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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2010-02-03 Business and Economic Development Committee Minutes BUSINESS AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE Wednesday, Feb. 3, 2010, 5:00 PM City Council Chambers MINUTES Councilors: Chair Weston, Blanchette, Bronson, Nealley, Stone and Wheeler Staff: McKay, Wallace, Cyr CONSENT AGENDA A motion was made by Councilor Bronson to move the Consent Agenda items to the Regular Agenda in order that they can be taken up separately for discussion. Seconded by Chair Weston. REGULAR AGENDA 1. Community Development Residential Property Rehabilitation Loan—6 N St., Birch Hill Estates Rod McKay, Director of Community and Economic Development, briefed the committee on this Item which is for a residential property rehabilitation loan for$24,500. If approved,this loan would take care of necessary repairs in order to bring this property up to quality housing standards as determined by the Department of Housing and Urban Development. As there is no mortgage on this property, the City would have first position on this loan; the applicant is qualified for a deferred loan at 3% interest until the property is sold or otherwise transferred to another party. Staff recommends approval of this loan request. Committee expressed concern with respect to the depreciation factors on mobile homes. They also suggested that perhaps the policy guidelines should be reviewed by staff and committee, prior to voting on this item. Rod replied that the applicant is a very low-income individual whose income is not likely to improve in the future, and if this work is not undertaken in the near future the property would soon become uninhabitable and the person will not have a place to live. Prior to bringing this loan request to Committee, Staff looked at the option of other housing that may be more permanent that would appreciate in value, instead of depreciate in value as mobile homes do. The bottom line was that by making the repairs to the current mobile home it is the most cost effective way to provide the applicant housing. Rod added that the concern that there is an amount of risk to making loans for rehabilitation to mobile homes, particularly ones that are a little older is understandable. In the past, under the Community Development Program, Staff has declined to make loans to repair mobile homes that didn't meet the newer mobile home standards (those built in the 1970's and before). Under the City-wide program, there have been situations pertaining to code violations with mobile homes and mobile home parks that have had to be taken care. Rod concluded that if the Council wants to change policy that Staff has been following, it is their option to do so. Committee reiterated that they would like to schedule a time to meet with staff at a later date to review the Community Development Rehabilitation Loan Program policy guidelines. A motion was made by Councilor Bronson and seconded by Councilor Nealley to approve the Community Development Residential Property Rehabilitation Loan request as presented for the property at 6N Street, Birch Hill Estates. So voted. 2. Community Development Residential Property Rehabilitation Loan—68 Jefferson Street Chair Weston asked that this item be moved to the end of the agenda as an Executive Session item as there are some financial questions that he'd like to discuss with Rod McKay. 3. Citizen Communication Initiative Debbie Cyr, Finance Director, reviewed this item stating that Staff is currently soliciting input from departments within City Hall to be considered in the development of a FAQ/Citizen 101 document. Once completed the document can easily be translated into the current wall directory on the first floor. Over the coming months, information from other City departments will be incorporated into a complete City Wide document that can be added to the City's website, produced as a rack card available within the various City facilities and included with current annual mailings (i.e. tax bills). Also, staff has followed-up with E-Gov, a provider of web based applications for use in municipal governments. Currently, the City offers one E-Gov portal for our citizens, the "Action Line" system. E-Gov has adapted the application to allow for text alerts as well. City IT staff will be working with the appropriate staff to begin live testing the system during February. The City will begin by converting its regularly recurring email notifications to this system, with the overall goal of adding core services and other areas of specific interest in the coming months. 4. Amending Parking Schedule XVI—On-street Parking Lots—Schedule Fees—Curve Street Rod McKay reviewed this item for the committee. Under the terms of this agreement, Webber Oil Company may continue use of the 40 spaces on Curve Street (for use by Webber's tenant- Penquis CAP) by purchasing monthly permits. This Order would establish the 40 spaces as permit spaces and would establish a $30 per space, per month permit fee for their use. There will be an Ordinance on the upcoming City Council agenda for first reading and then the Ordinance will be considered at the following Council meeting,then the permit spaces will be created and then a fee established for the spaces created. No action is required by the committee at this time. A motion was made by Councilor Bronson to go into Executive Session—Economic Development- Update on Negotiations for Parking Lease Agreement—Penobscot County—1 M.R.S.A. §405 (6) (C) 5. Executive Session - Economic Development— Update on Negotiations for Parking Lease Agreement— Penobscot County—1 M.R.S.A. §405 (6) (C) 6. Committee Action on Above Item No Committee action was taken. 7. Executive Session—Community Development Residential Property Rehabilitation Loan—68 Jefferson Street 8. Committee Action on Above Item The Committee voted to continue this item to the next Committee meeting to give staff an opportunity to review the City policy pertaining to Community Development property rehabilitation residential /investor owner loan applicants.