Mayor's promise: Arena will be on time, on budget, transparent
Lincoln Journal Star
April 1, 2010
By Deena Winter
Lincoln Mayor Chris Beutler announced steps that will be taken to make sure the proposed Haymarket arena project is on time, on budget and transparent -- if voters approve the project on May 11.
During a news conference Thursday, Beutler said some people are concerned about whether the project would be done on time and on budget.
"Accountability is crucial to any government project," he said.
Beutler said his proposal to create a joint public agency will allow arena accounting to be centralized. He said the city learned from the Antelope Valley Project that such an arrangement would be preferable. Antelope Valley is being done through an interlocal agreement between the city, University of Nebraska-Lincoln and Lower Platte South Natural Resources District.
"Many would tell you the accounting was sometimes difficult to follow," Beutler said of Antelope Valley. "Centralized accounting offers citizens an easier path to follow in tracking the arena's finances."
Unlike some other local JPAs, he said, the arena JPA would maintain a Web site with key information including contacts, requests for proposals, bid awards, service providers and meeting minutes. He said the Web site would be easy to read and would keep track of whether the project is on budget.
