At Tuesday's Russellville Council meeting, City Attorney Bob Hedges gave a first reading of an ordinance that gives support from the city for the establishment of an Industrial Development Authority (IDA).

After Hedges introduced the ordinance, Jody Lassiter, executive director of the Logan County Economic Development Commission (EDC), gave a power point presentation to the council about the IDA and its structure and benefits. The IDA concept has been floating around for some time now; however, Lassiter and the EDC have been aggressively promoting the idea recently, which according to Lassiter, would broaden the tool box currently available to the EDC.

The IDA would be a separate entity from the EDC but would work closely with it as a partner promoting Logan County in economic development.

Lassiter explained that the paper work to create such an IDA far outweighs the actual structural changes that will take place. He said the IDA would give the EDC some added benefits on how the EDC does business in particular to manage centrally the industrial properties that they market.

After the presentation, Councilman Gene Zick wanted to explain why he and Bill Decker, representatives of the city on the EDC, initially voted no on the IDA.

Zick said he voted against it at first because elected officers were not to be included in the IDA. He also had issues with ex-officio officers and the wordage involving parks, subdivisions and industrial properties. Zick said all those issues have been clarified and explained.

According to Zick, who said he believed that all of his questions had been answered now and that his concerns had been worked out, he feels the issue needed to be placed on the table for further discussion among other council members who may have questions. No other questions were asked and Lassiter thanked the council.

"Good policy comes from good discussion and discourse, and I appreciate all of those who have been a part of that process," said Lassiter.