News

Council Chair wants TIF vote redux
By Elizabeth Prata

Gray--Town Council Chair Pam Wilkinson was on vacation during the last Council meeting and returned disappointed to discover that her fellow Councilors had voted down the proposed changes to the Tax Increment Financing (TIF) plan at Northbrook Business Park. On Tuesday, she tried to get her fellow members to reconsider that vote, but was unsuccessful.

Northbrook Business Park is owned by M-36 Associates, co-owners are Walter Hebold and Ron Marcotte. Mr. Hebold and Mr. Marcotte own several other parcels and businesses in town, including Syris Scientific, which employs Ms. Wilkinson.

Ms. Wilkinson said that she was perplexed after having read the minutes to the last meeting and the thoughts presented in rejection of the proposal. M-36 had requested that the TIF be extended ten more years and that they be compensated for a loss of a buildable lot that had been taken by the Department of Transportation to make room for the upcoming Bypass construction. "There are unanswered questions and all five members should be there to hear the answers. It is the fair thing to do," Ms. Wilkinson said. She then asked for a reconsideration.

By Council Rules, only the members who voted in the majority are allowed to move for a reconsideration.

Councilor Matthew Sturgis disagreed with Ms. Wilkinson. He said that the there had been two presentations by the Community Economic Development Committee, and that there had been many questions and answers at the meeting. The developers were present and the audience participated. And, he said, "The vote was 3-1." He then asked Ms. Wilkinson specifically which questions needed to be answered that would shed more light on the issue.

Ms. Wilkinson answered that she did not have specific questions but that the owners would like to have a workshop on the issue and that, "We all should sit in the same room and ask the questions." She advocated for a further exploration of the TIF extension issue.

Councilor Richard Hall said that would be a good idea.

The discussion gravitated toward the merits of the TIF extension request, with Vice-Chair Lynn Olson saying that she had voted for it and that she had tried to explain that it was a good thing for the Town. She then began explaining again, but was interrupted by citizen John Welch, who said that the Council was turning toward a substantive discussion on an item that was not on the agenda. He recommended that the Council either place the item on the agenda for discussion or vote on whether to reconsider.

Ms. Wilkinson formally asked the Council to move for a reconsideration, but after several seconds of silence, no one did.

 

 

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