Petition to Stoughton Council & Mayor
We, citizens of our city and townships, respectfully request that the Stoughton Common Council move with immediate and decisive action to terminate the Kettle Park West agreements and plans in a swift but careful manner.
• The developer has been unable to meet his commitments in the first two Developer’s Agreements and has now proposed a third agreement. Our community is against the TIF subsidies and any form of city-backed financial instruments or assistance. And our community is against the KPW project as a whole as shown by the recent referenda vote.
Secondly, we request the council conduct a formal public hearing on the proposed third Developer’s Agreement.
• We ask city staff and the developer present their current plans for the KPW projects, proposed TIF borrowing and payment schedules along with estimated interest costs, current job creation estimates, etc. followed by citizens’ questions of staff and developer and citizens’ comments.
• We ask this hearing be conducted on an evening, a week or so prior to the council’s final decision on whether to modify the Developer’s Agreement.
• We ask it be televised live with call in from those at home and in a room, such as the Opera House that can hold hundreds of citizens.
Thirdly, we request the city focus on re-developing the Downtown and riverfront to create a more viable community.
Updates
April 23, 2015
The Stoughton Common Council keeps dodging our calls while the developer continues to push this failed Kettle Park West plan. I am spending my time digging through the fine print of these agreements to expose exactly how much our tax dollars are being wasted. We will not let them slide this third deal past us without a public fight.
April 23, 2015
The momentum we have built makes it impossible for the Stoughton Council to keep ignoring our demands. These politicians need to understand that the Kettle Park West disaster ends now and we are not going away until they realize who they actually work for.
29 Comments
We need to focus our attention and funds on the true attractions that Stoughton possesses - our downtown and riverfront. I see no reason for our city to fund and coddle this Walmart development. If the goal is to attract new residents to our city, is an extra-large Walmart really the best idea we can come up with? It displays a sad lack of imagination on the part of the city.
The continued lack of transparency with the City Council and the public is a major concern. The City Council and the public are entitled to information about the new agreeement. It appears to the public that the developer was not able to meet commitments in the first agreement, thus the 2nd agreement. Then the developer is not able to meet commitments in the 2nd agreement, thus the 3rd. This should give pause to City staff as well as the City Council.
The time is now to respect the voices of the citizens of Stoughton, WI and quit masquerading around the KPW agreements. The people of Stoughton, WI voted on April 7th and stated they did not want TIF or ANY funds of any nature going to the development of a Super Walmart. They want their beautiful downtown revitalized. Small towns are precious and few and should be preserved along with beautiful farmland.
The focus of business should be downtown Stoughton and other local businesses. The proposed KPW project would do irreparable harm to downtown and other local businesses as well as to the general quality of life in the community, as has been experienced in other communities..
Stoughton's citizens, including myself, are not in favor of a TIF for KPW. I am not in favor of WalMart making its home in Stoughton. Stoughton is pastoral, quiet, dark at night, filled with the sounds of nature. Let's keep it that way.
Kill Kettle Park West - Keep taxes within present city.
.
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Petition to Stoughton Council & Mayor
We, citizens of our city and townships, respectfully request that the Stoughton Common Council move with immediate and decisive action to terminate the Kettle Park West agreements and plans in a swift but careful manner.
• The developer has been unable to meet his commitments in the first two Developer’s Agreements and has now proposed a third agreement. Our community is against the TIF subsidies and any form of city-backed financial instruments or assistance. And our community is against the KPW project as a whole as shown by the recent referenda vote.
Secondly, we request the council conduct a formal public hearing on the proposed third Developer’s Agreement.
• We ask city staff and the developer present their current plans for the KPW projects, proposed TIF borrowing and payment schedules along with estimated interest costs, current job creation estimates, etc. followed by citizens’ questions of staff and developer and citizens’ comments.
• We ask this hearing be conducted on an evening, a week or so prior to the council’s final decision on whether to modify the Developer’s Agreement.
• We ask it be televised live with call in from those at home and in a room, such as the Opera House that can hold hundreds of citizens.
Thirdly, we request the city focus on re-developing the Downtown and riverfront to create a more viable community.
Updates
April 23, 2015
The Stoughton Common Council keeps dodging our calls while the developer continues to push this failed Kettle Park West plan. I am spending my time digging through the fine print of these agreements to expose exactly how much our tax dollars are being wasted. We will not let them slide this third deal past us without a public fight.
April 23, 2015
The momentum we have built makes it impossible for the Stoughton Council to keep ignoring our demands. These politicians need to understand that the Kettle Park West disaster ends now and we are not going away until they realize who they actually work for.
29 Comments
Umm-three time the developer has tried to get money for this project, and the banks won't back him. That tells me something right there. Add in the referendum results and you would have to be a moronic money man to invest money in a public project where a majority of the public have clearly stated that they don't want the project. It would seem that there is a high probability that this developer will go belly-up before this project reaches fruition, leaving the public (us!!!) holding the bag!
We need to focus our attention and funds on the true attractions that Stoughton possesses - our downtown and riverfront. I see no reason for our city to fund and coddle this Walmart development. If the goal is to attract new residents to our city, is an extra-large Walmart really the best idea we can come up with? It displays a sad lack of imagination on the part of the city.
The continued lack of transparency with the City Council and the public is a major concern. The City Council and the public are entitled to information about the new agreeement. It appears to the public that the developer was not able to meet commitments in the first agreement, thus the 2nd agreement. Then the developer is not able to meet commitments in the 2nd agreement, thus the 3rd. This should give pause to City staff as well as the City Council.
The time is now to respect the voices of the citizens of Stoughton, WI and quit masquerading around the KPW agreements. The people of Stoughton, WI voted on April 7th and stated they did not want TIF or ANY funds of any nature going to the development of a Super Walmart. They want their beautiful downtown revitalized. Small towns are precious and few and should be preserved along with beautiful farmland.
The focus of business should be downtown Stoughton and other local businesses. The proposed KPW project would do irreparable harm to downtown and other local businesses as well as to the general quality of life in the community, as has been experienced in other communities..
Stoughton's citizens, including myself, are not in favor of a TIF for KPW. I am not in favor of WalMart making its home in Stoughton. Stoughton is pastoral, quiet, dark at night, filled with the sounds of nature. Let's keep it that way.
Kill Kettle Park West - Keep taxes within present city.
.
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Umm-three time the developer has tried to get money for this project, and the banks won't back him. That tells me something right there. Add in the referendum results and you would have to be a moronic money man to invest money in a public project where a majority of the public have clearly stated that they don't want the project. It would seem that there is a high probability that this developer will go belly-up before this project reaches fruition, leaving the public (us!!!) holding the bag!