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HomeMy WebLinkAbout02-26-18 Informal 4 SpU T11 O _. O PEA � C y a 1865 OFFICE OF THE CITY CLERK KAREEMAH FOWLER,CITY CLERK INFORMAL MEETING OF THE COMMON COUNCIL FEBRUARY 26, 2018 4:55 P.M. Present: Tim Scott, Regina Williams-Preston, Sharon L. McBride,Jo M. Broden,Dr. David Varner, Oliver Davis, John Voorde, Gavin Ferlic,Karen White Agenda: Discussion of Council Agenda Update and Announcements Adjournment Council President Tim Scott called to order the Informal Meeting of the Common Council at 4:55 p.m. with three (3) items on the agenda. The Council went over the agenda for that night's formal Council meeting and detailed the recommendations for each bill from the various committees. Council President Scott then initiated interviews for Council appointees to the Redevelopment Commission. He outlined the process with the Council and proceeded to open the floor for the interviews. Gavin Ferlic, 1109 Duey Avenue, was asked by Council President Scott why he would like to serve as one (1) of the Council appointees to the Redevelopment Commission. Mr. Ferlic stated, Economic Development is my biggest passion in terms of working with the Common Council as well as my seat on the Redevelopment Commission. I have served as a Commissioner for the past three (3)years and have served as a Councilmember now for six(6)years. I think the direction the City is progressing, from a development standpoint, has certainly been positive. I've enjoyed working with Councilmembers on Redevelopment issues collaboratively. Those experiences have been very positive. For example, Oliver brought forth a resolution for Ardmore and I thought that was a great way to work with the Council. Being on the Council and on the Redevelopment Commission obviously has a great synergy where there is an opportunity to work closely with Councilmembers to represent the Council's interests. I would appreciate your support because I really enjoy the work and I think the City is headed in a great direction. Council President Scott then opened the floor to questions from Councilmembers. Councilmember John Voorde asked, How is your attendance record at meetings? Mr.Ferlic replied,I would say it is very good.I would say,out of the of the five(5)Commissioners, I probably have the best attendance record. 455 County-City Building•227 W.Jefferson Boulevard•South Bend,Indiana 46601 Phone 574-235-9221 •Fax 574-235-9173•TDD 574-235-5567•www.SouthBendfN.gov JENNIFER M.COFFMAN BIANCA L.TIRADO JOSEPH R.MOLNAR CHIEF DEPUTY/DIRECTOR OF DEPUTY/DIRECTOR OF POLICY ORDINANCE VIOLATION CLERK OPERATIONS Councilmember Karen White asked, What is your philosophy on how and on what TIF Funds should be spent? Mr. Ferlic replied, I think the more creative we can get regarding TIF, the better. Lead by myself, Dr. Varner as well as members of the Council expressing interest, we have seen a shift in the use of TIF from pure infrastructure to a little more creative use. It has been used for personnel being affected by TIF as well as parks within a TIF District. There have been great uses of the funds and as our General Fund is limited and has constraints, I think TIF use has been a great supplement that has enabled us to provide the type of services we do to all our City and in all our neighborhoods. That has been a large collaboration with the Council and Community Investment. Councilmember Oliver Davis asked, What is the best way to inform the Council on these issues? Mr.Ferlic replied, I am always more than happy to talk or speak on the phone if any specific issues arise that are of concern. If you want anything else from me as a representative moving forward, I would be happy to do that. But certainly,as the agendas are published and if any concerns or issues come up, you can call my cell phone and I would be more than happy to talk with you to work through whatever issues there may be. A lot of times prior to meetings, we can meet and hash out any issues beforehand to ensure good results. Councilmember Regina Williams-Preston stated, There has been a lot of conversation around equity and equitable development. The Council has a focus on neighborhoods and stuff going on in the main corridors. How can we be more equitable in the distribution of redevelopment? Mr. Ferlic replied, Any opportunity we have to make sure we cover all six (6) districts equitably, from a TIF perspective, is certainly welcomed. I want to work with Councilmembers if they ever see an opportunity. I really see economic development as a tool to help all of the citizens in the City. When we take a look at helping a business expand,it's not just about that business. It is about the employment opportunities it creates as well as the services they provide for all of our citizens. That is where I see the greatest opportunity. If we can help facilitate the expansion, growth and relocation of businesses, all the citizens in the City of South Bend can thrive. Certainly, if there are ever any ideas, please reach out and I will always be more than willing to work with you on that. Councilmember Jo M.Broden stated,With regard to public input and education,I think there could be a greater amount of activity by the Commission and the Redevelopment staff. I think there is a real disconnect with the general public. I am wondering if you share that same opinion and am also wondering if you have any specific goals or objectives to chip away at. Mr. Ferlic replied, As a Commissioner, I receive public feedback quite often. I will certainly introduce to our Commission President the possibility of different meeting times and the possibility of more public input. I think it is a slow process but at the same time I will continue to advocate for the best type of meetings possible and the most public input possible. Councilmember Broden followed up, You haven't changed your employment recently and obviously you're doing terrific work. But with regards to that, I think that might pose some 2 challenges with regards to the Commission and who might be coming before you. Specifically as we move to working with smaller business, do you see any potential conflict of interest relative to your new position? Also,how do you sort and separate that out as a Commissioner? Mr. Ferlic replied, That is a good question and I can see how public perception could view that as a conflict.Just to let everyone know,the organization I work for,although it functions as a Venture Capital for-profit organization,is actually a not for profit organization.Typically,if I were working for a for-profit Venture Capital Investment firm, I would take a personal interest in any of the investments we are making. That is not the case and I am not personally investing in any of these start-ups. In addition, the types of companies and development opportunities the Redevelopment Commission are seeing are not the types of companies that Elevate Ventures are investing in. We are investing in one (1) to two (2) pers on early-stage start-up o pp ortunities. The Redevelopment Commission sees large developers so there certainly has not been any conflict and I do not foresee any conflict in the future. Council President Scott dismissed Mr. Ferlic from the interview. Dr. David Varner, 1306 Clayton Drive, was asked by Council President Scott why he would like to serve as one(1)of the Council appointees to the Redevelopment Commission.Dr.Varner stated, The Redevelopment Commission, prior to the onset of the development of TIF Districts, did not have much money to spend as it either came from the Federal Government through loan programs or other block grants. Those were never addressed by the Council and rarely was the Council involved with the expenditures of those monies. With the onset, development and growth of the TIF Districts, I think we are on track to collect about $27 or $28 million TIF District money this year. Our General Fund is $55 million so our TIF dollars are approximately fifty percent(50%) of our General Fund, give or take numbers and fluctuation over the course of the year. Whether it is me or someone else on the Council, I think it is incredibly important the Council maintain our interest, with regard to the TIF, by having Councilmembers on the Redevelopment Commission. I think having a Councilmember serving as one (1) of the appointments carries more weight than someone from the City who might or might not have an interest in that area. I think it is terribly important that the Council, given the size of TIF money,maintain that interest. We only have two (2) Council appointees and these other individuals interviewing could always be appointed by the Mayor because the Mayor gets three (3) appointees. It has become so large and there are a lot of issues throughout all the districts. If you have a law that is not enforced, you don't have a law. I think it was about seven (7) years ago when Council got two (2) appointments. It is a new thing and the State Statute says the Mayor gets three (3) and the Council gets two (2). The position I take on these matters have always been in the interest of the Council and I hope to continue to do that. Council President Scott then opened the floor to questions from Councilmembers. Councilmember White asked, What is your philosophy on how and on what TIF Funds should be spent? Dr. Varner replied, When laws are written, they are sometimes very specific and sometimes very vague. The statute regarding TIF says it must be used in the TIF District or inner-serving the TIF 3 District. That leaves a very broad range of opportunities. So if no one is going to advocate for uses other than the specified one (1), I don't know who will do it if it isn't a Councilmember. I don't believe an average citizen,no matter who they are,really has a good enough oversight and outlook on what is really going on in the City. They won't have the background with regards to budgets, they probably don't know how much is in TIF, they probably don't know how much the General Fund is,and keeping all that in perspective to know what is obligated and what is not is important. Councilmember Voorde asked, How do you feel about moving the time of the regular meeting? Dr.Varner replied, I am ok with that. We did that a while back moving it back to,I believe,Friday afternoons at, I think, 3:30 p.m. That lasted for about a year and the attendance for public wasn't any better. Unless we will suggest it is at 5:00 p.m. or 6:00 p.m. on weekday nights, I don't know that will make a great difference but I would be willing to try anything,so long as it didn't interfere with other commitments. Councilmember Broden stated, That is a specific request to actually to do something at 3:30 p.m. and to advocate for that. Many of our other Boards and Commissions do that. A 3:30 p.m. or 4:30 p.m. is something where general public and other people can make those meetings. I think it would go a long way with the public. Council President Scott dismissed Dr. David Varner from the interview. Will Smith,728 Whitehall Drive,was asked by Council President Scott why he would like to serve as one (1) of the Council appointees to the Redevelopment Commission. Mr. Smith stated, My biggest reason is because I want to get involved. I have served on the Community Investment Committee for a few years now. Public schools and affordable housing have always been very important to me and they are something I am passionate about and spend a lot of my time on. To me,being on the Redevelopment Commission would help set forth plans for those areas of interst. Council President Scott then opened the floor to questions from Councilmembers. Councilmember White asked, What is your philosophy on how and on what TIF Funds should be spent? Mr. Smith replied,I was talking with President Scott earlier and that is something that we definitely need to make sure we are very direct in how we are using those funds. We need to spend those funds out quickly and we don't want these large funds just sitting around.I would like to see,being a housing advocate,the potential use of housing TIF. That is something that came through in 2006 and I don't know if we have really looked into that too much so that is definitely something I would like to take a look at. Councilmember Broden asked, What are your thoughts on addressing wealth disparities if you were to be appointed to this Commission? Mr. Smith replied, That hits me at my core. That is actually why I got into the Community Investment Committee because I was part of the largest TIF District in South Bend. I really had to 4 battle for my home and it is still an ongoing process. It is very important to me to make sure we are representing all individuals in the community. Equitable distribution of resources in the community is very, very important. Council President Scott asked, Would you have any problem reporting back to Council? Mr. Smith replied,No, absolutely not. I would provide quarterly updates.This appointment would mean a lot to me and my family as well. I take it with a great amount of pride. I will definitely make sure I meet all requirements for this position. Councilmember Voorde asked, What do you do for a living? Mr. Smith replied, Currently,I am licensed insurance agent. I am transitioning to seek a little more traditional employment now. Council President Scott dismissed Mr. Smith from the interview. Thomas Villing, 1336 Sunnymede Avenue, was asked by Council President Scott why he would like to serve as one (1) of the Council appointees to the Redevelopment Commission. Mr. Villing stated, I think it really comes down to community service. It has always been an orientation of mine. Earlier in my career I did a lot of work with the Chamber and what have you. When I came aware of this opportunity I thought this would be a nice way to give back as well. No agenda beyond that. Council President Scott then opened the floor to questions from Councilmembers. Councilmember White asked, What is your philosophy on how and on what TIF Funds should be spent? Mr. Villing replied, That is a really good question and I wish I could say that I had a philosophy. I would say it really comes down to a good use of the tax-payers money. I am obviously very oriented to promoting progress in this community. If that will serve a purpose and make sense from an economic standpoint, great. But, I don't have a strong opinion one (1)way or another. Councilmember Williams-Preston stated, There has been a lot of conversation around equity and equitable development. The Council has a focus on neighborhoods and stuff going on in the main corridors. How can we be more equitable in the distribution of redevelopment? Mr. Villing replied, I really think it comes down to fairness and being smart with mapping out a strategy for the development of the community. Some of you know me and some of you don't,I'm sure. I've been in business in town for forty-five (45)years and have owned our own business for thirty-six (36)'years. I always come at specific problems or opportunities with a sound strategy in mind and stay true to that. Council President Scott dismissed Mr. Villing from the interview. 5 Michael Boyd, 1207 W. Thomas Street, was asked by Council President Scott why he would like to serve as one (1)of the Council appointees to the Redevelopment Commission.Mr. Boyd stated, There are a couple of things to add to that answer. First, personally, I have not been involved in much going on in the City. Prior to my son being born nine (9) years ago, I gave a lot of time toward community service. The other part is I watched my mother and father's journey with their home and I have witnessed some of the changes and development go on in the community. Some of the changes are affecting individual homeowners that have been there for years and they really don't have a say or understand the process of those changes. Council President Scott then opened the floor to questions from Councilmembers. Councilmember White asked, What is your philosophy on how and on what TIF Funds should be spent? Mr. Boyd replied, As it relates to funding and decisions, to be honest, I am really open. I don't want to come in with an agenda without having experience and knowledge. When I talk about things being personal,I think first of a voice of understanding and then go from there. As far as an allocation, I think that is about talking with the community and seeing what is going on prior to making an informed decision. Councilmember Broden asked,Can you share,from your perspective,some opportunities you may bring to this position? Mr.Boyd replied,Part of my history with workforce development involves my friend and I starting a grassroots not for profit. That was really under the concept of better pay equals better jobs. I worked for Madison Center where the pay wasn't great and we worked with a National Coalition to speak and advocate for individuals that didn't have money for benefits. I see myself as a worker type of person and my heart gravitates towards individuals that may not have the ability to freely think when they are working forty(40)to eighty(80)hours a week. I think I have a common bond as far as that because I work those hours during the work. Councilmember Williams-Preston stated, There has been a lot of conversation around equity and equitable development. The Council has a focus on neighborhoods and stuff going on in the main corridors. How can we be more equitable in the distribution of redevelopment? Mr. Boyd replied, The word equity really speaks to me. I work with a lot of kids so when we talk about poverty and money, I have to look ten (10) to twenty (20) years out because of the impact of that. I want to create an environment where my nine (9)year old would want to come back and live and work in.I am a firm believer in research. So,in order to make a decision you need research. While working with Notre Dame and working with kids and in my forty-one (41) years of experience,no one has come up with a quick fix to that issue. So I think of it in increments and we need to focus on the research. Council President Scott dismissed Mr. Boyd from the interview. 6 Lisa DeBerry, 505 S. Kenmore Street, was asked by Council President Scott why she would like to serve as one (1) of the Council appointees to the Redevelopment Commission. Ms. DeBerry stated, I would like to be on the Redevelopment Commission because I love South Bend. I have been here for fifteen(15) years and I really like the projects that have been happening in the City in terms of Redevelopment and I would like to be a part of that. I have a strong interest in the people in the City and I just would like to be a part of what is happening. Council President Scott then opened the floor to questions from Councilmembers. Councilmember White asked, What is your philosophy on how and on what TIF Funds should be spent? Ms. DeBerry replied,Last y I attended the City workshops so I learned a lot about CBG Funds, TIF Funds and how the money is distributed throughout the City. I actually like what is happening right now with the TIF Funds and how it has been distributed amongst the developers that plan to improve our City. Councilmember Williams-Preston stated, There has been a lot of conversation around equity and equitable development. The Council has a focus on neighborhoods and stuff going on in the main corridors. How can we be more equitable in the distribution of redevelopment? Ms. DeBerry replied, I have been meeting with local residents. I am a community advocate and work closely with the neighborhood resource development initiatives. I am mainly an advocate for seniors with disabilities. I've worked on projects with the South Bend Heritage Foundation to get small housing repairs and other developments. There is a lot of racial diversity in those neighborhoods I've worked in and I've talked with residents to see what we can do to improve their homes and lives. I think in terms of small steps. We need to bring people together to identify the assets in the community. Council President Scott dismissed Ms. DeBerry from the interview. Lori Hamann, 2658 Tomahawk Trail, was asked by Council President Scott why she would like to serve as one (1) of the Council appointees to the Redevelopment Commission. Ms. Hamann stated, Economic development is my love. I've studied economics through all of my college experience. I teach econ, I've owned businesses, I am very politically active and interested in the potential that exists with the City. There has been a great deal achieved already and I just want to be a part of it. Council President Scott then opened the floor to questions from Councilmembers. Councilmember White asked, What is your philosophy on how and on what TIF Funds should be spent? Ms. Hamann replied, I think TIF can be a very useful tool but, as with any tool, overuse is going to cause damage to other tax bases. We need to be sure we are able to fund the things in a general 7 sense for the City and not have every dollar earmarked within a TIF District. I see advantages to using TIF Funds but we cannot abuse the funds. Councilmember Williams-Preston stated, There has been a lot of conversation around equity and equitable development. The Council has a focus on neighborhoods and stuff going on in the main corridors. How can we be more equitable in the distribution of redevelopment? Ms. Hamann replied, I don't know that I can answer that question from the standpoint of being on the Redevelopment Commission. I know my goal when I ran for Common Council was to address the issue of wage. There are many progressive cities in the United States that have addressed this issue. We have a legislature at the national level that has decided to blind themselves to the fact the minimum wage hasn't increased in ten (10) years. We have people working for a minimum wage that aren't earning a livable wage and they are right here in our own neighborhoods. I think as a City we have a responsibility to address the fact people aren't earning a livable wage. How that can be addressed through Redevelopment, I think agreements should be made with new businesses brought in to be sure they pay a livable wage. Councilmember Williams-Preston followed up, How do you think we could address the low- income housing issues? Ms. Hamann replied, We need to make sure it is a priority of ours that all of the resources in the City are distributed equitably so that everyone has the opportunity to benefit from all of the positive things in the City. I don't want to say that hasn't been occurring but that needs to be a priority moving forward. Councilmember Broden asked, Do you see an issue with how we have managed our TIF Funds? Ms. Hamann replied, I did some research and what I could find prior to this meeting was the establishment of the TIF Districts but it didn't give me a whole lot of how they were structured. I was only able to identify some of the potentials from the City website. I would need to look into them deeper but I think we do need to recognize if there is any adverse responses or fallout to the educational system within the City,that needs to be looked at closely to be sure we are not causing any shortfalls in taxation. Council President Scott dismissed Ms. Hamann from the interview. Stephen Fountain, 3909 Greenmont Drive, was asked by Council President Scott why he would like to serve as one(1)of the Council appointees to the Redevelopment Commission.Mr.Fountain stated, It goes back to when I was a little kid born here in South Bend. I grew up here and I had dreams and visions of areas I thought were blighted. I just felt like there was so much we could do. Back in those days nothing was really going yet and I moved out West for many years. I was on a Commission in Flagstaff Arizona and received a Key to the City there for the work I did. I came back and I noticed there was a lot of work done but there is still a lot to do. We are in a mixed place where a lot is happening and that is good but we need to keep focusing on the good and do more of that. 8 Council President Scott then opened the floor to questions from Councilmembers. Councilmember Williams-Preston stated, There has been a lot of conversation around equity and equitable development. The Council has a focus on neighborhoods and stuff going on in the main corridors. How can we be more equitable in the distribution of redevelopment? Mr. Fountain replied, I have worked in many different places and many different economic scenarios. I have been very independent and prosperous. I understand the bridge that needs to happen with the dynamic there. In this community, I have always felt that. Why are the Notre Dame people over here? They want to help people in the City but why don't they do more where they could really help? I've always been a bridge person connecting people. I network with a lot of people locally, regionally, nationally and internationally. I feel I could bring a lot of ideas to help with that. Council President Scott dismissed Mr. Fountain from the interview. Judith Rubleske, 515 S. Meade Street, was asked by Council President Scott why she would like to serve as one (1) of the Council appointees to the Redevelopment Commission. Ms. Rubleske stated, I have been a civic activist for a long time. I once ran for Congress when I lived in Massachusetts.I was a People's Party candidate and it was opposed to a well-liked republican man and I got thirteen percent(13%) of the vote. That was the year that Dr. Spock ran for President if anybody remembers that far back. I have a dream and I have been on that quest for that for a long time and I am just stepping up my game. Council President Scott then opened the floor to questions from Councilmembers. Councilmember White asked, What is your philosophy on how and on what TIF Funds should be spent? Ms. Rubleske replied, It depends on where and what it is. And we need to ask,what do the people want? Councilmember Broden asked, What are your key skills and talents regarding economic development? What could you bring to the table? Ms. Rubleske replied, I am a retired registered nurse and nutritionist. Before that, I was a dental assistant. I was a single mom for about five (5)years and got married. My husband is the treasurer of Kankake Wetlands Organic Gardens that we started ten(10) years ago with our first crop. I am the President/Lead Gardener. I have a very good business partner in my house with me and I run a not for profit. Granted,it is a small one (1)but we start small and take steps to go forward. I was in Junior Achievement in High School. Councilmember Voorde asked, Where did you go to High School? 9 Ms. Rubleske replied, Washington High School in South Bend. I'm from South Bend and live in the neighborhood that my family has been in for over one hundred (100) years. I moved away for about fifteen(15) years. Councilmember Williams-Preston stated, There has been a lot of conversation around equity and equitable development. The Council has a focus on neighborhoods and stuff going on in the main corridors. How can we be more equitable in the distribution of redevelopment? Ms. Rubleske replied, I hear about stuff like that big time. I am a member of Community Forum for Economic Justice and have been a member ever since they began. I kept up with economic things going on in the community. Council President Scott dismissed Ms. Rubleske from the interview. Council President Scott closed the floor to interviews and proceeded to open the floor to discussion on how the Council would prefer to proceed in choosing the two (2) Council appointees for the Redevelopment Commission.He announced the Council could either informally vote tonight,with each Council member having two(2)votes,or,they could wait to vote on the two(2)appointments at a different date. Councilmember Davis stated, It is my recommendation we wait to vote until the next meeting and continue with our current people until that time. Councilmember Voorde asked, How will we do the vote? Council President Scott replied, Each Council member has two (2) votes and should not vote for the same person twice. We can do this a couple of ways. We could do it ton ht. Traditionally, since I have been on Council, we just voted and tallied up the votes. I would like to do it before . two (2) weeks from now because we are already into March. Our deadlines aren't really January to January because they go until they are replaced. We could also vote via email. Councilmember Voorde interjected, We could have a ballot created by the Clerk's Office and have it filled in by Friday? Councilmember Gavin Ferlic stated, I prefer to do it tonight, if possible. Councilmember Davis stated, Does that mean right now or at the end of the full Council meeting? Councilmember Broden stated, I like the benefit of a discussion if anyone would like to give some feedback. I don't have a problem with voting tonight if there is some discussion. Was this vote listed as an agenda item on the notice? Council President Scott replied,No but we can vote as it is part of the Informal process. Councilmember Voorde asked, When is the next Redevelopment meeting? 10 Councilmember Ferlic replied, Last Thursday we had one (1), so I'm guessing the next one (1) will be March 8th. If folks want to discuss right now,please feel free. It won't hurt my feelings. Council President Scott asked,Who is ready for a discussion and a vote toni ht?Council members informally raised their hands showing'a simple majority of those wishing to vote tonight. Council President Scott then opened the floor to a ten(10) minutes discussion. Councilmember Broden stated,I would like to get a feel for everyone's top candidates and develop a process of elimination.I think there are clearly some people,including our own Councilmembers who are well-versed in this. I think I would like to get some feedback and some narrowing of the field because I do think there were individuals who had some skill sets and others that, in my opinion, probably don't have the right skills. Obviously interviews are always important but that is kind of where I am at is the narrowing down of things. Council President Scott stated, What we have done in the past is someone has made a motion on a candidate and then we tally up the votes. Councilmember Voorde stated, I like the idea of bringing in fresh perspectives and I think that some of the people who came in, a couple in particular, have a lot to offer. On the other hand, I think we have a good thing going with our appointments to the Redevelopment Commission right now and I am perfectly comfortable keeping the two (2) members we have. Council President Scott stated, My intake going into this, no disrespect to Dave or Gavin, was to look for new blood either in one (1) or two (2) positions,just to see what was there. However, what I see from the expertise from these two (2) and the relationships we have is invaluable. I know there have been concerns about staying the same but I think we can continue pushing for the new ideas with the relationships we have with our two (2) current members. Councilmember Davis stated, I like that we had such a high interest in this. A lot of people are now paying attention and people are realizing that not all of our City Funds are City dollars in terms of the General Fund. We need to keep in touch with some of the people that applied and plug them into other spots we have. My thought is, if we only have Council members serving in these positions, how does that play to the perception of the public? We need to balance that out, that's all I'm saying. Councilmember Dr.David Varner stated,Keep in mind the Mayor has three(3)appointees as well. Councilmember Davis stated, I understand that, I'm saying from the Council's perspective that is all I'm saying. Council President Scott stated, These two (2)positions are very important positions. Councilmember Broden stated, I think in interest of equity I think we should go around the table first and then I would appreciate another comment if everyone would tolerate that. 11 Councilmember Williams-Preston stated, I think Councilmember Dr. Varner made a very good point in terms of the need to have a strong person that is respected and has background. That really shapes how I look at this. I want to look at grooming people that have an interest like Will Smith, for example. He has been on Community Investment and has a little more understanding of things and maybe even Lori who has plugged herself in before. I would like to think about how we can be proactive about that in the future. We need to get the people that are interested the education they need to get involved. I think it would be great if we could have one (1) Councilmember and one (1) citizen. Councilmember Ferlic stated, I would appreciate the support and I will be supporting Dr. Varner as well. Councilmember Broden stated, I guess this gets to composition to me with one (1)regard. I would like to know if the Mayoral appointments have been made. James Mueller, Executive Director of Community Investment with offices on the 14'h floor of the County-City Building, replied,Marcia Jones has been reappointed.Don Inks with continue on this mar,too. We have been looking to cycle in some new people as well. Quintin Phillips from Notre Dame Federal Credit Union will be a new members this year and will be replacing Kintae Lark. There is a lot of technical expertise needed to be brought to this to be able to ask those important questions. That is one (1)thing we learned with Kintae last year was maybe he was a better fit for some steering committees or other opportunities. That is one (1) of the biggest considerations is, you can throw a voice on there but it is a tough thing to manage if you don't have the full understanding of it. Councilmember Broden followed up, Thank you and that is insightful, I think that should perhaps impact our decision. I would also have to say, it is not just the members of this Commission, but also,in consideration of the staff changes we've funded and made,and the job descriptions relative to those staff changes, I think there could be some impact in some of these questions and areas we've asked our candidates today. I do like what I just heard, a formalized piece of the addition of steering committees. I think looking at this from just the two (2) year perspective and, even prior to coming onto the Council, it does seems as if our staff, as well as our Commission itself, could benefit from greater public input.Not just public input but people who have sector expertise. So I like that and I like the way the Commission is going. Last piece, I do think it is of utmost importance, to me, a real commitment to changing the meeting times. If we can't change the meeting times,to actually have a structural or agenda piece that is there, on a regular basis, where there is public input even prior to votes. A great disappointment of mine in attending these meetings has been the law itself can actually preclude that. I think we can make a big statement with regards to transparency and participation if we enable citizens to actually speak at these meetings. Having their voice heard through public participation, especially in light of the dollars that are segmented away from our General Fund, is critical. I think that will be a way to get some of these individuals who have interest,passion and skill sets better integrated into the process. If I am going to be voting tonight on this, I would actually really like to see a change in the meeting times as well as the communication with us as Councilmembers. 12 Councilmember White stated, As I look through all the candidates, I am able to identify four (4). Two (2) of my top and two (2) I would consider as alternates. As we look at Redevelopment, it is a very important Commission not only because of the dollars but the perspective it requires. Clearly there is a discussion needed to be had looking at how we utilize these dollars to advance economic development throughout the City. There is a need for increased communication and there are opportunities to be unique in how we communicate with the general public and we need to invite input as well. This is not a Commission that is similar to a Committee. One can have the skill set or passion,but we need to have the knowledge base.I expected these candidates to have done more homework and that was not there. We need to be creative in cultivating those individuals who have the passion and skill set. So to our representatives,don't wait until the Council asks.Begin to think of ways to communicate with the Council on a regular basis so that we can give input as well. Councilmember Voorde stated,At the last Council meeting,I said I thought the Mayor was getting the hang of the job. That wasn't just meant for comic relief,what I meant by that was I think there is a growing appreciation and effort on the part of the Administration to recognize the Council for our priorities and what we would like to see in the budget. How better to serve that intent than to have two (2) of our own on there. I like the idea of new ideas and fresh perspectives and maybe that can be achieved through a committee structure of some kind but in terms of our current status, I like what is going on and I like the direction things are going. I think they represent us well. Councilmember Williams-Preston stated, We can also achieve diversity of thought and representation by other people on the Council that may be interested in serving on the Commission. I might be interested next ye,who knows? Council President Scott stated, We would all be managers to the two (2) individuals we pick. It will be up to us and that is our responsibility they move along the agendas we desire.That happens through the communication. Council President Scott opened the floor to nominations for one(1)position on the Redevelopment Commission. Councilmember Voorde made a motion to nominate Dr. David Varner to serve on the Redevelopment Commission. Councilmember White seconded the motion which, by show of hands, received nine (9) votes. Councilmember Broden made a motion to nominate Gavin Ferlic to serve on the Redevelopment Commission. Councilmember Williams-Preston seconded the motion which, by show of hands, received nine (9)votes. Councilmember Dr. Varner stated, Regina hit the nail on the head. I view these seats as Council seats. I appreciate the fact that citizens want to participate but when the number became this large, it becomes critical the Council has a seat on this. I will be more than happy to step down next year for another Councilmember to have the opportunity. I think that is important. 13 Councilmember Ferlic stated, I want to say thank you to everybody. I did have a thought,though. I will work with the Redevelopment Secretary to make sure that if something is happening in a specific Councilmanic District, that respective Council member receives a special notice. With no other business, Council President Scott adjourned the Informal Meeting of the Common Council at 6:22 p.m. espectfully Sub fitted, Tim Scott, Council President 14