Commissioners hear first reading on forming Events Center Assessment District Authority with City of Kalamazoo

At first reading the Kalamazoo County Board of Commissioners reviewed a request to authorize the administrator-controller to enter negotiations with the City of Kalamazoo to form the proposed Kalamazoo County Events Center Assessment District Authority.

The measure would allow the county to negotiate a joint authority with a municipal partner to administer event-center assessment collections and related development activity. Administrator/Controller Dr. Jason Catlin and the county's corporation counsel answered commissioner questions about why a municipal partner was included.

Corporation counsel told the board that the ordinance governing the assessment district, as written, requires a local municipal partner (for example, the City of Kalamazoo or a township). Counsel added that moving the project forward as a county-only authority would require an ordinance amendment and the associated process. Commissioners asked whether that change would delay implementation; counsel said the impact would require assessment but noted there are potential pitfalls to both models.

Commissioners pressed about infrastructure impacts because the parcel under consideration sits on the city boundary and much of the anticipated infrastructure work (roads, ingress/egress) would affect Oshtemo Township. Several commissioners urged that Oshtemo and other affected township and county road and state agencies (MDOT) be included early in infrastructure planning discussions. Some commissioners also requested that any negotiated authority include representation or a mechanism to allow township planning interests to be heard.

The item was presented for first reading and will return to the board in a future meeting for formal action. No vote to authorize negotiations was taken at this meeting beyond the first-reading presentation.