July 23, 2014 at 2:10 p.m.

Loan OK'd for XPLEX (7/6/05)

Council agrees to loan money to extreme park developer

By By Rachelle Haughn-

Almost a month after deciding to loan $250,000 of the city’s money to one Portland business, the Portland City Council voted Tuesday to lend a hand to another.

Council members decided to loan $200,000 of the city’s economic development income tax funds to rural Portland residents Glynn and Julie Barber, the developers/owners of XPLEX Extreme Competition Park.

The funds will be loaned to the Barbers while they seek a loan through Old National Bank. The city funds must be repaid within 60 days. Glynn Barber said this morning, the bank loan request has been approved, and he should receive that money by the middle of August. The city’s $200,000 will be used for tile and culverts needed for drainage, he said. Barber declined to disclose the amount of the bank loan.

The Barbers will pay 1 percent more than the current interest rate, which is 6.25 percent, on the city loan, Jay County Development Corporation executive director Robert Quadrozzi said this morning.

At the June 6 council meeting, the city council voted to loan $250,000 to Community Home Improvement president and CEO Mike Mazur so he could seek a loan through First National Bank.

Before the council voted Tuesday, council president Glen Bryant asked how much money the city currently has in EDIT funds. City clerk-treasurer Barbara Blackford said the city has $794,000.

XPLEX, which opened in May, is being built in the eastern portion of the Portland Industrial Park. A concert and motocross events have been held there. The first United Rockcrawling and Off-Road Challenge events will be held at the park this weekend.

Barber said the total cost for the three-year project will be more than $20 million. So far, the project work has been privately funded.

In other business, the council approved 3.5 percent pay increases for elected city officials.

The increase raises the Mayor Bruce Hosier’s annual salary to $41,648 from $40,239. Blackford’s salary will increase to $40,914 from its current level of $39,531.

With the increase, each city council member will make $3,105 per year with a one-time payment of $110.34, instead of $3,000 a year with a one-time payment of $106.60. The city court judge’s salary will increase to $12,371 from $11,953.

Council members approved the pay increases on first and second readings at the May 16 council meeting. However, a required legal notice was not published in a newspaper before the second vote was cast. This voided the second vote, requiring the council to vote a second and final time on Tuesday, Blackford said.

Also Tuesday, the council heard street and park department superintendent Jeff Harker announce the city’s second clean-up week of the year will be Monday, July 11 to Friday, July 15.

Most large items will be collected. Refrigerators and air conditioners that have not had the Freon removed and tires will not be picked up. The items will be collected with the regular trash.[[In-content Ad]]
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