Thursday, November 13, 2014

Two more taxing agencies on board with Orem CDA. November 11, 2014.

OREM -- The Orem City Council accepted by resolution Tuesday the percentage of participation the Orem Metropolitan Water District and the Central Utah Water Conservancy District will have in the Commercial Development Area at University Place.
The council, acting as the redevelopment agency, voted on two individual resolutions and entered into interlocal cooperation agreements with the districts. The Metropolitan Water District has agreed to pay $200,000 over 20 years at 75 percent, and the Central Utah Water Conservancy District will pay $2.29 million over 20 years at 75 percent. 
The RDA vote was 6-1, with Councilman Hans Andersen casting the only nay vote.
Andersen and his TransparencyOrem group had sought by petition to get a referendum on the CDA for residents to vote on the matter in the next election. The petitions were not turned in by Friday's deadline.
According to Ryan Clark, Orem's economic development director, both agencies voted on the CDA post-performance subsidy in October with the Metropolitan Water District voting 5-0 in favor, and the CUWCD voting 15-0 in favor.
Clark was asked about the percentages, because there have been some negotiations.
"They agreed to the 75 percent and would not go back," he said.
The 75 percent tax increments may be used to pay for public infrastructure improvements, agency-requested improvements and upgrades, both off-site and on-site improvements, land incentives, desirable project area improvements and other items as approved by either agency.
Clark told the redevelopment agency the CUWCD documents had already been executed on the project.
As soon as the redevelopment agency portion of the meeting was done, Mayor Richard Brunst, City Manager Jamie Davidson and Councilman Mark Seastrand were excused to attend the Alpine School District Board of Education meeting in American Fork, where the district was scheduled to discuss its involvement in the CDA. Recent negotiations between the district and the Woodbury Corporation, owners of University Mall and the University Place redevelopment, have lowered the number to 65 percent from the school district.
Alpine School District is expected to vote on the CDA at its next meeting. The Utah County Commission is the final taxing entity to vote and is expected to do so before the end of the year.

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