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Holter, commissioners at odds over EcoDevo committee quals

Staff writer

Getting an economic development committee together has not proven to be easy, county commissioners learned Monday.

County clerk Tina Spencer told commissioners Monday that they had not been receiving much interest.

“We weren’t getting much feedback from people in the community,” Spencer said, “so last week we used the business information on Teresa (Huffman)’s website to pull together a mailing list.”

Spencer said that they had e-mailed businesses to invite them to participate in the economic development committee.

While they have had a few show interest after receiving the mailing, commissioner Dan Holub said that they are not close to a consensus yet on the topic.

“What we want to do, where we want to go, how much we want to spend, what we want to spend it on,” Holub said. “There are a lot of questions to be answered but I am happy to get in with businesses. That’s who we need in on this.”

Chairman Randy Dallke said that the idea of business owners on a committee for economic development makes sense.

“Those are the kind of people I want on that committee,” Dallke said. “They’ve taken some risks, they made their business go and I’m very impressed with those people that get up and say that.”

Marion city administrator Roger Holter said they were looking at the wrong criteria.

“You’re looking for skill sets versus experience,” Holter said. “You need to know who has experience or skill sets with merger acquisitions, property management, property acquisition, and those kinds of things.

“You need to know a business or HR background and you need to understand their level of expertise of dealing with legal matters in a court room,” Holter said, “because this, if I understand the intent of this committee, is to design a framework for the future, not to actually put together what is going to be there.”

Holub responded to Holter’s comment, stating again that commissioners weren’t positive on what action they would take.

“We’re still trying to pick a direction and who’s going to do what,” Holub said. “They’ve all got something to offer and we’ve got to keep them in the game.”

“I understand,” Holter responded, “but the third baseman for the Royals does not tell David Glass how he runs the corporation.”

Dallke told commissioners at the end to look over all applicants received for the committee before the next meeting.

“Everybody’s gotta know that they’re a part of this,” Dallke said. “We aren’t trying to leave anybody out.”

While putting together a committee might be stressful work for the commissioners, Holub said that once they do, it might prove to be entertaining.

“I think we ought to film the first (committee) meeting of this,” Holub said. “This could be colorful.”

In other business:

  • Commissioners approved letting Road and Bridge interim director Jesse Hamm get sand from either Northridge Sand Company or AMS Sand Company after receiving bids from both companies.

Last modified April 28, 2016

 

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