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at this meeting. Councilor Luebke seconded, and the motion carried 7-0. On the merits of the Ordinance, Councilor Van De Bogart made a motion to enact. Councilor Haynes seconded, and the motion carried 7-0. File 7465 Ordinance 3461 8. APPOINTMENTS—none 9. COUNCILOR ACTIVITIES AND UPCOMING EVENTS a. Councilor Spreitzer noted the large group of people present to support an ordinance allowing chickens and asked that staff prepare such an ordinance as soon as it is feasible. b. Councilor Newnham thanked everyone in attendance. c. Councilor Luebke stated that he attended the Latino Service Providers meeting, and he applauded the high school students in attendance. d. Councilor De Forest said that she enjoyed the Empty Bowl event at the high school and that she is looking forward to the Chamber of Commerce meeting. She also acknowledged the firefighter from Colby, Wisconsin, who passed away on the job and the great sacrifice that public safety personnel provide. e. Councilor Haynes reminded the public that the Chamber of Commerce and the League of Women Voters will be hosting a forum for Beloit City Council Candidates on Thursday, March 15th. He also indicated that he would like to see an ordinance that allows chickens in residential zoning districts. f. Councilor Van De Bogart attended the Hometown Heroes lunch, a Welty Environmental Center event, the Empty Bowl event for Caritas, and took the "polar plunge"for the Special Olympics. 10. CITY MANAGER'S PRESENTATION a. Economic Development Director Andrew Janke presented an Economic Development Update presentation. He briefly presented the results of a Business Retention and Expansion Plan that will be fully released at an event on March 29th. Mr. Janke also updated the Council on the efforts of the Greater Beloit Economic Development Corporation and Rock County 5.0. Councilor De Forest asked what we are doing for small businesses, and Mr. Janke indicated that the Downtown Beloit Association and the Chamber of Commerce will interview them regarding retention and expansion. Councilor Spreitzer asked about the workforce being a barrier to expansion, and Mr. Janke said that there is a"skill gap" in our workforce that he is working with Beloit Memorial High School and Blackhawk Technical College to address. 11. REPORTS FROM BOARDS AND CITY OFFICERS a. City Manager Larry Arft presented a resolution rescinding prior Intergovernmental Agreement regarding casino project and approving an Intergovernmental Agreement between the City of Beloit, the County of Rock, and the Ho-Chunk Nation. Mr. Arft briefly described the history of the land and the project. He also provided an overview of the contents of the Intergovernmental Agreement and indicated that a development agreement would be acted on later in the process. Councilor Haynes made a motion to adopt the resolution, and Councilor Luebke seconded. Councilor De Forest said that she hopes there continues to be talk between the Ho-Chunk Nation, the Bad River Nation, and the Chippewa in efforts to compensate the latter two for the work already completed. She said that while she has personal feelings about casinos in general, she respects the residents who have indicated that they support the project. Councilor De Forest also indicated that she is pleased that there is language in the IGA regarding a hotel and convention center. Councilor Haynes indicated that, regardless of his personal feelings about gambling he wants to honor the will of the voters. Councilor Spreitzer said that he has been leaning toward supporting the project for quite some time; however, from the research he has done and the people he has talked to, he has determined that a gaming facility is a mixed bag at best. He said that he is not willing to commit future generations to the risk involved in the project and that he will vote in opposition to the IGA. Councilor Van De Bogart spoke about the hard work of previous Councils and staff to make this project viable. He said that he shares concerns with many of the other Councilors, but that 61 percent of Beloit residents voted in favor of this project in a referendum 10 years ago. He said that a vote in favor of this project is necessary based on the strength of the IGA and the will of the people. Councilor Newnham indicated that the City has put forth monumental effort to support this project, and he encouraged the Ho-Chunk Nation to appreciate the investment of the Bad River and Chippewa. He thanked people for coming forward on both sides of the issue and commented that this is a historic vote for Beloit. Councilor Luebke