Nelson said the outsourcing "is long overdue," but he emphasized that the contract should be performance-based and with a termination clause if results don't follow. He applauded Simmons' efforts to keep the process independent and said "there was a thorough outreach to any possible candidate that could ensure we get the best services."

A key issue, Simmons said, was getting "a solid feeling" that outsourcing would result in better recruitment efforts in a financially efficient manner. He said he is "quite comfortable" that will be the case.

Bradford said he worried about transparency, but Simmons said the board will work to ensure that state officials have access to EDCU information.

"Make no mistake about it, I own the corporate recruiting, and we are going to actively manage it," Frey said. "It's not about abdication of responsibility or removing yourself from an active participation in it. But it is about trying to bring out a more productive and more efficient process."

A few board members expressed concerns over perceptions about possible conflicts of interest, noting that several cities are investors in EDCU. A few years ago, Bradford said, the perception was that EDCU was a "Wasatch Front-invested" organization. Others worried that EDCU investor municipalities might have an inherent edge in eventually landing the operations of recruited companies.

"There needs to be a strong conflict-of-interest policy with this," board member Jerry Oldroyd said.

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