McLoud’s City Council during its most recent meeting took action to look at setting up a TIF district in the I-40 Corridor.
Council members approved a legal services agreement and engagement letter with J. Brent Clark, P.C., an attorney from Norman, who has vast experience in setting up TIF districts.
Clark advised Council members he has 35 years as a public finance attorney. One of the projects in this area that he pointed to was working on financing of the Pottawatomie County Public Safety Center in Shawnee.
He explained to the council that TIF is Tax Increment Financing. He said there’s been some preliminary work done on what the boundaries of the TIF district would be. “Establishing the boundaries is first, getting with the county assessor to get a base line of what the ad valorem tax would be on those properties,” he said.
Clark, City Manager Buck Day, and others, emphasized, “The city is not increasing the amount of ad valorem tax the property owners pay.”
As McLoud’s City Attorney Mike Warwick put it, “We don’t have the power to do that.”
Clark, in further explaining the TIF district, told Council members, “This doesn’t require the city putting up any money.”
He told them, “But the land in that I-40 corridor won’t develop without utilities. All we want to do is set up a project plan,” as he added what that entails to set up a TIF district.
Clark noted, “This has to have a definitive legal boundary.” He said there has been some vetting of a preliminary plan adding, “Where we can get sewer to that area.”
The Council members stressed before approving the agreement to engage Clark’s services that was all they were doing, they were not approving a TIF district at this point.
Council members also approved a professional engineering services proposal/ agreement with Cardinal Engineering for wastewater infrastructure in the I-40 corridor.
Day said prior to the Council meeting the city needs to run a sewer line about four miles from south of I-40 to the wastewater treatment plant in McLoud. “It’s estimated it will cost $3 million to $4 million.”
Asked where the funds would come from, Day said, “I plan to borrow some money and I’m working on a grant. I’ve been talking with the USDA and the Oklahoma Water Resources Board about loans.”
Day said during the meeting, “I’m not counting on TIF to fund this project.”
The Council also approved a CDBG 2021 sewer line replacement proposal to extend work in the Heritage Park housing addition that was completed in 2020.
In other business, the Council: Voted 4-1 to adopt an amendment ordinance on possession of Controlled Dangerous Substance in McLoud.
The emergency clause also was approved 4-1.
Warwick explained the amendment establishes up to a $200 fine for the first offense and up to a $500 fine for a second offense.
Voting in favor were Mayor Stan Jackson, Vice Mayor Ralph Snider and Councilmen Steven Tomaszewski and James Woods. In opposition was Councilman Daniel McClure, Jr.
Held off adopting a resolution updating the city’s fee list with the exception of instituting a $25 fee for golf carts on city streets and a $75 fee for in ground swimming pools. Other than those, City Manager Buck Day said he wanted to review the list more before having it approved.
Approved Johnie Hill serving another term on the McLoud Library Board.