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Counci hnember Hendriksen asked if the City had an economic development authority previously <br />and the answer was yes. He stated that the action in December was to disband the EDA as it <br />existed and reform it. There are many options with regard to this in the State law. So in <br />December it was disbanded, a new EDA was created, and the composition is something that I <br />personally disagree with. He stated that he is willing to make that motion to disband and create <br />one in a form that is more acceptable. He noted that Mayor Gamec had stated that Patti Kurak is <br />not qualified to be a Planning Commissioner because she is a landowner. <br /> <br />Mayor Gamec responded that he had said that Patti Kurak would have difficulty because of the <br />amount of developable land they own. He added that he feels the EDA Committee is doing well <br />- it is new. He felt that the EDC was not able to get some things done. We had a base of about <br />three people and Council did not want to avoid these people because they were members in the <br />past. <br /> <br />Councihnember Hendriksen stated that the previous City Council was perfectly willing to throw <br />out all the old Planning Commission members. There was a lack of guts to say that Ben Deemer <br />maybe did something that did not merit him being re-appointed. Now you say you kept people <br />on with a background. <br /> <br />Mayor Gamec stated that Council had a discussion about this at some work sessions and about <br />some changes. He recommended some people for this Committee and for some other <br />committees also. <br /> <br />Councihnember Hendriksen to Mayor Gamec stated that you do not know for a fact that all is <br />going well iii the EDA. Mr. Hardin has not been candid and forthcoming with his conflicts of <br />interest. We do not know if there is an undiscovered conflict of interest that he has chosen not to <br />divulge. <br /> <br />Mayor Gamec stated that he feels very good about this Committee. He feels it is the best we <br />could put together for the City until someone shows him otherwise. He said it would have to be <br />proven to him that this is not good for the City. <br /> <br />Councihnember Haas steffen stated it did not make sense to have an EDC that was not doing <br />much of anything. We had give-away deals that were as sweet as could be because we did not <br />have a lot of them come out here. She stated she is interested in having people on committees <br />that do not necessarily have the same ideas as she has. <br /> <br />Councilmember Hendriksen stated that for every commission the City has, we go through a very <br />thorough process. We did not advertise for this. We did not solicit from the general public. We <br />did not go through the process. All that was done was that Mr. Hardin's name was withheld until <br />the meeting and then a vote was taken. He suggested that was done intentionally and he holds <br />Mayor Gamec accountable for that. <br /> <br />Councilmember Zimmerman stated that he and the other two members did not really have a <br />choice. <br /> <br />City Council Work Session - March 15, 1999 <br /> Page 4 of 12 <br /> <br /> <br />