CITY REELS IN ECONOMIC AGENCY
By Kat Lee – Terrace Standard
Published: June 28, 2010 1:00 AM
Updated: June 29, 2010 6:57 AM
TERRACE CITY council has decided to take a more active role in economic development by tightening its control over the Terrace Economic Development Authority (TEDA).
The authority’s economic development officer will now report directly to chief city administrator Ron Poole.
The new approach was released yesterday as council members and TEDA directors met over the lunch hour.
“The key piece here that I think the group has decided, recommended and accepted is that in the future the TEDA economic development director (officer) reports directly to the CAO (the chief administrative officer) of the City of Terrace,” said TEDA chair Darryl Tucker.
He pointed out that TEDA board members were volunteers and membership is subject to change every year.
“For the interest of consistency…..the economic development officer and the CAO can work closer together so that the ties with the city and the economic development office are more closely aligned and a free flow of information is more consistent,” he said.
“It’ll allow for a greater flow of information and exchange and making sure that the goals of both organizations are on track.”
Tucker noted that the only thing that will change is the reporting structure; the economic development officer will still be getting its direction from the volunteer economic board. Hiring and firing of TEDA staff will stay with the board.
TEDA vice-chair Kevin Jeffery said that the chief administrative officer’s position will help oversee TEDA’s position.
“At the end of the day, I guess, you guys are major funders, if you don’t like what we’re doing, you can pull the funding,” he told council.
The city this year is putting $165,000 into TEDA’s budget.
The city’s chief administrative officer Ron Poole explained that this is a hybrid model of two strategies that have been used in the past – in house and arms length. He explained that when the economic position moved outside to its arms-length version, some of the connection was lost.
“We’re trying this model out,” Poole said. “It’s really an attempt to get these two organizations a little closer, that’s where we’re headed.”
The move by the city to tighten up its relationship with TEDA follows the recent dismissal by TEDA of its economic development officer, Sam Harling.
Business consultant Val Gauvin, a former long-time board member and a contract grant writer for the authority for the past six months, has been filling in the position as the interim economic development officer until a permanent one is hired.
The deadline for applications for the economic development officer position closed on Friday, June 25. The board will be going through the applications and shortlisting them during the next few weeks
