Endangered City Commissions May Have Gained a Reprieve

Several city commissions may have won a last-minute reprieve after the City Council delayed a decision to cut back the number of commissions serving the city.

Originally, the city intended to cut the commissions in half to save city staff time needed to serve the groups. But Monday night, two council members had second thoughts about the streamlining and the issue was tabled by the council.

The proposed cuts would leave only the Planning Commission, the Traffic and Transportation Commission and a newly formed Community Services Commission, which would absorb the Seniors Commission, the Drugs and Substance Abuse Commission and the Parks and Recreation Commission. The Economic Development Commission would be taken over by the Planning Commission.

But Councilman Robert D. Breton spoke against disbanding the Economic Development Commission because the group had only been formed last spring and “we need to give it a chance to fulfill its original commission.”

“We’re in a deep recession, and we vitally need an economic commission to to attract new business and employment to the community,” Breton said.

Councilman William S. Craycraft said that the Drug and Substance Abuse Commission should also be retained. He maintained that the group needs to keep a high profile to help fight substance abuse.

Craycraft and Breton both indicated they would support cutting back the meeting dates for both commissions from twice to once monthly.

The council agreed to table the issue for further study.