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City, Hoover Foundation, WBCDG rebuilding strained relationships
by Rick DeClue · News · February 16, 2017
On Feb. 6, the West Branch City Council addressed two of its many partnerships in making the city work — with mixed results.
The discussions included the West Branch Community Development Group, formerly Main Street West Branch, and the Hoover Presidential Foundation.
Shane Staker, president of the board for the WBCDG, addressed the council during the open forum with multiple objectives.
After apologizing for comments and conduct of the group’s executive director, Kevin Rogers, at a Jan. 31 city budget work session, Staker assured the council of shared common goals and the desire to work together for the betterment of the city.
He also made a pitch for restoration of the city’s support of the group to 2017 levels. The current budget level of $15,500 was lowered to a proposed $8,700 for 2018 in what has turned into a tight city budget for next year.
In the end, Staker’s presentation convinced the council to reconsider the city’s financial support. By a unanimous vote, they restored $1,300 of the proposed cut to bring the 2018 total to $10,000.
According to City Administrator Matt Muckler, city department head requests exceeded anticipated revenues by $98,000. WBCDG’s support was one of many cuts required to deliver a balanced 2018 budget to the council, he said.
Rogers had been upset over the proposed cuts and said he thought the group had somehow been penalized for detailing - at the request of the city - how the city funds would be used. He also felt the council was not always in tune with the group’s efforts, sometimes even bypassing WBCDG’s ability to contribute to some city projects. He acknowledged, though, more effective communications by his group could help the process.
Mayor Roger Laughlin and several council members agreed that the relationship had drifted apart over the last few years, but emphasized the importance of WBCDG’s efforts in both economic and business development, as well as the city’s festival events such as Christmas Past.
WBCDG board member Erin Morrison-Vincent pointed out that 90 percent of the key members of the group were new in the last year, implying that there was some learning to be done in how best to work with the city.
Rogers, who sat in the audience through Staker’s presentation, said afterwards that the group will continue to look for ways to work with the city.
He followed through quickly by offering a potential grant opportunity to support city plans for Heritage Square improvements. This occurred during the budget work session that followed the regular meeting, as the council considered whether to push the project to the future due to the tight 2018 budget.
Both sides committed to working to improve communication and look for ways to best take advantage of all community resources.
Later in the meeting, the council tabled consideration of two different versions of a resolution to approve participation of the communications manager of the Hoover Presidential Foundation on the West Branch Preservation Commission.
Mayor Laughlin recommended postponing the items because of the wide difference in the language of the two versions.
The resolution was prompted by the move of honorary — non-voting — commission member Karen Suchomel to a voting member of the commission.
Since 2014, Suchomel has served as the Foundation’s liaison to the commission. She will now represent herself as a citizen of West Branch.
Muckler said she is a long-time resident and has a high level of interest and knowledge of preservation issues in the city.
The liaison position had been the result of a compromise between the city and the Foundation after some disagreements over their respective roles and activities a few years ago.
The mayor drafted a straightforward resolution to allow whoever was the Foundation’s communications manager to serve as the liaison for the Preservation Commission as an honorary member.
An alternative resolution was drafted by city staff which purported to do the same thing, but with a recitation of the actions taken by the council at the creation of the compromise.
While Laughlin argued for a simple, clean start to move forward with the Foundation, several council members were not so eager for that approach.
Council member Jordan Ellyson said the city had been “burned” twice in the past in fundraising and operational disputes with the Foundation. She added that Suchomel had been a specifically identified compromise, but thought the city should be cautious in refilling the position.
Ellyson was supported by council member Mary Beth Stevenson as the discussion went back and forth.
Both versions of the resolution were tabled. with the acknowledgement that the position would remain empty for the time being.
Given that the primary sources of past difficulties were fund-raising and planning for Hoover Days events, the council acknowledged that much of the work for this year’s festival was complete. As a result, they wished to have more time to consider the alternative resolutions.
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