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Council Tech Review Looks at Revamped Econ Development Function
Posting Date: 06/04/2012
By Barbara Ellestad
The Economic Development Steering Committee was tasked to develop recommendations in less than six months for the Mesquite City Council to consider for revamping and revising the function within the City. The group met that goal with time to spare.
The Council will get its first look at the recommendations tomorrow, June 5, at its Technical Review meeting that begins at 1:30 pm in the City Hall second floor training room.
The Steering Committee members were announced at the Feb. 28 City Council meeting and include Roger Ingbretsen, George Gault, Dave Ballweg, Ken Cook, Rob Fuller, Rebecca Metty-Burns, and Darlene Montague. They met for the first time on Mar. 15.
Three tasks were before the committee: recommend a structure for an economic development organization; recommend funding sources for an economic development organization; recommend a mission statement for an economic development organization.
The Committee is intended to sunset, or dissolve, after presenting its findings and recommendations to the Council.
According to background material, "the Economic Development
budget would be the main funding source in the existing budget," for the newly structured function. "That being said, there are not sufficient funds in that budget to provide the potential amount requested. Therefore, other areas of the budget may need to be utilized."
The councilors will also get a look at a Letter of Understanding between the Teamsters Local 14 Fire Bargaining Units and the City of Mesquite for an extension for one year of the Labor Agreement dated July 21, 2007.
Based on last year's union agreement, city workers are set to receive a 2.25 percent pay raise beginning July 1. The agreement affects about 67 city employees.
Other items on the Council's Tech Review agenda include:
--consideration of a resolution approving an amendment to the City's cooperative agreement with the Nevada Department of Transportation (NDOT) for the West Mesquite Interchange project;
--consideration of a resolution pertaining to the Emergency Watershed Protection Program and rebuilding the Bunkerville Diversion dam;
--consideration of a resolution with the Regional Flood Control District for the maintenance of Mesquite Flood Control Facilities.
The meeting is open to the public.
Commentary
Posted Date: 06/04/2012 The Economic Office under Bryan Dangerfield was a complete disaster and clearly showed how secret agenda's played a big part. We need to brand ourselves and have a responsible idea where we are going. Mesquite is an outdoor town and a wonderful place if this committee can pull it all together. By: Stan
Posted Date: 06/04/2012 a governmental economic development officefits very well in a governmental system that relies on commissars, party elites, gulags and five-year plans. They have no place in a free-market economic system. They have been spectacular failures everywhere they are tried. Get our city out of the business of doing business. By: Leo Black
Posted Date: 06/04/2012 Government economic develop is an oxymoron as government only takes money away from the economy. Usually this type of promotion is done by the Chamber of Commerce and goverment belong to help fund the effort. In this town the Chamber has become an old boys club not an engine of business. Let hear the Steering Committees recommendations at least this group is made up mostly of businesses with just a little government present. What we've been doing hasn't been working. By: Mike Young
Posted Date: 06/04/2012 It's nonsense to think that economic devlopment iss either all private sector or all government. It's a partnership between all involved pursuing and bargaining over common economic goals.
Some simple examples. Assume the private sector wishes to locate in a area of the city but it requires re-zoning or a reduction in taxes to rentyice the businss.
Or assume a non-profit wisjhes to locate but needs federal, state and local in-kind or funding commitmenyts.
It's idiodic to compare the united states economic system with Russia or to assume that the government does not engage ineconomic planning and development. By: mmcgreer
Posted Date: 06/05/2012 Government policies, regulations and requirements DEFINITELY affect private enterprise. As an obvious example, our federal government foreign policy has funded and assisted in building the largest armaments industry in the world, by FAR. Would it exist in its current status without government money or policies? And how about the lobbying business, the pollution control industries, the automobile industry, the government underwritten financial industries, interstate highway building, renewable energy industry, etc. To deny that government has a role to play in economic development is just plain ignorance of reality. Are there examples of failures of government economic development programs – sure. Are there examples of very successful programs – yep, plenty of them – Al Litman has researched and provided several examples. However, one path that assures failure of any attempt at economic development by a government entity is to have it designed and managed by incompetent people who have never managed a business and then to not provide it with any resources. Sound like someplace we know? By: John
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