Explanation
BACKGROUND: In 2003 the Discovery District Development Corporation asked Capitol South Community Urban Redevelopment Corporation to initiate an effort to work with Discovery District property owners to create a Special Improvement District (SID) on the east side of downtown. Property owners were surveyed and overwhelmingly were in support of a proposal to create a SID. The SID was created for a five year period and has been very successful. The SID property owners now wish to terminate the existing plan a year early and reauthorize the Discovery Special Improvement District for an additional five year period, with slightly different boundaries, but still called the Discovery Special Improvement District (map attached).
In reauthorizing the Discovery SID, property owners initiated a one petition process in which at least 60% of the property owners within the District signed that they are interested in forming a SID and they approve of the Plan for Improvements and Services to be provided by the SID (petition attached). This legislation is one of the first actions required by Chapter 1710 of the Ohio Revised Code.
City Council must then accept the petitions and the Articles of Incorporation of the Discovery Special Improvement District of Columbus, Inc., an Ohio not-for-profit corporation organized pursuant to Chapter 1710 of the Revised Code. City Council is also being asked to also approve the inclusion of City owned property as part of the Special Improvement District.
Emergency action is required to allow the Discovery Special Improvement District to adhere to the Ohio Revised Code, Chapter 1710 requirements on the creation of Special Improvement Districts.
FISCAL IMPACT: No funding is required for this legislation.
Title
To approve the Discovery Special Improvement District of Columbus, Inc., Petition and Articles of Incorporation and the inclusion of the properties owned by the City of Columbus in said district.; and to declare an emergency.
Body
WHEREAS, Chapter 1710 of the Revised Code, effective September 29, 1994 provides for the creation of Special Improvement Districts (SIDS), by non-profit corporations governed by trustees elected by the property owners for the provision of special services in a designated district; and
WHEREAS, the Discovery Special Improvement District is in the fourth year of the five year authorized Plan for Improvements and Services; and
WHEREAS, the SID property owners now wish to terminate the existing plan a year early and reauthorize the Discovery Special Improvement District for an additional five year period, with slightly different boundaries, but still called the Discovery Special Improvement District (map attached); and
WHEREAS, the property owners located on the east side of downtown have initiated a new petition to reauthorize the SID and have filed the petition with the Columbus City Council along with the Articles of Incorporation of the Discovery Special Improvement District of Columbus, Inc. an Ohio non-profit corporation, created pursuant to Chapter 1710.02 of the Revised Code; and
WHEREAS, Section 1710.02 (E) further excludes the property owned by the municipal corporation unless the municipal corporation specifically authorizes its property to be included in the district; and
WHEREAS, the Clerk of Columbus City Council finds that the property owners per the signed Petition, if authorized by this Council represents 60% of the front footage of the property located in the SID, all as provided by Section 1710.02 of the Revised Code; and
WHEREAS, emergency action is required to allow the Discovery Special Improvement District to adhere to the Ohio Revised Code, Chapter 1710 requirements on the creation of Special Improvement Districts; and
WHEREAS, it is the determination of the Columbus City Council that the SID is a valuable tool for continuing to further economic development and a means of continuing to revitalize the downtown area; and NOW THEREFORE,
WHEREAS, an emergency exists in the usual daily operation of the City of Columbus in that it is immediately necessary to approve the Petition and the Articles of Incorporation for the Discovery Special Improvement District of Columbus, Inc., all for the immediate preservation of the public health, property, safety and welfare; NOW, THEREFORE,
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF COLUMBUS:
Section 1. That the Petition for the creation of the Discovery Special Improvement District of Columbus, Inc. and the Articles of Incorporation of the Discovery Special Improvement District of Columbus, Inc., now on file with the Clerk of the Columbus City Council, and incorporated herein as Attachment A, are hereby approved.
Section 2. That the properties of the City of Columbus abutting upon the streets described in the Petition are hereby authorized to be included in the district.
Section 3. That for the reasons stated in the preamble hereto, which is hereby made a part hereof, this ordinance is hereby declared to be an emergency measure and shall take effect and be in force from and after its passage and approval by the Mayor, or ten days after passage if the Mayor neither approves nor vetoes the same. That this ordinance shall take effect and be in force from and after the earliest period allowed by law.