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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2012-04-04 Business and Economic Development Committee Minutes BUSINESS & ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE Wednesday, April 4, 2012, 5pm Council Chambers Minutes Councilors: Gratwick, Durgin, Sprague and Weston Staff: Conlow, McKay, Vanadestine, Morgan Others: George Kinghorn 1. Proposal for Relocation of “Continuity of Community” and Renovations to West Market Square George Kinghorn, Vice President of the Downtown Bangor Partnership (DBP), reviewed a proposal to have the Continuity of Community statute in West Market Square relocated to the waterfront in order to make more space in West Market Square for events. The DBP membership has been working on this issue for a few years and has recently voted unanimously for a phased approach for the renovation of the West Market Square. This area is a natural focal point of the City with restaurants and other businesses; allowing the ability to have a more open space where people can congregate and more community events can be held is important to downtown. The funding from the 2012 DBP budget of $25,000 is in place for phase 1 for the relocation of the sculpture. This phased approach will first accomplish that as well as removing the fountain thus paving the way for future renovations as the funds become available. The Historic Preservation Commission and the Commission on Cultural Development have both unanimously voted to approve this proposal which included the opportunity for public input at their meetings. Timing is also essential -- the City’s Public Works is ready to do the work in April so as not to interfere with their summer work schedule and would not interrupt the summer activities in downtown Bangor. Staff recommends Council approval of this request as presented. Councilor Weston made a motion to move staff recommendation to relocate the “Continuity of Community” statute from West Market Square to the waterfront as identified on the Shadley Associates plan, and for removal of the fountain. Seconded by Councilor Sprague. Vote of 3 in favor; 1 opposed. 2. Review of FY 2013 CDBG Budget and Projects Rosie Vanadestine, Asst. C.D. Director, reviewed the FY 2013 CDBG Budget and Projects in order to give the committee a look at the first draft prior to holding the final Public Hearing on May 9 and to see if there is any feedback. This year’s CDBG projected funds will be $748,313 along with an estimated $250,000 in program income for an estimated total of $998,313 as the projected budget for FY12 starting in July. There are also ‘prior year’ funds that have not been expended that will be reprogrammed in July. Funding requests have been received from Parks and Recreation for a parcel of land for a playground; the Planning Dept. for reimbursement of work that they will be doing primarily for the Neighborhood Revitalization Strategy Area (NRSA) in the Third to Main Street Neighborhood Revitalization Strategy Area; continued funding of the Downtown Façade Improvement Program; a request for a Case Manager at Park Woods; and a request to continue a “local” Neighborhood Stabilization Program (NSP) that will be ending next June (the present program in Bangor has done very well). Staff is also currently having discussions with 3 local educational facilities to provide labor which would drastically reduce costs and allow staff to do a much better job in the financing piece of the NSP. Once this program is started it’ll become self-sustaining (once a completed property is sold, the money realized will go back in and enable another project to be done). Other line items budgeted are for the downtown signage; the housing component for single family and multi-family rehabs; public improvements for streets and sidewalks; waterfront revitalization area and property disposition. The total for proposed program use is $1,784,403 – subtracting the $998,313 leaving $786,090 as the shortfall. This shortfall can be funded by reprogramming some of the prior year funding. After the end of June 2012, staff will be closing out a lot of open projects that go back to 2008. Staff is anticipating between $200,000 - $300,000 should be left to reprogram into our strategy area and hope to be able to use that for some of the infrastructure in the Third-Main Street area for streets, sidewalks, lighting, etc. Rosie added that in the near future staff will be having a discussion about the Business Development Loan Program as to whether or not to continue it. th Staff will be coming back to the committee on April 18 to give an overview of the NRSA plan that will also be going to the Public Hearing on May 9. There will also be another Neighborhood Meeting on April 26 at 6 pm at the Doughty School to show residents the outline of the draft prior to the Public Hearing. City Manager Conlow further detailed how the CDBG program works and how it has benefited the City of Bangor over the years. She added that with the decline in funding and with a good portion of current funds directed to the proposed NRSA, the City needs to think exactly how we will use these funds as we will not have another chance to visit the Third-Main Street area as CDBG funds will likely continue to decline. In response to Committee comments, Rosie added that under the CDBG Program 70% of our funding is to be directed to low- and moderate-income people; there are caps on administration costs at 20% and on public services at 15%. Councilor Durgin inquired of City Engineer Art Morgan as to when the skate board park would be completed. Art Morgan replied that some paving needs to be done to the area before the park can be opened – target time to open will be prior to the Memorial Day weekend. Meeting adjourned.