BY DONNA SWICEGOOD
The Statesville City Council on Monday voted to delay taking action on a proposed policy that would direct funds from the sale of city-owned property into an affordable housing assistance program.
Adopting the policy is the first step in a plan to create a fund that would be used to help address affordable housing issues, including the cost of repairs and down payment assistance.
The issue, Councilman Steve Johnson said, is the lack of a plan for administering the fund once it is created.
“Who is going to be the third party?” he asked.
“That’s a decision we’re going to have to make but that’s not tonight,” Mayor Costi Kutteh responded.
Johnson said that needs to be addressed.
“You’re going to sell all this property. You have no workable, functioning mechanism of which to accomplish this,” he said.
“What’s wrong with having the fund and policy in place?” Kutteh asked.
Johnson replied that the program was not sustainable.
Council member Kim Wasson said there are mechanisms in place and Johnson disagreed. Wasson said there are organizations in place to handle these projects.
Downtown Statesville Development Corporation Executive Director Matthew Pierce explained the policy would involve using existing agencies to vet applications for financial assistance. No applications would be received directly by the city for projects.
Each project would come before the city council for approval before funds were allocated, he said.
Council member David Jones said there needs to be clear delineation between the policy and administration. He recommended postponing the vote on the policy.
Council member Doris Allison seconded the motion.
After voting against the delay, Councilman C.O. Johnson said he was opposed to the creation of the fund.
“I don’t feel it’s even legal to sell the taxpayers’ property and give it to someone else,” he said. “Once you start a program like this you can never stop it. … I am not going to vote for this under any circumstance. I’m not even voting for this motion.”
The motion did pass and the issue will be discussed at the July 14 meeting.
EPA BROWNFIELDS PROGRAM
Council members also discussed plans for improvements along Monroe and West Front streets. A grant from the EPA Brownfields Program helped create ideas for improving both of those areas. The program offers various grants to help communities assess, clean up, and revitalize contaminated properties.
Pierce said some of the plans for West Front Street include improving pedestrian areas and creating public parks. West Front Street is the westerly entrance to the downtown area, and this plan would make that area more attractive.
Steve Johnson expressed concerns with the impact on small businesses in the area. He said the plan could cause issues for those business owners in terms of decreasing parking in front of the businesses and forcing them to move parking to the rear. He said this plan could make it difficult for businesses to expand. “Be careful with it,” he said.
The Monroe Street area, which is currently a mixture of industrial and residential properties with the housing numbers growing, would address clear delineations between the two, Pierce said.
The plan was presented for informational purposes. No action was taken by council.
OTHER BUSINESS
In other action:
♦ The council approved the first reading of a rezoning request for four parcels of land on Turnersburg Highway to Highway Business. The parcels are located between Harbor Freight and Fairview Baptist Church and are the planned site of a Dairi-O restaurant. In the consent agenda, council approved allowing the clerk to begin an investigation concerning a petition to annex the property. A public hearing on the annexation is set for July 14.
♦ Council also recognized the Statesville Fire Department’s Hazmat competition team for its third-place finish in a recent event and designated June 16-24 as Waste and Recycling Workers Week.
♦ Leigh Ann Darty and Mindy Rice of Hospice and Palliative Care of Iredell County spoke to council about the nonprofit’s plans for a family bereavement center. Darty said the center is planned for the area next to the administrative office off Simonton Road. The center will provide a variety of services to those grieving the loss of a loved one. Rice said hospice is seeking support from the project from public and private sources. The Town of Troutman already offered financial support for the $5 million project.