City councilmembers discuss starting an ad-hoc development committee

Blaine city councilmembers are considering creating an ad-hoc advisory committee on the city’s increased development. A study session on the committee is expected to be held on Monday, April 25.

During the April 11 city council meeting, new councilmembers Kerena Higgins, Rhyan Lopez and Mike Hill proposed the city start a temporary committee that would better engage councilmembers with the skyrocketing development in east and west Blaine. The committee could become permanent if necessary.

“This would be a conduit for city council to be able to make sure we’re always staying up to date on information,” Higgins said. “This is purely advisory. We’re not collecting information. We’re making sure that information we feel is relevant is being brought to city council in a timely and effective manner.”

The committee would serve a different capacity from the planning commission and public works advisory committee, she added. Topics discussed could include development’s impact on budget, traffic and utilities.

City attorney Jon Sitkin and Higgins, who is also an attorney, debated whether the proposed committee would be subject to the Open Public Meetings Act (OPMA). Higgins argued the committee wouldn’t need to be subject to the OPMA because it would only serve in an advisory role, while Sitkin said it would still be considered an open public meeting because it would include discussion on city business.

Mayor Mary Lou Steward suggested a study session to go over OPMA, the committee’s defined roles, who will serve on the committee and how the committee will increase city staff time. The study session is expected to be held 5 p.m. Monday, April 25, before the regular city council meeting.

“It gives us more knowledge on what’s going on here,” Hill said of the proposed committee. “We all need to be more involved because we’re doing more business around here than we’ve ever done.”