Friday, March 8, 2013

TID#2 Evaluation

INTRODUCTION

The City created TID#2 in 1998 with the goal of furthering economic development through the establishment of a Business Park. The primary objective was to provide improved industrial parcels for development with the least expenditure possible at the earliest possible date. The City anticipated that this Business Park could yield up to 470 employees.

In November of 2000, the City started the first amendment to the Boundary and Project Plan. The amendment modified the Business Park layout and area. The Business Park includes parcels held by the City and a private developer. The City currently holds three lots that range from two (2) to seven (7) acres. The City has an offer in on one lot and is looking at building a public facility on another lot. The City would potentially not have any lots available for development by the end of 2013.

DEFINE THE PROBLEM

After a Tax Incremental District (TID) is created, the municipality may amend the TID. The area of the TID can be modified to add property served by TID improvements, or remove developed land from a TID. The project plan can be amended to include new project costs or different financing plans. The increment revenue from one TID can also be allocated to help pay debts of another TID. Finally, the life of a TID can be extended beyond the statutory maximum (which differs based on the type of TID) if existing tax increments will not pay project costs in the allowed time.

The amendment request involves territory changes that will require valuation forms that list and value the parcels and the project plan will have to be modified. This project plan would include all affected parts of the project plan, especially the financing and cash flow information.

TID#2 is now a financially successful district. The City has been the main player in the sale of land in the Park. The private developer has sold some lots, but still holds over forty (40) acres for sale. The Economic Development Commission is being asked to evaluate if the City should purchase more land and add it to TID#2 to continue encouraging industrial and business development in the community.

BACKGROUND

The City of Lake Mills started reviewing the creation of a Tax Increment District in 1997 to generate Tax Increment Financing for use in developing a business park. The City had purchased seventy seven (77) acres to stimulate industrial growth and experienced low interest in the undeveloped land. The City ultimately determined that southeastern Wisconsin had too many developed business parks to stimulate economic activity with vacant undeveloped land. This led the City to created Tax Increment Financing District #2 in 1998. The goals and objectives of the City in creating this TID were to further economic development through the establishment of a business park.  The intent was to diversify the tax base by encouraging industrial and business development in the community that would increase jobs and spending capacity and eventually would spin-off development into the rest of the community.

The discovery and delineation of a wetland, a business reduction and statute changes arose between the creation of TID#2 and early 2000 which required the City modify the original Boundary and Project Plan.

COMPREHENSIVE PLAN INFORMATION

The City of Lake Mills Comprehensive Plan (2009) lists in its land use recommendations that the City should provide sufficient area and appropriate development standards for a range of residential, commercial, industrial and civic land uses. The Plan states that nine (9%) percent of the City total area is industrial uses. Most of the industrial area is in the Lake Mills Business Park. The Comprehensive Plan concludes that the City will experience one (1%) percent commercial and industrial growth per five year period and this is based primarily on expectations for the northside and the Business Park.

Page 74, item 7 states that the City will direct intensive commercial and industrial uses to locations near existing and planned arterial roads such as the Interstate Highway 94 corridor, the STH 89 corridor north of Interstate Highway 94, Tyranena Road, and CP Avenue.

Page 100, item 1 states that the City will provide an efficient system of arterials and major collectors that provides local industrial and commercial truck traffic with the most direct access possible to Interstate 94, STH 89 and other highways.

Page 100, item 1 states that much of CP Avenue runs from north and south through mostly industrial and open areas of the City. However, it does not provide direct, efficient connections to Interstate 94 to the north or State Highway 89 to the south. As a result, through-traffic from outside of the City and truck traffic generated by the City relies almost exclusively on State Highway 89 or is forced to take less efficient, indirect routes to the east of the City. To alleviate traffic congestion on Main Street and provide a safe and efficient alternative for large trucks and through-traffic, the City’s Long Range Transportation Plan recommends improving and extending CP Avenue by improving the Intersection at Owen Street to better accommodate trucks, and extension of CP Avenue to State Highway 89 via Owen Street and Tyranena Road (See Map #7: Transportation and Community Facilities).

The Economic Development Recommendations Summary (page 133) states that the City will recruit new business and promote local entrepreneurship to expand and diversify the local economy.

Page 140, the policies state that the City will provide appropriate sites for additional commercial and industrial development near Interstate 94 and other major transportation corridors that maximize the benefit of the City’s location within the region and minimize the impact of traffic and other externalities on residential and natural resource areas of the community in accordance with recommendations of this Plan.

The policies also state that the City will continue to use TIF, State and Federal grant programs and other economic development tools to provide incentives and assistance with redevelopment of blighted, abandoned or under-utilized commercial and industrial property.

ESTABLISHING CONTEXT

After a TID is created, the City may amend the TID in numerous ways. The physical area of the TID can be modified to bring property served by district improvements into the TID, or to remove developed land from a TID and return it to the tax rolls. The project plan can be amended to include new project costs or different financing plans. The increment revenue from one TID can also be allocated to help pay off the debts of another TID. Finally, the life of a TID can be extended beyond the statutory maximum (which differs based on the type of TID) if existing tax increments will not pay off project costs in the allowed time. This section details the unique features of the different amendments, and outlines the required forms and procedures.

The procedures to adopt an amendment to a TID are largely similar to those for creating the TID. The steps described here apply to each type of amendment (territory, project plan, or allocation). Extensions to the maximum life are slightly different, and special details for that amendment can be found at the end of this section.

The boundaries of a TID can be expanded as long as three requirements are met. First, the addition must be contiguous to the TID. Second, the equalized value limit must be observed. Third, the newly added territory must be served by the improvements in the district's project plan. Each TID can add territory up to four times during its life.

DOCUMENTED EVIDENCE

District#2 is an industrial district south of Lake Street and east of CP Avenue. The financing for TID#2 is bonds guaranteed by the full faith and credit of the City

TID #2 has an incremental value of $11,666,500.  When created, the property within the District was valued at approximately $11,445,700.  Total value today is approximately $23,112,200.

DECISION

The EDC may want to start developing a plan for expansion of TID#2.

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