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 seeing 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 for Improvements and Services 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). The property owners initiated a one-petition process to reauthorize the SID in which at least 60% of the property owners within the District signed that they are interested in reauthorizing the SID and they approve of the plan for improvement and services to be provided by the SID (plan for improvements and services attached).
Companion legislation 0479-2010 is being presented that approves the petition and Articles of Incorporation of the Discovery Special Improvement District and the inclusion of properties owned by the City of Columbus in the district.
This resolution is for the approval of the Plan for Improvement and Services to be provided by the Discovery Special Improvement District of Columbus, Inc. pursuant to Ohio Revised Code Chapter 1710. This legislation is also for the approval of the properties of the municipal corporation in said plan for improvements and services.
FISCAL IMPACT: No funding is required for this legislation.
Title
To approve the plan for improvements and services to be provided by the Discovery Special Improvement District of Columbus, Inc.; and to approve the properties of the municipal corporation in said plan for improvements and services.
Body
WHEREAS, the property owners located in the eastside of downtown have initiated a petition to create the Discovery Special Improvement District (SID) and have filed the petitions with the Columbus City Council along with the Articles of Incorporation for the Discovery Special Improvement District, Inc. a non-profit corporation to be responsible for the operation of the SID; and
WHEREAS, the petition to create the Discovery Special Improvement District, Inc. is a companion piece of legislation that will go before Council at the same time as this piece of legislation; and
WHEREAS, the Columbus City Council by the same ordinance is being asked to authorized that the properties of the municipal corporation abutting upon the streets described in the petition are included in the district; and
WHEREAS, this legislation is for the approval of the Plan for Improvements and Services to be provided by the Discovery Special Improvement District of Columbus, Inc. pursuant to Ohio Revised Code Chapter 1710; and
WHEREAS, the Clerk of Columbus City Council finds the property owners per the signed petition and the City per this resolution represents at least sixty percent (60%) of the front footage of the property located in the Discovery Special Improvement District per Section 1710; and
WHEREAS, it is the determination of the City Council that the SID is a valuable tool for economic development and a means of continuing to improve the downtown area; NOW, THEREFORE,
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF COLUMBUS:
Section 1. That the property owners of the current Discovery Special Improvement District authorize the terminate the existing Plan for Improvement and Services a year early in order to increase assessments and expand the boundaries.
Section 2. That the attached Plan of Improvements and Services, including the estimate of cost of the improvements and services to be provided by the Discovery Special Improvement District of Columbus, Inc., now on file with the Clerk of Columbus City Council, and all of which are incorporated herein as "Attachment A," are hereby approved.
Section 3. That the Mayor or his designee is hereby authorized to designate in writing that the properties of the municipal corporation abutting upon the streets described in the petition are included in the Plan of Improvements and Services as required by the Ohio Revised Code, Chapter 1710.
Section 4. That the Clerk of Columbus City Council is hereby directed to post a copy of this Resolution in the Office of the Clerk of Columbus City Council as provided by the Ohio Revised Code, Chapter 1710.
Section 5. That this resolution shall take effect and be in force from and after the earliest period allowed by law.