1 June 2017 Dearborn County Redevelopment Meeting Notes

1 June 2017 Dearborn County Redevelopment Meeting Notes

Present: Jim Deaton, Chairman, Dave Deddens, 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.

This meeting was preceded by an executive session at 8 AM

ACTION OF EXECUTIVE SESSION- Jim Deaton verified that executive session only discussed items that were advertised. Board decided to revise the offer for the land acquisition.

Deaton read the title VI statement as legally required.

APPROVAL OF MINUTES- May 18th minutes approved

UNFINISHED BUSINESS:One Dearborn Contract Tabled from April 20th and May meeting also. John Browner present for One Dearborn. 

Two changes needed- the effective date should be the date when they begin operation with a director hired and or Sept 1. The DCRC should also have their economic development plans revised to allow for paying them out of TIFs. This will require PC and Commissioners approvals too. 

The second should be for one year for a total of $40,000. 

Full disclosure- per Pennington - she said she will put a disclaimer on the bottom of every One Dearborn claim. [NOTE: When the Auditor does this- it means that the responsibility for the claim will now shift to DC Redevelopment Commission- and that board is responsible for any issues.]

Nevertheless, DCRC voted to approve the contract when all the above is accomplished. 

Duke Energy Site Readiness Program- Randall said she has filled out the grant for this program on the DCRC’s behalf. This was to go for the Stone property and the part that was to be Skally’s. Duke’s consultants will do the studies - and have started that as they have already gotten the award. [NOTE: How can they start without approval from DCRC? Is this an Open Door Violation?]

McCollum Sweeney will be getting an RFI and they will generate a response as if it is to an actual lead. They will have  plans to market the property and give an additional $10,000 to implement the program. You have to agree to be engaged with their process. Duke sent a letter of intent for site readiness. Duke provides the energy to the site. This agrees that they will be industrial sites only on that section and marketed as such. They submitted the Stone site for a period of 3 years. They may be required to reimburse Duke for expenses if they have to get out of it early for a max of $20,000. The Skally land and the Stone site will have 55 acres to market. Stone and the DCRC both have to sign off on this. [NOTE: If this is through One Dearborn, why are they not responsible?] 

The West Aurora TIF has been revised to include Kaiser Pickles lands per Deaton and Randall. 

3 years and paying $20,000 back were questioned by Deddens and he wanted to wait to sign this.

Randall said they have already started.

Deddens wants Misty from Duke to come to answer questions. 

It was also questioned by Andrea Ewan. What if retail vs industrial? 

They want their questions answered by Helms.

Andrea Ewan said One Dearborn should be partner to this also. 

There needs to be another meeting and soon per Randall. [NOTE: Why the big hurry again?]

Deddens wants to have several bids on the West Aurora sign. They don’t want to be in the sign business. Or the mowing business, another DCRC member chimed in. The business owners need to be involved in that. Randall to work on that.  

CLAIMS AND FINANCIALS- No general fund claims 

TIF fund claims- from West Aurora TIF- Barnes and Thornburg paid. [NOTE: In a previous meeting Barnes and Thornburg represents the county and Randall and Browner also indicated they were the attorney’s that One Dearborn Consulted. Is this a conflict of interest?]

Financials- copies passed out- nothing changed from last time.

NEW BUSINESS: none

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OFFICER’S REPORT: none

ATTORNEY’S REPORT- none

OTHER BUSINESS- none

Plan is to set another meeting and also get started on quickly changing all the TIF documents with PC and Commissioners needing public hearings to approve the language to allow TIF money for service contracts like the one with One Dearborn.[ NOTE: This will decrease money for infrastructure that the TIF money was originally slated to cover. Though $40,000 seems small, once they start down this path, that money may no longer provide the foundation for site readiness so that businesses WANT to come here, rather than needing a pie of tax incentives to lure them here. ]

ADJOURNMENT - 9:08 AM

Christine Brauer Mueller

Lawrenceburg Township