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Editor's Note: Charles O'Dell wrote an exhaustive investigative report on the manuevering of Pct. 3 Commissioner Will Conley to have the county purchase the old Wimberley Baptist Church property for $2.4 million and convert it into a city/county government center. Should the deal go through, with the commissioners court's blessing, a small group of local investors would turn a nice little profit. Can we say local government bailout and taxpayer tithing at its best?
See O'Dell's detailed report in the RoundUp's archives, dated Oct. 5, 2008. A follow up from Mr. O'Dell is in the works.
From the Wimberley View Wednesday Dec. 10 2008 edition page one story, "City curbs sidewalk plan":
"A plan for the county and the city to share the expense in purchasing the First Baptist Church building on Old Kyle Road is back on the table. The project apparently stalled due to the elections.
(Wimberley City Administrator Don) Ferguson said council members will be presented with costs associated with the purchase. He expects to have the idea, along with Pct. 3 Hays County Commissioner Will Conley, on the Jan. 15, 2009 agenda."
2 comments:
I hope the Judge and the rest of the commissioners are strong enough to derail this pay-to-play plan. I've begun calling Hays County by it's true name: "Little Chicago".
I don't know why Judge Sumter didn't derail this idea a year ago. She authorized the initial and subsequent monies to be spent in exploring this idea Conley hatched. And why wasn't this issue publicly raised by Conley's opponant in the last election?
City administrator Ferguson has a civil suit brought against him by a local woman for allegedly covering up an allegation of sexual harrassment in the City of Wimberley's offices. He needs to be no part of this church plan as I feel he should be suspended from his current city duties.
Also, Dr. O'Dell has and is uncovering more and more information on the behind- the- scenes efforts of this church story: the Judge would be wise to investigate all of his findings. He is alleging that there has been some serious financial irregularities in this church deal.
I feel this whole church deal will unravel like a house of cards. It's a pay-to-play deal in my opinion. If the judge doesn't call for a thourough, official investigation of this matter she is derelect in her duties. It's time to take a stand in "Little Chicago".
I have been out of county for sometime, so perhaps this has been explored/tabled,etc., but I have wondered if there has been any movement to secure the property as a place where the kids of our community could gather when not in school? Originally touted to include facilities for the village's youth as part of its design when the pitch was made for community support, the Community Center failed as it ultimately left them out. After taking a tour this past summer, I was extremely disappointed that while there was a great, well designed posh area including a fireplace, for seniors to play cards and gather, and an over sized gymnasium sized area for meetings, there was nothing for the kids at all. I, too, hope it does not become a city/county government center, for all the reasons you've listed. I believe our community's youth are our most underserved population. And the Baptist church facility seems like it could become a state of the art center. Yes, these are economically challenging times, but grants and community will still exist.
Any feedback? Has this been explored by any single or collective of groups?
Note: I am closer to being a senior than I am a kid, have kids too old to be served by such a facility but see serving that sector of the population as paramount to the health of the overall community. Call me a dreamer...
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