Sep 5, 2007

Advisory Committees? Who Needs 'Em?

At last week's Troutdale Urban Renewal Agency meeting, the Agency voted to revoke the responsibility of RFQ/RFP review and recommendation from the Urban Renewal Advisory Committee. I did not support this decision and argued against it, to no avail. So did Barbara Kyle and Doug Daoust. Commissioner Norm Thomas was not present.

Agency commissioners Thalhofer, Ripma and Kight said the committee members could make recommendations individually, just like any other citizen. I felt that this attitude was an insult to the hard work the committee has done in the past and has committed to in the future. Conveniently forgotten was the reason the committee was formed in the first place- to review and recommend RFP's. It's why the Urban Renewal Agency insisted on a diversity of knowledge and experience on the committee. RFP experience. Finance experience. Real estate experience. Community experience. All that experience? It's now thrown out the back door.

This decision was small town all the way.

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