Mr. Mayor, I hear you saying over and over that Frankfort City is short of money.  Yet, at the same time, our Frankfort Utility Board, with your three potentially appointed utility board seats (those serving at your pleasure, Mr. Mayor) produced a vote that refuses to even talk with an entity that is trying to give money to the Frankfort Utility Board.  Mayor Chris Pippenger, Your Honor, this makes absolutely no sense.  
          If someone wants to give me money for services rendered by my 1.7 million dollar business investment, I sure as heck am not going to refuse to talk to them, much less refuse to take money for legitimate services rendered.  I suggest you rethink this, sir.  
          Chris, my friend, you have three appointments on the Utility Service Board.  That is a majority.  With a 3 to 2 vote…the issue carries!  As you know, the City Council appoints the minority board members.   
          Mr. Mayor, did you forget that the Frankfort Utility Service Board pays one half of your yearly salary?  It pays one half of the clerk treasurer’s salary, as well as half the deputy clerk’s salary.  The USB even pays some to the building inspector.  Did you forget that the Frankfort Utility Board gave the city coffers $400,000 last year, plus it gives Frankfort City perks such as Christmas lighting in TPA Park?  The list of goodies goes on and on.  I have a list of years and years of contributions that the Utility Board has given the city.  The benefit history is available to you to take a look at it.  It is money, money, money!  And there is more to be had!     
          Don’t you realize the Frankfort Utility Board has been donating fiber optic services to the Frankfort City entities while at the same time you say the fiber project is not making money!  Maybe the Utility Board should start charging the city for services rendered.  You can’t have it both ways, Mr. Mayor!        
          Frankfort City has two money-making enterprises that can feed money, money, money back to the city if they are managed correctly!  The key is to manage correctly and understand the working relationship between Frankfort City and the Frankfort Service Utility Board.  I have sent you the Indiana code concerning that.  Your Honor, you are crying for money and at the same time you’re potential board members refuse to take money!  Yes, you have control of the majority of board members.  Think about it.  Making money with a 1.7 million dollar 21st century fiber optics/data center investment is certainly better than collecting cardboard.  
          In addition to making money from the sale of electricity, the Frankfort Service Utility Board had the vision to now create a 1.7 million dollar money-making business called fiber optics/data center.  Why not reap the rewards of our newly created 1.7 million dollar enterprise?  Our problem is lack of business expertise and lack of vision!   
          Mr. Mayor, if you and I were partners, and you and I invested 1.7 million dollars of our own money in a potential money-making service business, and then the board members we had the power to appoint refused to allow our 1.7 million dollar business investment to even talk with an entity that wants to give us money in exchange for services…I would be furious.  I hope you would be furious as well.
          I suggest you rethink Frankfort’s opportunity.  It advances Frankfort and gives us money as well.  Dig into the relationship between you, as the mayor, and the operations of a Service Utility Board which operates slightly at arm’s length.  Review your potential board appointments.  Focus on realizing a 21st century positive for the city of Frankfort as well as a return on that 1.7 million dollar investment.  
          Don’t cry for money, money, money while at the same time we refuse to accept legitimate return on a 1.7 million dollar business investment.  Mr. Mayor, realize that you control the majority of board appointments.  You can make it happen!  
          There is a 21st century service there to make Frankfort shine…plus ‘SHOP AT HOME” money, money, money there for the taking if managed correctly.  What is not to like about that?  


Vern Kaspar   August 20, 2008
Radio Stations WILO 1570AM and WSHW 99.7FM (also heard in Zionsville