Mr. Robinette explained that “months ago” and “a couple of months ago” Midtown Custom Cabinets (MCC) came to him seeking information and assistance. MCC felt that if they sold the Vail property to the City, there would be capital gains issues that MCC would prefer to avoid. Robinette suggested that, if MCC could find a suitable property of “similar value” to the $85,000 appraised value of MCC’s Vail property, perhaps the tax issues could be skirted by arranging a “swap”. After more blarney, Robinette explained that MCC had “negotiated a price with the owner” of 1607 Central, and that $90,000 was the best price that could be negotiated, since the owner had intended to keep this property as a rental property. Ms. Scott-Jones confirmed that she recalled this from “a couple of months ago”. Robinette stated that “They made an offer at the price that MCC had negotiated!!!” However, it had been purchased by someone else before they were able to do that. The new buyer had purchased the property at a Sheriff’s sale for $50,000 only three weeks ago, yet now wanted $90,000 to resell.

It was never explained why, if MCC, the previous owner, and the city (or some combination thereof?) were in negotiations at $90,000 in today’s market, why did they let it go to sheriff’s sale for $50,000?

At the end, Robinette said that “we were never going to swap”, so what was the tax break all about? That was not explained. Nor was the “swap/never swap” flip-flop.

It was never explained who the “previous owner” was (prior to Mr. Diver, who purchased the property at the Sheriff’s sale on 2/19/210--not “months before”). Logic dictates that it could only have been First Financial Bank, who brought the property through the foreclosure process or perhaps someone negotiating a short sale to First Financial’s benefit, however this would not explain First Financial’s decision to proceed with foreclosure, but this decision should be of no interest to the citizens of Middletown. Mayor Mulligan is rumored to be a Vice-President of First Financial Bank.

Does any of this make sense??? NO!!! It is fraught with discrepancies and, in my humble opinion, smacks of a hastily arranged, but poorly thought out cover story.

It was never explained who had a “conflict of interest” in this matter, something practically unheard of in the twelve years that I have been watching council.

It was never explained why the City, in a time of declining population and economic strife, thinks that two-and one-half acres of medium to high density housing might be desirable to ANY developer, especially in an area where decades of effort and tens of millions of taxpayers’ dollars have yet to stir any interest.

The only thing that seems to make any sense, in my opinion, is the urgent need for an Independent Prosecutor!

Does anyone out there have Mr. Piper’s ear? Or someone’s ear at the State Attorney General’s Office?

Did anyone look around at the ashen faces in council chambers as Legislative Item #5 was called Tuesday night? Did anyone notice how the “color” seemed to return after things had seemed to have been adequately “explained away”? Did anyone hear the collective sigh of relief as things moved on?

Make it a point to watch the replay, Middletonians.

This is NOT about “how it looks to the public”. It looks like exactly what it is, does it not?