City Council Minutes 2016 09 06 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

City Council Meeting Minutes September 6, 2016 Page 5 of 9 Mayor Pro Tem Lipton suggested the Water Committee should be expanded to become the Utility Committee to add items such as the trash contract and other utilities. Mayor Muckle and Councilmember Keany and Councilmember Loo agreed with the suggestion. Mayor Pro Tem Lipton stated the Legal Review Committee generally works well meeting on an as needed basis. He suggested the Finance Committee is also working well and supporting Council well. Councilmember Stolzmann asked if there was interest in making the Finance Committee larger. City Attorney Light noted that if the a Committee is four or more people it can force a Council decision as Committee members would be a majority of the full Council, so that is something to consider. Consensus was to leave it a three members but any Councilmember can attend any meeting. Mayor Pro Tem Lipton stated he thinks the Business Retention and Development Committee (BRaD) has met its original goals and may no longer be needed. Current conditions are very good and there is no longer a need to focus on economic recovery in this way anymore. He stated it doesn't mean Louisville isn't business friendly, just this may not be what is needed. It might need to be redefined and refocused. He suggested sunsetting the BRaD committee and replacing it with a board more broadly focused on economic development. And make it a board with a regular application and appointment process like the other boards with a variety of citizen representatives. Councilmember Loo stated her opposition to the suggestion to sunsetting BRaD. She advocated for removing the three Councilmernbers on the board and not having it be a Council Committee. She suggested if the board changes it wouldn't be as strong a board as it could be without three Councilmembers on the board. She suggested if it changes, members should be required to have technical expertise to serve. She added there should be geographic representation on the board. BRaD in general hasn't reevaluated their mission or vision and Council needs to help do that. BRaD has done some great work, but can't rest on their laurels. Councilmember Loo added this conversation will be a shock to BRaD and they should be asked for input on this change. BRaD has done great work, but can't rest on their laurels because of the competition for business from neighboring municipalities. Mayor Muckle supported the idea of changing the Committee to a citizen board stating we need to stay business friendly. Councilmember Keany stated this idea deserves more discussion. He likes the idea of geographic representation on the board. Councilmember Maloney would like to see a sunset process in place and a time to reevaluate expectations regularly. --