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The question was just how much to give for the remainder of this
fiscal year. The partnership has been without a director since the
end of October.
Alderman Buzz Busby stated last week that the partnership has an
excellent candidate to replace its former director, but that they
need $12,000 more to bring him in. He suggested that the city
continue with their support and add $5,000.
Tuesday night, finance chairman Verl Prather made a motion that
the city not only finish out the budgeted $25,000, but also give the
partnership another $5,000 in this fiscal year.
He explained that the city would not need to come up with the
$5,000; it is already in the budget in a line item for another
economic development expense. The $5,000 is budgeted as the city's
contribution toward developing a new Lincoln and Logan County
Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy. The amount would just
need to be moved. The development of a new CEDS has been put on
hold.
CEDS is a companion tool to be used in conjunction with a
Comprehensive Plan in steering community planning, attracting
development and acquiring financing.
Some of the discussion questioned how the development partnership
has used the funds that would have been paid to the past director:
Was the same amount paid to the person filling in for the director's
position as would have been paid to the former director? It was
stated that person was paid $30 per hour but was only part time. No
one knew how the total pay amounts compared.
Aldermen were reluctant to contribute $5,000 with no one in that
position yet. They also couldn't see increasing the amount this
close to the end of a fiscal year, giving the full $5,000 now and
again for the next fiscal year, come May 1.
Alderman Jonie Tibbs said that she could not support giving them
an added $5,000 right now. "I think we need to look at our new
fiscal year first," she said. "Right now we need extra money for the
police department, fire department, EMC (management of the sewers
and wastewater treatment plant), the streets department. We're more
or less letting our people down, where we need to be looking at that
first, at this point in time."
She added that she may be favorable to the increase in the new
budget once those figures are seen.
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After much discussion a tie vote was broken by Mayor Beth Davis-Kavelman
to not provide the added $5,000 for this fiscal year.
The mayor said that she would like the city to re-evaluate and
see how it goes. "I have no problem with what we're doing with
economic development," she said. "But we have a street truck that is
falling apart; we have other things falling apart. Like Alderman
Tibbs said, we do have some other priorities and things that need to
be taken care of."
She said that the development partnership has said since they
began in 2001 that they would be doing some of their own
fundraising, moving toward becoming self-sufficient, and it hasn't
happened.
The city pays the partnership quarterly and is entering the last
quarter, with the fiscal year ending April 30. Further discussion
and vote led to unanimous backing that the city would continue to
pay the full remainder of the $25,000 budgeted amount for this
fiscal year.
The aldermen expressed confidence in the teamwork that is offered
through the development partnership and would continue support in
the next fiscal year budget. The majority indicated they would
support adding the suggested $5,000 to the next fiscal year, which
begins May 1.
The budget process for the new fiscal year typically begins in
late March.
Verl Prather -- This is a good faith commitment. They've done a
lot of good things. All in all, you work better together. Not one
entity, one government, is going to do this by theirself.
[By JAN YOUNGQUIST]
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