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Session 1903 <br /> <br />MINUTES OF THE UNIVERSITY CITY COUNCIL <br /> <br />December 6, 2003 <br /> <br />At a duly posted study session of the City Council of University City held in the <br />Conference Room on the Second Floor level of City Hall on Saturday, December <br />6, 2003, Mayor Joseph L. Adams called the meeting to order at 10:15 a.m. In <br />addition to Mayor Adams, the following Councilmembers were present: <br /> <br />Ms. Cassandra Colquitt <br />Mr. Wayne Munkel <br />Mr. Robert Wagner <br />Mr. Larry Lieberman <br />Ms. Shelley Welsch <br />Mr. Arthur Sharpe <br /> <br />Also present was the City Manager, Frank Ollendorff, Assistant City Manager, <br />Thomas Moton, Jr. and City Clerk, Leisha Meine Forsythe. <br /> <br />A,qenda Item # 1 & #2 - Role of IDA, TIF, AND LCRA and Procedures for <br />Economic Development Project Approvals: <br /> <br />Mr. Ollendorff sought direction from Council on how to better utilize the LCRA, <br />IDA and TIF board and commissions. The Council had given him a goal to <br />attempt to obtain expert advice from citizens on matters relating to economic <br />development. He felt the best way to do this would be to revamp the three <br />existing economic development boards and commissions: LCRA, IDA and TIF. <br />Mr. Ollendorff explained that many years ago the Council depended a great deal <br />on the economic development boards and commissions. Some years ago, this <br />practice moved to the City Manager and the Council doing most of the planning, <br />evaluation and decision making, with the economic development boards and <br />commissions filling more of a "rubber stamp" role. <br /> <br />Mr. Ollendorff noted that the present City Council is more "hands-on" about <br />economic development than previous ones, so that currently economic initiatives <br />begin with the City Council rather than with recommendations from citizen's <br />groups. Approaches from developers about possible projects require discretion <br />and side-step commissions. A second aspect of the problem is the Council's <br />application of policies such as eminent domain or tax breaks without consulting <br />commissions. The order of these procedures seems to be an inversion of the <br />steps formerly taken, and a practice which evolved over the years. Now the <br />Council needs to consider and to delineate the progression of these steps to <br />better include citizen's groups. There is also need to review the Comprehensive <br /> <br /> <br />