I want to thank Chris Johnson for his notes on the Park Board meeting and his comments to the Park Board Commissioners. I have tried to get additional information about why the two Padleford boats are leaving Minneapolis and Boom Island. But I have a lot more questions than answers. Joe Kimball again reports about the issue in this Friday's- Around Saint Paul- column in the Strib.
Jim Kosmo, Padleford vice president said, " We didn't put in a proposal because of the way we were treated. They wanted to double or triple our fee, which is already higher than other places in the country...70 percent of our business has to be booked by spring and they didn't give us enough time." Maybe Chris Johnson can shed some light on this from the Park Board Commissioners discussion. But this was a new RFP process installed this year. I am told that there are other bidders and that everything has happened on a prearranged Board approved timetable. Who thought this timetable made sense? Maybe the Padleford boats can make more money in Saint Paul and want to deflect criticism for leaving. The RFP and the names of the bidders is public information, isn't it. This process now favors what ever company left and might cost us more than any other previous deal. Who are they and do they have any insider connections? It irks me that the Park board leapt overboard with an unplanned and ill-conceived Marina plan while not paying attention to Boom Island. I would like to know more. Maybe this is part of the Park Board's grand vision for the upper river. But so far it looks like this process leaves us up a creek without a paddle right above the falls. Thanks, Scott Vreeland Seward REMINDERS: 1. Think a member has violated the rules? Email the list manager at [EMAIL PROTECTED] before continuing it on the list. 2. Don't feed the troll! Ignore obvious flame-bait. For state and national discussions see: http://e-democracy.org/discuss.html For external forums, see: http://e-democracy.org/mninteract ________________________________ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Un-subscribe, etc. at: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
