RD Commission Notes, June 2011

 

BID OPENING FOR CITY-OWNED PARCELS

Last month the Department advertised three (3) vacant lots for sale: 219 S. Cedar Street, 809 S. West Street and 2023 Lincolnway West.  We received one bid to be opened at tonight’s meeting for 2023 Lincolnway West.

 

I am asking permission to advertise the lots located at 219 S. Cedar Street and 809 S. West Street for sale one more time, with bids to be received at the July 25 meeting.  Phone messages left for adjacent property owners have not been returned, and I would like to send certified letters notifying them that the lots are for sale.

 

MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING WITH THE FOUNDATION FOR THE CENTER FOR HOSPICE AND PALLIATIVE CARE, INC.

City Planner Ken Prince will introduce the project, and discuss the City’s vision for the development.  Mike Wargo from the Center for Hospice will present the development plans.  The Commissioners will be asked to consider a Memorandum of Understanding for the project.

 

MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING WITH RETAIL PROPERTY DEVELOPMENT, LLC

City Planner Ken Prince will introduce the project, and discuss the City’s vision for the development.  Kevin Novak and Steve Murphy from Retail Property Development, LLC will present the development plans.  The Commissioners will be asked to consider a Memorandum of Understanding for the project.

 

RESOLUTION 2011-07:  DETERMINING THE NEED FOR TAX INCREMENT REVENUE AND AUTHORIZING NOTICE TO BE PROVIDED TO THE ST. JOSEPH COUNTY AUDITOR

This resolution states that all funds to be derived from the City of Mishawaka’s Northwest Area Improvement Project in 2011 will be required for debt service and other expenses incurred for public improvements in the area.  The resolution also authorizes notice to be provided to the St. Joseph County Auditor, as well as the affected taxing units.  This resolution is considered by the Commission each year. 

 

RESOLUTION 2011-08:  DETERMINING THE NEED FOR TAX INCREMENT REVENUE AND AUTHORIZING NOTICE TO BE PROVIDED TO THE ST. JOSEPH COUNTY AUDITOR

This resolution states that all funds to be derived from the City of Mishawaka’s Southside Economic Development Area in 2011 will be required for debt service and other expenses incurred for public improvements in the area.  The resolution also authorizes notice to be provided to the St. Joseph County Auditor, as well as the affected taxing units.  This resolution is considered by the Commission each year. 

 

RESOLUTION 2011-09:  APPROVING THE HIRING OF AN NSP COORDINATOR

Mayor Wood has given the Department permission to fill the NSP Coordinator position vacated by Andrew West.  This is a 12-month position that started October 1, 2010 and will end September 30, 2011, and it is funded with our NSP1 grant.  The Department’s current Program Coordinator, David Thomas, agreed to take the position.  He will have the job through the end of September 2011.  I’ll present another resolution to you in September to extend the position using our NSP3 grant.  That grant extends the position through September 30, 2013.  The pay rate is $45,000 annually plus benefits, and comes with the understanding that Mr. Thomas will assist in training the new Program Coordinator.  This resolution makes Mr. Thomas’s hire date retroactive to June 13, 2011.

 

RESOLUTION 2011-10: APPROVING THE HIRING OF A PROGRAM COORDINATOR

This resolution gives the Community Development Department permission to advertise to fill the position of Program Coordinator vacated by David Thomas.  Mr. Thomas took the position of NSP Coordinator, and now the department is in need of a staff person to assume the Program Coordinator role.  This is a full-time position that starts at $33,615 annually.

 

 

TIF UPDATES

 

Main Street Improvements, PH. III:  Mishawaka Avenue to Battell Street

Pavement, curb and sidewalks have been replaced on East Battell and East Lawrence Streets to Sarah Street.

 

Main Street - Church Street Connector

Rieth-Riley Construction began pavement removal on the east side of Church Street from southof the St. Joseph River bridge to just north of SR 933,  The project will be constructed in three phases with an anticipated completion date of November 15, 2011.  The project is currently delayed due to an operators’ strike.

 

North Main Street, PH VI:  Ardennes Street to Edison Road

Construction is anticipated to begin in 2012.

 

Edgewater Drive Improvements

Niblock Excavating is the contractor.  Sidewalks and curb improvements are taking place on the section that is one-way from Mishawaka Avenue to John Street.

 

Edison Road and Grape Road Intersection Improvements

This project will be bid in July 2011.

 

Douglas Road Medical Park, PH. II

Bridge footing construction is underway.

 

Fir Road Expansion, PH. I (Between the Toll Road bridge and Cleveland Road)

INDOT closed the intersection of Fir Road and Cleveland Road the week of May 9; it will remain closed for four (4) months.  The project is currently delayed due to an operator’s strike.

 

(Projects currently delayed due to strike:  Main/Church, Fir/Cleveland, Capital Avenue, all street paving - asphalt plants closed)

 

Demolition of 413 and 421 North Cedar Street

This contract was awarded to R & R Excavating of Mishawaka for the amount of $94,910.  R & R was not the lowest quoter, but they were deemed the most responsive and responsible quoter.  Grade-Rite Excavating of Granger was the lowest quoter, but after reviewing Grade-Rite’s quote, it was determined that because of their lack of experience in large commercial demolitions, their very limited staffing, and concerns about the permitting process involved in a demolition of this size, we elected to award the contract to R & R Excavating.  Demolition is scheduled to begin June 28.

 

Disposition of the Property Located to the North and 10 Feet to the East of 420 Lincolnway West

The Department is preparing to demolish the property recently acquired at 414 Lincolnway West in anticipation of the construction at Mishawaka River Center Apartments.  We intend to pull up asphalt on the property owned by the Commission west of the alley.  The employees and clients of the business at 420 Lincolnway West currently park on the asphalt.  We approached the business about purchasing the property, and they are interested.  The property was appraised by two independent commercial appraisers, and the average is $25,000.  With the Commission’s permission, I’ll advertise the property for sale and bids will be received at the July 25^th meeting.  The Commission will have the right to accept or refuse any bid that is below $25,000.

 

NEIGHBORHOOD PROGRAMS

 

Mishawaka River Center Apartments

Requests for Pre-qualifications for general contractors were published in the South Bend Tribune and the Mishawaka Enterprise the first and second weeks of June.  Requirements for submitting qualifications, as well as preliminary construction drawings were made available on the City’s website.  To ensure that we received submittals from the right pool of contractors, we posted insurance and bonding requirements, prevailing wage rate requirements, and we requested experience in multi-million dollar construction projects with an emphasis on historic rehabilitation.  Qualifications were received at the June 21^st meeting of the Board of Public Works and Safety from the following ten (10) companies:

 

                        Ziolkowski Construction                                South Bend

                        Majority Builders                                            South Bend

                        Thompson Thrift Construction                       Indianapolis

                        D. J. Construction                                           Goshen

                        Millstone, Inc.                                                 North Salem

                        Gibson-Lewis Construction                            Mishawaka

                        Casteel Construction                                       South Bend

                        Brown and Brown General Contractors         Wakarusa

                        Robert Henry Corporation                              South Bend

                        Ancon Construction                                        Goshen

 

The applications are under review by the project architect, Kil Architecture and Planning.  All contractors that submitted qualifications and that meet the minimum requirements as outlined in the Request for Pre-Qualifications will be invited to bid on the construction project in September.

 

PY 2011 CDBG Funding

The Department’s fiscal year starts January 1, but to date we have not received our Community Development Block Grant funds from HUD for 2011.  I was not informed of the amount of our 2011 grant until June 10^th.  Every CDBG entitlement community’s allocation was reduced by 16.5% from the 2010 allocation.  In Mishawaka we lost $97,811; our grant went from $593,794 in 2010 to $495,983 for 2011.  Cuts for 2012 are estimated to be anywhere from 9% - 60%.  Since only 20% of our grant can be used for salaries and administration, large cuts would prevent us from paying salaries.  I’ve met with the Mayor and the City Controller to discuss options for the Department if funding is cut as severely as some predict.

 

Neighborhood Stabilization Program 1 (NSP1)

As part of the City’s first Neighborhood Stabilization Grant, NSP1, we acquired and rehabilitated three (3) houses for use in the City’s Lease-to-Own Self-Sufficiency Program.  We have qualified applicants for two of the houses, 313 W. 8^th Street and 717 W. 7^th Street.  The applicant for 717 W. 7^th Street is eager to move in and begin financial literacy and homeownership classes through GreenPath Debt Solutions.

 

The applicant for the house at 313 W. 8^th Street is 39 years old and works as a risk assessor for Greentree Environmental.  He is a household of one, and his annual income of $30,800 places him at 74.33% AMI for St. Joseph County, which is considered Moderate Income.  While his credit score of 635 may qualify him for the First Time Homebuyer Program, he is more comfortable starting with the Self-Sufficiency Program. 

 

*** have them sign the lease ***

 

Neighborhood Stabilization Program 3 (NSP3)

Our application for NSP3 funds proposed the acquisition of 13 foreclosed, vacant and/or abandoned properties within smaller areas of our NSP1 target area.  Twenty-two properties have been identified as meeting the program criteria.  NSP Coordinator David Thomas is currently working with our acquisition consultant, Neighborhood Development Associates, Inc. of South Bend, to make initial contact with property owners.

 

Summer of Service Program

The Student Weekend portion of the Summer of Service program took place June 16-19.  Over 300 students from local churches participated in City beautification projects:

            Painting the warming shelter and gatehouse at George Wilson Park

            Painting restrooms at Merrifield, Crawford and Twin Branch Parks

            Painting the tool shed at Hums Park

            Mulching at Shiojiri, Beutter and Merrifield Parks

            Cleaning up debris at Prickett Marina

            Picking up trash along 4^th Street Railroad tracks, Capital Avenue to Union Street

 

Neighborhood parties were held at Parkview Terrace, the Arbors, Townhouse East and Carriage House apartments.  The kids also washed cars and handed out water bottles.

 

FIRST TIME HOMEBUYER PROGRAM

Construction is underway at four of our five houses:  611 E. 3rd, 311 Cleveland, 510 W. 10^th Street and 407 W. 6^th Streets.  Applications are under review for the fifth house at 519 W. 6th Street. 

 

YMCA BEFORE AND AFTER SCHOOL PROGRAM

The Commission approved funding $10,000 to the YMCA’s Before and After School Program for the 2011-2012 school year.  However, School City of Mishawaka has opted not to renew their contract with the YMCA.  Instead, the Boys and Girls Club’s Compass Club will be expanded to all Mishawaka elementary schools beginning in August 2011.  Since we haven’t received our 2011 grant agreement from HUD, we haven’t entered into contracts with any of the public service agencies we fund.  Therefore, we are in a good position to make changes.  The $10,000 awarded to the YMCA will have to be rescinded, but the Commission has options for how to use those dollars.  It is the Department’s recommendation that the $10,000 be added to the Boys and Girls Club’s $20,000 grant, increasing the amount to $30,000.

 

ANYTHING BROUGHT BEFORE THE COMMISSION

 

 

NEXT MEETING

The next regular meeting of the Redevelopment Commission will be Monday, July 25th, 2011 at 6:30 p.m. in room 205.

 

Approved:

 

(Signature on file)                                                        (Signature on file)

Lory Timmer, Community Development Director     M. Gilbert Eberhart, President

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