The Williamsport City Council formally created a Committee of the Whole for reviewing items before the city — not eliminating other committees, but using the committee as a means of aggregating projects, policies and ideas that come before officials.

“We are simply creating a new committee which will take over the majority of the functions of that those individuals committees had, so we can have a little bit more of streamlined process, we can get more people involved in the process of committee meetings, and it makes it a little bit easier logistically for the administration as well, and members of council to have one meeting to attend versus three or four,” Council President Eric Beiter said.

The concept originated from an idea by Councilman Jon Mackey.

Council approved a resolution to seek more funding under the strategic management planning (STMP) process. It was a resolution that did not pass without a brief clarification by guest Jonas Crass of the state Department of Community and Economic Development. Crass was in attendance.

Essentially, the city went through a phase one, capstoned by Public Financial Management (PFM) of Philadelphia, according to Beiter.

PFM presented its final report to the city. The company performed the work for $124,000 with 90% of that cost paid for by the grant from the state Department of Community and Economic Development and 10% from the city funds.

A second phase or STMP Phase II will give the city opportunities to seek funding and the resolution ensures the city will pay for 10 % of whatever grant funding amount that is out there, Beiter said.

“If I am correct, this is basically utilizing the first round of funding from the strategic management planning program,” said Councilwoman Liz Miele, chair of the city finance committee, before asking, “What’s left?”

“The wording is a little oblique, so we might as well clarify for the sake of the record,” Miele said.

Crass asked Miele to clarify her question and explained the process the city is engaged in.

“Out of the first round of strategic management planning, we had I believe almost $91,000 left in funding that could be applied for through the state?” Miele asked.

“Correct,” Crass said.

Any use of that funding at this time to support the “Home Rule initiative that we have placed on the ballot in May, would allow us to make, more or less, simultaneous use of the funding if the Home Rule initiative succeeds in May, correct?” Miele asked Crass.

“That is correct,” he said.

“Whereas if we wait, we would not be able to apply for the round of funding that will be open to use once we have completed the current round of strategic management planning (STMP) until June, possibly not receiving it until closer to the end?” she asked.

“Yeah, that is a correct way to put it,” Crass said.

“With the STMP there are separate phases, in each phase the city is able to get up to $200,000 from DCED, with a 10 % match that makes the project $220,000 per year,” Crass said.

“What this resolution will allow you to do is use the rest of the money from the STMP phase one to fund the government study commission, if it were to pass in May,” he said.

“If not, then you can come in for June to do STMP Phase II, again apply for that $200,000 a year … you would do that every single year for the next five years while in this program,” Crass said.

Miele asked if the city had $90,000 remaining from the previous STMP in total?

“Yeah, for STMP Phase I,” Crass said.

“Then we will not be able to apply for STMP Phase II funding until we’ve close out the Phase I?” she asked.

“That’s correct,” Crass said. “You can’t have more than one project going at a time, so if Home Rule were to pass that process takes nine months for the first phase . . . again, it goes to the ballots and if it passed that you have another nine months … so you are looking at approximately 18 months until you can come into the next phase of funding,” Crass explained.

“So we have got a timeline of maybe early 2028 before we could begin to apply for new funding,” Miele said. “That still strikes me as probably the wisest move,” Miele said.

“Without this phase being complete and the Home Rule study being done with the consultants there is really nothing else that we would benefit from embarking down this road any further,” Beiter said.