Our goofball Mayor is in another email pissing match with the former Mayor and resident of Venice, over Sharky’s parking lot and gift offer

Our goofball Mayor is in another email pissing match with the former Mayor and resident of Venice, over Sharky’s parking lot and gift offer

Our goofball Mayor is in another email pissing match with the former Mayor and resident of Venice, over Sharky’s parking lot and gift offer

by Francesco Abbruzzino, The Scoop News

 

 

 

This email was blind CC’d to me, yet sent to the “home town paper” in a regular manner. Not sure why the peria of the media world (yours truly) was sent this in a hidden manner………. 🙂

I am not sure who is accurate. The lovely Mayor whose email is first or the former Mayor Ed Martin, whose email follows Holic’s.

What I do know:

  • Holic and the Mike Pachota (owner of Sharky’s, Finn’s, and Snook Haven) are best buddies from hanging out to the Mayor making a significant amount of money showing Mike’s team how to smoke meat (see my previous article with links to legitimate sites). So, Holic should just stay out of the argument and recuse himself. I am not sure why he continues to get pulled into this conversation with the former Mayor. Well I do know why, you see Mayor Holic presents himself as being the omniscient one, but he is as dumb as a box of rocks.
  • Mike and the City of Venice will both benefit from this parking lot. The lot does get full fast on a good beach day. There is nothing wrong with Mike doing something that will make him money and benefit the city.
  • Mike’s operation does provide a good form of revenue for the city, after they revised the rental agreement.
  • The city has already put out over 100k in consultants, regarding placing this parking lot.
  • The Mayor and council were full of it when they originally sold this parking lot. The Mayor stated a couple meetings ago that this parking lot was to alleviate the parking crisis on the island. Who do you know that will park there to visit Centennial Park?
  • I am tired of watching our Mayor respond in such a childish manner to constituents via email. However, it is the only way to communicate with him because he shuts people down at the meetings.
  • Mayor Holic has been caught in a multitude of lies, so I always ask that you double check his information. Unfortunately, he has a character flaw that always leads me to wonder if he is being honest.
  • I originally put out an article on the Sharky’s gift, that was based upon their presentation to the council ( I attached the video as factual proof). Since then Justin contact me and clarified that the information his father stated was not accurate. Here is the deal as I know it:
    • Sharky’s will cover 100k of the 400k price tag
    • Sharky’s will give a interest free loan of 300k to the city, which must be paid back in the forms of credits over x years from the rent Sharky’s would normally payout.
    • I only hope these numbers are close to accurate. I say that because on so many issues the Mayor and council will state certain numbers, which I will put out a report using. Then they change a variable and state that my numbers are wrong………… Politicians are tricky little bastards.
    • Sharky’s is not requesting “X” amount of parking spaces in the deal
    • I trust Justin and I believe his assurances that he has given me.

So, on the surface it looks like a good deal on for the city, which has made a mess out this issue under the leadership of our lovely Mayor.

The two emails regarding Sharky’s deal are below, you decide if it is good or not for the city.

Frankie

———- Forwarded message ———-
From: “John Holic” <[email protected]>
Date: Sat, Jun 3, 2017 at 3:20 PM -0400
Subject: Re: Sharky’s gift
To: “insidevenice” <[email protected]>, “City Council” <[email protected]>
Cc: “Edward Lavallee” <[email protected]>

Dear Mr. Martin,
On behalf of Venice City Council, thank you for your comments, however, my math comes up with considerably different numbers than yours. Using your “conservative” figures of $120,000 a day revenue ( I am not a restauranteur, but I know of no restaurant in Venice or even Sarasota that generates that type of revenue) and staying open 6 days a week for 52 weeks, 312 days a year, equals $37,440,000 and at 5% to the City, would be $1,872,000 per year each and every year on our $300,000 investment. That would be a phenomenal rate of return, over 600%, and would allow a reduction in ad valorum taxes of at least 1/2 point.
The real results of your “conservative” calculations are $4,500 for lunch and $7,500 for dinner or $12,000 per day, same 312 days, $3,744,000 per year - an extremely successful restaurant - and at 5% , $187,200 per year or a 62% rate of return per year, each and every year based on a $300,000 investment by the city. Maybe not as good as Bernie Madoff or Art Nadel, but arguably a great return.
I think you forgot to mention that this parking lot has been on on CIP (Capital Improvement Plan) for 3 years and was the final phase of a three year program following recommendations of a MPO financed Mobility Study and more recently, a City of Venice Parks Master Plan. Both consultant studies recommended more parking at our beaches and other areas of Venice. Projects already completed include the parking on the right of way on the east side of Harbor by the golf course, paving and improved drainage for the North Brohard Beach parking lot, redesigning and paving the lot behind Venice Theater and redesign of Venice Beach parking lot. There were more projects in phases 1 & 2, but that covers most of the main ones.
You also failed to mention that this parking lot was on the CIP as a city only expense and it was only at the last meeting that a Public/Private partnership was proposed as an alternative method of funding. This council prides itself in the Public/Private partnerships it has entered into over the past several years while at the same time avoiding costly litigation and legal fees. There is no restaurant plan or planned expansion of the existing restaurants the I know of.
This project makes sense for the city on a purely economic and needs basis for additional beach parking and I thank you for showing that it makes sense on an investment basis; if a second sweet heart deal lease for the city should be drafted in the future offering additional land for lease at or close to that of our current land lease, it would be a windfall for our annual revenue and would be greatly benefit the city. I will reiterate, however, that the project makes sense as a stand alone project and fulfills phase 3 of a three year CIP.
Further, you did not mention that this parking lot is not convenient to Sharky’s , but rather it is for beach access. The parking lot under consideration in the plot of ground closest to the Coast Guard Staion, not near the restaurant. Please remember, we are trying to follow recommendations made by two separate consultants and not just shelve the reports.
Lastly, the request made for consideration for the contribution and loan was that sufficient parking be attributed to VPG so that 150 (not 300) additional seats could be built or added in the future should they desire and were able to secure a workable lease. I did not consider it as an announcement of expansion, but rather an effective way to do business planning and open possibilities in the future.
You were kind enough to forward pictures of overcrowded parking along Harbor stating that all the spots were not full, again what you did not mention was that cars were parked in the bike lanes and in other illegal places. The parking in the bike lanes is clearly a safety hazard, however, the cars had no where else to go.
I appreciate your opinions and you are definitely entitled to them, however, you are not entitled to your own facts. I hope this helps clear up some of the inaccuracies that have been published. Thank you also for participating in the Mayors of Venice documentary that is being produced. It will be interesting to see how it all fits together once editing is complete. The debut is in early November and I believe that will be the first time it will be shown to anyone other than the producers and editors.
Sincerely,
John Holic
Mayor, City of Venice
City Council members, please do not respond all to this email.
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_____________________________
From: insidevenice <[email protected]>
Sent: Friday, June 2, 2017 12:02 PM
Subject: Sharky’s gift
To: City Council <[email protected]>

Update on this letter also posted on Inside Venice Florida on Facebook with five readers sharing.
1791 readers so far. No positive comments on plan for parking.

MILLIONS IN NEW REVENUE FOR SHARKY’S FROM CITY PARKING LOT.

Dear Members of City Council and Public,

Let’s do the math. According to reports from staff, 100 new parking spaces translates into 300 new places in restaurants by formula. SHARKY’S generous offer is to pay 25 percent, $100,000 of $400,000 additional costs, (about $114,000 of taxpayer money has already been spent on preliminaries.) SHARKY’S would lend the City the other $300,000, interest-free, to be paid from their annual payment to the City over the next three years.

Here are some conservative estimates of revenues from 300 settings:

Lunches, many with beer, wine, etc. $15.00. $45,000
DInners, $25.00. $75,000

$120,000 Daily. Seven days a week, let’s say six. $720,000

Annual gross revenues from 300 seats. $3.440,000

Sharky’s gets 95 percent of these gross revenues, the City gets 5 percent.

NOW:

Why should the City’s taxpayers pay for this parking lot? A friendly gesture?

Ed Martin.

 

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