Our Western Heritage

Our Western Heritage
Front Street, Dodge City, circa 1879

Sunday, July 15, 2007

CFAB Chair a conflict of interests?

Several private communications with us and careful study of definitions indicates that Mr. Starks' dual positions as chair of the CFAB and board member with Boot Hill Gaming, Inc. may not constitute actual "conflict of interest". However, there is little doubt that it is an ethical indiscretion on Mr. Starks part. We strongly suggest that anyone who shares this opinion privately encourage Mr. Starks to resign
one position or the other in order to save himself and both entities the appearance (if not he fact) of impropriety.

It goes without saying that since Mr. Starks is also a real estate broker, and since both the special events center and casino will require real estate acquisition as a building site, he should additionally refuse himself from any deliberation concerning the location of the new structures as he may have a vested financial interest in the outcome.

Finally, it is significant that the architectural firm hired by the city to
investigate a master plan for these two structures, in context with the rest of our community and in order to provide the most benefit to us, has only this week (for theumpty-umpth time) told the city again that it would be absolute folly to build either structure somewhere other than near the city core.

By our recollection, we now have only about 6 professional studies we have paid for which say the same thing about location of these structures. Several of which suggest that it would be financial suicide for the city to build elsewhere.

We wonder if those who advocate building somewhere on the "fence line" believe they are more erudite and experienced than 6 separate groups of professional planners. What do you think?

1 comment:

bubba67801 said...

I think those professional planners haven't spent much time in Dodge City or driven our streets. How is the big influx of traffic supposed to get to a casino and/or SEC in the "core of the city" on our $hitty little streets that make up the core of our city.

Think back to when the mall was built up north, the people went to the mall and the city grew all around the mall. The people will want to have easy access to the SEC and the casino and the city will grow around where they are built as well.

I think the local planners are more in touch with our local infrastructure better than those paid professionals.