Continued
At
a meeting in April, he spoke out after Matthew Miklave, chairman of
the Planning Committee, called the Globe Theater "a huge component
of programming success" and "a community resource."
"It belongs to all of us," Miklave
said.
According to meeting minutes, Kydes said the
theater "is a private property and (developers) need to be sensitive
to that fact."
He made a similar comment in March. When the
Planning Committee was discussing a change in eminent domain procedures
to the redevelopment plan, Kydes said, "It is imperative that
the property owner's rights are protected," according to meeting
minutes.
The Globe Theater has not yet been purchased
by Poko Partners, according to Lorraine Gimblett, a spokeswoman for
the developer.
Kydes also voted on the change in eminent domain
procedure, which requires the Common Council to vote on property seizures
on a case-by-case basis. Before the amendment was approved, the city's
redevelopment agency could seize property without the council's approval.
Asked whether he should have recused himself
from those meetings, Kydes said, "No, I shouldn't have. We were
still in the development phase."
Kydes did not recall when Wall 71 LLC purchased
the property, but he said the company had not owned it since "day
one" of the redevelopment plan. While the plan stretches back
several years, his brother purchased the theater last October, according
to an Advocate story.
His comments at Planning Committee meetings
earlier this year were necessary, Kydes said, because ownership issues
were not being accurately portrayed.
"Poko kept representing that they owned
the theater, but they don't own it," he said. "I needed
to clarify that."
An attorney for Poko Partners declined to comment.
Democratic Common Council President Michael
Coffey, who is chairman of the Council's Ethics Committee, said he
has not received any complaints about Kydes' conduct at past meetings.
When Kydes went to city attorney Peter Nolin
last month for advice, Nolin said that if the councilman knew the
property was included in the redevelopment plan, he should disqualify
himself from the process.
If "all the facts were known" during
those previous meetings, Nolin said he would have advised Kydes to
have recused himself then as well.
