By Katy Stafford, Director of Government Affairs, The Chamber
At the Tuesday evening Joint Meeting of the City and County councils, The Chamber was among 11 other organizations and individuals who testified in support of the ordinance to streamline the permitting and routing process.
County Commissioner Nelson Peters and Fort Wayne Deputy Mayor Beth Malloy presented a comprehensive timeline, including outlined spending and specific benchmarks. Following the presentation and testimony, the two councils discussed the ordinance and asked questions of the elected officials that are on the Permitting and Routing Task Force.
After two hours of discussion, City Councilman Mitch Harper brought to the attention of those present that the ordinance was not an actual appropriation ordinance and its passage could not release the funds. After continued discussion on this issue, City Councilman Tim Pape "called the question," which procedurally takes precendence over any other motion. It automatically and immediately puts the issue up for a vote.
City council passed the ordinance by a vote of 9-0, but the process is far from over. Because the ordinance was not an appropriation ordinance, a new appropriation ordinance must be filed, essentially starting the bill process over again.
Once the bill is filed, public notice will be given and, after a ten-day period, the City Council can take action on the ordinance. After that, the ordinance passes through the traditional legislative process.
We will continue to keep you updated on the process of this important issue. Feel free to contact us with any questions you may have.
Don't forget to follow the Government Affairs Department on Twitter @FWGovConnect.
No comments:
Post a Comment