During their Tuesday work session, Manhattan City Commissioners discussed a possible contract with Baker Tilly and Virchow Krause accounting and consulting firm to review the city’s development processes and economic policies and develop implementation plans for housing initiatives.
Deputy City Manager Jason Hilgers said the firm’s outside perspective and experience across the country would greatly benefit the city.
Hilgers also said the current development process is cumbersome and in need of review, but Commissioner Wynn Butler feels the firm’s fee of $100,000 is too high.
Commissioner Usha Reddi also voiced concerns about the effectiveness of reviewing their economic policies.
Butler and Reddi agreed that the firm needed to provide the board with specific examples of their work before taking any future action.
Baker Tilly has a longstanding history with the city, serving as a financial advisor.
The firm has proposed fees of $50,000 for the economic policy and housing initiative review and $98,600 for the development process review.
