By Don Edwards

 

Publisher, CoffeyvilleBLOG.com (Reprinted by permission.)

 

When is leveraging $91,502 to get $559,998 not a good idea? 

 

If you're Jim Taylor, it's not a good idea when it comes to fixing one of Coffeyville's aging buildings that is used predominantly by the local underprivileged and minority youth.

 

Taylor, a Coffeyville city commissioner, spoke and voted against a grant application proposed by city staff that would renovate the city's Youth Activities Center located north of City Hall.

 

Joining the city in the $400,000 grant application are the Coffeyville Area Community Foundation which pledged $60,000 to the project; the Coffeyville Recreation Commission which pledged $60,000; and Unified School District 445 which pledged $39,998.

 

The City of Coffeyville pledged $20,002 in cash and $71,500 in in-kind services.

 

Ultimately, the grant application received the go-ahead from the commission on a 3-1 vote with Taylor in opposition. But before the vote was taken, a spirited discussion ensued.

 

City Treasurer Angie Naden told the commission that the project, if approved, would bring the YAC up to date. She pointed out that Coffeyville's application would be competing with applications from other cities in Kansas, but that Coffeyville has had a good track record in recent years in obtaining Community Development Block Grant money.

 

"We are hopeful that the community partnerships that we're offering in this application will help them see that this truly is wanted and needed in our community," Naden said.

 

Taylor said he was bothered by the source of the funds being provided by two of the other three contributing local entities.

 

"The only dollars that USD 445 can commit are tax dollars," Taylor said. "And the Recreation Commission - I don't think they have an oil well or anything. I think they are on the same community-supported monies. I am awfully discouraged to be here knowing that we are facing such tremendous financial burdens. I am satisfied that the (Youth Activities Center) is well-used. But our City Hall building here is a pile of problems. Someplace, this commission has to start saying 'no' - we're going to work on the monies that we have available and we're not interested in any more enticements."

 

Taylor said he felt the time for the city commission to start saying 'no' had come.

 

"The support from the Coffeyville (Area Foundation) is a legitimate gift," he said. "But these others from the Recreation Commission and the USD 445 is just committing more tax monies. We just sit up here and keep (saying) 'oh yes, that's great ... let's do it .. oh that's wonderful.'

 

"It's not wonderful. We've got to stop spending and borrowing and acting like a small gift is really a gift when we're obligated to something else," Taylor added.

 

Hendryx pointed out that Taylor has stated in the past that the city needed to take better care of it's facilities. He also said applying for the grant made financial sense.

 

"This is a way that we can get 60 percent of this paid for by a (state) grant," Hendryx said.

 

"It doesn't seem like 60 percent to me," Taylor responded.

 

In fact, if approved, the $400,000 grant would pay for 61.4 percent of the overall proposed $651,500 project. The city's total contribution to the project would only amount to 14 percent of the total cost.

 

Taylor's opposition to the grant application stands in contrast to his stance in past months favoring the city reaching agreement with USD 445 and Coffeyville Community College to help share in the cost of another city asset ? Veteran's Memorial Stadium. He said in those instances that both the college and school district had larger property tax bases than the City of Coffeyville and, thus, should help shoulder the financial burden of the stadium.

 

This line of logic apparently did not extend to the YAC.

 

Hendryx continued: "This seems like a more cost-effective way to fund the maintenance and upkeep of that building. I don't know why you would want to not do it."

 

City Manager Jeff Morris pointed out that CDBG grants cannot be used for City Hall.

 

"We would apply for a grant for (City Hall)," Morris said. "But it's not eligible the way the rules are written."

 

Naden said the project would likely not happen without grant money.

 

"I don't see the commission approving a $651,000 project if it's totally (paid for) out of the city's treasury," she said. "This is the only way this project is ever going to happen. While it's always been a high priority to keep that facility in a good state. It always gets bumped because there's something else that's more important. Realistically, this is the only way it's going to happen."

 

Taylor was unimpressed.

 

"This is another example, in my opinion, that everything we've done in a recent period of time is starving for funds," he said. "We foolishly, continuously, spend money and disregard the fact that we don't have money to pay for (these things). At some point our citizens are going to expect to have commissioners here that will look after the dollars that we don't have."

 

The mayor objected to Taylor's use of the word 'foolish.'

 

"The statement - 'foolish' - (that's) kind of a rough statement," Gonzales said.

 

"Not as bad as sitting up here and my fellow commissioners calling me a liar," Taylor replied.

 

"Well, if the shoe fits," interjected Warren.

 

During the public hearing, citizen Mary Wilson said she supported the grant application.

 

"We need to take care of our youth," she said. "This is money I've already sent to the federal government that we can get back and use for our youth. I think it needs to be approved."