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City Announces Downtown Improvement Campaign
Monday, August 16, 2010 - Posted 7:34:03 PM
The Minonk City Council kicked off the Downtown Improvement Campaign by approving guidelines for improvements at their normal Monday night meeting. The guidelines prepared by the Finance Committee are as follows: 1. TIF 2 assistance would be available for up to 50% of the TIF eligible expenses for this campaign only (an increase from the current 33%) 2. TIF approval must be granted before the project is started 3. TIF awards will be recommended by the Finance Committee and approved by the City Council before the start of the project 4. TIF applications must be submitted to the City Administrator by December 31, 2010 5. Work must be completed by September 1, 2011 6. TIF applicant must submit receipts before TIF payments are made 7. TIF awards will be granted in a lump sum or structured over three years depending on the size of the project 8. The Finance Committee will determine the award payment method (lump sum or 3-year structured) at the time the application is approved 9. Revolving Loan funding is available per the existing guidelines of the Revolving Loan Fund 10. Minonk Community Bank will determine eligibility for the low interest unsecured loan City Administrator Doug Elder said Minonk Community Bank is very supportive of the Downtown Improvement Campaign and will work with applicants for loans.
TIF Money Awarded to SMFThe council approved a TIF 2 application from SMF Inc. for funding to tear off and resheet their building at 918 N. Chestnut Street. Estimated cost of this project is $6,600 for labor and $9,000 for materials for a total cost of $15,600. It was the consensus of the Finance committee to award $4,500 (50% of the material cost) payable in 3 annual payments of $1,500. Labor for this project was not considered because written estimates from an outside supplier were not included with the application.
Tri-County Regional Planning Commission to Meet Mayor Bill Koos said for the past two years a Woodford County Comprehensive Plan Committee has been working on a new Comprehensive Plan for the county. A Comprehensive Plan is a guide for future development in the county, and covers land use, transportation, and the environment.
A Draft of a new Comprehensive Plan has been written. The Draft plan can be viewed at the Woodford County Zoning Office. It can also be accessed at http://www.tricountyrpc.org/tcrpc-news/draft-woodford-county-comprehensive-plan.
Public meetings have been scheduled to gather citizen input on the new Comprehensive Plan. Three public meetings will be held in an open house format. Each will be from 5:00pm to 7:00 pm, with a formal presentation of the Plan at 5:30. The dates and locations of the meetings are: • August 23, 2010 at Germantown Hills Fire Department, 313 Prairie Avenue
• August 24, 2010 at Woodford County Courthouse Board Room
• August 26, 2010 at Roanoke Village Hall, 101 N. Main StreetThe citizens of Woodford County are invited to attend one of these meetings.
Below is a summary of the themes of the comprehensive plan. Balanced growth: there is a balance between agriculture and other types of development • Preserve prime agricultural land
• New development should be adjacent to municipalities and be on public water and sewer Economic Development: existing commercial and industrial uses are kept vibrant while new commercial and industrial growth is encouraged • The county needs more industrial and manufacturing jobs to help keep property tax rates stable
• Most new jobs will come from existing employers Proactive Collaboration: County, municipal, and non-profit agencies work together to address opportunities and challenges • Suburban residents have different needs than rural residents • Residential development does not pay for itself, especially schools Transportation: The transportation system, including the proposed Eastern bypass, is to be coordinated with growth • Eastern bypass has the potential to bring new residential development Environment: Respect the environment, paying particular attention to the Illinois River and the Mackinaw River Valley • The county has a golden opportunity to institute stormwater and erosion controls before the county is further urbanized in order to reduce silt into Illinois River
City Administrator Doug Elder said that the next council meeting will be on Tuesday, Sept. 7, because of the Labor Day weekend.
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