City's most recent Harrison Square "information request" response

I have copied my original information request that I submitted to the City of Fort Wayne on July 20th. I received the City's response by mail on August 25th. I decided to take a few days to "cool off" before I wrote this post. After four days I think I can post my response in a calm and collected way. My information request is listed below in italics. The City's responses are listed in red. My comments for this post are in purple.

Dear City of Fort Wayne:

I have attached this letter to my recent “Information Request” since there are so many items I would like copies of.

Please expedite this request as allowed by Indiana Code.

I ask that the request be expedited since this information will be voted on by our elected officials early next week.

I would like copies of the following items:

Note that I would also accept items uploaded to the City website as long as you contact me and let me know that they have been posted.

City Controller Pat Roller made a presentation to City Council on Tuesday July 17th, 2007. In her report “Sources and Uses of Funds (Present Value) I have several specific items I would like:
a. What Present Value factor was used in the calculations?
The city answered this question by providing the current estimated amortization
schedules.
b. There are several summary figures used in the presentations that were calculated
by the city. I would like a copy of how the following numbers were reached. I
would like all spreadsheets used to calculate the below figures as well as any
notes, reports, etc. These numbers were clearly calculated from something.
I am so upset about their answer to this that I am posting City Attorney Tim
Manges' response here in quotations. You have to read this to believe it. "There
are no responsive documents. The following is a breakdown of
amounts relevant to your requests. In general, these figures were either
the product of negotiated or oral estimates."
I have no idea how to even respond to this. We are spending over 60
million dollars of public funds based on oral estimates and do not
have documents showing how we derived these numbers! Good grief.
1. The report lists that 24.9 million of public funds will be used to construct a
ball park.
"For the mixed-use stadium, 24.9 million is a negotiated amount."
2. The report lists that 1.2 million of public funds will be used for Condos/Retail.
"For the condos and retail, $1.4 million is a negotiated amount."
So it looks like we are spending .2 million in public funds beyond
the amount presented to City Council.
3. The report lists that 4.3 million of public funds will be used for the hotel.
"The breakdown for the hotel is 2.3 million for land acquisition,
1.0 million for infrastructure, and 1.0 million for the bridge/
walkway."
4. The report lists that 12.6 million of public funds will be used for the parking
garage.
The City provided some documents to explain the $14,000 estimated per
parking space in the parking garage.
"For the garage, see the enclosed excerpts from the excerpts of
reports from Hock Associates and Carl Walker Inc. Hoch
originally estimated $12,000 per space. The estimate was
adjusted to $14,000 per space to reflect design changes. The total
of 12.6 million is based on 900 spaces."
5. The report lists that 21.1 million of public funds will be used for the land
and public infrastructure.
"For the land and public infrastructure, 21.1 million is comprised
of 10.7 million for the purchase of land, .7 million for demolition,
2.0 million for project administration, 3.4 million for capitalized
interest, 1.3 million for negotiation and issuance costs, and 3
million for infrastructure.
c. What are Cum Cap Revenues
"Cumulative capital improvement fund, or cum cap is defined in I.C.
6-7-1-31.1."
City provided a copy of this piece of Indiana Code.

Thanks in advance for your prompt response to this request.

Mike Sylvester, CPA

So we are going to spend over 60 million dollars of public funds and The City's cost estimates are based on negotiation and oral estimates in general per The City Attorney.

It just gets better and better. I have no doubt that the popularity of this project is going to continue to drop the more information that is released to the public.

Please remember that according to the last Zogby poll 2.45 resident oppose the Harrison Square Project for every one person who supports it.

Does anyone believe that they really do not have excel spreadsheets showing things like:
The total amount of money spent on land acquisition broken down by parcel?
Etc.

What do you think?

Mike Sylvester