Woodville Foundation February 23 rd :00 pm, St. Mary s Med Cntr., Valpo

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1 Woodville Foundation February 23 rd :00 pm, St. Mary s Med Cntr., Valpo no formal agenda There will be discussion on TIF Districts RIF Revenue Possibilities RDC Meeting, March 17 th, 8:30 am Political Consequences for Liberty Twp. This is our newsletter -- please read it to the end. Dear Members, If you don't get the Chesterton Tribune, you owe it to yourself to try it. For $6.00 a month you can keep track of "all that's fit to print!" What a deal! A recent article reported that our Treasurer, Ed Gutt and our Secretary, Tim Cole, officers in the WF approached the Porter County Redevelopment Commission (RDC) in January to ask them to bring to the forefront to establish the Liberty/Porter Hospital TIF. (Tax Increment Financing) for Liberty Township. Most of the paperwork has already been done and currently has NOT been timed out. When asked if this could be reestablished, the committee asked them to attend the next meeting with ideas/plans of what we would like to do with such a TIF. Their next meeting will be on March 17 th, 2016 at 8:30AM in the Commissioners meeting room in Valparaiso. All WF members are invited to attend. For your consideration we have included a portion of the RDC article from the Chesterton Tribune in this newsletter. Let it be said without hesitation that the more people who are there, the greater the likelihood we will be seriously considered. Tax increment financing (TIF) is a public financing method that is used as a subsidy for redevelopment, infrastructure, and other community-improvement projects. A TIF can provide funds and give us a voice in "economic development" in our area. In this method, new businesses would be taxed but residents would not. The area is solely along U.S. 6 from Calumet Avenue west to State Road 149. This is not instant money as only businesses that move into the area would be taxed. We hope the TIF would have a life of at least years, taking perhaps the first 10 years to provide funds for projects. Porter County has already zoned this area between residences and places geared to businesses. By being able to set up a few WF member residents into an Advisory Board the right projects could benefit the entire township. We believe if we are successful it will provide an environment of cooperation to give a greater base for funding projects to benefit and improve the entire township and we would hope that such cooperation would draw many good businesses. As we stated in the last newsletter of 2015, we have reserved the officer meetings to January and February, November and December in recognizing these are often snow filled days. So, at the January 28 th meeting a number of persons were specifically invited to see how a TIF would affect both residents and potential businesses. There is a general feeling that the projects we choose should be those that affect the most families in the township. Of great importance is that we as residents would have a voice in planning and implementing areas for economic growth.

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3 Some of those invited to the January 28 th meeting were from the directly involved residential and business areas listed below: Damon Run Conservancy District Porter Regional Hospital Liberty Bible Church Valparaiso Chain of Lakes Faith Memorial Lutheran Church Duneland Schools Crosspointe Christian Church St. Andrews Development Liberty Twp. Trustee/Board Members Timberland Development Neighborhood Assocs. along US 6 Fox Chase Development Po.Co. Farmers along U.S.6 Eagle Ridge Development Liberty VFD Mallard s Landing Development Whispering Sands Mob. H. Ct. Windridge Development The Courts Recreation Timberland Development 6&49 Storage Tanner Trace Development Luke Oil Corp Woodville Foundation Some of the ideas offered at the January meeting were: -have a voice in the planning and enacting the U.S. 6 Corridor through an advisory board -to create a balanced and cooperative attitude between residents and businesses -build sidewalks between the Liberty schools on 900 N and nearby subdivisions so kids don't have to walk on 900 N get to various activities at the schools throughout the year -extend sewer and water (using Damon Run) to businesses in areas off U.S. 6 and East toward Jackson Twp. -build infrastructure suitable to draw business and commercial development along the U.S. 6 Corridor. -promote the Liberty Twp. Parks. (Sunset Hill Park, Brookdale Park, Timberland Hill Park) Contribute to building walking paths, etc. -support Liberty Recreation areas -support Liberty VFD for expansion of facilities NEXT MEETING The next "officer meeting" will be held on February 23 rd at 6PM at St. Mary's Medical Facility at 500N and the 49 By Pass. On that evening, we will once again be prepared to answer questions about the "TIF animal" as this is a new idea for getting some things done in the township that only a few of us understand. The county has already zoned land on both sides of U.S 6. We have seen in other areas the often ill placed position of businesses among residences or subdivisions. We look forward to having more businesses along this area but with thoughtful planning it will look planned and each entity will enhance its neighbors. SHOULD WF INVITE CANDIDATES TO WF MEETINGS IN MARCH AND APRIL? If you are interested in WF inviting candidates for county offices into our meetings so we can meet them and ask questions about their goals and intentions if elected, please let us know so we can provide you with this opportunity. Woodville Foundation is committed to never tell you how to vote, though we might give you suggestions to consider certain candidates. Thanks to WF members for helping the cause of DUNES ACTION!

4 We hope you have kept yourself aware of all that is going on concerning our support of DUNES ACTION! Thank you to all who have contacted legislators, wrote letters, and have done what is in your ability to do to support this cause that we have shared with those in Chesterton and near the Indiana Dunes State Park. Efforts are not all lost at this point. Although House Bill HR1247passed the House. It is now SR1247 in the Senate. We urge you to contact as many state Senators as possible to convince them that citizens deserve the right to be heard when our way of life will being affected. Woodville Foundation dues are now due! If you have already paid your dues, THANK YOU! If not, please be aware that effective March 1 st only those members who show up at the meetings will be sent our newsletter. We aren't being stingy; we just have to assume that your absence is an indication that you are no longer interested in the Woodville Foundation or our objectives and purposes. You will always be welcome to come to the meetings as we welcome all but we really need your input to make Woodville Foundation successful. We have kept membership dues to a minimum so if you aren't sure about us, please reconsider for another year and see how we do. We sincerely hope to see you on February 23 rd at 6PM!!!! All responses to this letter can be sent to W00dvillefoundation@yahoo.com. Sandra Johnson WF Newsletter Editor

5 Porter County RDC taking new look at TIF district along US 6 in Liberty Twp By JEFF SCHULTZ This could be the year the Porter County Redevelopment Commission establishes a tax increment financing (TIF) district along U.S. 6 in unincorporated Liberty Township after more than two years discussion. Near the end of the RDC s yearly reorganization meeting Thursday, Liberty Twp. resident Tim Cole asked the Commission that the proposed TIF redevelopment area for Liberty Twp. not be forgotten as the Commission talked about formulating an overall strategic plan for goals they want to accomplish. Having initially opposed the concept fearing that schools and local governments would be impacted negatively, Cole has been vocal in his support for a TIF development are in Liberty Twp. after the RDC worked to put in measures to pass revenues on to East Porter County Schools from the planned TIF at the Porter County Regional Airport. The RDC shifted its focus in 2013 to the Regional Airport as being the first unincorporated area in the County with a TIF plan. The TIF s boundaries as originally proposed, start at the Ind. 149 intersection, moving east down the U.S. 6 to North Calumet Ave. The area widens at Meridian Rd. with CR 900N to the north and CR 700N to the south as areas where development is anticipated to happen around Porter Regional Hospital. TIF generated revenues are used for improvements and developments within the TIF boundaries. Cole said he and a group of residents are interested in seeing a TIF district that would boost the quality of life for them and future residents by seeing growth done in the right way. If you keep those who have background roots (in the area), you re going to have a better community and a better economy, Cole said. RDC President Ric Frataccia asked Cole what specific suggestions or ideas the group had. Cole didn t give any details but agreed to come back to the RDC s next scheduled meeting on March 17 for the group to explain what their ambitions are. He said there are about 30 to 40 residents he s talked to who are interested in the issue. They have tried to give their ideas to elected officials but have not had success in getting them to respond, Cole said. He hopes having the support of the RDC will increase their chances of having a role in the planning. Let us know what you re thinking about. And we will see you on St. Patrick s Day, Frataccia said. RDC member Dave Burrus added that any kind of plan with economic development should be heard. The RDC s financial advisor Dan Botich said he believes that the Commission had approved a declaratory resolution for the U.S. 6 TIF and it hasn t gone away. The RDC can continue on to a confirmatory resolution if it wishes to, he said. In other words, we don t have to start at zero, said Burrus. Posted 1/22/2016, Chesterton, IN