NBA: Get a formal agreement before arena goes before voters

[Cerwindel]

NBA: Get a formal agreement before arena goes before voters

By Dorothy Korber - Bee Staff Writer

Published 8:06 pm PDT Wednesday, September 20, 2006

[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]The convoluted path toward a new downtown arena took an interesting twist Wednesday when the NBA weighed in on the dispute between the Kings basketball team and the city and county of Sacramento.[/FONT]

[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]Though Kings management contended the statement of National Basketball Association president Joel Litvin was very clear, others in town were left scratching their heads as they tried to read between the lines.[/FONT]

[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]Litvin said a formal agreement must be reached between the team and local government that spells out the details of the arena deal. He said it should be signed before Nov. 7, when Sacramento County voters will decide whether to approve a quarter-cent sales tax to finance a $542 million arena at the abandoned downtown railyard.[/FONT]

[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]But it was the King's owners, Joe and Gavin Maloof, who two weeks ago walked away from negotiations over the agreement. Since then, city officials say, the Maloofs have not responded to their pleas to return to the table.[/FONT]

[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]With the election seven weeks off, time is growing short to galvanize support for the new arena and its accompanying tax hike.[/FONT]
[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]Kings general manager John Thomas said Litvin shares his view that a memorandum of understanding must reflect details hammered out during the summer between the team and government officials. Among those agreed-upon details, Thomas said, are the 8,000 parking spaces the team says it needs to turn a profit.[/FONT]
[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]"This is the NBA's confirmation that their understanding of the agreement is the same as ours," Thomas said. "Now we want an MOU that accurately reflects the agreement we negotiated."[/FONT]
[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]Rob Fong, Sacramento's vice mayor and an advocate of the arena plan, said Litvin's comments are open to interpretation - but he agrees with their gist.[/FONT]

[FONT=arial,helvetica,sans-serif]"I couldn't agree more that it's absolutely critical that all parties come back to the table," Fong said.[/FONT]

http://www.sacbee.com/101/story/26952.html

 

[kennadog]

Well, that's as clear as mud. And the NBA official doesn't understand that Nov 7th is waaaayyy too late. Many voters will have already voted.

They have, at most, two weeks to get it going. Absentee ballots are available 29 days before election day. As of the 2004 election year, nearly 22% of voters were registered as permanent absentee ballot voters in Sacramento County.

This is rapidly turning into a disaster. And the Maloofs need just about anybody but Thomas as the spokesperson for MSE.

 

[VF21]

Here's the revised article that actually hit the print edition:

NBA tells parties: Sign arena deal
Kings, local officials say they want to nail down details, but each side waits for the other to talk.
By Dorothy Korber - Bee Staff Writer
Published 12:00 am PDT Thursday, September 21, 2006

The convoluted path toward a new downtown arena took an interesting twist Wednesday when the NBA weighed in on the dispute between the Kings basketball team and the city and county of Sacramento.

Though Kings management contended the statement of National Basketball Association president Joel Litvin was very clear, others in town were left scratching their heads as they tried to read between the lines.

Litvin said a formal agreement must be reached between the team and local government that spells out the details of the arena deal. He said it should be signed before Nov. 7, when Sacramento County voters will decide whether to approve a quarter-cent sales tax to finance a $542 million arena at the abandoned downtown railyard.

But it was the King's owners, Joe and Gavin Maloof, who two weeks ago walked away from negotiations over the agreement. Since then, city officials say, the Maloofs have not responded to their pleas to return to the table.

With the election seven weeks off, time is growing short to galvanize support for the new arena and its accompanying tax hike.

The Litvin statement, circulated by the Kings organization, says: "It is very important, before Election Day, that a memorandum of understanding be completed and signed that accurately reflects the agreement that Harvey Benjamin of the NBA Commissioner's office participated in negotiating with the Maloofs, the city and the county over several months this summer."

NBA officials declined to elaborate, saying the comment speaks for itself.

John Thomas, president of Maloof Sports and Entertainment, said Litvin shares his view that a memorandum of understanding must reflect details hammered out during the summer between the team and government officials.

Among those agreed-upon details, Thomas said, are the 8,000 parking spaces the team says it needs to turn a profit. "This is the NBA's confirmation that their understanding of the agreement is the same as ours," Thomas said. "Now we want an MOU that accurately reflects the agreement we negotiated."

Thomas said Kings' lawyers sent a proposed agreement to county and city negotiators several weeks ago. The ball, according to him, is in local government's court. "We drafted, at their request, an MOU for their review," Thomas said.

"We've been waiting for a couple of weeks for their response to that MOU and for new designs of the proposed arena."

Thomas said he remains optimistic that an agreement can be reached. "It's everybody's desire that we will work through the documentation and get it completed and signed," he said. "The target date for that is Oct. 6."

Thomas' optimism was good news to Assistant City Manager John Dangberg, who describes the recent course of events somewhat differently. He said his side did comment on the Kings' proposed memorandum -- which has not been made public -- but lawyers for the Maloofs flatly rejected those comments and then negotiations stalled.

"And that's where things sit," Dangberg said. "So we are drafting a new MOU that reflects the agreement from our perspective. That MOU, together with the new site plan, will be sent to the Kings early next week."

Dangberg said he agrees with Litvin's remark that the memorandum of understanding is a necessary piece of information for voters. But, in his view, it is the basketball team that has refused to negotiate.

"Still, I don't want to stir the pot here," Dangberg said. "We're trying to get back on track."

Rob Fong, Sacramento's vice mayor and an advocate of the arena plan, said Litvin's comments are open to interpretation -- but he agrees with their gist.

"I couldn't agree more that it's absolutely critical that all parties come back to the table," Fong said.

About the writer: The Bee's Dorothy Korber can be reached at (916) 321-1061 or dkorber@sacbee.com.

 

[Cerwindel]

Thanks VF for adding my link, and updating the article! Im New at this!

 

[VF21]

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