Proposed Tax Increment Financing District No.

Saturday, December 18, 1999

Proposed Tax Increment Financing District No. 11 is all over the agenda for Austin’s city council meeting Monday evening.

At the meeting, thecouncil will vote to hold a public hearing about the TIF district, which would encompass an area of 18th Avenue NW and a proposed extension to Eighth Street NW – chiefly an area surrounding the land currently belonging to the Joseph Co.

At that same meeting, there will be a joint resolution to approve an orderly annexation of some county land held by Burt Plehal in that area. Plehal hopes to develop the land into separate plots and sell them. Cooperative Response Center also is planning a move into the area, once the Joseph Co. has sold its land to the Austin Port Authority and that entity has arranged – following some bond sales – to transfer the title to the city of Austin.

"One reason you can justify a TIF district is that it will bring employment to the area," Mayor Bonnie Rietz explained. "CRC currently has about 50 people in good paying positions, and hopes to expand that substantially over the next two years. It would just be an incredible addition to our community."

Also on the agenda will be a report from the Community Circle, a group sponsored by the League of Women Voters that did a study of immigrants and diversity in Austin.

Also of interest will be a resolution approving the transfer of control of Bresnan Communications to Charter Communications Holding Co. Charter has purchased Bresnan in a national takeover.

Bresnan had been working on bringing a fiberoptic structure to southeast Minnesota, and Rietz said this would most likely move forward as planned.

"It sounds as though Charter plans to carry on exactly as Bresnan was, in their address to the council," Rietz said.

Also on Monday’s agenda:

n A resolution of support and appreciation for Todd Penske, departing councilman.

n A resolution setting the dates and times of council meetings in 2000.

n A resolution renewing liquor licenses to their current holders.

n Approval of sewer rates for both Austin and Mapleview for 2000.

n Approval of an agreement with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources to connect the Todd Park trail to the Nature Center trail.

n Approval of a purchase agreement with Ric Berg, for the city to buy the Silver Bullet Bar.

n A resolution to set city mileage compensation to 32.5 cents per mile.

n A resolution to approve city health insurance monthly rates.