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AN OPEN LETTER TO THE RESIDENTS OF SUFFOLK
The Citizens for the Preservation of Obici House wish to publicly thank the entire community for the outpouring of support for the restoration and preservation of this City’s historic Obici House. The standing room only turnout at Wednesday’s council meeting demonstrated the strong public interest in saving one of our few remaining historic treasurers from the bulldozer and wrecking ball. Hundreds of you and others throughout the United States and foreign countries have expressed their heartfelt support for this community and its effort to raise the importance of local historic preservation. There is absolutely no substitute for citizens who actively care for their community.
We wish we could say the Obici House is now safe from further neglect or some other physical danger. There has been no public disclosure of the restoration and preservation plan that has been submitted by Mr. Rountree and apparently found acceptable by the City Council. The Citizen’s preservation group submitted two proposals and made all the details available for public scrutiny. We were required to present evidence of minimum restoration standards, a good business plan, methods of financing, and post a several hundred thousand dollar surety to guarantee that we would get the job done correctly and in the community’s best interest. WE ASKED FOR NO PUBLIC MONEY, and we even offered to generate significant new tax revenue for the city.
None of those requirements were in evidence at Wednesday’s meeting where the City Council quickly, and with virtually no public explanation or opportunity for public input, approved this latest proposal for the Obici House.
We should be thankful that plans to demolish this property have been halted. And we should be thankful Mr. Rountree has stepped up to the plate. However, it will be wise and in the best interest of the public to remain vigilant and continue to keep the fate of the Obici House property under close scrutiny, whatever and however long it takes. That is our pledge to you.
We wonder, too, about how this whole matter has played out over the last several months. Amid statements of “open and transparent government” from our City Council, we have tried in earnest to be responsive to their requirements and open and honest about our intentions. The City, by contrast, gave every indication of secrecy and self-serving manipulation of what should have been an open process. Numerous requests to meet and discuss the matter with the Mayor and Council members, and the City Manager or her employees, were ignored. The contents of our proposal were misstated in public information releases, and the newspapers were criticized for encouraging public disclosure and discussion. If nothing else, this whole matter has been a real lesson in the current state of affairs in the Suffolk City Hall. This is an important lesson we should remember for a long time, regardless if the matter is saving an old historic house, or development deals and zoning approvals, or the annual budget. It is in our best interest.
Susan Blair, President, On behalf of the Citizens for the Preservation of Obici House
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If there are so many people wanting to save this building.
Let them put THEIR money where THEIR concerns are. As another commenter said, lease or rent money from the golf course is public funds. I'm tired of my tax dollars going to fund city politicians family and friends private interest and pet projects. This is why TERM LIMITS are needed. These people do not feel any responsibility for the reckless ways they are spending our tax dollars. In their complacent state of mind they feel they can increase tax and fees to pay for anything they want. I'm tired of taxes going up, I'm tired of expanding government, I'm tired of the politicians on all levels using my tax money to buy votes for their next election, I'm tired of the same failed politicians living off my tax dollars for their entire lives. It is indeed time for a change and that change should begin with voting out every person sitting in office today at the next election. It's time to start cutting back the size of government and letting the people take responsibility for their own lives instead of the nanny state we are in now.
Follow the money...
I am at a crossroads on this issue, with the latest decision by the Council to give the Obici House to Mr. Roundtree via his existing RFP and lease for the Golf Course, without open bidding. Both the Mayor and Mr. Parr, assured me that there would be “no public money spent on another historical project” in this hard economy. I thought that was very clear and to the point, but what is the difference between Mr. Roundtree spending the rent money from the Golf Course Lease payments to renovate the Obici House, which would accrue to the city (ie: PUBLIC MONEY!!!) or just spending more PUBLIC MONEY??? This is a farce to say the least! This backdoor method to get at “PUBLIC FUNDS” in these hard times, is not what we were sold. Don’t get me wrong, I do support a “privately funded effort” to save this important home, but this is just more sleight of hand, under the guise of a solution! I also believe that this deal might violate the Virginia Procurement ACT, by making such a significant change to the RFP without open bidding or public comment...
Roger A. Leonard
Suffolk...
Misguided Lady with Delusions of Adequacy
This "lady" seeks a pat on the back but deserves a kick in the butt. If Mr Rountree and the City Council have to listen to any more of this drivel from a self-appointed diva, they couldn't be blamed for dropping the whole project and any future funding to her Sister Cities group.
Ironically, the comments from the other lady at the Council meeting went far to overcome the rage from Mrs Blair and her threat of future "scrutiny" against those working on the Obici House. Maybe this now defunct group should change leaders and work with the City and Mr Rountree. Just because the author of this acrimonious "letter" has exploded doesn't make her a "big shot," and her group has attacked enough citizens and groups to last her lifetime. Methinks more mature heads should now take over if this "group" is to continue trying to substitute brass for brains. Not all the clowns in your City are in the circus.