Council forms Economic Development Advisory Committee and discusses formal Chamber partnership; Mayor abstains on bylaws vote

Council approved bylaws to establish an Economic Development Advisory Committee and debated whether to include a designated seat for the Northern Brazoria County Chamber of Commerce. Councilmember Tim Varlack emphasized that the committee should primarily be composed of Iowa Colony residents with at least one member from the extraterritorial jurisdiction (ETJ) and said the Chamber could be involved. Mayor Kennedy suggested formalizing stronger collaboration given regional economic opportunities; Cary Perrin, President of the Northern Brazoria County Chamber of Commerce, said the Chamber is committed to working with the City and that a formal advisory presence was intended to facilitate collaboration rather than to create a voting seat.

City Attorney Natasha Brooks advised that adding a Chamber representative as a committee member would require amending the original motion. The motion to adopt the bylaws carried with four yea votes recorded and Mayor Kennedy recorded as abstaining. Councilmembers expressed support for continued partnership with the Chamber without embedding a mandatory Chamber seat in the bylaws.