Board members appointed (06/17/08)

A group of seven citizens has been appointed to envision the future of downtown Portland.

Members of the city's first Historic Preservation Commission were approved Monday night by the Portland City Council.

Bruce Hosier, mayor of Portland, recommended the list of names, which includes property owners, contractors and historical experts.

The list was then approved by the council.

Named to the commission were Kristi Corle, a downtown business and property owner; Don Gillespie, a city council member and property owner; Barry Hudson, a downtown property owner, developer and owner of a historic home; Milo Miller Jr., a contractor, property owner and Jay County Commissioner; Emily Roberts, owner of downtown businesses; Jane Spencer, a business/property owner and historian; and Pat Szakaly, a property owner and historic homeowner.

Named as non-voting advisory members were Kristi Sturtz of Sturtz Public Management Group; Ami Huffman, Jay County Community Developer; and Wayne Goodman and Joseph Jarzen, both of the Historic Landmarks Foundation.

Sturtz said it was important to choose people who cared about historic preservation but would be fair to property owners.

"I think that those individuals in front of you give a good balance," she said to council members before they voted. "I think that it's a good group."

The commission will be responsible for setting up the downtown historic preservation district, determining what downtown should look like and establishing guidelines for future changes to the facades of downtown structures, Sturtz said.

She expects commission members to have their first meeting in July.

In other business, council members heard Hosier announce that the city's tax rate has decreased.

He said the tax rate this year is $1.19 per $100 of assessed valuation, compared to $1.24 last year.

"I took this as great news for the city of Portland," he said.

Also, assessed valuation in the city rose to $216,067,280 this year from $207,418,060 in 2007. The city received the figures this month from the Indiana Department of Local Government Finance.

Hosier said the numbers reflect the ongoing progress in the city.

Also Monday, council members:

•Heard Jeff Harker, street and park department superintendent, announce that the city will no longer pick up large items once a month in an effort to conserve gasoline.

"My budget (has) taken a hit when it comes to fuel," he told the council. Street department employees have been collecting large items, such as furniture and appliances, during the first trash pick up days of the month.

Because the city will discontinue its monthly pick up of large items, an additional city cleanup week will be held. The next cleanup week will be the week of July 7-11, Harker said. Items also can be taken to the Jay County Landfill for a fee, he said.

•Approved a five-year tax abatement request for Stoneridge Inc., the parent company of Alphabet Inc. - Portland Division, on the purchase of new equipment.

New cutters will be purchased at a cost of $462,613.69. The new equipment will create four new jobs with salaries totaling $80,949.52.

Tax abatements allow companies to phase in taxes due on new investments over a period of several years.

•Approved tax abatement compliances for several companies granted abatements.

The companies have to fill out forms each year, explaining how they are complying with the guidelines for tax abatements, said Bill Bradley, executive director of Jay County Development Corporation. Some of the tax abatements are for five years, and others are for 10.

Among those approved are Coca-Cola Bottling Company, Createc Corporation, FCC (Indiana) Manufacturing, Fullenkamp Machine Inc., International Paper, Joyce Dayton Corporation, Pennville Custom Cabinetry, Performance Tool, Moser Engineering, Portland Economic Development Corporation, Alphabet, Tyson Foods and Fortco Plastics.

•Voted to allow city department heads to make purchases up to $10,000 without approval by the Portland Board of Works.

Previously, the monetary limit for purchases without board approval was $5,000, said Linda Kennedy, city clerk-treasurer.

"I have faith in our department heads that they can make purchases of up to $10,000," Hosier said.

•Voted to appropriate an additional $65,000 for street repairs and maintenance.

The money will come from Major Moves funds given to the city in 2006 and 2007.

•Heard Harker announce that spraying for mosquitoes will begin Thursday in the city.

The spraying will begin at 8:30 p.m. and last until about midnight or 1 a.m. The city will not spray when it is too windy or it is raining.

•Were encouraged by Hosier to attend a Portland Redevelopment Commission meeting scheduled for Monday at 5 p.m. in the Portland Fire Station meeting room.

Hosier said an update on the tax increment financing (TIF) district will be given.

•Learned the mayor of Greenfield visited the Weiler Building on Monday.

The building recently was remodeled and opened as the new home for the John Jay Center for Learning and WorkOne.

Hosier said he recently spoke about the project at an event attended by the Greenfield mayor.[[In-content Ad]]