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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1998/01/26-Minutes-HEDC Highlights of the Tuesday, January 26, 1998 Economic Development Committee Meeting I. STANDING ITEMS II. NEW BUSINESS A. Consideration of Tax Abatement Application Submitted by Mother Parker's Tea & Coffee Jay Chapa, Economic Development Coordinator presented the proposed tax abatement with Mother Parker's Tea and Coffee. Mother Parker's Tea & Coffee is a Canadian coffee roaster and distributor that intends to open its first manufacturing and distribution facility in the U.S. It has chosen Fort Worth as its first choice for a site for this development. The abatement is designed to provide a tax abatement only if the company meets performance commitments involving the contracting of Fort Worth and M/WBE contractors and in the employment of Fort Worth and Inner City residents. The overall tax abatement cannot exceed 80% in any year. The committee members asked several questions regarding the development and the proposed project and then voted unanimously to support the tax abatement and forward the issue to the full City Council B. Update of Tax Delinquent Property Foreclosure Process Charles Boswell, Assistant City Manager introduced the City's tax delinquent attorney's who made the presentation. It was explained to the committee the primary reason the backlog of tax delinquent properties keeps growing is because of the inability to take large numbers of these properties to the Sheriff sale since the slots available each month are limited. Basically the sheriff's department does not allow more that 30 properties to be sold at auction by the City of Fort worth each month. The attorneys explained that an attempt to get this number increased has not been very successful. The committee asked what would be needed to be able to settle tax delinquent properties in a way that would not involve the sheriff's office? They were told that legislation at the state level would be required in order for the City to get some type of mechanism for dealing with this issue. Councilmember Haskin asked that the issue be included in the legislative briefing agenda of the City Council. Councilmember Jim Lane suggested that in the short term, Jeff Wentworth and Mike Groomer should contact the Sheriff about increasing the number of properties that can be taken to auction each month. The committee agreed. C. Discussion Concerning Real Property Ownership of the JC Penney Distribution Center Mike Groomer, Assistant City Manager explained that JC Penney had contacted staff about a change in the ownership of the real and personal property at the JC Penney distribution center at Alliance. He explained that JC Penney was transferring ownership from one subsidiary to another and although there was not any need for action by the City Council, staff wanted to keep council members informed about this change. The change does not affect the tax abatement agreement. D. Discussion Concerning the Economic Development Committee 1999 Work Plan Chairman Wentworth explained that he would like to have a group of issues that the committee would place as priority items to be addressed in the coming year. The committee members agreed and a discussion began regarding what issues should be included. After several suggestions, the following items were placed on the committees work plan for 1999. • Oversight of the Convention Center expansion • Propose changes to the current tax abatement policy and adopt a new policy • Be involved in active monitoring of the FW Partnership effort • Initiate the establishment of South and Southeast Enterprise Zones • Complete a comprehensive overview of the City's economic development efforts • Provide oversight of the city's major corridor redevelopment program • Institute a program that will allow the city to begin land banking for future projects • Institute a program to develop a new development fund for economic development projects E. Discussion of Future Committee Meeting Dates The committee discussed whether future committee meeting should continue to be held on the third Wednesday of each month. It was suggested that meetings be held on Tuesdays to coincide with Council meetings. The committee decided to hold future meetings on the third Tuesday of each month.