If you live in Gilbert, you owe it to yourself to watch ABC-15 reporter Josh Bernstein’s interview of Mayor Steve Berman.
If you don’t live in Gilbert, you still owe it to yourself to see how one East Valley mayor didn’t handle the heat.
Berman is alternately rattled and belligerent as ABC-15 asks some tough questions. Was it proper for the builder of the Big League Dreams sports complex to have also had a role in creating the document that outlined the project and invited bids?
Fair question, it seems to me, for a project that was supposed to cost the city $20 million to build and ended up costing $40 million.
“You guys have a reputation for being jerks,” Berman says hotly to a very straight forward question.
At one point Berman takes no responsibility for the process that led to construction of the project. “Show me my signature on the document,” he snaps.
Berman says he can no more be held responsible for the process that created Big League Dreams than President Bush can be held responsible for what goes on at Abu Ghraib prison.
Yes, he really said that.
Links to the interview are on eastvalleytribune.com or abc15.com.
If this were the only lapse of ethics on Mayor Berman’s part it would be easier to understand his rash temper and ego the size of Alaska (even Texas isn’t big enough anymore to house it), although he would still be wrong.
But sadly, it isn’t. Time after time we see a man unable to understand basic ethical principles in government.
First, it’s the $60 million in tax incentives to a car dealership that later gives him a free Ford F-150 truck for his personal use. Then it’s a free custom fit $1200 business suit to appear in a Dillard’s ad promoting their new store. Now it’s a kid’s ballpark that fleeced the taxpayers (at least $18 million more than originally authorized by Gilbert) AND then allowing the developer to both write the original RFP AND then bid on that same project - violating his own town’s laws (and the State of AZ laws) in the process.
The Mayor keeps asking the ABC15 reporter if he violated the law (as if he really doesn’t know), and if so, bring on a lawsuit (or charge him). He made similar remarks during the long fight with county island homeowners regarding fire coverage, only this time his outburst’s were caught on video and he can’t deny them like before.
I say it’s time the State of AZ steps up to the plate and does EXACTLY what the Mayor is asking for - start an investigation with the State Attorney General’s Office on Monday morning and when documented, bring charges against the town leadership for violating both their own town laws and those of the State of AZ.
My guess is that if they do start an investigation, Gilbert will get called on the carpet for this, as the deal clearly violates both Gilbert Town procurement law and State of AZ procurement law.
Pardon me for pointing out that if charges are brought forth, it couldn’t happen to a better group of people currently “leading” Gilbert. Time after time this same Gilbert Town Council thinks their actions are about the law (like the eminent domain case they bought against a Maricopa County woman not even living within Gilbert town limits, but thankfully thrown out last week by Maricopa County Superior Court).
I hope the state authorities actually perform their duty and investigate Gilbert’s Town Council (and the Mayor in particular) with their obvious lack of ethics and complete misuse of public funds. Wouldn’t surprise me if the Field of Dreams developer donated to certain local political campaigns either.
Lots of folks in Gilbert will be watching….
CD
You hit it right on the head.
I would like to thank ABC-15 reporter Josh Bernstein’s for is candid interview with Steve Berman. Mr. Bernstein kept his cool in the face of a very unstable man.
This interview is TYPICAL of Berman rhetoric. I really hope that ABC-15 does open an investigation about the Ball Park. (Yes, it is nice but the LAW was broken).
I believe these unlawful actions by Mr. Berman justify a full investigation of him and his ethics / practices. As citizens of Gilbert, it is our right to know what laws our town leaders have broken and whether or not they will be held accountable.
Berman is truly remarkable. It amazes me that this angry “little” man made it into office. What is it that makes him so irrational and beligerent? Did he have to cough up his lunch money daily in school or what? I applaud the reporter who took his rant and stood his ground. Good job! Keep up the effort. I will be sure to tune in for more fun. I haven’t seen temper tantrums like this in over 15 years.
So I want this looked into. I don’t want to pay for this extra 18 million in overage. How is a complaint filed for this to be looked into? With an overage like this shouldn’t the Town of Gilbert sell it to a private company and recoup money for the residents. Then it’s still here for us to enjoy but we aren’t paying for their (Town officals of Gilbert’s) screw ups and stupidity?
Ripley, you are such a weasal. You know perfectly well the interview was edited, how do you know what was cut out, what was said behind the scenes. Did you even bother to call the Mayor and get his side of the story? As for the rest of losers, if you really think a law was broken, do what the mayor suggested and report it to the Attorney General Office. Goddard loved nailing Kevin Ross and David Petersen, I’m sure he would love to get Gilberts all Republican City Council. Go ahead, make them accountable. As for your personal attacks on the Mayor he has won two elections by landslides. Remember a few months ago which Fredrick CPhiliss took out recall petitions on Berman. Berman said he would sign one him self, if Fredrick would run against him personally. You’ll notice there was no recall. One thing I did catch on the Channel Clip was when Bernstien yelled “we have been trying to get some one from Gilbert to talk to us for two weeks, but no one would”. Obviously the Mayor did. Incidently have any of you “blog heroes” ever tried to confront the Mayor with your petty accusations? I think I already no the answer to that.
The Republic doesn’t censor their blogs, but then again they are a real newspaper.
Ripley, you know better than to write something like thisl You know the Channel 15 clip as edited, we all do, what we don’t know is how much, and how it was manipulated. The mayor is right, he is no more responsible for everything that happens in Gilbert than you are for everything that happens at the Tribune. Ripley you oght to be a man and appologize to the Mayor. As for the rest of my fellow bloggers, if you think any laws were broken, do what the Mayor suggested, file a complaint with the attorney generals office. Goddard wasn’t reluctant to take down Kevin Ross and David Petersen, I’m sure he wouldn’t hesitate to take down the entire Republican Gilbert Town Council. Beyond that, If you don’t like the job Mayor Berman is doing why don’t one of you step and run against him. It seems that would be more productive than just taking shots at the guy.
I was the one that called and invited Big League Dreams to Gilbert.
I was the one that lobbied the Town Council for it.
I was the one that researched all three proposals and suggested to the Council members, individually, questions and concerns they should have with all three projects.
I was the one that was threatened–physically and verbally by some of the competitors to Big League Dreams.
It was my then 4 year old son that was physically thumped on the chest by a competitor to the project who looked at me and said, “Your son will never play baseball in Gilbert if you keep supporing this project.” By the way, I saw this same man at the Grand Opening watching his son play in a game. Funny huh?
I was the one that asked, “Why does the [competitor] gripe about alcohol at Big League Dream’s restaurant yet their league has a bar sponsoring it?”
I can’t tell you what happened behind closed doors and in the construction phase regarding costs. I honestly don’t know. I don’t work for the Town and I don’t work for Big League Dreams.
But, I can tell you that the Town acted legally, cause I was there every single step of the way because I thought it was a good project for the Town and despite getting physically threatened by those that claimed to be ‘in it for the kids’ yet had business plans generated large incomes for themselves, I didn’t have and still don’t have a financial vested interest for myself. I heard the Town address this very issue back then. It was clearly NOT in violation of Town or State law.
I thought my son being able to play at a beautiful park was worth getting threatened and assaulted over.
It amazes me that the Tribune, Republic, and Channel 15 want to run these investigative stories and yet none of them ever picked up the phone or emailed me and asked me what really happened.
Anyone ever ask why Lanny & Josh Brown caught the opening pitch on Opening Day from the Mayor? Its cause that was the one thing I did want out of it. I wanted my son to catch the opening pitch. I didn’t want to line my pockets like those of the competitors who stil are sporting sour grapes.
Its a helluva a great park. Our tax dollars are not being used to operate it. Why or whether it cost more than planned, I don’t know. I do know we spend close to a $1M a year to operate Freestone Park, where drugs, alcohol, and delinquency roams freely.
Big League Dreams Gilbert is a dream come true. I know 24 eight and nine year old boys who will forever remember playing a game there two weeks ago. Oh yeah, I also know a competitor that threatened me years ago for bringing this to Gilbert who looked like he was enjoying it too at the Grand Opening.
I just watched the two video clips.
Ben Leeson? Are you kidding me?
Someone needs to ask Ben why he came to my house after the selection process and did a mea culpa? Why he was apologizing so profusely to me in my dining room?
ABC and Mr. Bernstein are typical journalists. They need to read the ENTIRE letter(s) from Big League Dreams to Ben. Ben showed them to me! I never heard about them from Big League Dreams. Ben showed them to me. The gist of them were “do not slander or libel Big League Dreams’. At the time, Ben was running scared and trying to retract what he said and asking me to intervene cause he knew he had libeled and slandered them and was at serious risk. Now that the statute of limitations has passed he can go at it again? Now he is a concerned citizen?
Honesty? Go back and watch the Town meetings in which the competitors to Big League stand up and say, “we need to make this a local project and not award it to a bunch of Californians”. Watch how the one group squirms when the Town Council member asks them where each member of their LLC lives and WOW–guess what, more than one member lived in the great state to our West –California!
Watch them squirm when asked if they went to existing Big League Dreams parks with tape measures because they were trying to figure out how to design their proposal.
Again, I have no idea about the cost issues. I wasn’t involved. But separate that issue from the ’selection and approval process’. That one I know frontwards and backwards and we have a community of lazy journalists who have not done their homework.
I do know how this whole thing went down from the start until the selection was completed. I do know how a good friend of mine, a mother with several children, was ‘tricked’ (using her words) into speaking against the Big League project and horrified when she realized what that group had done to her!
Bernstein from ABC 15 needs to realize he is not Carl Bernstein. If he really did his homework, he would have contacted myself and the three former Council members that no longer have a vested interest. What a lazy reporter–no wonder Berman was so irritated with him. Why wouldn’t you contact the three former Council members? What would they have to say other than the truth?
Oh, and the kids who are enjoying the park? Pay no attention to that ABC. Pay no attention to the crime stats at Freestone versus what will happen at Big League.
Looks like somone is getting a head start on running for the Town Council……again ?
Thanks, but no thanks. LOL. Been there, had a heart attack in my 30’s, and done with that. I also like what’s left of my hair.
It is a little frustrating to watch the facts not play out accurately and honestly.
Here is a bit of irony in the whole thing: Leeson’s partner in his proposal? Mortensen.
The contractor selected by the Town? Mortensen.
So Leeson runs around bashing Big League Dreams and it was the Town staff and Mortensen, Ben’s old partner, that jacked the price up.
Interesting that Mansfield Texas has a larger project and they came in the mid-$20’s.
So BLD makes no additional monies no matter whether the project is $10 or $100 M and when Gilbert and Leeson’s partner do a similar project as Mansfield it is $14M more? How is that Big League Dream’s fault?
That is where I am lost.
The Town blew it when they didn’t tell Mortensen/Kitchell that $35M was too much and open it back up for bid. Mortensen/Kitchell had a heckuva a good margin I would think on this project. Those construction teams in Mansfield must be starving.
Check the agreement, didnt BLD have a consulting fee of 3 % of the total cost of build out ?
So that’s the new plan, blame the contractor for hiking the prices up instead of the folks whose job it is to watch multi-million dollar developments to insure these things don’t happen.
Wow, only in Gilbert.
Lanny,
Bernstein from ABC 15 may not be Carl Bernstein, but you sir are no Thomas Jefferson.
To think you brag about how “my son being able to play at a beautiful park” is somehow worth $40 million dollars to the rest of us.
Sad, truly sad. Next time just spend some one on one time with the kid and save the rest of us your guilt trip, ok?
CD, I think the quote was “I thought my son being able to play at a beautiful park was worth getting threatened and assaulted over.” I never said my son playing on a beautiful field was worth $40M. He’s good, but not that good, and he is only 8, and may not like baseball in a couple of years. But hey, you never claimed you could read, so no harm, no foul.
And no, I didn’t claim to be anybody, not Thomas Jefferson, nor Carl Bernstein. In fact, unlike you, I actually use my name and don’t hide behind acronyms.
Dreamweaver, honestly, it has been several years since I went to Town and pulled everything and read the agreement. I know the consulting, licensing, etc., was around $1.1M. If you are correct, my apologies. Using your math, of 3% on the project going from $23M to $39 would be another $480K (out of that $1.1 total). Not chump change by any stretch of the imagination, but still begs the question, why were we $13 or $14M higher than Mansfield, TX? I am not conceding you are right, but I won’t argue with it if you have a more fresh memory of reading the agreement.
Mansfield, TX has built a larger park (acreage-wise) (same # of fields and clubhouse restaurants) for around $26 or $27M. The Town of Gilbert contracted with Kitchell & Mortensen and their design-build team came back around $34M which blossomed to closer to $40M.
Why isn’t anyone asking why Mortensen and Kitchell were so much higher than contractors in Mansfield? I would think Leeson, with his connections and desires to do what’s best for the community would be on the phone with his old partners at Mortensen challenging them on why they were so much higher than Mansfield. It looks like sour grapes by Leeson. Seems like if he were genuine he would compare those two parks and drill down and when he finds where the $14M differences are that then he starts to ask questions.
I am sure Ben is one of the folks on here…so Ben, have you done a comparison of the two projects and figured out where the $14M went, who is to blame, and why?
If Kitchell-Mortenson charged taxpayers 100x for the same widgets used in Mansfield, then let’s go after them. $38M went to Kitchell-Mortenson. $1.1 went to Big League Dreams. Right?
I was upset when the Town awarded a company $7,500 to take pictures of the old Boys and Girls Club because I thought they could have gotten a part time citizen photographer to do it for $100.
Clearly there was waste on this project. I just think we need to get to the bottom of it first before we run around assigning blame.
As a member of Gilbert’s economic development board, Lanny Brown said he was intricately involved with the entire Big League Dreams project and claimed the bidding process was fair.
Three companies bid on the project, bids received in January of 2005.
But six months earlier, meeting minutes reflect Brown stating to his fellow board members in July of 2004 that Big League Dreams was going to operate the park.
“No, no, you got me,” Brown said. “You know you’re going to twist this.”
After reviewing the records, Brown claimed he was simply answering a fellow board member’s question, that he was speaking hypothetically.
From ABC15.com website
So Lanny, the economic development guys knew 6 months before the bids were sent out that BLD was going to be the winning bidder to build your $40 million ball park, and you think the rest of us are twisting your own words?
Better get an attorney quick, Lanny, you may need one if the AG’s office starts calling.
I guess one problem with Gilbert growing as fast as it has is that more and more “outsiders” are moving in and not letting you and your pals get away with playing Caesar anymore, Lanny. Better call your pal Steve and let him know too.
The days of back room deals are over.
And oh, for those of you wondering why Gilbert is “still” a town with over 200,000 residents, town government tends to get away with things a whole lot easier than larger city governments - and nobody within Gilbert’s “good ol boys” political club is in any hurry to allow more oversight with their closed down council sessions, off-site meetings, and sweetheart deals with certain developers.
CD, unlike you, I don’t deny, avoid facts, and hide behind an acronym. See my response to Dreamweaver on 3%.
I dissappeared from Town politics and this whole BLD thing because of folks like you, more worried about people than facts. The reason I got re-involved was because I wanted to know why we spent so much and I felt responsible. I went digging because I was pissed it cost $40M.
The EDAB thing is exactly as you spoke. One of Ben’s buddy’s was on the EDAB and asked me how it worked. I am sure if George would have been there he would have said, “Hey stupid, that’s not how it works.” So I was stupid and not trained, so sue me, put me in jail, and don’t ask where the $14M went? You win my friend.
The back door politics were that EDAB refused to put it on their agenda and it got shoved over to Parks & Rec Advisory Board which was actually done by a competitor who worked over a Director at the Town. The Parks & Rec Board and George then took it from there. That’s in the public domain so you can verify.
So apparently you can read. No apology for lying and stating I claimed my son playing on a beautiful field was worth $40M?
Still hiding behind your acronym?
Can you figure out where and why Mortensen/Kitchell took an extra $14M to build this versus Mansfield?
Can you figure out why the Town awarded it to Mortensen/Kitchell for an extra $14M?
Can you figure out why the Town would go forward with Mortensen/Kitchell when they were advised the bid was way too high and could have put that bid out again?
I’ll eagerly await your next personal bash while you hide under your acronym and avoid the real issues that impact the taxpayers and any chance to get to the bottom of this. It is the classic debate tactic. When in a factual corner, go to personal attacks and hyperbola.
See if you can actually address the real issues. Let’s just give you the benefit of the doubt–I am the worst human on earth, I am responsible for global warming, and I am taking over for the fallen Prophet Warren up in Colorado City. Now that we have that out of the way, can we focus on where the $14M went CD? That’s what I care about. No need for you to keep bantering on about me cause I know I am not worth $14M.
Mansfield and Gilbert openings are within 60 days of each other so there was not enough time between for BLD to “learn” and so we can’t say, “Oh, BLD mismanaged Gilbert and then did it right with Mansfield.” That logic doesn’t work. Something else was at play? What was it?
Given they were both simultaneously built where did the $14M go and why?
I’d like to know.
Here is the Mansfield fact sheet which looks very familiar except they built two covered pavillions and we built one:
8 Baseball/Softball Fields *(designed as scaled-down replicas of famous major league stadiums like Chicago’s Wrigley Field, Boston’s Fenway Park, or New York’s Yankee Stadium)
2 first class Stadium Club family-style, enclosed concession areas
2 Covered Multi-Sport Pavilions
Comfortable big league-style stadium seats
Batting Cages
Volleyball Courts
Group Event/Picnic Area
In any case a $40,000,000 facility that will be used by a few families was built. The taxpayers funds are gone and they are now faced with paying more in taxes to get basic services that benefit all residents .
I THINK THE WHOLE THING STINKS! I HATE HAVING THIS CORPORATE WELFARE EYESORE IN MY BACK YARD. ANOTHER BERMAN BOONDOGGLE! I CAN’T WAIT TO SEE HIM GO DOWN. I LOVE MY TOWN BUT THE TOWN LEADERS (OR PARASITES) GOTTA GO!
No it is not just in Gilbert. It is in Oxnard California too. It appears to be everywhere BLD goes.