By David Slone
Times-Union

WARSAW — Ordinances and resolutions before the Warsaw Common Council Monday, July 17, had to do with ongoing or potential future development projects at the former Gatke, Owen’s and Marsh sites.

The first resolution presented by Warsaw Community Economic and Development Director Jeremy Skinner was for the expansion of the boundaries of the existing Central Tax Increment Financing District.

“Like most of our TIF district expansions, depending on the type of district, it goes through various boards. It all started with the Redevelopment Commission with their approval. Went through the Plan Commission, and you’re basically tonight approving the Plan Commission’s order of the Redevelopment Commission, and then it will go back to the Redevelopment Commission for its final approval,” Skinner explained.

It then will be recorded by the county and the district will be expanded.

For the Central TIF District, the two areas that are being brought into the district are the old Owen’s property on Market Street and the old Marsh on Buffalo Street.

“Currently, we are obviously working with developers on the Owen’s property, so we need to bring that into that Central TIF. And then we signed a contract with a potential developer (Retail Strategies) on the Marsh property to give them access to try to develop that over the next 12 months. So both of these properties need to be brought into that TIF district,” Skinner explained.

The redevelopment commission is acquiring the Marsh property from Cardinal Services for $1.25 million in an attempt to redevelop the property for some commercial uses.

The redevelopment commission will hold a public hearing on the Central TIF District expansion at their next meeting before giving the final approval for the resolution.

The city council approved the resolution for the expansion.

The council then approved, on first reading, an ordinance for an additional appropriation of Warsaw Technology Funds for the purchase of the former Marsh property. The request was for $100,000 to be appropriated into buildings in order to help purchase the site.

A public hearing and second reading of the ordinance will be at the council’s next meeting.

A resolution transferring a total of $167,000 in Warsaw Technology Park funds was then approved by the council to go toward the purchase of the Marsh property. The amount includes $100,000 from professional services and $67,000 from other services to the buildings category. Those funds will be combined with other budgeted funds to get the $1.25 million needed to make the purchase.

During public comments, resident Gary Parker expressed his concerns about the city buying the Marsh property from Cardinal Services.

Skinner also presented a resolution to reset the life span of the Gatke allocation area to the maximum 25 years as allowed under state code. He said the Gatke property originally was in the Winona Interurban TIF District, and will remain so, but the resolution is resetting the timeframe that the district exists for the development of the housing project that the city entered into with Rebar Development.

The council approved the resolution, which will go back to the Redevelopment Commission for approval and a public hearing. The Redevelopment Commission and Plan Commission previously gave their consent.

In other business, the council:

• Approved a salary ordinance amendment on first and second reading to the 2023 Warsaw Fire Department salary ordinance for a new CARES responder/navigator at $24.04 per hour. Grant funding will pay for the new position for the next three years. Human Resource Director Denny Harlan said they have a person waiting to come on board.
• Approved an ordinance on first reading that addresses previous traffic ordinances that are no longer applicable.
• Approved a conflict of interest statement for Jay Godshalk, equipment operator with the street department, who sells straw to the city of Warsaw.