(a) There is hereby established an Economic Development Committee. The Committee shall be comprised of three members of Council (who shall be the voting members), one alternate member of Council who shall vote only in the absence of any regular member, three members of the Solon City School District Board of Education, the Mayor and one member who shall be the Executive Director of the Solon Chamber of Commerce. An additional ex-officio member of the Committee shall be the Economic Development Manager. Council members of the Committee shall be appointed by the Mayor, subject to the confirmation of Council, for a term to commence on December 1 of each odd-numbered year. Vacancies shall be filled by appointment by the Mayor with the approval of Council.
(b) The Committee shall have the authority to administer the Urban Jobs and Economic Development Program in the city pursuant to R.C. §§ 5709.61 through 5709.66, as amended; the Job Creation Grant Program in the city pursuant to Resolution 2003-76; the Community Reinvestment Area Program in the city pursuant to Ordinance 2004-48 as amended by Ordinance 2018-215; and the Growth and Revitalization Incentive Program pursuant to Ordinance 2006-132 as amended by 2008-246, 2012-54 and 2012-158. To this extent the Committee may perform the following duties and responsibilities:
(1) Meet with proposed industrial and commercial firms requesting tax and/or financial incentives;
(2) Seek to achieve orderly industrial and commercial growth within the city while at the same time preserving and enhancing the tax base for the Solon City School District and the city;
(3) Make recommendations to Council on the granting of tax and/or financial incentives to various industrial and commercial firms;
(4) Recommend to Council the hiring of any consultants or studies as it may feel would be necessary to perform its duties; and
(5) Prepare an annual report to Council, the Board of Education of the Solon City School District and the Solon Chamber of Commerce of its activities throughout the year.
(c) For any Job Creation Grant Program or Growth and Revitalization Incentive Program incentive, the membership of the Economic Development Committee shall exclude the Solon City School District Board of Education members, resulting in a total Committee membership of six for such program matters.
(Ord. 2021-76, passed 4-19-2021)