M P R B Wirth Park Agreement For Nordic Ski Foundation / Met Council $1.7m Windfall
The following commentary, which relates to items on the MPRB agenda for September 7, 2011, was posted at http://forums.e-democracy.org/groups/mpls/messages/topics.html by Bradley T. Conley, Loring Park resident, on September 2, 2011:
MPRB WIRTH PARK AGREEMENT FOR NORDIC SKI FOUNDATION/MET COUNCIL $1.7M WINDFALL
-- Attachment links are at the end --
On the MPRB agenda for 09/07/11 there are two pieces of note concerning Theodore Wirth Park. The first is the five-year independent contractor agreement with City of Lakes Nordic Ski Foundation to assume all winter ski operations including trail development(expansion, bridges, etc.). I've attached the agreement below.
It begins with a heartwarming story of how Wirth Winter Program was saved by the chivalric Nordic Ski Foundation who have invested $281,000 since 2008, including $19,000 refurbishing the Manager's Apartment given them for office space, so let's just say $262,000. Compare this with what has transpired in Loring Park where Citizens for a Loring Park Community, Friends of Loring Park, and other institutions invested over $7,000,000.00 over fifteen years, averaging $467,000.00 every year. Yet nowhere in any of the discussion around Downtown Parks Alliance has there been any recognition of these bodies as possible entities to help remedy the park, just a lot of "the community can't do it." The past proves otherwise. I won't get into how the Wirth CAC was formed, who is in it, who is in charge of it, or any of that juicy stuff - I know there are some others that want to spend some time on it though.
There is no real discussion of labor in the agreement except the following:
"Upon prior approval by the MPRB, the Contractor may substitute other persons to perform the services. If substitution is permitted by the MPRB, the Contractor shall furnish information to the person signing this Agreement to allow proper review of the qualifications of the substituted person. No assignment of this Agreement shall be permitted without the written amendment signed by the MPRB and the Contractor."
Also pretty vague is the following:
"No amendments may be made to this Agreement after signing by the parties, except for extensions of time, increases in compensation or increases or reduction of the services to be performed so long as the limit of $50,000 is not exceeded. If that amount is to exceed $50,000, the Mayor and the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board must approve the amendment by formal Board action."
As far as the money goes:
"Contractor shall be compensated at rate of 25% increase over the previous winter seasons Net Revenue derived from all cross country ski operations, including season and daily pass sales, cross country ski equipment rentals and cross country instructional revenues."
- "Net Revenues for this agreement shall mean total revenues derived from the sale of season and daily cross country ski passes, cross country ski equipment rentals and cross country ski instructional revenues, less sales and usage taxes and any fees associated with on-line registrations paid by the MPRB to facilitate sales made via the internet."
-"The winter season for this agreement shall generally be the time frame that falls between the months of November 1, through March 31."
*****(Withdrawn)Office space will be provided by the MPRB to the Contractor to perform the services under this Agreement*****
-"The total compensation under this Agreement shall not exceed $25,000.00 per year. Contractor shall submit itemized invoices for services rendered."
No talk of funding levels for the park in the agreement, unlike what we've seen in Loring Park. This leads to the other matter on the agenda, the $1,700,000.00 windfall from Met Council. According to the agenda it is recommended that the ENTIRE amount go to Theodore Wirth Park (I have attached that file as well). This might have something to do with NSF/Winter Programs or it might have something to do with Ebert Construction, whose original $1.7 M contract is now over $2.1 M(this includes yet-voted-upon $38,951 Change Order 4), and yet another attached file.
I'm beginning to trust that folks on this forum are more than able to bring to light their own thought, questions, concerns, and act upon them accordingly.
Peace,
Brad Conley
Loring Park
Minneapolis Issues Forum now contains the following files or photos:
http://forums.e-democracy.org/r/file/1848-2011-09-02T013154Z Name: Wirth Change Order 4.pdf Type: application/pdf Size: 285KB
http://forums.e-democracy.org/r/file/1849-2011-09-02T013155Z Name: MPRB 2011 Met Council.pdf Type: application/pdf Size: 26KB
http://forums.e-democracy.org/r/file/1850-2011-09-02T013155Z Name: 07.19.11_AGENDA.pdf Type: application/pdf Size: 21KB
http://forums.e-democracy.org/r/file/1851-2011-09-02T013155Z Name: Wirth Nordic Ski Agreement.pdf Type: application/pdf Size: 69KB
View more files added to Minneapolis Issues Forum at http://forums.e-democracy.org/s/?g=mpls&f=1&t=0