A hasty plan by Deputy City Manager Karen Wylie and Councilmembers Kelley and MacLean was ‘returned to sender’ by the rest of the Council last night. The proposal was to hire a business consultant to prepare a $70,000 study of Mission Viejo’s business environment, arguably to help attract new businesses to the City.
It appeared from the original agenda that the suggested consultant, the Buxton Company from Texas, would not make a presentation. A Buxton representative did attend, however, engaging in a 45-minute dialogue with the Council, including providing a Powerpoint video.
During the discussion it became increasingly clear that a beneficial, quantifiable result from such a study could not be adequately defined. Even Kelley, who originally advocated the consultant, agreed the idea was not ready to proceed. She acknowledged the City could not replace the landlord-tenant relationship which is the foundation for attracting and retaining successful businesses.
Karen Wylie admitted the no-bid proposal was rushed to the Council in an attempt to prepare for a Retail Convention in Las Vegas in May. The Council felt that was an inadequate justification.
The Buxton representative was politely dismissed without any motion or action from the Council. The matter was sent back to the Council’s Economic Development Subcommittee. It’s members are Kelley and MacLean.
Mission Viejo Dispatch 