Minutes: Evansville Redevelopment Authority: November 8, 2004

Evansville Redevelopment Authority
Regular Meeting
Monday, November 8, 2004, 7:30 PM
City Hall, 31 S. Madison St., Evansville, WI

MINUTES

Chairperson Hagen called the meeting to order at 7:30 PM. Present were Chairperson Hagen, Ald. Anderson, Ald. Kooyman, Betsy Ahner and Dean Arnold. Vice-Chairperson Eager and Jane Oberdorf were absent. Ald. John Sornson and Bill Connors, Executive Director, also were present.

The agenda was approved as presented by the executive director.

Ms. Ahner, seconded by Mr. Arnold, moved to approve the minutes of the October 11, 2004, regular meeting as presented by the executive director. Motion passed.

There were no citizen appearances on items not listed on the agenda, and no public hearings.

Old Business

Ald. Kooyman, seconded by Mr. Arnold, moved to reconsider the Authority’s recommendation to the Common Council for approval of the development agreement (or façade improvement agreement) between Pete’s Inn and the Redevelopment Authority. Motion passed. Linda Church presented new cost estimates from different contractors. She said she would prefer to use the second set of contractors, even though in some cases their estimates were higher than the first set of contractors. Ms. Church said she needs the Authority to pay for a substantial share of the total costs of improving the building if she is going to able to obtain a loan for the rest of the costs, and the $10,000 maximum contribution from the Authority was not enough. The commissioners discussed whether it was prudent for the Authority to contribute more than 20% to this façade improvement project. Ms. Ahner moved, seconded by Mr. Arnold, to amend the agreement so that the Authority would pay 21.9% of the eligible costs and to cap eligible costs at $68,500, so that the maximum payment from the Authority would be $15,000. Motion passed on a roll call vote, with Ald. Kooyman voting no. The original motion to recommend to the Common Council approval of the agreement, as amended, passed.

Special Assessments of Properties Fronting on Main St. from Union St. to 1st St. Executive Director Connors reported the comments made by the public at the public hearing conducted by the Finance and Labor Relations Committee earlier in the evening. The consensus of the commissioners was that they would prefer that the special assessments be imposed to save tax increment, and then use the tax increment to help pay for improvements to individual businesses that need improvements to cope with the impact of the Main Street reconstruction project. Motion by Ald. Kooyman, seconded by Ms. Ahner, to recommend that the Common Council impose special assessments on properties fronting on Main Street for part of the cost of the Main Street reconstruction project in 2005 and 2007 in accordance with existing city practice. Motion passed, with Chairperson Hagen abstaining. The commissioners asked Mr. Connors to invite representatives of the Chamber of Commerce to a future meeting to discuss what the Chamber is doing to help downtown businesses prepare for the Main Street reconstruction project.

New Business

No new business was discussed.

Communications and Recommendations from the Executive Director

Executive Director Connors reviewed with the commissioners the budget in the project plan for Tax Incremental District No. 5. Mr. Connors emphasized that most of the tax increment was earmarked for “pay-as-you-go” assistance for large redevelopment projects (e.g., new condominium projects) that would generate more tax increment than they consume and infrastructure projects such as the Main Street reconstruction project. The commissioners asked Executive Director Connors to draft application forms and review procedures for future applications for assistance, and suggested that he or the applicant should attempt to obtain an estimate from the city assessor of the value increase the proposed project would produce.

Ald. Anderson, seconded by Mr. Arnold, moved to adjourn. Motion passed.

The meeting adjourned at 9:04 PM.

Prepared by William E. Connors, Executive Director

The Minutes are not official until approved by the Authority.