Can the City hire Tim Gregori?
Any avid readers of this blog (assuming there were any!) would know that one of my concerns about about the coal plant transaction is the lack of any sort of formal agreement memorializing the rights and obligations of the City of Great Falls and Electric City Power vis-à-vis SME. (See, for example, here, here, here, and here.)
My frustration with this issue all culminated in Mr. Lawton's response to the Great Falls Tribune on the issue of contracts: "We have been working for months on a development agreement. We will have to have every 't' crossed, every 'i' dotted." Mr. Lawton admitted the contract issue was legitimate, but added "The city has very significant leverage points in dealing with SME," noting the city will provide water and other services to the project. "There's no risk. It simply takes time to work it out. The city is covered." I was skeptical at the time.
Sunday we read that SME plans to build the coal plant regardless of the city's involvement. You see, Mr. Gregori isn't operating 'on the come' like our City management. What's the one thing SME absolutely needed to make this work for them? Our water. So what did Mr. Gregori do? He got a contract. "That's a business deal that is done. The contract stands whether or not the City of Great Falls is a member of SME."
Wow. You mean we contracted away one of our "very significant leverage points?" It sure looks like it.
Oh, come on you say, the contract must be conditioned on the city's involvement? They must have written in some sort of contingency allowing them to get out.
I sure can't find one.
Maybe we could hire Tim Gregori to run the City of Great Falls? He carefully considered the transaction, determined all needs in his interest, negotiated for them, and obtained them. He didn't assume everything will just work out in the end. So now where are we?
Do you believe Mr. Lawton that there is "no risk?"
10 comments:
Now you're talking. Tribune Headline “Commissioners hire new Great Falls city manager Tim Gregori”. I like the sound of that. Will Lawton take his harem with him?
I'm really a legal canary (no eagle here) isn't there something that can be done in regard to the City giving such a valuable asset away (water) And, taking away our right to vote on the entire thing? I am no fan of Tim Gregori, perhaps it is only fair to say, he'd make a grand politican!
An Avid reader of your blog!
It's really not fair to say the City is giving away an asset; they're selling it. I don't know enough to tell you, though, whether it is fair market value, more than fair market value, or less.
Keep the heat on!
Gregori is, as my father used to say, slicker than snot on a brass doorknob. He's smart, smooth, and ruthless. He's getting his way by bribery, trickery, lies, and half-truths. He's got our city government completely snookered. They're out of their league with him. This is a nightmare.
Please keep up the blogging on the coal plant. And you who read it, get off your duffs and start screaming about it yourself! This disaster is happening to you!
I think I read somewhere that the city is selling the water at the standard industrial rate. That is the rate that any customer pays for untreated water.
In Lewistown, last week, at an energy workshop, Gregori stated:
"Gregori said a customer who uses 11,000 kilowatts a month, which a typical home uses, will have to pay an additional $8 per month for 35 years because of the delays at the Highwood plant. Those who must pay this increase include customers of Fergus Electric Co-op, which is a member of the Southern Montana Co-op.
“That amount probably would pay for your child’s education,” said Gregori.
I don't know about you and your kids, but unless you send them where Tim got his economics education, I don't think putting away $8 pere month, $96 per year, will get them into any community college in Montana or any other state.
You still want to hire Gregori? SME goes chapter 11. Give me a break.
Check the date on the post, Anonymous
Post a Comment