Nashville's Online Source for Daily News
Search Site
Council sets new fairgrounds hearing, ponders work session
After a particularly touchy meeting Tuesday night, the Metro Council resisted the temptation to hold another impromptu public hearing on the future of the fairgrounds, opting to organize a new opportunity for citizens to speak instead.
The new public hearing is set for Jan. 18 during a regularly scheduled council meeting, replacing a previously scheduled Jan. 10 public hearing.
In the end, Tuesday turned into just another strange chapter in the ongoing fight by some to save the 117-acre fairgrounds and racetrack. During the process, one council member questioned the council’s lack of civility in discussing the fairgrounds issue, and is eyeing a special work session to help facilitate some genuine discussion.
Those concerns, and the call for a casual work session on a future Saturday, came from Councilman Mike Jameson, who said he’s sensing “antagonisms and animosities” right now in a way he’s never seen during seven-plus years on the council.
“We are separating into camps,” Jameson told his council colleagues. “We are talking past each other.”
Jameson said he envisions the fairgrounds work session to be a “roundtable discussion that is public, transparent,” allowing council members to sit “in jeans and slacks” to talk respectfully about the issue at hand.
The source of the commotion Tuesday was a bill proposed by the council Budget and Finance Committee chair Megan Barry that would keep the state fair and expo center at the fairgrounds for one more year, but demolish the property’s racetrack to make way for a 40-acre park. The bill, co-sponsored by eight other council members, comes as Mayor Karl Dean pulled back on plans earlier this month to immediately pull the plug on the fairgrounds.
Barry’s bill came before the council Tuesday on the first of three votes. Under normal council procedures, bills on first reading unanimously pass without discussion.
But Councilman Duane Dominy, who supports the preservation of the fairgrounds and racetrack, pulled the bill separately and later called for a surprise public hearing on the issue. It was a tactic the council’s coalition of fairgrounds supporters worked to their advantage just last month.
Dominy’s move prompted At-large Councilman Ronnie Steine, a stickler for adhering to council rules, to pull all bills on first reading, giving the evening an especially unusual feel.
Steine, Barry and others questioned the wisdom of having a surprise public hearing Tuesday night without giving proper notice. “That’s not fair, and it’s not fair to both sides,” Barry said.
Dominy said he would prefer the hearing take place Tuesday, but conceded to the wishes of Councilman Jim Gotto, who asked for a new Jan. 18 hearing. The council established the new hearing by a 37-3 vote.
Ultimately, Barry’s bill cleared first reading by a 34-6 vote, a misleading reflection of the council’s true stance on the ordinance. Most were simply trying to advance the bill to the council’s committee system, allowing the new public hearing to take place.
Karen Bennett, Sam Coleman, Michael Craddock, Duane Dominy, Robert Duvall and Jim Gotto voted against the bill.
Delicious
Digg
StumbleUpon
Newsvine
Facebook
Twitter
Google
Technorati37 Comments on this post:
Mailing list sign-up
1747 Hillmont Dr, Nashville
Price: $0
Bedrooms/Bathrooms: 0/0
3524 Fairmeadows Dr, Nashville
Price: $0
Bedrooms/Bathrooms: 0/0
View More Homes
MOVING the public meeting to January 18 was necessary because:
1) All Council members could not (or would not) attend the special public meeting which had been scheduled for January 10, and
2) the proceedings probably not have been broadcast to the wider audience on an "off" date.
-----
MEGAN BARRY'S bill advocates for destruction of the race track. Then ultimately the rest of the activities held at the Fairgrounds. WHY?
If the real problem is too much noise - DESTRUCTION IS NOT THE ANSWER- NOISE MITIGATION IS. The racing community has offered to take noise mitigation steps & set curfews.
But TRUTHFULLY the Fairgrounds fight IS NOT ABOUT racetrack noise, or being "green", or the Fairgrounds being a financial "drain" on the City. These are trumped-up excuses to close the Fairgrounds (or dismantle it a piece at a time).
The REAL REASON for "redevelopment" is to give DEAN more money for his special projects. Selling the Fairgrounds property is PROBABLY the INNOVATIVE source of revenue DEAN eluded to after his election in 2007. All the mismanagement by the mayor-appointed Fair Board were part of Dean's plan to ruin the Fairgrounds so he could justify "redevelopment". All was premeditated. It's all connected.
-----
SAVE THE FAIRGROUNDS FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS!
MAKE DEAN A 1-TERM MAYOR!
Boy, for the money they're blowing having all these meetings they could've already modernized the damn fairgrounds and hosted a "Come see our new digs" party.
g - You are right on that! Plus, if the fair board & Dean returned all the money they stole, it could also be updated.
Did the mayor and the Fair Board have a FIDUCIARY DUTY to run the Fairgrounds operations honestly and well?
-----
The composition of the Board is suspect & Dean wants to sell the property. And when these started making decisions for the Fairgrounds - revenues started to decrease and expenses started to increase. Not just my opinion - the Markin report said better management was needed.
As Mayor, Karl Dean was uniquely in a position to ruin the Fairgrounds - and he has done so. No need to go into the details about how bad contracts were entered into, good contracts were not entered into, contracts of expo vendors were not renewed (and they were told to go to Wilson or Williamson County), did not adequately maintain structures, overpaid for services, charged the Fairgrounds for the cost of "redevelopment" studies and meetings, allocated Legal and Mayor Dept expenses to the Fairgrounds (most likely related to shutting down the Fair), not advertising operations there, etc... but there is no need for me to elaborate since I am sure you are hearing about these from others.
During the Fairgrounds "redevelopment" discussion period SEVERAL times DEAN has "stacked the deck" to guarantee outcomes:
Example 1: STACKING THE DECK - THE FAIR BOARD.
The FB members do not have the kind of experience necessary to run a facility like the Fairgrounds. They are appointees who "rubber stamp" whatever Dean/Riebeling tell them to do. They are too closely connected to Dean or the Convention Center to manage the Fairgrounds property honestly (it's all connected):
a. James Weaver, the CBL Lobbyist
b. Katy Varney, partner in McNeely, Piggot & Fox - Dean's PR firm of choice (and lets not forget that Riebeling and Mike Piggot have a previous relationship - having worked together at the Banner a few years ago)
c. Charles Sueing, insuranceman - Is he related to someone named Marie Sueing - who is the Convention Sales Manager at Nashville Convention & Visitors Bureau? I don't know - but Sueing is not so common a name.
d. Ned Horton, a Realtor - possibly someone who stands to benefit from "redevelopment" or related to the convention center?
e. Alex Joyce, couldn't find anything about him online yet - but i'm still looking.
Example 2: STACKING THE DECK - The "Fairgrounds Task Force"
Last Summer's "Fairgrounds Task Force" was composed of almost all "pro-development" members - so there was NO OBJECTIVITY. It even included Keith Moorman of SNAP (whose wife works for Bone McAllister and Norton, Charles Robert Bone did all the pre convention center legal work for the city and now does all the legal for the authority). Again, it's all connected.
-----
If the answer is yes, and the Fair Board had a fiduciary responsibility to the Fairgrounds, are they ACCOUNTABLE if it "fails"?
And in the case of DEAN, should he benefit if it fails?
Maybe the Fairgrounds should be put into a trust - so it will be safe from bad (current and future) public servants?
Just asking...
-----
SAVE THE FAIRGROUNDS FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS!
MAKE DEAN A 1-TERM MAYOR!
Get rid of the fair, the fairgrounds, and the racetrack. There are maybe 200 people in a city of 500,000 that care about any of the three.
Floyd2 - Try reading the news and try to get out more!
To MaMOM:
As usual, you have given an excellent assessment of the situation, and I agree with all of your opinions and comments. Thank you for sharing your obviously extensive research and knowledge.
To Floyd2:
You are terribly mistaken and out of touch. I am blessed to have a lot of friends and aquaintances representing a wide range of socio-economic backgrounds, and the vast majority of them (at least 95%) want the Fairground and ALL its traditional activities to continue, and do not support the mayor's redevelopment plans.
We need to MAKE DEAN A ONE TERM MAYOR.
Nashville should get out of the racetrack business, demolish it and put in a park that everyone can enjoy, not just the very small handfull of folks in the stands on raceday. Sorry your subsidized hobby is nearing its end. Lucky for you you have the racetrack at Gladeville. Go support that!
orangey- the Fairgrounds or Racetrack has not been given 1 dime of tax payers money unlike the parks in Nashville. So I would be more incline to demolish all the parks and build more Fairgrounds and Racetracks..... At least they self sustain them self.
If we are going to eliminate subsidized hobbies such as racing, let's end the taxpayer subsidy for all hobbies: Predators, Titans, Sounds, etc
3 points for Kosh III and Inglewooflife
0 for orangey
I saw who was there...standing outside of chambers. The majority of them don't even live in our county. Start charging all participants major user fees, then see how much "support" from these turkeys you can muster. They're getting a free ride.
girliegirl- That is why it is called a State Fairgrounds. It is here for everyone in the state to use. And so you know most participants spend anywhere from $1000.00 to $50,000 to build the cars and most of the money is spent right here in Nashville. Plus they pay to enter the races and we pay to watch them so the user fees are covered. No free ride here...
I must agree this has little to do with racetracks and noise and everything to do with expanding the tax base. I, as a child, spent many fun days and nights at the fairgrounds and particularly Fair Park. Some will remember a time when being a kid was fun-not the survival mode it is now.
I really can't see any advantage in keeping this very old structure as some kind of memento of past times. Kids today have little interest in outdoor amusement park and racing at the speedway makes little sense if the stands are not full. Times have simply changed-as for the better or worse is an open discussion-and I can't really see any future as a tax source.
You will recall that our Mayor's first order of business was to refinance the city's debt and send the future generation 60 million in interest to pay. Expanding the tax base is important to the future of the city. However, some soultion or compromise could still be worked out.
sp
spooky24 - What most people don't understand is that the Fairgrounds and Racetrack does generate tax dollars and has sustained itself for all these years.
We have others venues such as Municipal Auditorium, Farmers Market that metro has subsidized for years.
So why are we not tearing them down and building something that will generate tax dollars?
Also the Racetrack had a average of 7000 people in attendance this year and the Nashville Sounds only average 3000.
So to me this is a no-brainer let's invest in the Fairgrounds and make it the best Fairgrounds in the country.
@MaMom -- answering your question, under the laws of Tennessee, the Fair Board of Commissioners do, in fact, have a fiduciary duty to administer the Fairgrounds in accordance with the provisions of the Metro Charter and Act 515 of the Legislature.
and you can get a bit more information on Fair Board members at this website:http://fairgroundsheritage.org/index.php?p=dk
but just in a nutshell:
James Weaver is a professional lobbyist and an attorney specializing in real estate development. He is employed by Waller, Lansden, Dortch & Davis, who also represent a company called Wedgewood Partners- who presented a proposal to the Fair Board for "redevelopment" of the Fairgrounds into a "mixed use" development. See the list of his other clients at the website above.
Katy Varney was also one of Dean's campaign workers, and is married to former lobbyist and current Tennessee Finance Director Dave Goetz.
Charles Sueing, other than the insurance business, is also a director of the Nashville Chamber of Commerce, sometimes known as the "Dean Cheerleaders."
Ned Horton, other than being in the real estate business, also owns a web design firm that did the mayor's website.....
Alex Joyce appears to be independently wealthy and keeps a pretty low profile, but he has been on the Fair Board for many years, having previously served as chairman, and is the only Commissioner to have no apparent prior connection to Dean or Reibling.
Don't Drink The Karl-Aid!
girliegirl said - "I saw who was there...standing outside of chambers. The majority of them don't even live in our county."
what? you went around and took attendance? You somehow know each of the several hundred people in attendance? You know *everyone* in davidson county and just didn't recognize anyone?
Please try to make arguments based on fact, not you own fantasy.
girlie - Sounds like you are too high nose for the Fairgrounds, you have stated you can't walk and unless you can park at the entrance, you can't find a parking space. Maybe next time you can hire a limo and have the driver drop you at an elite location.
In response to orangey's comment that the racetrack should be torn down a a park built that EVERYONE can enjoy.......
The only people who will benefit from a park on this site is the people in this neighborhood, less than the number of paid attendees at the track. I am all for parks, but frankly I would not drive across town to walk/play in one, so I see absolutely no benefit to ME. Besides, I would not let my kids play on dirt/grass that had been saturated with motor oil, gasoline, transmission fluid, brake fluid and who-knows-what-else for decades. If the racetrack goes, the best use for the land is a paved parking lot. I'm just sayin'.....
fair_minded - I found that girlie, standing outside the chamber and knew where each & everyone was from, hard to believe, also. In fact, just plain untrue!
Why can't this issue be put to public vote , like the Titans' move to Nashville was ?
gohomenow on 12/22/10 at 7:33
Why can't this issue be put to public vote , like the Titans' move to Nashville was ?
Because the group organized to bring the Titans to town was funded and controlled by Mayor Bredesen.
It was also the very same people that ran and staffed his Mayoral Campaign, and both campaigns for Governor for Phi.
By: girliegirl on 12/22/10 at 10:44
I saw who was there...standing outside of chambers. The majority of them don't even live in our county. Start charging all participants major user fees, then see how much "support" from these turkeys you can muster. They're getting a free ride.
So people from out of county are not welcome in Nashville ?
Isn't that the purpose of the MCC, I mean to bring people from out of county to Nashville ?
You do realize NRA members read this stuff about how welcoming a town Nashville is ?
I guess that Billion dollar hole in the ground downtown is just that.....
As old DW once said....You wanted it,I hope you choke on it.
Shane Smiley
MaMom, Thank you for all of your hard work and diligent research.
I hope one and all have a Merry Christmas!
Shane
Delays, promises, study, teardown this, leave that for yr or ?,
the Mayor has no other agenda or plan other than to get rid of
it all either before or now more likely after the Aug. election!
Kosh, professional sports are hardly a hobby and generate a helluva lot more revenue for the city than the decrepid race track.
Guys, Your wasting your time arguing facts with the same 3 people here who are clueless.
It's just like the Council Meeting. While there were over 500 people in support of the track united as one.
There were 3 guys in the hall opposed.
That's all you need to know.
RACES ARE PROFITABLE. Happy race fans are like other sports fans - they spend money. Only 5 races were held this year because of limitations imposed by Dean etal.
-----
COMPROMISE AND REASONABILITY are needed in the Fairgrounds discussion. If the Fairgrounds are not profitable enough, what are the options?
1) The Markin report (which was done for Metro) said better management was needed. Take out meddling by the Mayor etal, bring in professional management & create better governance.Then if it fails, discuss other options.
2) Let Nashvillians vote on whether they want Fairgrounds "redevelopment" (i.e. destroy/sell),
3) Dean's plan to destroy and dismantle the Fairgrounds asap.
VOTING ON THE MEASURE or BETTER MANAGEMENT/PROBATION are the 2 most CONSERVATIVE courses of action. These require less risk - and afford the chance of rehabilitating the property for future Nashvillians.
That way Nashville does not have to GAMBLE whether Dean's "redevelopment" revenue projections are valid.
Everyone in the business community does not believe Dean's rosy revenue projections about Fairgrounds "redevelopment". Some in the local Real estate community are starting to voice their doubts about Dean's Fairgrounds "redevelopment" plans - I believe the Nashvilleclatterclass and enclave websites have links to these articles.
-----
The Fairgrounds - which cost the taxpayers nothing - should not be destroyed because Dean/Riebeling want to cash it out.
SAVE THE FAIRGROUNDS!
MAKE DEAN A 1-TERM MAYOR!
racer84,
I know you're right about these 3 people (who are clueless/who willingly subrogate their judgment to their "betters"/who always do what they are told/who know it all before they research).
But i'm hoping some reasonable, objective people out there are reading what we are writing.
Happy Holidays to you and yours!
I just don't get with Nashville financial situation why Dean and others are so hell bent to plow under revenue sources from races and events with nothing in site to replace the revenue. You have direct revenue from sales taxes collected from the various events, indirect revenue from both sales and hotel rooms generated by out-of-town visitors resulting from events held at the Fairground facilities in addition to jobs created by having the Fairgrounds. I know as a kid I worked concessions at the race track, old coliseum and Women's Building and State Fair.
Some of the unhatched plans includes building a library, city park and community center! Where are the funds coming from for these problems much less funds to staff and maintain these additional city facilities when there is not enough funding to staff existing city libraries and community centers and maintain city parks?
As a youngster growing up in East Nashville listening to the roar of race cars at the old track in the early 1950's if I had an issue with that noise I would have not bought a house near the current race track location.
My point about the noise issue is, those bothered by the noise should have not bought house nearby. The track has been at this location for nearly 60 years and most if not all who lived nearby in the 1950's when it was moved to this location have passed on. So those who are now complaining about the rack track noise
have chosen to live by a race track just like as those who have chosen to live near rail road tracks, interstate highways and airports.
Why should taxpayers and/or those who attend events, profit from the events or have jobs as a result of the Fairgrounds throw the baby out with the bath water due to poor choices made by others and politicians who don't have an interest in racing, fairs, flea markets or other below their social calendar events.
I bet if art exhibits were held the fair grounds and/or Nashville Symphony had outdoor concerts there Mayor Dean would have brought up bulldozing the fair grounds no matter how much neighbors complained about the Nashville Symphony.
As for private development for the property lets go back to the Metro Center Fountain Square (AKA as the Mistake by the Lake) that today is a virtual ghost town generating zero sales tax revenue, jobs and reduced property tax income that most likely doesn't cover the cost of city services.
Both are very similar outside of the fact that Fountain Square did not kill off a preexisting job or tax base. It died due to flooding, crime and location that includes being nowhere near target retail/ restaurant demographics issues similar to that of the Fair Grounds. Because of the issues that killed Fountain Square phase III, apartments and condo's targeted for those working in Metro Center office complexes and Fountain Square faded away.
So if Dean gets his way to hire contractors with taxpayer money to bulldoze city revenue and jobs under for his Field of Dreams then those supporting his half baked plan be prepared to pay higher taxes and/or go with less services.
Remember this is the same guy who stated downtown Nashville would not flood last May!
TO FLOYD 2; You obviously don't have any concept as to how important this is and you obviously are just speaking for yourself, NOT everybody thinks as you do because the number of people who have intelligence is more than YOU!!! The last time the city put an issue to the vote, it was a serious JOKE!! The issue of building the new convention center was already decided BEFORE the public voted "NO". See what that got us? It's getting us a new convention center INSPITE of the "NO" vote by "WE THE PEOPLE!"
voice of nashvie that karl dean refuses to hear
KEEP THE FAIRGROUNDS AND RACETRACK , GET RID OF KARL DEAN AND HIS TRAINED PUPPETS
I still say this is similar to National Health Care. Most people want to keep the Fairgrounds and track, just as it is.
It's all about putting money in a very few peoples pockets. Dean is ignoring what the people want. I live near the airport, and I'm sure there is twice as much noise at my house than there is near the fairgrounds. I would love for the planes to stop landing and taking off over my house, but I'm not stupid. The airport was here when I bought my house, so I'm not going to whine about it.
Not just because of the fairgrounds bull, but many other things combined, have made me understand that Karl Dean is a POS. He also has a few POS's working for him.
By the way. If the council hadn't broken off into camps over this matter, I would be surprised. When you have so many people wanting to keep things as they are and a very few people cramming something down there throats, some council people better be up in arms.
I really have no opinion either way. The dialogue is interesting as it seems many just want to oppose anything the Fuhrer does. Excuse me I meant Mayor Dean. No one seems to understand-or remember-that this city if functioning on borrowed money that, under the terms of the refinancing, will absolutely strangle the city in about a decade. Refinancing is fine-as long as you have a constant stream of money-to keep the interest payments made. The Mayor used the media(particularly the Tennessean) to down play the significance of these huge loans. As I can remember the headlines said something to the effect-"refinancing saves Metro budget-for now". Also, I'm sure someone on the Mayor's staff has shown him a map of the number of registered voters in the Fairgrounds area-based on that he made his decision.
Don't get me wrong having a Mayor with dictatorial powers is not necessarily a bad thing. He has proven that he can get things done-without the normal political trifling on trivial matters.
Does anyone else remember that ride at fair park called "Mad Mouse". We all loved that ride, it was the favorite one of all.
sp
Dean just tells a select few of goonies, "this is what I want, now get it done". By hook, crook or any rough shod method it takes. Just get it done!