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Lawton council adopts third amendment to downtown TIF plan, declares emergency
Summary
The council approved a third amendment to the Lawton Downtown Economic Development Project Plan, adding two potential subdistricts, expanding the project area to include Elmer Thomas Park and nearby schools, and allocating 10% of new TIF revenue to STEM; council also declared an emergency and passed the ordinance unanimously.
The Lawton City Council unanimously approved a third amendment to the Lawton Downtown Economic Development Project Plan and declared an emergency to adopt the ordinance.
City staff summarized the amendment and told the council it "does not change the purpose of the original downtown project plan" or extend the duration of existing increment districts, but it creates two subdistricts (TIF A and TIF B) that will be designated later, expands the project area to include Elmer Thomas Park, Lawton High School, Central Middle School, the museum and McMahon Auditorium, and updates the budget to reflect current costs. The presentation noted a purchase-sale agreement for property in the TIF A area for a grocery store and said the amendment allocates 10% of TIF revenue on the two new districts to STEM projects. (Staff presentation: "this third amendment... it does not change the purpose of the original downtown project plan," speaker 20.)
The amendment was reviewed by the required review committee and the City Planning Commission, both of which recommended approval; the council opened a second public hearing, heard no speakers, and then moved to adopt the ordinance. The motion to approve the ordinance, to waive reading and read the title only, carried 8–0; a separate motion to declare an emergency also passed 8–0.
The amendment authorizes the use of ad valorem, sales, use and occupancy tax increment revenues to finance eligible project costs within the newly defined boundaries, ratifies the review committee and planning commission findings, and leaves the official naming and creation date of the two subdistricts to a later council action when the council designates them.
Councilmembers said the amendment is intended to restart downtown revitalization and accommodate new developer interest. The ordinance references compliance with the Local Development Act (62 O.S. §850).
The ordinance will be codified in the Lawton City Code (chapter and article numbers as read into the record), and staff said project area designations and subsequent uses of increment revenues will be subject to future council decisions.
Next steps: the ordinance is adopted with the emergency declaration and the council may later designate the subdistrict names and dates for creation if and when specific projects are proposed.
