Council chambers was filled with friends and family members as new and reelected Plain City officials took the oath of office during their work session Wednesday. New council members Tyler Harriman and Aaron Lewis were sworn in alongside returning council member James Sintz and Mayor Jody Carney. Pictured from left are Law Director Paul La Fayette, Harriman, Council member Jim Eudaily, Sintz, Carney, Council President Michael Terry, Council member Kerri Ferguson, Lewis and Village Administrator Haley Lupton.
(Journal-Tribune photo by Kayleen Petrovia)
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Plain City officials are one step closer to creating a Community Improvement Corporation for the village.
“Does Plain City need a CIC? Absolutely, it makes sense,” said Development Manager Jason Stanford.
During council’s first work session of the year, Stanford revisited the topic of CICs, which officials considered throughout 2023.
He explained that CICs are quasi-governmental nonprofits that work to advance economic growth.
Stanford emphasized that the village CIC, which would be called the “Plain City Area Development Corporation,” would be “for the purpose of advancing, encouraging and promoting the industrial, economic, commercial and civic development” in the area.
It would be a separate entity from the village, but the village would have a stake in the organization.
While CICs are legally afforded a number of capabilities, in the case of the village, Stanford said the most important role of the CIC would be to buy, sell or lease property.
He also noted that the CIC could apply for an administer grants.
Stanford added that financial information gathered by a CIC is not subject to public disclosure in the same way as information shared by a business with a local government.
He said that he feels a CIC would help in achieving the village’s most pressing economic goals, including fixing utility issues and securing sites for business development.
Overall, Stanford said doing so would build a “strong foundation for future growth.”
Council member Tyler Harriman said, given the speed of growth in and around the village, he feels now is the right time to create a CIC.
“The growth is coming so I’d rather be prepared and planning for it than reacting to it,” he said.
Council member Jim Eudaily, who serves as the village representative on county CICs, agreed.
“I think this is something that we need,” he said.
Stanford emphasized that the Plain City Area Development Corporation would not replace the Madison County or Union County Community Improvement Corporations.
When asked by Harriman whether the village would “still have a seat at the table” at those two organizations, Stanford said he did not “anticipate any issues.”
Eudaily said he mentioned the possibility of a village CIC to board members of the Union County CIC and they “didn’t bat an eye.”
If council does elect to create a CIC, Stanford said it would begin with setting an initial Board of Trustees that would act as a “caretaker” board.
Along with himself, Stanford proposed including Eudaily, who would be a designee of Mayor Jody Carney, Council member Kerri Ferguson, Village Administrator Haley Lupton and Finance Director Renee Sonnett on the board.
After filing articles of incorporation with the Secretary of State, the board would appoint remaining at-large trustees. He said the board will be comprised of between seven and 13 members, 40% of which must be village officials or representatives, as required by Ohio law.
The board will then draft and adopt a code of regulations for the CIC before the village appoints it as its “Economic Development Agent.”
He said he would ideally like to have the process completed in the first quarter of the year.
Stanford said $10,000 is budgeted as start-up funding for the CIC in 2024.
“You do not need staffing, you have me,” he added.
In the future, Stanford said there are a number of non-tax revenues that could support the CIC, including fees from delinquent tax bills or a special fee added to the development impact fees.
Carney directed staff to add the first reading of legislation to establish the CIC on council’s agenda for its meeting Monday.
In other business:
– Two new council members, Harriman and Aaron Lewis, were sworn into office alongside returning Council member James Sintz and Mayor Carney.
– Council unanimously elected Michael Terry as council president for 2024.
– Council voted to merge the Economic Development Committee and Communication and Marketing Advisory Committee.
– Council unanimously approved Carney’s council committee and board appointements for 2024 as follows:
– Harriman to the Board of Zoning Appeals;
– Sintz to the Parks and Recreation Committee;
– Lewis to the Personnel and Finance/CIP Committee;
– Terry to the Fire Board;
– Ferguson to the Communications and Marketing/Economic Development Committee;
– Eudaily to the CIC Committee.
Carney noted that she intentionally left the Design Review Board appointment vacant while council continues to discuss the future of the board.