The partnership that is developing the Lundgren Mill property at the northwestern end of Sisters wants more time to make the final $700,000 payment on its $3.3 million purchase from the Sisters School District.
These aren't the best of times for anybody trying to sell real estate, residential or commercial, and it's perfectly understandable that the developer should want to come to some kind of accommodation. But the school district needs to hold firm. They have a contract with this developer that sets out clear penalties if the developer fails to meet his obligations.
Being a good neighbor is great; being a nice guy is nice. But the school board represents the taxpayers of the school district and it is in their interest the board must act.
That means taking a firm line. No nice guy deals.
So far, the board, or at least the majority of the board, gets it. They realize that they can't ask the voters to support local option taxes if they aren't meeting their fiduciary duties in exercising a contract with a developer.
The board should be fair, but they need to hold firm. A developer's problems are not the school district's problems. Funding programs, teachers, facilities are. We are the district's shareholders and stakeholders. The board owes us their best efforts.
Jim Cornelius, Editor
Thursday, July 10, 2008
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Posts
I was a bit confused when I read the article in the Nugget seeing statements/comments by board members about "being good neighbors"? This is a real estate transaction "board members" !! Get real, if you are that naive there is no way you should be on a board making these kinds of decisions. If the shoe were on the other foot and or if we were dealing in the "real world", what do you think a developer/business person would say ? Even the thought or simple hint of doing anything other than what the contract stipulates is unbelievable.
ReplyDeleteWow ! All these comments on the quilt show but nobody wants to talk about the "local option" ? Hard to understand our priorities.
ReplyDeleteYes hold the developer accountable so we can pay back money to the state for the little deal no one in the school district is being held accountable for!!And these people are in charge of our children's education? Vote no on any more money being given to such a corrupt system!
ReplyDelete