Just last week three councilmembers had to fend off a 1% tax increase suggested by both Mayor Elizabeth Kautz and councilmember Dan Gustafson. Citing the horrible way that the city looked due to decreased grass cutting, Kautz wanted to raise funds out of the taxpayers pockets to curb this growing problem (sorry, I couldn’t resist)–so she says. In fact, what Mayor Elizabeth Kautz wanted to do was spend well over $150,000 dollars on the failed Burnsville PAC to try and jump start what is considered by many to be the biggest failure in the MSP suburbs in recent history.
According to the Burnsville City Council regular meeting agenda for 9/22/2009 (PDF), there are three items which merit a closer look. Strangely enough, two of these items were placed in the consent agenda–I assume so that the slimy bitch mayor could hope to pull a fast one on the rest of the council and get her fucking way:
D. Consider Approval of Transaction to Acquire the Burnsville Performing Arts Center (BPAC) Marquee Sign, Sponsored by Frontier Communications.
E. Consider Authorizing Staff to Advertise Bids for Purchase of an Orchestra Shell for the Burnsville Performing Arts Center and Authority to Purchase in an Amount not to Exceed $140,000.
The third item, properly placed in the regular agenda states:
6. Consider Authorizing the Purchase of Audio Visual Equipment, Window Treatments, and Arbor Spacers for the Burnsville Performing Arts Center.
1. Now don’t be alarmed by the headline I used to catch your attention above. Burnsville is going to say, “But wait a minute, the orchestra shell will be covered by the ‘leftover’ funds from the PAC construction, this isn’t any new spending!” To which, as you probably already know, is ridiculous when the PAC is already in the hole and there is no need to dig it any deeper. So yes, the $140,000 suggested for this orchestra shell is coming out of money that is already available, but shouldn’t it be going to cover the debt owed by the city (and held over the citizens through reduction in service) and not another piece of a venue which has no direction, very few events, and poor management?
2. The orchestra shell argument aside, let’s take a look at the marquee sign item. Now, this particular agenda item gives nothing more specific than it will be “acquired”. Does this mean that Frontier Communications, who bought the sign in the first place as payback for being allowed to monopolize wireless Internet service in Burnsville, will just hand it over to the city or will the city have to purchase it from them? The sign itself, the last time I checked, was in disrepair and wasn’t functional (this was months ago, I don’t make it a habit to stare at the PAC). Is this an attempt by the city to take it over and make the necessary repairs ($) or is this yet another way for Queen Bitch to give even more money to Frontier?
3. The final item regarding A/V equipment, window treatments, and arbor spacers is just batshit crazy. We’ve talked time and time again about how the place is failing and can’t drum up business doing what it was originally meant to do yet the Burnsville City Council and Staff seem to feel that you can’t make money unless you spend millions more. Instead of concentrating on how window treatments and A/V equipment could bring in more potential events (which VenuWorks doesn’t seem to go after with the infrastructure they already have) they should be concentrating on how to operate that monstrosity properly without spending another additional dime. Perhaps it’s time for the Burnsville City Staff to start managing VenuWorks instead of the other way around.
In the end, Burnsville is probably going to end up spending money on the PAC to the tune of $150,000 or more when it’s been performing well below that for months (BTW, I still have not yet received last month’s PAC financial reports–they’re stalling again–as usual) and you, the taxpayer, are going to get fucked whether you like it or not. It’s time for more people to stand up at these meetings and ensure that the items which are currently on the consent agenda get pulled for discussion so that Mayor Elizabeth Kautz (the sneaky, slimy, finagling little monster that she is) doesn’t get her way as easily as she had hoped.
What do you think about the prospects of Burnsville spending $140,000 on the orchestra shell, possibly thousands more on the PAC marquee sign, and then who knows how much on the A/V equipment and window treatments? Do you think that it’s right for the mayor, just a few weeks before, to suggest a 1% tax increase claiming they’ve cut everything they can and then come back later and say, “oh we need more money to put into our spectacular money pit!”?
Whatever you think about the atrocities that continue to occur in Burnsville regarding the Performing Arts Center, feel free to comment on and let everyone, especially those on the Burnsville City Council and Staff, hear what you have to say.
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September 17th, 2009 at 11:10 am
First, didnt someone say a few weeks ago that the BPAC was just days/weeks from signing a really big name for a marquee end of summer/fall performance? Any word on this?
Second, how are sales for the “Broadway” Christmas play coming?
Third, I dont think another dollar should go into this place until someone capable of the job is hired as the manager, and a firm capable of the job is hired as the promoter. Clearly the people involved have run the place into the ground. If the shell and additional items are needed to make this place work, they should have been part of the initial construction. Both are excuses as to why it is failing, and we will be out another 150K to prove it.
I am interested to see what the deal about the sign is. It works, but its ugly and it sits on the ground like someone forgot to buy the pole it was supposed to be mounted on.
September 17th, 2009 at 11:15 am
What a train wreck. We sure do have our share of delusional politicians south of the river, dont you think?
This place will NEVER make money. EVER.
September 17th, 2009 at 11:17 am
I wonder if Kautz thinks the resale value on her condo will go up if the BPAC gets more improvements? I’m also waiting for the bandshell or courtyard area to get her name on it..
September 17th, 2009 at 12:17 pm
The agenda packet for Tuesday’s council meeting should be posted on the Burnsville city website either late this afternoon or tomorrow. The clerk stated that there is background info concerning the possible acquiring of the PAC marquee sign…….. maybe it’s because NO ONE is signing up for their $50 per month WiFi. They still haven’t installed north of 42 and it’s been nearly four years on their five year NO BID contract with Kautz’s Burnsville. My gut feeling is that Frontier will be bailing out of the WiFi business AND WE the taxpayers will be stuck paying Frontier AGAIN. As far as the “band” shell is concerned….. Didn’t VenuWorks use that as an excuse for not signing any performers to fill the PAC ? Just how gullible is this council anyway ? Obviously they believe anything that is told to them.
September 17th, 2009 at 12:46 pm
Unless I am shown a business case that obligates VenuWorks to book 6 events per year that require an Orchestra Shell that will generate net new revenues that the PAC would not have obtained without an Orchestra Shell and the shell with a price tag of $140K and it can not be paid off with net new revenues in three years, I am not in favor of spending this money on an Orchestra Shell, or any money on AV equipment or blinds.
Maybe we should route the mayor and council members to be a guest on the Suzi Orman show, during the segment, “Can you afford it????” and watch them get DENIED!!
September 17th, 2009 at 12:54 pm
Will be fun to watch if they buy this asset for $140K and keep track of how many shows they get because of it. Hmmm, who is going to be held accountable for when they buy this shell and there is no increae in shows and even if there is an increase in shows, no one attends the event that needed a shell that would have generated revenue to pay for the $140K shell?
Whatever, just keep on spending and throwing good money after bad. No planning, no forecasting, no justification, no accountability is required for the City of Burnsville when it comes to spending money on the PAC / HOC.
September 17th, 2009 at 1:15 pm
Does the Lakeville PAC have an Orchestra Shell? If so how much did it cost? How many events leverage it every year? How was it funded?
September 17th, 2009 at 1:16 pm
I think it’s fairly obvious that Burnsville is going to end up blaming VenuWorks when they finally do get around to saying that it’s not working (they’ll never said it’s “failing”) but the real root of the problem is that the city refuses to manage the management company.
They shouldn’t be micromanaging but they certainly shouldn’t be allowing VenuWorks to go weeks at a time without adding a single new event to the calendar. VW, I’d really like you to tell everyone what exactly it is that you get paid to do when you aren’t adding *any* (and by that I’m including their lame art gallery stuff too) new events to the calendar?
September 17th, 2009 at 1:21 pm
TL, I don’t believe Lakeville has one but their venue is tiny.
September 17th, 2009 at 1:45 pm
1. What sort of acts require an orchestra shell?
2. Has there been any sort of marketing or survey of past patrons of the PAC; visitors to the website; and/or the general Burnsville community to demonstrate that this type of act will a) sell tickets and b) generate revenue?
3. Can Burnsville rent a shell once, market the heck out of the act/performance and determine whether the community can/will support the type of act that requires a shell? I mean, I’d rather rent a shell, and have an “out” on the rental contract if tickets don’t sell (remember George Jones), and get out of the rental contract that way, than spend $140k to purchase the thing and find out too late that Burnsvillians aren’t interested in paying to attend choral concerts (or whatever its used for).
4. Does the Mraz Center have one? What do their ticket sales look like for acts/performers that use it? (then discount the sales to take into account, parents/grandparents/family members who “have” to buy a ticket to the show, because that motivation won’t be present if it’s an out of town troupe using this thing)
5. Is VW saying they “have” to have a shell to “make” this place a success? What about the other venues VW is “marketing”? Do they have orchestra shells? How is that working out? Are they getting used/selling tickets/etc.? If not, who is to say that its going to be any different here?
Just a few minor questions that I think need to be thought about before certain council members vote on this decision. We know that Kautz and Gustafson are going to vote “yes” without pondering these difficult questions. I guess what I am wondering is, will Crichton, Sherry and Kealey ask the tough questions and demand concrete answers before voting on this item?
September 17th, 2009 at 1:49 pm
Hmmm, blame VenuWorks, nice cop out for the real root of the issue (No, I am not a VenuWorks sympathizer as they definitely were a major contributor to the design of the PAC and put forth the annual budgets which they are not delivering to). The real blame for this train wreck should be put on Kautz, Workman and Gustafson for voting to build this $20 Million Dollar and $3 Million Dollar Garage resulting in a money pit with a huge operational loss of more than $300,000 annually. Hundreds of signatures in petitions were placed before the council, citizens pleading with the council not to take on this shrine to a few and saddle the tax payers with tens of millions in debt. With the known competition from the Zoo, Mystic Lake, the Lakeville PAC, Minnehaha Comedy Club now opening at Anthony’s Parkway Grill in October, and other theatres in Minneapolis this situation was apparent for those that had open eyes and ears. I personally wonder if any management company would be able to have the PAC turn a profit for this white elephant that the tax payers of Burnsville will be saddled with for generations to come at the expense of needed services being cut in Burnsville.
Take a step back; VenuWorks still gets paid every month. Heck, please pay me a $100,000 a year salary with no measured commitments to meet and I would take a little heat for non performance as well!!
Thank you sooo much Mayor Kautz for imposing your VISION upon the citizens of Burnsville and future generations of Burnsville residents to pay for in the decades to come!! I hope you feel it is worth it!! I hope they rename the PAC after Kautz until they find a sucker company to pay for the naming rights to the empty facility, so the failure that it is known to be, will be directly attributed to her!!
September 17th, 2009 at 1:50 pm
If a vote is in the offing to buy the PAC Marquee sign from Frontier, Shouldn’t mayor Kautz recuse herself because of her $1200.00 questionable reelection contribution from said company?
September 17th, 2009 at 1:58 pm
YOU’RE DAM RIGHT SHE SHOULD !!!!!!!!
September 17th, 2009 at 2:18 pm
Hmmm, I can not think of a single vote Kautz has recused herself from. While I tend to agree with you Will, good luck with all of that!! Eager to see the details on why the city is approving the transaction to acquire the marqee when the marquee clearly stated that it was Donated by Frontier for months and still retains the Frontier Advertising on both sides of the marquee. Is Frontier backing out of the donation due to there are not enough events there to warrant the donation and the city is getting socked with the costs of the marquee?
September 17th, 2009 at 10:55 pm
Here is the link to the agenda packet for Tuesday’s Burnsville council meeting. The information is on page 22 concerning the payment for the PAC Marquee sign. In simple terms the Burnsville taxpayer is getting screwed again. WE bought the sign and Frontier is going to make donations to the Friends of the Burnsville Performing Arts Center.
http://www.burnsville.org/DocumentView.aspx?DID=1425
September 17th, 2009 at 11:56 pm
Thanks for the heads up Will.
The Marquee sign cost $34,261.50 to pocure and install. Frontier has only committed to donate $7,500 per year for 10 years starting in 2009. It appears to me that the city is now being asked to pay for the sign and installation to the tune of $34,261.50 and $1,083 in interest for the loan for a year as the donations from Frontier of $7,500 per year come in they will go to VenuWorks.
VenuWorks paid Sign Source, sign contractor, $34,261.50 for signage and has incurred $1,083 in interest for the loan obtained by VenuWorks for the Marquee.
The sign will be recorded as an asset of the facility, and thus property of
the City of Burnsville. Payments made by Frontier under the terms of the agreement with them shall be received by VenuWorks as revenue owed to the City and recorded to the BPAC Enterprise Fund. The entire Performing Arts Center Project needs to be audited immediately.
Three Points:
1. The marquee sign was not “Donated by Frontier” as was stated on the Marquee for months!!
2. It will take more than 5 years for the donations from Frontier of $7,500 to cover the cost of the Marquee and leverage the tax payers cost of capital for the Marquee. Hardly a factual statement that the Marquee Sign was “Donated by Frontier”.
3.. What budget is this $34,261.50 and $1,083 coming from? Where is this BPAC Enterprise Fund? What is the balance of this fund? Is this $34,261.50 and $1,083 funded by the general fund with tax payers dollars? How is the BPAC Enterprise Fund, funded? Where is this balance sheet for this account? Will this ~$35,300 go against the operational costs of the BPAC creating a further deficit against the budgeted $300K operating loss for 2009?
I cringe at this creative accounting and an audit of the entire Burnsville Performing Arts Center budgets, accounts and funding sources should be audited by a third party entity immediately. The City of Burnsville is not forthcoming with the monthly balances of these funds, accounts and accounting transactions with the level of detail necessary to accurately reflect the Operations of the Burnsville Performing Arts Center and accurately reflect the financial heath of the operations on a monthly basis.
The City of Bursville is so far over their head with the operations of this white elephant expenditure. No one is raising any red flags and coming forth with the detailed balance sheets and monthly financial reports that any other business would be required to produce to the bank to justify the operation of the business against their outstanding loans from the bank. Why is the City of Burnsville getting a free pass on providing the details on spending millions of our tax dollars by issuing bonds and paying these other expenditures from unpublished, undocumented accounts and how these accounts are funded?
September 18th, 2009 at 12:05 am
UNBELEIVABLE!!
Several revenue enhancing ideas for the BPAC were discussed at the July 14 Council Worksession. One of these was the need for an orchestra shell to make the facility more attractive to orchestras and musical productions,
generally. The shell was originally intended to be paid for through fund raising efforts. While the fund raising effort of the Friends of the Burnsville Performing Arts Center (FOBPAC) was very successful in acquiring improved seating, sound system upgrades, flooring upgrades, mirrors and rails in the rehearsal room, and a variety of other improvements, the orchestra shell was a bit out of reach. Council directed staff to research purchasing options for the shell and bring back to a future meeting for consideration.
The Friends of the Burnsville Performing Arts Center fail to deliver on a commitment and now they are going to use a suprlus (Tax Payer dollars) to fund a commitment that the FOBPAC failed to deliver upon? So when the Operational Budget at the end of the year does not balance against the budgeted $300K in losses, to the tune of several hundreds of thousands of dollars, who is going to fund this short fall?
September 18th, 2009 at 12:22 am
It should be noted that the BPAC staff has requested additional purchases of a piano ($10,000), wood dance floor ($13,832), and black box curtains, riser legs and ladders ($17,000). BPAC staff feels these purchases would lead
to increased facility revenues. These items are not included in this request only to preserve Council flexibility to apply remaining BPAC construction funds to debt service. Council can, of course, direct staff to do otherwise.
Gee, anything else BPAC staff wants to request that they FEEL would lead to increased facility revenues?
I FEEL we need a NEW BPAC staff who can book events in this new $23+ Million Dollar Facility to generate some revenue and stop making excuses!!
September 18th, 2009 at 9:00 am
WTF
WTF
WTF
No really, WTF. What did $23,000,000 buy? Because it did not buy a piano, a dance floor, curtains, riser legs, ladders, an orchestra shell, a sign, improved seating, sound system upgrades, flooring upgrades, mirrors, or rails in the rehearsal room.
Someone needs to tell them the well is dry. You dont get to keep coming back for more $$. Take your 23 MILLION DOLLAR facility and figure out how to make $1 dollar on it this year. Quit screwing around with excuses and do something.
Please?
September 18th, 2009 at 9:48 am
TL, How do you spell “Slush Fund”? I totally agree with you regarding an independent audit of this entire mess. Open the books of the FOBPAC. Frontier NOW gets free advertising as they make contributions to the 501(c)(3) Friends of the PAC while we the taxpayers foot the bill for the marquee sign. This is another example of the multifaceted Burnsville Chamber of Commerce in action .
September 20th, 2009 at 2:22 pm
A little unrelated, but had to share… Burnsville’s mayor randomly just walked through the 1200 club last night around midnight or so… very very weird to see!!!
September 20th, 2009 at 6:13 pm
The 1200 Club at the Burnsville Bowl at Midnight?? A little after the Queen’s bedtime I would say. Very strange place to see her at such an hour.
September 21st, 2009 at 9:46 am
Is the of the 501(c)(3) Friends of the Burnsville Performing Arts Center, 1) A ruse set up to “extort” more money from the Burnsville taxpayer to squander on the failing PAC, OR 2) Has very few “friends” capable of delivering the needed money for the Items/Enhancements as stated on its website which includes the orchestra shell enclosure, audio system, video system, curtains, etc., which the city council will consider funding at tomorrow’s meeting. The total amount of taxpayer money could reach nearly $200,000.00 if the council votes for all items requested for the PAC. These items are listed on page 15 of this pdf file:
htt://www.fobpac.org/files/Burnsville_casebook_6-22-07.pdf
September 21st, 2009 at 11:43 am
Sorry for the typo…. Here is the correct link address for the above post.
http://www.fobpac.org/files/Burnsville_Casebook_6-22-07.pdf
September 21st, 2009 at 3:13 pm
Thanks for the presentation link Will.
Dang! Here is the list of items that the Friends of the Burnsville PAC will be using donations to fund. Looks to me like the Friends have failed to generate enough donations to fund these items and now the tax payers of Burnsville are going to foot the bill for many of these items!! I would say go without them until the Friends can meet their obligation with donations to obtain these nice to have items!!
PROSCENIUM THEATRE
• Theatrical dimming / control system
• Theatrical lighting fixtures
• Stage rigging and curtains
• Main drape at proscenium opening
• Stage trap platform system
• Audio System
• Video system
• Orchestra shell enclosure
• Theatre seating (1,000 total)
• Grand piano
BLACK BOX THEATRE
• Theatrical dimming / control system
• Theatrical lighting fixtures
• Pipe grid and curtains
• Audio system (verify with Consultant)
• Seating (150 total) and platform system
ART GALLERY
• Finishes, lighting and display equipment
FURNISHINGS, FIXTURES, EQUIPMENT
• Lobbies – Seating, tables, bars
• Rehearsal and Green Room furnishings
• Scene shop equipment / personnel lifts
• Donor Wall
• Cornerstone, time capsule, dedication plaque
LANDSCAPING
• Plaza along park
• Rain garden for storm water management
October 7th, 2009 at 10:32 am
[...] budget crisis? What budget crisis? If there was a budget crisis Burnsville would not have purchased more unnecessary shit for an event center few use and instead would have used that money to pay down [...]