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<v Speaker 1>Todd Walker here in the studio with Allen County Commissioner

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<v Speaker 1>Best cybered a lot of things on their plate, and

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<v Speaker 1>the latest thing you guys have talked about is the

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<v Speaker 1>Allen Economic Development Group coming to the Bord of Commissioners

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<v Speaker 1>to talk about a community Reinvestment area creating this roughly

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<v Speaker 1>the Elider Road corridor really from Cable Road at the

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<v Speaker 1>East town is roughly the area that'll be further honed

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<v Speaker 1>in later. But what is this community Reinvestment area about

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<v Speaker 1>and what's the Commissioner's role.

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<v Speaker 2>Well, the Community Investment Reinvestment Area is a tool, just

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<v Speaker 2>like enterprise zone is a tool for tax abatement for

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<v Speaker 2>the development and redevelopment of properties, and a lot of

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<v Speaker 2>communities across the state, Lina is one of them use

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<v Speaker 2>cras a lot and actually Allen County's first CRA was

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<v Speaker 2>for the Google property edge.

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<v Speaker 3>The Allen Economic Development.

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<v Speaker 2>Group proposes that this is the best tool in this

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<v Speaker 2>section of American township where restaurants and retail are the

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<v Speaker 2>primary business and it's a much more effective tax incentive.

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<v Speaker 1>So basically, this Community Reinvestment Area is another tool, but

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<v Speaker 1>this one is not so much catering toward maybe industry

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<v Speaker 1>or something like that. It's more for restaurants and retail,

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<v Speaker 1>which of course the mall area is roughly what we're

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<v Speaker 1>talking about. That makes sense, It.

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<v Speaker 2>Does fit them, and I do applaud EDGE for their

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<v Speaker 2>efforts to have continued discussions with the American Township Trustees

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<v Speaker 2>because the zoning which all through that area is business.

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<v Speaker 2>I believe it's a business too, but it's definitely a

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<v Speaker 2>business zoned area. And to this board of Allen County Commissioner,

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<v Speaker 2>we believe that the basis of those decisions belong with

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<v Speaker 2>the local jurisdiction, in this case American Township. And we

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<v Speaker 2>also want to know in this process whether or not

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<v Speaker 2>the schools are in favor or as long as they're

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<v Speaker 2>not opposed to a CRA because when you look at

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<v Speaker 2>these kind of tax abatements, generally they're set up for

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<v Speaker 2>a ten year period and about at least seventy percent

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<v Speaker 2>usually of the tax is diverted. Well, it's abated, and

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<v Speaker 2>so the reason for that is the business then takes

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<v Speaker 2>that amount of money that they would have paid in

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<v Speaker 2>taxes and pays down the debt of that development or

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<v Speaker 2>that redevelopment, and so essentially then these entities are agreeing

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<v Speaker 2>to wait for the full amount of those tax revenues

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<v Speaker 2>on the valueuation the property for a ten year period.

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<v Speaker 1>And when you talk about the schools in that particular area,

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<v Speaker 1>that would be a lot of schools and apollo and

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<v Speaker 1>again we'll see how all this comes out. So basically,

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<v Speaker 1>the Commissioners are saying, we'll probably approve this if the

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<v Speaker 1>township trustees first approve it and like it, and the

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<v Speaker 1>schools don't object, then we're probably on board.

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<v Speaker 2>That is foundational to our yes decision. But also the

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<v Speaker 2>terms within the CRA which have not been defined yet.

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<v Speaker 2>We've got to make sure that Allen County can live

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<v Speaker 2>with those terms.

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<v Speaker 1>Gotcha. Also, of late, there's been a lot of discussion

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<v Speaker 1>about Memorial Hall, and right now the county owns that building,

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<v Speaker 1>as in the Board of Commissioners being the county. The

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<v Speaker 1>Port Authority, which is administered by the Allen Economic Development Group,

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<v Speaker 1>is working on finding some new use for Memorial Hall,

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<v Speaker 1>but they technically don't own the building, but that is

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<v Speaker 1>likely to change here soon.

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<v Speaker 2>The Port Authority came to the Commissioners this week and

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<v Speaker 2>they asked for the transfer of the ownership of that

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<v Speaker 2>property from the Commissioners to them, and that is certainly

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<v Speaker 2>something that we're used to doing, especially in the name

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<v Speaker 2>of economic development. What that does it would give them

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<v Speaker 2>an advantage as they apply for grant dollars within the

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<v Speaker 2>Ohio Department of Development, and that window to apply for

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<v Speaker 2>those dollars is very short, and so we certainly are

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<v Speaker 2>are considering that. I mean, this is the most viable

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<v Speaker 2>plan that seems to have been put forward in the

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<v Speaker 2>recollection of the County commissioners, and they have a lot

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<v Speaker 2>of confidence in moving forward with it, and so at

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<v Speaker 2>this point it seems proper to cooperate towards that end.

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<v Speaker 1>And again all of that has yet to play out

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<v Speaker 1>as far as whether they'll actually have those plans come

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<v Speaker 1>to fruition. But essentially, if the border Commissioners did sign

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<v Speaker 1>over ownership to a great degree, it would, for lack

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<v Speaker 1>of a better term, wash your hands of it, because

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<v Speaker 1>you won't own it anymore.

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<v Speaker 3>That is correct, we will not own it any longer.

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<v Speaker 1>Yeah, so we'll see how that turns out. That's obviously

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<v Speaker 1>yet to play out in the future, as is the

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<v Speaker 1>new building. The Allen County Administration building there at North

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<v Speaker 1>and Main Streets is very near completion, and I think

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<v Speaker 1>you have a pretty good timeline of when that place

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<v Speaker 1>will be open to the public and fully operational moving forward.

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<v Speaker 1>We are nearing that date right now.

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<v Speaker 2>I believe we're in that last week or so of

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<v Speaker 2>what's called final completion, a substantial excuse me, substantial completion,

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<v Speaker 2>and from there we're into a thirty day punch list

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<v Speaker 2>time and the items remaining on the punch list are

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<v Speaker 2>fairly minimal. But our people cannot take occupancy of the

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<v Speaker 2>building until the contractors have released it because it is

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<v Speaker 2>their space right now. But we have we have entered

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<v Speaker 2>into an agreement purchased furniture, so the new furniture that

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<v Speaker 2>is coming into the building, and not all the furniture

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<v Speaker 2>is going to be new, but we've purchased a substantial

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<v Speaker 2>chunk of furniture. The furniture contractor is preparing to bring

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<v Speaker 2>that furniture in and set that up.

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<v Speaker 3>Over about a two week period, and it's.

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<v Speaker 2>Hopeful that that happens somewhere between the middle of September

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<v Speaker 2>and very early October. And then the seven entities in

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<v Speaker 2>the building have created a plan. The seven agencies that

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<v Speaker 2>are moving in from the courthouse to that building they've

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<v Speaker 2>created a kind of a staging plan, because you don't

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<v Speaker 2>move seven agencies in one day or one week, and

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<v Speaker 2>so I applaud their efforts. They're moving over and the

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<v Speaker 2>goal is that by October Friday, October thirtieth, they're all moved,

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<v Speaker 2>and we hope that it's operational November two, fully operational

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<v Speaker 2>to the public.

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<v Speaker 1>Well, that is certainly good news, and that is nearing

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<v Speaker 1>its completion. But when that's done, and we've got to

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<v Speaker 1>return to the corner of Main and North Street down

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<v Speaker 1>the other way the courthouse, and you look there, where

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<v Speaker 1>do we stand on what's going to happen with the

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<v Speaker 1>old courthouse once everybody moves out.

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<v Speaker 2>Well, earlier this year, the Commissioners went out on a

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<v Speaker 2>request for qualifications for architects slash engineering firms who want

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<v Speaker 2>to help us create the design for that remodeled courthouse,

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<v Speaker 2>and we received fourteen proposals back. And I have been

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<v Speaker 2>serving with alongside of four judges, our Clerk of Courts,

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<v Speaker 2>and the head of our Buildings and Grounds Department, on

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<v Speaker 2>a committee to evaluate those proposals.

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<v Speaker 3>Rank them, score them, and.

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<v Speaker 2>I will note that we offered we we conducted three

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<v Speaker 2>interviews last week as a committee with firms that we

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<v Speaker 2>felt stood stood above, stood at the top of this list,

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<v Speaker 2>and now we're trying to decide what are our next steps.

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<v Speaker 2>Do we want to do more interviews? Do we are

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<v Speaker 2>we ready to ask the entity that scored the high

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<v Speaker 2>est to to to go into negotiations with us. So

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<v Speaker 2>the committee's trying to finalize where we're at and what

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<v Speaker 2>our next steps are. They'll make a recommendation to the commissioners,

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<v Speaker 2>and the commissioners will take an action accordingly.

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<v Speaker 1>And the grand plan for the redo of the old

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<v Speaker 1>courthouse is to have it back open and functioning as

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<v Speaker 1>an actual courthouse again with just courts and they're in

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<v Speaker 1>judges and such by June of twenty thirty one.

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<v Speaker 2>Correct, that's the two hundredth birthday of Allen County.

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<v Speaker 1>Well, we'll keep an eye on it. We've got the

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<v Speaker 1>calendars here. Well mark June of thirty one and we'll

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<v Speaker 1>revisit it then, will Yes, we will. Beth Cybert, Allen

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<v Speaker 1>County Commissioner, joining us here in studio. Final thing to

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<v Speaker 1>talk about the next year budget process is about to begin.

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<v Speaker 2>Yes, I believe we're ready to notify the agencies that

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<v Speaker 2>between now and September thirtieth, we're asking them to submit

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<v Speaker 2>their budget request for twenty twenty seven, and so October

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<v Speaker 2>begins the commissioners. We'll spend October November drilling down on

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<v Speaker 2>those numbers, having hearings, budget hearings with the different entities,

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<v Speaker 2>and it is our goal that by the first week

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<v Speaker 2>in December to have a draft budget put together. We

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<v Speaker 2>can't approve the budget until after January one of twenty seven,

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<v Speaker 2>and so revenues are looking rather flats, so we're asking

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<v Speaker 2>our agencies to keep expenses on a flat basis.

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<v Speaker 1>That's Commissioner Best Cyber's here with us in the studio. Beth,

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<v Speaker 1>thanks for coming in.

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<v Speaker 3>Thank you,