City Hears Request For Facade Grants To Be Used For Downtown Improvements
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
City Hears Request For Facade Grants To Be Used For Downtown Improvements
By Jennifer [email protected]
Councilmen Joe Thallemer, Jeff Grose, Jerry Patterson, and Dan Hampton were present during Monday's meeting.
Councilmen Charlie Smith, George Clemens and Kyle Babcock were absent.
Mary Ellen Rudisel-Jordan, Warsaw Community Development Corp. president, said some of the downtown businesses are deteriorating on the backside of buildings, and could be improved using the facade grants.
"The purpose of the facade grant is to restore the face of downtown buildings," Rudisel-Jordan said.
She said the brick on the backside of some downtown businesses is deteriorating and needs to be replaced.[[In-content Ad]]The city provides $25,000 each year for facade improvements and it is a matching grant, according to Rudisel-Jordan.
She said the city supplies the funds to repair the front side of buildings, not the back side.
"I would like to see the grant used if money is left over for repairing the backside of buildings because the whole intention is to help downtown businesses maintain and I trust your judgement in prioritizing these funds," Grose said.
Thallemer said the city will look into using the grant to also include funding to improve the backside of downtown businesses.
In other business, the council tabled two tax abatement requests.
The council tabled a request from petitioner Caleb France for a tax abatement for real property at 100 W. Market St. The request was tabled for the council to learn more about the time frame of the tax abatement.
Echelon Group filed for the tax abatement in 2005 for the improvement of the Market Street structure. The second floor to include two condominiums.
The project included improving a downtown structure and increased the assessed value of the structure, according to planning information.
The council also tabled continuing a six-year tax abatement request on real property by R & B Investors Partnership for property used by Wildman Uniform at 800 S. Buffalo St.
Wildman Uniform was previously granted a six-year tax abatement on real estate located at the Buffalo Street property.
The business plans to expand its existing facility by 10,000 square feet. The company spent $382,951 on real property improvements and created an additional three jobs with salaries more than $300,000.
Hampton reminded the council they decided a year ago to require those petitioning for tax abatements to attend meetings to be available in case the council needs to ask them questions about the request.
In other business the council reviewed a letter from Mary Lou Plummer, Warsaw wastewater officer manager, that said through the end of 2009, the billing office has recorded $1,093 in liens and collected $280,857.19 in accounts past due.
Beginning in August 2007, the department established a monthly process of tracking accounts past due 90 days or more and recorded property liens with the Kosciusko County Treasurer's Office.
She said staff discovered there were numerous homes and businesses that were not being properly billed for wastewater service.
She said the department is currently using its GIS database to cross reference each address in Warsaw to update billing records.
"In an effort to improve our service, we are evaluating software that would update our computers and interface with the city's Web site to take online payments by credit card," Plummer said during the meeting.
Clerk-Treasurer Lynne Christiansen reported the city has purchased a van from Michiana Area Council On Government.
Also during the meeting, a public hearing was held for property owned by James and Nancy Miner they requested to be annexed.
The council will review an ordinance for the annexation at its May meeting.
The council also reviewed a Warsaw-Wayne Township Fire Territory report for March with 101 responses.
In other business, the council approved a conflict of interest statement for Becky Moreno, Warsaw Police Department victims assistance coordinator. Moreno will serve as a zumba fitness instructor for Warsaw Parks Department.
Councilmen Joe Thallemer, Jeff Grose, Jerry Patterson, and Dan Hampton were present during Monday's meeting.
Councilmen Charlie Smith, George Clemens and Kyle Babcock were absent.
Mary Ellen Rudisel-Jordan, Warsaw Community Development Corp. president, said some of the downtown businesses are deteriorating on the backside of buildings, and could be improved using the facade grants.
"The purpose of the facade grant is to restore the face of downtown buildings," Rudisel-Jordan said.
She said the brick on the backside of some downtown businesses is deteriorating and needs to be replaced.[[In-content Ad]]The city provides $25,000 each year for facade improvements and it is a matching grant, according to Rudisel-Jordan.
She said the city supplies the funds to repair the front side of buildings, not the back side.
"I would like to see the grant used if money is left over for repairing the backside of buildings because the whole intention is to help downtown businesses maintain and I trust your judgement in prioritizing these funds," Grose said.
Thallemer said the city will look into using the grant to also include funding to improve the backside of downtown businesses.
In other business, the council tabled two tax abatement requests.
The council tabled a request from petitioner Caleb France for a tax abatement for real property at 100 W. Market St. The request was tabled for the council to learn more about the time frame of the tax abatement.
Echelon Group filed for the tax abatement in 2005 for the improvement of the Market Street structure. The second floor to include two condominiums.
The project included improving a downtown structure and increased the assessed value of the structure, according to planning information.
The council also tabled continuing a six-year tax abatement request on real property by R & B Investors Partnership for property used by Wildman Uniform at 800 S. Buffalo St.
Wildman Uniform was previously granted a six-year tax abatement on real estate located at the Buffalo Street property.
The business plans to expand its existing facility by 10,000 square feet. The company spent $382,951 on real property improvements and created an additional three jobs with salaries more than $300,000.
Hampton reminded the council they decided a year ago to require those petitioning for tax abatements to attend meetings to be available in case the council needs to ask them questions about the request.
In other business the council reviewed a letter from Mary Lou Plummer, Warsaw wastewater officer manager, that said through the end of 2009, the billing office has recorded $1,093 in liens and collected $280,857.19 in accounts past due.
Beginning in August 2007, the department established a monthly process of tracking accounts past due 90 days or more and recorded property liens with the Kosciusko County Treasurer's Office.
She said staff discovered there were numerous homes and businesses that were not being properly billed for wastewater service.
She said the department is currently using its GIS database to cross reference each address in Warsaw to update billing records.
"In an effort to improve our service, we are evaluating software that would update our computers and interface with the city's Web site to take online payments by credit card," Plummer said during the meeting.
Clerk-Treasurer Lynne Christiansen reported the city has purchased a van from Michiana Area Council On Government.
Also during the meeting, a public hearing was held for property owned by James and Nancy Miner they requested to be annexed.
The council will review an ordinance for the annexation at its May meeting.
The council also reviewed a Warsaw-Wayne Township Fire Territory report for March with 101 responses.
In other business, the council approved a conflict of interest statement for Becky Moreno, Warsaw Police Department victims assistance coordinator. Moreno will serve as a zumba fitness instructor for Warsaw Parks Department.
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