The Hastings City Council approved Resolution 2025-22, granting the Community Redevelopment Authority (CRA) the full 2.6¢ levy allocation for the coming year, voting 5-4 after public discussion and a presentation by CRA Director Randy Chick.
Randy Chick told the council the CRA uses levy funds for administration, legal work, planning, acquisition of property for redevelopment and as local matches on federal Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) downtown revitalization projects. Chick said the CRA currently holds roughly $900,000 in cash and maintains a revolving loan fund; he described the fund as a long-standing tool to fill financing gaps for downtown and small business projects.
At the meeting Chick gave historical and program detail: the CRA has made 96 loans totaling about $4.1 million and leveraged approximately $25 million in private investment; the loan portfolio outstanding was cited at about $2.2 million, and recorded loan losses were minimal (Chick cited about $22,000 over the life of the program). He said the levy request this year would generate roughly $596,353, up from a request of approximately $556,000 last year.
Council discussion focused on municipal budget priorities. Several council members said they supported the full levy because CRA activity brings private investment and downtown redevelopment; other members said the city should hold the line given broader budget pressures and proposed keeping levy support at last year’s dollar amount.
Chick and CRA board members described recent projects funded or enabled by CRA financing and levy dollars, including downtown building rehabilitation, facade work, Habitat for Humanity lot sales, childcare facility gap-funding and loans that assisted the conversion or reopening of downtown restaurants and retail. Chick identified two projects the CRA planned to support in the coming year: a loan to the Hoppy development at D and Cedar and a proposed $700,000 0% loan to assist redevelopment of the former middle school site, contingent on grant funding and other partners.
The resolution passed 5-4. Councilors who voted in favor said CRA activity leverages private investment; those opposed cited current municipal budget pressures and urged limiting the levy to last year’s level if possible.