Special Board of Aldermen 12-07-2021 Page 32
TESTIMONY IN FAVOR - None
TESTIMONY IN OPPOSITION
Laurie Ortolano
A question. Why did Director Cummings decide that now is the time to take on a $21 million project?
Tim Cummings, Economic Development Director
Yeah, thank you. | actually would have liked to take it on a year or so ago. Unfortunately, it took us over a year to get
through FEMA permitting so we could actually move this along. | would suggest a two year phase of being within
preliminary design is much too long. However, that's what we had to go through to be able to get to the project to the
point now that we're in and I'm trying to move this along as fast as possible.
Laurie Ortolano
Well | think you need to consider what we can afford and what's been proposed because while you were working hard
to get that permitting, | understand, there were other bonds that came up and got approved like our DPW facility, as
well as some other big projects. We just did a massive amount of (inaudible) and we're in a different time period now
with some new assessment numbers coming out next year. So | think the timing of this is not correct and | think this
has been done very underhanded and backdoor. There has not been enough open vetting of this and the discussions
at the Board of Aldermen table have not taken place since 2019. This should not be voted on now. Thank you.
Chairman Dowd
Anyone else in opposition? Seeing no one, | will close the public hearing on R-21-193.
ADJOURNMENT
MOTION BY ALDERMAN O’BRIEN THAT THE DECEMBER 7, 2021, SPECIAL MEETING OF THE BOARD OF
ALDERMEN BE ADJOURNED, BY ROLL CALL
A viva voce roll call was taken which resulted as follows:
Yea: Alderman O’Brien, Alderman Klee, Alderwoman Kelly, Alderman Dowd,
Alderman Caron, Alderman Clemons, Alderman Tencza, Alderwoman Lu,
Alderman Jette, Alderman Laws, Alderman Cleaver,
Alderwoman Harriott-Gathright, Alderman Wilshire 13
Nay: Alderman Lopez 1
MOTION CARRIED
The meeting was declared adjourned at 9:38 p.m.
Attest: Allison Waite, Deputy City Clerk
