During a recent city council meeting, members discussed the recommendation from the Development Planning and Zoning Committee to renew consulting agreements with Van Slyke Enterprises Inc. and Ken Bartels Consulting. Alderman Marty Deuter, Chair of the committee, emphasized the long-standing relationship with both consultants, noting that Charlie Van Slyke has been providing real estate consulting services since 1988, while Ken Bartels has been involved in economic development since 2009.

The proposed contracts would extend for three years, with Van Slyke's hourly rate increasing from $110 to $120, while maintaining a maximum of 825 hours annually, down from 900. Bartels' compensation would remain at $100 per hour with a cap of 500 hours per year. Both consultants have consistently billed fewer hours than their maximum allowances over the past three years.

Alderman Deuter highlighted the importance of these consultants, particularly following the retirement of Assistant City Manager Mike Kopp, stating that their experience and institutional knowledge are invaluable to the city staff. However, Alderman Grama raised concerns about potential redundancy, suggesting that the city should reassess the necessity of these contracts given the overlap with existing full-time staff roles. He questioned the rationale behind renewing contracts at the same budgeted amount despite the reduced hours worked, advocating for a review of the consultants' contributions to ensure efficient use of city resources.

The council is expected to deliberate further on the proposed agreements, weighing the benefits of the consultants against the potential for redundancy within the city's staffing structure.