By Howard Packowitz
NORMAL – Normal’s town government and the Unit 5 school district are forming a liaison committee to open lines of communication.
The town council and school board held a joint work session Wednesday night and agreed representatives from both bodies should meet on a regular basis.
A previous panel did not meet regularly and lost relevance, according to Mayor Chris Koos.
City Manager Mark Peterson and School Superintendent Mark Daniel agreed the need for better communication was evident when the town sought quick school board action to approve tax incentives for the Rivian auto plant.
“You’re being asked to provide these incentives, and I want to say I very much appreciate whether it was a leap of faith or not, your willingness to unanimously approve that agreement,” said Peterson.
“But, I also can tell you that we heard loud and clear your frustration,” the city manager added.
Had a committee been in place, Peterson said school board members might have felt more comfortable with the incentive package.
The joint panel of two council members and two school board members will meet each quarter. The entire council and school board will meet once a year.
Howard Packowitz can be reached at [email protected]
