BY CINDY TOOPES COURIER STAFF WRITER
July 02, 2008 12:13 am
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OTTUMWA — Does the city plan to hire a grant writer? Is the City Council unhappy with Area 15 Regional Planning Commission (RPC)?
Whatever else is going on, one thing’s for sure: The council majority on Tuesday rejected a resolution for RPC’s financial support.
The resolution would have authorized paying the planning commission $9,999.60 for the city’s membership fee and financial support. The payment would have continued the availability of RPC’s development, grantsmanship and technical services to the city, according to Planning Director Dave Shafer.
Shafer told the council all city departments can use RPC’s services.
Councilwoman Shannon Addison asked how many grants RPC has worked on.
“Several, over the years,” Shafer said.
He noted an Economic Development Association grant for the city’s downtown parking ramp and the water treatment plant. RPC membership has also meant “better access” to grant sources for issues such as transportation, housing projects and historical preservation.
Mayor Dale Uehling mentioned Renewable Energy Development Initiative (REDI) grants and Shafer added information about loan assistance and enterprise zones.
Councilman Bob Meyers said he thought RPC had helped with trails system grants.
The mayor said RPC helped with part of the federal money for the highway bypass and with a newly received $100,000 grant for the trails system from Ottumwa to Eldon to Fairfield.
Councilman Gordon Aistrope said he’d “heard talk” at City Hall about the city hiring a grant writer.
“If so, does [the hiring] affect this [resolution]?” he said.
Shafer said RPC does charge fees for services not included in the membership.
“There’s a fee structure and it’s a long list. They can do total grant application and administration,” he added.
Aistrope wondered if it’s cheaper for the city to use RPC than to hire an employee.
Shafer said a city grant writer would be an asset, but RPC provides more services than grant writing.
“Before hiring a grant writer, I think we need to have a session with RPC to go over their services carefully,” Uehling said.
Aistrope agreed and moved to table the matter for further study.
Councilman Keith Caviness asked how many years the city has had an RPC membership.
Uehling estimated the membership started in the 1970s.
On the roll-call vote, Meyers, Addison and Caviness rejected tabling the RPC membership and Niner and Aistrope voted for it.
“I think we have reason to question [the membership] and need to get into a discussion with RPC,” Uehling said.
The mayor suggested he and City Administrator Joe Helfenberger sit down with the Regional Planning Commission and review what the membership provides.
Caviness said he thought it was important “to be on the same page.” He questioned “arbitrarily” dropping an annual membership.
Councilman Bob Meyers said it’s the third time the RPC membership has come before the council. Money for a city grant writer isn’t in the budget, he added.
A council majority — Niner, Addison and Aistrope — rejected the resolution for the RPC membership. Meyers and Caviness voted for it.
Cindy Toopes can be reached at (641) 683-5376 or via e-mail at cindy@ottumwacourier.com
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