Henseler
Debate surrounding the make-up of the board of directors for the Quonset/Davisville Management Corporation continues to swirl in the General Assembly, with at least one legislator calling for an entirely new system.
Rep. Suzanne M. Henseler, a North Kingstown Democrat, was expected to introduce legislation that would make the QDMC its own quasi-public agency – removing it from beneath the umbrella of the Rhode Island Economic Devel-opment Corporation.
"What my bill does is separate Quonset Davisville," she said. "It would be run by a general manager and have its own board. I think it’s about time. I think if the governor really believes what he says, then he should let the people who are best qualified – the people that work daily at Quonset – control its future."
According to Henseler, the idea isn’t a new one. In fact, she said, the proposal is fashioned after legislation that created the Rhode Island Airport Corporation in 1992.
Seifert Systems Invests in Energy Efficiency to Strengthen Operations
For manufacturers, energy is more than just another operating expense. It plays a critical role…
Learn More
"I think it’s appropriate at this time. It’s a better way to run Quonset," she said. "I think that a lot of people that represent that area realize the leadership in the executive has been such that Quonset is still the stepchild. It’s time to move forward and the people on the board are capable of making those decisions."
But officials at EDC disagree.
"If you dilute the focus of what we are doing, and certainly by having Quonset as a separate entity you would be diluting the focus, then you are diluting the opportunity for economic development for the entire state," said EDC spokesperson Clare Eckert. "I think that we at the Economic Devel-opment Corporation would really need to see the language of the bill to understand the total impact that it could have."
The one difference between Henseler’s proposal and the Airport Corporation – the QDMC would not have bonding authority.
"Some people that I talked with were afraid of giving this new organization the power to bond," she said.
But according to Eckert, the ability to bond is often the driving force behind making an agency quasi-public.
"Bonding really provides an opportunity for these organizations to get money in a way that is fast and cuts through the bureaucratic red tape," she said. "Without that any quasi-public agency would be limited."
The QDMC, and its board, has been a hot topic during this legislative session with more than four bills already pending in both the house and senate.
One bill, introduced by Sen. Teresa M. Paiva-Weed, would add a voting member from Jamestown to the board, and remove Tom Schumpert, executive director of the RIEDC, from his voting position.
Paiva-Weed has since introduced another bill that would add a voting member from Jamestown, but does not address Schumpert’s voting capacity.
"The town of Jamestown was concerned that the controversy surrounding whether or not the executive director should or would vote, could potentially jeopordize their chances of getting on the board," she said. "In fact, representatives from Jamestown have been at every meeting, and would be directly impacted by any development that happens at Quonset. So I think they deserve a spot on the board."
According to Paiva-Weed additional legislation surrounding Schumpert’s voting place on the board is expected to surface before the official filing deadline later this week.
"There seems to be recognition that the discussion needs to occur," she said. "In general, it is my opinion that it is unusual to have the executive director of any organization sit on the board. The thought is not intended to be personal. It’s more of an expression of the concept – should an advisory board include the person that leads the organization? I don’t think so."
Henseler agreed.
"There has been a whiff of frustration for the last six months or so," she said. "From a lot of people in North Kingstown and up here (at the State House), the credibility of EDC is slim to none. There seems to be a lack of credibility and accountability."
But Schumpert, disagreed, calling any move to remove him as a voting member "short-sighted."
