SURPRISING STUFF

Does Lake Geneva need Blaine Oborn back?
The staff of the Geneva Shore Report gave Blaine one of its classic nicknames, years ago, after he took on a rather sold-out city leadership and when threatened, stuck to his guns.  Utah Blaine was the name applied after the old western hero of early television shows from the Saturday morning presentations many of us watched as children.  Blaine helped rid the city of phony bid openings and revelations…and brought about the departure of the head of public works of the time…who badly needed to go.  Blaine reorganized and cleaned up the clerical section and attempted to bring every department head back into the municipal building and under his direct control.

At that, he failed, and it cost him his job, although he resigned and moved on to Oak Harbor in Washington.  There, he took on a power company taking millions from the locals, and he stopped them, but they got him too and Utah Blaine went down again with guns blazing.  This is a good man.  The city of Lake Geneva needs him back, this time guided by more gifted and honorable leadership.

What’s in a name?
The new development envisioned by Brian Pollard, desiring to build his eighth portion of the ever-growing and huge Symphony Bay development might be asked.  He wants to build over four hundred homes for Phase Eight but the property he needs to build on is currently in Bloomfield.  It would have to be annexed to move it into Lake Geneva with the rest of the development.

He should be asked to put in the sewers and the rest of the stuff himself. He should be asked to rebuild Bloomfield Road and put in a traffic signal, at his cost.  He should also pay the impact fees.  What’s he getting out of the deal, to have the property considered Lake Geneva instead of Bloomfield? Well, how about the name?  The name alone, Lake Geneva, raised the value of the properties by at least twenty-five percent at the time of building and then more as time went by.  He promises to build only 140 homes instead of 400 if the property stays in Bloomfield.  He knows the impact that adding ten percent of the total homes in Lake Geneva would have on the community…and not in good ways.

Is this a form of extortion?  Nah, it’s between attorneys.  Attorneys can’t commit extortion as anyone can blatantly observe by watching the national news right now.  Brian Pollard is a lifelong resident, living around Geneva Lake, and he’s a good man. But are his projects good for Lake Geneva, particularly Phase 8?