Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout2014-06-17 Business and Economic Development Committee Minutes BUSINESS AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE Tuesday, June 17, 2014 5:15 PM City Council Chambers Minutes Councilors Present: Chair Durgin, Councilor Civiello, Councilor Baldacci, Councilor Nealley, Councilor Graham City Staff Present: Jason Bird, Cathy Conlow, Norm Heitmann, Steve Bolduc Chair Durgin called the meeting to order at 5:15 p.m. 1. Amendment to a Lease Agreement with Ntension Corporation. Steve Bolduc, Economic Development Officer, explained that this is a request for a three-month extension of a lease with Ntension Corporation for space in the building at 110 Hildreth Street. All other conditions and terms of the agreement are to remain the same. Staff recommended approval. The Committee discussed with Staff how the lease rate was determined and the current market rate for leasing industrial space. Councilor Baldacci moved Staff recommendation. Councilor Nealley seconded the motion. The vote was unanimous. 2. Request to Lease City Property – 190 Harlow St. City Solicitor Norm Heitmann explained that the second floor tenant at 190 Harlow Street (Arayos LLC, d/b/a/ Diamonds) wishes to enter into an agreement with the City to enable it to have a side exit facing Haynes Court which leads to the Lower Abbott parking lot. They propose to install a door in the side of the building and have stairs installed to the ground. This will provide them with another exit from the building. The City has received complaints about people exiting in front of the building and this side exit should help address this issue. Because this side of the building is built to the property line they need an easement from the City to use a portion of the City’s property in order to do this. Mr. Heitmann recommended that the City grant an easement for a period of 10 years which does have a 60-day notice of termination if the City needs the property for parking or for a street. Councilor Nealley asked if this exit would be shifting the noise from Harlow Street to the Franklin Street condominiums. 2 Councilor Graham asked how many feet away from Harlow Street this proposed exit is. A representative of Arayos indicated that it is 60 to 80 feet to the front of the building. Chair Durgin asked if they are proposing to make this their main entrance. The Arayos representative indicated that they are. Councilor Civiello asked if the City would be compensated for this easement. Mr. Heitmann indicated that the stairway would be a taxable addition to the property. Typically when the City grants easements in the right-of-way they are not charged. Councilor Graham asked as a main entrance would it need to meet setbacks or other regulations. Mr. Heitmann indicated that there are none. Councilor Nealley moved Staff recommendation. Councilor Baldacci seconded the motion. The motion passed unanimously. 3. Accept and Appropriate EPA Brownfield’s Grant Jason Bird, Community and Economic Development Officer, explained that the City has been successful in its application to the Environmental Protection Agency for Brownfield’s Assessment funding. The award is for $400,000 if the City accepts and appropriates the funds. This would allow the City an opportunity to work with property owners and developers to assess properties that may have environmental contamination that might be prohibiting redevelopment, creating jobs, and building tax base. To implement this project the City will receive some money for Staff time but the bulk of it will be to issue an RFP for a qualified engineering consulting firm that does environmental assessments, and will work with the City to identify properties, to go through the eligibility, and help the City with reporting and physical testing. Councilor Baldacci moved Staff recommendation, Councilor Graham seconded the motion. The vote was unanimous. 4. West Side Village Residential Facade Improvement Grant Jason Bird, Community and Economic Development Officer, explained that this is a new program where staff would utilize community development block grant funding for 100 percent of the program. The name is going to be changed from Façade Improvement Grant to Exterior Improvement Grant. Funding will not have an impact on the General Fund or tax revenues. Staff suggested focusing efforts just in the West Side Village for eligibility reasons for the CDBG program as that has been a focus area over the past year and will be in the coming years. Staff recommendation would be to provide up-to $5,000 grants for low to moderate income eligible families and work with them to upgrade such things as siding, windows, doors, stairs, porches, etc. that would face or abut a public street, sidewalk or a parkway. Staff anticipates working with families that 3 income qualify that would not necessarily have the resources to improve their exterior to improve the neighborhood and increase the property values. Councilor Civiello asked how many $5,000 grants are planned. Mr. Bird indicated that $50,000 (ten potential grants) would be budgeted within the CDBG program. It is not anticipated that every application will be $5,000 so there may be extra money available to do more than 10 grants. Councilors discussed the various items that would be eligible for funding under the grant (painting, siding, windows, etc.), the area that the West Side Village encompasses, and how the funds will be disbursed. Councilor Nealley moved Staff recommendation. Councilor Baldacci seconded the motion, which carried unanimously. 5. Executive Session – Economic Development – Property Disposition – 1 M.R.S.A. § 405(6)(C) Councilor Nealley moved to enter Executive Session under 1 M.R.S.A. § 405(6)(C). The motion was seconded and carried unanimously. 6. Committee Action on Above Item No action taken. Meeting adjourned.