Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the City Code Amendments topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
City attorney and staff propose code clarifications for non‑monetary gifts and a codified process for nonprofit tax‑exemption requests
Summary
The city attorney presented a proposed clarification to the city code about non‑monetary gifts and real estate acceptance; staff proposed codifying the process and a three‑year renewal for nonprofit property tax‑exemption requests, with a review committee and an April 21 review date.
The city attorney and real estate staff briefed council on two related code items: a proposed amendment to clarify acceptance of non‑monetary gifts, and a proposal to codify the process by which nonprofit organizations request property tax exemptions.
City Attorney Spencer said the proposed change would clarify city manager authority to accept or reject non‑monetary gifts when valuation is subjective. Spencer noted a recent incident where a donor reported a donation value of zero while the city determined the gift had substantial operational value; the amendment would avoid inconsistent determinations and keep acceptance decisions within clear administrative authority. Spencer reminded council that non‑monetary gifts of real estate still require statutory steps under state law and the charter.
David Collins briefed council on a proposed amendment to codify the nonprofit property tax‑exemption request process. Collins said staff has drafted a form and process so the Commissioner of the Revenue and the Director of Real Estate Valuation will collect information from nonprofits seeking exemption. If a property is not already exempt by constitutional or statutory classification, a nonprofit tax‑exemption review committee (staffed by representatives from the city attorney’s office, director of real estate valuation, commissioner of the revenue and the city manager) will make a recommendation to the city manager, and the matter will be placed on council’s agenda for consideration.
Collins said any exemption granted under the proposed process would be valid for three years, after which nonprofits would need to renew. The amendment and accompanying process were scheduled for consideration on the council agenda for April 21, the staff memo said. Council members expressed support for transparency and codification.
No ordinance was adopted at the briefing; staff said they would present the proposed code amendment for formal consideration at the April 21 meeting.
