GENESIS GOING, GOING ...
City Council members call for inventory as sale nears
With the sale of the Gary’s Genesis Center pending, members of the city’s Common Council want to know what city-owned property is in the building and what is being done with it.
Councilman Ronald Brewer, D-At large, said he has been receiving calls from constituents that items are being removed from the Genesis Center, across Broadway from City Hall. Brewer said time and time again he has seen things get moved around only to end up missing.
“I want to know exactly what is in the Genesis Center and what’s moved around,” Brewer said.
Council President William Godwin, D-1st, said fixtures and equipment inside the Genesis Center should remain the property of the city unless those items were part of the purchase agreement.
Deputy Mayor Trent McCain said the administration was in the process of inventorying the city property inside the Genesis Center.
“We are bound by state law to do that,” McCain said.
Godwin said he would also like to know the status of the golf carts from the formerly city-owned Gleason Park Golf Course.
“The golf carts at the golf course are no longer there,” Godwin said.
McCain said some removed items have been moved to a city-owned storage site on Broadway.
Councilwoman Mary Brown, D-3rd, said she, too, has heard of items being removed from the Genesis Center and she
does not know by whom. She said she would like to see an accounting of the liquor that was used for events at the convention center.
“Nobody seems to know what happened to this. That is something we could have in fact made a profit on. I’d like to know also where all these items are and where they went,” Brown said.
McCain said the administration will file a report.
“The administration report will be comprehensive to the extent we describe all the personal property contained in the building. That would include alcoholic beverages,” McCain said.
Councilman Clorius Lay, D-At large, said any items the city wants to liquidate have to be sold by auction. If an auction is not successful, the city may then be able to try and sell what is left outright.
He said it might be difficult for the city to sell the liquor, because people can only purchase so much liquor without holding a license. He said the city would likely need to seek permission from the state on how it may be able to sell the liquor.