Meeting Minutes | Mar 18, 2010 | 0 Comments
Shelby County Democrats
Monthly Meeting Minutes—February 17, 2010
Opening: Pledge of Allegiance led by Noell Krughoff
Welcome—Noell
- Lee Sakellarides has been nominated to serve as interim secretary for tonight’s meeting and will be formally nominated and voted in after the meeting.
- Building on her discussion of the previous meeting, Noell reiterated the importance of openly communicating our Democratic ideals to the larger Shelby County community.
- Citizen Journalism Boot Camp, which is sponsored by the Indiana Coalition for Open Government, will take place March 20, 2010 at IUPUI. The program is aimed at empowering citizens to participate in alternatives to mainstream journalism through blogging, social networking, and use of new media. The Shelby Co. Democrats will sponsor up to five attendees: Motion Dee Second Bob Williams.
Minutes from 1/20/10 approved as written: Motion, Kerry; second, Saul Watkins.
Treasurer’s Report—Jody Olinger
- We’re not broke, but we’re not rich. A break in rent is helpful at present.
Team Leader Reports
- Community Outreach (Bob): Calendars are available. Golf tournament at Bear Chase on May 8. Next meeting Bob will bring list of jobs to cover. Members may make copies of golf tournament flyer and calendar if more are needed. Donations are being accepted for soft drinks, prizes, food.
- Membership (Cheryl Etherton): No report.
- Young Democrats (Carrie Ridgeway): No report. Carrie is trying to reach students and get contacts in the local schools. Shelbyville HS is only school to have a Young Dem group, but it hasn’t met since the election. Carrie should contact Chris Shrickraph for help.
- Education & Outreach (Kate): The goals of the committee are to build a body of information for the long haul to support candidates and to develop a way to get input from the general public to help us identify issues that are important to the community, such as [***** need name of document], which serves as a guide for proper meeting protocol as well as for conducting meetings and notifying the public of issues and procedures. Kate has printed copies, and it’s also available online [*****LINK]. The committee is looking for people to attend public city and county meetings and report back—check with Kate if interested.
- Fundraising (Noell—interim leader): Putting together the annual appeal letter to go out at the end of the month. Political parties aren’t tax exempt, but we need to provide support. Giving away a ticket to the annual meeting is being reinstituted as an incentive to give.
Election 2010
- Deadline to file is Friday, 2/19/10 at noon.
- Noell has a printout of database of those who have filed so far.
- After primary, people can be appointed. Democratic district committee Chairs will identify candidates.
- Open offices: Precinct committee person (countywide, townshipwide, or wards).
- State convention delegates also must file by Friday (we’re filing at-large for delegate).
- Dr. Hanna is running against Dan Burton. We have a hostile challenger: Tim Crawford has filed against Dr. Hanna to make him spend money and trying to bring the party down. To support Dr. Hanna, go to his website (hannaforcongress.com) or send him a check (Noell has address).
- Both political parties have gotten together with Zoeller and have signed agreements that there will be no robo-calls, which are illegal. Anyone receiving a robocall may call the State at 317-231-7100, go online to info@indems.org, or contact Noell at 7675-763-6045 (home)/317-512-1091 (cell).
Tax Abatement: Tom DeBaun, guest speaker
- Works with Val Phares at City Council
- Administers the Planning Commission, which makes decisions on all development that occurs in Shelbyville (anything that requires a permit). Also manages a code enforcement division for enforcement and abatement.
- Procedure
- Taxes generated on net assessed value of the property
- Taxes are paid one year delinquent.
- Tax abatements are granted before a project breaks ground City of Shelbyville: traditionally grants 10-year abatement)
- Step 1: Area declared Econ. Revitalization Area (would not develop unless an abatement is granted)
- Step 2: Approval by City council of tax abatement
- Step 3: Annual statement of compliance and benefits forms
Other financial inducements: Edit funds, TIFF districts
- Question and answer/discussion
Q: Isn’t tax abatement unfair to existing businesses that don’t have tax abatements—amounts to corporate welfare?
A: Inducement to keeping business here and hire locally.
Q: Property tax caps—how will caps with freezing property taxes affect the city?
A: Abatements are not receiving money, but serve as relief from paying money—at end of 10 years, company pays 100% of tax—not eligible for abatement unless they create improvements/invest in further development.
Q: When is an Economic Revitalization Area declared?
A: Happens individually according to each requesting business if it meets the criteria and makes the investment—Planning Commission is revising the Comprehensive Plan to determine areas that need improvement and revitalization and is seeking volunteers to join discussion.
Q: Is tax abatement considered in conjunction with community growth?
A: In the sense that there are multiple arms involved in the process, yes. Example: Wetnights discussed impact on area before proceeding.
Q: How does the process work?
A: City Council decides whether abatement will be granted. T. DeBaun serves in advisory role: how does it fit into the comprehensive plan, what are the impacts on the environment, etc.
Q: Are tax caps for businesses 3%?
A: Don’t know—if request doesn’t meet the expected benefit, Council may not grant abatement.
Q: Who determines whether a property is economically depressed?
A: City Council.
Q: At what point was metal shredder business operation rejected?
A: They had to go to the Board of Voting Appeals for a variance—the Board observed their operation and deemed their truck traffic, noise, etc. unsuitable for Shelbyville.
Q: When does tax level after abatement period go to 100%?
A: Not immediately—businesses must comply by filing their annual request on time or they are not eligible.
Val: Abatements are a necessary evil, will lose/not retain jobs
Tom K: City Council should look at whole picture: what happens after business moves, what happens to the site that was left?
T DeB: The City needs to use those moneys to reclaim/redevelop blighted, abandoned properties, such as the old Belaire shopping center. If anyone has any questions, call Mayor Fergeson.
Next meeting: Wednesday, March 17, 2010 at 7:00 p.m. at Democrat Headquarters.
Submitted by Lee Sakellarides
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