JAMESTOWN – City councilman Andrew Liuzzo (R-At Large) wants to have the Jamestown City Council amend the bylaws for the Jamestown Local Development Corporation (JLDC).
During Monday night’s city council work session, Liuzzo said he would like to see the bylaws changed in order to transfer the power of appointment for three of the JLDC board’s nine seats back to their respective agencies, rather than having the mayor make the appointments.
Under the new JLDC bylaws approved by the JLDC board in late 2017, the mayor of Jamestown is to appoint representatives for the Manufacturers Association, Jamestown Chamber, and Jamestown Renaissance Corporation when the president of each respective organization is unable to serve due to not being a city resident or for any other reason. Under the original JLDC bylaws, each organization was allowed to select its own representative when its president was unable to serve.
The previous JLDC bylaws also stated that any amendments would have to be approved by the city council. However, the new bylaws no longer carry that requirement. Councilman Tony Dolce (R-Ward 2) on Monday night pointed this out, saying the council may not even have the ability to consider Liuzzo’s proposal. It would instead have to be taken up by the JLDC board.
Mayor Teresi said he’ll ask the city attorney and city clerk to research the matter and return with a report next week.
It’s worth noting that there are three council members (Dolce, Council President Marie Carrubba, and council woman Kim Ecklund) who each serve on the JLDC board, along with Jamestown Mayor Sam Teresi. So even if the city council couldn’t amend the JLDC bylaws, it could make a motion to request any of those four individuals introduce the amendment at the next JLDC board meeting, where it could then be voted on by those members.
Leave a Reply