James Warns if ” Chilling Impact” if Hotel Deal Delayed by Vote October 26, 2015

Kansas City Mayor Sly James says backing out of the current deal for a downtown convention hotel would have a “chilling impact” on future business deals in the city.

James made that comment as a Council committee voted 4-0 not to repeal convention hotel deals the city agreed to earlier this year.

A group of hotel deal critics have gathered enough signatures to force a city wide vote on the hotel project.

City Attorney Bill Geary, however says that hotel vote petition is not legal because it is trying to force the city to breach legal contracts it has signed with the developers.

“You do have the absolute right to push for legal vote. But you do not have the right to do it this way,” Geary told a Council committee.

Opponents were not surprised.

“About probably what we expected, Coffey said.
“But, you know, they’re going to push it,” he added.

Geary was asked what the city’s legal exposure might be if the city backed away from the deal it agreed to this city.

He said he figured it would be about $250,000 and no new hotel.

That’s when the mayor added it would have a long impact on future business deals.

The city has pledged about $40 million dollars to the project, estimated at around $311 million dollars.

The city says it included has strict limitation on its financial committment to the hotel project.

The Council has until November 30 to decide what to do with the petition calling for a city vote on the project.

KC City Attorney Beaufort Stepping Aside December 30, 2011

Prime Buzz’ Dave Helling keeps slugging it out, even on a very slow news weeks.
Galen Beaufort will step down as Kansas City City Attorney; Bill Geary will replace him; and Sherri McIntyre will become the first director of Public Works in Kansas City history.
The memo, from City Manager Troy Schulte to the council:
“Effective January 4, 2012, Galen Beaufort will be stepping down as City Attorney. Bill Geary, arguably the leading municipal attorney in the state, will become City Attorney on that date.
Galen’s responsibilities will shift to becoming lead counsel for the new KCI terminal project as well as providing continuing legal counsel to the Manager’s office for the complex legal agreements such as the Sprint Center, Power and Light, Citadel, HEDFC receivership, and union negotiations. Additional staff reassignments in the Law Department will be forthcoming
In addition, Sherri McIntyre will become Director of Public Works on January 1, 2012. She will retain her title as Assistant City Manager for Infrastructure. She becomes the first female director of Public Works in the City’s history.
Due to extensive holiday vacation schedules, we have not yet briefed staff in these departments about the pending changes. Those meetings will not occur until early next week. We are also preparing a formal media release that will occur after the holiday.”