NAPPANEE, Ind — After some discussion, the Nappanee Redevelopment Commission on Tuesday tabled a resolution to amend plans for the city’s consolidated Tax Increment Finance District.

Redevelopment Commission attorney Craig Buche went over the amended resolution with members including maps of proposed property the commission might consider acquiring in the future.

The resolution spells out projects the commission plans to pursue using revenue from the consolidated TIF district. Buche prepared the resolution based on discussions held during a retreat in November where commission members prioritized projects.

The attorney said it was a legal requirement that redevelopment commissions have plans for TIF district revenues and “because of a change in the law two years ago, amendments to redevelopment plans have to go through the same process as when you created the TIF district.”

Major plans listed in the resolution include:

• Acquisition/demolition/redevelopment of former Amoco property — proposed cost $250,000.

• Acquisition/demolition/redevelopment of vacant lot adjacent to John’s Butcher Shop — proposed cost $250,000.

• Development of fiber optic network — proposed cost $500,000

• Development of industrial park/high tech park east side of Nappanee — proposed cost $4 million (biggest expense extending utilities to area).

Buche said these were “ball park estimates, no engineering studies have been conducted.” The amendment is also adding to existing projects not yet completed, including the Lincoln Street extension project and North Oakland Avenue improvement project.

Also permitted under the current guidelines, according to Buche, is training and educational projects, including partnering with businesses in the TIF district or non-profit organizations to educate or re-train employees.

Buche told commission members the goal of the resolution is to try to identify specifics but also specific purposes so they don’t have to amend each time a project is started. Commission members decided to table the resolution because they wanted to discuss additional smaller projects that may not be included in the resolution as written.

Commission president Jeff Stillson was assured by Buche that there was no hurry legally to pass the resolution.

In a related matter, Buche also provided a TIF distribution report from the Elkhart County Auditor’s office showing TIF revenue for the 2008 payable 2009 installments for the Nappanee Consolidated TIF district.

City officials decided to consolidate the three Tax Increment Financing districts into one in 2007. Total revenue received is $623,550 — Nappanee Westside Industrial Park, $290,030; Nappanee Downtown, $39,040; and Nappanee Senior Housing, $294,479.

Executive Director Larry Andrews said, “It’s nice to see a return on our downtown. It’s been a long, long time since we started the downtown district.” He said the return was due in large part to increased assessment because of improvements made possible by Nappanee Improving Facades Today and for Years to Come projects.



‘Pet Projects’

Stillson gave the commission “homework” at last month’s meeting to come up with some “pet projects” to consider working on while waiting for the major projects to get under way.

“I got spoiled when I came on the board. We hit the road running with projects that were ongoing or just getting ready to take off,” he said. “We’ve hit a lull and I don’t like lulls.”

Stillson said he wanted to keep the members engaged and excited with smaller projects with visible results. Commission member’s suggestions included:

• Alternative signage to neon open/close signs to provide for downtown businesses.

• Developing green space/streetscape on the east side of town in the area starting at Burger King and extending east. Also cleaning up old signage from non-existing businesses.

• Historic signage identifying businesses off the main highways.

• Partnering to help Coppes Commons developer with sign/front of building.

• Improving back entrances to downtown businesses, particularly restaurants so more appealing — parking lots and alleys — and exploring a possible program similar to NIFTY.

Gateway Signage also discussed but they would have to be within the TIF district in order to use TIF funds, otherwise alternative funds would need to be used.

In other business, commission members:

• Approved the executive director’s contract for 2010.

• Heard an update on the “second story windows” project — a workshop is being planned for April and Marcus Miller, owner of Main Street Coffee has agreed to allow two of his boarded up second story windows to be used as examples.

• Heard since the Business Improvement District (BID) board and NIFTY committee established, $219,000 of improvements have been made to downtown businesses.