Tag: Paris Texas Chamber of Commerce

 

 

 

 According to a circulating report (one of many) ON the city of paris verses Alarid . . . .

. . . . the apparent stoppage of work on the downtown properties owned by David Alarid is the fault of the City of Paris, Texas, as – either thru’ deliberate ignorance or stupidity – the city is still riding its high horse.

A poor animal that should have died of old age 30-years ago.

Seems the city recently “red tagged” the First National Bank building. But before any restoration effort started, the city reportedly said a red tag did not exist. (A building is normally red-tagged because it doesn’t have a permit or has structural issues or violates building codes.)

The Paris Texas Chamber of Commerce is told that a person cannot legally enter a building that has been red-tagged, unless they have a special permit.

So, here we are today: The city has red-tagged the bank building (and other properties) in order to cut-off utilities to Alarid’s residence. A sneaky and odious harassment.

The report is that while Alarid was in Austin for extended specialized medical care, he missed paying electric bills mailed to his residence. So the provider switched power off for non-payment.

After Alarid’s return to Paris, the bill was paid. The company saying the energy would be on the next day. Then they called, saying that they could not turn power back on, as the city reported the building was in violation of city codes, and stating it would not approve the meter, unless it was removed from the interior of the building (where it has been for years), and re-attached outside the building.

Local Political Fluff

All this, according to Alarid, is just another excuse to prevent restoration of his property.

It does seem to rank as another harassment. Without electricity, he’s limited on what can be done. All he can do is sit on the sidewalk: The one the 2012 Paris City Council approved repairing – stop its draining of rainwater into the bank’s basement area and damaging the structure – years before Alarid purchased the building. Now, the city has blocked access to the sidewalk and allows it to continue to do more damage, as the water continues to pour in — 

In 2012, twelve years ago the city admitted its responsibility for the sidewalk, but now claims it’s Alarid’s responsibility – and has blocked his access to his property, which means he cannot even pump the water out — ?

Currently, the city

  • wants the electric meter moved from the basement to the facade of the building ( which seems to violate state and federal historical regulations, which prohibit anything that cause the facade to be different than historically accurate).

  • It states the meter is not safe in the basement, and that Oncor does not want it there in case of a need to turn the power off. But Alarid points out that Oncor does not care and turns the power on and off on the roof of the building.

But cutting off utilities at Alarid’s residence is just a tie-in to his other still-to-be-restored properties, which amounts to an estimated 141,000 square feet (an estimated 83,500 in Rodgers-Wade, 52,500 in the FNB; and 5,400 in the Varner building). By claiming “code violations” the city will not allow utilities to these properties.

Does anyone at the City of Paris consider that when doing re-modeling or construction, code is only a factor when the work is fully completed? Only then can it be determined as upgraded or acceptable? Using ‘code’ as an excuse to prevent bringing things up to code is not how things are accomplished in the real world.

Putting the cart in front of the horse is not the best way to get results . . .

The Paris Chamber doesn’t care if Alarid is an aggressive, arrogant, dumb as part of a smart horse, one of the nicest guys on earth or crazy as some of your relatives. Its his money being spent for improvements. Not the taxpayers. Not the city’s.

His money.

These on-going years of the city demands of  “meeting code” and demanding permits and other mickey mouse jumping thru hoops, and later changing demands, revoking permits and requiring new ones … simply is wrong.

Its also bone-deep stupid; especially, when you’re giving money and other incentives to others to build low-income slums.

You don’t brag about doing the best for the community when you stop someone from spending their own money to improve over 140,000 square feet of downtown buildings.

And no one asks, “Why would Alarid want to destroy the value of his own property?”

BOTTOM LINE

It seems the city is demanding that Alarid “…must comply with all zoning ordinances.”  But, no, what the City of Paris is saying is, “YOU do what we tell you to do!”  And if those demands fail state and national historical restoration standards, “that’s your problem.”  Its political nonsense gone mad (not angry, crazy).  Some of the city’s reported previous demands have been outside any existing ordinances.

And all ordinances are not enforced equally. Period.  Surely, the city realizes that not all ordinances are enforced? Consider:

  • grass and weeds are growing far taller – some of which have not been cut for 4-years or more – on properties all over Paris, including around utility poles, street signs, right-of-ways, and some city-owner properties in violation of ordinances

  • Autos and other vehicles are parked in front yards and on or in non-designated parking areas in violation of ordinances

  • City planned and approved street intersections that do not meet ordinance requirements

  • Commercial businesses in zoned residential areas (without ordinance required permits or without approved zoning changes)

  • Single-family homes permitted and constructed in retail and commercially zoned areas

  • Historical District (homes and buildings) city permitted that do not meet national historical accuracy

  • Buildings, commercial and residential, that fail regulations and codes on health, fire, litter and junk.

As exemption after exemption are permitted on other ordinances and zoning, if this all goes to court, how can the city justify its demands?

What kind of stupidity tells a property owner that he or she cannot spend their own money to improve their own property, when the city is spending millions of taxpayer dollars to try and improve the property for others in the same downtown area? 

But, is putting zigs-and-zags in downtown streets improvements?

It certainly does not improve traffic safety.

The city wasted more than a decade trying to improve the Grand Theater, a downtown historical-designated building, but failed to do so after spending over a half-million dollars ear-marked for that purpose, and has recently handed it over to another group to try and accomplish it.

IF the city can’t improve its own historical property, how can it demand the right to tell others how to do it. . . ?

The City of Paris can talk about “must comply” all it wants but, as a servant (supposedly) for the public, it cannot selectively enforce a demand that does not meet the test of “equal treatment.” Or demand others to foul-up as much as the city has in improving its own properties.

To be correct, government can do anything it wants to – until someone says, “NO!” (And means it.)

The way things are going, it’s likely to end up being the City of Paris vs Alarid, and whatever happens will cost taxpayers more money to pay for the stupidity.

Surely, adults, regardless of personalities, can find common ground to do what is best for Paris?

IF not, why not?

 

                       Return to   Paris Texas Chamber of Commerce

The objective of the Paris Texas Chamber of Commerce is simply to be a voice for those of us in the community who, otherwise, would have no voice.

  

Where else will you see, read or hear anything that dissents from or even question what citizens are told relating to a City of Paris issue, or an endeavor of the tax-supported Paris Economic Development Corporation (PEDC)?    

When all other reporting entities are selling the same thing – and doing it with the same look, the same smell, and echoing what they’ve been told from the same source – isn’t there something wrong?

How many other local news entities are explaining that what’s being sold is something that will always cost taxpayers money, now or in the near future?

There’s no transparency on the what, who, why, and all the costs, but shouldn’t one entity, at least, be asking serious questions about those things?

Over the last five or six years, other than the Paris Chamber, which news outlet in Paris dissents or offers a counterpoint on what the local leadership is planning to do, is doing or has done, the way it is or is not being done, or will be done, and reports the total costs?

Yep.

None.

Not one.

They ignore the fact that each of us know there’s never complete 100% agreement on anything!  There’s always someone who is like a pig with laryngitis; disgruntied.

(Yes; pitiful. A bad pun.)

 

Anyway, when it comes to what The Three Mustyrears advocate; then, its kumbaya –    They pat themselves and the local Happy Talk media on the back, signaling a naive idealism and a sort of a touchy-feely, hand-holding spirit of a make-believe rosy-eyed unity.

However, as years roll by we never see, read or hear about the failures.

We never see, read or hear of all the incentives given or promises made to firms that locate in Paris, or how the decisions are made on which firms will be given or denied incentives. Especially, cash.

What are the guidelines on giving cash, if any? How is it justified? 

Besides stupidity?

NEVER have taxpayers seen or read or heard the results of a full forensic examination of the total cost of the incentives given: Every dollar for every incentive is a direct costs to Paris taxpayers.  Even the incentives are not reported: It’s always “and other incentives.”

NEVER do we ever see, read or hear the total cost of incentives provided to those industries and businesses that fail, but taxpayers need to know how many dollars we’re waving bye-bye to . . .

no objectivity, no accountability.

And until now, there’s been no public objections over the city council’s insanity(?) of giving themselves the right and the power to make life-time appointments to the PEDC’s Board of Directors.

But that’s another story for another time and another place about local cronyism  ––

But is a supreme court of a few local cronies in charge of the public’s money for their remaining lifetime a good idea?

The main point of all this is that the only local effort for actual transparency comes from the Paris Texas Chamber of Commerce, and we’re only trying to inform everyone about the benefits of eating grapes – as our sole objective is raisin awareness.

(Yes. It’s a mental aberration, but never trust anyone without a sense of humor. Even a sick one.)

Paris has so many assets its hard to list them all. But our community and economic improvement and development organizations ignore them or play whack-a-mole when one wanting to go to work pops up. Assets all over Paris have bumps on their head.

The assets are unused deeds, while we grow weeds.

So, inside the Loop, much of Paris is dying. The things we should be doing, we ignore.

But we are determined to get all our eggs in the industrial basket – no matter what it cost us! We may not really know what we’re doing, but, come hell or high water, we’re going to keep doing it until the termites are the last survivors in a socialists paradise.

 

And that’s not funny … not even in a sad sort of way.

 

return to   Paris Texas Chamber of Commerce

Links:

    Off-Track On “Economic Engines”

      The Paris Texas “Comprehensive Plan’

    Reinforcing Failure

 

The city of Paris, an existing legal entity, would have to play an enabling role sooner or later.

 

In 2008, and again in 2011, the Paris Texas Chamber of Commerce recommended that the City of Paris, (1) which owns a lot of houses on which taxes have not been paid for years, and (2) with hundreds of other substandard houses with sizable tax bills that the city will also likely end up owning, take the lead on fixing the the problem by investing in people.

The city, being an existing legal entity would have to play an enabling role sooner or later.

To this end, the Paris Texas Chamber of Commerce is going to try it once more:  A city that owns housing in an Enterprise Zone can establish an urban homestead program, through which the city sells a house it owns to a private citizen for an amount not to exceed $100.

The Individual buying the property must agree to live in the house for at least seven years and to renovate or remodel the residence to meet the level of maintenance stated in a written agreement between the individual and the city.  After the individual lives in the house for the seven years and satisfies the agreed upon improvements, the city deeds the house to the individual (or assigns it to a bank that may be financing improvements for the individual). 

True, not all the folks hopping on an urban homestead program will follow thru…and the city’s program administrator will have to reclaim the property.  But many will follow thru, improving their lives (and the City of Paris). 

Any homes that are returned can be offered to others who will complete the terms of the homestead agreement. 

 

There will never be enough homes . . .


Last year, in 2008, the Paris Texas Chamber of Commerce tried to point city officials to the fact that there are many individuals with the energy and strength of character who could and would use their sweat equity for an opportunity to own their own home under such a program. 

Yes, we understand that many local movers and shakers, who have no more idea of community and economic development than Oak Wilt fungus, see the Paris Chamber as an irritant to their schemes or beliefs; but they should know that business is business and a good idea is a good idea – no matter where it comes from. . 

Paris talks about improving Paris.  Paris talks about the need to improve and beautify. Paris talks about substandard homes with unpaid taxes, and talks about what to do with them. But not utilizing available programs to improve a large part of Paris because it is on the west or – as many of the more ignorant state it – the wrong side of town is inexcusable!

Absolutely, we understand why some want to deny incentives for businesses and new home construction in the Enterprise Zone, even if such action violates warranties that had to be made in the Contract to get the Zone approved. We find such actions wrong, ethically repulsive, and don’t agree with it, but, considering all the parties involved, we understand it.

But to deny younger couples or retirees and others who have the energy and/or resources to own their homes – while eliminating eyesores – and improving Paris – is mind-boggling!  And that we don’t understand . . .

Investing in people is actually community development, so why wouldn’t we invest in ways to help people?

Talk about creating opportunities – 

 

The Paris Chamber’s recommendations are on record, so they cannot plead ignorance.  And its a program that can actually pay for itself.

Since 2008, the money the city has wasted (and is wasting) on know-little consultants would have paid for improving residential areas all over Paris, through which clean-up, fix-up, paint-up materials would be exchanged for “sweat equity” labor and . . .

Oh, well —
How much longer can Paris afford to wait? 

 

                                                               return to  The Paris Texas Chamber of Commerce

 

Links:

       These Little Town Blues . . .

     A Public Information (BS) Officer