Bingham pitches another 450th idea

Item 6(B) 3 on the agenda for Monday night’s City Commission meeting is sure to raise a few eyebrows for some Historic City News readers when a presentation by Colin Bingham, who, with Donald Wallis, co-founded the ill-fated First America Foundation, Inc., pitches an initiative he says will improve unused properties in the city for the 450th commemoration.

The City says that Bingham will present to commissioners a proposal for a “public-private partnership with the City of St. Augustine” to improve city properties, both residential and commercial, for community benefit.

St. Augustine Planning and Building Director Mark Knight said Bingham has a strategic vision to improve unused properties that are currently a cost in taxpayer dollars.

It is not clear if Bingham will make the partnership proposal on behalf of First America Foundation, Inc., or on his own. “Bingham will discuss how all private citizens can be part of this improvement program and the 450th Commemoration,” Knight stated.

In their board meeting Friday, a split vote of the directors of the corporation chartered by Bingham and Wallis, resulted in the decision to cancel their contract with the City — a contract that paid the private group a total of $300,000, in advance, for four years’ worth of services — none of which have been delivered ten-months after the fact.

Discussions with the City Manager planned for next week will address how much, if any, of the $300,000 paid to Bingham and Wallis’ corporation will be recovered by the City.

If you are planning to attend — the regular St. Augustine City Commission meeting will begin at 5:00 p.m. Monday and will be held in the Alcazar Room; on the first floor of City Hall, located at 75 King Street in St. Augustine. It will be broadcast live on Comcast Government TV (Cable Channel 3) and is streamed over the Internet.

Photo credits: © 2011 Historic City News archive photograph