Minutes: Evansville Redevelopment Authority: October 11, 2004

Evansville Redevelopment Authority
Regular Meeting
Monday, October 11, 2004, 7:30 PM
City Hall, 31 S. Madison St., Evansville, WI

MINUTES

Vice-Chairperson Eager called the meeting to order at 7:30 PM. Present were Vice-Chairperson Eager, Ald. Kooyman, Betsy Ahner and Dean Arnold. Chairperson Hagen, Ald. Connely, and Jane Oberdorf were absent. Bill Connors, Executive Director; and James Otterstein, Rock County Economic Development, also were present.

The agenda was approved as presented by the executive director.

Ms. Ahner, seconded by Ald. Kooyman, moved to approve the minutes of the September 13, 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

The commissioners reviewed and discussed the draft development agreement between Linda Church, d/b/a Pete’s Inn, and the Authority, which Executive Director Connors had drafted. Motion by Vice-Chairperson Eager, seconded by Ald. Kooyman, to recommend to Council approval of the agreement, with the following changes from Mr. Connors’ draft: (1) add text further explaining the Authority’s interest in encouraging façade improvements to highly visible and historic buildings in the downtown, (2) reduce the estimated cost of improvements to $45,000 to $50,000, (3) remove replacing the furnace from the list of eligible costs, and (4) reduce the maximum grant amount to $10,000. Motion passed.

New Business

Development Agreement with First Community Bank of Milton. Executive Director Connors discussed the history and the contents of the proposed agreement with First Community Bank of Milton, which he had negotiated and drafted with the bank’s attorney. There was extensive discussion among the commissioners about the merits of the agreement and the risk that the bank might not go forward with the project in a timely fashion. The commissioners asked Mr. Connors to provide agreements like this further in advance of meetings in the future, and he said he would do so. Motion by Ald. Kooyman, seconded by Ms. Ahner, to recommend to Council approval of development agreement between First Community Bank of Milton, the Authority, and the City of Evansville with the following change from Mr. Connors’ draft: the maximum value of improvements for purposes of determining the amount of payments to the bank under the agreement is $2 million. Motion passed.

Special Assessments of Properties Fronting on Main St. from Union St. to 1st St. Executive Director Connors said he had put a motion regarding this issue on the agenda because it is common to exempt downtown properties in tax incremental districts from paying special assessments on improvements to the downtown, because the purpose of a downtown tax incremental district is to help downtown businesses, and requiring payment of special assessments seems contrary to that purpose. However, it has been the city’s practice to impose special assessments on properties along the routes of street reconstruction projects. Mr. Connors reported that earlier this evening, the Finance and Labor Relations Committee voted to table a similar motion so they could hold a public hearing on the issue at their next meeting. Motion by Vice-Chairperson Eager, seconded by Ald. Kooyman, to support the Finance and Labor Relations Committee’s decision to hold a public hearing on this issue. Motion passed.

Mr. Arnold, seconded by Ms. Ahner, moved to adjourn. Motion passed.

The meeting adjourned at 8:55 PM.

Prepared by William E. Connors, Executive Director

The Minutes are not official until approved by the Authority.