City-County Council Meets Tonight

The City-County Council meets tonight.  The one agenda item that caught my eye is Prop 68, which would change who gets to appoint members of the IMPD and the IFD merit boards to include the Council.  This proposal was sent back to committee last meeting so that the total number of members could be reduced from the original draft.  The intent certainly is a good one, but the meat of the discussion in the committee was the legality of the change, as State law sets limits that are open to interpretation.  From the March 7 Public Safety committee meeting, it almost seems like a 'damned if you do and damned if you don't' situation.  It appears that the current composition of the IMPD merit board may not be consistent with State law, much less the one proposed by Prop 68.

Being introduced tonight are a bevy of Mayoral appointments to head his Departments.  Being reappointed are Olgen Williams, Michael Huber, Maury Plambeck, Rick Powers, and Frank Straub.  New appointments are Jason Klath to the newly created Deputy Mayor of Education, John Williams for Parks, and Lori Miser for DPW.

Also being introduced is a smoking ban (Prop 136) - now containing compromise language on private clubs.