Fayette Searchlight

With the Fayette County commissioners unanimously voting at the November 2015 meeting to allow law firms to explore the creation of a Sports and Exhibition Authority, Fayette Searchlight has learned that nearly $27,000.00 in Act 13 (Marcellus Shale Impact Fee) monies have already been spent on consulting fees, feasibility study costs, and legal fees for a Connellsville Ballpark Project.

The subject was broached through an amended agenda process at the November 2015 commissioners meeting.

The primary proponent of the project, Brad Geyer, did not identify the names of individuals who are members of a group that is pushing for the building of a facility and the creation of a municipal authority, nor did he specifically explain where the authority, if created, would find funding for the project.

Mr. Geyer who is a legislative assistant for Sen. Pat Stefano (PA-R-32) mentioned at the commissioners meeting that his group received funding from the Fayette County Redevelopment Authority (FCRA).

When contacted this afternoon, and asked how to go about making a Right-To-Know law request with the FCRA for the record of the expenditure to Mr. Geyer's informal group, Executive Director Andrew French said that the monies were paid directly to Grant Forbes. French, upon request, kindly provided the information regarding the expenditure via e-mail to this writer.

Please see the particulars of the expenditure for the Connellsville Ballpark Project here:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B_q6Npj2fC7aS0JaUGM0UzBueno1MXc1eGlTeFlnN3I2WFJz/view?usp=sharing

The agenda for the Dec. 15, 2015 commissioners meeting included an item to consider approval of a resolution for public notice announcing a public hearing to inquire into the creation of a Fayette County Sports Exhibition/Tourism Authority.

See Page 5 here:
http://www.co.fayette.pa.us/Lists/News%20%20Announcements/Attachments/75/December%2015%202015%20agenda.pdf.

WMBS AM 590 news reported this afternoon that a hearing would be held on January 11, 2016.

For a full exploration of the implications of the creation of the authority see the 12/15/2015 post at Not Enough Said:

http://notenoughsaid.blog.com/2015/12/15/fayette-county-board-of-commissioners-skip-discussion-of-public-debt-service-obligations-should-sports-and-exhibition-and-tourism-authority-be-created-to-construct-manage-project-and-facility/