Update: N&R reporter Matt Williams comments below that Mrs. Carmany later informed him that she recalled the Cone-for-gas deal after she reviewed the minutes of the meeting. No word yet from Council members Johnson and Perkins.
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I meant to comment yesterday on the latest example of how some members of the Greensboro City Council are in the dark about actions by the City Manager's office. The N&R's article yesterday about how the City has agreed to give Cone Mills free methane gas that bubbles up and is captured at the White Street landfill was news to not only me... but also to several members of the Council. Matt Williams reported...
'When asked about the arrangement, some council members said they were not aware that Cone wasn't going to pay for the new landfill gas.... "I'll be honest. I didn't pick up on that," Council member Sandy Carmany. "I did not realize that it was being given away." Council member Yvonne Johnson also said she thought the city was going to charge Cone for the gas. Council member Robbie Perkins said he supports the plan, saying it helps both the city and a local business."
The article suggests our City Council has been placed on a 'need to know' basis by Assistant Manager Mitch Johnson and others. Councilwoman Gatton was completely up to speed and "said the deal was a good way to support a struggling local company without spending tax money." according to the article... and I agree... but that's not the point.
Back in March, I obtained the Sutton Kennerly report outlining the structural deficiencies at War Memorial Stadium. Come to find out, that June, 2003 report - which said that WMS is crumbling and was unsafe - was not only kept from the public, it was also apparently withheld from most members of the Council for reasons that are unclear.
If the City Manager's office is giving away free gas to Cone Mills and deep-sixing scathing structural reports without telling all of our City Council about it, what else is out there?
Every other request for economic incentives to industry comes before the Council for a full public airing - or at least I thought they did. In my view. the deal for free gas for Cone Mills would have been a slam dunk if the matter had seen the light of day. The arrangement exhibits creativity and a true benefit to a long-cherished Greensboro industry without saddling the taxpayers with excessive Dell-like ransom. Hell, I'm surprised some member of Council didn't make the issue a personal and very public cause because, on its face, the Cone-for-gas deal exhibits good government.
So why all of the secrecy? Is there something else going on? If there is... experience shows us it is possible that the City Manager's office isn't going to let the entire City Council in on it.
8:49:55 AM 
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