Chamber Purchase: Email Breakdown

[1:15 p.m. update: We are now up to 36 emails in opposition to the proposal. I was not on the council at the time of the passage of the infamous garbage fee, but this is certainly starting to have that kind of feel to it.]

According to my unofficial calculations, as of 9 a.m. this morning the common council has received 30 emails in opposition to the Chamber building purchase, and 6 in favor. Of the 30 opposed, I do not know or have never received any communication on any issue from 19 of them. Of the 6 in favor, most (perhaps all--I am not sure) hold some kind of leadership position in the Chamber, OAEDC, or CHAMCO.

I've received about a dozen phone calls on this issue; there too most are in opposition except for Chamber connected parties.

Councilors have received two hard copy letters related to the project. One is a copy of a May 21, 2008 letter sent from Jeff Pauly, Managing Partner of the City Center, to Director of Community Development Jackson Kinney. Pauly writes: "Since we haven't discussed this project for almost a year, we would like to state that we are still concerned with the impact the Marion Road project would have on City Center. We would like to discuss this with you as soon as possible." Attached to that letter is a copy of a July 3, 2007 letter sent from City Center Associates to the Oshkosh Plan Commission stating the concerns. That letter says: "We have not been involved with any portion of this request since the Strand Report was developed in 2003. We have not been in favor of the Marion Road option sine its inception four years ago. Based on the lack of information and lack of involvement, we are not in favor of this option at this time."

Mr. Kinney sent a memo to Mr. Fitzpatrick dated May 22, 2008 in which is says that Mr. Pauly is in Dallas and that they will meet when he gets back. Better late than never!

The other letter is a two page, single-spaced missive from UW Oshkosh Chancellor Rick Wells. I am in full agreement with his opening sentence: "Providing leadership in support of the public interest can be difficult at times, but when you embrace a longer-term perspective, you can often see matters with a special clarity of focus."

Reading the word "focus" got me thinking about the Dutch progressive rock band of the same name from the early 1970s. Some might remember that Focus had a minor hit with "Hocus Pocus" around 1973. I hereby nominate "Hocus Pocus" as the official theme song of tonight's Council meeting. Its lyrics and vocal stylings perfectly capture what I am thinking about the Chamber proposal.