November 08, 2009
What's Inside:
Council postpones vote on Downtown TIF plan
If boom times ever return to St. Joseph’s historic core, the Downtown dreamers might thank the City Council for a vote it decided not to take.
The St. Joseph City Council decided Monday to push back a vote to use tax increment financing to revitalize Downtown.
Council member Joyce Starr proposed the move for two reasons. She did not want to take the vote because council member Mike Bozarth was absent and because council member Donna Jean Boyer had missed the past two council meetings and wanted more time to review the TIF plan.
The seemingly innocuous motion passed 5-0. It also saved the Downtown TIF from near-certain defeat.
Business leaders traded nervous glances before the meeting, nodding in the direction of Mr. Bozarth’s empty seat. They crunched their numbers in hushed tones. The math didn’t look good for the TIF.
Because Mayor Ken Shearin and council members Roger Baker and Bill Falkner own property in the proposed TIF district, they abstained from the vote. Factor in Mr. Bozarth’s absence, and only five council members were available to vote — the amount needed to pass the ordinance.
Council member Barbara LaBass has made well-known her skepticism of a Downtown TIF. Had the council voted Monday, she had the power to shoot down the entire plan.
“I would have had to vote ‘no’ because the people in my district just aren’t in favor of it,” Ms. LaBass said after the meeting.
Despite her opposition to the TIF, Ms. LaBass voted in favor of postponing the vote and did not utter a single word of opposition.
“I think it’s probably going to be more fair to do it when everyone is here,” Ms. LaBass said.
Ms. Starr said she hoped Ms. LaBass would change her mind.
“If we approve the TIF, what we’re really doing is approving the concept, not any specific project,” Ms. Starr said. “Every project will still have to come before the council.”
Ms. Boyer missed the past two council meetings when she was out of the country on a vacation. She planned to miss only one meeting, but travel problems led to an additional absence.
The city plans to activate the TIF in four stages. The first would establish an entertainment district at an estimated cost of $25 million. The district will extend from Fifth Street to Ninth Street with Felix Street at its core, but it will reach north and south to include properties such as the Missouri Theater.
The second stage would create a convention area west of the entertainment district, with a hotel and a new convention center. The third and fourth stages would focus on development in the areas north and south of the entertainment district, east of the convention area.
Clinton Thomas can be reached at clintonthomas@npgco.com.
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it was startling to hear councilmember starr say last night that she had just a WEEK ago learned the fact that this first vote was solely to approve the overall concept on the TIF, and that the council is in control of each individual project as it moves forward.
council needs to start a public information campaign. TIF is not a dirty word, and not all TIF offerings are the same. come on, council, get the ball rolling and inform the public ( or, alternatively at least don't tell the public that you haven't investigated this well enough to not understand even the most elemental issues until a week before the vote)
i hope the NP will address this FULLY in the coming weeks. publish sections of the document and have different elected officials and administrators clarify the issues.
"The first would establish an entertainment district at an estimated cost of $25 million."
I thought we already had an entertainment district - St. Joe Avenue. Ba-dum-dum!
I'm with heritage - it would be pretty cool to see more in-depth details on what's going on.
I too was shocked last night. . . if I understood that the council was voting on the concept and that it would work with projects on a case-by-case basis, why the heck didn't the council members ;-)
The reason for th4 postponement Is simple. With Mayor Shearin, council members Baker and Falkner owning property downtown, only six were eligible to vote. Five votes are needed for passage. Councilman Bozarth was zbsent due to a family medical situation. With Councilwoman LaBass opposed, the measure would have failed, 4-1. With Mr. Bozarth in attendance next time, it likely will pass, 5-1.
The good, the bad, and oh well!
I agree with previous comments; the council must actively address providing complete information to the community so both the purpose and means of this program are fully understood.
The reason Ms. LaBass opposes this measure is understandable and perhaps even admirable but it is important to remember each district eventually has a "need" and the concept of mutual support in the area is often prudent.
Ms LaBass needs to vote on what is good for the entire city not just her District. She needs to become a leader of her District not a follower. The Downtown TIF will allow those Business an insentive to improve. To my knowlwdge this is the first insentive that has been proposed for the indivdual Downtown property owner.
I for one hope this passes because we need more lower paying service jobs. Bartenders, waiters and maids will soon be in high demand in downtown St. Joseph.
rabble rouser, i hardly think that the business owners who are making a go of it downtown would agree with that particular viewpoint. they contribute to the tax base. as for low paying wages, the same issues could be raised about the belt.
falcon, i suggest anyone who wants to see the proposition pass call mr. bozarth and express your support.
as for comments on representing your "constituents", i think the broader less micromanaged view of an elected official being able to make independent judgement has far more merit that a vocal few swaying their opinion. an elected official should be judged on the aggregate of their voting record. often citizens have opinions based on incorrect information and petty concerns.
I, as a citizen of this city find it totally unacceptable that we AGAIN change things downtown... how many times are we going to spend thousands of dollars changing things, and still do nothing with the space... do you think having yet another bar or restraunt downtown is the answer? They changed the curb layouts, and now you cant hardly get two cars beside each other in the intersections, and now some think we need more bars downtown? Any more makeover ideas? It was wonderful when you had a whole street as kind of a park walk through... and then it was torn out AGAIN... we have old department stores as apartments, and lots of empty buildings... history is great, but lets remember what screwed up the downtown to begin with...
I'm not sure how LaBass would have voted then again neither is she. She probably would not have known what she was voting on and asked afterwards what happened ....
Topshape, I disagree with you. She is a spokesperson for the people of her district. If she has had enough people contact her and stress their opposition to the TIF, then she should vote No.
brightspirit, I totally disagree about the new downtown streetscape. The curbs do not interfere with traffic, they define parking areas. The result is very attractive and makes it look like someone actually thought about the layout. The streetscape is a lovely addition to downtown.
MizzouFan01, I disagree with YOU, Every elected official needs to vote their conscience not public opinion. Any idiot can take a poll and vote on behalf of the majority opinion. We choose carefully, or should at least, who we vote for because their views and opinions will undoubtedly effect their decisions, and that's they way it SHOULD be.
Is this a commentaary about Goverment 101 and whether officials are stewards of the constituency or not. Look downtown suffers from the same problem that young kids have with there cheap cars and expensive wheels. You can put shiny rims on a 88 buick, but its still an 88 buick. Downtown was once beautiful in pictures from the early 1900s, but that time is gone, we have torn stories off of buildings, destroyed history and left a cratered shell of what it was. The revitilization and the preservation is and was needed 30 years ago not know. There are parking problems not to mention genral infrastructure problems. People are correct that downtowns are great, but look at the space available. I can only think of a few places along felix and francis worth saving. Plus look at fredrick and the entry to downtown, it is tire shops and taco bells. That is not attractive. Tifs do not solve problems like downtown. Instead of entertainment districts and convention centers lets put that thought into parking infrastructure and planning. Downtown needs new buildings mixed with the old, more parking fewer buildings(thats right pay the people out and get ride of the building via demolition.) I am not a girl who is a major engineer or developer or what not. Tif is not a cure. It wont fix whats down there, more late night bars and resturants, more trouble and more problems. Fights, fights and wasted time. Why dont they have an entertainment district on the Avenue and in the southend then. I think there are a few clusters of bars there to. Hey lets TIf the entire city then sewers dont back up,streets and infrastructure are great everywhere and there are services in every part of town. Downtown is not a priority over the north or east period. Southend could use some help down there. Lot of history there to. What makes that area so great. Not seeing it. Turn it all over to a developer, let them figure it out. I like the idea of this downtown deal, but it is not something we need as a city right now.
Athome, that argument has been going on since 1776-and probably beyond. I think an elected representative must strike a happy medium; listen carefully to the wishes of constituents and use their own wise judgment.
And BTW. Why do people throw the word "idiot" around on this message board so freely? It is a cop out for when you can't win an argument with reason.
Also, before someone calls me an idiot, you should know that I am rubber and you are glue! Whatever you say bounces off me and sticks to you!
AtHome:
What is the purpose of our elected officials? To be the voice of the people they represent. I am not saying if a few people come up and say, "Don't vote for this," but if enough people express their concers and their concerns are valid, then she should vote on how the people of her district feel.
How about the screw up on Felix Street with the nice brick pedestrian crosswalks. They are totally falling apart and crumbling, and now CITY WORKERS are preparing to fix the damage themselves. They are planning on tearing out the faulty VENDORS WORK and are replacing them with stammped concrete crossing that looking like colored bricks. Why doesn't the vendor fix the problem?
What a huge waste of city tax dollars.... AGAIN!
Public Works have "laid" a "test strip" down at their city yards facility and are "testing" to see if this will work up. What happens when this doesn't solve the problem? I'm no expert in concete, but I don't think stammped concrete crosswalks are the right solution.
Downtown folks on Felix street from 3rd to 8th, be prepared to have your streets shut down again! Ha!
Honestly I think this is a horrible idea. I hear all these people talk about what downtown could become and it makes me want to puke. People we have a population base of 74,000 NOT 740,000, our population base simply cannot support a vibrant downtown and it never will. Also dont use the argument that there are other small towns that support their downtown's. Do you know why they support them BECAUSE THEY HAVE NOTHING ELSE. Thats right they have no East Hills Mall or Shoppes of the North Village, all they have is their downtown.
You might as well call the Entertainment District/Convention Center "The Field of Dreams" except in this case unlike the movie "If You Build It They Will Not Come"