Financing Tool Would Foster Redevelopment In North Tyler Area
By CINDY MALLETTE
Staff Writer
Tyler City Council members voted on Wednesday to undertake the next step in creating a North Tyler Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone, or TIRZ.
The council authorized city staff to issue 60-day notification letters to all other taxing jurisdictions within the TIRZ. Once the 60-day notice letters are sent, presentations will be made to the Tyler Independent School District Board, Smith County Commissioners Court and the Tyler Junior College Board of Regents. Ultimately, the City Council will pass an ordinance establishing the boundaries and setting up guidelines for the TIRZ.
Tax increment financing is a tool the city plans to use to foster downtown redevelopment. The TIRZ is governed by Chapter 311 of the Texas Tax Code. As private reinvestment occurs in the zone, a TIRZ captures the tax revenue from incremental increases in the property values in the area. A TIRZ is not a new or added tax. The amount of property tax and sales tax increments captured in the TIRZ is reinvested back into the community in the form of public improvements, revitalization and infrastructure projects.
"Chapter 5 of the Tyler 21 Plan focuses on north end revitalization," said Mayor Barbara Bass. "The use of a TIRZ in this area will be an important tool to stimulate private reinvestment as a result of public projects."
The North Tyler TIRZ resulted from the Tyler 21 Plan as an action item designed to spur revitalization in that area. In April, the City Council voted to hire a consultant to provide services required to create the TIRZ.
"The TIRZ opens up a lot of possibilities," said Councilman Ralph Caraway. "This is a part of an economic development strategy that will help revitalize north Tyler. It will promote projects like the North Chase development that is currently in the planning stages. This project includes assisted living and a subdivision that is long overdue. It has been more than 30 years since a subdivision has been built in this area of town."
The proposed boundaries of the North Tyler TIRZ encompass properties north of Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard (along North Broadway) to Loop 323, including Texas College.
This TIRZ is the second of its kind to be launched in Tyler since the adoption of the Tyler 21 Plan. The first was in downtown Tyler.
Also on Wednesday, the Council took action on these items:
Approved zoning requests for 2923 Grand Ave.; 7524 S. Broadway Ave.; 325 E. Erwin St.; 105 S. Center Ave.; 2729 McDonald Road; 3550 Old Jacksonville Hwy.; 2.18 acres near the intersection of U.S. Highway 69 and Loop 49; and 6.109 acres near the intersection of Broadway and Heritage Drive.
Approved street name change request from Lakewood Drive to Pointe North Drive for the eastern portion of Lakewood Drive, beginning at the southeast intersection of Mineola Highway, extending across Loop 323 and ending at the northwest intersection of Country Road.
Heard a presentation on the status of the Half Cent Prioritization Project.
Approved designation of the Tyler Woman's Building and Wood T. Brookshire as Half-Mile of History recipients.
Approved submission of an FAA Grant Fund application for design services for the runway safety area at Tyler Pounds Regional Airport, in the amount of $279,684.
Approved a city code amendment to decrease speed limit from 55 mph to 50 mph on South Broadway, from Cumberland Road north to Heritage Drive.
Approved a negotiated resolution between Atmos Cities Steering Committee and ATMOS Energy Corp., Mid-Tex Division.
Approved a City Code amendment for membership requirements of the Neighborhood Revitalization Board.
Approved an amendment to Chapter 1, General Provisions, Article III, "Boards," of the Code of Ordinances removing references to a board no longer in existence and lowering the number of members of the Disabilities Issues Review Board.
Approved an amendment to Chapter 2, Finance and Taxation, Article I, "In General," relating to the threshold dollar amount at which the city is required to engage in competitive bidding and increasing the amount of the city manager's spending authority; increasing the amount of donations the city manager can accept; and increasing the amount for which the city manager can settle claims.
Approved a City Code amendment updating provisions relating to city boards.
Approved a contract with Crown Civil Construction in the amount of $131,994, for concrete improvements.
Approved alterations to the Faulkner Park master plan to include a proposed future girl's fast pitch softball complex.
Conducted the first public hearing for the proposed 2008-09 FY city budget and property tax rate.
Tabled awarding of an oil and gas lease on three land tracts totaling 151.815 surface acres in the Tyler Landfill.
Approved a contract amendment with Wisenbaker Fix and Associates in the amount of $9,920 for additional design services, for a new contract amount of $75,620.
Approved Amendment No. 2 with Capco Engineering Inc. in the amount of $8,138.71 for additional construction inspection services, for a new contract amount of $32,138.72.
Approved a renewal agreement with the U.S. Department of Justice, Drug Enforcement Administration to allow for Tyler Police Department's continued participation in the East Texas Drug Task Force.
Authorized city manager to issue final acceptance, execute reconciliation change order and release the final retainage payment in the amount of $5,581.98 for sidewalk improvements to Proyecto Rosalinda Area, Phase 2.
Accepted bid from McKenzie Tile and Flooring in the amount of $7,560 for new carpet on the first floor of City Hall.
Approved payment to Southern Utilities Co. in the amount of $20,304.23 for relocation of an existing eight-inch water line associated with the Old Omen Road project.
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