The Clintonville Common Council unanimously approved the formation of a Long Range Planning Committee at its meeting, Tuesday, May 13.

Alderman Mark Doornink said the formation of the committee is meant for the council to be proactive instead of reactive.

“It occurred to me that we have a lot of key department heads and employees who we may be losing due to retirement in the next few years,” Doornink said. “We have some very big decisions facing us too, where we have more projects to try to accomplish than money to go around. I’m proposing we form some type of longer range planning committee that involves council members and community to address these issues.”

Doornink added, “I look at this as a good way to build some unity and teamwork among our current council and move forward in a positive manner.”

Artyfest
Mayor Judy Magee read a statement to the council regarding Artyfest.

“At this time there is no plan in having Artyfest in 2014 due to the owners of Arty’s feeling that they were used as pawns in the community’s political arena last year. There are discussions about having a comedy night in August that could be held at the Legion and that Arty’s may participate in that event. Organizers will be meeting with the Legion in the near future to discuss the idea of a comedy night. The owners (of Arty’s) Tim Pappin and Ryan Mijal also indicated that they will be watching the leaders of our community and what is important to us as leaders as we move forward during this term. Our leadership will heavily influence their decision to remain in Clintonville or to look for another community to call home.”

Expenditures
The council unanimously approved spending $350 for the music group scheduled to perform on Memorial Day. It also approved $50 for small flags to be given out. The total of $400 will come out of the Contingency Fund.
The council also approved spending $1,640 to go toward the county’s Cod Red program.

Chief of Police Terry Lorge addressed the council about the importance of the program. He said communities are being asked to contribute to the program based on the size of the community.

“This is a one year allocation,” said Lisa Kotter, city administrator. “It is the intent of the Emergency Management Department to request funding in the county budget for this in future years, so this would not be an ongoing expense. But in order to get it started this year, and it wasn’t budgeted for the county, they’re asking us to participate together.”

Public comments
During the public comments portion of the meeting, Mary Rose Morse addressed the council about what is currently taking place in the city. She said her husband works in New London but they chose to live in Clintonville.

“Since returning, I kind of question a lot of things,” Morse said. “A lot has to do not only what happens in this room, but also what happens in the media, the radio, the paper and so forth. Last week at the meeting I was a little disheartened. I know that Lisa, or maybe the city was accused of maneuvering behind the scene when it came to the city attorney but I have to question who was maneuvering when there was a special counsel in the room at the time and not all the council members knew about it.”