City Council hired economic development consultant David Pettit to help with the proposed Public Improvement District (PID) for developer Jim Maddox’s 40-acre subdivision near McCoy’s Building Supply.
Council approved an economic development professional services agreement with David Pettit Economic Development (DPED) in a special meeting Tuesday, Nov. 30.
Pettit recently has been working with the city and the TIRZ 2 board to expand the TIRZ boundaries in connection with the proposed Bold Fox Development near Schulman MBG.
Former City Councilman Bill Cornman suggested bringing in Pettit to work on the PID, said City Manager Shawna Burkhart.
When Maddox and Bay City Community Development Corporation announced Maddox’s estimated 200-home subdivision in July, the PID was designed to help the development pay for infrastructure costs and move the project forward, BCCDC said in a press release.
Burkhart said that she and Finance Director Scotty Jones agreed to help with the Maddox PID agreement.
Burkhart said Pettit doesn’t anticipate his charges to work on the PID agreement to exceed $22,000.
Pettit will “crunch numbers on the Maddox agreement (to see) if they work out,” Burkhart said.
“If not, we’ll discuss a TIRZ (Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone) overlay,” Burkhart told council.
Mayor Pro Tem Jason Childers asked Burkhart if Pettit’s work on the agreement will delay the project.
Pettit will need to get rolling,” Burkhart replied.
Childers asked about a timeline and the City Manager said talks on the PID agreement “need to go back to the table. The numbers didn’t work out.”
Childers noted how Pettit guided past town halls about TIRZ proposals here and was “very knowledgeable of TIRZs,” adding a TIRZ overlay “might take a while.”
Mayor Robert Nelson said “things should have been taken care of that were not” in the PID agreement.
Burkhart said Maddox has given information to Pettit.
Council Member Floyce Brown moved for council to approve the Pettit agreement.
Childers said Pettit’s work probably would add about a month and half to the process to determine whether to stay with the PID or “go with a TIRZ.”
Nelson said the Pettit agreement was “a good thing to do for the taxpayers.”
Council unanimously approved the agreement.
In other action, Council appointed Donna Shook to the Public Housing Authority.
Burkhart said Shook would be “an asset to the organization.”
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