Bay City Council schedules March 25 public hearing on proposed public improvement district

Bay City City Council members voted unanimously to adopt a resolution calling a public hearing at 6 p.m. on March 25 to consider creation of a public improvement district (PID) located within the city's extraterritorial jurisdiction.

The council debated the PID briefly at its regular meeting. City staff and representatives of the project developer were present; the city's CDC executive director also attended. Scotty, a city staff member, told the council an executive summary and the full resolution are in the packet and described the meeting's purpose as the first formal step in creating the PID and calling the public hearing.

The council heard that the developer has confirmed it will cover the first annual PID assessment but asked the city's PID consultant to provide paperwork or an invoice the developer can present to its financial institution before sending payment. Council members discussed how the PID assessment and related incentives would interact with other taxing-entity participation proposals discussed for the larger redevelopment effort: the meeting record refers to a proposed 75% participation rate by participating taxing entities and a 50% overlay reimbursement for this development, with the remaining 25% available for redevelopment in other parts of the taxing district. The council did not provide a different legal name for the taxing-entity program referenced; the transcript used the terms "TERS"/"TURS"/"TRS" without defining the acronym.

One council member raised liability concerns; staff said the city would not bear the assessment liability and that responsibility would rest with the developer and builder. Councilmembers generally characterized the PID as a tool to support residential development and increase housing opportunities in the area, and a motion to approve the resolution to call the public hearing passed by voice vote.

On the consent agenda the council also approved a routine resolution to apply for designation as a crime victim liaison with the Office of the Attorney General's Crime Victim Services Unit. That consent-item measure carried on a voice vote.

Next steps: the council will hold the public hearing on the PID at 6 p.m. March 25; staff and the developer indicated they will provide the requested invoice paperwork to facilitate payment of the initial assessment prior to that hearing.