The burning ember that is the debate over Rollingwood’s new Capital Improvement Plan flared once again at a recent City Council meeting as members struggled to define its meaning and intent.

Alderman John Hinton proposed a plan that would allow staff, commission and council members to put items on a Capital Improvement Plan as an unscheduled project, and it would ostensibly move through the matrix, becoming a one- to five-year project. At last week’s meeting, Hinton made a motion in an attempt to clarify it further, requesting that all Rollingwood Community Development Corporation expenditures more than $1,000 require council approval.

“It’s just slowly picking away at any of the empowerment of our boards and commissions,” Alderman Brian Nalle said. “They can propose something, which we can rightfully include or not include on this capital improvement plan. But even if the council allows an item to be budgeted and approves that project again, council can still stop that project.”

Hinton replied that he only intended to clarify the oversight already afforded to council under the law.

“An appointed board should be responsive to the elected officials,” he said. “The council that appointed them or a subsequent council that has been elected should have that authority. This is all this does.”

Alderman Bill Hamilton said that while the language might need some tweaking, the basis of the motion should find fruition, as the concept has always been a part of the way the RCDC and council worked together.

“Obviously I really agree that we need to closely scrutinize our expenditures but we need to have an efficient government as well,” Alderwoman Roxanne McKee said.

Council members decided to table any action on the motion pending further discussion.

In other action, the council filled out nearly all of the vacancies on the various boards and commissions. A full list of appointments is below:

• Planning Zoning Commission: Rick Fisher, reappointed to serve until Dec. 2011; Amie Rodnick, chair, reappointed to serve until Dec. 2011; Colin MacDougal, appointed to serve until Dec. 2011; and Reza Shirazi, appointed to serve until Dec. 2012

• Utility Commission: David Clark, reappointed to serve until Dec. 2011; and Larry Smith, appointed to serve until Dec. 2011

• Parks Commission: Kelli Carlton, chair, reappointed to serve until Dec. 2011; Tami Bone, reappointed to serve until Dec. 2011; Deb Bigham, appointed to serve until Dec. 2011.

• RCDC: Joe Basham, treasurer, reappointed to serve until Dec. 2011; Brian Rider, reappointed to serve until Dec. 2011; Susan Bryant, former utility commission chair, appointed to serve until Dec. 2011.

• Board of Adjustment: Michael Shcher, reappointed to serve until Dec. 2011; Susan Welker, reappointed to serve until Dec. 2011; Tony Corbett, moved from alternate to main position, to serve until Dec. 2010; and Tucker Lynch, becoming a first alternate, to serve until Dec. 2012

The Board of Adjustment still has three vacant positions.