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Seabrook workshops to assess post-Ike goals
By Mary Ann Hellinghausen
Seabrook City Council will host two workshops to reevaluate the city’s post Hurricane Ike priorities, which could result in changes for city boards and committees.
The workshops will be Jan.13 and 27 at the Seabrook Volunteer Fire Department, 1850 East Meyer. They will start at 7 p.m.
Mayor Gary Renola said the workshops are meant to generate an “infusion of energy and ideas’’ about the direction the city needs to take. Four of the city’s eight advisory boards and committees will be reassessed. Some don’t have a clear direction, and some may need to be combined or eliminated, he said.
The Eco-Tourism Committee, Hotel Tax Committee, Parks and Recreation Board and Wetlands Advisory Board will be reevaluated during the workshops, said City Secretary Michelle Glaser.
Some council members questioned the need for the workshops and expressed concern that some volunteers serving on boards could end up with hurt feelings.
Councilman Kim Morrell said he didn’t want to have to vote against some board members if things were reorganized. “Some people are going to take it personally,’’ he said at this week’s council meeting.
“That’s all we do is make some people happy and some not,’’ said Councilman Paul Dunphey, who said he believed the workshops were necessary because city priorities have changed since the hurricane.
City Manager Chuck Pinto urged the council to move quickly on goal setting because federal grant money is becoming available to smaller cities who suffered hurricane damage and decisions will need to be made soon on where that money is spent.
“We have some opportunity (for federal dollars) and with the current structure of the boards, (many) have no direction and would not be of assistance,’’ Pinto said.
Council also discussed the importance of getting the word out about the workshops to generate as much public input as possible. “We want to get a good, open process and make sure we don’t miss anything,’’ Renola said. “My hope is we’ll have an exciting set of goals and people will want to work on them.’’
The workshops will be Jan.13 and 27 at the Seabrook Volunteer Fire Department, 1850 East Meyer. They will start at 7 p.m.
Mayor Gary Renola said the workshops are meant to generate an “infusion of energy and ideas’’ about the direction the city needs to take. Four of the city’s eight advisory boards and committees will be reassessed. Some don’t have a clear direction, and some may need to be combined or eliminated, he said.
The Eco-Tourism Committee, Hotel Tax Committee, Parks and Recreation Board and Wetlands Advisory Board will be reevaluated during the workshops, said City Secretary Michelle Glaser.
Some council members questioned the need for the workshops and expressed concern that some volunteers serving on boards could end up with hurt feelings.
Councilman Kim Morrell said he didn’t want to have to vote against some board members if things were reorganized. “Some people are going to take it personally,’’ he said at this week’s council meeting.
“That’s all we do is make some people happy and some not,’’ said Councilman Paul Dunphey, who said he believed the workshops were necessary because city priorities have changed since the hurricane.
City Manager Chuck Pinto urged the council to move quickly on goal setting because federal grant money is becoming available to smaller cities who suffered hurricane damage and decisions will need to be made soon on where that money is spent.
“We have some opportunity (for federal dollars) and with the current structure of the boards, (many) have no direction and would not be of assistance,’’ Pinto said.
Council also discussed the importance of getting the word out about the workshops to generate as much public input as possible. “We want to get a good, open process and make sure we don’t miss anything,’’ Renola said. “My hope is we’ll have an exciting set of goals and people will want to work on them.’’
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