Troy committee OKs emergency authorization to accept $245,000 county/state brownfield grant for 1375 S. Union St.

The Troy Law and Ordinance Committee on Sept. 29 unanimously authorized the director of public service and safety to sign a subrecipient grant agreement with the Miami County Land Reutilization Corporation to remediate contamination at 1375 South Union Street.

The authorization is intended to allow the city to accept and administer a subaward of approximately $245,000 in brownfield remediation funds that the county received from the state. "There is no cost to the city. So this grant is a 100% grant," staff said, noting that if additional funding is required the city would request more funds from the state through the county.

Why it matters: The property is currently unproductive because of contamination; staff said cleaning the site could return the parcel to productive industrial use and generate property-tax revenue and jobs that the city currently does not receive.

What was discussed: Councilman Jeff Shilling, Troy City Council, raised questions about ownership and the distribution of benefits if public remediation increases the property's value. "This is really taxpayer money that we're using," Shilling said, arguing the city should consider protections so public funds do not only enrich private owners. He suggested placing a lien on the property to recoup part of any post-cleanup increase in value.

Staff response and legal limits: Staff said the funds are state-administered and awarded to the county land bank, and the city is a subrecipient; staff added the city does not control the state appropriation and stated it may lack authority to impose a lien under the program's terms. Staff also explained the site was nominated by city staff in response to a county call for proposals and selected by the county land bank for funding consideration.

Project timing and scope: Staff said testing and site assessment will determine the remediation work required and that work would begin this year but could take longer depending on testing results, weather and state approvals. When asked how long cleanup might take, staff said variables — including if the work requires excavation and hauling material — affect the schedule.

Ownership and valuation questions: The property was identified in committee discussion as held by J and B Properties (an LLC); committee members referred to the surname "Bruns" when discussing the LLC owners. Staff said recent county records showed an assessed value near $151,000 and noted a prior recorded sale from 1993 in committee discussion.

Action taken: The committee approved the request unanimously and agreed to advance emergency legislation to allow immediate execution of the subrecipient grant agreement with the county land bank.

Next steps: Staff will finalize the subrecipient agreement and begin site testing. Any additional funding requests to complete remediation would be routed back through the county and state as necessary.