05-29-12 Common Council Meeting Minutes

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REGULAR MEETING MAY 29, 2012 SECTION II. The foregoing facts, taken together, lead the Common Council to conclude that compelling reasons exist to waive the filing deadline. th SECTION III. The Common Council hereby waives the filing deadline of May 15 2011 and pursuant to Indiana Code 6-1.1-12.1-4.8 adopts this resolution that authorizes acceptance. s/Derek D. Dieter Member of the Common Council Councilmember Henry Davis, Jr., Chairperson Community and Economic Development Committee, reported that this committee held a Public Hearing on this bill this afternoon and voted to send it to the full Council with a favorable recommendation. Council Attorney Kathleen Cekanski-Farrand advised that she recommends to the Council to consider an amendment to two parts of the bill. The third whereas clause, second line strike the words manufacturing equipment and insert instead apartment complex. In paragraph F in Section I. on page two (2) if you would strike the first word Portage and instead begin with Prairie Apartments. Councilmember Gavin Ferlic made a motion to accept the amendments as read into the Record by Council Attorney Kathleen Cekanski-Farrand. Councilmember White seconded the motion which carried by a voice vote of nine (9) ayes. Bill Hollingsworth, Owner, Prairie Apartments Housing Partners II, L.P. 2630 Prairie Avenue, South Bend, Indiana, made the presentation for the Resolution. Mr. Hollingsworth advised that filed a 322 Form RE last year to the City and it unfortunately never got to the Auditor’s Office and filed into their system. He stated that he did not know that of course until this tax came out and he was supposed to have 100% tax abatement for the economic revitalization that they did to area and unfortunately they had an $184,000 tax bill which should have been 100% abated. To get to that they promised to get $8 million dollars of economic development for the non-manufacturing apartment complex and ended up building 96 units at $9.85 million which is 23% more than what they had promised. He stated that they met every other single threshold including two new positions, maintaining three; salary, employee health benefits, training; and are occupied at 100% on Phase I and Phase II. Phase I actually won a 2009 Indiana Apartment Association best Section 42 Affordable Housing Complex Award. He stated that they have not been nor do they plan to be in a rears with any vendor including the City. Because of the bill coming out they actually did fund $92,000 to the City to make sure that there was no tax lien. He stated that hopefully the Council will see that to no fault of theirs that tax abatement never showed up on their tax bill. Councilmember Henry Davis, Jr. had some safety concerns at the apartment complex. Councilmember Oliver Davis stated that on May 16, 2012 at 6:30 a.m. he and Mayor Pete th Buttigieg took a tour of the 6 District and they talked and rode around to the apartment complex and he showed him the problem that is happening in terms of the fact of where the apartments are to where the TRANSPO bus route was. He stated that the sidewalk stops at the gas station. He stated that is what he is working on and that is where it is at this point. A Public Hearing was held on the Resolution at this time. There being no one present wishing to speak to the Council either in favor of or in opposition to this Resolution, Councilmember Oliver Davis made a motion to adopt this Resolution as amended. Councilmember Varner seconded the motion which carried and the Resolution was adopted by a roll call vote of nine (9) ayes. 24