Special article to the Coffeyville Journal Sept 07, 2008 The Aug 31 Sunday edition of the Coffeyville Journal published a article submitted by Coffeyville City Manager Jeff Morris entitled The Bigger Picture. This response is intended to better inform the citizens about the Grant request made and the conditions that were part of its granting. The grant as received was a conditional grant because the Wilson property represented in the tax credit application is not in the corporate limits of the city of Coffeyville. Our city officials sought thru newspaper ads, phone calls and email, support letters for the grant request they represented as support for housing assistance. The rules and procedures for the grant application required letters of community support. The letters they received and presented with the application were not endorsements of the multi family units that were actually being represented in the request. Of The 25 or so responses included in the grant request submitted on June 16, 2008 to the KHRC not one of the endorsements was specifically supportive of the proposed 72 multifamily housing units, which were to be the first phase of the rolling hills development. At our regularly scheduled commission meeting June 08 2008, 70 or more residents appeared asking our Mayor and commissioners to include our letters of non-support with the grant request. Our Mayor and commissioners told us that our letters would not be included in the request they were submitting. We were told that the only way for our participation in the submission of comments would be to submit comments directly to the KHRC. We were assured that our city manager would furnish the address and name of the KHRC official for us to submit our comments to. Jeff Morris did furnish that information by email. The denial of our participation in submission of comments in the formal grant request because they did not meet the approval of our commissioners is the reason we are seeking the recall election for our commissioners. On June 16, 2008 we submitted to the KHRC approximately 400 signatures opposing the request submitted by the city of Coffeyville and ask them to deny the grant and require that the request be resubmitted in a form that better addressed the needs and wishes of several hundred of our citizens. At the time we presented our comments in person at the KHRC offices in Topeka we were informed that there was a problem concerning the fact that the site for which the tax credit was issued was not part of the city of Coffeyville. In one of our commission meetings our city manager assured us that the KHRC was going to overlook the fact that the property was not in the city. The fact is the grant is made conditional because the property is not in the city as represented for the tax credits and the funds are not available to be used at that location. The following objections to the proposed 72 unit multifamily units were submitted to our commissioners in a written request we presented at a regular commission meeting. 1. The planned project is in no way compatible with the existing type of zoning for the adjoining property 2. Overlook Drive has remained uncurbed and repaved because the only way that was offered for the financing was to assess each property on the street. It was determined that the city at large would not bear the cost. Now we are seeking grant money to pay for streets and other services that will be free to the developer
of an unneeded project. There are hundreds of vacant lots in our shrinking city that are already on existing streets and have all needed utilities present. 3. The adjoining neighborhoods contain some of our most expensive and heavily taxed properties in the city. This proposed development will change the character of the area in a way that will severely decrease the value of those homes for taxing purposes, Those owning homes in the area will suffer losses in sale value that represent savings accumulated over their working lifetimes. 4. If housing is so badly needed for our shrinking population it is hard to understand why we have so many houses that have been vacant and neglected so long they are not inhabitable 5. Legitimate needs for housing can be met by local builders with out seeking help from promoters that roam the country seeking grants and gifts for projects that cannot be financially justified. 6. Surely we can find an affordable way to rehabilitate some of our existing structures and build on vacant properties to fill any housing needs we have with out proceeding with the impending destruction of property values on the west side of our city 7. Responsible action and response of our elected officials is the purpose of our efforts. We are certainly seeking cooperation in this matter. 8. Between 400 and 500 citizens have endorsed with their signatures the following request to our city commission and the KHRC. We the undersigned are residents and families of the area that will be affected by the proposed use of the funds being sought in this grant. The multi occupant units being planned for the area on west 1st street are not compatible with the existing neighborhood. We are opposed to the grant because it will not be in the best interest of the existing area homeowners. Our objections were presented to the Coffeyville commission for inclusion with their application. The city clerk and also the city manager solicited public comments for the request thru the Coffeyville Journal. Those of us that attended the meeting were informed that only positive support would be in the official request. We were instructed to submit negative support independent from the city management’s request. We are respectfully doing so with this instrument. We are not opposed to the 72 multifamily units that Dalmark is proposing to build. We do oppose their construction on the Wilson property. We are supportive of Dalmark in their attempts to find a different location inside the city that will fit their needs. The total dollar request for the rolling hills project was for $3,391,500.00. The $1,500,00.00 amount available from the conditional grant is not nearly enough money to complete the project as submitted. Dalmark is awaiting environmental clearance and zoning changes to complete the purchase a site on Woodland Avenue from Coffeyville Community College. When the portion of the grant monies required for the multifamily units and its infrastructure at its new location is determined the KHRC will then determine what monies are remaining and their appropriate use. At that time our city officials should ask that the remaining monies be used to assist in the completion of the failed and stalled projects at Mansion Estates, North Edgewood/Gibson, and Keith
developments. Proceeding with any development at the Wilson property will surely become another failed project. The developer is experiencing financing difficulties for the rolling hills project in addition to the problem of the property not being city property. In a letter to the KHRC dated June 12, 2008 he lists the following financial problems. Collapse of the tax credit equity market Increase in the cost of building products He also states that the property tax abatement promised by the city of Coffeyville will need to be produced thru industrial revenue bonds. In the same letter he is seeking additional tax credits. Our city attorney informed us that the annexation and zoning restrictions were being negotiated with Dalmark, but we have been denied any information about who is doing the negotiations or what actions are being promised to Dalmark. What ever is being done appears to be to circumvent the involvement of our planning commission and affected area residents. Our city is now involved in current budget matters and financial obligations faced by our citizens. Every aspect of our cities financial obligations is in desperate need of financing. We have a short fall in revenues at the golf course, we have a short fall in revenues for the aqua center, we have a financial crisis with the stadium, of all our streets are in deteriorated, nearly unrepairable condition, our water distribution system suffers failure almost on a weekly basis, our police and fire departments do not have funds they need. We are currently so short of operating revenues that we cannot replace needed equipment with out seeking some grant or financing on monthly payments. We are being told that we need to increase our sales tax and property taxes to meet our obligations on existing indebtedness. Building several millions of dollars worth of infrastructure on the Wilson property and then giving it to a developer with tax abatements for 10 or more years to exploit for their own benefit is not beneficial to the city of Coffeyville. It is an exercise of stupidity. . The KHRC is attempting to assist us in obtaining financial aid because of the losses in the flood of 2007. We are appreciative of their efforts to help. Our city officials are responsible for appropriate use of the funds they are making available. The grant request as submitted did not take in to consideration the non-support of several hundred of our residents or the actual needs of our city. Our city manager in his letter suggested that community input would be sought in formulating suggestions We have the following suggestions for a resolution to the current problems with the rolling hills project it is as follows 1. Find an acceptable location for the multifamily units for Dalmark Development. 2. Citizens receive a commitment from our city commission to abandon the use of any additional grant funds for the Wilson property 3. Make request of the KHRC to apply any remaining grant monies available to be used on infrastructure for projects already part of our city
4. Receive commitments from our commission that if the Wilson property is annexed it will be annexed as agricultural and then seek zoning changes with covenants acceptable to our planning commission and area residents.
Hopefully this response to the article submitted by our City Manager Jeff Morris titled The Bigger Picture will explain the concerns and wishes of the several hundred of us who are attempting to have our input accepted and acted upon by our elected officials. We would like to consider this our non-hidden agenda. To obtain a copy of this article on the web go to Coffeyvilleinfo.com Respectfully, Jim C. Taylor SR.
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