Council tables JSDC budget request

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Kelani Parisien Jamestown City Council member

Talk about it

After voting down a motion Monday to approve the Jamestown/Stutsman Development Corp.’s 2010 budget as originally requested, the City Council voted 4-1 to table the item for more study.

Councilwoman Kelani Parisien removed the item from the consent agenda saying approval of a reduced JSDC budget was premature. The council had voted 3-2 to cut the budgeted amount from $302,000 to $280,000 in its Finance and Legal Committee meeting two weeks ago. Parisien, who had voted with Mayor Clarice Liechty and Councilman Pat Nygaard to reduce the budget increase by 7 percent at that meeting, said she wanted to table the item to work with the JSDC on the budget. It’s possible, she said, that portions could be cut without hurting marketing and recruiting plans.

“This is an opportunity to look at what can be cut before we vote on the budget,” she said.

Her motion to table died for lack of a second.

Councilman Ken Schulz said to Parisien “I don’t mean to discount what you want to do, but the JSDC Board went through a fairly extensive review of the budget.”

Schulz noted there was confusion is the community about where JSDC funding comes from. The funding for JSDC is out of the one-cent sales tax for economic development, he said, not property tax.

Schulz said he had also been on the council long enough to remember criticism of the JSDC at past council meetings “that they were not spending enough money on marketing.”

Now the criticism is the opposite, he said. But this is the time to do some serious marketing.

“We need to get the message out to the rest of the country. … They don’t know we’re here,” he said.

Councilman Charlie Kourajian agreed with Schulz the City Council should approve the full amount of the request.

“Give them the money and see what they can do,” Kourajian said. “If they can’t do it, we can look at it another way.”

The mayor went through various proposed trips in the professional training area of the budget wondering if city staff had access to this much professional training.

“These are a lot of conferences and meetings. Are they any benefit to us?” Liechty said. “I just don’t feel that at this time we can spend this much money on meetings and conferences. … There are other things that should be done with the money.”

Liechty wanted to know what the plans were for Minnesota business. Schulz said he wondered what the mayor wanted JSDC to do to get businesses to relocate to Jamestown and asked if she wanted JSDC staff members Connie Ova and Lindsey Larson to drive to Minnesota and do cold calls on businesses.

“Yes. … They can look at compatible businesses for Jamestown and then call on them,” Liechty said.

JSDC President Jim Boyd explained the budget was founded on the strategic plan, which is focused on seven different areas. Projects have been developed in each of the areas.

“The strategic plan is our business plan. That’s driving all our decisions,” Boyd said.

Committees have been established in each area, with board members, staff and members of the community on them, he said. The committees have been working on projects and marketing to fit them.

“They develop the plans for each area and then present them to the marketing committee,” Boyd said.

Those plans will then be incorporated into the larger marketing plan for the community.

“The strategic plan is driving us. This is not business as usual,” Boyd said.

Schulz moved to reinstate the full amount requested by the JSDC.

“I feel like we’re jumping the gun,” Parisien said. “The budget doesn’t have to be approved now. Let’s spend a little time on it.”

When the vote failed on a 3-2 vote, Parisien again moved to table, which passed 4-1. Kourajian was the lone vote against it.

In other business the council:

* tabled a property tax exemption request for a 35-unit apartment and assisted-living facility to get more information.

* rejected the mayor’s appointments to the Planning Commission and the Renaissance Zone Authority.

* approved a 60-day extension for the Joint Stutsman County/Alfred Dickey Library Board to complete preliminary activities.

Sun reporter Toni Pirkl can be reached at (701) 952-8453 or by e-mail at tonip@jamestownsun.com

Tags: city of jamestown, local news, government, news, council, jsdc, budget