Town of Mammoth officials so far have little comment on the settlement offer from Mammoth Lakes Land Acquisition. They plan to talk about it in a closed session during a special meeting Thursday. One Town Councilman did say Mammoth and MLLA have differences of opinion over what the Town of Mammoth needs to survive. Also on Thursday, separate from the MLLA issue, the Council will look at borrowing $4.7 million from the Town’s vehicle replacement fund.
It was late last Friday when Jay Becker of MLLA emailed to our newsroom a letter written for the Town of Mammoth. The letter criticized Mammoth for how negotiations have unfolded over payment of the $42 million lawsuit judgment and then made the Town an offer. The deal asks the Town to pay $2 million now and $2.8 million each year for 30 years.
Asked to comment on this turn of events, Mayor Jo Bacon said, “We are doing a bunch of research on it right now and will discuss it on Thursday.” The Mayor said that attorneys prefer that the Council not say anything yet.
Councilman Rick Wood did not want to comment on the details of the offer, but he did have some comments about MLLA. Wood, also an attorney, said it’s important for him to be patient with the process. He did say that MLLA’s letter revealed “posturing” by the company.
He said the two sides may have different views on what the Town can afford to pay. Wood also said that MLLA and the Town differ on what might be called discretionary spending. Wood said, “Just because money is not restricted doesn’t mean the expenditures made are not essential to this Town’s survival. We’ll be dealing with this.”
Wood also said that it is in the “best interest of the community” that the Town has honored the confidentiality agreement between MLLA and Mammoth over negotiation details “even though they sent our letter to the media,” said Wood.
Mammoth Town Manager Dave Wilbrecht offered no comment on the MLLA offer, but he did say that there would be an added item on Thursday’s special meeting agenda. Wilbrecht said it would include a resolution to take a loan from the Town vehicle replacement fund to pay for some current expenditures and to repay past Town loans from the Developer Impact Fee fund.
Wilbrecht said a staff report will be out soon on this. He did say that the loan would be for $4.7 million of the vehicle replacement fund’s $10 million or so. Still up in the air is the $2.2 million shortfall in next fiscal year’s budget. Town officials have said they need concessions from employees to help balance the budget.
Thursday’s special meeting agenda says it all starts at 1pm with a closed session and at 2pm discussion of financial difficulties and availability of funds for critical payments related to the MLLA process.
There are more millionaires in the U.S. today than the entire population of New York City. Yet 1 in 5 children in America today are considered living in poverty. Those who live a life of compassion and are looking out for their fellow man (i.e., promoting adequate Healthcare for those… Read more »
Dear Bennett, Thank you for the compliments. The right to “life, liberty and pursuit of happiness” directly relates to a person’s choice in how they decide to live out this clause. That is, one person may choose to be responsible in their “pursuit of life or happiness” while another my… Read more »
Liberty, I’m with you on people accepting responsibility for their own lives. However, not all illness comes from conscious choice. Sometimes people who try to live in a responsible and healthy way get dreadfully sick. Hopefully, they can afford the care. Sometimes they can not. I personally would rather spend… Read more »
Liberty Bell is willing to use all the conveniences provided to him/her everyday by hundreds of millions of people working all over the globe — and then thinks that he/she is somehow not “…in this together.” We’ve been over this a thousand times — you use the roads, the water,… Read more »
I’ve been trying to not comment on anything because of the poisonous diatribes so frequent here but Liberty Bell’s nonsense is just too provocative to ignore. So here are some easily available statistics that show there is no correlation between national debt and an effective, nationalized health care system. Liberty… Read more »
The modern American Conservative Movement bears no semblance whatsoever to our father’s and grandfather’s brand of conservative thought. Today’s movement is dictated by ilk like Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, and Ann Coulter. All whom have found a splendid vehicle to demonize and degrade all who oppose them and are all… Read more »
I respectfully disagree. We are not a wealthy nation–and, in my view, healthcare is not a right. First, if you believe that the ultimate measure of wealth is debt, than you are must not realize that our grandchildren’s grandchildren are on the hook for fifteen trillion dollars and counting. Your… Read more »
Dear Liberty, You have missed my point. There is plenty of money to do what we feel are the priorities of our nation. But we do have to set priorities. Do we want to spend $2 billion a week on the war in Afghanistan? The wars are what created the… Read more »
Very well said Benett.
If we get it, why cant the one’s on capitol hill get it?
Are they that blinded by potential dollars?
I guess we can expect that when they write their own rules due to non Regulation!
“We are not a wealthy nation–and, in my view, healthcare is not a right.” The United States has the highest GDP of ANY nation. We ARE a wealthy nation. Heath care is not a right? “That all men are by nature equally free and independent, and have certain inherent rights,… Read more »
It is sad that Mammoth citizens will ultimately pay for this MMLA lawsuit. This entire situation goes to show you that the goal of government is to get bigger– and when government grows free markets get interfered with, businesses gets taxed more and citizens ultimately lose more freedom. The TOML… Read more »
And, you have stated the debate for our times – what are necessary services for society? Take health care. Nearly all other developed countries in the world have accepted and believe in the moral imperative that all citizens deserve and need to be taken care of in matters of health.… Read more »
Most of those other developed countries to which you refer are going broke. Governments who have baked their own fiscal demise into the cake will not be able to take care of anything for the populace in the end, whether it’s health care, defense, roads, or schools. The knee-jerk “government… Read more »
Peoples’ greed have largely created the problems in Greece, Ireland, Italy, etc., etc. That’s not a statement about universal health care. What government can do is examine society and see what is working and what is not and then regulate those parts that benefit a few and not the many.… Read more »
Anyone that lives within TOML might want to consider selling and moving.
Wood said Jay Becker and Terry Ballas of MLLA traveled to Mammoth Lakes a couple of weeks ago and spent several days here to go over financial information. “They appreciate the transparency and helpfulness,” said Wood. “It’s been a burden on staff, along with all the work on the budget.”… Read more »
Alright, good sleuthing Benett, and now check out the newly posted agenda for the TOML Council meeting at 2 pm on Thursday: MMM proposes that they pull out $4.7M from the vehicle replacement fund (already known) for–get this–PREpaying millions of dollars to the Town’s new legal firms and financial consulting… Read more »
Dear Benett,
Who is MLLA?
Do they have names and faces?
It would be good to see who is taking a big piece of the town.
Thanks,
=
Check out this link – http://www.corporationwiki.com/California/Santa-Monica/raleigh-enterprises-llc/45977860.aspx and google Raleigh Enterprises and other companies listed on that chart for starters. MLLA appears to be one in a network of companies involved in real estate, airports, hollywood studios and more. Benett
If you check out the link suggested by Bennett, it shows the different entities of Raleigh Enterprises (MLLA).
One is named: Mammoth Opportunity Fund – 1, LLC
No doubt what their driving force is, is there? ($$$)
MAYBE IT’S TIME THE CITY OF MAMMOTH PUT IT’S BIG BOY PANTS ON AND START PAYING.
THE CITY OF MAMMOTH HAS BEEN DRAGGING IT’S FEET FOR WHAT … 4 YEARS NOW.
ACCEPT RESPONSIBILITY. – AND START PAYING!
Dave Jones = MLLA troll… With what money? The town is BROKE! There is no way ToML can afford 40 MILLION+ w/o seriously affecting services to locals and visitors. The mistakes of a few will be paid over breaking the backs of people completely innocent of all this. The 30… Read more »
Most would agree that everything you say is true; unfortunately the reality is the Town will owe the money whether it can afford it or not; regardless of whether bankruptcy is filed or not filed. The focus and productive use of our emotional energy should be focused on the plan… Read more »
Such a simpleton…. Just because I side with MLLA does not imply that I am affiliated with them. I am Not. I just happen to have the same opinion as our legal system…. THE TOWN OF MAMMOTH LOST THE CASE! Get it??? The Time to Argue the Merits of the… Read more »
I also agree with Dave Jones.
They argued the merits in court, TOML lost.
Time to pay up!
This guy is an MLLA TROLL! Don’t fall for it. He thinks he won the Lotto by buying a lawsuit from a loser developer. He could care less about screwing Mammoth and it’s citizens.
This is sort of like studying for a urine test.
The town should move forward with bankruptcy. Let these leeches get in line behind legitimate creditors and essential services. And end the nonsense projects like the vanity gateway and other outsized small town ambitions.
The leeches are your city council.
Jeff B There is no getting in line with a Capt 9 BK from my reading. There is no cram down as was pointed out, there is no forceful re-negotiations. The judge has very limited powers.There is no discharge of debt.The town must pay the debt. The only thing it… Read more »
An interesting time to be depleting TOML coffers to retire other debts. Is the TOML on a combined spending spree/run on the bank ahead of dealing with MLLA? If so, no wonder MLLA decided to move forward for a writ of mandate. Does MLLA have a ready response? Perhaps they… Read more »
Town officials have said they need concessions from employees to help balance the budget.
It should read, Town officials have said they need to quit wasting money to help balance the budget.
WOW , WOW , WOW and More WOW! The town is going to look into a loan against the Vehicle fund!!!!!! Wilbrecht said it would include a resolution to take a loan from the Town vehicle replacement fund to pay for some current expenditures and to repay past Town loans… Read more »