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Special Meeting <br />June 7, 2005 <br /> <br /> <br />of expertise and she believes it served the City very well and was worthwhile. She <br />believes that the two questions that should be explored here are the questions of <br />reinvigorating the Chamber of Commerce and then, whether the Council will be creating <br />another body. A third question may be if the Council will look at creating a position in <br />the Planning and Development department for one person that would be an active <br />participant in the work of both the Chamber of Commerce and the proposed new board <br />or commission. <br /> <br />Ms. Welsch appreciated Ms. Brungardt’s comments, but suggested that tonight Council <br />should really be looking at the ABEP recommendations. This question came up <br />because she was looking at the ABEP #1 recommendation on page 5 which states <br />“provide the resources necessary for a dedicated economic development professional.” <br />She is trying to figure out if there is any support for this idea on the Council, and if so, <br />how it should be phrased and where it should go. She has never been through a Plan <br />process, but she thinks that the discussion regarding the Chamber of Commerce should <br />probably come when the Council is formally presented with the draft plan, after the <br />public hearing. At this point, the Chamber discussion can continue, as well as any other <br />tweaks that may be needed. Ms. Welsch inquired of Mr. Ollendorff if this was the <br />correct process and he responded that he thought so. She clarified that after the public <br />hearing on the Plan, they will come back with a draft, where these larger discussion <br />items can take place. She felt that tonight the Council should decide how they stand on <br />the ABEP recommendations and which ones, if they aren’t already included, should be <br />in the Plan. Ms. Brungardt said that this is fine; she just felt that the discussion was <br />moving into some marginally productive lines of thought, and she was hoping to help <br />focus the discussion better. Ms. Welsch wondered if the Plan Commission was <br />envisioning the economic development organization as being capable of handling <br />details and functions that could be handled by an economic development professional. <br />Mr. Ollendorff said that those are two separate thoughts. He explained that the Plan <br />Commission has never discussed the concept that is being recommended in Plan. <br />They aren’t for or against; they have never discussed it. They have discussed the <br />committee approach. They are definitely two separate issues. <br /> <br />Ms. Welsch reiterated her desire to determine Council’s support for a position on staff <br />for an economic development professional; whether it can be afforded it someday. If so, <br />she wonders about possible phraseology and whether or not it belonged in E-2, item <br />number one. Mayor Adams replied that a person like this would have to generate <br />enough new business to take care of their salary. It would be imprudent to hire <br />someone to develop economic development and not be able to generate business. In <br />dealing with economic development, there are many interesting questions that ABEP or <br />the Council have not addressed and probably should. Ms. Brungardt asked what these <br />interesting questions were. Mayor Adams replied that the City can create something <br />new economically, yet it may not benefit the City with revenue. This is the conundrum <br />that the City Council must face and the Council will need to understand that some <br />Page 5 <br /> <br />