Vandenberg In Political Trouble?

[canadianreefer]

Well folks the soap opera continues
Does anyone really know what is going on here
This thing sounds as well panned as anything else done by the Bush administration....with this level of confusion and total incompetence the senior levels of the GOP have to be in here somewhere

TODAYS PAPER:

Funding for Vandenberg in doubt

BY REPORTER STAFF
Posted - Friday, November 14, 2008 12:00 AM EST
A spokesman for Gov. Charlie Crist said state money has not been released to revive an artificial reef project that had seemed dead in the water.

Key West city officials said the stateÃÔ Office of Tourism, Trade & Economic Development would provide a $1.6-million grant to pay off contractors so the U.S.S. Hoyt Vandenberg can be brought to Key West and sunk as an attraction for divers, according to Key West City Commissioner Bill Verge.

Key West Mayor Morgan McPherson, responding to reports the grant would be made, said, ŵhis has been an incredible effort. He thanked Crist and the development agency ÅÇor coming through during tough economic times.

But CristÃÔ press secretary, Sterling Ivey, said, ŵhe state, or OTTED for that matter, has not released funds at this point. WeÃ×e only indicated an interest in the project. Ivey said the director of OTTED sent letter to Key West officials stating ÅÕhe state is interested in partnering with the city to establish this coral reef project.

The next step would be a contract negotiation that, according to Ivey, would have to be ÅÔuccessful and agreeable. Only then would the money be released to Key West, Ivey said.

On Oct. 27, a judge in Virginia ordered the 520-foot ship sold at auction to recoup almost $1.64 million owed to a shipyard and subcontractors who worked on the decommissioned Air Force ship in Norfolk, Va. to prepared it for sinking.

A consortium of local banks had originally pledged $4.6 million in funding for the project. But the funding flow was cut off at $3.2 million.

ŵhey werenÃÕ just over budget, they were significantly over budget, said Bob Denham, the head of corporate communications for BB&T, the lead bank in the consortium.

A contract between the state and the city for the grant funding has yet to be executed, officials said.

Verge said the city, state officials and local bankers are working to persuade the judge in Virginia to postpone the auction while a settlement is reached.

Verge predicted the Vandenberg would be towed from Norfolk to Key West in December, and the ship would be scuttled (sunk) in February 2009.

The estimated cost of sinking the Vandenberg six miles south of Key West has swelled to more than $8.2 million, almost $2.5 million more than estimated in April 2007, when the ship was towed from the James River Naval Reserve fleet to ColonnaÃÔ Shipyard in Norfolk.

 

[deepstops]

Looks to me like they want to negotiate a lower (than $1.6 million) price to get the ship back.

 

[truck1]

Could be or the Press Secretary did not get the full info. Happened before, although I would not put it past Crist to try and get the yard bill lowered.

So assuming that the state comes up with the 1.6 million, the other state organization and I forget which one off hand, already came up with a million, then theoretically there is enough money to put the ship down correct? There are no other hidden bills or issues that would need to be solved first?

 

[mike_s]

So assuming that the state comes up with the 1.6 million, the other state organization and I forget which one off hand, already came up with a million, then theoretically there is enough money to put the ship down correct? There are no other hidden bills or issues that would need to be solved first?

Heck no .... $1.6 million is not enough money to put the ship down.


$1.6 million is just the current shipyard bill.


Here's a partial list of other things that might be expeditures: (in additon to the above $1.6mil)

1. There might be additional shipyard work required before it can be sunk. After all this you know the shipyard will want the money up front before doing work.
2. storage/dock fees until May when they can sink it.
3. towing fees to get it to Florida
4. cost of the demolition team and/or explosives to blow the pipes open to sink it.
5. Cost of mooring materials (heavy line, hardware, buoys, etc. that stuff ain't cheap)
6. any expenses for any additional prep/site work once it gets to Florida

I'm sure there are other expenses, but they still look like they've got issues. And the Banks have pulled funding. so it might be hard to get the big items in the first three listed paid for unless someone coughs up several hundred thousand more dollars.

 

[truck1]

Heck no .... $1.6 million is not enough money to put the ship down.


$1.6 million is just the current shipyard bill.


Here's a partial list of other things that might be expeditures: (in additon to the above $1.6mil)

1. There might be additional shipyard work required before it can be sunk. After all this you know the shipyard will want the money up front before doing work.
2. storage/dock fees until May when they can sink it.
3. towing fees to get it to Florida
4. cost of the demolition team and/or explosives to blow the pipes open to sink it.
5. Cost of mooring materials (heavy line, hardware, buoys, etc. that stuff ain't cheap)
6. any expenses for any additional prep/site work once it gets to Florida

I'm sure there are other expenses, but they still look like they've got issues. And the Banks have pulled funding. so it might be hard to get the big items in the first three listed paid for unless someone coughs up several hundred thousand more dollars.

Actually would the total be 2.6 or 2.1 as there was another state organization that was giving either half a million or a million dollars, in addition to the 1.6 that Christ is pledgeing.(Assuming that the state contract is signed etc) Give me a minute to go back thru the posts to find the dollar amount.
Found it, The total was 1 million dollars as a line item in the budget.
Ship hostage until bill paid


BY MANDY BOLEN
Citizen Staff

A $1.6 million outstanding shipyard bill has forced crews to stop cleanup work on the Gen. Hoyt S. Vandenberg, intended as an artificial reef off Key West.
...........................................................
Some relief may come this week, as a "ships for reefs" bill makes its way through the state Legislature today and could include $1 million for the Vandenberg, Verge said.
Other help could come from the Florida governor's Office of Tourism, Trade and Economic Development, which could pony up the remaining $1.3 million. ..............................................
mbolen@keysnews.com

 

[canadianreefer]

THE VANDENBERG EPIC CONTINUES: FROM THE KEY WEST KEYNOTER

'Vandy' money could forestall auction
Key West Commission meets Thursday to secure state funds
By SEAN KINNEY
skinney@keynoter.com
Posted - Wednesday, December 10, 2008 07:01 AM EST
The Key West Commission hopes to approve two agreements Thursday that could trigger $2.6 million in state funding as a last-ditch effort to save the USS Hoyt Vandenberg from the auction block.
Without the intervention, the ship is slated to be sold at auction Dec. 17 by order of a federal judge, to satisfy unpaid bills by a Norfolk, Va., shipyard that worked to prepare the vessel for scuttling as an artificial reef seven miles off Key West.
The City Commission convenes the special session at 5:30 p.m. Thursday at Old City Hall on Greene Street.
One commitment for $1.6 million comes from the Governor's Office of Trade, Tourism and Economic Development and another $1 million is funneled through the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
That money is critical to resolve disputes with Colonna's Shipyard in Norfolk over outstanding payments of $1.6 million for services already rendered in cleaning the ship for sinking.
The commission is expected to vote only to accept the funds; no money will actually change hands, City Manager Jim Scholl said. Once funding is accepted, the city and the state can nail down the specifics of how the money is spent, he said. "That's an administrative requirement. The governor has already approved funding."
"You have to do it [approve the agreements] now just so the resources are available," Commissioner Bill Verge said. He's the city's point man on the Vandenberg project.
"All the parties are working behind the scenes trying to reach an agreement. Everybody's trying to figure out exactly how much they're willing to take before we go to the judge with a settlement. It either has to be resolved by then or the ship goes to the auction block. I don't think anyone wants to see it go to auction."
The ship is at Colonna's Shipyard under custody of a federal court. In Norfolk, the Vandenberg was cleaned of toxic PCBs and other pollutants, a requirement of the federal Environmental Protection Agency.
In an Oct. 27 order, a judge ordered the Vandenberg to be auctioned to pay for services rendered by the shipyard and subcontractors W3 Shipyards, Venture Dynamics Enterprises and Canadian Artificial Reefs Consultants Inc.
"We'd like to have the opportunity to keep the Vandenberg moving forward as an artificial reef," Scholl said. "Before we go to the shipyard and make any offers, the commission has to give us [city staff] permission. What they've [Colonna's] got on paper for bills and what they'll take is what we're figuring out."
Ron Jerasa, who works with the shipyard in business development and government contracts and is overseeing the Vandenberg project, said on Tuesday, "I am not permitted to make any comments."
A.C. MacGraw, spokeswoman for BB&T, the lead lender in the bank consortium that's helping to finance the scuttling, also declined comment. BB&T, First State Bank and Orion Bank initially pledged financing to the tune of $4.6 million, but cut funding at $3.2 million due to stagnant progress and skyrocketing expenses.
City officials said they hope that with a funding agreement in place, the ship will be freed from federal custody and transported to Key West. At that point, the banks will provide the remainder of financing, city officials said.
Current cost projections for scuttling the former military vessel are $8.45 million. The original estimate was $2.1 million.
Verge said he remains hopeful, despite the looming auction date, predicting that the ship will be towed to the Keys sometime late in December and that the scuttling will take place in February.

 

[CaptBill]

The sad thing is the people that don't understand there is only one industry in the Florida Keys; Tourism. The high season this year had 26,000 less people come through the Key West Airport. Given the number of inquiries about diving the Vandenberg from all over the world this number would have been much smaller or not even there. BTW, on Thursday 12/11 the Key West City Commission has a special meeting to formally accept 1.6 million from the Governor and 1 million from Fish and Wildlife.

 

[canadianreefer]

Let's hope that they actually get their acts together on this one and "get her done"

 

[Capt Scotty]

Wonder what happened in this meeting? Can't find anything online with any news.

AGENDA
SPECIAL CITY COMMISSION MEETING
OLD CITY HALL, 510 GREENE STREET
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 11, 2008 – 5:30 P.M.
ADIROLFTSEWYEKFOYTICEHTFOLAES
1. CALL MEETING TO ORDER
2. ROLL CALL
3. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG
4. RESOLUTIONS:
a) Approving the Grant Agreement between the Executive Office of the Governor Office of Tourism, Trade and Economic Development and the City of Key West regarding the Vandenberg Project. (City Manager)
b) Approving the Grant Agreement between the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and the City of Key West regarding the Vandenberg Project. (City Manager)
5. ADJOURNMENT 121108-

 

[CaptBill]

Wonder what happened in this meeting? Can't find anything online with any news.

AGENDA
SPECIAL CITY COMMISSION MEETING
OLD CITY HALL, 510 GREENE STREET
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 11, 2008 5:30 P.M.
ADIROLFTSEWYEKFOYTICEHTFOLAES
1. CALL MEETING TO ORDER
2. ROLL CALL
3. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG
4. RESOLUTIONS:
a) Approving the Grant Agreement between the Executive Office of the Governor Office of Tourism, Trade and Economic Development and the City of Key West regarding the Vandenberg Project. (City Manager)
b) Approving the Grant Agreement between the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and the City of Key West regarding the Vandenberg Project. (City Manager)
5. ADJOURNMENT 121108-

The City formally accepted the 2 Grants totalling 2.6 million, with some minor wording "issues"
Basically we wait to see if the Banks finish up their negotiating with the lien holder, and if the Judge removes it from auction on 12/17. Nothing more to do but wait.