12-13-99 Council Meeting Minutes

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REGULAR MEETING DECEMBER 13, 1999 rules and they have not done this review recently. This abatement could be a test case for the Council to review the whole tax abatement process which is overdue. He asked how local labor is defined? He asked the Community and Economic Development Committee in 2000 to look at requirements and perhaps some type of internal tracking record with the contractors filling out forms. The percentage of local citizens used would equal the percentage of the tax abatement. He noted that perhaps the Council is holding Uniroyal to higher standards and they need to look at what the purpose of tax abatements are and not let so many years go by before a review is completed. He noted that he will not be supporting this tax abatement. Councilmember Hosinski indicated that he had no comments to make on this issue. Council President Coleman noted that Councilmember Ujdak's comments were well taken and the Council needs to look at the tax abatement ordinance. His comment is that there is a standard being imposed on Uniroyal that is higher than others that have received tax abatement and have used contractors from outside of St. Joseph County. He noted that Uniroyal does deserve some of the trashing that it has received. However, the Council is faced this evening to fairly discharge their duties in the granting of this abatement. He noted that he has seen the tax abatement ordinance reviewed and reshaped but the Council now needs to review it again. He noted that this is a fundamental question of fairness that the Council uphold the same standards for this petitioner as they have others in the past. He further noted that he is not inclined to make a change in how the Council currently provides abatement solely for this one petitioner and the standards must be uniform. Councilmember Pfeifer made a motion to adopt this Resolution. Councilmember Varner seconded the motion which was defeated by a roll call vote of four (4) aye votes by Councilmembers Pfeifer, Kelly, Varner and Coleman and five (5) nay votes by Councilmembers Aranowski, King, Ujdak, Hosinski and Sniadecki. RESOLUTION NO. 2819-99 A RESOLUTION OF THE COMMON COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SOUTH BEND DESIGNATING CERTAIN AREAS WITHIN THE CITY OF SOUTH BEND, INDIANA, COMMONLY KNOWN AS 1202 SOUTH LAFAYETTE BOULEVARD AN ECONOMIC REVITALIZATION AREA FOR PURPOSES OF A THREE (3) YEAR REAL PROPERTY TAX ABATEMENT FOR PTD PROPERTIES, INC. (BRASS EAGLE FAMILY BILLIARDS, INC.) WHEREAS, a petition for real property tax abatement has been filed with the City Clerk for consideration by the Common council of the City of South Bend, Indiana requesting that the area commonly known as 1202 South Lafayette Boulevard, South Bend, Indiana, and which is more particularly described as follows: PARCELI Lots 18 and 19 of Stoll's First Addition in the City of South Bend, Indiana PARCEL II Lot 17 and North 44 feet of Lot 16 of Stoll's First Addition in the City of South Bend, Indiana and which has Key Numbers 18- 8004 -0162 and 18- 8004 -1064, be designated as an Economic Revitalization Area under the provisions of Indiana Code 6 -1.1 -12.1 et seq., and South Bend Municipal Code Sections 2 -76 et. sea•,and; WHEREAS, the Department of Community and Economic Development has concluded an investigation and prepared a report with information sufficient for the Common Council to determine that the area qualifies as an Economic Revitalization Area under Indiana Code 6 -1.1 -12.1, et. se q.,