Deena Winter: Beutler's list of commitments without specific funding grows

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That’s what the mayor might need to start saying if he comes up with too many more unfunded proposals.

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His hiring of Kermit Brashear, former speaker of the Legislature, to lobby state lawmakers marks the latest in a string of commitments with no specific funding source.

When he informed the City Council of his hiring of Brashear, Mayor Chris Beutler said he hadn’t yet determined where he’d get the money to pay for Brashear’s lobbying work.

Which brings the list of Beutler commitments with no specific funding source to:

* Up to $15,000 for Brashear, which could come from uncommitted funds in the mayor’s office.

* $1 million toward a new ice skating center near the Haymarket. Beutler wants to sell the Burnham Yates Conference Center, which is attached to the Cornhusker Marriott Hotel, for $580,000 and devote that money to the ice center. But he must persuade the council to approve the sale, and some members have reservations.

* $600,000 for arena studies. The council balked at Beutler’s plan to use leftover stormwater bond issue proceeds.

Beutler says the fact he has to search for money for such things demonstrates how lean the municipal budget is.

“When we are presented with opportunities to move our city forward, we need to be in a financial position to respond,” he said in a press statement.

That’s why he thinks the city should create an “economic opportunity fund” to dip into when the city needs to commit money to “high-priority projects” in a “timely manner.”

Camp questions increasing TIF projects

During an interview last week, Councilman Jon Camp said he’s beginning to question the number of projects the city uses tax increment financing on.

He worries the city is racking up too many of these “quasi-government-funded” projects — which essentially plow the resulting increase in property tax value back into the project. The city would get a growth dividend from private projects, but with so many recent projects getting TIF and the housing market in a slump, he says, “What’s that going to do to our real estate/property taxes?”

“It’s just going to put more pressure on our budget,” he said.

Of course, city officials often explain that “but for” TIF, the projects would probably never happen and so the city isn’t “losing” out on property tax dollars.

In reality, some of those projects would happen anyway —such as those that were already under way before the idea of using TIF ever arose.

Alcohol sales in new arena?

A Minnesota consultant recently advised city officials to begin thinking about whether they would allow alcohol sales if the city builds a new arena.

Some cities ban alcohol in arenas where university teams are major tenants to combat college binge drinking and alcohol abuse. But  John Kaatz of Convention, Sports & Leisure said some arena officials say it’s more difficult to sell suites and club seats if alcohol is banned.

What’s University of Nebraska-Lincoln Athletic Director Tom Osborne likely to say?

 Well, he’s the guy who, in 2005, introduced a resolution in Congress calling for the NCAA and its members to drop alcohol advertising from their radio and TV college sports broadcasts.

“These ads negatively commercialize athletic events to the detriment of youth and work against what collegiate athletic events are intended to embody: skill, athleticism, hard work and discipline,” he said at the time. “As long as students continue to learn and grow in an environment that allows the glamorization of alcohol use, colleges and universities will continue to have difficulty eliminating the ‘drink to get drunk’ mentality that is clearly evident on college campuses across the United States.”

More bike lanes coming?

An advisory committee has recommended the city install more bike lanes downtown.

The Pedestrian-Bicycle Advisory Committee concluded this month that the bike lanes on 11th and 14th streets — striped in the fall of 2006 — are working and should be expanded. They suggest the city do as the Downtown Master Plan and Comprehensive Plan suggest, and add bike lanes to M and N streets.

The committee also recommended a citywide study of other possible locations for bike lanes, with new lanes ready when college students arrive in the fall.

Eschliman’s 7 reasons to vote against contract ban

Prior to the public hearing on whether elected officials should be able to do business with the city, Councilwoman Robin Eschliman made it clear how she felt about the proposed charter amendment.

In an e-mail to her “supporters,” she wrote that while she had been “extremely pleased” with the improved communication and staffing since Mayor Beutler took office, she was “saddened” he endorsed the contract ban.

“In the city’s 150-year history, we have had virtually no problems with council members having a conflict of interest,” she wrote. “Furthermore, he has such a quality administration that I honestly cannot envision him having the kinds of contract problems that his predecessor had with things such as fire department scandals, M class headaches and poppy mallow flowers that wouldn’t grow properly in the city’s medians.”

She listed seven reasons she would oppose the contract ban:

* It would prevent “fine civil servants” from running for office.

* While it would work in Omaha, Lincoln doesn’t have enough vendors to choose from.

* It is a “subtle way of silencing speech — the speech of the business owner.”

* Most city employees — whom she noted are “almost impossible to fire” — would still be allowed to hold city contracts.

* The proposed charter amendment was drafted as “retaliation against Ken Svoboda” and his landscaping company.  She contends the city has many tools to deal with contract problems, and said, “quite frankly, council member Svoboda went through the majority of these measures already.  It is enough to make most thinking people resolve never to bid on a city contract.”

* It was drafted “with the intention of trying to force Jon Camp out of office.”

* Council members have conflicts of interest every week: “I had a conflict of interest when I voted on LES rates,” she wrote. “I get a bill from them every single month!”

She said it

“Should we have a charter amendment that says no mayor should live in a neighborhood because that constitutes a conflict of interest?” — Councilwoman Robin Eschliman, in a letter to supporters that listed seven reasons she opposed a ban on city officials having city contracts.

Reach Deena Winter at 473-2642 or dwinter@journalstar.com.