THE GUARDIAN asked Mayor Nancolas and his Finance Director Eljay Waite repeatedly to let voters weigh in on this project with a simple advisory vote and was rebuffed each time. The fear was the vote would be a resounding NO and it would kill the project. TVCC may have been the first community college to locate in Caldwell but it was hit with the reality of voter supported College of Western Idaho.
Nobody knows the real costs to taxpayers for TVCC but the building cost $6MM, the furnishings cost another $1MM, the snack bar cost an additional $110k (two operators could not make a go of it), they are occupying the building on a half rent cost with additional money funneled to them for maintenance and upkeep to the tune of something north of $20k/year along with other perks from Caldwell Urban Renewal. When does this financial failure stop bleeding Caldwell taxpayers?
It has been reported to THE GUARDIAN, Caldwell Canyon Economic Development Director, Steve Fultz has been directed by Mayor
The only question is: What will the building be used for when TVCC finally pulls the plug on this very bad decision by our Mayor and Finance Director, Mr. Waite. We can only wait and see how Mayor Nancolas spins this into a success story for Caldwell.
THE GUARDIAN has been a long suffering critic of how urban renewal agencies in both Caldwell and Nampa, they have run rough-shod over property taxpayers in both cities. Caldwell now has TVCC as a millstone around the necks of Caldwell residents and Nampa has the Idaho Center and the yet to be completed Library Project under construction by Gardner Company who recently pulled out of the private part of the much heralded public private partnership in Nampa.
In summary: Why has one man, Eljay Waite, been allowed to punish the city of Caldwell? He has been allowed to operate CEURA with impunity and virtually no oversight for the last 15 years.
It is past time for the dismissal of this at will employee of the City and Urban Renewal Board Chairman. The books may balance but the projects Mr. Waite was allowed to fund with impunity and poor oversight need to be held in account to taxpayers.
ReplyDeleteAlso, it is time for Mayor Nancolas to start being the Mayor of Caldwell and pay attention to what is going on around him. The same can be said for the City Council. When will they get back to downtown property owners on the Resolution presented to them to dissolve the current UR Board?
I fully agree that one man has been allowed to punish Caldwell and it is past time to put a stop to it.
When large projects of any type get done without the light of day on them and some kind of scrutiny by those paying the bills, these projects almost always come away with egg all over the faces of those who created them. And worse urban renewal creates a greater than ever need for schools to go hat in hand to taxpayers for more money.
ReplyDeleteEljay Waite is a "my way or the highway" person. I say it is time to show him the highway to a graceful exit. His personality and dominance over all the money spent in Caldwell needs to come to a speedy conclusion.
ReplyDeleteyou should have included tom dale's photo along with pam white in your photos for this post. they all need to be tarred and feathered for the debts and stupid moves they have made over the years. can't believe tom dale will garner very many votes for county commissioner.
ReplyDeleteWhy is one person controlling all the money . That seems weird to me
ReplyDeleteWho is this Lj ?. What's his credentials ?
ReplyDeleteEljay Waite is the city finance director and chairman of the urban renewal agency.
DeleteREALLY!!! The same person . WOW !! is Eljay Waite elected ?
DeleteKinda reminds me of that guy that tried to sell me an old Chevy that blew smoke out of the tailpipe, used a quart of oil a day, and said it was a good car.
DeleteEljay says he will work one more year full time, and 2 years part time .I say pay him out for that amount and send him home now. Looking at what he has done with the ur money it could save us money. It would give the control of ur money the daylighting it has never had.It is not that he has done everything wrong it is that he has done everything without accountability. How did we sleep through this one ?
ReplyDeleteI read back through this blog regarding postings that related to TVCC and found this from 2010 from Mr. Waite himself. I would be interested to hear, now 4 years later, how this investment of tax dollars has worked out and what the alternatives are moving forward.
ReplyDeleteElJay
Monday, October 25, 2010 5:16:00 PM
The city funds that contributed to the TVCC purchase will earn $780,000 in interest over the next 4 years. That's five times the amount that would be earned at the state pool. That money will be used for projects for streets, water, sewer and perpetual care of our beautiful cemetery. This financing was in the best interest of Caldwell's tax and rate payers as all proceeds remain with the city and help save interest costs for future projects by paying with cash instead of loans or bonds. There are currently 830 students enrolled at TVCC. That number is expected to approach 2,000 in the next few years. TVCC will pay more rent each year as enrollment increases to an amount around $360,000. CWI is in the mix and has been for two years but I can't disclose any of the potential plans yet. My office is open to all of you and I encourage you to come see me and I will try to answer your questions (455-4638). Paul, it's about time you buy me lunch and return the favor. The TVCC building is not planned to be City Hall. There are better alternatives.
Lj man up and resign
Deleteyou had all the keys to the city and you failed. RESIGN
The Mayor and City Council have been allowed to be lazy in their jobs with Eljay running the whole show. If things continue to get worse at TVCC and the group of downtown business people actually stand up and say enough is enough, I expect the mayor will throw Eljay under the bus on all the chickens headed home to roost. Heretofore, people have been pretty complacent about how dumpy downtown looks but I sense an awakening by the very people who can make a difference. My issue with them is how long it has taken for this to happen. Nancolas has been allowed to spin-speak for years without accountability.
ReplyDeleteWhy are people living in Caldwell allowing this . I bet if you did a outside audit you would find something Fishy
ReplyDeleteYou're all looking in the wrong place, asking for Eljay's head. He's simply doing the bidding of King Nancolas. The King has had his run, time to get a real job like the rest of us. Same with City Council that allows it to continue.
ReplyDeleteI have it all figured out. Just use Urban Renewal money to buy Trollley Square, bulldoze it, and build a new jail. That fixes all the problems - it's a win-win-win, even the pizza guy across the street.
ReplyDeleteIf the mayor wants to enjoy the perks of the job that allow him to sing on stage, council the Youth advisory committee, and all the other fresh baked cookies warm and fuzzy yabba dabba doo things that come with the job, so be it. Frankly, he's a good PR man. But this is business. Somebody with a semblance of qualifications who brings leadership skill sets needs to be in a position of authority to be handling the operations of Caldwell, Inc. and it's $50 plus million dollar budget along with the $60-$70 million in UR funds and be held accountable for the decisions made.
ReplyDeleteIn the private sector, Mr. Waite would have been let go long ago. Someone please tell me why this hasn't happened and shouldn't be demanded based on looking at Caldwell as a business?
"In the private sector, Mr. Waite would have been let go long ago. Someone please tell me why this hasn't happened and shouldn't be demanded based on looking at Caldwell as a business?"
ReplyDeleteActually in the private sector he would be given a huge pay raise and bonus with stock options.
Nice photo of Eljay, he looks like the most corrupt, dishonest, used car salesman that just sold his own mother a non-running vehicle and cleaned out her life savings in the process. Bet he also thinks he something with the lady folk.
The Mayor looks like he just got caught in that deal with Eljay and his mom. I think Paul should have been elected Mayor, but no doubt Nancolas and Waite both paid junior high and high school students to stuff the ballots in favor of Garrett.
Personal attacks only undermine the efforts by those seeking change in this community and distract from the facts. This is business and the business of Caldwell has been a failure to it's shareholders-although at least the shareholders can vote out the person in position-which is more than we can say about the current CEUR chairman.
Delete52. The world will not fall apart if you do not attend the National League of Cities conference in Washington, D.C
ReplyDeletePerish the thought if Nancolas cold not travel with a bunch of children to the NLC in DC. He thinks the MYAC is job #1 and has let Eljay run the city for years and years. I can only wonder when people will take notice of this.
I forgot to state 52 is the statement of the 100 things Bob Henry has learned as Mayor of Nampa. This was printed in the paper today.
Delete#70. Held a breakfast for more than 30 local developers to stress the message that Nampa wants Growth.
ReplyDelete#97. With Recent developments, I am pretty happy that Nampa Development Corp. is made up of City Council members.
100 things the mayor of Nampa has learned. As written by the editor, or former editor of the newspaper, Vicky Holbrook who is the "public information officer" for the mayor.
ReplyDeleteI think her title is now more along the lines of: SpinS, Lies, DaMn LiEs and DIstoRTionS.
The fact is that not everyone subscribes to the daily paper.
I sure wish that Mayor Henry would come out from hiding behind her skirts. She was to much of a Team Tom Person.
DeleteI don't think Mayor Henry is hiding from anyone and has been very forthright in trying to deal with the mess handed off to him by County Comm. Candidate Tom Dale. The daily paper had another article on Mayor Henry and the Library project. He stated openly, the bonds have been sold, the library is under construction and it is past the point of no return. They have to make the best of the situation they find themselves in at this point in time.
DeleteThe problem with Nampa and Caldwell urban renewal agencies is people wanted to believe in the Tooth Fairy and all the things done were free. Now we all know that just was not the case.
I sure hope that Mayor Henry lives up to his trust but verify motto. There are still Team Tom moles in his City Hall and he needs to get them out of there.
DeleteI didn't see #101 which would be the impending repeal of the 22% franchise fee (tax) on our garbage bill
ReplyDeletePaul,
ReplyDeleteIs there any chance of getting this list of 100-things the Mayor has "learned" in office? I don't subscribe and have no seen it online.
Also, were you aware that the Mayor's Prayer breakfast on May 1st at the civic center is an actual violation of church and state? I overheard this in a downtown restaurant along with a complaint was filed with the Freedom From Religion Foundation.
Thanks.
You can find the list in the online version of the Idaho Press Tribune this past week. It should come up this way or you can ask for it from the Nampa City Clerk via a public records request.
ReplyDeletehere's a link..
Deletehttp://www.idahopress.com/members/nampa-mayor-bob-henry-things-i-learned-in-my-first/article_5b5ce24e-c68e-11e3-88b3-0019bb2963f4.html
I still want to know Mr. Ljay Waite credentials prior to taking total control of all Caldwell City finances.
ReplyDeleteWe have all in our own way excepting Mayor Garret Nancolas local kid worked as a salesman at Blacker furniture before Blackers went bankrupt. We have given Mayor Nancoles 4 terms of leading our city knowing mayor Nancoles has no more than a high school diploma. But having our city run financially by Mr Eljay Waite is crazy .I would like to know what Mr. Waite credentials are .Mr Waite please post your credentials for all to see. The mayor made Mr. Waite Finance Director / Chairman of our Urban Renewal Board. Look around folks city budget around 50 million a year and the city had close to 90 million of urban renewal funds going threw there board room since 1998 . We all need to wake up. In closing Jim Blacker who been on our city council forever and bankrupt Blackers furniture and was the Mayors old boss . What is he doing leading our city .
ReplyDeleteCaldwell needs to wake up .