The fountain of Stauss
Check out the story the City Beat had on Mayor Lynn Stauss' efforts to build a fountain to memorialize the 1997 flood in the middle of the Red River.
Now that's what I call chutzpah. You just can't keep the guy down.
He'd tried to get funding in 2002 before by suggesting that Grand Forks share a $1 million federal highway that both cities applied for but only Grand Forks got. I think it only ended because the feds stepped in and said highway money can't be used for a fountain.
So he's been waiting four years to bring it up again.
This time, he's asking his City Council to spend $100,000 that it had set aside for his River City market -- which implies he's coming back for more when that project gets going.
A source told me he'll ask for $100,000 from the water and light department, right after the city said it will ask -- actually tell -- the department to cough up $681,000 to help pay for the overhaul of the Civic Center. And that's with council members already wondering how utility fees can be kept from rising too high.
Add to this the expected request for $300,000 from the Grand Forks City Counci at a time when the council is trying to keep property taxes down. Council President Hal Gershman said he's not necessarily opposed to the request because the money could come from dike betterment funds, which have been used in the past for cosmetic improvements.
Anyway, this isn't a criticism of Stauss -- just sheer admiration. How the heck does he think he's gonna do this? But, then, I've heard of how hard he lobbied for dike money both from Congress and from the Legislature. Chutzpah got the job done, then, didn't it?
Then again, he did piss the hell out of the Grand Forks council when he went on talk radio in 2002 to gripe about how unfair it was for Grand Forks to keep that $1 million to itself.
Update 12:18 a.m., 6/21/06: The council voted last night to give Stauss his $100,000. The total cost is expected to be $800,000. The break down goes like this: $100,000 from the city, $100,000 from East Grand Forks water and light, $300,000 from Grand Forks and $300,000 from donations. The mayor suggested that people who got flood aid give back a little of what they got.
Now that's what I call chutzpah. You just can't keep the guy down.
He'd tried to get funding in 2002 before by suggesting that Grand Forks share a $1 million federal highway that both cities applied for but only Grand Forks got. I think it only ended because the feds stepped in and said highway money can't be used for a fountain.
So he's been waiting four years to bring it up again.
This time, he's asking his City Council to spend $100,000 that it had set aside for his River City market -- which implies he's coming back for more when that project gets going.
A source told me he'll ask for $100,000 from the water and light department, right after the city said it will ask -- actually tell -- the department to cough up $681,000 to help pay for the overhaul of the Civic Center. And that's with council members already wondering how utility fees can be kept from rising too high.
Add to this the expected request for $300,000 from the Grand Forks City Counci at a time when the council is trying to keep property taxes down. Council President Hal Gershman said he's not necessarily opposed to the request because the money could come from dike betterment funds, which have been used in the past for cosmetic improvements.
Anyway, this isn't a criticism of Stauss -- just sheer admiration. How the heck does he think he's gonna do this? But, then, I've heard of how hard he lobbied for dike money both from Congress and from the Legislature. Chutzpah got the job done, then, didn't it?
Then again, he did piss the hell out of the Grand Forks council when he went on talk radio in 2002 to gripe about how unfair it was for Grand Forks to keep that $1 million to itself.
Update 12:18 a.m., 6/21/06: The council voted last night to give Stauss his $100,000. The total cost is expected to be $800,000. The break down goes like this: $100,000 from the city, $100,000 from East Grand Forks water and light, $300,000 from Grand Forks and $300,000 from donations. The mayor suggested that people who got flood aid give back a little of what they got.
posted by Tu-Uyen at 10:53 PM
13 Comments:
I think a fountain would be a great addition to downtown. Might as well use the center pier for something.
I think the fountain is a great idea. I also think that donations, not taxpayer money, should pay for it.
The role of city government is to support essential city services. Police services, putting out fires, plowing snow, collecting garbage and providing sewer service. What it shouldn't be is spending public tax dollars to fund one man's quest for a water fountain. You want to look at water look at the river. It won't attract people downtown, there's nothing downtown in either city worth being attracted to. I'd rather have my money spent making sure my toilet flushes than this garbage...
Guess I shouldn't ask about a doggie park then..
I like the idea of the fountain (minus some of Stauss' ideas about catfish spitting water...tacky), but I don't see why GF is supposed to pay more than EGF since this is coming from EGF's mayor and so far has been pretty much just a EGF project.
Jeez, doesn't Stauss have enough of a monument to himself with the 'Taj Stauss'? The man's ego has no end...nor his desire to use other people's money...city funds (and thus tax revenue) to stoke it. How arrogant.
Besides, this fountain is going to cost a lot more to run in terms of power costs (imagine trying to keep it going November - March...and don't he Stauss isn't clueless enough not to try..which means the water would need a ton of heating).
One word..fiasco.
What happens when the North Dakota gales and Minnesota Prarie winds hit the water shooting 70' to 100' in the air? Who is going to be sitting on the restaurant patio's and Decks when this happens? Better draw a lot of people downtown to throw coins in the fountain because the rainbow colored water will shut down the remaining business...the restaraunts! On the Positive side, it could be advertised as Paul Bunyans' bidet.
"Paul Bunyans' bidet". I wish you would have posted your name. I intend to use your quote, but don't know who to give credit too.
This does seem like a good idea, in my opinion, except for the fact that it will cost $800k. 60-foot plumes of water and flags and lights might look pretty neat.
ahahahaha "Paul Bunyan's Bidet." what a title!
Some of Stauss' ideas verge on the tacky. When he proposed putting more lights on the Sorlie Bridge, he originally wanted to line it up and down with neon lights. I would have hated to see a historic structure like the bridge altered like that. I hope that any work on the pier maintains its historic look and is done with a certain level of class.
How does EGF have this kind of money to throw around? They're such a smaller city compared to Grand Forks I don't see any point to spend $1 million of EGF's money for a fountain. I think EGF has other worries that the money should go towards. The fountain better be big and noticable from a far to be worth the cash.
Just my opinion at this.
The fountain shud be left unfunded and left unsaid. The promotion from the mayor was that it would be a tourist attraction but a tourist attraction requires some substance, or uniqueness, neither of which this project has. I admire his spirit but not his originality. Build a DaVinci bridge, and they will come.
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