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Topeka staff proposes voluntary community-impact measures for development incentive applications
Summary
City staff recommended adding three voluntary community-impact questions to CID, TIF and RHID incentive applications — on workforce training, job creation/quality and broader community benefits — with updated applications to post by Sept. 1 and staff to present to the governing body in August.
City staff told the Policy and Finance Committee on July 10 that it will add three voluntary community-impact measures to economic development incentive applications and post the revised forms on the city website by Sept. 1 if the governing body concurs.
The measures — proposed for community improvement district (CID), tax increment financing (TIF) and reinvestment housing incentive district (RHID) applications — ask developers whether they will use or support recognized training programs, to list expected permanent jobs with wages and benefits, and to describe broader community benefits such as local-hiring commitments or partnerships. Staff said the questions are voluntary and would be completed only when relevant to a project.
In presenting the measures, staff emphasized that answers would inform the city’s evaluation of a project’s community benefit and could be folded into negotiations and development agreements, including reporting requirements and clawback provisions to enforce promises. Deputy City Manager Braxton Copeland said a developer’s stated job commitments can be converted into contract terms that reduce incentive payments if the commitments are not met.
Committee members sought practical details. Councilman David Banks asked how developers would recruit from training programs; staff said applicants will identify the program used and explain how workers will be hired and trained. Members questioned how Topeka’s application fees compare with peer cities; staff explained portions of Topeka’s fees can be reimbursable and often cover outside legal and financial consultants rather than serving as a city revenue source.
Staff said it would present the measures to the full governing body in August and, assuming similar feedback, make the application revisions live on Sept. 1. The committee expressed general support and no formal amendment was recorded at the committee level.
