12-12-11 Community & Economic Development Committee

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' COMMUNITY AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE DECEMBER 12, 2011 Committee Members Present: Timothy Rouse, Chairperson, Ann Puzzello, Karen L. White Other Council Members Present: Tom LaFountain, David Varner, Al "Buddy" Kirsits Others: Mayor Stephen Luecke, Gary Gilot, Gregg Zientara Kevin Allen, Aladean DeRose, Don Inks, Sheri Miller - Story, Linda Wolfson, Hardie Blake, Murray Miller, Rita Kopala, Alan Feldbaum, Kyle Chamberlin Agenda: Bill No. 11 -60 — Appropriation for WBE /MBE Bill No. 11 -76 — Augment Minority Economic Development Opportunities Bill No. 75 -11 - Economic Development Revenue Bonds for PEI/ Genesis Chairperson Rouse opened the hearing by announcing his intent to ask a bill, namely #11 -60, he had sponsored, be withdrawn. Councilmember Puzzello moved to support a request to withdraw Bill No. 11 -60. Councilmember White seconded the motion and agreed. Chairperson Rouse then took up Bill No. 11 -76 a measure he sponsored asking the Council to support a study aimed at increasing economic opportunity in the minority community. He cited earlier studies had predicted a growing disparity between economic comparisons of minority and non - minority populations. Rouse passionately explained the benchmarks of these earlier studies now on file in the Clerk's Office and attached herein, have come to fruition. The hoped for consensus, on the part of this Council, was that a new study was needed to take from the past, recognize the present, and strategically plan a paradigm shift to get positive benefit for the aggregate community. While the resolution did not specify who would sponsor the study or fund it recognizing its need to be done was a critical first step. Citizen Member Murray Miller asked what would become the $110,000 the city budgets annual to support the Chamber of Commerce's economic development efforts through Project Future in that the Chamber of Commerce was closing that program. Chairperson Rouse and the Mayor responded that the Chamber's restructuring of their approach to economic development was still in a state of flux. The City's annual supplement would in effect be held in escrow.