Minutes; Evansville Redevelopment: May 2006

Evansville Redevelopment Authority
Regular Meeting
Tuesday, May 16, 2006, 7:00 PM
City Hall, 31 S. Madison St., Evansville, WI

MINUTES

The meeting was called to order at 7:07 PM by Ald. Hammann. Present were Ald. Hammann, Ald. Wyse, Betsy Ahner, and John Decker. Chairperson Hagen, Vice-Chairperson Eager, and Dean Arnold were absent. Bill Connors, Executive Director, also was present.

The agenda was approved as printed.

Election of Officers

Mr. Decker nominated Mr. Eager to be Chair. Ald. Hammann seconded the nomination. Mr. Eager was elected Chair on a voice vote.

Ald. Wyse nominated Mr. Arnold to be Vice-Chair. Ms. Ahner seconded the nomination. Mr. Arnold was elected Vice-Chair on a voice vote.

Ald. Hammann continued to serve as the temporary presiding officer in the absence of the Chair and Vice-Chair.

Approval of Minutes

Motion by Ahner, seconded by Wyse, to approve the minutes of the April 25, 2006, regular meeting as presented. Motion passed.

Citizen Appearances Other Than Agenda Items Listed None.

Public Hearings None.

Unfinished Business

Executive Director Connors reported that the adjustment the city assessor had made to the assessed value of the Badger Coach building was sufficient to produce the equalized value increase Triple B Investment LLC was require to produce under the redevelopment agreement, so no further action was needed. Roger Berg and Matt Brown of Triple B Investment LLC were present to hear this report. Richard Woulfe, 255 E. Main St., questioned whether the city assessor is equitably assessing commercial property in the city.

New Business

Joe Bradley, a realtor representing clients who have an accepted purchase offer for 128 E. Main St., gave a presentation regarding what his clients intend to do with the building if they close on the purchase, and asked whether the Redevelopment Authority would be interested in providing financial assistance with the project. His clients want to renovate the interior of the building to create three to four commercial spaces, one of which eventually would be occupied by the China Wok Restaurant now located near the intersection of Water St. and E. Main St. The improvements to the façade would include re-opening the windows that are now bricked up. The purchasers would like to have the renovation complete by the time Main St. reopens after reconstruction during 2007. The commissioners said they liked the idea of restoring the façade of the building to its historic appearance and bringing a restaurant downtown. They instructed Mr. Bradley to have his clients complete and submit an application for assistance to the Redevelopment Authority and to meet with the Historic Preservation Commission about the proposed improvements to the building façade.

Mr. Decker reported that the Economic Development Committee is working on two grant applications to fund a trade market analysis study. The cost of the study would be $19,000. The first application, for a grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, would not require a local match, but the state USDA offices allow only two applications per state to be submitted each year for possible funding. The application for this grant is due May 26. The Economic Development Committee intends to review the grant application at a special meeting before authorizing its submission. The other grant would be for Community Development Block Grant money through the state Department of Commerce. The grant would involve a 25% local match. James Otterstein will prepare a preliminary application and show it to staff at the state Department of Commerce for feedback on whether it would be a viable grant application. If this second grant application moves forward, the Economic Development Committee might request that the Redevelopment Authority agree to pay part of the local match with tax increment. Ald. Hammann asked Executive Director Connors to ask the city attorney whether paying for part of the cost of a trade market analysis study would be a legitimate TIF expenditure.

Motion by Hammann, seconded by Decker, to adjourn. Motion passed.

The meeting adjourned at 7:39 PM.


Prepared by
William E. Connors, Executive Director

The Minutes of meetings of the Redevelopment Authority are not official until approved by the Authority.