Five Rivers developer cancels appearance on Eye on Oshkosh
After being promised an interview with Five Rivers developer Tom Doig, and actually thinking that after at least 18 months of secrecy we might learn more about this $60 million project that involves about $16 million in public assistance (i.e., tax dollars), I am sorry to say we have all been “robbed” of that opportunity and disenfranchised in the process.
More than two months ago I booked Doig for an appearance on Eye on Oshkosh. I believed that it was a good idea to have him on to discuss the project; why he was looking for a public-private partnership; what the resort would offer, etc. During a rather extensive conversation with Mr. Doig he explained that he did not want to get into a discussion of TIFs nor did he feel like he had to sell the project because the Common Council was already moving forward with it.
I explained to him that we could hardly do a show on this project and not discuss TIF districts. After all, that is what a large piece of this project focused on. I also told him that the truly successful developments always have public buy-in and the way to get that is not to keep people in the dark, especially when their money is involved. But I also told him he’d have an opportunity to show off the place and invited him to bring artist renderings and the like.
During the course of this conversation he told me that earlier on there were times he’d wanted to come forward with some of the other information but that he’d been told by Community Development Director Jackson Kinney not to say anything just yet. Well it looks like somebody, maybe everyone involved, still doesn’t want us to know what’s happening with our money and this project.
On March 19, after receiving my email asking for confirmation of his appearance, Doig responded in the affirmative that he would be here on April 6 to discuss the project. On March 24 I received an email from Doig saying that he had been advised by his development consultants not to appear on the program. Ironically, this email was sent just one day after I was at City Hall with three other citizens, including Tony Palmeri, inspecting the files on Five Rivers.
I sent two follow-up emails to Mr. Doig, explaining that to cancel now would look pretty bad and not help instill any greater public confidence in this project, especially since he seems to be losing more support with each new twist and turn this project takes. He finally got back to me saying “As much as I would like to get this information out to the public, I have been advised against it until such time as we have finalized the development agreement between Five Rivers and the City of Oshkosh. Things are moving along nicely on our end at this point. I would hope that we can pull this together in the very near future. Let's stay in touch and see if we can pick this up in the next couple of months.”
It was that email that told me what I and many others had been suspecting for some time: That no one was going to tell the public any more than they felt we needed to know until every “I” was dotted and every “T” crossed, despite the fact that for all intents and purposes there certainly seem to be no other interested parties in the property and council member Paul Esslinger said during the recent candidate forum that the negotiations on this project have been over for some time. It seems that the only thing left to decide is what kind of pay option Mr. Doig is going to get: direct pay or pay as you go. Sorry if that sounds suspicious, but when things are done in a shroud of secrecy, it makes the public skittish about what you’re doing with our money.
Part of my response to that email is as follows: “…once the development agreement is signed it is a little late for citizens to have the ability to hear all aspects of the project and be able to weigh in on it, something that is their right, given there is substantial public assistance being sought for the project. As you know I had wanted to do this much sooner, but because of candidate interviews we were pushed out to April 6.
But once a developer's agreement is in place, then all the show serves is an hour-long Sales & Marketing/PR tool for you. While we certainly wanted to give you an opportunity to pitch your product, I also told you that I believe the public has a right to hear about and comment on this before the city finalizes things, not after, when things are irreversible and any public comment becomes a moot point.
You are asking for million of dollars in public assistance (i.e. taxpayer assistance, no matter how one chooses to look at it). As we talked about when we first spoke on the phone, any well-done development is presented to the public FIRST and questions answered. That is how one achieves public buy-in. This much is clear from the way other communities handle many of their development projects, especially larger projects seeking TIF money and the like.
I don't want to belabor the point, but in all honesty and with all due respect, this project is losing much of its core confidence and support in the community (the local newspaper, citizens and even some members of the city council). If this project is viable and worth doing, then it seems that the time to start trying to get back what has been lost would be now. Why not explain to people why this project is a good deal; explain to them why you are asking for the money you're seeking rather than doing it solely on your own; etc. To wait until after the developer's agreement is signed suggests that you don't want to share with the public - also your partners in this project - the full scope of things. As a taxpayer and partner in this development, I resent being kept in the dark and having talked with a lot of people I can tell you that's how many people in Oshkosh feel. I think you would feel the same way if you were in our shoes.”
I received no reply back to that email and to say we are disappointed in Mr. Doig, the city and our Common Council in their handling of this matter would be a gross understatement. Partners don’t treat partners this way and you don’t give the shaft to a public helping foot approximately one-third of a project. But we are going to proceed forward with a show on Five Rivers and TIF districts in general. In fact, I have booked an expert on TIFs and we will also share with the public what we have learned to date from the Five Rivers files we’ve reviewed. We cannot do this show until May, but I think it will be informative, nonetheless. And maybe by then there will also be a ruling on the complaints currently being investigated by the Attorney General’s office over the Feb. 14 closed session meeting of the Common Council on this project.
- Cheryl
More than two months ago I booked Doig for an appearance on Eye on Oshkosh. I believed that it was a good idea to have him on to discuss the project; why he was looking for a public-private partnership; what the resort would offer, etc. During a rather extensive conversation with Mr. Doig he explained that he did not want to get into a discussion of TIFs nor did he feel like he had to sell the project because the Common Council was already moving forward with it.
I explained to him that we could hardly do a show on this project and not discuss TIF districts. After all, that is what a large piece of this project focused on. I also told him that the truly successful developments always have public buy-in and the way to get that is not to keep people in the dark, especially when their money is involved. But I also told him he’d have an opportunity to show off the place and invited him to bring artist renderings and the like.
During the course of this conversation he told me that earlier on there were times he’d wanted to come forward with some of the other information but that he’d been told by Community Development Director Jackson Kinney not to say anything just yet. Well it looks like somebody, maybe everyone involved, still doesn’t want us to know what’s happening with our money and this project.
On March 19, after receiving my email asking for confirmation of his appearance, Doig responded in the affirmative that he would be here on April 6 to discuss the project. On March 24 I received an email from Doig saying that he had been advised by his development consultants not to appear on the program. Ironically, this email was sent just one day after I was at City Hall with three other citizens, including Tony Palmeri, inspecting the files on Five Rivers.
I sent two follow-up emails to Mr. Doig, explaining that to cancel now would look pretty bad and not help instill any greater public confidence in this project, especially since he seems to be losing more support with each new twist and turn this project takes. He finally got back to me saying “As much as I would like to get this information out to the public, I have been advised against it until such time as we have finalized the development agreement between Five Rivers and the City of Oshkosh. Things are moving along nicely on our end at this point. I would hope that we can pull this together in the very near future. Let's stay in touch and see if we can pick this up in the next couple of months.”
It was that email that told me what I and many others had been suspecting for some time: That no one was going to tell the public any more than they felt we needed to know until every “I” was dotted and every “T” crossed, despite the fact that for all intents and purposes there certainly seem to be no other interested parties in the property and council member Paul Esslinger said during the recent candidate forum that the negotiations on this project have been over for some time. It seems that the only thing left to decide is what kind of pay option Mr. Doig is going to get: direct pay or pay as you go. Sorry if that sounds suspicious, but when things are done in a shroud of secrecy, it makes the public skittish about what you’re doing with our money.
Part of my response to that email is as follows: “…once the development agreement is signed it is a little late for citizens to have the ability to hear all aspects of the project and be able to weigh in on it, something that is their right, given there is substantial public assistance being sought for the project. As you know I had wanted to do this much sooner, but because of candidate interviews we were pushed out to April 6.
But once a developer's agreement is in place, then all the show serves is an hour-long Sales & Marketing/PR tool for you. While we certainly wanted to give you an opportunity to pitch your product, I also told you that I believe the public has a right to hear about and comment on this before the city finalizes things, not after, when things are irreversible and any public comment becomes a moot point.
You are asking for million of dollars in public assistance (i.e. taxpayer assistance, no matter how one chooses to look at it). As we talked about when we first spoke on the phone, any well-done development is presented to the public FIRST and questions answered. That is how one achieves public buy-in. This much is clear from the way other communities handle many of their development projects, especially larger projects seeking TIF money and the like.
I don't want to belabor the point, but in all honesty and with all due respect, this project is losing much of its core confidence and support in the community (the local newspaper, citizens and even some members of the city council). If this project is viable and worth doing, then it seems that the time to start trying to get back what has been lost would be now. Why not explain to people why this project is a good deal; explain to them why you are asking for the money you're seeking rather than doing it solely on your own; etc. To wait until after the developer's agreement is signed suggests that you don't want to share with the public - also your partners in this project - the full scope of things. As a taxpayer and partner in this development, I resent being kept in the dark and having talked with a lot of people I can tell you that's how many people in Oshkosh feel. I think you would feel the same way if you were in our shoes.”
I received no reply back to that email and to say we are disappointed in Mr. Doig, the city and our Common Council in their handling of this matter would be a gross understatement. Partners don’t treat partners this way and you don’t give the shaft to a public helping foot approximately one-third of a project. But we are going to proceed forward with a show on Five Rivers and TIF districts in general. In fact, I have booked an expert on TIFs and we will also share with the public what we have learned to date from the Five Rivers files we’ve reviewed. We cannot do this show until May, but I think it will be informative, nonetheless. And maybe by then there will also be a ruling on the complaints currently being investigated by the Attorney General’s office over the Feb. 14 closed session meeting of the Common Council on this project.
- Cheryl
posted by Cheryl Hentz at 12:49 PM
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