Board of Aldermen 12-28-2021 Page 26
The Planning and Economic Development Committee - they only had four members in attendance. One of them
abstained and the vote was 2 to 1. So it was not a unanimous vote there either. So | appreciate and | agree with you that
work should be done in the committee and we ought to respect the committee's work but we still have a right to look at it.
We don't have to accept what they vote, especially a close vote like that at the Planning and Economic Development
Committee meeting.
If | could ask another question of Corporation Counsel. The ordinance that we're looking at says that the Mayor is hereby
authorized to purchase the property located 15 Bartlett Avenue, Tax Map 57, Lot 3 on terms and conditions and for such
purchase price as determined by the Mayor with the purchase price not to exceed $2,500,000; and then further resolved
that the Corporation Counsel prepare all the necessary documents, etc. So does this mean that if the Mayor is able to
reach a deal to purchase this property for less than $2,500,000 and he somehow comes up with the funding from the
budget without requiring a new bond that he could do that without coming back to the Board of Aldermen or does this
ordinance require him to come back to the Board of Aldermen for approval?
Steve Bolton, Corporation Counsel
Well, it's a resolution not an ordinance.
Alderman Jette
You're correct, sorry.
Steve Bolton, Corporation Counsel
But | don't fully understand what you mean by come up with the money in the budget. This is not in the budget as far as |
know currently. At least it's not been identified as being in the budget anywhere. If it was going to be a transfer of funds,
that would require action by this Board. If it was going to be added to the budget as an additional appropriation, that
would require action by this Board. Now you might have to do that if the Mayor were to enter into an agreement and bind
the city, which this gives them the authorization to do, but you've heard him say tonight that he wouldn't do that without
including a contingency that this Board would have to authorize the expenditure in some manner. So that's what the
Mayor said.
Alderman Jette
Madam President, | would | would like to make an amendment to add after the first paragraph, “subject to final approval
by the Board of Aldermen’.
MOTION BY ALDERMAN JETTE TO AMEND BY ADDING AFTER THE FIRST PARAGRQAPH “SUBJECT TO FINAL
APPROVAL BY THE BOARD OF ALDERMEN
ON THE QUESTION
Alderman Lopez
Doesn't that potentially undermine the purpose of passing this at all because the idea to indicate an authorized person
and by amending it for the person that has to consult with 15 others they're not authorized?
President Wilshire
I’m not sure what your question actually is.
Alderman Lopez
Well I'm pointing out that if we make it subject to the Board of Aldermen in the manner that's being suggested, it
undermines the idea of having the Mayor be able to enter into that negotiation phase because he can't promise anything if
it still has to go through the Board of Aldermen in that particular way. If he can at least negotiate the purchase and then
has to on his own side make sure that there's funding available or a strategy for it, at least he can approach the potential
seller with that position.
