Meeting on development proposal set (01/04/06)

A chance to learn more about an effort to revitalize portions of Portland will be available next week.

Bruce Hosier, mayor of Portland, announced at Monday night’s city council session that a public meeting on redevelopment commissions will be held Thursday, Jan. 12.

How a redevelopment commission works and what tax increment financing (TIF) districts are will be discussed at the meeting, Hosier said. He invited all Portland City Council members to attend.

The idea of creating such a commission in Portland was first pitched to the council at its Dec. 19 meeting. In order for a commission to be established, council members would have to pass an ordinance.

Redevelopment commissions are typically funded by TIF, a system under which the tax rate for properties within a district is effectively frozen. As the assessed valuation rises, more taxes are collected on those properties with the revenues directed at improvements within the district. Commissions may also issue bonds, with the TIF revenues used to pay off the bond issue.

The meeting will be held at 6 p.m. in the Portland Fire Station meeting room, 1616 N. Franklin St., Portland.

In other business Monday, a Portland man’s request to vacate a portion of an alley was again delayed.

The request was made by Billy Murphy, 107 Canterbury Lane. He is asking the city to vacate part of an alley which runs north and south between Hickory Court and Canterbury Lane. Murphy made the request because the alley begins at his property and has no outlet. He said no vehicles use the alley.

Murphy first requested the alley be vacated at the Nov. 7 meeting. The council took the request under advisement at that meeting. Murphy wasn’t able to present it again to the council for approval until Monday.

Before the council voted to postpone making a decision on surrendering ownership of the alley, Bruce Hosier, mayor of Portland, read a letter from city attorney Bill Hinkle who was unable to attend the meeting.

In the letter, Hinkle suggested the council consider vacating ownership of the entire alley instead of just the portion requested by Murphy.

“I think it makes sense to vacate the whole alley,” said council member Dolphus Stephens.

Murphy said he didn’t mind his request again being postponed.

Hosier said the request could go before the council as early as Monday, Jan. 16, at 7 p.m. Hinkle will need to create a new ordinance which includes giving up ownership of the entire alley before the next meeting, he said.

Also Monday, council members:

•Granted a five-year tax abatement to a Portland business.

Glynn Barber, owner of Qualtech Tool and Engineering, was requesting an abatement to purchase a high-definition 3D printing system at a cost of $61,000. The new equipment is expected to create two to three jobs with salaries totaling between $60,000 and $70,000.

The printing system will produce small prototypes of parts which will then be used to help develop new product lines.

Before the council voted, Bob Quadrozzi, executive director of the Portland Economic Development Corporation, said the Portland Tax Abatement Advisory Committee recently discussed the request over the telephone and unanimously voted to recommend the council approve the request.

•Re-elected Glen Bryant as council president.

This will be Bryant’s third consecutive year as council president. He has been a member of the council for 11 years.

•Voted to transfer dormant funds to the rainy day fund.

A total of $19,342 will be transferred. The transferred funds are made up of money unused for the new fire station, and a local match for a grant awarded to the city several years ago for a housing addition.

Also, $5,544 allocated for lighting at Portland Municipal Airport will be transferred to the aviation fund.

The rainy day funds can be spent in a variety of ways.

City clerk-treasurer Linda Kennedy said the funds could be used for future city projects.[[In-content Ad]]