Home Rule Study Commission

Home Rule Study Commission Borough of Greenville Minutes of the Meeting held February 14 at 6:30 PM Greenville Senior Center 1. Call to Order Paul Miller, Commission Chairman 2. Pledge of Allegiance: Flag Salute led by Casey Shilling 3. Roll Call: Paul Hamill Hal Johnson Martha Johnson Paul Miller Casey Shilling Steve Thompson Steve Williams Also present: Jasson Urey, Tracy Beil, Lawrence Keller, Rosalynn Reagle Media: Caleb Stright, Record-Argus 4. Public Comments: None 5. Minutes: With one correction in the spelling of Evan Hereford’s name, Steve Williams made a motion to accept the minutes. Casey offered a second. Motion passed 7-0. 6. Old Business: 7. New Business: Paul Hamill explained the work that the Mercer County Borough Association is doing to change the state law so that smaller boroughs can create redevelopment authorities. He said it is impossible to estimate how long it could take for the bill to pass. Dr. Lawrence Keller presented on Forms of Government. He covered:  History: 2 specific eras during which the structure of local government was greatly affected.  The forms of government must all cover mission, policy, administration and management.  Strong Mayor: in which the elected mayor is responsible for appointments, budget and has veto authority. A quality mayor with ethics and experience is key. Community must vote and they must hold the mayor accountable for conduct and outcomes.  Commission: A more unique form of government with many independent department heads who must work together in order to be efficient.   Council- Manager: the city manager is responsible for appointments and budget, no veto power. The city manager shares responsibility for the mission and the policy with the council but is him/herself responsible for administration and management. Training is critical to a successful council but it can be hard to find training that is focused on more than law. The council collaboratively holds the manager accountable.  Dr. Keller also took time to define some terms such as constitution and representation. His power point is available for review. Tracy Beil asked about council member training and who is responsible to pay for that. The commission acknowledged that it is something that needs to be considered. There was also concern raised regarding paying for training and then having someone drop off council. Steve Williams asked Dr Keller to explain the difference between a borough and a township. Dr. Keller explained that both have specific codes that they follow and that townships operate under newer and more flexible codes. Township status does not change the restriction on the formation of a redevelopment authority for municipalities with populations under 10,000. Looking ahead, Paul Miller stated that the commission needs to decide if more meetings are needed per month so that they can be properly advertised. A motion also needs to be made by March 14 as to whether to move forward with a charter. Paul Hamill suggested moving HRSC meetings to council chambers. 8. Public Comments Tracy Beil stated that the more deeply we dig into Home rule the more complicated she realizes it is. 9. Good of the Order: Paul Hamill had no comment. Steve Williams brought up the forms the commission needs to fill out for by May. Martha said that travel is nice but she is glad she has Greenville to return to as home. Hal said that he feels form of government is one of the most important elements of a Home Rule Charter and he realizes there is no perfect system. Casey suggested that if we decide to write a charter, we create a survey on mission. He pointed out that getting the community to agree on the goals may make it easier to help them understand the different elements proposed in a charter. Steve Thompson commented on being glad that all seven members were present. Paul Miller thanked Larry for his presentation and presented all present with a chocolate for the holiday. Larry encouraged the commission to write a section on Decisions and Rationales when reporting on a charter to help educate the community. 10. Adjournment Paul H. made a motion to adjourn the meeting and Steve T. offered a second. Motion passed 7-0. Respectfully submitted, Martha C. Johnson Commission Secretary /Treasurer