UNAPPROVED DOWNTOWN DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY Regular Meeting Wednesday, July 8, :00 P.M. Bridgeport Charter Township Governmental Center

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1 UNAPPROVED DOWNTOWN DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY Regular Meeting Wednesday, July 8, :00 P.M. Bridgeport Charter Township Governmental Center CALL TO ORDER Chairman Baker called the Regular Meeting of the Bridgeport Charter Township Downtown Development Authority to order at 12:00 noon and led the Pledge to the Flag. ROLL CALL Recording Secretary Sedlar took roll call. Present: Absent: Also present: Jim Baker, Karen Boettcher, Roberta Placher, Supervisor Augie Tausend, Barry Bamberg, Eugene Turnbull, Ron Gobeyn. Jeff McNally, Darrell Thayer. DDA Coordinator Steve Dobis, Recording Secretary Jamie Sedlar, Township Manager Rose Licht, Administrative Assistant Tracy Bennett, Accountant Jodie DuRussel, Parks & Recreation Director Bill Wheeler, Tanya Moore from Spicer Group, former DDA Board member John Hoffmann and 4 other people in the audience. A. APPROVAL OF AGENDA Motion by Boettcher, seconded by Tausend, to approve the agenda as presented. B. APPROVAL OF MINUTES- from June 10, Regular Meeting. Motion by Placher, seconded by Boettcher, to approve the minutes from the June 10, 2015 Regular Meeting as presented. C. REQUEST TO BE ON THE AGENDA- NONE D. PUBLIC COMMENTS- Chairman Baker opened up public comments at 12:02 pm. John Hoffmann, former DDA Board member, addressed the board about his development. He thanked the DDA for allowing him to be on the board. He enjoyed all the years he had been on it. He said that his health requires more attention and he is focusing his attention on that as well as the development. He would really like to sell more lots at Rolling Hills. He said that he is looking for investors that would go in on a project similar to Independence Village who would be in it for a year or so. 1

2 Chairman Baker closed public comments at 12:06 pm. E. NEW BUSINESS- 1.) Chamber Membership Services DDA Coordinator Dobis told the DDA that there was a Chamber of Commerce meeting scheduled for today but it was cancelled because a lot of members were on vacation. He informed the DDA that a gentleman named Larry Ford was hired to deal with the Membership Services for the Chamber. His job is to contact local businesses to see if they would be interested in becoming part of the Chamber. 2.) Land Bank Parcel Dixie DDA Coordinator Dobis said that this parcel is located down by the Buena Vista/Bridgeport line, near the welcome sign. This property had a building on it that was demolished a year or two ago. It is owned by Saginaw County Land Bank. Typically, it costs $300 to obtain a property from the Land Bank but they are going to let the DDA have this property for only the $10 transfer fee. DDA Coordinator Dobis said that he has a sponsor for a bigger and better welcome area to be placed on this property. Placher asked if that is the correct address. She said that she did some research and this property address is a landlocked parcel behind where the building used to sit. She believed that the address that DDA Coordinator Dobis was speaking of should be 4274 Dixie. That one is in the name of the Saginaw County Land Bank. Tanya Moore from Spicer Group looked up the address and, in fact, the correct address is 4274 Dixie. Motion by Tausend, seconded by Placher, to approve spending $10 for the deed transfer for 4274 Dixie Highway. Roll Call vote was taken. Thayer- absent Bamberg- yes Gobeyn- yes Boettcher- yes McNally- absent Turnbull- yes Placher- yes Tausend- yes Baker- yes 3.) Bond Pre Payment DDA Coordinator Dobis stated that, at the last meeting, he informed the DDA that a check for the DDA s portion of the sewer connection at Bavarian Comfort Care was received. Thayer had asked if an additional payment towards the bond could be made. At the time, there was concern that a penalty may be charged in making an additional payment. DDA Coordinator Dobis said that he would check into this and bring it to the next meeting. After some checking, DDA Coordinator Dobis said that he ed Jason Fry from US Bank N.A., who then referred him to Tracy Mooney. She stated that the payments would need to be in $5,000 increments and could only be paid two different times of the year- May 1 st or November 1 st. In May, the principal and interest is paid and in November, the interest only is paid. 2

3 DDA Coordinator Dobis said that a payment of $25,000 could be made for the November deadline but that, he was informed my Mooney, a letter from the Township would need to be send by August 24, This would give US Bank N.A. a chance to contact the bond holders affected. Mooney stated that the prepayment would come off of the principal. Tausend asked if the pre-payment would come off the back end of the bonds and how much would be saved by making this pre-payment. Though not stated in Mooney s , DDA Coordinator Dobis said that he believed it would come off the end of the bond. As far as how much money would be saved, DDA Coordinator Dobis said that he isn t sure. He went over the interest rates charged per year. The DDA asked DDA Coordinator Dobis to send an back to Mooney, asking how much money would be saved by making an additional payment towards the bond and bring back his findings to the next DDA meeting in August. DDA Coordinator Dobis said that it would be cutting it rather close, since the letter would have to be sent and received at US Bank N.A. by August 24, 2015, if the DDA so chooses to make the pre-payment. Chairman Baker asked DDA Coordinator Dobis if administration could have a letter already typed up and ready to go by next meeting. Tausend asked if this pre-payment would also have to be approved by the Township Board. DDA Coordinator Dobis said that he wasn t sure but he didn t think so. Boettcher asked if Township Board approval was needed the last time they made a prepayment. DDA Coordinator Dobis and Township Manager Licht didn t believe their approval was needed at that time. 4.) Chamber Luncheon There will be a Chamber Luncheon at the foot of the Historic Bridge on Wednesday, July 15, 2015 at noon and will last about an hour. All are invited. It is being sponsored by Jerry Thompson from First Executive Mortgage. F. OLD BUSINESS- 1.) Beautification Committee Report a.) Rain Garden Section- The Rain Garden that was planted when the parking lot was installed in 2011 or 2012 has been pretty much all cut down. Because of lack of upkeep, the grass and weeds have taken over the beds. Tanya Moore from Spicer Group said that it would probably be best to get a price to replant and add to the maintenance contract for the Bridge to keep it maintained. The plant list that was created when the Rain Garden was developed was sent to Reliable Lawn & Landscape so he could price it out and bring back a quote. Moore stated that the Rain Garden was actually planted by Wellman when they were doing all the excavation so it wasn t put in by a professional and some of the items planted may not have been 100% to the specs. Boettcher asked if some of the plants from the Beautification bed down past the old Dixie Cut Stone building could be transplanted. Moore said that it is a possibility but it may just be easier to start fresh. b.) Landscaping Contract 2016 DDA Coordinator Dobis and Moore drove the Dixie Highway to look for specific areas of the Township that could be added to the contract for maintenance. They identified 14 target areas that could use some sprucing up. Possible new areas would be the stone areas where the Kroger sign used to be, the stone area in front of Arby s and the stone area in front of the Mobil Gas Station. DDA Coordinator Dobis said that he will need to put the job out for bid, based on the DDA By-Laws. He 3

4 said he is looking at doing the bids in the fall so the companies could go out and see the areas before it snows. Chairman Baker asked if they would do a 1 year or 3 year contract with the company. DDA Coordinator Dobis said that the decision could be left to the Beautification Sub- Committee. The DDA wouldn t necessarily go with the lowest bid but the lowest bid with the company that would do the closest to the specs as possible. 2.) GLDC DDA Coordinator Dobis said that the piece of property that the Township obtained through tax foreclosure years ago from the State is still causing a snag. In speaking with Christopher Pendleton from Minneapolis who is working on the GLDC closing, he stated that, even though the property was deeded to the Township in a tax foreclosure, it still isn t considered a free title. The only way this could be cleared is if a quick title is done. Pendleton was going to try and work to see if this could be waived, being the transfer happened 27 years ago. Had it been 30+ years ago, this would not even be a problem. DDA Coordinator Dobis said that he received another call from Pendleton stating that he is 95% sure that his manager would approve waiving this lengthy process. However, if their legal department says no, it could be another long, lengthy and expensive process. G. CLOSED SESSION- NONE H. DDA COORDINATOR S REPORT - DDA Coordinator Dobis said that he received a call from Ruth Ann Robinson regarding the property next to Rite Aid. He stated that he learned it was zoned Commercial (C-1). Ms. Robinson did mention a number of businesses she was thinking about and asked how much the DDA was asking for the property. He did tell her that the DDA has about $20,000 into the property. - Fire Chief Pat Nelson told DDA Coordinator Dobis that the Fire Department has been swamped with calls recently and, because of this, the fire fighters are getting worn out. He is asking anyone interested in volunteering to help water the flowers to contact DDA Coordinator Dobis. It usually takes about 1 ½ hours to water all of the pots. Because of the number of calls, Chief Nelson and his wife were the ones that watered the flower pots this past weekend. - DDA Coordinator Dobis asked Recording Secretary Sedlar to play a recording of a phone message that was left on Township Manager Licht s phone. It was regarding the beautiful flower pots down the Dixie. The caller was from out of town and hadn t been back to the Saginaw area in 44 years. He was very pleased to see the upkeep of the area. He had been to Charlevoix and Petoskey and they do not have anything like that in those areas. I. DDA MEMBER COMMENTS - Tausend said that Township Manager Licht received an forwarded from Building Administrator Wheatley from the Sargent at the Michigan State Police Crime Lab telling her how great the flowers look in the Township. The Township has received many compliments regarding the flowers. The Township is now working on blight issues. Tausend also stated that the Mayor of Frankenmuth made mention of the flowers and how nice they look. DDA Coordinator Dobis said that Township Manager Licht said she was approached at the Manager s meeting in Frankenmuth and the Frankenmuth Manager made mention of the flowers as well. - DDA Coordinator Dobis did mention that a camera was placed inside the old B & S building to see what kind of traffic was using the Bridge. He said that the foot and bike traffic is very busy. - Boettcher said that the blue frame on the billboard on I-75 looks really nice. - Chairman Baker stated that the compliment that was played and all of the verbal compliments are great. Now all the Township needs is industry and businesses. 4

5 J. NEXT MEETING 1. The next Meeting will be held on Wednesday, August 12, 2015 at Noon, in the Governmental Center. K. ADJOURN Motion by Boettcher, seconded by Placher, to adjourn the meeting at 12:51 pm. Respectfully submitted: July 9, 2015 Considerately by: Jamie Sedlar Recording Secretary Bridgeport Charter Township Approved Date: Jeffrey W. McNally Secretary/Treasurer Bridgeport Charter Township 5