Hoping to make them more efficient, and up-to-date, Davenport Mayor Frank Klipsch wants to re-organize the city's 21 boards and commissions. Wednesday night aldermen will discuss his proposal.
Perhaps the most controversial proposal is to combine the Levee Commission, the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board, and the board for the River Center and Adler Theater. Klipsch says it make sense to have one group coordinate their important functions that affect the whole city.
"For instance, when we had all those separately, there were 19 appointments that I would make. With this system, each of the aldermen and I would have one appointment, so instead of me appointing 19 people I would appoint only one and the aldermen would each appoint a representative as well."
He would abolish some boards and commissions because they haven't met for years, and some, like the airport commission, are no longer needed - the airport has a manager and company running it, and like all the others, it's overseen by city staff and aldermen.
"For example, we had an electrical board and a plumbing board, et cetera. Not only are they hard to staff or get volunteers to be on those boards, but there's some duplication in those efforts so we're looking at putting together a trades board."
The changes recommended by Mayor Klipsch will require several readings by the Davenport city council, and could possibly take effect as soon as April.
