Planning Committee

Summary

Meeting Overview

The Urban County Council Planning Committee convened on January 22, 2008, at 1:01 PM with Ms. Gorton presiding as the meeting's presiding officer. The committee addressed four agenda items during the session, with three items serving as informational presentations and one item requiring formal action. The committee took four votes throughout the meeting and heard no public comments during the proceedings.

The meeting focused primarily on informational briefings covering key planning and development topics affecting the urban county. Committee members received presentations on Tax Incremental Financing, the DDA Land Bank program, and Trailer Park Quality of Life issues, allowing them to gather information on these important policy areas without taking formal action. The final agenda item, "Items Referred to Committee," was approved by the committee, representing the only substantive action taken during the session.

The meeting provided the Planning Committee with updates on various development and housing initiatives while maintaining an efficient agenda that concluded with the approval of referred items for further consideration.

Attendance

The Committee meeting on January 22, 2008 had nine members present and two absent.

Present: • Gorton • Blues • Ellinger • James • Beard • Stevens • Stinnett • McChord • Myers

Absent: • Crosbie • Gray

No members arrived late to the meeting.

Votes and Decisions

The Committee took four votes during the January 22, 2008 meeting, all of which passed by voice vote.

TIF Discussion Meeting CM Beard motioned to schedule another meeting prior to the Thursday Council Meeting on February 7, 2008 at 5:00 pm to review an updated draft/revised presentation and conduct further discussion on TIF (Tax Increment Financing). CM James seconded the motion, which passed by voice vote.

Land Bank Program Agreement CM Stevens motioned to proceed with a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) or Inter-Local Cooperation agreement, directing the LFUCG Department of Law to begin negotiations with two other partners and provide feedback/updates from Louisville, Kentucky regarding their land bank program. CM James seconded the motion, which passed by voice vote.

Trailer Parks Subcommittee Formation CM Stevens motioned to form a subcommittee to research trailer parks and quality of life issues. The subcommittee will be chaired by CM James, with CM Beard, CM Blues, and CM Stinnett serving as members. CM Beard seconded the motion, which passed by voice vote.

Meeting Adjournment CM Gorton motioned to adjourn the meeting, with CM Stevens providing the second. The motion passed by voice vote.

All four motions were approved unanimously through voice votes, with no recorded opposition or abstentions. No transcript timestamps were available for these votes in the provided materials.

Tax Incremental Financing

Harold Tate and Kim Bryant presented an informational overview of Tax Incremental Financing (TIF) programs during the committee meeting. The presentation focused on educating committee members about the structure and benefits of TIF districts.

The speakers explained that there are two primary types of TIF programs available:

• Signature TIF - A program designed for specific development projects
• Mixed Use Urban Blight Projects - TIF districts targeting areas with urban blight conditions that can accommodate mixed-use development

Tate and Bryant walked the committee through the TIF process, explaining how these financing mechanisms work to support economic development. Tax Incremental Financing allows municipalities to use future property tax increases generated by new development within a designated district to fund infrastructure improvements and other qualifying expenses that support that development.

The presentation covered the benefits that TIF programs can provide to communities, including the ability to leverage private investment, improve blighted areas, and generate economic activity without requiring upfront municipal funding. The incremental tax revenue created by increased property values within the TIF district can be reinvested back into the area to support continued development and improvement.

This was an informational session designed to provide committee members with a foundational understanding of how TIF programs operate and their potential applications. No specific TIF proposals were considered or voted upon during this discussion. The presentation served as background information for the committee's future consideration of TIF-related matters.

DDA Land Bank

Kim Bryant presented information about the state statute that allows for the creation of a land bank, which would enable the acquisition of land for affordable housing and other community uses. Bryant explained the legal framework and structure that would govern such a land bank under state law.

The discussion focused on the potential benefits and operational aspects of establishing a land bank through the Downtown Development Authority (DDA). Bryant outlined how this mechanism could be used as a tool for acquiring properties that could then be developed or reserved for affordable housing initiatives and other community purposes.

The committee members engaged in discussion about the structure of the proposed land bank and its potential applications within the community. The conversation explored how this statutory authority could be leveraged to address local housing and development needs.

This was an informational presentation designed to educate committee members about the land bank option available under state law. No formal action was taken during this discussion, as the item served to provide background information on this potential development tool that the DDA could utilize in the future.

The land bank concept represents one of several mechanisms available to local government entities for strategic property acquisition and community development purposes, particularly in addressing affordable housing challenges.

Trailer Park Quality of Life

CM James led a discussion on quality of life issues affecting trailer park residents in the community. The conversation focused on safety concerns and potential relocation challenges facing these residential areas.

During the discussion, CM James presented various issues that have been identified in local trailer parks, though specific details of the safety concerns were not elaborated upon in the available materials. The discussion also touched on relocation matters, suggesting that some trailer park residents may be facing displacement or the need to relocate their homes.

The committee recognized that these issues require more detailed investigation and analysis before any concrete actions or recommendations can be made. Rather than attempting to address the complex matters immediately, the committee determined that a more focused approach would be beneficial.

As a result of the discussion, the committee decided to establish a subcommittee specifically dedicated to investigating trailer park quality of life issues. This subcommittee will be tasked with conducting a more thorough examination of the safety concerns, relocation challenges, and other related matters affecting trailer park residents.

The agenda item was treated as informational, with no immediate policy decisions or actions taken during this meeting. The formation of the subcommittee represents the committee's commitment to addressing these community concerns through a more detailed and systematic approach.

The discussion demonstrates the committee's recognition that trailer park residents face unique challenges that warrant dedicated attention and investigation before any solutions can be proposed or implemented.

Items Referred to Committee

During this agenda item, CM Gorton addressed the committee's ongoing list of referred items and proposed a significant organizational change to streamline the committee's workload.

CM Gorton recommended striking all items that had been referred to the committee before 2007, with one notable exception: updates related to Loudon/Newtown Pike would be retained on the list. The purpose of this recommendation was to create a fresh start for the committee by beginning a new list of referred items as needed, rather than maintaining an extensive backlog of older items.

This proposal represented a practical approach to committee management, acknowledging that items referred years earlier may no longer be relevant or actionable. By clearing the slate of pre-2007 items while preserving the Loudon/Newtown Pike updates, the committee would be able to focus on more current priorities while maintaining continuity on an ongoing infrastructure matter.

The committee approved CM Gorton's recommendation, effectively clearing the majority of previously referred items from their active list while establishing a more manageable framework for handling future referrals.