Waterfront revenue redevelopment and Lift program

[Waterbuffalo]

Thought for those who might be following the CRC and other things in this area other than Chief and might be interested in how the city might be interested in using Lift funds to pay for construction of the Gramor site improvements of roads-only into this.

Its about 30 minutes long and just gives a basic primer wit some interesting facts.

Please go here for the for the video.

http://www.cityofvancouver.us/cvtv/cvtvindex.asp?catID=999&titleID=1429

Just be aware is information packed session and only 33 minutes long, so your going to get some basic information and shocks I hope.

[karma]

And the planes won't fly right over this area, right??

[Waterbuffalo]

karma, reparse your own line.. I think you all ready answered you own question? :-)

[karma]

Buff, that question was for the ICC members that support the plans for DT Couv??????

[Waterbuffalo]

Karma, I think THAT question has been repeatedly answered over and over again..

[Chief]

I saw the basic primer this morning, along with the details of what they want the Port of vancouver to cover...

Shocked? No. I would be very surprized if the Port agreed to it...

[Waterbuffalo]

And what did it Look like............

[Chief]

It looks like the City Center Visioning Plan...

WB is to be commended this mornig folks, as he has nailed down the source of the tax abatements on the Boise Cascade property.

While it is true that at the current time there are no tax abatements on that project, anything built in that area is already eligible for them, by previous vote of City Council.

Yes, City Council has to vote on any new tax abatements, but if someone is eligible, why would they not apply for it? If they meet the established criteria that City Council has previously established via the City Center Visioning Plan, Council dare not disapprove the application for fear of being successfully sued.

As soon as a building is constructed, there is a property that is eligible for Property Taxes, and if it is built in the area that Council has defined within the City Center, it is eligible for tax abatement upon application, and approval by City Council.

The Port of Vancouver is being asked to participate in the City of Vancouver's LIFT Program Application, based upon fundamentally flawed projections by the City's Economic Development Office. In fact Eric Holmes lied by omission to the Port Commissioners yesterday when he told Commissioner Oliver that there were no abatements on that property. In fact those properties st the Boise site are prime candidates for tax abatement and there is no reason to believe they will not receive a ten year abatement when the time for it comes.

We are far from done on this one folks...

Developing...

[Chief]

I wanted to note that I approached Nelson Holmberg at the Port of Vancouver yesterday, and asked him for a copy of everything the City presented to the Commissioners. He told me there was nothing available, because the entire presentation was on a thumb drive that the City brought and took with them.

It's all Public Record because CVTV presented it live, but I can't get a copy of the slideshow itself.

[karma]

Just maybe the Columbian can get it for you???????????
Sorry that just slipped out and they are good at going to court to get what should of been made Public????????

[Waterbuffalo]

Its public record Chief? I get most every thing that C-tran offers.. So I'd say its time you went down to the City and ask who operates the FOIA requests and put one in for said materials. And *if* they are not what is on the cvtv site on video, you can ask them for information..

OR, you might give Eric Holmes a call and pass an FOIA request with him. Still not sure what the "correct" process is...

[Chief]

karma, the columbian wasn't even there yesterday.

I suppose I could do an FOIA request, but the data is fundamentally flawed anyway, and means nothing. They completely ignore the impact of a decade worth of tax abatements while talking about what is supposed to be a 25 year long deal.

This matters, and matters big.

[Chief]

Updating...

Vancouver City Council is taking this issue up tonight, when they get a brief by Eric Holmes of the City of Vancouver's Development Office.

I'm planning on making some comments during the Public Comment period this evening. I saw Eric Holmes' presentation at the Port of Vancouver a couple of weeks ago, and I plan on speaking to the Commissioners about this same topic at their rescheduled meeting this Thursday morning.

Developing...

[Waterbuffalo]

So what did I do again? I'm reading my part in this process and tend to forget greatly said subject... :-)

Hope to see you on the CVTV television network.. Hope tonight is really fun.

Sounds like its going to be exciting.

[Chief]

I should have taken my own advice, and read the whole Agenda item first.

City Council is being asked to hold a Public Hearing on this issue on June 9th, which is a week from today, and I believe it would be wise to hold my comments for that PH. I will talk with the Port Commissioners on Thursday though...

;)