The scoreboard at CommunityAmerica Ballpark, where the T-Bones play, may be replaced this year.
The Unified Government Economic Development and Finance standing committee on Monday night discussed replacing the scoreboard.
UG Administrator Doug Bach said the UG put $250,000 in the budget this year, and the scoreboard replacement is anticipated to cost $400,000 to $500,000.
He said those funds are designated for the CommunityAmerica ballpark’s future capital costs and cannot be spent on anything else except the maintenance and upkeep for the stadium and ballpark. They will not come from the general fund, he said.
UG staff said they would hope a new scoreboard would last another 10 years.
UG commissioner candidate, Christal Watson, asked if the UG could get a private funder to pay for naming rights on the scoreboard, such as a beverage company, to help the UG with the cost of the sign.
Bach said the new electronic scoreboard would allow them to sell ads to more sponsors throughout the game, whose messages would be displayed on the board.
However, the commissioners did not add naming rights on the scoreboard itself to the proposal, which advanced on a unanimous vote and will go before the UG Commission next.
Waiving home building permits
Several business persons from the community attended the meeting to ask the UG to extend its waiver of home building permit fees, and other fees on new home construction. They included Rusty Roberts, Phil Martens, Randy Wilbanks, and others.
They explained that Wyandotte County was not competitive with its property taxes, but by waiving the fees on home building permits and other fees, home building became competitive here in the last few years. In the long term, the program would bring more persons to live here and pay taxes on their homes, increasing the tax base, according to Roberts.
Wilbanks, who constructed three new developments in the Piper area, said waiving the fees makes economic sense, as properties are put on the tax rolls that would otherwise not be there and would generate millions in property taxes that are collected.
Phil Martens, a builder, said it is a challenge to build in Wyandotte County, and the builders have been taking a risk. He said the building permit waivers expired at the end of 2014.
He pointed out that builders are planning now for the 2015 building season. Some may be waiting for the program to be reinstated. He suggested fast-tracking this item if the UG wants the permits in January through March. Martens said that if there were 25 homes built under this project in one year, it would pay the incentive back.
Commissioners discussed the total amount of money if these fees were waived, and $100,000 was one estimate that was given of the amount of fees waived from home building permits. Commissioner Hal Walker pointed out there needed to be a public comment time. Commissioners decided to send the issue back to the staff for more information, then to return the issue to a committee, possibly in a few weeks.
New housing developments
Two new housing developments were forwarded to the full commission for consideration.
One is a 40-unit, $6.9 million duplex housing project at 74th and Armstrong. It applied for low income housing tax credits. The application is from Entrepreneurs Enterprises LLC for Section 42 tax credits for the Armstrong Estates Family Housing Development, according to the UG’s EDF agenda.
The project includes 40 new duplex units, and a community building at 7401 Armstrong Ave., according to the agenda information. This location is a little south of State Avenue. It is a few blocks to the southwest of the Kansas City Kansas Community College entrance. Plans call for construction to start in the spring of 2015 with completion in spring of 2016.
The other project that was advanced was West Village, a 55-plus senior independent residences housing development listed in the agenda at 735 N. 89th St. The location is a little north of I-70, near 92nd and Ann, according to developers. The 82-unit, $10.8 million project would include a clubhouse and gardens. It has applied for Section 42 tax credits.
The developers are Builders Development Corp. and Prairie Fire Development team. The developers said at the meeting that there is a demand for senior housing here.
Commissioner Ann Murguia brought up the topic of the large number of subsidized housing units throughout the community. Commissioners said in the future they may want to discuss changes to the way that the low income housing tax credit projects are scored.
Other action
– In other action, at the Neighborhood and Community Development standing committee, commissioners discussed an ordinance that would create a code enforcement administrative fine process. It would move the process out of municipal court and send it instead to an administrative hearing officer. Commissioners decided there were some corrections and clarifications to be made and asked for it to be brought back to the standing committee next month.
In answer to a question from Commissioner Gayle Townsend, UG staff members said the minimum fine would be $100, and apparently the fine would apply without a grace period to fix up properties if there had been previous violations of that sort.
– A request on the Economic Development and Finance Committee agenda by the Fire Department to purchase 18 new defibrillators moved forward to the UG Commission.
– The UG also is in the process of prioritizing its planning projects for the next few years. Nineteen projects or categories were listed for the planning department, and the commission will be asked for its opinion on them.
– Several Land Bank applications moved forward.
– Also moving forward was a resolution regarding a bond and note sale. Lew Levin, UG chief financial officer, said that refunding the outstanding $24 million debt would result in a savings of $1.8 million. Commissioner Hal Walker pointed out that it wasn’t really a savings if the UG follows the same pattern and continues to issue more debt over the next several years. Nevertheless, the issue passed unanimously and will be placed on the Jan. 8 UG Commission agenda.