Home
Bibliography
Calendar
Columns
Dorothy Brizill
Bonnie Cain
Jim Dougherty
Gary Imhoff
Phil Mendelson
Mark David Richards
Sandra Seegars
DCPSWatch
DCWatch
Archives
Council Period 12
Council Period 13
Council Period 14
Election 1998
Election 2000
Election 2002
Elections
Election
2004
Election 2006
Government and People
ANC's
Anacostia Waterfront Corporation
Auditor
Boards and Com
BusRegRefCom
Campaign Finance
Chief Financial Officer
Chief Management Officer
City Council
Congress
Control Board
Corporation Counsel
Courts
DC2000
DC Agenda
Elections and Ethics
Fire Department
FOI Officers
Inspector General
Health
Housing and Community Dev.
Human Services
Legislation
Mayor's Office
Mental Health
Motor Vehicles
Neighborhood Action
National
Capital Revitalization Corp.
Planning and Econ. Dev.
Planning, Office of
Police Department
Property Management
Public Advocate
Public Libraries
Public Schools
Public Service Commission
Public Works
Regional Mobility Panel
Sports and Entertainment Com.
Taxi Commission
Telephone Directory
University of DC
Water and Sewer Administration
Youth Rehabilitation Services
Zoning Commission
Issues in DC Politics
Budget issues
DC Flag
DC General, PBC
Gun issues
Health issues
Housing initiatives
Mayor’s mansion
Public Benefit Corporation
Regional Mobility
Reservation 13
Tax Rev Comm
Term limits repeal
Voting rights, statehood
Williams’s Fundraising Scandals
Links
Organizations
Appleseed Center
Cardozo Shaw Neigh.Assoc.
Committee of 100
Fed of Citizens Assocs
League of Women Voters
Parents United
Shaw Coalition
Photos
Search
What Is DCWatch?
themail
archives
|
PRESS ADVISORY
COUNCILMEMBER CAROL SCHWARTZ
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 31, 2006 |
CONTACT: John Abbot or Lee Smith
(202) 724-8105 |
Councilmember Carol Schwartz intends to ask the following
questions regarding the latest amendments to the proposed Baseball Stadium
Lease Agreement at today's Council Briefing:
-
Sections 4.1, 4.6, and 5.1 were changed to allow bi-annual
rather than annual lease payments, to eliminate the rent reserve
account, and to remove the requirement that stadium vendors must
obtain performance bonds to guarantee sales tax payments.
However, Dr. Gandhi has indicated that the removal of the rent reserve
provision will cause the city to be unable to get investment grade
bonds. He has indicated that he will not go to Wall Street
without the rent reserve, so I assume that will be re-added. However,
why wouldn't we want to re-add the other provisions as well? I
can't imagine how getting our annual lease payment in one lump sum
upfront on April 1st instead of half on March 31st and half on
September 30th would
be a bad thing for the District. I also can't understand why
having major stadium vendors get bonds to guarantee their sales tax
payments would be a bad thing for us. Why were these changes
made?
-
Paragraphs (e) and (f) of section 5.6 seem to be in
conflict. Paragraph (e) provides that the Commission is entitled
to net parking revenues on days when there is Commission event
parking. However, paragraph (f) provides that the Team could
elect to take 1/3 of all net parking revenues not allocated to the
Team. Can you explain this?
-
Section 6.7 is supposed to unencumber the $20 million Team
contribution, which was previously earmarked for "fixtures."
However, the new lease seems to only change, rather than remove, the
encumbrance by now requiring the Commission to spend the money in the
following order of priority: first for equipment, second for fixtures,
and third for building construction costs. Isn't this just six
of one and half dozen of another?
-
Previously section 6.6 provided that, after the Commencement
Date, the Commission could only utilize development rights or make
capital improvements on the stadium site as specifically provided in
sections 6.1 and 6.6. However, the section was silent as to the
Commission's rights prior to the Commencement Date. It appears
that the only thing that changed in section 6.6 of the new proposed
lease is that the Commission's right to utilize development rights, in
accordance with the Construction Administration Agreement, prior to
the Commencement Date is explicitly stated. Is that correct?
-
The Mayor indicated in his letter to Chairman Cropp that the
Team will provide a total of $3.5 million in matching funds to the
Team's youth baseball program over 10 years. He also indicated
that MLB committed to hold a meeting of all MLB owners in DC before
summer of 2008. Are these commitments memorialized in the latest
proposed lease agreement?
-
According to the mayor, the Anacostia Waterfront Corporation
has agreed to assume the responsibility for any land and environmental
costs above the budgeted amounts.
-
Assuming there are land and environmental cost overruns,
how will AWC absorb those costs?
-
How is AWC being compensated for taking this risk?
-
The Sports and Entertainment Commission is attempting to
negotiate a guaranteed maximum price contract for the stadium.
-
What is the status of that negotiation?
-
When is it expected to be complete?
-
Assuming that negotiations are successful, what is the
maximum price the District can expect to pay?
-
Is it possible for a guaranteed minimum price contract to
be broken, requiring the District to pay more than the guaranteed
minimum price?
-
Have there been any changes to the Construction Administration
Agreement since it was submitted to the Council? If so, what
changes have been made?
Back to top of
page
PRESS ADVISORY
COUNCILMEMBER CAROL SCHWARTZ
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 31, 2006 |
CONTACT: John Abbot or Lee Smith
(202) 724-8105 |
In addition to asking or hearing discussion on the previously released
questions, Councilmember Carol Schwartz, at today's Council briefing,
reiterated her dissatisfaction with the section of the lease that provides
that the Team's rent payments will not increase in the seventh lease year
and thereafter if the Team's paid attendance for homes games does not
equal or exceed the median annual paid home game attendance for all Major
League Baseball teams for the prior three-year period.
"How can the District be denied its scheduled increase in rent for
a stadium it financed if the Team fails to exercise its due diligence in
paying for players who will attract fans?" Schwartz asked.
"That's blatantly unfair."
|