26 January 2017 Dearborn County Redevelopment Meeting Notes

26 January 2017 Dearborn County Redevelopment Meeting Notes

Present: Jim Deaton, Chairman, Dave Deddens, Jim Helms, John Rahe, Alan Goodman.

ABSENT:Jamie Graf (non- voting school board member)

Also present: Terri Randall, county administrator and economic development director, Sue Hayden, minute taker, Gayle Pennington, Auditor and DCRC treasurer.

ABSENT: Andrea Ewan, attorney

These notes are from several verified sources as I was unable to attend this meeting.

Reorganization Meeting:

Election of Officers- Jim Deaton President, Dave Deddens Vice President, and Jim Helms Secretary

Meeting Times- Every other month on the third Thursday. March will be changed probably due to public hearing- see notes below.

APPROVAL OF MINUTES- Dec 8 minutes approved

UNFINISHED BUSINESS:none

CLAIMS AND FINANCIALS:
paid- $245 for Randall’s membership to IEDA as she gets important information there.

paid$100 for Alan Goodman’s bond renewal

paid $35 for pop studio for website hosting

paid $4900 to Banning Engineering out of West Harrison TIF for the Old US 52 Corridor project

Paid $15,000 (2 months at $7500 each) to KMK ( Keating Meeting and Klekamp) out of the Visioning Grant and Randall states that Lawrenceburg is aware of this.This is for consulting for the new EDI (Economic Development Initiative) Group. This is a group of private investors. [NOTE: What exactly does DCRC get out of this? It seems like a lot of money monthly and there should be some reports of something from this consultant in evidence supporting their fees.]

Financial Balances for the DCRC accounts as of fall settlement per Pennington:

Cash in Fund 9531- $355,138.01

Fund 4932 ( Commission match) $500,000

Growth and Development Fund $500,000

Fund 4301 Washington Township TIF $239,094.15

Fund 4302 St. Leon Kelso Township TIF $177,620.68

Fund 4304 West Harrison TIF $66,898.39

Fund 4305 Whitewater Mills TIF $19,312.21

Fund 9146 Regional Strategic Visioning Plan $178,000

NEW BUSINESS:Resolution of DCRC Approving an Amendment to the Declaratory Resolution and Economic Development Plan for the West Aurora Economic Development Area- approved

Read Title VI statement at this point- by Deaton- forgot it at beginning of meeting.

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OFFICER’S REPORT:

[Note: It would seem reasonable for the Randall to have this many items listed on the agenda so that the public has advance notice of what might be discussed.]

Terri Randall- Kaiser Pickles had property in the TIF and now have some outside the TIF so they needed to get the new facility at the old D&S Machine Shop in a TIF to get the incentives promised to them. They are adding two new parcels to the Washington Township AKA West Aurora TIF to accomplish this. The 2nd parcel is by Aurora Casket- some ??acres. There will be public hearings and the Plan Commission holds the first one of these at their Feb 28th meeting. County Commissioners will adopt a resolution from the PC meeting.  She hopes to get this all done by the end of March. Deddens asked about Labor Issues with Aurora Casket’s sale. No report from Randall on that as she said not much is known. DCRC can have their hearing no sooner than March 26 per notes from Umbaugh. Randall suggested an evening meeting for the public to be able to attend. She is considering the 29th and 30th of March for DCRC meetings on the redone West Aurora AKA Washington Township TIF. 

Rahe brought up the junkyard in the Randall Avenue Industrial Park again. they are still working with Planning Office enforcement. Considering negotiating with the owner for abetter spot for his businesslike Rack property in back. Some members thought that might also be an issue with other business owners there. Randall said they could get grants for brownfield cleanup as there could be oil spills from stored vehicles there. [NOTE: This is an INDUSTRIAL park so one might expect a different look than a BUSINESS park???] Randall said they should reach out to McCormack at Planning office to see where enforcement is on this. Only take a couple DCRC members so as not to violate open door laws. Randall will schedule meeting with Deaton and Rahe and herself with them probably. Deaton said that the owner has so much pressure on him right now- this might relieve him. Randall noted he was getting older too… Rahe and Deaton noted the owner lives near the park so they could meet with him.

Randall sent a letter to the owner of Kaiser Pickles for a ribbon cutting ceremony and to review a recent incentive offer. State Dept of Ag- Ted McKinney wants to work with them on their product also. 

Randall sent a check and offer for the sign property to the owner of that with a Monday deadline. Be prepared for NO and getting the check back. Deaton -If she comes back with counter offer- we should consider it.Otherwise option 2 to get other property for the sign and have the park businesses pay for the signage. Road front property with an office for Rack may be an option too. 

Skally’s got appraisals back and they match the bank loan request. Two banks courting them. [NOTE: It may take 2 banks to cover the loan amount spending on their size.] They should be closing soon and ready to start building in March.

Randall talked to Tom Stone on 13.4 acres in West Harrison TIF. DCRC hired Banning Engineering for $4900 to do the study because of their experience with Duke Energy- and you wanted to know what it would cost to develop that property and how much TIF would get from it. There were 2 alternatives. One had a 165,000 sq ft building with another 35,000sq ft one for almost $2million.with access off Harrison Brookville Road. There is nearly $500,000 in fill and asphalt to access it. 2nd alternative with 4 buildings of about 43,000 sq ft each ad a 35,000 sq ft additional one. This would create more of a business park- and get smaller businesses. Spreads the risk over 4 companies. They noted a road built by “others” would be cheaper. [NOTE:Who are the others?] Randall not sure that a warehouse is highest and best use for this land. TIF Revenue would be better for Council. Randall said Tom Stone has been “very patient and very kind.” Wants to include 3 family members so will meet early next week with them.She stressed that Stone Family is NOT to expect DCRC to do anything with them until Skally’s is done. They can’t do anything until TIF bonds are done etc. [NOTE: Is Maxwell involved as they are using Skally’s bond revenues???] 

More discussion on having Andrea Ewan be there, some $250,000 difference in the two alternative projects. May find a “creative way” to get the improvements done. Deaton noted that if the county owns the land there is no tax income stream. 

Randall said site improvements are where it’s at. I-74 Group talks about these properties and the PORT of IN. We will see a lot of people coming in and we have no spec buildings. Shovel ready sites should be focus and goal. Go all in and get it ready and then do it. We don’t make all the investments. Just some to attract other investors and developers to come in. Then the EDI is forming. 

Randall - No new info on the port- but she understands the project better. Most important is that a private investor bought AEP land and invested millions with no incentives. He said they know our community is a gold mine. Ports of IN has first rights on the property. If no port then the new owner has a plan B- as they are a huge company that develops all over the world. [NOTE: The incentive for this company is the potential payoff on their investment. Note who has first rights.]

Lawrenceburg is getting rid of the rocks on the levee and building a park. 

REDI asked Randall to speak at their March meeting on the PORT. The phone is going to start ringing… People are asking about properties that were previously on our website and she had no answers for that. The private sector has raised a lot of money for economic development. [NOTE: Is this our new version of the same old EDI?]

Rahe said that at the meeting the timeline looked like 3 years to get the AEP plant cleaned up. The state via INDOT is looking at road access issues for it. Randall - they can’t send the trucks thru Lawrenceburg so may have to build another bridge across Tanners Creek. These buyers knew the costs coming in. 

Rahe asked about Tom Schneider’s statement that Lawrenceburg had special bonding abilities. Randall said yes- that funds are there in a bond bank set up. The county can use that bond bank. So we can grow for jobs for all citizens. Lawrenceburg is somewhat landlocked now. 

Deaton noted that a Cincinnati Council person said they wanted Lynch on OKI as they want a relationship with us due to our development opportunities. 

Randall said a lot hinges on Skally’s getting off the ground. Deddens asked about Batesville’s spec building- are there any uses? Randall said she talked to them- no one in the building yet- but people look and the go build in the area. It takes 3 years to fill a spec building. Public Private partners built it. They are glad they built it, but it is not filled.  

ATTORNEY’S REPORT- none

OTHER BUSINESS- none

ADJOURNMENT - 10:22 AM

Christine Brauer Mueller

Lawrenceburg Township