The Paris City Council on Monday night of next week is scheduled to appoint someone to the Paris Economic Development Corporation to serve out the 27 months remaning on the term of Bill Harris, who has announced his retirement, effective March 31.
Harris was scheduled to serve until June 30, 2015, but is stepping down to avoid a conflict of interest now that his wife, Stephanie Harris, has just been hired as assistant city attorney. The PEDC’s legal advice comes from the city attorney’s office.
That would leave the PEDC with only three members — a bare quorum. All three members would have to be present for a meeting to begin, and if any of the three left early, the meeting itself would have to stop for lack of a quorum.
There is another vacancy on the PEDC as the result of the recent death of board president Doug Wehrman, whose term does not expire until June 30, 2013.
If the council were to appoint someone now to take Wehrman’s it could do so only for three months — creating an awkward situation of having to follow up in June with another appointment for the new 3-year term.
So only Harris’ unexpired term will be filled on Monday night. The appointment for the 3-year term from 2013 through 2016 will be made in June along with the new appointments to the city’s other boards and commissions.
Janice Ellis
To be on the PEDC, a person must live within the Paris city limits. Anyone interested must first complete an application indicating their interest and give a brief description of any special knowledge, education, or experience relevant to the PEDC.
Applications are available at www.paristexas.gov or at the City Hall Annex, located at 150 SE First St. (An application form also is provided at the bottom of this article.)The application should be submitted to city clerk Janice Ellis at the City Hall Annex.
At least two other persons have already indicated interest in the appointment, Mayor AJ Hashmi said Monday night.
Ellis said the duties and purpose of the PEDC board are “to administer 4A sales tax funds for the promotion and enhancement of job creation and retention and other economic development activities of the City of Paris through development of incentives and sort-term and long-term planning.”
In general, it is the council’s policy to appoint people to a maximum of two consecutive full 3-year terms on a given body.
A year ago, among the 72 applicants for 26 vacancies to 11 city boards were 14 people interested in the PEDC; no board had more interest than the PEDC. Anyone on that list who is still interested should apply again.
Last year’s applicants were:
From that group, to succeed outgoing PEDC members Pike Burkhart and Rick Poston, the council selected Harris and Toni Clem to 3-year terms expiring on June 30, 2015.
Besides Clem, the two other PEDC members, with terms expiring June 30, 2014, are Kenny Dority, who is now the PEDC chairman, and Bruce Carr.
By CHARLES RICHARDS
eParisExtra!
Here is the application form:
Charles Richards Charles Richards moved to Paris in 2004 after retiring from a 40-year career in journalism – the last 26 years as a news writer and sports writer with The Associated Press in Dallas and Washington, D.C. In mid-2004, The Paris News coaxed him out of retirement, and he began covering the police, court and regional beat for The Paris News. Then in early 2005, he was switched to coverage of a sharply divided Paris City Council. He was appointed by the City Council in 2006 to the 12-member City Charter Review Commission, which extensively rewrote the outmoded document. His writing awards include two first-place awards in statewide competition for feature writing. The most recent was his 2005 story on a Paris doctor’s startling use of leeches in a successful attempt to re-attach a man’s severed ear. Over his career, Richards’ interview subjects include Alabama Gov. George Wallace, President Bill Clinton, President George W. Bush, David Koresh, Arnold Palmer, Muhammad Ali and numerous other political and sports figures. He is an alumnus of Texas Tech, where he was editor of the school newspaper. He lives in Paris with his wife, Barbara, who is retired after 30 years as a teacher and high school counselor.
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