Item 2C: Ratification of IGR Minutes

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Mr. Poling said given that it would refer the proposed amendment to the people for their approval or rejection, he was amenable to support the staff’s position. The CCIGR retained the staff recommended position of Priority 3 Support on HJR 100. 6. Items from Members and Staff Ms. Wilson reported that 200 bills were being introduced for the Special Legislative Session, one of which was a bill to change to annual sessions. She recommended that the CCIGR meet during the first two weeks of February, noting that after the bills were addressed it would be “only about the money” and how they would continue to allocate funds. The CCIGR agreed to meet at noon on February 3 and after the City Council Work Session on February 10. Ms. Wilson said the CCIGR would meet in the early summer to talk about the following United Front effort as well as the upcoming legislative session. Ms. Wilson noted that the President intended to issue the proposed budget and was requesting significant spending freezes on domestic spending and anything that did not have to do with the Veterans Administra- tion, the military, Homeland Security, Medicare, and Social Security. She said they were moving ahead with the United Front efforts, but she anticipated that they might hear of another one-year delay of the reauthorization bill because they could not come to an agreement as to where the funding would come from for it. She wanted to update the CCIGR, noting that one of the projects that Congressman Peter DeFazio had picked up had been the safety project on Delta Highway – not the projects between River Road and Coburg Road on Beltline Highway as she had previously reported. She said there was not anything they could to about lobbying for any of the projects currently except to wait for the reauthoriza- tion. She related that they would continue discussions with Rep. DeFazio’s office because another one- year delay would make planning a little difficult. Mayor Piercy asked if this would affect whether or not it would be worth the City’s while to go on the United Front trip in the first place. Ms. Wilson responded that it would not because the appropriations would still need to be worked through their budget. She thought it could impact the number of earmarks, which would provide more reason to advocate for the projects they wanted to move forward. Ms. Wilson reported that the House had passed a jobs bill and it was now waiting for the Senate to reconvene with their new members. She said it appeared that the Senate would also take up a jobs bill. She noted that part of the original bill included additional dedicated funding to Metropolitan Policy Organizations, like the money they received for preservation projects. In response to a question from Mr. Poling, Ms. Wilson stated that the United Front trip was scheduled to leave on February 28 and return on March 4. Ms. Ortiz expressed disappointment that the safety project on Beltline Highway between River Road and Coburg Road had not been a project that would be included to be moved forward. Ms. Wilson responded that it was still on the list and could be resubmitted. Mr. Poling adjourned the meeting at 2:04 p.m. (Recorded by Ruth Atcherson) MINUTES—Council Committee on Intergovernmental Relations January 27, 2010 Page 6