HomeMy WebLinkAbout02-10-20 Community Investment 4STRBE
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OFFICE OF THE CITY CLERK
DAWN M.JONES, CITY CLERK
COMMUNITY INVESTMENT FEBRUARY 10, 2020 4:00 P.M.
(ORGANIZATIONAL)
Council Members Present: Jake Teshka, Rachel Tomas Morgan
Troy Warner, Sharon L. McBride
Thomas Kurzhal (Citizen Member)
Council Members Absent: None
Other Councilmembers Present: Tim Scott, Karen L. White, Lori K. Hamann
Sheila Niezgodski
Others Present: Dawn Jones, Bob Palmer, Lisa Horton
Committee Chair Jake Teshka stated, that the responsibilities of the Community Investment
Committee are to oversee the various activities of the Department of Community Investment. This
Committee reviews all of the Real and Personal Tax Abatements requests and works closely with
the Community Investment Business Department team. For the majority of what we do in terms
of Tax Abatements and TIF, we will be working with Dan Buckenmeyer and his team in the
Community Investment Business Department directly, but there are, as Dan Buckenmeyer
mentioned during our last meeting,a whole host of other things that the Department of Community
Investment does in terms of Workforce Development, all of the incentives available to us for
business development and redevelopment. In my opinion the Community Investment Department
and especially that team,has always been welcoming of residents and talking with the community.
With that, I'd like to open the meeting up to members of the Committee and talk about your areas
of interest and your priorities regarding things that you might want to see put on the docket for this
community throughout this year.
Committeemember Sharon L. McBride stated that she would like to see a better connection this
year between the Administration and the Common Council. There are a lot of moving parts with
Tax Abatements and TIF and making sure that TIF's are being utilized in the correct manner. I
think that one of the big questions that was asked at the new Clerk's training is, how do you know
when there's a bad TIF? The food for thought that I remember taking away from that was,the Tax
Abatements are great. Of course, bringing businesses into the community, that's always great.
However, do the businesses need TIF funds to do it? Would they still build regardless of the TIF,
and how the TIF's could be better utilized for our own communities? Those are the things that I
INTEGRITY' SERVICE' ACCESSIBILITY
BIANCA L.TIRAuO GRAHAM D.SPARKS GABRIEL.N.MUREI
CHIEF DEPUTY/DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS DEPUTY/DIRECTOR OF POLICY ORDINANCE VIOLATION CLERK
EXCELLENCE I ACCOUNTABILITY I INNOVATION I INCLUSION I EMPOWERMENT
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®CITY OF SOUTH BEND OFFICE OF THE CLERK
really want to make sure that we key in on and making sure that we're utilizing the funding
correctly.
Committee Vice Chair Rachel Tomas Morgan stated, I will echo some of that as well.
Councilmember Sharon L. McBride, I think that for me, it's to make sure that there's good
communication between the Redevelopment Commission and the Council. It seems that last year
there was some disruption in communication and the vision just wasn't as clear. I would also just
like to know more about what the protocol for communication between the Redevelopment
Commission and the members of the Common Council is.
Committee Chair,Jake Teshka stated, I don't know that there's any official protocol,but I do think
it should be a priority of this Committee to make sure that the open line of communication exists
and that questions are being answered and that things are going forward and as quickly as possible.
Committeemember Troy Warner stated, I know that a lot of times if you get creative with your
TIF projects,you can see just as much of a return investment when you're investing in a place with
visibility. Howard Park is a good example of that. Communication is absolutely paramount as well.
Committeemember Thomas Kurzhal stated, I too am looking forward to learning more about the
TIF projects.
Councilmember Karen L. White stated that she would like to take a closer look at the Tax
Abatement process as it relates to the point scoring system that is involved with that process.
Councilmember Lori Hamann stated, The other thing that I think is critically important for the
community is that we assume the responsibility of communicating with them on Abatements.
Abatements are can be emotional for people to realize that they have big corporations coming in
that are receiving these huge benefits from the City. The more education that we can give to the
citizens of the City to help them understand our rational behind this, the better it's going to be.
Councilmember Tim Scott stated, On the Tax Abatement score card, can we look also, what's the
audit process to make sure that companies are following that? Brad Toothaker of the Bradley
Company has said to me that he would come to the full Common Council to kind of explain that
side of what Tax Abatements actually mean to some of the companies that are getting these things
and how it plays out for them. I would be happy to reach out to Brad.
Respectfully Submitted,
4704d)ed
Jake Teshka, Committee Chair
EXCELLENCE ACCOUNTABILITY I INNOVATION INCLUSION I EMPOWERMENT
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