June 13, 2017 at 3:50 a.m.
Dunkirk strikes deal
Approves Todd Opera House agreement
Dunkirk strikes deal
Copyright 2017, The Commercial Review
All Rights Reserved
DUNKIRK —- A deal was struck Monday night to fund the development of two new restaurants in the city’s downtown.
After negotiations had seemingly stalled at the May 23 Dunkirk City Council meeting, a 3-2 vote finalized the deal that will pay a $75,000 forgivable loan from the city to the developers of the Todd Opera House, Ray Willey and Bill Brown.
The proposed development was first presented to Dunkirk City Council at its March 14 meeting. Over the course of three months, at a series of regular council meetings, executive sessions and individual meetings, council finalized a development agreement that will provide $75,000 from the city and $75,000 from the Dunkirk Industrial Development Corporation.
The developers will receive a $50,000 lump sum from Dunkirk and DIDC, but will use half of it to pay off a $25,000 loan the developers received from the city on March 27. The remaining joint $100,000 would be paid out by DIDC, with all invoices being submitted for a 50/50 payment between the developers and funds from Dunkirk and DIDC. If the terms of the agreement are met within a three-year period, the loan from DIDC and Dunkirk will be forgiven.
Jesse Bivens and Jack Robbins were against the agreement, citing concerns with the financial backing of the developers and concerns in spending taxpayer money on the project.
“I’m still worried about the financial part of it,” Bivens said. “One of my questions has always been … please show some proof that you can finish the project financially.”
Brown countered by saying the loan term sheet that was already presented to council was as far as the loan deal would go until the developers received a decision on the money coming from the city.
“The bank is going to say, ‘What are the other funds supporting the project?’ and we’re going to say, ‘We’ve got a grant, here,’” Brown said.
Robbins said he was concerned with spending taxpayer dollars on a project that isn’t guaranteed.
“What this comes down to is are we going to give them a loan of the taxpayer’s money,” Robbins said. “I’m not for that … We were voted in to watch the city’s money.”
Lisa Street and Bryan Jessup spoke in favor of the agreement.
“In the beginning, I was on the fence … I work at the Ardagh plant with 400-plus people, and a majority of them are taxpayers in the community and I’ve gotten their feedback on what they want to see happen,” Street said. “And that’s what put me 100 percent where I’m at. I’m for it.”
Jessup said his concerns had been alleviated after Brown presented blueprints of the proposed building and a list of work that has already been completed inside the Todd Opera House.
“I’ve had a lot of people tell me that we’ve got to do something. And I’ve had people who were against it,” Jessup said. “I just think it’s time to move forward.”
When it came time to vote, Tom Johnson hadn’t said how he felt about the agreement. But his vote of “yes” was the deciding factor that got the deal done.
Brown told council members he’ll set up a time to show them the building and introduce them to the architect, in order to answer any more questions they have. Willey, who wasn’t at Monday’s meeting, had previously said he would periodically open up the building during construction to keep the public and city council up to speed on the project’s progress.
Now that the deal is struck, Willey and Brown will move forward with additional work on the building and install a barbecue restaurant and Mexican restaurant on the first floor of Todd Opera House. Work on the second floor will be postponed until the restaurants are open, but the developers have shared plans to turn it into a live-music venue.
City council also approved an inter-local agreement with the City of Portland to send cases from the now-abolished Dunkirk City Court to Portland City Court. The agreement includes a stipulation that either party can end the deal with six months notice.
City attorney Wes Schemenaur said the stipulation will allow Dunkirk to end the agreement if city officials ever see the need to re-establish Dunkirk City Court. The deal won’t cost the city anything, but a portion of court fines will go toward funding Portland City Court.
In other business, council:
•Approved a pair of parks department purchases brought up by Johnson, $558.77 to K & L Tractor Sales of Fort Recovery for work on the city’s large mower and $3,232 for the purchase of chlorine from Spear Corporation for the Dunkirk City Pool.
•Heard from Robbins that paving on Grand, Angle and Short streets and Arlington Avenue will begin on June 19.
•Approved a contract with Indiana Department of Transportation to continue sweeping the section of Indiana 167 that passes through Dunkirk. The state will pay $864 a year as long as the city sweeps it a minimum of two times.
•Voted to set June 23 as a Boot Drive for the city’s volunteer firefighters.
•Approve $290,050.28 in claims.
All Rights Reserved
DUNKIRK —- A deal was struck Monday night to fund the development of two new restaurants in the city’s downtown.
After negotiations had seemingly stalled at the May 23 Dunkirk City Council meeting, a 3-2 vote finalized the deal that will pay a $75,000 forgivable loan from the city to the developers of the Todd Opera House, Ray Willey and Bill Brown.
The proposed development was first presented to Dunkirk City Council at its March 14 meeting. Over the course of three months, at a series of regular council meetings, executive sessions and individual meetings, council finalized a development agreement that will provide $75,000 from the city and $75,000 from the Dunkirk Industrial Development Corporation.
The developers will receive a $50,000 lump sum from Dunkirk and DIDC, but will use half of it to pay off a $25,000 loan the developers received from the city on March 27. The remaining joint $100,000 would be paid out by DIDC, with all invoices being submitted for a 50/50 payment between the developers and funds from Dunkirk and DIDC. If the terms of the agreement are met within a three-year period, the loan from DIDC and Dunkirk will be forgiven.
Jesse Bivens and Jack Robbins were against the agreement, citing concerns with the financial backing of the developers and concerns in spending taxpayer money on the project.
“I’m still worried about the financial part of it,” Bivens said. “One of my questions has always been … please show some proof that you can finish the project financially.”
Brown countered by saying the loan term sheet that was already presented to council was as far as the loan deal would go until the developers received a decision on the money coming from the city.
“The bank is going to say, ‘What are the other funds supporting the project?’ and we’re going to say, ‘We’ve got a grant, here,’” Brown said.
Robbins said he was concerned with spending taxpayer dollars on a project that isn’t guaranteed.
“What this comes down to is are we going to give them a loan of the taxpayer’s money,” Robbins said. “I’m not for that … We were voted in to watch the city’s money.”
Lisa Street and Bryan Jessup spoke in favor of the agreement.
“In the beginning, I was on the fence … I work at the Ardagh plant with 400-plus people, and a majority of them are taxpayers in the community and I’ve gotten their feedback on what they want to see happen,” Street said. “And that’s what put me 100 percent where I’m at. I’m for it.”
Jessup said his concerns had been alleviated after Brown presented blueprints of the proposed building and a list of work that has already been completed inside the Todd Opera House.
“I’ve had a lot of people tell me that we’ve got to do something. And I’ve had people who were against it,” Jessup said. “I just think it’s time to move forward.”
When it came time to vote, Tom Johnson hadn’t said how he felt about the agreement. But his vote of “yes” was the deciding factor that got the deal done.
Brown told council members he’ll set up a time to show them the building and introduce them to the architect, in order to answer any more questions they have. Willey, who wasn’t at Monday’s meeting, had previously said he would periodically open up the building during construction to keep the public and city council up to speed on the project’s progress.
Now that the deal is struck, Willey and Brown will move forward with additional work on the building and install a barbecue restaurant and Mexican restaurant on the first floor of Todd Opera House. Work on the second floor will be postponed until the restaurants are open, but the developers have shared plans to turn it into a live-music venue.
City council also approved an inter-local agreement with the City of Portland to send cases from the now-abolished Dunkirk City Court to Portland City Court. The agreement includes a stipulation that either party can end the deal with six months notice.
City attorney Wes Schemenaur said the stipulation will allow Dunkirk to end the agreement if city officials ever see the need to re-establish Dunkirk City Court. The deal won’t cost the city anything, but a portion of court fines will go toward funding Portland City Court.
In other business, council:
•Approved a pair of parks department purchases brought up by Johnson, $558.77 to K & L Tractor Sales of Fort Recovery for work on the city’s large mower and $3,232 for the purchase of chlorine from Spear Corporation for the Dunkirk City Pool.
•Heard from Robbins that paving on Grand, Angle and Short streets and Arlington Avenue will begin on June 19.
•Approved a contract with Indiana Department of Transportation to continue sweeping the section of Indiana 167 that passes through Dunkirk. The state will pay $864 a year as long as the city sweeps it a minimum of two times.
•Voted to set June 23 as a Boot Drive for the city’s volunteer firefighters.
•Approve $290,050.28 in claims.
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