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Agenda Item 3. <br />HRA Meeting <br />Minutes – Tuesday, August 18, 2015 <br />Page 4 <br />1 <br />Member Masche stated that when this was originally brought up by Member Wall and <br />2 <br />subsequently tabled at the May 2015 HRA meeting, he had not thought that much about it and <br />3 <br />understood that the HRA Executive Director was hired and controlled by the City and <br />4 <br />supervised accordingly. Anticipating that the agreement was intended to be further revised to <br />5 <br />provide a more collaborative approach, Member Masche opined that the document back before <br />6 <br />the Board remained similar to that originally presented in May. Member Masche questioned <br />7 <br />what the well-defined control feature should be in the agreement; and why the HRA had pulled <br />8 <br />away from that so intentionally and completely. <br />9 <br />10 <br />Member Masche referenced the revised by-laws passed earlier in 2015 as they specifically <br />11 <br />addressed the direction the Board provided to its Executive Director. However, when reading <br />12 <br />this draft services agreement, Member Masche noted that it indicated that the HRA actually <br />13 <br />could provide no direction at all. Member Masche stated that he was not in favor of this <br />14 <br />agreement as it currently stands, and suggested it could be drafted to be more productive for <br />15 <br />both the city and HRA as independent entities. Member Masche noted that “we’re all in this <br />16 <br />together,” but according to this latest contract, many unknowns remained and potential <br />17 <br />situations that couldn’t be envisioned where this agreement language may come into play and <br />18 <br />hinder the HRA from having authority over its most important asset in accomplishing its work. <br />19 <br />20 <br />Member Etten suggested an easy fix would be to add a new section to this draft addressing the <br />21 <br />Board’s direction to the Executive Director, clarifying from his perspective that the agreement <br />22 <br />essentially was about supervision, not day-to-day work direction. <br />23 <br />24 <br />Member Wall disagreed, referencing the current draft language. <br />25 <br />26 <br />Member Etten noted there was nothing stating the HRA Board may request action of the <br />27 <br />Executive Director, which would address Member Masche’s concerns; but reiterated that from <br />28 <br />his perspective, this document dealt largely with hiring, firing, etc. <br />29 <br />30 <br />Member Masche questioned the agreement’s intention and if there was an underlying attempt <br />31 <br />to keep control of the HRA Executive Director. Member Masche noted that he didn’t have <br />32 <br />prepared language to suggest to define a more collaborative agreement to the document; but <br />33 <br />suggested a different document be drafted that reflected the majority consensus of the HRA <br />34 <br />Board specific to its authority for its Executive Director; and accurately reflect the HRA’s by- <br />35 <br />laws. Member Masche referenced Section 3.6 of the HRA by-laws as adopted at the beginning <br />36 <br />of 2015, with the language reflecting that the Executive Director took direction from the HRA <br />37 <br />Board. In his interpretation of the draft agreement, Member Masche opined that certainly <br />38 <br />didn’t appear to be the intention of the agreement that the HRA Board has the ability to operate <br />39 <br />as stated in the by-laws. <br />40 <br />41 <br />th <br />Commending Member Masche on his research and referencing the draft language in the 4 <br />42 <br />“Whereas,” Member Etten asked if that language would address the HRA by-laws and those <br />43 <br />areas of concern. <br />44 <br />45 <br />Member Masche agreed that would address his concerns, and thanked Member Etten for <br />46 <br />pointing out that specific language. <br />47 <br />48 <br />Member Wall stated that his problem with the draft services agreement wasn’t so much <br />49 <br />personnel-related as policy-related in that the HRA gives up all control over the executive <br />50 <br />director, and works for the City Manager and City Council, making it appear that the City <br />51 <br />Council wants to run the HRA in this draft agreement. Member Wall noted Councilmember <br />52 <br />Willmus’ attendance in the audience, and invited him to comment, along with <br />53 <br />Councilmember/HRA Board Member Etten. Member Wall opined that this agreement <br />54 <br />provided no control for the HRA Board, while they had the responsibility to spend city-levied <br />55 <br />monies, a substantial fiduciary responsibility that the HRA gave up depending on who ran the <br /> <br />