The letter from the sports group to the mayor about the most recent ball park cost overrun includes this statement:
“As a result, the City and MountainStar began discussing additional ways to cover these anticipated additional costs which could be as much as $10 Million.”
On July 2, 2013 city council considered and passed this agenda item:
Discussion and action regarding a Resolution modifying the authority granted to the City Manager in connection with the awarding of Solicitation No. 2013-109R to Jordan Hunt, a Texas Joint Venture for the construction of the ballpark and requiring the exercise of all such authority be made in consultation with the Mayor of the City of El Paso.
The mayor is supposed to be part of any negotiations. Has he been?
How long has this been going on behind our backs?
We deserve better
Brutus
elpasospeak 
If you read the paper this morning you’ll see that the city manager instructed project manager to start “value engineering” the project since it was coming in over budget. That’s what the mayor instructed the city manager to do – keep the project on budget.
At that point the Mountain Star group decided to ask for relief.
Mayor did what he said. City Manager did what she was told.
It’s a non story
LikeLike
Yes, I read the paper this morning. The paper is part of the problem. The reporters do not ask the right questions. Articles usually provide more confusion than information. What the article lacks is information on when the mayor entered into the most recent negotiations.
On July 2 Council voted to require the mayor to part of any negotiation. Mayor Leeser probably was involved in negotiations but because Mountain Start had not provided anything in writing he did not release information to the media until he got their letter and responded with his letter.
It’s clear the mayor understands that transparency on anything regarding the ballpark is of utmost importance now. It’s also clear the EP Times does not understand what questions to ask. If the reporter doesn’t get it right the editor should.
LikeLike
Based on the lengthy story in today’s El Paso Times, this charade is certain to provide a little more drama as it continues to unfold. Of course, it’s ironic that Josh Hunt is so readily speaking to the same media that he threw under the bus on Monday for having supposedly misreported his letter. (Having read the letter, it seems to me the media got it right and young Hunt is in denial.)
Hunt stopped short of saying in today’s article that the ownership group will not try to negotiate additional changes or concessions. As I mentioned in another post yesterday, some of the concessions they are looking for are intended to push certain of the club’s operating costs off to the taxpayers. The things they are unwilling to cut from the design to stay within budget are the amenities (for example,more bars which we certainly need) that put more money in their pockets.
Josh Hunt’s letter pointedly reminded the Mayor that the City promised Mountainstar a ballpark that meets AAA standards. The next minute, he is saying to the cameras that they want the best ballpark in the country. Yep, only the best for Richie Rich, who has probably never had to live within a personal budget. Only the best for our billionaires — as long as it’s on someone else’s dime.
LikeLike
There is one key angle which has been continually ignored by the local news organizations. Don’t they find it a bit odd that both of the Mountainstar partners own construction and development companies and they brought Turner Construction and Populous to the table with the original cost estimates for this ballpark, yet for some reason the cost of this project isn’t even close to the cost of the original design? Mountainstar drove the original design and budget process. Yet, they are quick to remind everyone that the City is the party obligated to cover any overages for the design and budget that they, Mountainstar, developed.
Mountainstar has expressed no surprise about these overages. Their only concern is if staying within budget prevents them from getting everything THEY want in OUR ballpark, which THEY totally control 365 days a year. (If your or I want to stage an event at the ballpark even in the off season, we must pay Woody and Paul.)
At the May 28th City Council meeting, Mountainstar attorney Mark Osborne said that Mountainstar anticipated more cost issues beyond the proposed $12 million overage being debated that day. The media didn’t even pursue the implications of Osborne’s comment, nor did Council for that matter. It’s pretty clear that Mountainstar knew all along that this project would greatly exceed the original budget.
They call this a partnership? Partnerships do not survive when the partners are not honest with one another.
LikeLike
“At the December 11 City Council meeting, members approved a contract not to exceed $853,000 with Illinois-based International Facilities Group, LLC to provide Owner’s Representative Services. An Owner’s Representative is needed to represent the interests of the City of El Paso and MountainStar Sports Group in the execution of the design and construction of the ballpark. International Facilities will work with officials from the City of El Paso and MountainStar Sports Group in managing the baseball project, including design, construction, procurement, venue commissioning, asset management, relocation support, capital needs analysis and renovation planning/oversight.”
So….
Who are these people, who recommended them, and why isn’t the city suing this firm for failing to do its job?! They clearly have not looked out for our interests. For the city to have hired a firm to protect both the City’s interests and the interests of Mountainstar is an inherent conflict of interests. If this huge fee was paid partly for the benefit of Mountainstar, why isn’t Mountainstar footing part of the bill? This one fee is equal to nearly 2% of the original $50 million budget.
LikeLike
these negotiations shouldn’t go behind the mayor’s back
LikeLike