Interesting Look Into The Convoluted Funding Of The Dunce Confederacy's Trinity River Vision Boondoggle

Out of the blue, on the third day of the New Year of 2015, in my incoming email inbox, there appeared a document which seemed to be a detailed accounting of the bizarre money moving shenanigans the City of Fort Worth is engaging in in cahoots with its Dunce Confederacy Cohorts in the Trinity River Vision Boondoggle.

It has long been apparent, to the few who pay attention, that the funding mechanism for the Dunce Confederacy Boondoggle is seriously flawed.

Hence the slow motion building of Three Simple Bridges Over Nothing taking an absurd four years, after which, if funding can be found, a ditch may be dug under the three bridges, finally giving them a purpose, after water is added to the ditch.

Does any other town in America finance a public works project in this convoluted manner?

Below is the legalistic gobblygook which seems to be all about transferring funds from various accounts into The Boondoggle's side of the ledger, near as I can tell....

SUBJECT:
Authorize Transfer of Funds Received from Tarrant County in the Amount of $332,065.91 from the Special Trust Fund to Certain Other Funds for the Purpose of Reimbursing City's Previous Trinity River Vision Eligible Project Expenses and Contracts, Consistent with the City's Limitation of $26.6 Million on Expenditures for the Trinity River Vision Project and Adopt Appropriation Ordinances (COUNCIL DISTRICT 9) 

RECOMMENDATION: 
It is recommended that the City Council:

1. Adopt the attached appropriation ordinance increasing estimated receipts and appropriations in the Special Trust Fund in the amount of $332,065.91 from available funds; 
2. Authorize the transfer from the Special Trust Fund in the amount of $332,065.91 to the Street Improvements Fund in the amount of $122,670.22, the Sewer Capital Projects Fund in the amount of 175,550.80 and the Specially Funded Capital Projects Fund in the amount of $33,844.89 for previous Trinity River Vision eligible project expenses and contracts;
3. Adopt the attached appropriation ordinance increasing estimated receipts and appropriations in the Street Improvements Fund in the amount of $122,670.22;  
4. Adopt the attached appropriation ordinance increasing estimated receipts and appropriations in the Sewer Capital Projects Fund in the amount of $175,550.80; 
5. Adopt the attached appropriation ordinance increasing estimated receipts and appropriations in the amount of $33,844.89 in the Specially Funded Capital Projects Fund; and
6. Authorize the transfer in the amount of $33,844.89 from the Specially Funded Capital Projects Fund to the Capital Projects Reserve Fund.

DISCUSSION: 
After a recent audit of City expenses and contracts, the above recommendations are necessary to reimburse several City Funds in order to ensure that the $26.6 million Trinity River Vision (TRV) spending cap is maintained. Tarrant County will soon be providing the City with their Fiscal Year 2015 TRV reimbursement in the amount of $1.5 million, so this Mayor and Council Communication will enable the redistribution of a portion of that funding to cover TRV-related expenses and contracts in the following manner:

On April 15, 2008, (M&C C-22766) City Council authorized the initial contract with TranSystems for Phase IA of stormwater and franchise utility design/coordination. This was a TRV eligible expense that counted towards the City's $26.6 million commitment in the amount of $946,500.00. This contract was paid for with City funds from the Capital Projects Reserve Fund because it was prior to the City receiving TRV Project reimbursements from Tarrant County. On October 6, 2009 (M&C C-23833), City Council authorized the use of Tarrant County TRV Project reimbursement funds to move the Police Auto Pound, which was a non-TRV eligible expense. The final cost in moving the auto pound was $912,655.11. By transferring the difference of $33,844.89 ($946,500.00 vs. $912,655.11) from the Special Trust Fund (i.e., Tarrant County TRV reimbursements) to the Specially Funded Capital Projects Fund, this leaves the Police Auto Pound expenditure of $912,655.11 paid by Capital Projects Reserve Funds and reimburses the difference for the TranSystems Phase IA contract.

FISCAL INFORMATION/CERTIFICATION: 
The Financial Management Services Director certifies that upon approval of the above recommendations and adoption of the attached appropriation ordinances, funds will be available in the current capital budgets, as appropriated, of the Street Improvements Fund, the Sewer Capital Projects Fund, and the Specially Funded Capital Projects Fund.

______________________________________________________

I can not help but wonder if the Dunce Confederacy Trinity River Vision Boondoggle had been funded in the way normal public works projects are funded, you know, after a public vote where the voters vote to tax themselves by some means to fund a project for the public good, whether we would be seeing these type convoluted "funding" manipulations to fund an ongoing Boondoggle?