The white whale of college station politicians and bureaucrats!

How long have they known they were going to have this meeting? Did they decide via group text this morning?

maroon barchetta said:

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How long have they known they were going to have this meeting? Did they decide via group text this morning?

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Legacy projects should not be opposed by the common citizen. You plebs.

Agenda was posted Sept 23. You can find agendas here:

https://www.cstx.gov/your-government/news-and-notices/channel-19/

b0ridi said:

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Agenda was posted Sept 23. You can find agendas here:

https://www.cstx.gov/your-government/news-and-notices/channel-19/

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Quote:

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But the plans were on display…"
"On display? I eventually had to go down to the cellar to find them."
"That's the display department."
"With a flashlight."
"Ah, well, the lights had probably gone."
"So had the stairs."
"But look, you found the notice, didn't you?"
"Yes," said Arthur, "yes I did. It was on display in the bottom of a locked filing cabinet stuck in a disused lavatory with a sign on the door saying 'Beware of the Leopard'.

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Douglas Adams, Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

getting ready to force this one upon the taxpayer. Would be considered a reward for handling the data center

Apparently, some folks are tired of hundreds of citizens showing up and dozens speaking out at council meetings.

"If they're at work, they can't show up…"

tu ag said:

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Is there a state law about how much notice to give when announcing meetings?

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Law changed slightly this legislative session. From 72 hours to 3 business days. Day of meeting and day of posting is not one of the three.

Hornbeck said:

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Apparently, some folks are tired of hundreds of citizens showing up and dozens speaking out at council meetings.

"If they're at work, they can't show up…"

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One thing we have learned from the Data Center experience is that senior CoCS staff do NOT want the citizens to show up and ruin their resume/legacy building programs.

I didn't want to call out certain folks by name, so I won't, but it seems like the shoe certainly does fit.

Yancy going to sadly go from hero for the data center deal, to villain to try to jam the convention center down our throats.

Hopefully he sticks to what he said that it would have to be a cooperative effort between both cities, county and A&M.

Who cares how many tax funded groups think this is a good idea! It is half a BILLION dollars. This is insane. Ask Conroe if they are glad they did this. It is a black hole. How do the citizens of the city benefit from this? Look at the Waco Convention Center and the same me management company might run the facility here. This is nuts! Ask yourself what benefits come from locals supporting this.
On an interstate and it shrivels on the vine.
Who cares if all these elected people want. It's about getting their names on a plaque.

These people just can't take no for an answer.

Captn_Ag05 said:

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tu ag said:

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Is there a state law about how much notice to give when announcing meetings?

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Law changed slightly this legislative session. From 72 hours to 3 business days. Day of meeting and day of posting is not one of the three.

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A young girl who spoke relatively early on at the data center council meeting, brought up a great point. We had less than a week to prepare for the council meeting and the city has 10 business days to fulfill a FOIA request.

The event center has been a topic of discussion for sometime. The council has to know this isn't as popular as some would have you believe. So they move things around to help them get what they want.

These projects take years of planning and construction. But the residents only get a few days notice. Sure, that's what the law requires and it needs to change. The city is still allowed to do the right thing, be transparent, schedule meetings at a more accessible time, and they choose to operate in the shadows.

Unless its an emergency, we should have at least 15 business days notice. Those few extra days wont hurt anything. Especially for projects that are under construction for months. I am sure the council has been preparing for months.

shhh, don't tell the masses! Let's slip this one in after the data center failed (they're too busy celebrating the diversion!) /COCS

Howdy,

This will be the very first meeting of your elected officials with a private sector group. Unlike the data center in every way, there has been no formal discussion with this group before now to my knowledge. This is not an up or down contract vote with only 5 business days notice either. This is the very first meeting. We will simply hear a presentation and talk it out, then decide whether to have further discussion, or not. The bosses are in from the beginning on this one.

I hope that's fair. Have a wonderful evening.

Respectfully,

Yancy '95

Then why a special meeting announced the day before? What is the reason this couldn't be added to a scheduled meeting's agenda?

It smells fishy. The city needs to work on rebuilding trust. This doesn't seem to align with that.

MyNameIsJeff said:

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Then why a special meeting announced the day before? What is the reason this couldn't be added to a scheduled meeting's agenda?

It smells fishy. The city needs to work on rebuilding trust. This doesn't seem to align with that.

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Howdy,

The meeting was posted and it's the very first one, and public. I agree on the trust and transparency issue- but respectfully this is different- it couldn't be public any sooner than it is- it's the very first meeting.

Respectfully

Yancy '95

No formal discussion? Ostrowski and Woods are presenting. Guess not going in Macy's if it's not city property.

MsDoubleD81 said:

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No formal discussion? Ostrowski and Woods are presenting. Guess not going in Macy's if it's not city property.

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This one is a council initiative, not staff's. Staff will handle the Xs and Os should we decide to look into it further, and only with ample opportunity for citizen engagement as far as I'm concerned.

Fair? I'm hitting the rack.

Respectfully

Yancy '95

Fair. If there's no action planned, I can understand it. Lowering readiness to DEFCON 3.

Still, we gotta work on the whole transparency thing.

But at 3 pm on a Monday?

MsDoubleD81 said:

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But at 3 pm on a Monday?

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Exactly

If there's an event center, it should be near A&M where there are already restaurants and hotels nearby, Also, a taxpaper paid for event center should not have a hotel that competes with private hotels. To me the most obviously location is the southside of Hensel Park in a partnership with A&M.

Bob Yancy said:

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MsDoubleD81 said:

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No formal discussion? Ostrowski and Woods are presenting. Guess not going in Macy's if it's not city property.

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This one is a council initiative, not staff's. Staff will handle the Xs and Os should we decide to look into it further, and only with ample opportunity for citizen engagement as far as I'm concerned.

Fair? I'm hitting the rack.

Respectfully

Yancy '95

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Thanks Bob, I think you should know that we do not want another "project" that is destined to fail.
I have been part of meeting committees for my profession organization and the take home lesson is that CoCS is too far from a major airport to bring in any national conventions. The conventions CoCS would attract are too small for the city to actually make a profit.

MsDoubleD81 said:

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Where's Yancy?!

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I'm right here, asking for an open mind and a neutral look at something I, as one member of council, believe could be absolutely transformative for this community if done right.

I first broached this topic with you guys in March of 2023. You've known where my head is at from the beginning. I've been consistent that IF we move forward we'd seek your input, and permission- and that CSTX wouldn't go it alone. And that if we did move forward, it would be with the private sector in a big way.

So here we are. The very first meeting with the largest, most reputable event company on the planet. Not a contract decision meeting. No up or down vote with 5 days notice- just the first kicking of the tires.

I think I've earned at least a modicum of trust of late. Can I spend it on this? I'm asking for this to receive a fair hearing. That's all. It's a lot to ask given recent events, but I'm asking.

I'll engage here more fully after the meeting today when I know more.

Respectfully and transparently yours-

Yancy '95

Gotta' fill that fourth spot!

Macy's is one of the locations being considered, based on the document KBTX posted.