It’s good that the Wichita City Council is demanding answers as to how the city lost the United States Bowling Congress Open Championships in 2011 — along with its estimated $100 million economic impact. Council members will discuss the matter at Tuesday’s meeting, and they need to insist on accountability. As I mentioned in an earlier post, if it’s true that the contract negotiations fell apart because of City Hall intransigence, as an attorney for the USBC said, heads should roll.
Posted by Phillip Brownlee
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23 Comments
Mayans should apologize? On his watch the negotiations broke down.
The Eagle can point specific fingers too.
If the event does create $100 Million for communities, it should happen here. Did Century II fail as a facility?
Whoever may purchase the interior of Century II, won’t be changing anything anytime soon.
The City has a chance to turn over management of Century II to a Casino developer. The Symphony and Music theater won’t be forced out.
The City wants that Casino project by the river, so they can sell city property!
2011 Bowling Championship could happen, no matter it’s not the City managing Century II.
The City will continue to have much influence on events in Century II. Mayor Brewer is correct, the City won’t sell the building to anyone.
I’m thinking, but its not fact, there are casino possibilities, so the city is determining use of Century II that way. It sounds plausible!
I hope City figures out a way to the event back.
I agree! Whoever is responsible for this should be fired without question.
I expect that the citizens will learn a great deal about this failure next Tuesday, like when was the last time a City negotiating team or team member went to the Bowling Congress and had a face-to-face sit-down to hammer out an agreement? If there were three contract sticking points, when were those sticking points discussed in detail with Rebensdorf, and when was a plan to overcome those negotiating difficulties prepared by Kolb? Who on the Council – or was this up to then-mayor Mayans – was being kept up-to-date on the negotiations? What role did the Visitors and Convention Bureau have in this negotiation? When did Rolfe last give a status report to Mayans or the City Council?
It is a fair conclusion that it was not in the best interests of this community for this convention to have decided to go elsewhere . . . did someone drop the ball in City government – who and why – remains to be revealed. But losing a $100 million dollar economic impact of the City is indeed a failure that might deserve a firing. But let’s make sure we fire the right person – Mayans has already been fired – and that we don’t just find a convenient scapegoat.
The ultimate responsibility comes down to the City Council. They are responsible for City Manger Kolb. Most of the city council was on the board when Kolb was chosen and they new what his previous record was like.
We shall see how tough the city council will really be.
Why didn’t they ask for monthly updates on this issue? Because they cast one vote and then they are done. They do not follow up on any of the issues they are responsible for.
The city council should get rid of Kolb and his staff. Then they can start over. We as voters should keep this in mind when they run for office again.
We can blame the previous mayor all we want but we also need to keep in mind that the current mayor Carl Brewer was a member of the city council that was aware this issue was out there and he also supported hiring Kolb and keeping the old staff.
heheh STS
“Why didn’t they ask for monthly updates on this issue?”
Two words. Plausible deniability.
They can be shocked, SHOCKED I say, when things go sideways. Then fire the underlings.
Wash, rinse, repeat.
My understanding is that city councilmembers aren’t permitted to contact staff directly, and that they have to funnel everything through the City Manager’s office. I’m not sure of the details, but this is what I was told by a councilperson earlier this year.
Is there anyone here who knows the procedure and can enlighten us?
In business, if someone loses a 100 million dollar contract, they certainly don’t reward them.
They would find themselves with a broom, mop and some dusting rags or out looking for a job.
I have this feeling, someone or some ones has not taken this huge financial loss seriously.
Tom – I know that Council members ‘traditionally get their information through ‘channels’; however I know of no statute that prohibits them from going around that.
Many years ago I suggested to a friend who was on the Council that he find independent sources of information. “If I control your informatio I control YOU” I told him. Apparently he did not do so; he was a ’short-timer’ on the Council.
Republican, I agree “I have this feeling, someone or some ones has not taken this huge financial loss seriously.” I have seen that sort of attitude from the pro-Arena crowd here on this blog. I also noticed that one of the Arena boosters in the news suggested that this is good because it “opens up our calendar” for all those evens that are waiting in line to come here.
Yea, right! NOT!
Anyone ever attend a Council meeting? You will see council members question City staff directly when they have questions. Open, recorded, and out for everyone to see. Obviously, there can’t be a law against it since it happens on a regular basis.
“My understanding is that city councilmembers aren’t permitted to contact staff directly, and that they have to funnel everything through the City Manager’s office. I’m not sure of the details, but this is what I was told by a councilperson earlier this year.”
That’s not completely true. People in key city leadership positions control the flow of information and inquiries – from Council members as well as the public.
Some of the key departments that support our democratic form of city management are….well, not exactly democratically run. And they’ve been that way for a LONG time.
The buck needs to be stopped somewhere — Start with the City Manager and work back …..
If there is one thing Wichita is, it is a bowling town. I recall hearing that Wichita has more bowling lanes per resident than about any other place in the USA. Also Wichita has members in the PBA higher than its population and WSU is known for having a great team as well. So for the city to have lost this is a major screw up.
How quickly some forget about the absolute failure of the city heads of Wichita concerning the American Bowling Congress Tournament in 1989, which was held in the Century II complex.It would appear that the city has forgotten the abuse that the Wichita City underlings attempted to deliver the ABC, at the conclusion of the 1989 Tournament. Wichita didn’t understand the millions that came into the city from the bowlers, wives, friends, groopies, etc., that all spent money in the city of Wichita, on food, logging, entertainment, gifts, souineers, sight seeing, etc. If it were not for a strong leader, Hal Kaminsky, the ABC tournament director at that time, and Walt DeLozier, now deceased local ABC director of Wichita, the tournament would never have come to Wichita and would have ended in absolute disaster. After experiencing the ineptness of the City Representatives many in the ABC vowed to never come to Wichita again.Old habits are hard to break and Wichita may need to learn a difficult but true lesson that the Lord constantly teaches us: “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” “Blessed is the cheerful giver” “What you sow, ye shall reap.”There are thousands of cities that are more than happy to woe the biggest bowling tournament and convention on earth. Maybe that’s why Reno built a national bowling stadium. Reno understands M-O-N-E-Y.This has been humbly submitted to help the city progress in the future.
In Christ’s LovePeople Do CareL.E.S.
THE $100 MILLION QUESTION
On Tuesday, the City Council will strive to ascertain blame for the loss of the 2011 Bowling Tournament. To date, a major factor seems to have been ignored. In 2004 Wichita was named host city for the 2011 tournament with an estimated economic impact to the community of over $100 million. The Greater Wichita Convention and Visitors Bureau, as the community’s primary hospitality marketing agent, would work directly with USBC in order to stage an event rivaling the successful 1989 ABC bowling tournament. Reality was totally different. It appears that the USBC draft contract languished in the Bureau offices for 2½ years with no action taken and very little ongoing dialogue with USBC. It wasn’t until December 2006 the Bureau transmited a draft contract to City Hall, representing only 5 months of procrastination on the part of City officials. So, where exactly does the blame lie? It is little wonder USBC officials pulled the tournament and seem disgusted with our community. Let’s face it, the USBC are professional meeting planners used to producing results, not excuses! Three years is a long time to wait for any progress at all!
THE $100 MILLION QUESTION
On Tuesday, the City Council will strive to ascertain blame for the loss of the 2011 Bowling Tournament. To date, a major factor seems to have been ignored. In 2004 Wichita was named host city for the 2011 tournament with an estimated economic impact to the community of over $100 million. The Greater Wichita Convention and Visitors Bureau, as the community’s primary hospitality marketing agent, would work directly with USBC in order to stage an event rivaling the successful 1989 ABC bowling tournament. Reality was totally different. It appears that the USBC draft contract languished in the Bureau offices for 2½ years with no action taken and very little ongoing dialogue with USBC. It wasn’t until December 2006 the Bureau transmited a draft contract to City Hall, representing only 5 months of procrastination on the part of City officials. So, where exactly does the blame lie? It is little wonder USBC officials pulled the tournament and seem disgusted with our community. Let’s face it, the USBC are professional meeting planners used to producing results, not excuses! Three years is a long time to wait for any progress at all!
The loss of the bowling tournament will not be important. After all, with Big 12 basketball tournament; MVC basketball tournament; NCAA basketball tournament; Wichita Thunder hockey selling out; innumerable concerts and all sorts of other events packing the house at the arena we will never notice the loss.
/sarcasm off …
The best place for a member of the public to start as far as accoutability is to submit a request for public documents. I know that the media does this frequently.
When employees in Finance took their trip out west, it was the media that obtained documents and laid them out for everyone to see.
Also, there was a cell phone fiasco a few years back. After the media exposed this “scandal-in-the-making, many of these phones were rounded up and taken away from employees who really didn’t need them as bad as they thought they did.
I would hope that there are similar efforts going on to get to the bottom of this outrage involving loss of the bowling tourney.
stupid is as stupid does…thats the way the city government works as well as the council
Thanks Deborah for the informed post. This sounds like that the so-called 1 year, 2 year, 3 year, 5 year and 10 year plans developed in the various Commissions around the city are not being attended to.
An economic impact of that size should be a regular agenda item and addressed by all departments concerned at each and every meeting.
Various business in the city, especially those involved in tourism should be invited and asked to give their analysis of the situation.
What better way to keep a City in the limelight than to have business do it for you?
For instance – The hotel chains (marriot, Holiday Inn, etc.) could be convinced to provide in their brochures about the upcoming National Bowling Congress in 2010 or least that should have been the plan.
Rental Car agencies, airlines, bus lines and many other business associated with tourism should have gotten involved. Spangles could have even proposed a Bowling Value meal.
The possibilities are endless.
Yep. Too bad they blew it.
I’m going to repeat my comment here that this stuff is typical in economic development work in Kansas.
If it isnt manufacturing or warehousing or retail, Kansas isnt interested.
Bowling? Tourism dollars? Feh! If it isnt heaving industry, it doesnt count.
The answer to the bowlng tournament loss is not under the rocks at City Hall but is more likely to be found in the archives of the Convention Bureau. Until that avenue is investigated the “real truth” will never be known. The hounds are baying at the “spin” to cover what really happened.
Probably true Deborah. I hope that both the city and the media chase this story down.