Although it took nearly a year, Clarkesville renewed its agreement with Partnership Habersham. During their work session Monday afternoon, the Clarkesville City Council committed $5,000 to Partnership Habersham.
It was during the work session that Chairman Rope Roberts of Partnership Habersham addressed a few concerns that council members had voiced in the past.
Two standing members added
He explained that during the review of the By-laws, one change was adding two standing members to the executive committee. One member would be from the Habersham County Development Authority, and the second member would come from the Habersham County Board of Education.
Roberts stated that the member from the Board of Education was practical so that the schools could gather information related to the changing needs for workforce development.
Investment commitments
He told the council that last year the investments into the organization equaled 30% from public funds and the remaining 70% was from private investors and businesses. This year’s investment commitments are 27% from public funds and 72% from private investors and businesses.
Roberts explained that the partnership was going to give financial reports to executive committee members more frequently. One addition to that report would be what the private and public percentages were throughout the year.
Council member Franklin Brown requested that every six months a financial statement be issued to the cities that showed what the percentages were with public and private funding. He also wanted an accounting of how the public funds were spent in the semi-annual report.
Rotation of members
Another issue that Roberts addressed was how executive committee members rotated off and how new members came on. He stated that the chairman of the executive committee would appoint three new members. As the chairman rotated off, the vice-chair would move up, and he/she would appoint three new members to the executive committee. This ensured new people would be coming onto the committee as long-standing members were rotated off.
The intent of this process is so that the same people are not running the organization year after year.
To be on the committee, the member must be part of a municipality or government agency or a paid private investor. Roberts explained that was one of the changes made in the By-laws.
Motion made
Council member Angelia Kiker made the motion that the city of Clarkesville contribute $5,000 for one year, to be voted on every year, to Partnership Habersham. The Council approved the motion with Brown abstaining.
