Confirmed - Plambeck Out at DMD

Today's IndyStar confirms in its general news sidebar, and now online in a story by Jon Murray, that Maury Plambeck is out as Director of DMD and being replaced by Adam Thies.  The item mentions that Thies' salary will be more than either Plambeck or the Mayor make, weighing in at $110,000.  No mention about the apparent conflict of interest in owning a company making money off contracts that you would now sign as head of DMD.

The piece also mentions that Plambeck will "direct the next round of RebuildIndy projects".  The LISC connection and the $100 million donation to that group from Rebuild Indy funds (aka profits from the sale of the water and sewer utilities) has not been confirmed as of yet by the Mayor's office.

From Murray's reporting:

Plambeck will direct the next round of RebuildIndy projects, the mayor said. Details of his new role -- including whether he will continue to work directly for the city -- are still being worked out, [Mayor's spokesman] Lotter said. 

An alert reader reminded me of the already sweet deal LISC got when $1.3 million of Rebuild Indy money went to refurbish the west wing of City Market so that LISC could set its office close by the City-County Building.  Not that they do any lobbying in that structure; for if they did they surely would have registered with the City as a lobbyist group.

I would also remind readers of the IBJ, that Bill Taft, Director of the  LISC chapter here in Indy, wrote a pro-TIF editorial for the paper back in August.  Looks like LISC is shaping up to be molded into an IDI-type lap dog, showing up on cue to speak in favor of anything the Mayor wants the group to speak in favor of in exchange for a little sugar.

Stay tuned.