AGENDA July 2 Commissioners Meeting

AGENDA

DEARBORN COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS MEETING

July 2, 2019 

9:00 a.m. Henry Dearborn Room

Dearborn County Government Center

165 Mary Street, Lawrenceburg, Indiana

I. CALL TO ORDER

II. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE

III. TITLE VI STATEMENT FOR COMPLIANCE

VI. UNFINISHED BUSINESS

VII. NEW BUSINESS

1.  Grant Application Approval – Courts Services, Steve Kelly

VIII. ADMINISTRATOR – Sue Hayden

IX. AUDITOR – Connie Fromhold

1.  Sheriff’s Department Grant Application Approval

2.  Ordinance Adopting Supplement to Code of Ordinances

3.  Ordinance for Real Property Endorsement Fee

4.  Claims/Payroll/Minutes

X. ATTORNEY – Andy Baudendistel

XI. COMMISSIONER COMMENTS

XII. LATE ARRIVAL INFORMATION

XIII. PUBLIC COMMENT

XIV. ADJOURN

ABUSING TIF: WE'RE HURT BY WHAT WE DON'T KNOW

But eventually the abuses of tax increment financing, tax breaks and sweetheart deals will roil the public because it’s unsustainable. Cities and towns will run out of money to give away. Schools will suffer, crime will be common in communities that invested in selling themselves as television's "Mayberry." 

Abusing TIF: We're Hurt by What We Don't Know

by David Penticuff

The nonchalance public officials in Indiana show practical democracy and the public’s right to know is perhaps only rivaled by the indifference of the public itself.

That is how a parasitic bumbledom thrives. It’s just too much trouble to keep everyone honest and expose how public treasure is spent for personal gain. Even if we did, would the plight of the community workforce be any different? Hard to say since, as our socialist friends are wont to say about their own abiding dream, real honest and open economic development has never really been tried.

Alas, a whole wing in the effort make economic development organizations accountable to the public for the money they throw at potential employers, and in some cases potential employees, was demolished at the end of the 2019 General Assembly Session when House Bill 1375 was passed. Part of the language erased the impact of an opinion by the state's Public Access Counselor Luke Britt that extended the scope of the Open Door Law and Access to Public Records Act to local economic development corporations subjected to a SBOA audit.

Meanwhile, the General Assembly failed to pass SB 157, which would have required corporations receiving tax breaks in exchange for job creation actually report the number of jobs that are created.

“It should be fundamental for government to be conscious of being transparent,” said State Sen. Lonnie Randolph, D-East Chicago, who authored the legislation. Randolph is not affiliated with the Tea Party. He is president of the Indiana Black Legislative Caucus. “There has got to be a reason why” Randolph pondered, that all the economic development folks don’t want to let the public know how their money is being spent.

Randolph said Indiana does not have a tracking system to assure employers taking advantage of economic development incentives follow through on their promises. The reasons, we think, are obvious. An entire industry has been created around the lure of employers to a specific geographic area. The amount of money, millions of dollars, spent in this regard at the local level is rivaled only by school funding.  Except it doesn’t work very well, which is what more honesty openness in economic development would show. People running this game don’t want it to stop because it is their livelihood.

Even though it is true that leaving money in the pockets of individuals in the community or spending on infrastructure,  battling crime, working on mental health issues  or reinforcing quality schools would actually do better for communities than giving away tax dollars to employers who are conditioned to seek handouts.

In good times, politicians and rent seekers claim the time is now to take full advantage of growth by way of government aid to employers. In bad times, well, who is against economic development when times are bad? It is virtually un-American to not support a scheme to create jobs for people when jobs are scarce.

But eventually the abuses of tax increment financing, tax breaks and sweetheart deals will roil the public because it’s unsustainable. Cities and towns will run out of money to give away. Schools will suffer, crime will be common in communities that invested in selling themselves as television's "Mayberry."

Alas, Mayberry never had a TIF district aimed at enriching the few and that town didn’t hide behind state laws that kept its citizens from knowing how their money was spent.

David Penticuff, a veteran Indiana editor who has written extensively on economic-development strategies, is an adjunct scholar of the Indiana Policy Review Foundation.

 

The Indiana Policy Review Foundation is a non-profit education foundation focused on state and municipal issues. It is free of outside control by any individual, organization or group. It exists solely to conduct and distribute research on Indiana issues. Opinions expressed in signed articles do not necessarily represent the views of the editors, the Indiana Policy Review Foundation, or its board of directors. Nothing in this journal, whether in print or pixels, is an attempt to aid or hinder the passage of any bill or influence the election of any candidate.

AGENDA June 18 County Commissioners Meeting

AGENDA

DEARBORN COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS MEETING

June 18, 2019 

5:00 p.m. Henry Dearborn Room

Dearborn County Government Center

165 Mary Street, Lawrenceburg, Indiana

I. CALL TO ORDER

II. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE

III. TITLE VI STATEMENT FOR COMPLIANCE

VI. UNFINISHED BUSINESS

VII. NEW BUSINESS

1.  Planning & Zoning Director, Mark McCormack

     1.  Proposed Amendment to Article 25, Section 2556 of Zoning Ordinance (Home Occupations)

     2.  Ordinance to Amend Article 25 

2.  Extension of Sawdon Ridge/York Ridge Truck Prohibition

3.  Covered Bridge Certification (Sue Hayden for Connie Fromhold)

4.  2020 Employee Holiday Calendar

VIII. ADMINISTRATOR – Sue Hayden

IX. AUDITOR – Connie Fromhold

1.  Claims/Payroll/Minutes

X. ATTORNEY – Andy Baudendistel

XI. COMMISSIONER COMMENTS

XII. LATE ARRIVAL INFORMATION

XIII. PUBLIC COMMENT

XIV. ADJOURN

14 June 2019 DC Redevelopment Commission Meeting Notes

14 June 2019 Dearborn County Redevelopment Meeting Notes

PRESENT: Jim Deaton, Chairman, Dave Deddens, Jim Helms, Diane Bender, Alan Goodman

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

Also present:Sue Hayden, county administrator and minute taker, Andrea Ewan, attorney

ABSENT: Connie Fromhold, Auditor and DCRC treasurer.

Title VI statement read as legally required by Deaton.

PUBLIC HEARING- RFPs were due by 8 AM today for opening. At the previous meeting they signed an agreement for an offer to sell 19.5 acres in the West Harrison TIF and have had 2 appraisals done and advertised the properties for sale. Now they are opening the bids received for that property. Only one bid was received. Crossdock Development proposed to pay $31,671/acre for the land and to build a spec building. Close on property 30 days after using  90 days to do due diligence on the property 320,000 sq ft building subject to approval by DCRC. 

Discussion- The price per acre was the average of the 2 appraisals and was in the advertisement as the minimum bid. Cushman Wakefield gets a share of this $18,527.54

Advantage of this deal is we don’t take any risk per Deaton. This price is lower than what we paid for the land. The private entity paid for it before and then DCRC bought from the entity and then they went away. (Was this from the predecessor of ONE Dearborn?)

You won’t have to use the land as an incentive - as in giving it away. This way we get paid for it. The board won’t consider incentives until they know what is coming in. Working with the tenant then and not the developer. 

Randall said you don’t see this in most rural areas - it’s more like what you do in city areas. 

Goodman- If this is successful the same developer may work with us again. 

Deddens- Early fall get 90 days over. Closed in fall and build in Spring 2020. 

Randall wants to schedule June 24 to have the economic development and purchase agreement at that time from Tom Pittman from Nares and Thornburg. They want to have the developer be able to access land before they sign all this.

DCRC board unanimously approved and accepted the Crossdock Development (from Louisville, KY) proposal $601,749 plus the $18,527.54 amount for Cushman Wakefield.

DCRC authorized ONE Dearborn to create all the documents for this. Survey costs are on DCRC as are the costs of getting the documents done.

Next meeting is June 24 for this.    

APPROVAL OF MINUTES- May 23, 2019 minutes approved.

CLAIMS AND FINANCIALS- Claims for ad and Barnes and Thornburg for work on Project Self- approved.

Financials in packet. $975,765- current total but note that number is fluid as it pays out expenses. Bender asked that a total be stated for TIF each time.

UNFINISHED BUSINESS- none

NEW BUSINESS

Resolution 2019- DCRC-002 Determination to Capture Tax Increment Revenues and the Letter to the Taxing Units- This is the letter and resolution that goes out each year. This may change when they reach the $1.5 million and they begin to consider the schools. This letter is the same as last year - APPROVED and signed.  

2020 Budget- exactly the same as last year. Still need to send in a budget for Council. Most of the payments are coming out of TIF. Professional expert fees were questioned by auditor. One Dearborn fees come out of TIF. Due on June 28 so they agreed to approve it now. Approved.

ONE DEARBORN REPORT- Randall- said RFQ for environmental assessment (asbestos) on house to demolish. Terracon $3,500 and ATC -$1,555. Duke Site readiness funds will be used from One Dearborn for that.Then they will get prepared for demo RFQ to get on the demolishment.

Lonnie Steele did the mowing. Tom Stone wants the DCRC to take over mowing the property that DCRC now own. They contacted 6-7 mowers in that area and in Harrison. None interested and Lonnie Steele may be contacted to mow. 

ATTORNEY’S REPORT- none

OTHER BUSINESS-still looking for landscaping on the Aurora Business Park Sign area. 

ADJOURNMENT- 8:56 AM

Christine Brauer Mueller

Lawrenceburg Township

AGENDA- June 4th DC County Commissioners Meeting

AGENDA

DEARBORN COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS MEETING

June 4, 2019 

9:00 a.m. Henry Dearborn Room

Dearborn County Government Center

165 Mary Street, Lawrenceburg, Indiana

I. CALL TO ORDER

II. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE

III. TITLE VI STATEMENT FOR COMPLIANCE

VI. UNFINISHED BUSINESS

VII. NEW BUSINESS

1.  Celeste Calvitto

1. Litter Campaign Schedule Update 

2. Request of Closure for Section of York Ridge 

2.  GIS Professional Services Initial 3 Day Review w/Schneider Geospatial 

3.  Services to Review Juvenile Center Efficiencies w/Susan Lockwood Roberts

4.  Census Letter – Commissioner Rick Probst to Present for Approval by BOC

VIII. ADMINISTRATOR – Sue Hayden

1.  Update on Office Supply Ordering

IX. AUDITOR – Connie Fromhold

1.  Increase in Tax Sale Fees

2.  Claims/Payroll/Minutes

X. ATTORNEY – Andy Baudendistel

XI. COMMISSIONER COMMENTS

XII. LATE ARRIVAL INFORMATION

XIII. PUBLIC COMMENT

XIV. ADJOURN