Collinsville to re-evaluate requirements for requesting TIF money

Collinsville City Council members plan to discuss and possibly make adjustments to the current requirements in place for downtown businesses to request assistance from the city in the form of tax increment financing money.

City staff review applications for reimbursements, which list the eligible expenses, and make recommendations to the City Council, which votes on whether to award the money.

There is no limit to the amount of times TIF money can be requested for projects in Collinsville’s downtown area. A limit is placed on the amount of money that can be awarded for each project: $200,000 in five years, according to TIF Director Leah Joyce. The amount of jobs a business brings to the area or its sales tax contribution do not currently factor into the amount of TIF money that staff recommends the City Council award it.

But that may change.

Two requests for TIF money that came before the council at its Monday night meeting were tabled until a re-evaluation of the city’s Uptown Structural Rehabilitation and Facade Program takes place.

Sloan’s Pub House, 119 W. Main St., is requesting a $30,760 reimbursement through that program, and $40,860 through the Fire Safety Code Assistance Program, for a total of $71,620 in TIF money that would be used toward the work remaining to open the new restaurant. It has been awarded TIF money in the past.

“I don’t think we should be buying the whole area over there and that’s where it’s going,” Councilman Jeff Stehman said of the request. “... We need to sharpen those requirements.”

Interim City Manager Mitch Bair suggested the council discuss applying “a standard of what each individual request provides in that market,” in evaluating reimbursement levels. For a business applying for TIF money through the uptown program, a maximum of 40 percent of the cost of the work can be reimbursed with council approval. The standard recommendation to the council has been to award the maximum reimbursement. That recommendation may change based on the business and the project in the future.

The second request for TIF money on Monday came from Home Federal Savings & Loan, 100 E. Clay St. The business is requesting a $6,840 reimbursement through the uptown program for the replacement of a 30-year-old sign with a new LED display.

Faster Internet

In other business, the City Council voted to increase the fiber Internet speed at city buildings from 20 to 100 megabits — a cost increase of more than $10,000 per year.

The city’s Internet bills currently total $1,228 each month. That cost will increase to $2,100 through 5-year contracts with Spectrum Business, formerly Charter Business, for faster Internet at City Hall, 125 S. Center St., and the Collinsville Police Department, 200 W. Clay St.

Internet access for other city buildings originates from either of these locations through a wireless network.

Workers’ compensation

The council also passed an ordinance that acknowledges a workers’ compensation award of $66,387 to an employee who was injured Jan. 20, 2012, when she slipped and fell down icy concrete stairs at City Hall. The employee had returned to work, and eventually retired Oct. 17, 2014.

An arbitrator’s decision was required in this case because a settlement could not be reached.

Disputed issues included:

▪  Whether the petitioner’s current condition of ill-being was causally related to the injury.

▪  Whether the medical services provided to the petitioner were reasonable and necessary, and whether the respondent paid all appropriate charges for the reasonable and necessary medical services.

▪  The nature and extent of the injury.

▪  Former attorney’s fees.

An arbitrator of the Illinois Workers’ Compensation Commission found that the employee did receive all necessary and reasonable medical services, but that the city had not paid all appropriate charges for those services.

Vehicle purchase

The fire department will purchase a 2016 Ford Expedition for $30,700, following council approval Monday night.

Replacement of the department’s command vehicle, another Ford Expedition, is included in the 2016 capital projects fund budget. The department wants to keep the 10-year-old Expedition as an administrative vehicle for the assistant chief and fire marshal. The vehicle those individuals are using, a 2005 Ford Crown Victoria, could be auctioned or traded in, the department suggests.

The 2016 Ford Expedition will be purchased from Morrow Brothers Ford.

The City Council meets next at 7:30 p.m. April 11 at City Hall.

This story was originally published March 28, 2016 at 9:50 AM with the headline "Collinsville to re-evaluate requirements for requesting TIF money."