Finance Committee - 08/05/2020 Page 6
You’re welcome.
Mayor Donchess
Any other questions or comments, Alderwoman Klee?
Alderman Klee
Thank you Mr. Mayor. In keeping with the conversation that just happened and perhaps Alderman Harriott-
Gathright can ask this, would it be called for to add those words for recommendation to the Full Board? Or is it
not necessary?
Alderman Harriott-Gathright
In the time that I’ve been here, it hasn’t been necessary because every last one of these go the Full Board. So
that’s why | am saying it is going to the Board anyway.
Mayor Donchess
Yes, it is going to go to the Board, because it needs approval by the entire Board because it is a multi-year
contract.
Alderman Klee
And | appreciate that, | just wanted to clarify it. Thank you so much.
Alderwoman Lu
Thank you, just a thought. Was it possible that we could have used this contract to provide us access to
Costar? | noticed that in the Record of Expenditures this period (audio cuts out) quite a bit on subscriptions to
CoStar. Was that considered, because my understanding is NIA Norwood is a Commercial Realtor correct,
probably with access to Costar?
Mayor Donchess
Mr. Cummings?
Director Cummings
| don’t understand the question.
Alderwoman Lu
Why do we need the Costar service is we are using a Commercial Realtor to provide brokerage services with
our Commercial Realty. That’s the question. Perhaps it is for Assessment?
Director Cummings
If | may Mr. Mayor, it is, | Know valued with Assessing, but equally so it is valued in Economic Development. |
can say that any economic development office I’ve worked in, we have had access to the proprietary data base
Costar. It is a standard, you know, it would be like operating an office without having access to Microsoft
Word. | can’t tell you how often | field phone calls from residents or various stakeholders who want talk about
various pieces of real estate and | need immediate access to that type of data.
| would suggest it would be a disservice to the community to not have access to that data and wait for a broker
