Council begins Commercial Street redevelopment process

Council voted 8-0-1 to direct city staff to prepare a redevelopment plan and blight report for a 10-block section of Commercial Street between Grant and Texas streets. Councilwoman Mary Collette, a Commercial Street property owner, was the lone abstention.

The blight report would pave the way for the creation of a tax-increment financing district for the area, which would allow businesses to collect up to 50 percent of increased sales taxes resulting from redevelopment, along with 100 percent of the increase in property taxes, for up to 23 years.

City Redevelopment Director Mike MacPherson said the city would be able to use the captured tax money for infrastructure and other improvement projects, such as streetscapes.

He added that taxing jurisdictions would continue to receive their current level of tax support.

Councilwoman Cynthia Rushefsky expressed slight concern about the declaration of blight in the area and the possibility of using eminent domain.

City Attorney Dan Wichmer, however, said during the meeting that he doesn’t expect it to be an issue.

“Any time you get into the TIF process, the city does include eminent domain (as part of) its authority,” Wichmer said. “But in this situation, I don’t think it would be used.”

The next step is to gauge public sentiment on the issue – MacPherson said a questionnaire will be sent to all property and business owners in the affected district, and public hearings will be scheduled in the coming months to show specific plans.

Also on the agenda:

• Council approved $3.2 million in spending for the Springfield-Greene County Parks Department to cover the nonreimbursable costs of ice storm cleanup and recovery as well as other expenses earmarked for N-cent initiative funds.

Assistant Parks Director Bob Belote said the salary of a new director for Lake Country Soccer will come from the funds, along with funding for other park projects, including completion of the department’s metropolitan parks, such as Valley Water Mill equestrian park and the park at Rutledge-Wilson Farm.

• Council approved an additional $33.5 million for City Utilities’ budget to pay for repairs and cleanup from the January ice storm.

The money will cover most of the $36 million in storm-related costs; about $2.5 million is included in the current budget. The utility estimates that about $29.1 million will be reimbursed over the next three years from the federal and state Emergency Management agencies.

• CU also received approval to raise bus rates to $1.25 by Oct. 1, 2009, and to implement an Emergency Water Conservation Plan.

• Jack Henry & Associates received approval to rezone more than 36 acres at Battlefield Road and Highway 65. The Monett-based banking software company is planning to build a 550,000-square-foot office complex in four phases, in an effort to consolidate its 200 Springfield employees currently spread among two leased spaces.

Phase I construction is expected to begin early next year.

• Council approved an ordinance allowing police to crack down on vehicles with multiple parking tickets by applying boots to offenders’ cars. The boot, based on a model implemented by police in Denver, would cost $50 to remove.

City officials say there are about 160 vehicles that currently fall under the “multiple violator” banner.[[In-content Ad]]