Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Sidewalk Program topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Denison council tables sidewalk program amid questions over financing, rates and administration
Summary
After a lengthy discussion about payment options, a proposed revolving loan fund and possible use of TIF dollars for low‑to‑moderate‑income homeowners, Denison City Council voted to table the sidewalk program for further work and clarifications.
Denison City Council on the evening discussed a proposed sidewalk program that would offer multiple payment options, possible bulk contracting and $TIF support for low‑to‑moderate‑income (LMI) homeowners, but the council voted to table the item for further refinement.
Council members and staff spent extensive time debating how payments would be collected, whether the city should bid whole‑street projects, and how to administratively handle a revolving‑loan option. The mayor said Region 12 has offered to perform LMI verification and income tracking for applicants and that TIF dollars could be used as an LMI incentive. “Region 12 had an example that they would have an application to fill out with the items that they need to provide proof of, and we would send it right out of Region 12, and then they would tell us yes or no a person qualifies,” the mayor said.
Councilmembers raised concerns about the loan interest rate and the administrative burden of monthly billing and follow‑up. One councilmember asked the auditor whether the city could set a below‑market rate; staff said they would check and recommended relying on the auditor’s guidance. Council members also discussed capping the annual amount of TIF dollars available for the program and limiting the per‑household benefit so the funds serve multiple households rather than a few large awards.
Other implementation questions included whether the city should attempt to assemble continuous blocks into single bid packages and whether the prison work crews could assist with concrete work; staff noted that past experiments with contracting and payment collection had mixed success. ‘‘If you want us to still have the revolving loan fund, we are fine with that. We will do whatever council directs us to,’’ staff said, but requested clearer direction on interest rates and billing frequency.
After hearing the discussion, a motion to table the sidewalk program passed on a roll‑call vote so staff can return with clearer language and the auditor’s recommendation on acceptable interest rates.
The council is expected to revisit the sidewalk program with the requested clarifications at a future meeting.
