New Council In Session, New Resolution On The Table

Three new council members are set to take their seats in Council Chambers on Wednesday night. There will also be a new Council President and new Vice President. And before any of them enters the room Wednesday, there’s already been a fair amount of buzz created in the form of Resolution 8937.

The three newest members of Council were elected back in early April, with Tiffany Brault, Keith Heisler and Patrick Mullen(who was recently elected Vice President by Council vote) all voted in after running together on one common theme: to work together to find some type of resolution regarding a contentious Lakeside Park Alternative Master Plan. The plan in its current form has been debated for almost two years, but the concepts have been discussed since 2014.

A new wrinkle was presented Tuesday evening when newly-elected Council President Kay Miller presented Resolution 8937. According to Keith Heisler put forth the resolution and tells KFIZ News “this resolution would give the council a chance to slow down and take some time reevaluate things.” Within the resolution is a request to delay further work under the Lakeside Park Enhancement Agreement until May 12, in order to allow the City Council to review the agreement.

If the resolution is passed, it would pause all work that falls under the Lakeside Park Enhancement Agreement, excluding the renovation project at the Park Pavilion currently in progress. The pause would allow Council to review and then give City staff direction to potentially re-negotiate the agreement with Lakeside Forward, the group that has committed almost 6 million to fund the Alternative Master Plan Project.

City Manager Joe Moore, in a memo sent last week to the current Council, spelled out in great detail the various options that would be in place, and what the ramifications might be depending on the route Council chooses to take.

Council is set to meet at 6:00 p.m. Wednesday in the City County Government Building.