Monthly Archives: July 2016

Comment Frederick News-Post: This report fails to examine the gross stupidity of having city, county and state government, the Chamber of Commerce, the Downtown Partnership and the Tourism Council taking it on themselves to choose a site, design the hotel and … Continue reading →

$31 million of taxpayer money is proposed to be given to a hotel developer under cover of a bogus, sham procurement, and City officials concerned can only say: “We ran it by Legal and they were OK with it.”

City officials repeatedly say that the downtown hotel project is not costing City taxpayers. Don’t believe it. Despite state grants it has already cost taxpayers a third of a million dollars even though they are at least a year away … Continue reading →

Delegates: We wonder if you are aware that City officials are applying for another $1 million from the state Department of Housing and Community Development toward purchase of land for the downtown hotel project. They got authority to make the … Continue reading →

Maryland Department of Housing & Community Development’s communications director Sara Luell says that she will pass on emails of opposition to further state grants for the Downtown Hotel boondoggle. Her email:

There are several problems with the City’s proposed land purchase & leaseback on behalf of the Plamondon hotel downtown. City taxpayers are heavily disadvantaged by the deal. 1. It is a major departure from the terms of the competed procurement. … Continue reading →

“The (selection) committee didn’t need the board’s approval to move forward, Griffin said, but it wanted to tell the board its choice before starting negotiations, which will take months.” (Fred News Post Sept 4, 2014) In fact the selection committee … Continue reading →

Recently there was discussion about the (Request for Proposals) RFP or bidding rules as stated in the downtown hotel RFP itself: “The City of Frederick Purchasing Office (and website if applicable) is the sole entity authorized to provide this RFP … Continue reading →

Mr Racheff: I’m just an old journalist exercising my first amendment rights to inquire and report and comment on what I am convinced after quite a lot of investigation is a crooked project in City Hall. We know from time-sheets … Continue reading →

$465 billed by Chicago guys to distribute hotel RFP: Mid-June 2014 Richard Griffin, the City’s lead officer on the downtown hotel project signed ‘OK to pay’ to an invoice (JSL#011530, City#PO13-004363) for $16,064.27 from Jones Lang LaSalle (JLL), the Chicago … Continue reading →