Urban Renewal and Economic Development Committee

Regular Meeting

Charleston, WV · June 13, 2019

Minutes

MINUTES URBAN RENEWAL AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE MEETING 5:30 P. M., JUNE 13, 2019 A/V CONFERENCE ROOM Naomi Bays, Committee Member, called the meeting of the Charleston City Council Committee on Urban Renewal and Economic Development to order at 5:30p.m., JUNE 13, 2019, in the Audio/Visual Room in City Hall. Committee Members Present: Naomi Bays Ben Adams Caitlin Cook Jennifer Pharr Bobby Reishman (left 6:29) 1. Approval of Previous Minutes – Councilmember Pharr moved to approve the minutes of the previous meeting on 5-9-2019. Councilmember Cook seconded. There was no objection and the minutes were approved. 2. Ron Butlin, CURA – Councilmember Bays introduced Ron Butlin, Executive Director of Charleston Urban Renewal Authority (CURA), who addressed the Committee. Highlights of the presentation included:  3 Renewal Districts – East End, Downtown and West Side  CURA’s goal is the elimination of blight. Their current focus is a more holistic approach compared to the past.  2 rehabilitation programs/loans: to promote stability in the West Side, currently available to homes in a small, select area. Their hope is that the program will be successful, attracting investors that will allow the program to expand.  Landlord to First Watch, Black Sheep and Subway. Their goal is to liquidate some of their other assets.  In the past, their focus has been primarily commercial, however the past few years have seen a slight shift toward residential as well. Councilmember Pharr asked Butlin to explain the makeup of the ownership of the mall. Butlin replied that the main building and retail spaces (except for the anchor stores) were developed by a Forest City entity. In the mid-1990s, it was refinanced which bifurcated the ownership of the mall and the parking garage. CURA owns the land under the parking garages, which is owned separately from the mall. From a previous agreement, they receive a small percentage of revenue from the mall’s tenants. The owners of the parking garage also owns the former Macy’s building. The mall is currently owned by a bank, which is a trustee for several other banks. Councilmember Adams asked what other sources of revenue they receive. Butlin answered that they have issued a few small loans to aid in the purchases of historic buildings. The bulk of CURA funding comes from the mall parking buildings. Councilmembers Bays confirmed with Butlin that the new West Side Plan is an amendment as opposed to a new document. Councilmember Pharr confirmed that the plan will come to the Committee before final approval from Council. Councilmember Pharr asked how many people have taken advantage of the home ownership/rehab program. Butlin answered that they have received about 10 applications for rehab and around 11 for home ownership. Councilmember Adams asked if there were grants available to CURA. Butlin answered that there were hopefully grants available for project-specific activities, but not for general funding. Councilmember Pharr asked if they have encountered in issues in regard to rehab loan applications. Butlin answered yes, specifically, there are issues of how much money is required to get a home to a livable status and at what amount is it not worth doing so. Butlin explained that a Housing Inspector will visit the home for an inspection. If the homeowner meets the requirements, CURA will put the work our for bid, the contractors do the work and CURA processes the payment. Councilmember Bays asked how many houses were considered un-livable but had people living in them. Butlin said he didn’t know a specific number, but he would guess that it is a lot. They are working on a holistic approach with other agencies to try to address this issue. 3. Tonya Cotton, City Collector’s Office – The Department Head for the City Collector’s Office, Tonya Cotton, addressed the Committee with an overview of her department and its responsibilities. Highlights of the presentation were:  The office’s primary function is to collect all the funds that go through the City.  They process payments for and/or monitor: parking tickets, building permits, City Service fees, sign permits, building and planning violations, Business and Occupational taxes, business licenses, solicitation permits, street closures, hotel/motel occupancy taxes, utility taxes and amusement taxes.  They have a staff of 15 – 7 ½ auditors, 3 cashiers and 4 front of the house staff.  In 2018, they collected $63,278,268; $44 million of that was B&O taxes.  Half of the hotel/motel tax revenue is given to the CVB.  Cotton discussed the steps of getting a business license with the Committee. Councilmember Bays suggested having a more official welcome packet when a new business license is issued. Cotton and the Committee discussed their Revenue Tracking System, which meets the Collector’s Office’s needs, but they will most likely not be able to get technical support/repairs for much longer. They share the fire, refuse and sewer billing system with the Sanitary Board, which does not fit the needs of the Collector’s Office. Councilmember Adams motioned to adjourn the meeting. Councilmember Pharr seconded. Meeting adjourned.

Agenda

Packet

CITY OF CHARLESTON West Virginia Council Member – 13th WARD Brent Burton Urban Renewal and Economic Development, Chair 340 MacCorkle Ave SE Finance Committee Charleston, WV 25314 Parking Committee Telephone: 304.541‐0991 E‐mail: brent.burton@cityofcharleston.org TO: Urban Renewal and Economic Development Committee FROM: Brent Burton, Chair RE: Committee Meeting There will be a Committee meeting of Urban Renewal and Economic Development on June 13, 2019 at 5:30 PM, in the A/V Conference Room, City Hall, Room 308. The agenda will be as follows: New Business 1. Approval of Previous Minutes 5‐9‐2019 2. Ron Butlin ‐ Discussing CURA 3. Tonya Cotton – City Collector’s Office – the process of setting up a new business and collection duties 4. Administration Updates Adjournment *Meetings may be recorded and broadcast via internet https://charlestonwv.civicclerk.com BB/ns City Council | 501 Virginia Street, East | Post Office Box 2749 | Charleston, West Virginia 25330 www.charlestonwv.gov | 304.348.8179 | 304.348.8038 fax Page | 1 of MINUTES URBAN RENEWAL AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE MEETING 5:30 P. M., MAY 9, 2019 A/V CONFERENCE ROOM Brent Burton, Chairperson, called the meeting of the Charleston City Council Committee on Urban Renewal and Economic Development to order at 5:30p.m., MAY 9, 2019, in the Audio/Visual Room in City Hall. Committee Members Present: Brent Burton, Chair Others: Tiffany Wesley-Plear, Vice Chair Keeley Steele Naomi Bays Adam Knauff Caitlin Cook (via phone) Jeff Mace Jennifer Pharr Ric Cavender Vic Grigoraci Larry Malone 1. Approval of Previous Minutes – Councilmember Bays moved to approve the minutes of the previous meeting on 4-4-2019. Councilmember Pharr seconded. There was no objection and the minutes were approved. 2. Charleston Main Streets Presentation – Councilmember Burton introduced Ric Cavender who is the Executive Director of Charleston Main Streets. Ric Cavender distributed the group’s Annual Report to the Committee members. Highlights of the presentation included: - They are part of a national network of about 1.300 certified programs. In West Virginia, Charleston is the only city with 2 certified communities. - Each district has an elected board of advisers of 16-18 people, who oversee the action plan that is put in place every year. - Their 4 Pillars of Development are: Business and Economic Development, Business Promotion and Enhancement, Public Space Improvements and Destination Events and Marketing. - Marketing endeavors are solely based around promoting business or projects that are happening within the districts. Last year, their social media reach was 1 million people. - They host 5 main events every year: East End Yard Sale, Foam at the Dome, HallowEast, Ice Cream for the Arts and OktoberWest. - Micro Loan Program – to small businesses for gap funding. - Bridge Builders Program - $5/month membership fee that will fund ongoing urban revitalization. Page | 2 of 3. Bigley Avenue Economic Development Foundation – Councilmember Knauff and CFO Jeff Mace addressed the committee to discuss the Foundation. Highlights of their presentation included: - Inaugural Project – a clean-up of the former 7-11 Convenience Store location on Bigley Ave. Volunteers cleaned up the property which is now for sale. - Opportunity Zones/Renewal Areas – their area of focus does not fall within these designated zones. - Full Color Magazine- During FestivAll, they will be painting the hidden stream path that goes from Garrison Avenue to Elk River, highlighting Charleston’s largest contained watershed and how our actions affect the water quality of our rivers. - Mural on Bigley Avenue - They would like the Committee’s help with obtaining revenue estimates for their business district. This information will help them bring in new businesses. - They invited the Committee to their meeting on May 23, 2019. 4. Discussion – Councilmember Burton stated that the next meeting is tentatively set for June 13 at 5:30 pm. Councilmember Steele reminded the Committee of Narcan Training on May 13, 2019. Councilmember Bays motioned to adjourn the meeting. Councilmember Wesley-Plear seconded. Meeting adjourned. Page | 3 of