12 May 2016 Dearborn County Redevelopment Meeting Notes

12 May 2016 Dearborn County Redevelopment Meeting Notes

Present: Jim Deaton, Chairman, Dave Deddens (arrived at 8:35), Jim Helms, John Rahe, Alan Goodman, and Jamie Graf (non- voting school board member)

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

APPROVAL OF MINUTES- March 10th minutes approved.

UNFINISHED BUSINESS:

Randall Avenue Property- Mrs. Taylor had called Terri Randall to meet somewhere off I-71 between here and her home in KY. They want to set a time that Andrea Ewan can be there. She said Mrs.Taylor is eager to help and we’ll see if she will donate or need payment for and easement or what. We should not take a quorum of people obviously. May 20 or 25th. Rahe is available as a board member to go. They selected Friday the 20th of May to meet. She lives in Simpsonsville, KY

CLAIMS AND FINANCIALS:

Regular claims- $5476.00   Pennington asked how many had attended the REDI- Commercial Real estate developers event for $550- 2 seats free and 10 others attended. Only 3 were board member, Lynch, Randall and people from Whitewater Mills. Pennington said only 4 could be paid for per State Board of accounts. Tabled that item as Randall wants to go to SBOA to try to get that changed.

Visioning Grant claim account-approved. 

Claim for Tax Increment Return to Whitewater Mills- Pennington explained that the TIF captured has to be reimbursed to Whitewater Mills (via the bank) for the bond as part of their incentive. The check goes to the bank- FCN-for the bonds. Approved as long as they clarify that FCN is the bank- and if not it should go to the appropriate bank. 

Financials Review-handed out so all board members could review. Rate want dot be sure the West Aurora TIF was in the Washington Township coffers.

NEW BUSINESS:

Title VI Compliance Statement- Randall said that because they receive federal dollars they have to comply with Title VI- non- discrimination rules. INDOT will monitor this. Data needs to be gathered at meetings to show we are meeting needs of people requiring equal access. The data gathered includes race, nationality and even household income which seems over the top. This is supposedly to be sure that if INDOT projects are opposed by affluent neighborhoods for example and then is set to be built in a poor neighborhood- that is possibly considered discrimination.

Letter of support- Bridge #108 on Harrison Brookville Road- Johnson Fork. Deaton read the letter to the board. This bridge serves as access to businesses in the TIF district. The board ratified Deaton’s signature on the letter. I asked if the TIF money could be used to help with that project. The answer was YES- but Rahe said we are not volunteering to pay for it! [NOTE:Perhaps Council should ask :-)]

Resolution- Determination of Need to Capture Tax Increment Revenue- and NOT to send any back to the taxing districts. The letter was prepared this way. No one wanted to change that to send any back to the taxing districts as they have plans for all that money. Passed. Deddens said that in the next 5 years this may change in St. Leon.

Letter to be Sent to Political Subdivisions sent annually to report the capture tax increment money- this was approved as this is a required letter as prepared above to  be sent to schools, townships, etc.

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OFFICER’S REPORT:

Whitewater Mill was selected over 190 projects in Cincinnati area as it was unique s a good match for the community and had state of the art technology in it’s plant. There were 10 finalists and 4 awards. They were in the top 10- but not the final 4 for awards. This was a huge thing for the Convention Center and a huge plus for Dearborn County to be recognized with site selectors present there. Whitewater Mill lets them use their meeting room up there to show other companies the are up there. It was something to squeeze in and it was not an absolute necessity for my job- but it was important to go to this. 

Skally’s had slowed some things down until they had all their items ready. They have to split the parcel as they are getting a portion and not all of it now. (Financing issues?) 

There is another project not public yet in Aurora- they will be closing on property later this month. They had one site and are now looking at a different site. She wants to get a press release out but they want to lock everything up first. (In deference to this prospect, I am not naming it here) Their new site is not in the TIF- but next door to it. They want to get the incentives as committed to the first site. The incentive was rather small- infrastructure actually. So they may have to have another discussion about that at a future meeting. they will improve the existing building and that will improve the TIF we have next doc in terms of marketability also. Rate said that if we expand the TIF we should consider taking the land behind it also. 

New lead from the state that is targeted to Dearborn, Ohio, or Franklin County. This is a complicated application and this is a distribution center targeting the area.

In discussing with mayors, McHenry, and economic development and the port authority entities. They want to have larger regional discussions. She thinks $45 million has been pumped in as matching funds to the 4 areas with ports. She said we ( who is we?) have had informal discussions with neighboring counties and cities.

SE IN Growth Alliance exists and tagline is the affordable Cincinnati address. We haven't paid dues in 2 years.We are starting to meet again. The I-74 Corridor group also is reinvigorating under new leaders. They also want to meet more. Site selectors in Cincinnati need large acreage spots and the city has very little of that. 

ATTORNEY’S REPORT:

Survey completed for Skally’s with 36.296 acres plus the 5 acre piece. (These were needed to get the assessed valuations done on time.) Ewan used the survey descriptions to do the deeds. Two deeds were presented and signed in the meeting under the Attorney’s section.  The survey was finally approved for the split of the parcel they are giving Skally’s and new deeds have to be done in order for the two parcels to have separate numbers.

There is an easement that was retained on the Hirlinger property that is on this for Skally’s and another easement there. There is a 5 acre piece that is closer to Stone Property and there is a billboard element there that she retained. 

Skally’s wants to take down another sign and Norton’s wants to have it moved somewhere else. Randall said that they haven’t been able to do much with the moving idea. These deeds are from the DCRC to the DCRC. Then when Skally’s is ready they can transfer to them. 

Deaton’s signature on the survey was ratified. Then the board approved executing the two deeds. 

Randall thanked Andrea because she prepared this yesterday on very short notice, as Randall hadn’t connected the dots realizing this deed needed to be done. 

Randall keeps in touch with the Aurora project biweekly.

If Skally’s moves forward we will have to have a special meeting. Otherwise we meet again July 14 at 8:30 AM.

OTHER BUSINESS- none

ADJOURNMENT - 9:30 AM 

Christine Brauer Mueller

Lawrenceburg Township