Remarks by Nancy Smith
126 remarks on the record, newest first · Page 4 of 6
We've got two conversations going on. So, Rick. Sorry. No, I know it's hard for you.
There was heightened concern. I hear that. Heightened concern. Do you want to get a perspective from someone who knows traffic?
So let's get back to what you all are looking for.
So have you got what you are in the sense from this amount of the council? The only thing I can see for Charlie beyond, of course, supporting you all, is that clarification that operating the lawyer set, that does not mean we're shutting them down. And if we do this in two to three months, then we're not impinging on anyone who theoretically in the future might come forward with a proposal to expand or have a new one. Does that address concerns? Go ahead, Charlie.
I know when I voted for it, this was my intention, what you're looking at now.
And the one thing I'm curious about as you go forward is will you see a need for categories of campgrounds. A two pop-up tent campground is very different from an RV camp.
Thank you. I'll just add, as we wrap up, this is the only, the second time Planning Board and Council has met together. And I hope there are opportunities to do more of this in the future.
More than you could ever want. I don't know. You don't know how many I really want.
And it'll be the different half each meeting.
It goes back to the general fund reform.
Do you know what I'm saying? And I think that the TIF funds, there wasn't a lot of discussion of using them until recently because I think, like everything else, an abundance of caution to make sure that, like, do we have a plan? Is there a strategy? And now that we've got staff in place, so letting it sit while we, you know, the reveal that's had to happen in the city staffing infrastructure to get the caliber we've got, now we're ready to deploy. That's my sense of any weighting that came with how to deploy this, is to make sure we get it right.
So the one yes to all of that. on bringing it to council. Please, in your memo, link to the TIF documents or the TIF webpage so that we remember where to find all of the information that's there. And then also, because I think this is the first time that credit enhancement agreements are gonna be part of a hearty discussion for the council, a really good explanation as to what they are. It's different from TIF. They might be more... I'm trying to think of the right word for it. There's a different level to it that we want to make sure you're ready to answer questions and you have information…
And I think really being able to give that outline of why is giving tax dollars to a private developer a good idea, and being able to really lay that out. People may agree or disagree, but at least to have that basis of understanding ready for folks.
And again, a lot of it is just trying to understand why is this not a giveaway? How do we avoid it being a giveaway? That it has to be for public benefit and the project wouldn't help, wouldn't happen without it, all of that. I think it's going to be really important to highlight that. I want to throw a thought into the membership. And because the TIFs are about investing in the future, I'm not aware of any committees or commissions where we have a youth member. And I see that this goes down to 18, but that's not really youth. So if you would think about how ad hoc members...
And I like that advisor role, because they're the ones that we're building this for. and making sure that the city's, a kid who's growing up here. I love that. And from away, but let's focus at least for here. A kid who's here, what is it going to take for you to want to stay and raise your family here? Jobs, a place to live, a cool place where I can enjoy myself. Interesting. So I would encourage you to think about that as well.
It's a really good point, but the rules could be different for youth advisors. We could put an annual appointment.
Thank you. Anything else in prep for the November meeting for this?
There was a story in the BDN, I think it was the BDN, last week about Freeport all of a sudden having these huge housing projects come in because they have done their ordinances and zoning work and it's like now it's ready. And I feel like we're there with the TIF as a huge piece of... one of the tools that we've got to encourage.
All right, there are no members of the public here for a comment. We have staff hanging in because they love to be here. That is a genuine smile.
I'd say this really is the only economic development tool. I mean, this is how.
Simply that I wasn't here for August 31st, so I would make note and vote on the three. Okay.
Thank you. I'll offer an update from the cemetery commission. Excuse me. First related to Juniper Cemetery and then to the larger cemeteries across the town. have landed on pricing for the beginning to offer plots for sale and have also confirmed where there are plots that are available. In addition, for Juniper, they worked with city staff. We have a contractor for lawn care who had not been performing. We dealt with it earlier this year. That did not fix the problem, and so city staff has canceled that contract. And our thanks to Parks and Rec and Facilities. They are picking up that work…
So I encourage everyone to go and check it out Thank you, I'll just I think add a little bit to that I was able to go out and visit when Mary Blackstone was there. It's on Hannaway. Thank you. That's the go across the railroad tracks and you can park where there's parking for the multi-use trail as well and But Mary pointed out this is prime farmland. This is land that we want available for farming and food production and not for development. So just adding a little bit to what you had said about this. Thank you. Opportunity, absolutely.
A question for you to that point. Have we gone over that 30 minutes before? I don't recall.
But the idea is, again, where we have the entire agenda and people are here for specific items to allow some continuity in how we flow through the meetings over the course of the evening.