Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Economic Development topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Board adopts Gailsburg brownfield plan after hearing on tax capture and voucher questions
Summary
After a public hearing with community input, the board adopted the Michigan Housing Partnerships LLC TIFF Brownfield Plan for Gailsburg. Consultants said only new tax revenue from development would be captured; the plan as presented could run up to 30 years. One commissioner abstained, citing unresolved voucher commitments.
The board adopted the Michigan Housing Partnerships LLC TIFF Brownfield Plan for a Gailsburg redevelopment on a recorded vote after a public hearing. Helena Hayes, director of the Gailsburg Charleston Memorial District Library, said the library’s operations could be affected if new tax increment financing reduced future millage growth. “I don’t think they should do the brownfield — I think we should get the taxes,” Hayes said.
Joe Augustineelli, consultant for the project, told the board the plan would not capture existing tax revenue but would capture the new tax increment produced by the completed development; that increment helps reimburse infrastructure and eligible developer expenses. He described the plan’s proposed 30-year duration — 25 years of developer reimbursement followed by a five-year split among local entities — and said faster taxable-value growth could shorten that period.
Macy Walters, the Brownfield Redevelopment Administrator, said the Brownfield Authority would loan $150,000 toward resurfacing a nearby arterial and that discussions continue about whether vouchers or down-payment assistance could be used in future brownfield reimbursements. The board adopted the plan by roll call: seven yes, one abstention (Commissioner Morales), who said she sought a clearer voucher commitment.
