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REGULAR MEETING May 28, 2019
<br /> Councilmember Jo M. Broden stated, Ok, I would like to encourage, and again I appreciate the
<br /> schedule change for this venue, but if that meeting could be looked at by the Administration to
<br /> actually be at or after 5:00 p.m. I think, again, we have an opportunity to build awareness, educate
<br /> some,and basically take the veil away from the really smart work that this represents.For a number
<br /> of reasons, I strongly encourage you to do a 5:00 p.m. meeting on that. Then as I had shared in my
<br /> comments by letter with regard to the amendments, much of this hinges on, if you put this all
<br /> together, the development plans because they are our shared road map. Could you please address,
<br /> and you and I went over this, but it really does add to our understanding as a Council and a
<br /> community, but Appendix D, the development area plan documents that are part of each of these
<br /> plans, could you speak to those plans and how they tie into all of this?
<br /> Mr. Corcoran replied, The development plan is required as part of having a TIF District. That
<br /> development plan is sort of a road map to what types of things the Redevelopment Commission
<br /> will be looking to do and what things the TIF funds can be spent on. We wanted to make sure that
<br /> each of the development plans aligned with the City's Comprehensive Plan very closely. As you
<br /> know, you all adopt the Comprehensive Plan and any adjustments to that comprehensive plan. So,
<br /> for instance, neighborhood plans that become adopted by Council automatically become part of
<br /> the development plans for each district. Secondly, while each of the development plans are similar
<br /> to each other, where there were distinct differences, such as the West Washington Chapin
<br /> Development Area which is an historic area,we wanted to add a little bit of extra language, adding
<br /> some historic things, because that is part of what makes up that TIF District. So, there are some
<br /> small nuances between the development plans. Generally, they are pretty similar so as to align
<br /> with the Comprehensive Plan. When we talk about how the public is engaged in many of these
<br /> things, any neighborhood plan or any adopted plan that comes before the Council is automatically
<br /> then part of this development plan. So, in a sense, there is a lot of engagement that does go on in
<br /> order to get those plans in there. For instance, if you think about the Western Avenue street scape
<br /> projects, those are TIF funded. That started with the West Side Main Streets Plan. That plan was
<br /> adopted, the TIF was adjusted, and we've been building. So, that is kind of how all of this is
<br /> interconnected. It really is part of the State Law that requires us to have this, but we wanted to
<br /> make sure it was clear and concise.
<br /> Councilmember Jo M. Broden stated, Ok, so my two (2) final comments. So, the tons of public
<br /> engagement that goes into the participation, and by public, I just want to emphasize professional
<br /> planners, your department, local business individuals and groups, social, I mean, there are a lot of
<br /> folks who when a plan is done right, and in a timely way, it really should reflect the direction and,
<br /> I guess, will of the neighborhood. It should reflect our vision, whether it is a corridor or a specific
<br /> piece of land in the area. Knowing that, and then the formalized process it has to go through to be
<br /> a neighborhood plan, I want to make sure I'm understanding this correctly, those plans actually
<br /> then become part of the Comprehensive Plan, correct?
<br /> Mr. Corcoran replied, Correct.
<br /> Councilmember Jo M. Broden went on, Then, the next piece is, that comprehensive plan should
<br /> then also be inclusive of these neighborhood plans, and they should be the guiding principles,
<br /> right?And sometimes down to the detail in terms of that shared vision. So, I appreciate the process
<br /> and this connection you've gone through, but back to my remarks. On all of this, I mean, we can
<br /> carve our areas and label them TIF,right,on a given map? We can have a really clear plan in terms
<br /> of what your department has done. And we can have the neighborhood, etcetera plans, inform that,
<br /> right? It can be the guiding document for both the Redevelopment Commission and the Council.
<br /> But, I think it all really, and that's great. But I think it all hinges on, and these are the three (3)
<br /> points I hit in my letter and I did want to touch on them tonight. I think there is a requirement, and
<br /> I would harken back to this Council's work, Councilmember Davis introduced Bill No. 16-90 in
<br /> 2016 about bi-annual updates on the plans to Council. Then also, how can we review these and
<br /> revisit them in a timely manner so that we can make sure that vision doesn't get stale?To my point,
<br /> I think I would like to see, by tonight's action, we can approve the boundaries. We can approve
<br /> the realignments and the shifts. We can have a really good and strong document with the intention
<br /> that the Comprehensive Plan includes these smaller neighborhood plans, but really where the
<br /> rubber hits the road, those plans because we are all reliant on them for really large amounts of
<br /> funding as well as decision-making here in the Council, it really does hinge that those plans are
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