Aledo's TIF fund tapped again

First request from Memenger Metal Finishing, Inc. was to improve its property in the city's industrial  park by adding another plating line, polisher and warehouse area with 5,000 additional square feet to one building and an additional 5,250 square feet to another building for an additional plating line and chemical storage area. The city will provide a TIF grant of $276,297.19 to the developer for TIF eligible expenses. Meminger currently has an agreement with the city to be reimbursed on a previous TIF project at the rate of $60,000 a year over the next 10 years.

This new agreement fulfills the previous agreement by giving Meminger the total amount up front, rather than on an annual basis. The city council adopted a resolution to provide the grant, once the project has been completed.

The second request was from Justin Cook State Farm Insurance Agency, Inc. The city will reimburse up to $55,000 of TIF eligible costs associated with a new building planned at 1101 SE 3rd St., Aledo. Some of the TIF will go toward architecture, engineering, design work, site preparation, extension of sewer, water and other utilities and pavement in a parking lot. Payment will be made to the developer within 30 days of completion of the project. This resolution was also approved by the council.

During the committee of the whole meeting prior to the council meeting, two Aledo citizens approached the council with some of their concerns. Richard E. Maynard talked about a water leak on the west side of the Courthouse across the street from The Slammer and Great Escape. He wants the city to look at that situation and perhaps pay some of the cost of repair. He said he cooperated with the city in 1995 and put in the utilities as they suggested. He thinks the state highway work that made changes at the intersection of College Avenue and Hwy 17, may have contributed to the water leak, which cost him $3,300. A second leak is occurring at a rental house of his at 214 - 218 E. Main Street. This water leak was happening on both the property owner's side and the city side, he said. A third problem he has encountered is at 210 SE 7th Ave., across from Circle K. This is a sewer problem.

The Mayor told Maynard he would take these issues to Tab Balmer, head of the property and streets committee and visit the three areas before making any decision on what the city can do.

Maynard also proposed receiving some TIF money to put in blacktop at the Aledo Depot site. No action was taken.

Tom King suggested the city needed to do something about the sidewalks in Central Park. "The Central Park sidewalks are really a disaster," said King.

King found out the city is already planning to work on that problem.