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Committee approves $300,000 Oneida Nation contribution for urban food production barn
Summary
The Finance Committee approved a memorandum of agreement accepting $300,000 from the Oneida Nation to reduce a funding shortfall for an urban food production barn at the JBS development; staff said the contribution will largely eliminate the tax-increment financing gap.
The Green Bay Finance Committee voted June 30 to accept a $300,000 memorandum of agreement from the Oneida Nation to help fund an urban food production barn included in the JBS subdivision development.
An unnamed city director told the committee the project’s funding package already included city ARPA funds and a $469,000 grant from the Department of Administration, but a budget shortfall remained—about $350,000 by the director’s estimate. The director said the Oneida Nation recently offered $300,000 toward the project, which the city staff said would substantially reduce the tax-increment financing (TID) draw.
The director described a 10% construction contingency estimated at $134,000 and said that if the full contingency is not needed it would further offset reliance on the TID. “If we don't spend all of that construction contingency, then that'll even offset our TID funding even more,” the director said during the presentation.
Alder Grant asked why the Oneida Nation would fund a project off reservation land; staff responded that the Nation sees the project as aligned with community outreach initiatives and was enthusiastic to support it even though the city did not specifically approach them.
Alder Shelton asked for details on the barn’s operations. Staff said the barn will set aside acreage for small or new farmers to trial crops, include on-site packaging, and house temporary cooling (coolers and freezers) for short-term storage. Staff identified a partner named "Well," which has secured grants for equipment, committed to several years of technical assistance, and will help transition the program when its role concludes.
Alder Shelton moved to accept the MOA; Alder Presley seconded. The committee approved the MOA by voice vote. Staff will finalize the agreement and integrate the funds into the project budget and TID accounting.
