Council approves Economic Development Corporation budget and appoints board; members debate EDC purchase of a fire command vehicle

The council discussed and approved the Economic Development Corporation (EDC) fiscal-year 2024–25 budget and later voted to appoint five individuals to the EDC board for terms beginning Oct. 1, 2025. The council also heard public comment and internal debate about whether EDC funds should be used to outfit a fire-department command vehicle.

The EDC budget was presented, including line items that drew council questions such as a program of Uber gift cards intended for local Embassy Oaks establishments during New Year events, and a transfer to EDC reserves. Council members raised concerns about a proposed allocation to purchase and outfit a fire department command vehicle through EDC funds rather than the city’s general fund. One council member said they were not comfortable with the expenditure and noted prior experience with a larger fire truck purchase in 2021; another council member said EDC is funded by tax dollars and money should be directed toward projects that lower municipal expenses.

Following discussion, the council approved the EDC budget. The voting result recorded in the meeting was an approval; the motion was seconded. (Recorded final tally as stated in the meeting: approved.) Public comment in favor of funding the EDC budget — including support for the command vehicle — was received from a resident who asked the council to move forward and to focus on future decisions rather than past procurement choices.

On the EDC board appointments, staff explained that the EDC has seven seats and that four incumbent seats were expiring; one additional seat was vacant due to automatic vacation under the town’s ordinance after a member missed three meetings in 12 months. The council appointed Chris Bain, Brian Budnick, Colleen Salazar, Alan Sale and Kenneth Sumner to the five open seats, with four two-year terms and one appointment to fill an unexpired term. Staff provided each council member with applicant rankings compiled by the EDC board and attendance records for incumbents prior to the vote.

Staff noted that the ordinance automatically vacates EDC seats after three missed meetings in a 12-month period, explaining why five appointments were required instead of four. The council accepted staff's recommendation and completed the appointments.

No formal change to city policy was made in this meeting to restrict or reclassify EDC allowable expenditures beyond the budget approval and the board appointments; the discussion, however, recorded clear dissent among council members about whether EDC funds should be used for fire-department equipment.