerce that turned Target distribution away, it was the same group of geriatric curmudgeons that turned away prestage. With Prestage, they promulgated fear about the Mexicans it would bring to town. With Target, it was the truck traffic.
But let’s address what we all know about that target project. Even if we would have had 100% community support for the project, we would never beat out Cedar Falls for the project. Why do you think that is? Hint: acces to qualified workforce. We also never would have been able to put together the incentive package needed to lure a development like that. Your nonsensical ramblings about socialism is evidence that most in this community don’t have the stomach for the incentives large companies know they can get (if mason city won’t do it, lots of other competing cities will).
You just don’t want to face reality. I have belonged to the Chamber since the 70’s. They control everything that goes on. You need to get your head out of your ass!
So it was the chamber of commerce that orchestrated the childish behavior at council meetings when a development agreement was being worked out with Prestage?!?!?!? The chamber of commerce must of had Weaver and his coalition of curmudgeons on retainer to whoop up fear in this community about the mexicans overwhelming our schools and selling the pot on our streets?
Was it the chamber of commerce that made one of our council members waffle last minute on a development agreement with Prestage? A move that showed other large companies (like Hy Vee Distribution) that this city council cannot be trusted to negotiate in good faith and it would be a better use of their time to negotiate with a more professional city council like Austin, MN?
It wasn’t the Mexicans the Chamber was worried about, it was the Somalian’s that would have come here and ruined the area with their muslim culture. The Chamber was working behind the scenes also to kill prestige too. The chamber is cunning! It was a good thing it got killed for sure!!!
We’ve got a socialist police department, a socialist fire department, socialized roads, socialized schools, socialized parks, and socialized sidewalks. Most cities have those things. Are you for abolishing them?
I have no problem with government promoting the public good. However i have a big problem with government promoting the interests of for-profit businesses. In other words no socialism or corporate welfare for them, only for the direct public good.
Hey rambut, don’t you know the difference between “wants and needs”. Police, water, fire, and street departments are “needs”.
Public financing business is spreading the wealth “UP’!!! The middle class gets screwed and the rich get richer with these Socialist public/private ventures bullshit.
You need to educate yourself what Socialism is! Check out Venezuela you fool.
If the Public (Both Local and NON local residents) that exhausted all their efforts to defeat the Prestege Project would have given half those efforts to one of the other projects- Target or the Casino, there could have been different results. This includes a Former Council Member who never once supported the Target or Casino projects openly while on the Council. Instead the City was asked to chase Toyota and maybe now AMAZON!
I don’t trust Mr Burnett, nor do I any other city official. He was hired with the understanding that he MUST get the hockey rink built, at all costs! The SCAM continues and will all end up on the tax payer.
So what happens when both gatehouse, and g8 are suing the city? Whos the next con artist from out of state with a pipe dream and no financial backing? All of city council should feel ashamed. You are all going to be the final nail in this towns coffin. More and more people are moving away just because of this horribly thought out downtown project.
People have been moving out of Mason City since at least 1970 and it isn’t because of a downtown project. It’s because the residents of this city haven’t been willing to incentivize development.
Target Distribution. Casino. Prestage. Hy Vee Distribution. We’ve had our opportunities to grow, but haven’t been willing to make the investment to make it happen.
Here is the diatribe of a Socialist. The worker bees have to pay for development. 90 million in downtown development since the late 70s isn’t enough.
Yep, these liberals always want to spread the wealth of the worker bees up.
You talk like a man with a paper asshole!
People move away because of low wages and lack of opportunity. You could give this 40 million in tax dollars to an “industry” that would create 100s good paying jobs.
You Socialist Commies will all lose in the end!
Hey dummy, A significant part of your $40 M figure is private investment. So we can’t ‘give’ away the private investment dollars you’re proposing to incentivize a employer. A much smaller portion of funding in your $40 M is TIF money. We currently do offer TIF to incentivize development for certain projects.
I do agree with you on this: People move away from here because of low wages and lack of opportunity. We’ve had opportunities to add large employers, but have turned them away at the door. Target Distrubution. Prestige. Casino. Hey Vee Distribution. They all had interest, but geriatric curmudgeons chased them away.
So how did this nonsense get passed if this so called group scared everyone else away? Why would this group be okay with money making scam that does not profit? Plenty of information showing this direction was wrong in more ways than one. Places like this cost money, they don’t make any.
Geezus, this site finds the dumbest of the dumb in North Iowa.
How did the River City Renaissance get passed? Have you forgotten the coalition of geriatric curmudgeons were in fine form when they tried to sink this development by petitioning to require a vote to issue general obligation bonds for the project???? A vote that was ultimately overwhelmingly approved by the general public 🙂
You know what else is ironic about this? When this ‘news’ site whines about the financing for the project being backed by the city….You can thank this very same group of geriatric curmudgeons for this debt strcutre. Because of their petition, the city had to use general obligation bonds which by their VERY NATURE are backed by the full faith and credit of the city.
Why repair the library? As little as it is used, and for what little the staff does (on facebook, balance their checkbook, read, knit on library time in the commons, eat lunch which they are not supposed to do at their desks which they do, and just sit and talk for hours on end) you could downsize the building, downsize the staff, cut a few hours, and save the city a ton of money.
If you read between the lines on the predevelopment agreement the city administrator will be talking about is all a big lie . It comes down to the hotel developer does not have the finance and never will have the finance. Period