Revised South 37th St. housing plan, TIF spending for public safety among council talks

RICHMOND, Ind. — Despite the mayor being out sick, the Richmond Common Council was still able to get some work done at its recent biweekly meeting.

That included the narrow approval of a resolution that would allow tax-increment financing dollars to be used for public safety, as well as the vacating of a public street near the former Elder Beerman building.

What resolutions and ordinances were passed?

The council began the night by narrowly passing a resolution (5-3) that approved an order by the Richmond Plan Commission approving an order by the Richmond Redevelopment Commission, which essentially would allow the redevelopment commission to spend tax-increment financing on public safety expenditures.

The expenditures would be able to be either capital or operational in nature and the spending plan by the redevelopment commission added "funding to assist with the police and law enforcement system to preserve peace and order in a firefighting and fire prevention system."

A public hearing will be held at the redevelopment commission on Aug. 21, which will give members of the public the ability to speak on the use of the TIF dollars on public safety, Director of Strategic Initiatives Beth Fields said.

Councilman Jerry Purcell expressed concern over using TIF dollars, which are typically used to pay for infrastructure and new developments, among other things.

Purcell, who voted no on the resolution, instead offered the approval of a public safety tax as a "much cleaner way" to start a new way of paying capital for the police and fire departments.

Council members Doug Goss also Dr. Lucinda Wright also voted no on the resolution, while Bill Engle, Larry Parker, Gary Turner, Anne Taylor and Jane Bumbalough voted yes.

Additionally, the council voted unanimously, with no one from the community speaking in favor or against either, to pass ordinances that would replace and unify city code chapters 56, 57, 59 and 59.1 in favor of chapter 56 relating to stormwater management , as well as the vacating of a portion of South Service Drive , located south of 601 E. Main St. (former Elder Beerman building) and north of 0 South 6th and 34 South 7th streets.

Richmond Fire Department merit system postponed?

Chris Morris, vice president of Richmond Fire Local 1408, gave a report on the newly planned merit system with the fire department, voted on earlier in the year.

However, after the body looked more into the establishment of such a system and realizing how big a project it would be, especially during a contract year, Morris said it had been decided that the body, in a formal vote of 54-19, will "not shy away from it" but ask that the process be postponed to 2025.

"The goal is that once we finish our contract negotiations this year and get that ironed out, start working on the merit process, move it into next year and then start to move down the process of enacting that," he said. "It is a massive change to how we operate."

Attorney A.J. Sickmann advised council members that new legislation says the council has to reject the ordinance at a future meeting this year or the merit commission would automatically go into effect.

What ordinances advanced to a second reading?

Three months after the council voted no because of community concerns to a proposed housing development off South 37th Street on the east side of Richmond, a revised plan would eliminate apartments that were proposed on the northwest side of the development.

In its place would be more owner-occupied townhomes that would not exceed more than 110 dwelling units, a reduction of more than 100 units initially planned, according to Dustin Purvis, city planning director.

The revised plan, Purvis said, would also "exclude all commercial exceptions," also eliminating a planned daycare facility from the development.

The ordinance will go before the advisory planning commission at the July 24 meeting, where, if passed, will go before the common council on Aug. 5. Public input will be allowed for both meetings.

Purvis also requested the rezoning of 6400 E. National Road, the former site of the New Creations Church and boarding house that closed in 2016 , from institutional to general commercial with the intention to expand in the future.

The site would make way for Planet Uranus to develop what would be a wholesale distribution facility that is a relocation from Missouri, as well as its third nationwide fudge factory and general store.

Council Vice President Gary Turner said his wife had brought to his attention that a new business was going into one of the buildings behind the former church, with the intended use to be for professional wrestling, bands, concerts and teaching, effective Aug. 1.

"How can that happen at this point if it's part of the property?" Turner asked.

Purvis said the property lines were recently changed, but he would have to look into it to see if the business would be permitted to operate.

Evan Weaver is a news and sports reporter at The Palladium-Item. Contact him on X (@evan_weaver7) or email at eweaver@gannett.com .

This article originally appeared on Richmond Palladium-Item: Revised South 37th St. housing plan, TIF spending for public safety among council talks