Criticism is good. Solutions are better.

Yet another interesting debate is being played out online about downtown Mooresville. And (gasp!) it's happening somewhere other than here.

The Mooresville Tribune recently published an article about the downtown commission's new marketing theme, "It's Happening Downtown. Downtown Mooresville." The hope of the commission is to spread the word about what downtown has to offer in an attempt to bring more visitors to the area. (To read the Tribune's article, click here: http://www2.mooresvilletribune.com/content/2009/jun/12/downtown-unveils-new-marketing-theme/.)

One or two comments indicate a belief that the downtown commission needs to focus on attracting businesses, not visitors. But that's a chicken-and-egg argument. Visitors won't come without businesses. And businesses won't come without established visitors. So how does the downtown commission balance attracting both?

Another chicken-and-egg argument being presented: downtown businesses should stay open past 5 p.m.

While I totally agree, it's yet another case of "easier said than done." Downtown businesses are owned predominantly by local folks who are taking a huge risk, and an even bigger leap of faith, trying to provide needed (and oftentimes unique) services to area folks. Staying open late costs those businesses when visitors aren't beating down the doors.

Starbucks might be able to handle that because of the $5 or more a single visitor will pay for one cup of coffee. To the contrary, my mom (who owns a Main Street bakery/boutique/coffee shop) stays open until 10 p.m. every Friday. This past week, she was slammed because of the monthly downtown gallery crawl, and the bakery was hosting a live, young rock band. But the Friday before, downtown was dead. Four people walked through the bakery's front door from 5 to 10 p.m. Of those, two were family friends. The other two came back to visit this past Friday and were greeted by a livelier - and much larger - crowd.

Is downtown's "downfall" truly the lack of businesses staying open past 5 p.m.? Or, is it that downtown lacks a variety of businesses that people want to visit? Is NoDa packed on weekday nights? Or is it typically dead during the week and more lively on the weekends? What downtown stores would you like to see open later? What kind of stores would you frequent if downtown stayed open late? And how often would you frequent those stores? How many post-5 p.m. visitors do you believe justify a business staying open late?

There's the catch. Most small, local businesses aren't going to lose money by paying employees $8 or more an hour to sit on their thumbs with no one to serve.

So, what's the solution? Should the downtown commission try to attract "massive development" that'll charge you more but stay open later? Who's truly paying for that? Is it worth it?

I don't know the answers. That's why I'm asking you. I've always had a lot of hope and faith in downtown Mooresville; I've always believed it has the potential to be a relaxing retreat, worlds away from the busy-ness of the interstate area.

Obviously, it has a long way to go. While a new branding campaign might not be the "answer," it's at least a step in a different direction. But judging from the comments following the Tribune article, some folks vehemently disagree that it's a step in the right direction.

So I'm curious: What are your thoughts on what downtown needs? How do you believe it should be transformed, and what are the steps you would take to lead it there? What kinds of shops and events would you like to see in downtown Mooresville? And perhaps most importantly, what would you be willing to do to help bring it?

Even government grows tired of waiting on government

It's been nearly a year since Mooresville fired its police chief, John Crone, and called in the SBI to investigate his Cops for Kids program.

This week, Town Manager Steve Husemann – who was hired after the Cops for Kids scandal broke last July – promoted Carl Robbins to chief of police. Robbins has served as interim chief since Crone was fired in August.

But while one chapter of the story is now closed, the end is still nowhere in sight.

“We have not received results nor a time table from (the) SBI,” Husemann said this week, responding to Report questions. “The timing of (Robbins’ promotion) has nothing to do with (the) SBI.”

Shortly after Husemann came on board as Mooresville’s town manager in September, he indicated that he wanted to wait for the completion of the SBI investigation before hiring Crone's replacement.

He said this week, however, "I have changed my mind since last December because of the amount of time it is taking for the SBI to conduct its investigation.

"I admitted last December that awaiting the SBI report was somewhat of an excuse to give me time to get a better knowledge of (the Mooresville Police Department), its personnel and issues," he added. "I’ve had nine months now to observe Carl Robbins and the department. I saw no further need, nor advantage in awaiting an SBI report.

"It is time to move forward now and give Chief Robbins full support to manage the department."

It seems Husemann has caught on to what many of us have known for years: waiting on tangible results from the SBI, at least in Mooresville, is like waiting on the Great Pumpkin.

Still, when asked this week if the town would release to the public the results of the forensic audits into Cops for Kids – which were funded by taxpayer dollars and have been concluded for some time – Husemann responded: “This will continue to await the SBI.”

And when asked if the town has reimbursed the federal government for the asset-forfeiture funds that were spent inappropriately by the former police chief and his Cops for Kids program (see http://thegattonreport.blogspot.com/2009/01/feds-to-town-pay-up.html) – and if so, out of what fund the town paid the reimbursement – Husemann responded: “There appears to be a wrong impression about what this is all about.”

While the U.S. Department of Justice “directed the town to reimburse the federal drug funds used for (the) Cops for Kids program,” he said, “this does not require that a check be written and sent to Washington.”

Instead, "It merely requires a re-appropriation to replace drug fund moneys used for Cops for Kids with general fund money while the drug fund money is applied to a clearly permitted use," Husemann said. “Staff will ask that this be done with late FY2009 budget adjustments."