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In the Race
Now, here, you see, it takes all the blogging I can do to keep in the same place. If I want to get somewhere else, I must blog twice as fast as that! You see, I'm in the Red Queen's Race...
Franklin Economic Development Commission Meeting 8/13/08
By Janet Evans
Thursday, Aug 14 2008, 06:50 AM
For your information, from the city website, here is a list of members of the Economic Development Commission (EDC). I really am not familiar at all with the Commission. This was the first meeting I have attended. You can only go to so many meetings.
Regular Economic Development Commission Meetings are held at City Hall the fourth Monday of each month at 6 p.m.
| Members |
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Term/Expiration |
| Alderman Ken Skowronski, Chair |
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3 Years/4-19-11 |
| Alderman Steve Olson |
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3 Years/4-19-11 |
| Sharon Moulds |
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3 Years/7-30-08 |
| Joe Haselow |
|
3 Years/7-30-08 |
| Jim Rhiner |
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3 Years/7-30-08 |
| Mary Karolewicz |
|
3 Years/7-30-09 |
| Rosanne Burac-Englert |
|
3 Years/7-30-09 |
| Diane Oleson |
|
2 Years/7-30-09 |
| Vacancy |
|
3 Years/7-30-10 |
| James Kerr |
|
3 Years/7-30-10 |
| Norman Hintz |
|
3 Years/7-30-08 |
| Ruzica Bartoshevich |
|
3 Years/7-30-10 |
| Staff Support: Mark Luberda, Director of Administration |
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It looks like it is not easy to get a quorum together for meetings...or there is some other problem since there have been several cancellations of meetings. I can't say what the problem is, but I can say, even on the February 25th meeting that has minutes, it began at 6:00 p.m. and was adjourned at 6:30 because there was no quorum. What's up with that? The EDC does not appear to be a very productive Commission. Yet, the South 27th Street Steering Committee is a Sub-Committee of the EDC and it has members on it from the EDC. Sounds like the blind leading the blind to me.
| January 28, 2008 |
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| February 25, 2008 |
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| March 24, 2008 (Cancelled) |
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| April 28, 2008 (Cancelled) |
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| May 27, 2008 |
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| June 23, 2008 (Cancelled) |
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| July 28, 2008 (Cancelled) |
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Economic Development Commission Meetings and Minutes
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The special meeting began with Alderman Skowronski stating that Ted Grintjes resigned and that a replacement needed to be appointed. He said the South 27th Street Steering Committee began with six members and ended up with only two...Grintjes and Jim Rhiner.
Next Jim Rhiner took the floor and discussed, in great length, how much time the new replacement would need to put into the job. Because the meetings are normally held during the working day, you need someone who is in a position to be able to arrange their schedule. This person would be putting in many hours in this position, especially in dealing with the D.O.T. He then immediately nominated Alderman Steve Olson for the job.
Chairman Skowronski interjected that he was not calling for nominations at this time, but he had one in mind.
Rhiner said he still thought Olson needed to be on the committee.
He said some day this wouldn't be just a committee, but would end up being a "Management Team.
Alderman Wilhelm, in the audience, spoke to say that she thought the 27th Street Steering Committee should have Policies and Procedures in place so that if something like this (losing committee members) should happen again, there wouldn't be the issues that there are now.
Alderman Taylor, in the audience, spoke to say he felt that since the 27th Street Corridor was part of District's 3 and 4, it might be wise for he and/or Alderman Wilhelm to be on the Committee. He said when he started getting calls about 27th Street, he would start sending them to Steve Olson.
Alderman Olson thanked Jim Rhiner for his confidence in him and said he would be honored to be on the committee. He said, "the train had left the station a while ago." Steve Taylor responded with," Alderman Wilhelm and I will be two of the drivers of that train for the next 2 1/2 plus years."
Mary Karolewicz questioned Alderman Taylor as to whether he could be impartial if he represented his District while on the Steering Committee. I thought that was out of line. You've got Pete Kosovich on the Plan Commission but he is a small business owner in the Corridor. You have Rhiner and had Grintjes on the EDC and on the Steering Committee....dual roles...You have the Mayor running the city but he chairs the Plan Commission. City officials have dual roles all of the time from what I see. It seems to be the norm.
James Kerr seemed to support having one of the Aldermen from District 3 or 4 on the Steering Committee. What I thought was bizarre was that he had no clue that there was a 27th Street Corridor website. Rhiner had mentioned the site and its functions and Kerr was in the dark. How can the EDC not know what their sub-committee is doing? A group that is spending so much of the taxpayer’s money? I wonder if they are even aware of the "Boomgaard" issue? It was acknowledged that there is a lack of communication between the EDC and the 27th Street Steering Committee.
Jim Rhiner explained the S. 27th Street Corridor website to James Kerr and then it was also mentioned that there were two-person sub-committee meetings held with Wheaton and NML executives that were not Posted/Given Notice. This brings into question the open meetings regulations. There may be some issues that need to be looked at in this area.
Rosanne Burac-Englert and Ruzica Bartoshevich both seemed in support of having an Alderman from District 3 or 4 on the committee also.
So what was the outcome?
Skowronski calls for nominations.
Rhiner nominated Olson.
Bartoshevich has said she supported one of the Aldermen...but she seconds the nomination for Olson.
Skowronski asks if there is any other nomination....dead silence.
Silence after Kerr and Burac-Englert had shown support for the Aldermen. Go figure.
And it was stated earlier that there was no limit as to only having one replacement...there was nothing stopping the Commission from putting two Committee members out there.
There was no talk of a citizen member except for Skowronski saying once that a citizen could be on the committee. No citizen name was brought up.
So that's it...Alderman Steve Olson is the new S. 27th Street Corridor Committee Member.
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