Here's a link to minutes of the city council meeting at which the agreement with Pespi MidAmerica was enxtended until 2025 (scroll down to Item 5.10). The reason given for the fifteen year extention was Pepsi MidAmerica's providing lighting for Carbondale High School's sports facilities:
The vote on Feb 8 was 5 to 1 with only Chris Wissmann voting against. In an email, Councilman Wissmann says he voted against the agreement becasue the cost to the city cause the city to have to vend Pepsi products for significantly more than Civic Center users would pay at local grocery stores. The agreement at the time was slated to expire Feb. 23 and, from what I remember hearing at the time, Coke was quite interested in submitting a bid but the city felt the sports field lighting sufficient inducement to sign the fifteen year extention with Pepsi. Nothing illegal about the contract but it certainly went through quickly.
The City later entered into an agreement with the High School for the construction of tennis courts needed for use by the Carbondale Community High School “Terrier” tennis team, the students and Carbondale community at large. Then, at the joint request of the City and the High School, Pepsi-Cola Bottling Company of Marion, Illinois, agreed to install lights at the tennis courts at a cost of $114,000.00, which brought the total amount of financial assistance provided to the City and High School to $864,000.00. In exchange for this, the High School extended its Exclusive Beverage Rights Agreement with Pepsi-Cola Bottling Companyof Marion until March 31, 2025.
The contribution of the lights at the tennis court provided to the High School serves the interest of the
students and the Carbondale community, who also use the courts. In consideration for said contribution, it is in the best interest of the citizens of Carbondale to extend the current Exclusive Beverage Rights Agreement, which covers the Civic Center and City-owned recreational facilities constructed on property located within the Superblock, for an additional ten (10) years or until March 31, 2025, which will mirror the addendum agreement extended by the High School.The vote on Feb 8 was 5 to 1 with only Chris Wissmann voting against. In an email, Councilman Wissmann says he voted against the agreement becasue the cost to the city cause the city to have to vend Pepsi products for significantly more than Civic Center users would pay at local grocery stores. The agreement at the time was slated to expire Feb. 23 and, from what I remember hearing at the time, Coke was quite interested in submitting a bid but the city felt the sports field lighting sufficient inducement to sign the fifteen year extention with Pepsi. Nothing illegal about the contract but it certainly went through quickly.
Thank you. Very interesting. Reminds me of hotel and rental car taxes, where you screw outsiders for the benefit of the taxing body. You should see the add-on tax if you stay in Seattle these days, to pay for their football and baseball stadiums.
ReplyDeleteThat was the argument made for the last sales tax increase. A property tax would only hit residents of Carbondale while a sales tax increase affected both residents and those who shopped in Carbondale but lived outside the community.
ReplyDeleteIt's not just Seattle. Can't speak to rental cars but every motel I have stayed at has a hotel tax almost double the regular sales tax.