ATHLETICS:
Katy ISD Jumbotron
The Katy Arena
KISD's Latest Management Fiasco Uncovered
From a post on one of the Watchdog's web sites in 2006
George Scott, owner and publisher of The New Katy News, is at it again. He
helped to expose the fiasco involving KISD’s mismanagement of its outsourced
Information Technology company, Xpediant and now he’s going after the district
for the Katy Copperhead fiasco.
The Katy Area’s first foray into the world of professional sports ended in May
2006 as a black eye on the management of the Leonard Merrell Center, or LMC.
The Katy Copperheads of the National Indoor Football League held its inaugural
season in Katy and left behind a trail of mismanagement and a comedy of errors.
What the heck is a major independent school district in Texas doing by renting
space to a professional sports team in the first place
.
The team paid for one game in the amount of $5,718.50. But it seems the district
gave out a coupon for buy one, get six free. As the Copperheads slink off to
Cy-Fair’s Berry Center with their proverbial snake tail between their legs, they
owe the district at least $26,000.
Scott reports that the Copperheads paid an invoice on March 11, 2006 for just
under $6,000 for use of the facility for their first game. On March 18, the
Copperheads sent a check for $7,313.95 to cover the facility use for their
second game. It seems that LMC management held the check until May 3 when it
was sent on to the district through intra-district mail. The check never made it to
the district’s business office. The district claims it was lost in the mail.
Where did this check go? Was it ever cashed?
Scott reports that it does not appear that the Copperheads issued another check
to cover the $7,000 check it lost.
On June 2, the LMC management received three checks totaling about $19,500 for
the next three games played between April 8 and April 30. These checks were
held in the facility’s safe until June 22 when the district’s business office
deposited them into a district account. On June 24, the Copperheads played their
last game at LMC.
Then the bungling begins: The bank informs the district that the three previous
checks bounced on June 29, five days after the last game. The alarm bells start
going off. Scott reports that in a June 29 email from a district official to
LMC’s general manager, the GM is urged to advise Leonard Merrell, the namesake
for the LMC, that the checks bounced and that the district “lost” a check. The
GM responded by saying, “Thanks – I will do so.”
When did the GM inform Dr. Merrell what was happening? What was Merrell’s
reaction? When did Merrell inform the Board? If the Board knew prior to the
November 2006 bond election, why did they not make this public? Why didn’t
Merrell make this public?
To this date, the Copperheads have not reissued checks for the one lost, the
ones that bounced nor for the last two games played after April 30.
Once again, the management of this district smells like three-day-old fish. It
has no problem doing business with firms on no-bid contracts when those firms
contribute to PACs that support the passage of district bonds – these same bonds
that we, as taxpayers are on the hook for and that pay, in my opinion, the
contractors inflated fees for services rendered.
Now, it looks like the district may have misappropriated funds (lost check),
failed to practice fiscal responsibility (letting checks sit for a month before
cashing them), and failed to reveal this vital public information until after
the November Bond election. It also appears that once again, our School Board
has failed to properly oversee the management of this district.
Radio Free Katy has called for the resignation of Leonard Merrell. We reiterate
this call.
Would disclosure of this information have altered the election results? Who
knows? But because the election was near, one could see the temptation to
withhold information until after this election.
You should remember that the campaign for the November bond election was
paid for by special interests – primarily by developers of area master planned
communities that need the new schools to attract new homebuyers – to the tune
of $100,000. We’re no longer talking about what’s best for the community: This is
about protecting investments and, what seems to me to be a casual partnership
between the district and special interests. This is no longer a game of Go Fish;
it’s become No Limit Texas Hold‘em.
And we don’t have the chip count to compete.
Editor’s Note: George Scott should be commended for relentlessly chasing this
story. Mr. Scott unabashedly sings the district’s praise when they do well and
with equal aplomb calls them to the mat when they are managing-challenged.
The taxpayers are well served by his independent voice, and I urge you to pick up
a copy of his newspaper at area businesses, if you do not receive one in your
driveway, to help keep yourself informed of all the good, bad, and ugly this
district has to offer.
© 2006 by Fred Hink. All rights reserved.
Fred Hink, Katy Citizen Watchdog$Date: 12/18/2006
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February 15, 2007
Attention:
The Board Of Trustees
RE:
An Open Letter To The KISD Board Of Trustees
Dear KISD Board of Trustees:
As noted on our web site, The New
Katy News recently ran a story about our school district and the Katy Copperheads.
A real fiasco according to the information contained in that article.
Apparently, the Copperhead organization had some financial trouble which caused
them to default on rental payments due the district.
The most disturbing information seems to be the fact that the school district let
this team use the facility even though they were not making the required contractual
payments. According to the story the
Copperhead organization owes Katy ISD some $26,000.00.
As a taxpayer I have some questions that I would like answered:
Sincerely,
Christopher E. Cottrell
Co-Founder/Katy Citizen Watchdog$
cc:
Mr. Steve Stanford
KISD Communications Department
The Merrell Center holds 5,723 or 7,200 people depending on how it is set up. The Berry Center is almost twice as big. It holds 11,000. Why didn't they build it big enough in the first place?
I've always thought it was interesting that they built it at all, and I suspect that Merrell simply wanted a monument to himself like Mr. Berry had, and this was all he could muster in a hurry. I tried to get the District to build a field house that all high schools could use for basketball and volleyball games and other school events, and you should have seen the Athletic Directors coming out of the woodwork at that board meeting! It was something to behold. Seems like there was a question of "home court advantage" that they staked their reputations on. So I lost the effort. Next thing I know, we have one anyway??? Of course, as we can now realize, the place isn't used for playing high school sports! (Isn't that what our tax dollars are supposed to support? Our local students? Guess not!
Total Amount Spent for what amounts to seven (7) booking agents for the Arena: $384,741,56 That is an outrageous sum for this activity!
Why didn't they cut back this department after it received so much criticism in previous years for being way overstaffed?
Why do they even need these employees? They could hire a booking
service for much less to do these jobs much more efficiently and che
Location Mailing Address
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Gary Fountain : For the Chronicle
'Minor sports' score major venues — Facilities director Jim Chapman stands in Katy's Merrell Center. School sports such as volleyball and basketball have gained ground with expensive new facilities. READ STORY
'Minor sports' get major boost in area Copyright 2006 Houston Chronicle Once late August arrives in Texas, attention tends to turn to one thing: football. But this year is different. With the opening of several multimillion-dollar arenas, so-called minor sports such as volleyball and basketball are stepping into the spotlight at schools across the Greater Houston area. Three new facilities, built in the past two years, are setting a standard for school districts throughout the state. Katy ISD's Merrell Center, Cy-Fair ISD' s Berry Center and Clear Creek ISD's Bill Krueger Field House are state-of the-art venues that are placing focus on the sports and the teams that play in them. In addition, they show the growth of girls sports, even in a state where football rules. "The greatest thing about it is that it shows the students on the volleyball and basketball teams that this district really embraces them and cares about what they are out there doing," Clear Lake High School girls basketball coach Terry Farrell said of the 2,800-seat Krueger Field House. The fieldhouse was approved by voters in 2004. Though there had been talk of making major improvements to the football stadium, when the fieldhouse appeared on a single ticket at the bond election that year, it was strongly supported. The vote was a victory for the "other" sports. "I think it just shows how sports like volleyball and basketball are really growing," Farrell said. "It's a great thing when the community backs a project like this." The vote also was surprising to several people in the athletic department. "This district prides itself in academics, which is a great thing," said Carrie Taylor, Clear Creek district spokeswoman. "So we were really pleased to see the fieldhouse vote pass since a lot of times money doesn't go toward athletics in this district." Taylor said the need for the facility had become apparent, and she attributes that to the overwhelming support of the school board and community. "We are growing so much," she said. "We are opening a new school next year and probably another one a few years after that. While academics are so important, athletics are also a great way for kids to excel and possibly get scholarships for college." CCISD's fieldhouse has four new locker rooms and a new weight room, specifically for the volleyball and basketball teams. "Adding the weight room to the fieldhouse has really helped because in the past the weight room at (Clear Lake) has been crowded with football and soccer sharing it as well," Clear Lake volleyball coach Chanda Eager said. "Now, that's not a problem. The fieldhouse has benefited every sport." Multipurpose facilitySports fans in the Cy-Fair ISD area are being spoiled with a complex that includes a new arena and a new football stadium.The Berry Center, voted for in the 2001 bond election, boasts an 11,000-seat football stadium and a 9,500-seat arena. Just two years ago, there was controversy in the area about money being spent on athletics instead of academics. But Roy Sprague, the superintendent of facilities, said Cy-Fair ISD will save money in the long run. "It's a great addition to a district that is growing so fast," Sprague said. "We now not only have room for our volleyball and basketball teams to host games, tournaments and playoff games, but also a site for graduation, new teacher development and banquets. "This has turned out wonderfully for the district." Sprague said that before last May, every school had to rent a facility for graduation. Now thousands of dollars will be saved each year because the district can provide a space. Cy-Fair already cut the cost of the Berry Center by putting the arena and the football stadium on the same site. "Being able to combine the two actually saved us about $4.2 million of taxpayers' money," Sprague said. The Berry Center also will host several Southwestern Athletic Conference volleyball and basketball games, some of which will air on ESPN2. Not for everyoneThe facilities also underscore the difference between well-to-do districts and those that are strapped for money. Houston ISD struggles to merely pay teachers, much less fund new athletic facilitiesStill, in Clear Lake, "the coaches and student-athletes here understand that we are very fortunate to be in a district where the funding is available and the support is there to build us such a nice facility," said boys basketball coach Lynn McDonald. "I know it isn't like that at every school so we feel very lucky to have such a nice place to play and practice." If the Merrell Center in Katy is any indication, the Berry Center and Krueger Field House should thrive. The Merrell Center opened last year, hosting volleyball and basketball teams from Cinco Ranch, Katy, Katy Taylor, Mayde Creek, Morton Ranch and Seven Lakes. The Merrell Center was built on a TIRZ (tax increment reinvestment zone), a mechanism which allows future taxes to help pay down the bond on the center. The center, which holds 5,723, hosted volleyball and basketball tournaments as well as the district wrestling meet. The facility also housed graduation for all of the Katy ISD schools. "The Merrell Center has been a great addition to the district," said facilities director Jim Chapman. "It really gives a lot to the kids who play various sports here. They can be proud of where they are playing when they are hosting other teams." The Merrell Center has not only been a great venue for school district events, it has drawn a wider audience for local events as the home site last season for the Katy Copperheads, a National Indoor Football League team, and a Kirk Cameron Father's Day weekend event that was attended by 5,000 people. During Hurricane Katrina, the Merrell Center housed evacuees. "The facility has a lot of room," Chapman said. "It's well-kept and taken care of. We try to use it for a wide array of things." Because of the continuing increase in school enrollment, sports will keep growing and Chapman said these new facilities will continue to pop up across the state. A building modeled after the Merrell Center will open next year in Garland."In this area, football is football," Farrell said. "It will always be the dominant sport, but volleyball is getting up there and so is basketball. And being able to provide those teams with great facilities is an honor for any district." PRICE OF VICTORY
• Merrell Center: The Katy ISD multipurpose arena and adjacent pavilion cost $25 million ($25 million was budgeted). • Bill Krueger Field House: The Clear Creek ISD arena cost $6,198,987 ($7 million was budgeted) from a $264 million bond. • Berry Center: Cy-Fair ISD's complex, which consists of a new 11,000-seat football stadium and a 9,500-seat arena, was built at a cost of $72.9 million ($77.1 million was budgeted).
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Morris ready to run
Ex-NFL
back to debut with Katy pro indoor team
Copyright 2006 Houston Chronicle
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RESOURCES
THE GREAT INDOORS• What: Katy Copperheads' National Indoor Football League season opener against the Beaumont Drillers. • When: 7:05 p.m. Saturday. • Where: Leonard E. Merrell Center. • Tickets: $8-$28; call 888-283-FANG or 281-392-7756. |
Former NFL running back Byron "Bam" Morris is making a comeback with the Katy Copperheads of the National Indoor Football League.
Morris, 34, played for four NFL teams in six years before spending almost five years in federal and state prisons in Kansas and Texas for marijuana trafficking.
Morris, who hasn't played since the 1999 season when he rushed for 414 yards for Kansas City, makes his debut with the Copperheads on Saturday night when they host Beaumont in the regular-season opener.
"This is a good test for me," said Morris, who weighs 256 pounds, a pound more than his playing weight with Pittsburgh, Baltimore, Chicago and Kansas City. "If it doesn't work out and I decide I don't want to play football anymore, I'll give it up.
"Basically, I think I want to prove to myself that I can still play. If I can't, I won't get mad about it. Right now, though, I want to play football. I want to make up for a lot of lost time."
Morris has petitioned the NFL for reinstatement. He has undergone regular drug testing since being released from the Wynne Unit in Huntsville in August 2004 and has completed the psychological testing necessary for reinstatement.
Morris' petition is in the hands of NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue, who is in Houston today as the keynote speaker at the Houston Hispanic Chamber of Commerce luncheon at the Hilton Americas-Houston.
Even if Tagliabue reinstates Morris, he knows Morris is the longest of long shots to get a tryout with a team that's willing to take a chance on a running back of his age and background.
"I know he's been real busy (working on the new collective bargaining agreement between the owners and players), but I'm still hoping that he'll realize how serious I am.
"I don't know if anyone will give me another chance, but I know this: At practice (with the Copperheads) this week, I got to run over some defensive guys, and it felt good. I had fun. I'm excited. I can't wait for our season to start."
At one point, Morris earned a base salary of $1.2 million. He'll earn $300 a game with the Copperheads, who play at Leonard E. Merrell Center in Katy. They're allowing Morris to play offense and not defense.
He went to Orlando of the Arena Football League in January but rules that require players to play on both sides of the ball prompted Morris to ask for his release.
"They had me playing linebacker, too, and I hadn't hit anybody since 1987," Morris said. "The Copperheads are letting me play running back. I'm in good physical condition, but as far as playing condition and getting hit like a running back needs to get hit to get ready, it's going to take a little while."
Since Morris was paroled from prison, he has been speaking to groups of all ages, telling his tale that led him down a path of self-destruction and ended a football career that began with so much promise.
"I've got a lot of regrets about what happened to me," Morris said, "but I've accepted my fate. There's nothing I can do about the past, but I've been living my life right since I got out.
"(Playing with the Copperheads) is another step. We'll see where it goes. I have to give football another shot. I'll never know if I can do it if I don't give it one more try."
john.mcclain@chron.com
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1. The Daily Average Utility Cost (for the period 04/2005 through 03/2006)
was $658.65, for a total annual amount of $193,002.25. 2. Total Labor Costs
to support all events was $222,481.56, with $43,085.39 being allocated to
"external" events. 3. "The average (mean) length of the arena event is 6.17
hours, and requires an average of 2.6 days to set up, perform, and take
down/restore." 4. Total Revenue generated by 28 "external" events was
$52,242.36.
5. Only 12 of the "external" events actually generated Revenue, as the
remainder were "exempt". 6. Per MCOR 2005-2006, section "REVENUE SUMMARY",
the utilities allocated to the 12 revenue generating "external" events
ranged from 7 events being charged $132.60, to 2 events being charged
$795.60. 7. If the average daily utility cost is $658.65, and it takes an
average of 2.6 days for set up, etc..., then why are only 2 events being
charged $795.60? Why was the Gymnastics event, which was held for 2 days per
the concession report, charged the same amount as the Katy Antique Show,
which was only a one day event? 8. The KISD generated MCOR 2005-2006
"Revenue Summary" is not an accurate financial analysis, and is seriously
flawed in showing a profit for each of the "external" events.
Admittedly, it appears that perhaps the concession area is making some sort
of Income, but without further data, I can not even begin to analyze what is
included in the "KISD Concessions" amount listed on the Merrell Center
concession income report.
Written by a KISD parent who went to the trouble to find out about this boondoggle of an enterprise.
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But reports show that revenue growth for the multipurpose center, which opened in spring 2005, significantly lags behind expenditures. Expenses outpaced revenues in 2004-05 by $343,102, $779,359 in 2005-06 and $577,608 in 2006-07.
Supporters say the complex is a hallmark of a fast-growing area, benefits the community and plays a key role in attracting new development. But critics say taxpayers should be wary that the center continues to operate in the red.
District officials have said the purpose of the $23.5 million facility is to serve the community and not to be a profit-maker.
"Between July 2006 and January 2008, the Merrell Center has hosted 631 events, including 149 arena events, bringing in approximately 400,000 patrons," said school district spokesman Steve Stanford.
From August 2006 to August 2007, revenues were $276,559 while expenses were $854,167, leaving a deficit of $577,608. The bulk of the expenditures are payroll expenses for the center's four full-time employees and other part-time staff. Of the $854,167 in expenses, the district spent $341,569 on salaries.
Utility costs average about $200,000 per year and other costs include contracted services, equipment rentals, supplies, postage, printing and furniture.
In January, the district hired Ben Rolens from a field of 30 candidates to replace Jim Chapman as the center's general manager of facilities. Chapman is now assistant director of the United Spirit Arena in Lubbock.
Rolens, 28, earns an annual salary of $85,800 to direct operations at the center as well as manage a full- and part-time staff among other duties, said Stanford.
Watchdogs critical of center
Chris Cottrell, co-founder of the Katy Citizen Watchdogs, a school watchdog group he and other residents started three years ago, said the district didn't do the math on the day-to-day operations of the center before selling the idea to the community.
"While the idea of having a multipurpose arena was probably a great idea at the time, the Watchdogs do not believe that the district fully considered what it was going to cost to operate the venue after construction," he said.
The Watchdogs have blasted district trustees for naming the facility after Leonard Merrell, who served as district superintendent from 1995-2007.
"We firmly believe that there are plenty of local area businesses that would love to have their name on the arena; after all, the entire center fronts I-10," Cottrell said. The center is at Interstate 10 and FM 1463.
Center is an asset
Lance LaCour, president and chief executive officer of the Katy Area Economic Development Council, praised the facility as a public asset. He said the complex has a positive economic impact and contributes to the vitality of the area.
"When an economic development prospect or commercial real estate broker visits our office, and we provide a brief tour of the center, it definitely makes a positive impression," LaCour said. "Especially, when we tell them that project was built as a partnership between the city and KISD."
LaCour said critics need to understand the center's first priority is to support district functions and not to be run as a "for profit" convention center.
"Therefore, it seems hard to place a weight on a profit or break-even objective, when the first priority of the center is not a business objective," he said.
Chapman, agreeing with LaCour, said it's difficult to put a financial value on the benefit of the center to the community.
"But I would suggest that the LMC provides a venue for the community to enjoy both KISD-related events and also other events, such as the Home & Garden Show, indoor football, etc., without having to travel into Houston," he said.
The watchdog group was also critical of a deal the district struck with the Katy Copperheads, a cash-strapped indoor football team. The team left last year owing the district about $40,000 in back rent after playing one season at the Merrell Center. School district officials said the debt was settled in March 2007.
The team subsequently switched leagues, changed its name to the Texas Copperheads and moved to the Cy-Fair Independent School District's Berry Center.
The 145,000-square-foot Merrell Center includes a 21,600-square-foot arena and can seat up to 7,200 spectators. The center has a variety of venues for athletic, academic and community events and conferences.
Construction was funded through a tax increment reinvestment zone established by the city of Katy, Fort Bend County and Katy ISD in 1999. Tax revenue from new development within the TIRZ boundaries is reinvested in public infrastructure.
Repeat bookings such as the Jehovah's Witness conventions keep the center busy year-round. Other functions at the complex have included Katy Ruff Riders football games, Katy Women's Show, cheer events, trade shows, graduations and other sporting events.
District realizes savings
The district continues to save funds yearly by using the center instead of renting outside facilities, Stanford said. For example, the district each year previously paid about $40,000 to rent Reliant Center for graduation ceremonies.
The district also saves money on its annual Student Excellence Awards Dinner and Employee Service Awards Dinner, which jointly cost the district about $30,000 to stage at the Omni.
Also, previously the district paid the Omni to host a volunteer breakfast for about 1,400 campus volunteers annually. Officials were unable to estimate expenditures for the event.
Stanford said the district would not be able to estimate how much it is saving by using the center instead of outside venues.
"It was easier to do (in 2006) because it was the first year that some of these events were brought `inside' and there was a better sense of what the savings were," he said.
New Allen ISD stadium:
highschool.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1074494- Similarto RivalsHigh - Texas school set to begin work on $60M stadium
Here's why Joe Adams brought Alton Frailey to Katy ISD: (He could pass big bonds, and he likes to build stadiums.)
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Tuesday, April 13, 2004
Designs unveiled for public schools stadium
By Jennifer Mrozowski
The Cincinnati Enquirer
Architects unveiled designs Monday for a new multi-million dollar stadium at Robert A. Taft Information Technology High School in the West End, which will be shared by five Cincinnati public high schools this fall.
The stadium, designed by downtown-based MSA architects, will be named Stargel Stadium after Willard Stargel, who taught and coached at Taft and Walnut Hills high schools and graduated from Woodward, officials said. He died in 1990.
The stadium will also include areas for shot put, discus, long and triple jumps, pole vault and steeplechase.
"I think this is going to be a tremendous source of pride for the students, the school system and the entire West End community," said schools superintendent Alton Frailey.
District officials had budgeted for new fields or field improvements at all the schools but Jacobs, scheduled to close in June 2005, under the district's $1 billion school construction plan. Those fields are still scheduled for improvements during the decade-long plan, but they won't house full stadiums like the one at Taft.
The new stadium is estimated to cost $4 million, instead of the $2.3 million budgeted for Taft. But district officials say the total stadium cost will not increase because money can be used from the other field improvement projects.
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During Don's tenure at Memorial High School the school won a state championship in 1966 and had many other state playoff trips. Don's coaching record in terms of wins places him near the top nationally in the history of high school basketball. The coliseum has a capacity of 5000 theater style seats. The cost of the building when originally constructed was 1.3 million dollars. The floor has a 7780 sq. ft. wood floor playing surface. The coliseum has been used for a variety of events including a presidential appearance by President Gerald Ford in 1976. Graduations, banquets, concerts, volleyball matches, gymnastics, and convocations are among the variety of events held in Coleman Community Coliseum since it was opened. Many civic and government activities are scheduled at the facility. Basketball is the primary user of the facility. The district's four high schools use the Coliseum for 
