by Staff Reports
The Henderson City Council’s Legislative Committee met on March 18, 2008 in the council chambers at city hall.
Henderson Mayor Pete O’Geary was present along with members, Lonnie Davis, Chair Garry Daeke, Bernard Alston, and Mike Inscoe.
Daeke said, “We did announce this meeting at the Council Meeting when everyone had left.”
Interim City Manager Ed Wyatt stated that the staff review of the budget would be ongoing for the next three weeks, so hopefully there would be no committee meetings during this time. Monday, according to Wyatt, there should be a recommendation on water and sewer and sanitation service if something different is to be done.
“With no growth in the system,” Wyatt advised the committee, “cost goes up. Discount for seniors and help for those who can’t pay bills along with basic needs to address, not to mention pie in the sky expansion of the water system — all goes against the debt of the city and there is plenty of it.”
Code Compliance Director Corey Williams identified concerns about legislation that may go beyond the city code as it regulates boarded houses. Daeke said it was something to pursue and he did not see a problem with that.
Daeke said the purpose of the committee meeting was to get together and figure out a focus and what is to be done. He asked the question, “Where does Kathy [Powell] fit into this?”
The chair of the committee said that he has had calls to ask if Powell can write grants.
Daeke asked the committee and staff members present, “What is Kathy’s role” and how is she to assist and help?.
Powell who shares a position with the Embassy Foundation and the City of Henderson.
The committee chair then turned the meeting over to Powell for overviews and updates.
Powell informed the committee that Rep. G.K. Butterfield’s office has been asked for legislation appropriating $7 million for the expansion of the Kerr Lake water system and $3 million for water reclamations which will include sewer and some pump repair in the Sandy Creek basin.
Daeke asked if the partners in the water system concurred or if they had different requests in or had they been talked to. Powell said she really did not know all the partners on the regional water board.
Wyatt recommended that the regional water partners meet regularly and that an effort be made to have all participants endorse requests, especially Franklin County, as different parties have different needs.
Inscoe stated that he believed there was a meeting for the first week in April to make partners aware.
Powell asked the committee to set priorities and to especially seek regional partners to work together. In discussing strategy for the city, Wyatt stressed that requests for money “should come from a community aspect. We need to be cognizant of priorities when we try to advance a project.”
Powell agreed, saying that last year the county applied “and we did not know about it. Tourism got a little chunk and we got a little chunk.”
Powell asked when the meeting with the county was going to be so that efforts could be coordinated. Daeke again said the committee would talk about priorities today.
There was a great deal of discussion about the Golden Leaf Foundation and the Clean Water Management Fund and the political ramifications of meeting with each group. Wyatt asserted that there was “a limitation on Kathy because of her primary work.” He suggested the city contact the League of Municipalities for help.
Powell also informed the group that she was working with Erris Dunston on an infrastructure grant while at the same time working on another grant for the Embassy Foundation which is to be called the Embassy Neighborhood Facility.
Inscoe commented that it sounded like, “an appropriate overlap and they ought to go together.” Powell asserted that as they go out into the neighborhoods next year that “it will strengthen the value of downtown.”
Wyatt took this opportunity to inform the committee that the first Redevelopment meeting will be held next week. He stated that “I know this is a secondary priority” and that the Breckenridge Street effort would “fall behind these.” He went on to say that the city has $250,000, “but we can in due time put together a plan. That’s where some of the first efforts (sic) devoted for redevelopment.” He stated he was pleased with the people on the committee some with “individual interest in trying to advance that project.”