OSCODA COUNTY — A meeting to discuss the possible merging of board members from among the county’s Economic Development Corporation, Planning Commission, and Brownfield Authority yielded no framework for a future consolidation.

The EDC Board conducted a special meeting Monday, Jan. 25 at the Oscoda County Building to discuss that possibility. However, board member Paul Perry strenuously objected to the merger on the grounds that the Planning Commission and the Economic Development Corporation serve two different purposes, and several members said there are “a lot of bugs that need to be worked out” before a possible joining of board members would take place.

Board member Roger Marsh said the meeting was designed to be informational in nature. “We’re discussing the pros and cons of the two boards (Planning Commission and Economic Development Corporation),” he said. “We want to get information on the table.”

Perry, the chairman of the Planning Commission, expressed his viewpoint that “the meeting between the Planning Commission and the Economic Development Corporation is a little premature.”

However, Marsh said he was optimistic about the possibility of the boards combining members. “I think the boards could work well together,” he said. “I want to get into the pros and cons of combining the two boards.”

Perry said he did not see how the proposal would benefit the Planning Commission, adding that combining the board members could be problematic because members of one board would need some time to learn the intricacies of another board’s issues.

“I think trying to bring seven to nine people up to speed is going to take a lot of time,” he said.

EDC chairperson Tammy Emig said to Perry, “I get the feeling you did not want to be part of the EDC board,” and asked him why he is against putting the boards together.

Perry responded, “Economic Development’s purpose is to bring industry to the county. The Planning Commission deals with land use. I don’t see where anything has to do with another.”

Marsh then asked the committee members what they thought of combining the boards. Several members responded that most of them were willing to go along with whatever the board decided, but Perry was vocally opposed. The meeting concluded without a decision being made on the matter.