08-04-2009 City Council Minutes - Laserfiche WebLink

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M, City Council Minutes August 4, 2009 Page 4 of 8 that there are many infrastructure costs with high and direct benefit to the project itself but very little benefit to surrounding properties. Council Member Ryan stated that the Council should look at a bigger plan for the City and address the property to the South. He stated that this does not fit the concept of the comprehensive plan in regard to a walking district. This is clearly a highway business and defeats our proposed downtown plan and forces people out of the downtown area. He stated that current business people are held hostage due to the highway until municipal consent on the highway is given. Council Member Ryan stated that to give an indication if the Council is in favor of TIF would cost the City a lot of money. He noted that he would like to see the project flushed out and the planning and zoning issues addressed. Council Member Sjoblad questioned the net affect on the city in regard to jobs. He noted that he has seen the layout and one of the proposed streets looks like it may be a driveway rather than a street or city street. He questioned how this would be an advantage to the City. The proposed water and sewer lines would be private lines and would offer no advantage to the City. Council Member Sjoblad further stated that the area where the building would be elongates the central core of the City. Pat Barrett noted that the south access is proposed to be a City street and would be 44 feet wide. The drive to the north is a private drive but does provide public access to the store. The project will provide 80 to 100 jobs minus the existing jobs. Council Member Nagel stated that there is a clear indication from the comp plan open house that people want a new and expanded grocery store. He noted that he has a concern with the location of the proposed business as it would necessitate an automobile trip. He noted that his final concern is that this is an ethical issue; the use of a financing instrument to aid one player in the market place against another existing player. He noted he is not prepared to move forward with TIF. Mayor Adams stated that 9 months ago the citizens were asked what they wanted in the City. The main answer was that the citizens want a new or expanded grocery store. Mayor Adams noted that a business wants to come to our town regardless of the highway. She noted that the request for TIF is a pay as you go so it does not cost the City any money. She stated that we have a business that wants to come to town and we should give the developer a chance to look into TIF for the project. ROLL CALL VOTE: COUNCIL MEMBER MALECHA VOTING AYE, `, COUNCIL MEMBER NAGEL VOTING NAY, COUNCIL MEMBER RYAN