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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1993-06-02 Community and Economic Development Committee MinutesCOMMUNITY S ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE Wednesday, June 2, 1993 MISS MEMBERS PRESENT: Councilor Charles Sullivan, Chair ® Councilor Pat Blanchette Councilor W. Shubert OTHERS PRESENT: Kenneth R. Gibb, Director of Community F Economic Dev. Rodney G. McKay, Community Development Director T. J. Mart2ial, C.O. Housing Resources Coordinator r Bruce Shibles, Asst. City Solicitor 1. Frank Farrington, Vice President Of BCMC Board Angela Nickerson, BUT Board Member The meeting was called to order by Chair Sullivan at approximately 5:00 PM. AGENDA ITEM 41 - Community Development Residential Rehabilitation Loan T. J. Mart2ial, Housing Resources Coordinator for the Community Development Division, presented a loan application for repairs to the property at 47 Fifth Street, 6 units. Five of the unit's tenants qualify under the loan program status of low -a moderate -income; on the 6th unit the tenant is over income so the Owner will provide for 166 of the rehab costs. The owner has an excellent credit rating and sufficient cash flow. The loan was unanimously approved. AGENDA ITEM 42 - Bangor Center Development District Ken Gibb, and Frank Farrington of the BCMC Board, spoke to the Committee in respect to this program. This item pertains to the proposed assessment on downtown properties located in the Bangor Center Development District. The sum of $43,000 is proposed to be assessed on these properties. These monies will be used to provide direct services to the downtown area such as a law enforcement program, coordination of events during the year, Downtown Beautification program, Visitor Information, Administrative support, Data support benefitting business development, maintenance of available real estate information in the downtown area, monitoring of policy and legislative issues which will impact the Bangor Center and establishing a "new business" welcoming program. Projected expenditures during 1993-94 are $46,950 leaving a carryover in the amount of $5,550. This item will go to the City Council on June 14th for their approval as well as Public Hearings on June Eth and June 14th. A notice was published in the BDH. The Committee unanimously approved the proposed assessment and work program within the Bangor Center Development District. AGENDA ITEM #3 - Application to the Maine State Housing Authority The Maine State Housing Authority (MBNA) is administering a program designed to address deteriorating urban residential areas and restore them to decent, safe and sanitary neighborhoods. This program is called The Housing Opportunity zone Program (HOZ) which was created by the Affordable Housing Partnership Act of 1989. On behalf of the City of Bangor, the Community Development Staff will be submitting an application to request funds for a proposed HOZ in Bangor. The application deadline is June 17th. There is currently $500,000 available. Staff indicated that there is possibly 7-8 Maine communities applying for these funds; only 2 will be selected. Bangor's request will be for the full $500,000. Once a municipality's designation is approved, they are then considered eligible. Bangor would intend on ing these funds in the area a of Main and Third Streets. (See attached map). This area would fall into the stipulated criteria on how the funds may be used. Some of the criteria necessary in order to apply for these funds are: the municipality applying must have at least a population greater than 5,000; most choose one contiguous area to be designated as the HOZ; must identify local, state, federal and private sources to address their needs. (The Interagency Task eorce on Homelessness and Housing. Opportunities is available to assist applicants in this process.) Stipulations on how the funds are to be used are: they can be used only in the designated HOZ area; a wide variety of housing activities may be funded such as restoration of dwelling units in multi -family and single-family homes; assistance to shelters for the homeless; removal of structures that are not cost-effective to repair; the creation of recreational and park areas; other similar types of assistance that the Authority determines eligible. Committee unanimously approved to forward this application request an to the City Council for their approval at their June 14th meeting. AGENDA ITEM a¢ _ Lease of Urban Renewal Parcel B -11-C Bangor Real Estate currently has options to develop parcels B -11-B and B -11-C. They would like to have a lease on B -11-C allowing them to use it for parking in support of the development on B -11-B. The proposed lease for parking would coincide with the term Of the option from the City. Bangor Real Estate has proposed to pay the cost of developing the parking (meeting all City standards) as well as a lease fee of $1,200 per year. Committee unanimously approved this request. So voted. AGENDA ITEM #5 - Authorizing Waterfront Concession Agreement This past April, Proposals) for waterfront concessions.oout None were received However, recently a proposal was received from Katherine Kelley (see attached). Ms. Kelley would like to use the land facilities from May 30th to September 6th (Labor Day). Staff recommended approval. Committee motioned to approve the request. Seconded. So Voted. AGENDA ITEM #6 - Penobscot Bridge Committee Staff had recently placed an ad in the BUN requesting interested citizens to participate in voicing their views on the location of the new bridge location which will be replacing the old bridge but not necessarily at the same spot. No responses were received to the ad. -Ken Gibb stated that he has put together a potential list as there are 11 open slots. He suggested that 2 City Councilors be embers; Chair of the Planning Board; Jim Ring (City Engineer). and BCMC offered two potential members; Nancy Siegenbein from the Congregational Church; a representative from EMMC; 1 major property Owner in the immediate area such as Brake Service (which may have Property taken by the realignment; Sid Epstein who owns the Labor Services building and Varney Motors has two properties in the area. Also, the Hogan Road Association due to their tie-in with the potential fourth bridge at some point in the future. A possible resident from the Broadway corridor (perhaps Jean Defghan); and a resident from Hancock Street. He stated that these suggestions are for the Council's. direction; that a decision needs to be made soon. It was agreed by the Committee to accept BCMC member(s) Warren Caruso's offer to be a member with Sandra Bryant as an alternate member. They agreed that Sim Ring should be a full time member; Nancy Siegenbein representing the Congregational Church; End the Chair designee of the Planning Board. EMMC and the Hogan Road Association both had been contacted previous to this meeting and stated that they were interested in having a representative on the Committee (no names at this time however). The 9th nominee could be chosen from the following three names - Bay Cots, Sid Epstein or Bill Varney. Pat Blanchette suggested that Bill Varney be asked to be on the Committee. Sean Deighen of Broadway and Phyllis Adams, Raleigh Stone, San Stratton, Janice Deering, Jane Young, Betty McLoughlin, Madeline Pauliss of Hancock Street be contacted also. For Council representation, it was suggested that Councilor Charles Sullivan talk to the full Council and come back with names. AGENDA ITEM #7 - National Garage Contract Renewal Proposed budgets for both Abbott Square Parking Lot End the Pickering Square Parking Garage are due for renewal. Ken stated that he reviews their budgets monthly. He feels the current proposed budgets are reasonable. In the Pickering Square Budget, overall revenues for FY 94 are 5172,000 (up 128 from FY 93). Expenses up about 98 to $133,000 with an operating profit of $33,000 (up 218 from PY 93). The changes are the Cashier's wages which have been reduced somewhat; workmen's comp continues to go up; water/sewer will be going up; (using less electricity but rates are going up so itwill continue to be the same); Bob Burns of the City Electrical Dept. has Come up with a recommendation to install a smaller boiler behind the rest roam area which will heat this area and the office for a total cost of $6,000 with a 3 -year payback. National Garages' only portion of the budget that they receive is for administrative services which includes $8,500. This covers the training of personnel, insurance that they provide and for the accounting servicewhichthey provide. All other expenses come out of the operating budget that the City approves. With regard to the Abbott Square budget, projected revenues for PY 94 will be $71,208; projected expenses will be $27,315 (up 4.58); profit is about $44,000. This parking lot has no debt service on it so it is more profitable then the Pickering Square Garage. Councilor Blanchette inquired that since Abbott Square is owned by the City what budget provisions have been made for maintenance, i.e. striping, cracks repaired, etc. Ken replied that he has met with City Engineer Jim Ring regarding these matters, in particular the cracks. Sim will be handling this out of this Year's budget (PY 92-93) under maintenance". As far as in the upcoming budget (FY 93-94) there are estimated maintenance charges from Public Works to cover such items as snow removal and general maintenance. All parking spaces downtown will be striped by the G nd of this summer. Committee motioned to forward these parking budgets an to the City Council for their review and approval. Seconded. So voted. AGENDA 'TER 88 - Air Force Housing Update Rod Hcxey, Community Development Director, has attended meetings with respect to the recent issue of disposal of 114 units of air force housing located in the vicinity of Union and Griffin Roads in Bangor. Before disposal of these units by the GSA, it is reguired that they allow the Department of L.S. Health a Human Services the Opportunity to solicit proposals from non-profit agencies that are .tax exempt that would provide services to the homeless. inhere are several homeless agencies in Bangor that are interested. Staff's concern is that the agencies are not well organized and the piece meal giving away of the units may not have the City's best interest in terms of how these agencies may be funded and how they may, consequently, be able to maintain and operate the properties as well as provide adequate staff to oversee the units. Councilor Blanchette inquired how the City may intervene in the RFP process. Rod replied that there is no way to do that. Staff is trying to get the Federal government to coordinate all of the agencies interests, needs and demands in order to come up with an overall plan that would allow the City to have some control over the properties and perhaps lease them back to these agencies so that if the agencies did not operate the properties as required then the City could evict them and use the properties for some other use. .In- working with the local offices of the Federal exact government's representatives, Staff is inquiring as to the criteria and review process that the Department of Health a Human Services has to go through. For example, is the Federal government going to sake sure that these agencies are funded in order to have all the resources to accomplish the best results for the homeless and the City, and not end up having a homeless ghetto. Councilor Shubert stated that the City must take a strong Position and get their delegation together on behalf of the City's interest. Ren Gibb presented a last minute item to the Committee for their reaction. Ren stated that Staff has been approached by the Theatre of The enchanted Forest (TEF) to lease the Viner Bldg. and turn it into a performing arts centre for their operation (they are currently renting space at the University in Orono). They are currently pursuing a grant that wouldallow them to fund raise which has to be submitted by the end of June. Representatives of this group may be coming before this Committee at a later date to ask the Committee to hold -off on any formal RFP for the Viner Building until they have had a chance to see if they are eligible for this grant. Ren stated that if they were to receive the grant and the City agrees to let them pursue their project, it would mean taking the Viner Building off the market for about a year to allow them to do their fund raising. Staff feels that if they are successful that it would be an appropriate use of the building. Committee discussed whether they should send out an RFP at this time and the fact that if they did not receive any response then it was felt that it would not be a problem tying the building up for a year with the TSF people. Rod McKay stated that the problem with this approach, at this time s that the TEF has a deadline of June 30th to apply for their grant. So, with this timeframe in mind, it would not allow appropriate time to get RFP's mailed out with a sufficient time for their return. Councilor Blanchette stated that she did not feel comfortable with holding up the RFP process on the Viner building fox a year. Ren suggested that the TEP people come before the Committee to present their ideas before any final vote is taken. The Committee unanimously agreed. The meeting adjourned at approximately 6:30 PM. Ei9