Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout2011-09-16 Penjajawoc Marsh / Bangor Mall Management Commission Minutes Amended by Jim Hinds Penjajawoc Marsh/Bangor Mall Management Commission September 16, 2011 ATTENDANCE Commission Members: Jim Hinds Cindy DeBeck Jessica Jansujwicz Christine Babcock George Staff: Art Morgan David Gould Wendy Warren Cathy Conlow Norm Heitmann Others: Lucy Quimby The Commission met Friday, September 16, 2011 in the City Council Chambers. The meeting was called to order at 1:00 p.m. Meeting minutes from March 11, 2011 could not be approved due to lack of a quorum. It was noted that Marion Rudnicki did not receive notice or materials of the meeting. However, later verification from the City Clerk’s office indicated his commission had expired. Item three, purpose and uses of the Penjajawoc Marsh/Mall TIF funds were reviewed. The term of the TIF has been extended from ten to thirty years. The following permitted uses for the TIF were added:  Professional services related to water quality, such as this year’s monitoring.  Allow for mapping and GIS data.  New or existing recreational trails. Commission Members stated that they had understood that the TIF could be used to purchase land for conservation and conservation easements. City Solicitor, Norm Heitmann stated that land could be purchased for conservation, providing it was done as part of a development project. Cathy Conlow noted that State statutes had only recently included trails as a tool for economic development. There was no requirement to complete all the tasks listed in the TIF. However, TIF funds could not be used for tasks not listed in TIF. Public awareness could be funded to the extent it was relevant to the areas of viability for commercial development. The meeting was then opened for public questions & comments. Lucy Quimby stated that it was her understanding during the Marsh/Mall Task Force discussions that TIF funds could be used to purchase land for conservation. Lucy also noted that one of the mandates of the Marsh/Mall Commission was to advise the Council about the expenditure of TIF funds, and she was surprised to find that money had been spent from TIF to monitor water quality without discussion by the Marsh/Mall Commission. Norm informed the Commission that they could make a recommendation on how the money was spent, but the City would not need the Commission’s permission to spend it. 1 Amended by Jim Hinds There was a question about the City buying land to use for mitigation for future environmental impact. Norm responded that there was a danger in taking land out of threat of development so it could not be used to mitigate environmental impact at a later time. Cathy Conlow stated TIF was a partnership between the State and the City. TIF funds were developed as a tool to encourage commercial development, not to conserve land. Also money could be transferred to Downtown TIF, if all Downtown TIF money was spent. Lucy had checked her notes from the Marsh/Mall Task Force meetings and noted that the TIF funds originally represented a way to balance conservation and development. Norm responded that it still could be as long as guidelines governing TIF were followed, and there were benefits to the public such as occurred in another TIF that paid for Walmart’s offsite roadway improvements on Stillwater Avenue and Hogan Road corridor without using general fund money. Cathy also noted permitted uses of the TIF as a tool to help offset some of the costs of development and conserve water quality of the Marsh area. In 2006 Bangor Land Trust asked Maine Audubon to develop a conservation plan for the Penjajawoc Marsh requested four (4) copies to be printed for Jessica, Kristine, Cathy, and Norm. Other business noted that the Commission was minus a member from the Land Trust, and must replace Judy Kellogg Markowsky. Next meeting would be held December 2, 2011. 2