Plan for TIF gets approval (03/02/07)

Because the Premier Ethanol facility lies within the two-mile zoning jurisdiction of the city, the Portland Planning Commission has a say-so in the county's proposed plans for a Tax Increment Financing (TIF) District.

Commission members met briefly Thursday afternoon and approved a resolution accepting the county's declaratory resolution and economic development plan for the Premier Ethanol development area, saying it is compatible with the city of Portland's comprehensive plan.

Jay/Portland Building and Planning director, Bill Milligan, reviewed the city's planning commission guidelines for commission members before their vote.

"What they're doing is compatible with the city's plan," Milligan said about the project.

Goal 9 in the plan calls for encouraging commercial and industrial development in areas zoned for those purposes.

The county is currently in the process of establishing a TIF district in the area that encompasses about 191 acres of the Premier site southwest of Portland.

The TIF district will capture funds to install infrastructure at the site and also contribute financially to the construction of a county sewer line along county road 150 South.

Money generated from taxes on increasing assessed valuation of real and personal property in the district will be kept by the district to pay for the cost of improvements.

Premier will construct that line northeast to a site near the Salamonia River and the county will pick it up from there and build the line running east to the Portland Wastewater Treatment Plant.

Establishing the TIF district was approved by commissioners and county council members in late 2006 ago after Premier officials made the request.[[In-content Ad]]