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Regular City Council Meeting AND <br /> Board of Adjustments and Appeals <br /> Monday,July 16,2012 <br /> Page 9 <br /> Mayor Roe pointed out that, even if the City Council served as the HRA Board, <br /> appointments would still be made by the Mayor and ratified by the full City <br /> Council, in accordance with State Statute. Mayor Roe suggested that discussion <br /> of membership and term limits of the Board would be appropriate as a separate <br /> discussion in the future at the discretion of the City Council. <br /> Councilmember Pust, having served as an HRA Member prefaced her com- <br /> ments by noted that everyone she had served with on that Board, including cur- <br /> rent members being considered for re-appointment, Members Maschka and <br /> Majerus, did great work for the City and on the HRA Board. Councilmember <br /> Pust concurred that, as a separate legal entity with taxing authority, the HRA did <br /> great work. Councilmember Pust noted that the City Council's rationale and <br /> process for appointment and/or reappointment for citizens serving on advisory <br /> boards and respective term limits, had been implemented only because of the <br /> desire to provide opportunities for other citizens to have their voices heard. <br /> Councilmember Pust noted that one of those HRA Members up for reappoint- <br /> ment had already served for two (2) terms since the HRA's inception, and while <br /> having done great and honorable service, questioned whether an additional five <br /> (5) year reappointment should be considered, creating a fifteen (15) year term <br /> for that member on the HRA. Councilmember Pust reiterated the great work <br /> done by Member Majerus during his tenure and her hesitation in raising this is- <br /> sue; however, opined that reappointment should not be done casually. Coun- <br /> cilmember Pust, recognizing Mayor Roe's deliberation on recommended ap- <br /> pointments to the HRA and the City Council's typical validation of his recom- <br /> mendations, cautioned that consideration not be of a casual nature. <br /> As a current member of the HRA, Councilmember Willmus recognized that, <br /> while a separate taxing authority, the HRA's annual levy did come through the <br /> City Council for affirmation and/or adjustment. <br /> Councilmember Pust recognized that comment of Councilmember Willmus; <br /> however, she noted that the issue is not that the HRA may have more power <br /> than they should, but her lack of understanding why the City Council would im- <br /> plement term limits for its citizen advisory commission volunteers, and not have <br /> comparable term limits for HRA Board members, given that they have more au- <br /> thority than advisory commissions. <br /> Councilmember McGehee noted that this discussion was her intended purpose <br /> in bringing this to the City Council's attention; and her hope for future discus- <br /> sion. Beyond that, Councilmember McGehee expressed her concern that as a <br /> taxing authority, issues came to the City Council from the HRA, but not to the <br /> same level of detail as advisory commissions, causing her concerns. <br />