2004-05-26 CC - Laserfiche WebLink

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City of Centerville May 26, 2004 Council Meeting Minutes City Attorney Hoeft clarified that the City has amended the Comprehensive Plan and all that is necessary is Met Council approval. He then said that any member voting in the affirmative can make a motion to reconsider and ask for a second to bring the matter back to the table. Ken Carpenter addressed Council and asked Members to consider that all the issues with the properties would go away with this development and there are benefits for the City to authorize the TIF financing. Brian Hanson, 1950 Center Street, addressed the Council and indicated that the City has had five TIF districts and three of those were residential TIF districts. He then asked whether that sets a precedent in the City. City Attorney Hoeft indicated there are no requirements there. Mr. Hanson indicated that one of the areas that the residential TIF was set up for was Center Oaks property that is adjacent to this piece and he assumes the reason for doing so was the soil issues in Center Oaks. Mr. Hanson indicated the request for TIF for this area would fall, in his opinion, under the same types of circumstances including very poor soil. He then said that this would bring tax base to the City and it develops an area of the City by bringing an area into the tax base that may not develop for some time. He also asked Council to really look hard at it because the money that would come out of the TIF district could benefit the City in a number of ways. Mr. Carpenter indicated that this type of development provides screening with townhomes to the commercial district and residents are more likely to agree to that than some other type of development. Mayor Sweeney commented that he talked to someone the other day at Corner Express and they said that they were hoping the TIF did not go through and when asked why, the person did not have an answer. He then said that when he explained the TIF process and the potential benefits to the City this person changed his mind. Mayor Sweeney indicated he would like to see the additional residents and commercial development come to town. Council Member Broussard Vickers indicated she looks at the broader issues and she feels that the development would not occur but for the TIF financing. She then said that she likes the proposed use for the property and feels it would be a nice fit for the community and the potential to use TIF dollars for other projects within the City. Council Member Paar clarified that he is not against the project but is against the City financing it with TIF. He then said that he has done the research and spoken to a lot of people and it seems to him that the property owners get their money, the developer gets Page 5 of 11