Was it a mistake, or was the City really trying to inform citizens about the East Village TIF.
Unfortunately the TIF 101 meeting that took place tonight at Glen Oak Community Center was not well attended. Estimates are that approximately 40 - 50 people were in attendance and that's inclusive of Council members and City employees (Landes, Black, Gray, Parker, Ray, et al, along with Riggenbach, Spain and Gulley).
Who was there
As promised, "Dennis in Peoria" Eggemeyer, a regular blogger who works for PCCEO was there to record the meeting. The East Village TIF will assist property owners to rehabilitate their properties and provide various financial incentives and loan programs, which would be developed and offered to qualified owners on a point system.
School Board President Debbie Wolfmeyer had questions, however, I'm not sure if she was asking as a resident of the East Bluff or as the President of the BOE (the District owns several residential properties and some commercial properties on the East Bluff). In attendance along with Mrs. Wolfmeyer was Comptroller, David Kinney and the BOE Attorney that always wears the cowboy boots. Also in attendance was Jim Stowell, however, he was not sitting with the school board contingency. Mr. Stowell also had several very good questions.
Bobby Gray, the City employee whose turn it is to sell a TIF, introduced Steve Combs from Springfield's Enos Park Neighborhood Association, which is currently working under the same type of TIF.
Who wasn't there
Maybe I missed her, but I didn't see local neighborhood activist Karrie Alms at the meeting. I always feel better when Mrs. Alms is in attendance, she is great at catching the nuances under which the city has been known to operate. Mrs. Alms, along with life long East Bluff resident Sarah Partridge, was instrumental in stopping the school in the Park concept. Mrs. Alms would have found it interesting to hear Mr. Combs describe how the TIF would assist home owners with historical properties. All you folks in the big old houses over on Madison, Glen Oak and surrounding areas
sounds like you need to get your wish list together -
looks like good things could potentially happen for the properties you own.
One of the issues that concerned me was the talk of establishing a property acquisition/demolition program, through which properties would be acquired in a land bank until they’re demolished or redeveloped. Who do you think will be charged with over seeing the land bank? I'm thinking it will be the beloved East Bluff Neighborhood Housing Services (which is run by people who don't live on the East Bluff). That... could be a problem. I bet Steve would agree.
About the Speaker - Steve CombsMr. Combs spoke about neighborhood associations and residents being prepared to force city councilman to do what was right by the neighborhood, because the TIF would provide for services that we may have to fight for. Mr. Combs joked with Mr. Gray that the City might not want him to come back after giving out that information. Mr. Combs talked about the power the TIF could give a strong neighborhood association group.
Recently Mr. Combs has been involved in Springfield with organizing members of more than a dozen neighborhood associations that have formed Springfield's Inner City Older Neighborhood coalition. The group hopes to play a role in the 2011 city election, when the positions of mayor and all 10 aldermen are up for grabs. ICON members plan to develop a platform of issues, propose ordinances, and keep track of votes aldermen cast and the positions held by potential candidates.
Hopefully, local neighborhood association members who were in attendance tonight will contact Mr. Combs as we go forward with the East Village TIF.
