PH Minutes 2014-08-05
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PRATTVILLE CITY COUNCIL
PUBLIC HEARING MINUTES
TUESDAY, AUGUST 5, 2014
6:00 P.M.
CALL TO ORDER: The Prattville City Council met in public hearing on Tuesday, August 5,
2014 at 6:00 p.m. in the Council Chambers at City Hall. Council President Wood called the
meeting to order. Roll was called and Councilor Chambliss was recorded as being absent.
Council President Wood explained that with the large crowd present, comments will be
limited to five minutes. The public hearing is for the public to speak and the City Council to
listen. Council President Wood asked those speaking to not to be repetitive of previous
comments.
1. RESOLUTION: To Declare Various Weeded Lots to be a Public Nuisance and Ordering
Their Abatement per Title 11, Chapter 67 of the Code of Alabama, 1975, as Amended
(Sponsored By: Councilor Chambliss)
Richard Harris, part owner of the property located at 519 North Court Street, reported that
the weeds have been controlled.
2. RESOLUTION: To Authorize the Mayor to Enter into a Memorandum of Understanding
with Long-Lewis of the River Region, Inc., Autauga County, Laney Properties, LTD, and the
Prattville Water Works Board for the Purpose of Economic Development. (Sponsored By:
Councilor Brown)
Jon Lee Finnegan, 211 Deer Trace, spoke against the Resolution. Ms. Finnegan asked the
following questions:
1. Who initiated the incentive conversation and on what date did it first take place? (LL formed on 5/21/14).
2. Why didn’t the Legal Notice include the $500,000 amount for the engineering since it is included with the other
figures in the MOU and those were mentioned in the ad?
3. REGARDING SPECIFIC MOU SECTIONS. UNDER COUNTY: it states it will provide $1,800,000 funding to the
city for roadwork (which is expanding Old Farm Lane and constructing another road in back of the Long-Lewis
property as shown on the Exhibit A map). However, Mr. Wall is quoted in an August 3 article as saying that the
extending of the roadwork is not directly related to the dealership but is more about public safety and traffic flow.
Since they are only building on 13 of the 58-acre parcel, why can’t just a frontage road be built? Why is such
extensive roadwork being included the incentive package for Long-Lewis?
4. UNDER CITY: Subsection (3) states “Local governments, at their costs, will provide for all engineering, approvals
and utilities for all roads. This shall include storm sewer, traffic signal, turn lanes, acceleration lanes, street lighting,
electrical, landscaping and the like as per city rules and regulations.” Are all of these costs part of the amounts
shown in this MOU? Subsection (5) is to provide for $230,000 in tax rebates to County for cost of road
construction. Is this for the road construction I just mentioned or other roads?
5. UNDER LANEY (The landowner) They are to provide no more than two acres to the city for a future Public Safety
Facility to be built within 5 years. What type facility (police substation, fire station, etc.) and what has been
determined to be the approximate future cost for the building, equipping and manning for each type facility? Also,
in my opinion, this is giving LANEY a phenomenal advantage, enabling them to sell those remaining 43+ acres for a
huge profit.
6. UNDER DEVELOPER (Long-Lewis). Does their $6 million expenditure have to be complete when the new site
opens? In Subsection (b), it talks about them creating a total of approximately 80 full-time direct employees. Both
an e-mail ad I received on July 18 from Gilmore Ford and the Long-Lewis August 3rd Advertiser ad states hiring 20+
new employees. What is the correct figure?
Council President Wood noted that the Administration has heard Ms. Finnegan’s questions.
Council President Wood encouraged Ms. Finnegan to follow up with Mayor Gillespie.
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Ken Barnett, ____________, presented a letter to Mayor Gillespie in response to an article
in the August 3, 2014 Montogmery Advertiser. Mr. Barnett made a demand to the City
Council to not vote or approve any taxpayer incentives concerning this matter until
comprehensive transparency has been provided in writing to the taxpayers, including:
• Written opinion from the Office of the Attorney General to determine if the proposed agreement is legal
• Detailed independent financial reports listing amounts and estimates for the cost to extend ongoing roadwork
• Expected annual sales per year for the next ten years
• Expected amount of taxpayer refunding 75% year by year for ten years
• Name of landowner selling the new building site
• Amount of sale of that land
• Amount of profit landowner will make on the sale
• Estimated increase in all related costs to the taxpayers as a result of this activity year by year over the next ten year
period.
ADJOURN:
There being no further comments, Council President Wood closed the Public Hearing at 6:09
p.m.
APPROVED:
___________________________
Cathy Dickerson
City Clerk
___________________________
Willie L. Wood, Jr., President
Prattville City Council