Mayor, Redevelopment Panel Discuss Details Of TIF District
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
By Tim [email protected]
The commission sent a description of the proposed TIF district to the Kosciusko County Area Plan Commission for review in May.
The county is looking at establishing the district as a means to pay to increase the size of the sewer line from Warsaw to Leesburg. The project will cost the county $350,000. The county will capture any new taxes from improvements in the TIF district, like new buildings, to help pay for the sewer expansion. The project became necessary after the Indiana Department of Environmental Management ordered Leesburg to improve its infrastructure.[[In-content Ad]]The district begins at CR 400N, north on Ind. 15 to Levi Lee Road, north along Old 15, along School Street to the west along Leesburg's south side, to CR 675N, south on CR 100W to CR 600N, then to CR 150W.
The city will play a role in expanding the sewer line. Wiggins said, originally, city officials discussed extending city sewer lines to CR 400N. Now, Wiggins said, the city will extend sewer almost to Levi Lee Road, in order to ensure the city can collect tap fees for the area.
Wiggins asked if the redevelopment commission would consider changing the dimensions of the TIF district to exclude the area where the city will extend sewer.
Looking into the future, Wiggins told the commissioners, the city may someday be interested in annexing some of the area. Wiggins said the city currently has no plans to annex property in the area. However, TIF districts are limited to 20 years and Wiggins said he was concerned about what would happen to new property tax revenues if the city wanted to annex the area before the TIF expired.
The commission voted to leave the TIF boundaries unchanged, but include an agreement that, if the city annexes any part of the TIF district, the county will cooperate with the city as the situation develops.
The redevelopment commission also discussed a report completed in 2001 aimed at developing a "road map" for the health industry in Kosciusko County. The report included interviews with community and business leaders, analysis of the county's economic strengths and weaknesses and strategies for continued development in the county.
The redevelopment commission discussed three strategic steps - creating a research institute to support the local biomedical industry, preparing land west of Warsaw for development and expanding communication technology within the county.
Redevelopment Commission Secretary Lowell Owens said he thinks a research institute could be established through partnering with a state university. Most of the area's biomedical companies do their own practical research for specific products. Owens said an institute would focus on pure research, which could benefit the whole industry. The commission members decided to talk with officials from area orthopedic companies to assess their interest in a research facility.
Sewer accessibility will pay a key role in development potential for land west of Warsaw.
"You won't have development without water and sewer," said commission member Bill Warren.
Commission member Bruce Woodward said companies interested in locating in the area have chosen land in surrounding counties because Kosciusko County wasn't able to offer enough land with existing sewer access. Woodward said many companies don't want to wait more than a year to be operational in a new location.
The next redevelopment commission meeting will be held in July in Syracuse. Date and time for the meeting have not been finalized.
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The commission sent a description of the proposed TIF district to the Kosciusko County Area Plan Commission for review in May.
The county is looking at establishing the district as a means to pay to increase the size of the sewer line from Warsaw to Leesburg. The project will cost the county $350,000. The county will capture any new taxes from improvements in the TIF district, like new buildings, to help pay for the sewer expansion. The project became necessary after the Indiana Department of Environmental Management ordered Leesburg to improve its infrastructure.[[In-content Ad]]The district begins at CR 400N, north on Ind. 15 to Levi Lee Road, north along Old 15, along School Street to the west along Leesburg's south side, to CR 675N, south on CR 100W to CR 600N, then to CR 150W.
The city will play a role in expanding the sewer line. Wiggins said, originally, city officials discussed extending city sewer lines to CR 400N. Now, Wiggins said, the city will extend sewer almost to Levi Lee Road, in order to ensure the city can collect tap fees for the area.
Wiggins asked if the redevelopment commission would consider changing the dimensions of the TIF district to exclude the area where the city will extend sewer.
Looking into the future, Wiggins told the commissioners, the city may someday be interested in annexing some of the area. Wiggins said the city currently has no plans to annex property in the area. However, TIF districts are limited to 20 years and Wiggins said he was concerned about what would happen to new property tax revenues if the city wanted to annex the area before the TIF expired.
The commission voted to leave the TIF boundaries unchanged, but include an agreement that, if the city annexes any part of the TIF district, the county will cooperate with the city as the situation develops.
The redevelopment commission also discussed a report completed in 2001 aimed at developing a "road map" for the health industry in Kosciusko County. The report included interviews with community and business leaders, analysis of the county's economic strengths and weaknesses and strategies for continued development in the county.
The redevelopment commission discussed three strategic steps - creating a research institute to support the local biomedical industry, preparing land west of Warsaw for development and expanding communication technology within the county.
Redevelopment Commission Secretary Lowell Owens said he thinks a research institute could be established through partnering with a state university. Most of the area's biomedical companies do their own practical research for specific products. Owens said an institute would focus on pure research, which could benefit the whole industry. The commission members decided to talk with officials from area orthopedic companies to assess their interest in a research facility.
Sewer accessibility will pay a key role in development potential for land west of Warsaw.
"You won't have development without water and sewer," said commission member Bill Warren.
Commission member Bruce Woodward said companies interested in locating in the area have chosen land in surrounding counties because Kosciusko County wasn't able to offer enough land with existing sewer access. Woodward said many companies don't want to wait more than a year to be operational in a new location.
The next redevelopment commission meeting will be held in July in Syracuse. Date and time for the meeting have not been finalized.
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