Taking a second shot (01/12/06)

If at first you don’t succeed, try again.

The idea of establishing a redevelopment commission in Portland has again resurfaced, and city officials are serious this time.

The idea has been pitched to members of the city council, and at least one adviser on the matter has been secured.

But first, it must get past the city council, which, if it chooses, would adopt an ordinance establishing the commission.

A public meeting on the topic will be held Thursday at 6 p.m. in the Portland Fire Station meeting room (see box above-right for details).

Three members of the commission would be appointed by Bruce Hosier, mayor of Portland. The other two members would be appointed by the council. The commission members would serve one-year terms.

They would have to be at least 18 years old and live in the city.

Hosier said Indiana law states that the members of the commission must be appointed, rather than elected. He plans to only choose the most qualified candidates for the commission.

“We need to be prudent and responsible in our approach and take very seriously our appointments,” he said.

The objective of the commission would be to address blight and under-utilized areas within the city.

Redevelopment commissions typically are funded by tax increment financing (TIF). The improvements commission members decide are needed can be funded by TIF money.

Once the commission is established by passage of the ordinance, the members would need to prepare an economic development plan and create maps of areas which the commission would like to address. These areas could include buildings that need to be improved or redeveloped.

This information, which would be called a declaratory resolution, would go before the Portland Planning Commission, Hosier said, which would make a recommendation for approval or denial to the city council.

A public hearing on the matter would then be held. After the hearing, the redevelopment commission could adopt the resolution, followed by a 10-day appeal period.

While the idea of a redevelopment commission has come before the city council in past years, little progress was made. But Mayor Hosier and other city officials have been studying the matter over the past year.

“We’re very interested in moving (this concept) forward to implementation,” Hosier said.

Kristi Sturtz, principal planner and owner of Sturtz Public Management Group; Sue Beesley of Bingham McHale LLP of Indianapolis; Bill Hinkle, city attorney; Greg Guerrettaz, owner of Financial Solutions Group of Bloomington; Bob Quadrozzi, executive director of Jay County Development Corporation; and Hosier, will be in attendance on Thursday.

Sturtz has a one-year contract with the city to help with the creation of a redevelopment commission. That contract will pay her $60 per hour for her work, up to a maximum of $15,000.

For now, Beesley and Guerrettaz are volunteering their time with the expectation of possibly receiving contracts with the city, Hosier said.

The group will discuss what a redevelopment commission is, and community members will have the opportunity to ask questions, he said.[[In-content Ad]]