Caldwell Urban Renewal Agency board approved a draft resolution to "loan" $297,700 to TVCC this past week. The "loan" will be interest free and the repayment details very sketchy.
Under terms of the resolution money from the loan will go to remodel the Mercado building and other upgrades for the benefit the Oregon based community college. The money will be a stop-gap effort at best. What is really confusing here is the original site for a 60,000 square foot building was supposed to be in the Sky Ranch business park. Mayor Nancolas jerked the rug out from under this effort in his state of the city address this year. Mayor Nancolas unilaterally moved the site to downtown as a part of the catalyst project/city hall effort. None of this has been requested nor approved by the citizens of Caldwell. Mayor Nancolas indicated he would seek voter approval for this project. To date no election of any kinds has been offered up for voter oversight.
What we have now is Mayor Nancolas, Finance Director Eljay Waite, Councilor Rob Hopper, and Urban Renewal Board members Leona Fouts and Amy Rojas moving forward with a 30,000 square foot structure three stories high on Blaine Street between 6th and 7th Avenues. The intent is for the Veterans Outpatient Clinic to occupy the ground floor and TVCC the upper floors. Not enough room per previous requests from TVCC for classroom space and no site yet slected by the VA on bid packages submitted.
This effort is now the new and improved "catalyst project" for downtown Caldwell. The cost will be in the $6-10 million dollar range and no voter approvals or oversight for this project. It is yet another move by Urban Renewal to lock out voters on millions of dollars on a project nobody wants nor have they asked for in our downtown area. It is the actions of five people deciding what is good for the rest of us.
Why is Caldwell Urban Renewal supporting an out of state college with Caldwell property taxpayer dollars. Why aren't we allowed to vote this up or down with a proper vote of the people. It is a blatant case of Idaho Urban Renewal Law being abused to the fullest extent possible. (See Draft CEURA Resolution 2009-2)
We will not see economic development in downtown Caldwell with this project. What we will get is more property removed from the tax rolls, a duplication of what is already offered by College of Western Idaho, and more property taxes heaped on the taxpayers of Caldwell. The City of Caldwell will be going into the landlord business locking out private development. The need for this project simply has not been demonstrated beyond those on the urban renewal board declaring it so.
It would make far more sense to support voter approved College of Western Idaho with our scarce property tax dollars.
Final Note: Canyon County Commissioner Steve Rule who is a member of the CEURA board voted no on the $300k "Loan" resolution to TVCC.
I hope someone from the AG's office is reading this! I smell lawsuit.
ReplyDeleteHmmmm...fact or fiction? The Mayor did NOT "jerk the rug out from under" the SkyRanch project. The economy tanked, the developer couldn't get financing, the project had to be reconsidered. I am a concerned, tax-paying citizen and I have made every attempt to keep myself informed. I applaud the fiscal responsibility applied to this decision. It makes GREAT sense to combine the TVCC and VA efforts and fill one building versus having two partially filled buildings in this economy.
ReplyDeleteYour statement that this is a "project nobody wants" is ludicrous! In reviewing the testimonies from the public hearing held December 2, 2008 specifically for this project, there is no basis for your opinion. A room full of citizens, 25 of whom spoke in support, and NONE that spoke in opposition. I was there...where were you??? In reviewing minutes of the Urban Renewal meetings, it is apparent that you haven't attended any. I am wondering why you aren't willing to voice your opinion during meetings and open discussions. Personally, I would have a much easier time swallowing some of your opinions if I knew that you were really in the loop and had benefit of the whole story.
This December Meeting was the "public hearing" where the Mayor and City Finance Director stacked the audience with every avaiable city employee and the Mayor's Children he takes to Washington DC every year on the taxpayer dime?
ReplyDeleteThis meeting was simply a legal requirement to issue revenue bonds we would all have to pay for.
By the way, how did that effort work out. Did you get the bond money or not? Are we all having to pay this back or not?
What happened to the promised advisory election on TVCC bonding?