Minutes: Evansville Redevelopment Authority: September 12, 2005

Evansville Redevelopment Authority
Regular Meeting
Monday, September 12, 2005, 7:30 PM
City Hall, 31 S. Madison St., Evansville, WI

MINUTES

Vice-Chairperson Eager called the meeting to order at 7:35 PM. Present were Vice-Chairperson Eager, Ald. Kooyman, Betsy Ahner, Dean Arnold and John Decker. Chairperson Hagen and Ald. Anderson 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.

Executive Director Connors reported that he needed notes of the July 11, 2005, regular meeting, to write the minutes, because did not attend that meeting. It was recommended that he speak with Chairperson Hagen to see if he took any notes of the meeting.

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

Old Business

Those who attended the walking tour of TID No. 5 on August 22, 2005, reported what they saw and discussed to those who did not attend. The description of the discussion that day about possibly creating a two-level sidewalk on the north side of the first block of E. Main St. to allow ADA-required access to doorways that now have steps generated additional discussion among the commissioners. A commissioner reported that something similar was done in the historic 3rd Ward of Milwaukee without detracting from the historic appearance of the buildings. The commissioners recommended that the city engineer and Public Works Committee consult with the Wisconsin Historical Society on this concept.

David Mueller did not appear, so there was no discussion regarding possible financial assistance for improvements to the Antes Building.

Executive Director Connors reported that all of the agreed-upon improvements to Pete’s Inn had been completed except the windows and awning, and that at Linda Church’s request, he had distributed the percentage reimbursement specified in the agreement for the costs already incurred, so Ms. Church would have money available for the windows. Vice-Chairperson Eager said that in the future, the agreements should be explicit about whether partial payments would be available before all agreed-upon improvements had been completed. The commissioners instructed Mr. Connors to check with Ms. Church and make sure that she understood that the agreement requires the new replacement windows to have round tops that fill the historic window openings, which have round tops.

Mr. Connors said he could not report on the financial condition of TID No. 5 at this time, other than to say the district will produce only around $14,000 of increment in 2006, because the new assessment roll is not yet available. He will report more information at the next meeting.

New Business

Mr. Connors reported that during the Plan Commission’s discussion of the proposed enlargement of TID No. 5 and the accompanying Amended Project Plan, Alderpersons Hammann and Aikman expressed concern about providing financial assistance for historic exterior restoration of the two-unit residential rental building at 19 W. Church St., and that Ald. Hammann had suggested removing that parcel from the list of parcels to be added to TID No. 5. Mr. Wagner and Mr. Connors explained at the Plan Commission meeting that including a parcel in TID No. 5 did not in any way commit the city to provide financial assistance to a project on that parcel, and that any request for financial assistance would be evaluated by the Redevelopment Authority, and no financial assistance could be given without separate Council approval. Roger Berg appeared and asked if the appropriate time to submit an application for this project to the Redevelopment Authority would be after the anticipated Council approval of the enlargement of TID No. 5 on Sept. 13, 2005, and Mr. Connors said that is correct.

There was a discussion of what the Redevelopment Authority might do to increase the possibility that the roller rink site at the corner of E. Main St. and Railroad St. would be available for redevelopment. The commissioners instructed Mr. Connors to discuss with the Common Council the possibility of approaching the owners of the five parcels in and around the site about purchasing from them options to purchase their parcels, which could be assigned to a developer.

Communications and Recommendations from the Executive Director

Executive Director Connors said he had been providing poor service to the Redevelopment Authority because of the time crunch he was experiencing trying to prepare materials for the Finance Committee, Common Council, and Redevelopment Authority meetings all at the same time. He asked that the day of the month for the regular meetings of the Redevelopment Authority be changed to a day later in the month. The commissioners agreed to change the regular meeting day to the third Tuesday of the month, and that the meetings would start at 7:00 PM. Ald. Kooyman said he also would move the regular meeting day for the Economic Development Committee to the third Tuesday of the month, and their meetings would start at 6:00 PM. So the next regular meeting of the Redevelopment Authority would be at 7:00 PM on Tuesday, Oct. 18.

Motion by Mr. Decker, seconded by Ms. Ahner, to adjourn. Motion passed.

The meeting adjourned at 8:25 PM.

Prepared by William E. Connors, Executive Director

The Minutes are not official until approved by the Authority.