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Bandon City Council Meeting ~ Discussion on Pool in City Park December 03, 2018

12/2/2018

Comments

 
City Council

Calendar Date:
Monday, December 3, 2018 - 7:00pm


BANDON CITY COUNCIL 
REGULAR MEETING
DECEMBER 3, 2018, 2017, 7:00 P.M.
CITY COUNCIL CHAMBERS, 555 HIGHWAY 101, BANDON 97411

CITY COUNCIL REGULAR MEETING AGENDA
1.  CALL TO ORDER - INVOCATION - PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
      Pastor Greg Fodrea, First Baptist Church
2.  PUBLIC REQUEST(S)
3.  PRESENTATIONS
3.1  Volunteer of the Month- Harv Schubothe
4.  HEARINGS
4.1  FEMA Floodplain Regulations Ordinance #1628
4.2  Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) Ordinance #1629
5.  PROCEEDINGS
5.1  ACTIONS
5.1.1  Adoption of Findings – Gu VRD, 2967 Spinnaker Ave, - LUBA Remand
5.1.2  Council Meeting Calendar for 2019
5.1.3  Holiday Schedule for 2019
5.1.4  Appoint City Manager as Budget Officer for Fiscal Year 2019/2020
5.1.5  Budget Calendar for Fiscal Year 2019/2020
5.2  DISCUSSIONS
5.2.1  Review & Discussion of Parks & Recreation Commission Report on Potential Locations for a Swimming Pool in City Park
5.3  RESOLUTIONS
5.4  ORDINANCES
5.4.1  FEMA Floodplain Ordinance # 1628 1st & 2nd reading
(Special Meeting if Needed- Wednesday, December 5, 2018 @ Noon)
5.4.2  Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) Ordinance #1629 1st & 2nd reading          
6.  CONSENT AGENDA
6.1  APPROVAL OF COUNCIL MINUTES
6.1.1  City Council Meetings
  • City Council Regular Meeting – November 5, 2018
6.2  REVIEWING OF COMMISSION & COMMITTEE MINUTES
          (These have not necessarily been approved by the commission or committee they belong to)
6.2.1  Planning Commission Meeting
  • October 25, 2018 Regular Meeting
6.2.2  Utilities Commission Meeting
  • October 3, 2018 Study Session
  • October 17, 2018 Study Session
6.2.3  Parks and Recreation Commission Meeting
  • November 8, 2018 Regular Meeting
6.3  INFORMATION ONLY: DEPARTMENT REPORTS
6.3.1  A/P Report for October 2018
6.3.2  Library Report for October 2018
6.3.3  Public Works Report for November 2018
6.3.4  The Barn/Theater Report for October 2018
6.3.5  Planning Department Report for November 2018
6.3.6  Police Department Report for October 2018
6.3.7  Consolidated Municipal Utility Report
6.4  INFORMATION ONLY: OTHER ITEMS
6.5  EASEMENTS AND RIGHTS-OF-WAY
6.6  COMMITTEE/COMMISSION DIRECTION AND REPORTS
6.6.1  Planning Commission
6.6.2  Utilities Commission 
6.6.3  Parks and Recreation Commission
7.  PUBLIC COMMENT - The City of Bandon offers this time for citizens to comment on municipal issues not already on the agenda. After the Mayor asks for comments, rise or raise your hand for the Mayor to acknowledge you. Come to the podium and state your name and address. Please be sure to speak into the microphone. Comments should be limited to 3 minutes. Please supply 16 copies of the material brought to the meeting for distribution.
8.  OTHER: COUNCIL/MAYOR/STAFF REMARKS
9.  ADJOURN TO JOINT CITY COUNCIL AND URBAN RENEWAL MEETING


JOINT CITY COUNCIL /URBAN RENEWAL AGENCY REGULAR MEETING
1.  CALL TO ORDER
2.  APPROVAL OF JOINT CITY COUNCIL AND U.R. MINUTES
2.1  June 4, 2018 Joint City Council and U.R. Meeting
3.  ACTION & DISCUSSION
3.1  Appoint City Manager/Urban Renewal District Manager as Budget Officer for Fiscal Year 2019/2020
4.  ADJOURN
******************************************************************
Council Chambers is accessible to the disabled. 
For special services contact City Hall 48 hours in advance at
347-2437, Voice ˜ 711 TTR ˜
e-mail: citymanager@cityofbandon.org ˜
web: www.cityofbandon.org ******************************************************************​

Supporting Documents
4.1 FEMA Floodplain Regulations Ordinance #1628 - Hearing (1 MB)
4.2 Accessory Dwelling Unit Ordinance #1629 - Hearing (3 MB)
5.1.1 Adoption of Findings - GU VRD (596 KB)
5.1.2 Council Meeting Calendar for 2019 (37 KB)
5.1.3 Holiday Schedule for 2019 (42 KB)
5.1.4 Appoint City Manager as Budget Officer for FY 2019-2020 (31 KB)
5.1.5 Budget Calendar for FY 2019-2020 (73 KB)
5.2.1 Review & Discussion of Parks & Recreation Commission Report on Potential Locations for a Swimming Pool in City Park (281 KB)
5.4.1 FEMA Floodpain Ordinance # 1628 1st & 2nd Reading - Adoption (723 KB)
5.4.2 Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) Ordinance # 1629 1st & 2nd Reading - Adoption (84 KB)
6.2.1 Planning Commission Minutes - October 25, 2018 (209 KB)
6.2.2 Utilities Commission Study Session Minutes -October 3rd & October 17, 2018 (232 KB)
6.3.1 Accounts Payable Report (339 KB)
6.3.2 Library Report (206 KB)
6.3.3 Public Works Report (22 KB)
6.3.4 Barn & Theater Report (131 KB)
6.3.5 Planning Department Report (75 KB)
City/UR 2.1 Joint City Council and UR Minutes - June 4, 2018 (58 KB)
City/UR 3.1 Appoint City Manager / UR District Manager as Budget Officer for FY 2019-20 (32 KB)
Related Posts:
City of Bandon ~ Ballot Measure 6-172 Pool Funding ~ Voting YES Means No Pool
Bandon City Council Mulling Amendment Officially Separating the City from the Pool
Bandon Planning Department Informally Platting a Pool that the Voters Rejected
LTE ~ No Pool for this Self-admitted Nimby
LTE ~ Why Does the City of Bandon Do What it Does?
LTE ~  Bandon Pool Supporter Making Presumptions Receives a Response
LTE ~ Bandon Mayor Confronting Citizens for Making Public Comment on Pool


Comments

Vote YES on Coos County Measure 6-168 & End the Debt

10/21/2018

Comments

 
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Coos County Measure 6-168 comes down to one question.

Should the county government use public money to develop the North Spit to facilitate the construction of a private project? 
 
The urban renewal money is corporate welfare, not economic development.  In fact, it takes money away from other taxing districts.  It is $35 million of the people’s money going to fund a seven billion dollar LNG project.  The project will go forward no matter how the vote turns out.  Either way, this funding will not be a determining factor for this project, so the voters should repeal this tax and end the debt. 
 
Vote YES to end the corporate welfare.
 
Vote YES to end the urban renewal tax.
 
Vote YES for capitalism, not corporatism.
 
Vote YES to protect private property.
 
Vote YES to make them pay their fair share. 
 
Voter YES on Measure 6-168!!!

Feel-Good Tax Repeal on the Ballot in Coos County ​

Here is how the question should be on the ballot:

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Related Posts:
Coos County Press Release ~ Tax Bill in the Mail ~ Tax Repeal on the Ballot
Feel-Good Tax Repeal on the Ballot in Coos County
Coos County Commissioners Approve Tax Free Living in Bay Area Enterprise Zone
Coos County Clerk Certifies Petition to Repeal the North Bay Urban Renewal Plan
Commissioners Cribbins & Sweet Deserve Public Reprimand for Deception
Commissioner's URA Vote Triggers Tax Referendum ~ Meeting on Friday the 13th
Coos County Considering Ordinance to Extend UR Tax Debt March 27, 2018
Board of Commissioners Postpones Vote on Coos County Urban Renewal Agency
​Update on The Campaign to Shut Down the Coos County Urban Renewal Agency
Coos County Public Hearing on Extending the Urban Renewal Tax Debt Dec. 13, 2017
The Continuing Saga of the Coos County Urban Renewal Agency
​Coos County Board of Commissioners FINAL VOTE on Extending the URA Debt
Information on the Campaign to Shut Down the Coos County Urban Renewal Agency
Coos County Proposed Ordinance Adopting North Bay UR Plan ~ FOREVER
Coos County Commissioners Hearing on Extending the Debt of the North Bay URA
Cribbins & Sweet Utilize Voter Suppression on Urban Renewal Extension

Comments

Repeal the Empire Urban Renewal Tax Debt Meeting Friday Oct. 19, 2018

10/14/2018

Comments

 
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Has the government taxed you enough already?
 
Do you want to fight back against the Taxman?
 
Are you tired of government wasting your money?
 

It is time for the people to take it back.
 

Join other concerned citizens to
Repeal the Empire Urban Renewal Tax Debt
​
GOP Headquarters
Friday, October 19, 7:00pm
201 Central Ave.
Downtown Coos Bay Oregon
​The city council of Coos Bay is going to vote to increase and extend the indebtedness of the Empire Urban Renewal Plan and we plan to file a referendum. 

There will be petitions to sign and copies available for anyone who would like to help gather signatures.   The GOP is giving out signs for candidates and ballot measures.  

 There will be discussions on how we are going to get the signatures and how we are going to run the campaign.  There will be updates on Measure 6-168 and the Coos County Second Amendment Sanctuary Ordinance.

If the politicians of CB cannot put it on the ballot for the voters to decide then we will have to do their job for them. 
 
​
Here is a link to the CB city council meeting on Tuesday October 16, 2018.
​Coos Bay City Council Votes to Extend Empire UR Tax Debt Plan October 16, 2018
Related Posts:
Feel-Good Tax Repeal on the Ballot in Coos County
Press Release ~ Coos Bay Considers Amending Empire Urban Renewal Tax Scheme
Registered Sex Offender Who Received UR Money Threatens Legal Action
Coos Bay Gave Urban Renewal Money to a Registered Sex Offender
Coos Bay Pays Around $406,000 to Repair Mingus Park Pool
Coos Bay Considers Eliminating Voter Approval for the Sale of Revenue Bonds
Coos County Public Hearing on Extending the Urban Renewal Tax Debt Dec. 13, 2017
The Excesses of Tax-Increment Financing & Urban Renewal
Coos Bay URA Spends $300,000 on North-South Gateway While Streets Deteriorate
Coos Bay Street Action Plan Open House Thursday, June 8, 2017, 5:30pm
Coos Bay Legally Steals from Average Citizens to Decorate a Private Business
Coos Bay Taking from the Poor to Give to the Privileged Using Urban Renewal
Coos Bay Gives $97,000 of Public Money to the Local Drama Club
Coos Bay Redistributing Money to Owners of Historical Places
Coos Bay Giving Away Public Money to a Private Business Using Urban Renewal

Comments

LTE ~  Bandon Pool Supporter Making Presumptions Receives a Response

10/9/2018

Comments

 
Everyone is welcome to submit a letter to the editor on the CCW website, but that does not mean the views or opinions expressed are the opinion of the editor, publisher, or anyone else on the planet.
 
I do like to respond to inquiries.
 
My opinion on a PUBLIC SWIMMING pool is well known.  I do not believe that government should be in the pool business.  Size or shape does not matter.  I do not believe it should be the responsibility of taxpayers to provide a swimming hole to the people.  I do not believe the taxpayers need the extra liability. The government has enough trouble just balancing the basics and in many cases they have failed.
 
My opinion on a PRIVATE POOL is the same as every other business.  I wish the best of luck to any individual or group of individuals who want to take on the responsibility of going into the pool business in Bandon.  They have the same right of commerce as anyone else.  However, they do not have any right to ask me or any other living person to pay for their pleasure.  No money, no land, no other resources should be provided to a private business.  The government should not force taxpayers to participate or pay for a private endeavor.  Otherwise, it is nothing less than the reinstitution of slavery….Rob T.  
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​Most people who don't want a community swimming pool in their backyard, or in the city park, claim that it's okay with them if a self-funded organization builds one.

CC Watchdog seems to have always resisted the very idea.

  Presuming you're engaged in a quest for the truth, I have the honor to point out a few random errors which I hope to see you correct. 

Tons of cement will not be dumped in the city park. The correct term for the construction materials concrete. A 100,000 square foot building would be 316 feet on a side and would cost well over 15 million dollars. Obviously we envision no such project. Your informant is off by more than an order of magnitude. His information may come from a misheard remark or even a misprint, but anyone of ordinary intelligence would realize that the numbers make no sense.

And finally the citizens of Bandon never voted against a pool, but turned down a certain means of funding it, which is why we have had to turn to other sources.

Cordially,
Dan Green

City of Bandon ~ Ballot Measure 6-172 Pool Funding ~ Voting YES Means No Pool ​

Related Posts:
LTE ~ Bandon Mayor Confronting Citizens for Making Public Comment on Pool
LTE ~ Some Questions for Pembina on the Jordan Cove Energy Project
Commissioner Candidate Steve Scheer's Opinion Piece
LTE ~ Speaking Loud & Clear One County at a Time
Series of Opinion Pieces by Commissioner Candidate Steve Scheer
LTE ~ Socialist Selling Counterfeit Virtue
LTE ~ Kirby Responds to Barton's Response Waiting Reply
LTE ~ Barton Bothered by Anti-LNG Critics
LTE ~ It's Time to Change the Narrative About School Shootings
LTE ~ Free Speech is what the Editor says it is at the Chronicle
Absolutely NO on 101, no more theft.
LTE ~ Elvis, The Bundy's, and the Bureau of Land Management
LTE ~ School Tax Sacrifices Property Owners
LTE ~ Try Convincing Seniors to Vote for Public School Failure
LTE ~ Coos Bay Low Ranking Public Schools Vestiges of a Failed System
LTE ~ School Bond is NOT About Education
LTE ~ Study History, Robert E. Lee One Honorable Man
Comments

City of Bandon ~ Ballot Measure 6-172 Pool Funding ~ Voting YES Means No Pool

10/6/2018

Comments

 
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Vote YES for no Bandon Pool
BALLOT MEASURE 6-172
Voting “Yes” on Ballot Measure 6-172 would approve an amendment to the City Charter, prohibiting the City from spending public funds on the operation & maintenance of a swimming pool, without prior approval by the voters.  Voting "Yes" would save tax dollars and voter authority on unnecessary spending.

  
Voting “No” will leave the City Charter, as is, which means the city council will take it as a mandate from the voters to spend every last dime of the public’s money on this sinkhole, no matter how detrimental it might be the city's economic solvency---all for a feel-good policy. 
When the voters of Bandon resoundingly rejected the pool in the General Election of 2012, the city council should have done the right thing and taken any mention of it out of the Urban Renewal Plan and the Comprehensive Parks plan per my recommendation at the meeting following the vote.  The council should have honored the will of the people at that time and made it an issue that would always have to go to the people….Rob T.    
Exhibit  "A"
RESOLUTION NO. 18-09
REFERRAL MEASURE FOR NOVEMBER 6, 2018 ELECTION
BALLOT TITLE

CAPTION: Voter Approval Required for City to Expend Funds on Pool

QUESTION: Should Bandon's Charter restrict spending (other than private donations or grants) for operation or maintenance of any pool?
​
SUMMARY: Currently, the City has no public swimming pool. There have been public and private organizations that have attempted to organize efforts for construction of a pool. The City has not formally supported any entity's efforts. The Mayor and City Council may determine the City can support a pool construction effort in non-monetary ways but has determined it is not in the best interest of City to risk spending public funds for the maintenance and operation of a swimming pool if a public or private entity is unable after construction of a pool to sustain those costs. The passage of the proposed measure would allow the City to express its support for some swimming pool project but preclude the spending of any tax payer funds for the operation or maintenance, except as specifically authorized by the voters. The City and Urban Renewal would still be able to apply and provide matching funds for capital and construction grants.
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Related Posts:
City of Bandon Considers Using Eminent Domain on Private Property
Bandon Utility Commission Still Plotting to TAKE AWAY Voter Authority
City of Bandon Ballot Measure #6-172 Urban Renewal Funding for Public/Private Pool
Bandon City Council Mulling Amendment Officially Separating the City from the Pool
Bandon Planning Department Informally Platting a Pool that the Voters Rejected
Coquille River Water Trail Info Sessions in the Cities of Bandon & Coquille
City of Bandon Considers Marijuana Ordinance & Public Drinking Ordinance
USACE Intends to Dedicate $467,000 in Dredging Funding for Port of Bandon
Bandon Plans to Raise Planning Fees Monday May 1, 2017 7:00pm
Bandon Budget Committee Meeting April 17, 2017 at 7:00 pm
Bandon Initiative Petition I2014002 Failed Due to Not Enough Qualified Signatures
Important Message for People Living in Bandon & the Bandon School District
City of Bandon ~ Asking Voters to Raise the Water Rates Measure 6-157
CELDF ~ Enviro Snuff Film "We the People 2.0" in Bandon Friday July 22, 2016
State Shared Revenues or Sin Tax Tribute for Counties & Cities 2016-17
LTE ~ Anonymous Letter on the Conduct of the Port of Bandon in the 2013 Election 
Bandon Changes the Revered Day of Infamy to Trash Art Day
TNC Benefits from States Loss & $450 Million More from Taxpayers for LWCF
Bandon Cheese Factory Receives Private Financing & Still Pays No Property Taxes

Comments

Coos Bay City Council Votes to Extend Empire UR Tax Debt Plan October 16, 2018

10/4/2018

Comments

 
The City Council of Coos Bay will be voting to increase and continue the Empire Urban Renewal Plan at the regular meeting in City Hall on
​Tuesday, October 16, 2018 at 7pm.
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Related Posts:
Feel-Good Tax Repeal on the Ballot in Coos County
Press Release ~ Coos Bay Considers Amending Empire Urban Renewal Tax Scheme
Registered Sex Offender Who Received UR Money Threatens Legal Action
Coos Bay Gave Urban Renewal Money to a Registered Sex Offender
Coos Bay Pays Around $406,000 to Repair Mingus Park Pool
Coos Bay Considers Eliminating Voter Approval for the Sale of Revenue Bonds
Coos County Public Hearing on Extending the Urban Renewal Tax Debt Dec. 13, 2017
The Excesses of Tax-Increment Financing & Urban Renewal
Coos Bay URA Spends $300,000 on North-South Gateway While Streets Deteriorate
Coos Bay Street Action Plan Open House Thursday, June 8, 2017, 5:30pm
Coos Bay Legally Steals from Average Citizens to Decorate a Private Business
Coos Bay Taking from the Poor to Give to the Privileged Using Urban Renewal
Coos Bay Gives $97,000 of Public Money to the Local Drama Club
Coos Bay Redistributing Money to Owners of Historical Places
Coos Bay Giving Away Public Money to a Private Business Using Urban Renewal

Comments

City of Bandon Ballot Measure #6-172 Urban Renewal Funding for Public/Private Pool

9/10/2018

Comments

 
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Bandon Pool Ballot Measure 6-172
File Size: 573 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

Results of the last election with the pool question:  

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​VICTORY for the Taxpayer ~ Measure FAILED
​Bandon Community Swimming Pool Recreation District Formation Measure (November 6, 2012)
A Bandon Community Swimming Pool Recreation District Formation measure was on the November 6, 2012 election ballot in Coos County, which is in Oregon, where it was defeated.
If approved, this measure would have formed the Bandon Community Swimming Pool Recreation District with a tax rate of $0.489 per $1,000 of assessed valuation. This District would be formed in order to construct, operate and maintain a public swimming pool in the Bandon city limits.[1]
https://ballotpedia.org/Bandon_Community_Swimming_Pool_Recreation_District_Formation_Measure_(November_2012)
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Related Posts:
Press Release ~ Coos Bay Considers Amending Empire Urban Renewal Tax Scheme
Registered Sex Offender Who Received UR Money Threatens Legal Action
Coos Bay Gave Urban Renewal Money to a Registered Sex Offender
Coos Bay Pays Around $406,000 to Repair Mingus Park Pool
Coos Bay Considers Eliminating Voter Approval for the Sale of Revenue Bonds
Coos County Public Hearing on Extending the Urban Renewal Tax Debt Dec. 13, 2017
The Excesses of Tax-Increment Financing & Urban Renewal
Coos Bay URA Spends $300,000 on North-South Gateway While Streets Deteriorate
Coos Bay Street Action Plan Open House Thursday, June 8, 2017, 5:30pm
Coos Bay Legally Steals from Average Citizens to Decorate a Private Business
Coos Bay Taking from the Poor to Give to the Privileged Using Urban Renewal
Coos Bay Gives $97,000 of Public Money to the Local Drama Club
Coos Bay Redistributing Money to Owners of Historical Places
Coos Bay Giving Away Public Money to a Private Business Using Urban Renewal

Comments

Coos County Commissioners Approve Tax Free Living in Bay Area Enterprise Zone

6/20/2018

Comments

 
2018 Bay Area Enterprise Zone
File Size: 1144 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

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Related Posts:
Coos County Planning Approves Extension Request for LNG Natural Gas Pipeline
Coos County Regular Board Meeting Tues 9:30am Dec. 5, 2017 ~ LNG on Agenda
FERC Notice of EIS for JCEP Public Comments & Meetings ~ Coos Bay June 27, 2017
Coos County Grants One Year Extension Approval for LNG Pipeline for the JCEP
BOC ~ Notice of Deliberation on JCEP Tuesday August 16, 2016
Public Meeting for Coos County April 19 & North Bend April 26, 2016 on JCEP
Open Letter to the Coos County Board of Commissioners Concerning the JCEP
LTE ~ Leshley Don't Know Dick About the JCEP Work Camp
Jody McCaffree Appeals LNG Road Construction Coos County Planning Oct. 9, 2015
Do Enterprise Zones Work? ~ An Ideopolis Policy Paper February 2011
Educational Enterprise Zone Workshop Roseburg OR Thursday, September 17, 2015
Coos County Planning Decisions on LNG & Effected Roads
LTE ~ CEP appears to be great for Canadian Veresen / JCEP
LTE ~ LNG Pipeline Man and His Bag of Money  
LTE ~ Should We Be Worried Dealing with Veresen and the LNG
LTE~ A Package of Rancor for Coos County Commissioner John Sweet
Critique of the BOC Town Hall in Bandon---"PUT IT ON THE BALLOT"
BOC---MGX---Jordon Cove Made Commitment to Pay $30M Annual Taxes Despite EZ  
Public Meetings on South Coast Community Foundation "Put it on the Ballot"
BOC---Public Meeting for Vote on South Coast Community Foundation April 1, 2014
Letter to Editor---South Coast Community Foundation Scam will Top All Past 
MGX---Geddry Slams Koch over Forced Cooperation & Jordon Cove Funding 
League of Oregon Cities Class of Slanted View on History of Urban Renewal in OR 
City of Bandon---Expanding Government Cheese
Urban Renewal---King Hales of Portland Master of Government Development
FBI Press Release on Charges Against Local Bandon Developer Michael Drobot
Urban Renewal---Read How Schools suffer to Support Wealthy Foreign Companies
City of Bandon---Local Developer Michael Drobot Admits to Bribery & Conspiracy 
Preserving the American Dream:  Lessons in Beating Boondoggles
Agenda 21---Sustainable Development & Regionalism
City of Bandon---Votes on the renewal of City Manager's Contract

Comments

Coos County Clerk Certifies Petition to Repeal the North Bay Urban Renewal Plan

6/13/2018

Comments

 
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REPEAL THE TAX!!!

VOTE YES TO REPEAL THE URBAN RENEWAL TAX!!!
​VOTE YES TO END THE DEBT!!!

VOTE YES ON MEASURE 6-168

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Related Posts:
Commissioners Cribbins & Sweet Deserve Public Reprimand for Deception
Commissioner's URA Vote Triggers Tax Referendum ~ Meeting on Friday the 13th
Coos County Considering Ordinance to Extend UR Tax Debt March 27, 2018
Board of Commissioners Postpones Vote on Coos County Urban Renewal Agency
​Update on The Campaign to Shut Down the Coos County Urban Renewal Agency
Coos County Public Hearing on Extending the Urban Renewal Tax Debt Dec. 13, 2017
The Continuing Saga of the Coos County Urban Renewal Agency
​Coos County Board of Commissioners FINAL VOTE on Extending the URA Debt
Information on the Campaign to Shut Down the Coos County Urban Renewal Agency
Coos County Proposed Ordinance Adopting North Bay UR Plan ~ FOREVER
Coos County Commissioners Hearing on Extending the Debt of the North Bay URA
Cribbins & Sweet Utilize Voter Suppression on Urban Renewal Extension

Comments

Commissioners Cribbins & Sweet Deserve Public Reprimand for Deception

4/10/2018

Comments

 
TAX Referendum Meeting “Time to Shut It Down”
7 pm on Friday, April 13, 2018,
North Bend Library on Sherman Avenue
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One of the purposes of the referendum process is to keep local and state politicians in check.  The state of Oregon has a very liberal policy on rescinding bad laws or taxes that were enacted by city councils and county boards.
 
At the Coos County Board of Commissioners meeting on March 27, 2018, ALL THREE COMMISSIONERS voted to continue the urban renewal tax debt.  There are thirty-two million dollars in potential projects and any debt incurred over the twenty-year life of the plan is the responsibility of the taxpayer.  Since the vote was unanimous, it is hard to tell who is representing the people.
 
The commissioners started reviewing the North Bay URA plan back in August of 2017. During the meetings, Commissioner Main played both sides of the issue sending mixed messages, while Cribbins and Sweet repeatedly implied they were going to do everything possible to find out what the people thought about their plan of extending this public liability.   
 
However, the board scheduled all the meetings during the day when most people are at work. There was no town hall or public forum where the opposition and the supporters could debate the issue in free discourse in front of a live audience.   There was no opportunity for the people to hear both sides of the argument because the commissioners were only concerned with the opinion of the supporters of the agency.  Everyone else had to follow strictly mandated time constrictions, and the commissioners never allowed the opposition to give their power point presentation at any of the meetings.  
 
In fact, all Cribbins and Sweet had to do to find out what the people thought of the issue was to put the question on the ballot, but that would have revealed an ugly truth.  The truth is that most people do not support creating more debt for themselves or their children.  They certainly do not approve of using public money for the benefits of private development.  Cribbins and Sweet lied about their intentions, deceived the people, and denied them their authority to make the final decision.  After all, it is the taxpayer’s money, not the boards.  
 
Fortunate for the voters, they might get two chances to veto the commissioners and override these elected employees, but those opportunities depend on the actions of county voters. 
 
First, it is time to drain the swamp and give Cribbins and Sweet their walking papers. Start looking for new employees, especially when the old employees are guilty of deception.  In the upcoming primary in May, the voters have a couple of choices for candidates in both commissioner positions #2 and #3. 
 
Secondly, people can and should take back their authority by gathering signatures for the referendum petition filed by The Committee to Shut Down the Coos County URA.  A successful ballot measure would put the commissioners back in their place.  Our forebearers wrote the state’s constitution acknowledging the right to the redress of grievances so that the people could train their politicians to obey, which is what Cribbins, Sweet, and Main should have done for the people of Coos County. 
 
There will be a meeting to discuss the history and consequences of urban renewal and tax-increment financing at 7 pm on Friday, April 13, 2018, at the North Bend Library on Sherman Avenue.  Petitions will be available for registered voters to sign.  The campaign also needs volunteers to help circulate the petition. 
 
For anyone who cannot make the meeting, but would like to gather signatures can get copies by sending an email to cooscountywatchdog@gmail.com.  Please put “UR Petition” in the subject line.    There is a petition available to sign at The Sentinel Newspaper in Coquille, and Waterman’s Automotive in Bandon.
 
Otherwise, download a single signature sheet and find out more information at www.CoosCountyWatchdog.com.  
​

Download Petition
Download Text
Sign the petition to repeal the Coos County Urban Renewal Debt for the 2018 ballot!

It's as easy as 1 - 2 - 3!

1. Print out the petition on white paper.
2. Sign, date and fold it. Only use tape on the outside of the signature sheet.
3. Stick a stamp on it and mail it in.
You can request 10 line signature sheets so you can collect signatures from your friends, family and at events. 
​Send an email to: cooscountywatchdog@gmail.com 
Related Posts Establishing the Timeline
Commissioner's URA Vote Triggers Tax Referendum ~ Meeting on Friday the 13th
Coos County Considering Ordinance to Extend UR Tax Debt March 27, 2018
Board of Commissioners Postpones Vote on Coos County Urban Renewal Agency
​Update on The Campaign to Shut Down the Coos County Urban Renewal Agency
Coos County Public Hearing on Extending the Urban Renewal Tax Debt Dec. 13, 2017
The Continuing Saga of the Coos County Urban Renewal Agency
​Coos County Board of Commissioners FINAL VOTE on Extending the URA Debt
Information on the Campaign to Shut Down the Coos County Urban Renewal Agency
Coos County Proposed Ordinance Adopting North Bay UR Plan ~ FOREVER
Coos County Commissioners Hearing on Extending the Debt of the North Bay URA
Cribbins & Sweet Utilize Voter Suppression on Urban Renewal Extension

Comments

Commissioner's URA Vote Triggers Tax Referendum ~ Meeting on Friday the 13th

4/2/2018

Comments

 
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The Committee to Shut It Down will be having a meeting on Friday, April 13, 2018, at 7 pm in the North Bend Library on Sherman Street and the reason is due to a recent vote by the Coos County Board of Commissioners. 
 
On March 27, 2018, the Board voted to extend the urban renewal debt and the North Bay Urban Renewal Plan for another twenty years.  The maximum indebtedness is thirty-seven million dollars, and it is the responsibility of the taxpayers to pay it back.  
 
The BOC started this process in September of 2017 where at one meeting over seventy opponents attended, and they spoke out against the UR tax debt or extending the plan.  Many of them demanded that the commissioners put the ordinance on the ballot for the voters to decide. 
 
Unfortunately, ALL THREE COMMISSIONERS ignored the pleas of the public and voted unanimously to support this tax.  They saddled the taxpayers with two more decades of debt by enacting Ordinance 17-08-006L, which amends the plan to the county’s urban renewal agency until the year 2038.  The life expectancy of some of the current board members are shorter than the time it will take the next generation to pay off this debt,
 
In a twist, Commissioner Bob Main, who had been a very vocal longtime opponent of urban renewal decided to vote in favor of the plan and the ordinance.  Many of his supporters were very disappointed by the sudden reversal, but it was not surprising considering his past inconsistencies. 
 
Main used to be the renegade on the board with Cribbins and Sweet towing the line for the local political establishment, but this recent decision puts Main in the muck with the rest of the local swamp creatures.  It seemed to be a recklessly cavalier decision considering the election before last he only kept the commissioner position by 14 votes.  It is unclear where he will receive support in his next bid to retain the office.  
 
He explained himself by stating this, “While I do not like UR’s, I was able to modify the Coos County UR.   Removed was the additional tax levy on all Coos County tax payers ( if the UR was short funds ).  Also, any additional revenue from additional taxable value has to be approved by the county commissioners.  ( Jordan Cove as an example would have to be approved.  I do not see that happening because the county needs those funds for the jail, deputies, etc.)”
 
Fortunately, the voters will have a chance to terminate Bob Main as county commissioner in two years, but for now, Commissioners Cribbins and Sweet are up for reelection.   Both are facing multiple contenders so voters will have plenty of choices in the May primary.  
 
Interested parties can find more info on candidates at the county Elections Office’s website at www.co.coos.or.us/Departments/CountyClerk/Elections.aspx.
 
Insubordination is an intolerable act for elected employees, so several citizens have decided to file a TAX Referendum.  If the group collects enough signatures, the voters will get to make the final decision.  With the required number, plus extras for the ones the elections official might throw out, the committee will need to gather about 1300 signatures.  The campaign is an effort to eliminate, not only the tax but also the entire process of tax-increment financing in Coos County. 
 
Anyone interested in fighting for a lower tax debt should attend the “Shut Down the Coos County URA” meeting on Friday the thirteenth.  There will be petitions available to sign, and organizers will provide more in-depth explanations of how urban renewal and tax-increment financing is driving up taxes and property prices.  
 
For anyone who cannot make the meeting, but would like to circulate the petition and gather signatures can get copies by sending an email to cooscountywatchdog@gmail.com.  Please put “UR Petition” in the subject line.   
 
Download a single signature sheet and find out more information at www.CoosCountyWatchdog.com.  

Download Petition
Single Signature Sheet
Ordinance 17-08-006l.pdf
File Size: 268 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

Sign the petition to repeal the Coos County Urban Renewal Debt for the 2018 ballot! 
It's as easy as 1 - 2 - 3!

1. Print out the petition on white paper.
2. Sign, date and fold it. Only use tape on the outside of the signature sheet.
3. Stick a stamp on it and mail it in.
Related Posts Establishing the Timeline
Coos County Considering Ordinance to Extend UR Tax Debt March 27, 2018
Board of Commissioners Postpones Vote on Coos County Urban Renewal Agency
​Update on The Campaign to Shut Down the Coos County Urban Renewal Agency
Coos County Public Hearing on Extending the Urban Renewal Tax Debt Dec. 13, 2017
The Continuing Saga of the Coos County Urban Renewal Agency
​Coos County Board of Commissioners FINAL VOTE on Extending the URA Debt
Information on the Campaign to Shut Down the Coos County Urban Renewal Agency
Coos County Proposed Ordinance Adopting North Bay UR Plan ~ FOREVER
Coos County Commissioners Hearing on Extending the Debt of the North Bay URA
Cribbins & Sweet Utilize Voter Suppression on Urban Renewal Extension


Comments

Coos County Considering Ordinance to Extend UR Tax Debt March 27, 2018

3/23/2018

Comments

 
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On Tuesday, March 27, 2018, at 9:30 am in the Owen Building, Coos County Board of Commissioners will be making their final decision on the ordinance that authorizes a twenty-year extension of the plan for the North Bay Urban Renewal Area.  The Board approved the plan in a meeting on December 13, 2017, but they have to pass an ordinance to codify the act into county law. 
 
Since August of last year, the BOC has been discussing the idea of extending the tax debt of the North Bay Urban Renewal Area, which is under the authority of the Coos County Urban Renewal Agency.  The unelected officials on the Port of Coos Bay receive funding to manage that agency, and they are desperately trying to keep the drain open on their slush fund. The plan was set to expire this year, so the money from property taxes going to the UR agency would then flow back into the ten other overlapping taxing districts.
 
The taxpayers are the ones responsible for paying back the urban renewal debt, so many people who attended the county’s public meetings requested to have this issue put on the ballot for the voters to decide.  
 
Two of the commissioners, Cribbins and Sweet have refused these public requests, and they make up the majority of the Board.
 
However, the people have the power of the petition.  We the people can file a referendum on their decision and VETO their vote.
 
When the Board votes to enact the ordinance The Committee to Shut Down the CCURA will file to rescind that law, and the campaign will need volunteers to circulate petitions and gather signatures.
 
Volunteers can contact the campaign by sending an email with your contact information to CoosCountyWatchdog@gmail.com.  
 
Two of the commissioners are up for reelection, Cribbins, and Sweet, so they are going to have to explain to the voters their decision to extend the UR debt for two more decades.  
 
For more information:  http://www.cooscountywatchdog.com/shut-down-the-coos-county-urban-renewal-agency.html

3-27-18 agenda & packet
File Size: 2572 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

Related Posts:
Coos Bay & North Bend Pass Resolution Approving Changes to North Bay UR Plan
Board of Commissioners Postpones Vote on Coos County Urban Renewal Agency
Update on The Campaign to Shut Down the Coos County Urban Renewal Agency
Public Comment Due BY December 1, 2017 on Coos County Urban Renewal Agency
The Continuing Saga of the Coos County Urban Renewal Agency
Coos County Board of Commissioners FINAL VOTE on Extending the URA Debt
Information on the Campaign to Shut Down the North Bay URA
Coos County Proposed Ordinance Adopting North Bay UR Plan ~ FOREVER
Coos County Commissioners Hearing on Extending the Debt of the North Bay URA
Cribbins & Sweet Utilize Voter Suppression on Urban Renewal Extension  
PERS Task Force Recommends Exempting School Districts from Urban Renewal
List of Coos Bay’s Urban Renewal Expenditures from 2006 - 2012
LTE ~ Coos Bay Urban Renewal Giving Away Public Assets Paid for by The Public
#CoosBay Urban Renewal Monies Siphoned from Public Basic Services 
Port of #CoosBay Blowing Through Your Tax Dollars Like Drunken Sailors 
Commissioners Campaign Contributors are Champions of Corporate Welfare
Coos County Public Hearing on Extending the Urban Renewal Tax Debt Dec. 13, 2017
The Excesses of Tax-Increment Financing & Urban Renewal

Comments

Registered Sex Offender Who Received UR Money Threatens Legal Action

3/11/2018

Comments

 
On March 7, 2018, Henry Delany sent the following email from the Northwest Fitness email address threatening to file several lawsuits against Rob Taylor from the Coos County Watchdog website for posting this story.
 Coos Bay Gave Urban Renewal Money to a Registered Sex Offender 
http://www.cooscountywatchdog.com/blog/coos-bay-gave-urban-renewal-money-to-a-registered-sex-offender#comments

My Response follows this email…Rob T.   ​

RE:    Northwest Fitness
From: Northwest Fitness <henry@trainnw.com>
Date:  Wed 3/7, 1:45 AM
To:    cooscountywatchdog@gmail.com

Mr. Taylor,
This email is to notify you formally that a large portion of the information you have posted, both on this blog and via social media is incomplete and inaccurate. We are currently in the process of taking legal action regarding these damaging, harassing, and libelous statements. These statements are including but not limited to both posts and comments on your social media page as well as copies of court documents with incorrect information that were later ammended.

Separately, portions of the content you have posted is trademarked and/or copyrighted. Removal of all web content, screenshots, pictures, or images of the trademarked NW, or content originating from www.trainnw.com or and HD2 Fitness prtoperty must be removed immediately. This matter will be assessed and litigated separately, as regardless of the tone or intention of the posts, you are clearly using a trademarked logo and copyrighted content with the intent of profiting (driving traffic to your website).

On an aside, my wife and I came here last year, invested over a million dollars, revitalized a downtown building, created 5 jobs in the community that pay 65k+, created 2 scholarships, started a charity that will be providing state-of-the-art running shoes retailing for $179 that we are offering to the local community for $35, we have donated over $10,000 in equipment to the local high schools, sponsored a half dozen youth sports teams, created an after school peer tutoring and study hall program, extended over $5,000 in free services to low income youth, not to mention the work we do every day to create a healthier community ... and we've only been open since June - so that's who you and your Mr. Anderson are trying to "take down", that's the monster under your bed. A self made couple that gives a lot of their money away, that moved to a quiet coastal town in the hopes of making it better and starting a family. 
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The Official Response from Rob Taylor:  ​

Dear Mr. Delaney,
 
Thank you for your informative letter.  I have often wondered what must go through the minds of rapists.  Now I know, and it is even worse than I imagined.
 
After reading your threat-ridden email, all I could think about was the poor defenseless women that you raped.  It must be difficult for her to have to live with such an intimate violation that will haunt her for the rest of her life and not once did you express any remorse.  Like all sexual predators, you lack the emotional capacity for any sense of empathy for others, so it is impossible to have sympathy for you.   You could have talked about how you were seeking redemption and had attempted to atone for your crime, but you did none of that in your notice.
 
You should seek help.  Your attempts at threats and intimidation are humorous---You are just not very good at it! 
 ​
Public records indicate that the state of Washington convicted you of rape and the court ordered that you have to register as a sex offender.  The information posted on my website is consistent with the documentation.  Perhaps instead of threats and intimidation, you might consider having your alleged amendments and corrections to court documents placed in the public domain. 
 
I do not respond well to threats...especially threats based on bullshit.
 
Fortunately, I have the best and most impenetrable defense against libel, the truth.  The truth will set you free, but in this case, that may not be true for you.   
 
Copyright and trademark laws protect logos and other business materials from commercial use.   The Coos County Watchdog website is NOT a commercial enterprise.  There is no advertising, and there is no profit.  Also, you posted your logo and business information on social media websites and shared them with the world, which technically puts them in the public domain.  Therefore, your assertions are just as full of bullshit as your threats.   Perhaps you should do a little research before you make such accusations.  
 
Your investments in the community are commendable.  However, you are still a convicted rapist, and it is highly questionable why someone with your past convictions would choose to be in an industry designed to cater to young people.  The welfare of the community by far supersedes these efforts. 
 
Your tactics are not the proper way to address these matters.  Had you contacted me to offer explanations civilly you would have discovered that I am a very understanding person. Perhaps I could have gained a better understanding of your situation.
 
The bottom line here is that you are, indeed, a rapist.  You took $25,000 of taxpayer money under controversial circumstances, and your attempts to threaten and intimidate were unsuccessful.
 
You should return the taxpayer's money.  I also suggest that you pursue legal action against me.  I will be more than happy to appear in court to support my positions and then I will report to the public on the proceedings. 
 
Remember, I am not the criminal here, YOU ARE!
 
Have a nice day (If, indeed, rapists deserve to have a nice day).
 
Sincerely, Rob Taylor
References: 
Updated Dec 17, 2010 at 1:21 PM
MAIL TRIBUNE — > LOCAL > EMERGENCY SERVICES — Sex offender- Henry Landry Delaney III, 21, — of the 100 block of Kings Way, Central Point. Oregon State Police arrested Delaney early Thursday on — charges of failure to register his address as a sex offender and failure to display his driver — license. He was jailed on $8,000 bail.
http://www.mailtribune.com/article/20020315/news/303159989 
Sex Offender Archive Record: Henry Landry Delaney Iii
www.sexoffendersarchive.com/offender/view/331273
Henry Landry Delaney Iii View photos: 1 | 2. Last known address: 10 Block Of Ave Ne & Ravenna Seattle WA 98104. Age: 29 Gender: M Height: 5 ft. 10 in. Weight: 220. Hair Color: Black Eye Color: Brown Offense: Sexual abuse in the second degree. Risk Level: Moderate ...
http://www.sexoffendersarchive.com/offender/view/331273
https://www.trainnw.com/henry-delaney
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2018-03-06 Trial Transcripts Henry Delaney III
File Size: 3299 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

Related Posts:
Coos Bay Gave Urban Renewal Money to a Registered Sex Offender
Coos Bay Pays Around $406,000 to Repair Mingus Park Pool
Coos Bay Considers Eliminating Voter Approval for the Sale of Revenue Bonds
Coos County Public Hearing on Extending the Urban Renewal Tax Debt Dec. 13, 2017
The Excesses of Tax-Increment Financing & Urban Renewal
Coos Bay URA Spends $300,000 on North-South Gateway While Streets Deteriorate
Coos Bay Street Action Plan Open House Thursday, June 8, 2017, 5:30pm
Coos Bay Legally Steals from Average Citizens to Decorate a Private Business
Coos Bay Taking from the Poor to Give to the Privileged Using Urban Renewal
Coos Bay Gives $97,000 of Public Money to the Local Drama Club
Coos Bay Redistributing Money to Owners of Historical Places
Coos Bay Giving Away Public Money to a Private Business Using Urban Renewal

Comments

Coos Bay & North Bend Pass Resolution Approving Changes to North Bay UR Plan

2/14/2018

Comments

 
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The cities of Coos Bay and North Bend have approved the changes that the county commissioners made to the North Bay Urban Renewal Plan and now it goes back to the county for final approval by the Board of Commissioners.  
 
The county’s attorney will add the plan to a county ordinance as exhibit A, so the board can place it on the agenda for an upcoming meeting.  Stay tuned….Rob T.  

Here are the files related to the CCURA North Bay District Plan:

2018-02-06 Resolution 18-03 North Bay UR Plan Amendment
File Size: 11 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

2018-02-06 Resolution 18-03 Exhibit A CCURA North Bay District Plan
File Size: 2542 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

Related Posts:
Board of Commissioners Postpones Vote on Coos County Urban Renewal Agency
Update on The Campaign to Shut Down the Coos County Urban Renewal Agency
Public Comment Due BY December 1, 2017 on Coos County Urban Renewal Agency
The Continuing Saga of the Coos County Urban Renewal Agency
Coos County Board of Commissioners FINAL VOTE on Extending the URA Debt
Information on the Campaign to Shut Down the North Bay URA
Coos County Proposed Ordinance Adopting North Bay UR Plan ~ FOREVER
Coos County Commissioners Hearing on Extending the Debt of the North Bay URA
Cribbins & Sweet Utilize Voter Suppression on Urban Renewal Extension  
PERS Task Force Recommends Exempting School Districts from Urban Renewal
List of Coos Bay’s Urban Renewal Expenditures from 2006 - 2012
LTE ~ Coos Bay Urban Renewal Giving Away Public Assets Paid for by The Public
#CoosBay Urban Renewal Monies Siphoned from Public Basic Services 
Port of #CoosBay Blowing Through Your Tax Dollars Like Drunken Sailors 
Commissioners Campaign Contributors are Champions of Corporate Welfare
Coos County Public Hearing on Extending the Urban Renewal Tax Debt Dec. 13, 2017
The Excesses of Tax-Increment Financing & Urban Renewal
Coos Bay URA Spends $300,000 on North-South Gateway While Streets Deteriorate
Coos Bay Street Action Plan Open House Thursday, June 8, 2017, 5:30pm
Coos Bay Legally Steals from Average Citizens to Decorate a Private Business
Coos Bay Taking from the Poor to Give to the Privileged Using Urban Renewal
Coos Bay Gives $97,000 of Public Money to the Local Drama Club
Coos Bay Redistributing Money to Owners of Historical Places
Coos Bay Giving Away Public Money to a Private Business Using Urban Renewal
CATO Policy Analysis #676 ~ The Case Against Tax-Increment Financing

Comments

Board of Commissioners Postpones Vote on Coos County Urban Renewal Agency

1/22/2018

Comments

 
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The county has postponed the vote for extending the plan for the North Bay Urban Renewal Area.  When the city council of North Bend and Coos Bay approve the changes made to the plan by the county commissioners it will go back to the county where their attorney will draft an ordinance.  Then it will go to the board for a vote.   Stay tuned.
 
For more info on The Campaign to Shut Down the CCURA go to www.cooscountywatchdog.com/shut-down-the-coos-county-urban-renewal-agency.html
 
 
In other news, John Sweet and Melissa Cribbins are up for reelection.  Currently, only Commissioner Sweet is facing one serious contender for the primary election in May, former budget committee member, Steve Scheer. 
 
For more info on the election go to www.facebook.com/DefeatJohnSweet


Related Posts:
Update on The Campaign to Shut Down the Coos County Urban Renewal Agency
Public Comment Due BY December 1, 2017 on Coos County Urban Renewal Agency
The Continuing Saga of the Coos County Urban Renewal Agency
Coos County Board of Commissioners FINAL VOTE on Extending the URA Debt
Information on the Campaign to Shut Down the North Bay URA
Coos County Proposed Ordinance Adopting North Bay UR Plan ~ FOREVER
Coos County Commissioners Hearing on Extending the Debt of the North Bay URA
Cribbins & Sweet Utilize Voter Suppression on Urban Renewal Extension  
PERS Task Force Recommends Exempting School Districts from Urban Renewal
List of Coos Bay’s Urban Renewal Expenditures from 2006 - 2012
LTE ~ Coos Bay Urban Renewal Giving Away Public Assets Paid for by The Public
#CoosBay Urban Renewal Monies Siphoned from Public Basic Services 
Port of #CoosBay Blowing Through Your Tax Dollars Like Drunken Sailors 
Commissioners Campaign Contributors are Champions of Corporate Welfare
Coos County Public Hearing on Extending the Urban Renewal Tax Debt Dec. 13, 2017
The Excesses of Tax-Increment Financing & Urban Renewal
Coos Bay URA Spends $300,000 on North-South Gateway While Streets Deteriorate
Coos Bay Street Action Plan Open House Thursday, June 8, 2017, 5:30pm
Coos Bay Legally Steals from Average Citizens to Decorate a Private Business
Coos Bay Taking from the Poor to Give to the Privileged Using Urban Renewal
Coos Bay Gives $97,000 of Public Money to the Local Drama Club
Coos Bay Redistributing Money to Owners of Historical Places
Coos Bay Giving Away Public Money to a Private Business Using Urban Renewal
CATO Policy Analysis #676 ~ The Case Against Tax-Increment Financing

Comments

Update on The Campaign to Shut Down the Coos County Urban Renewal Agency

1/7/2018

Comments

 
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The campaign to shut down the Coos County Urban Renewal Agency begun about six months ago when the Port of Coos Bay announced that they planned to renew the North Bay urban renewal area for another twenty years with a maximum indebtedness of $37 million. 
 
The county Board of Commissioners have made the final decision over the plan and they had three hearings to discuss it, one in August 31, another on October 30 with the final meeting on December 13, 2017, which ended with ALL THREE commissioners approving the plan.
 
Now the process moves from the public hearings where the board approved the plan and they will add it to an ordinance as exhibit A.   The commissioners will have to enact the ordinance that initiates the plan and at that point, the people should be able to file a referendum.   Commissioner Cribbins said they have tentatively scheduled the vote for Tuesday, January 23 at the boards regularly scheduled meeting.  The county will post more info when the meeting becomes official.  
 
People are encouraged to contact the BOC:
Robert "Bob" Main
(541) 396-7540
Email: bmain@co.coos.or.us     
 
 
John Sweet
(541) 396-7541
Email: jsweet@co.coos.or.us   
 
 
Melissa Cribbins
(541) 396-7539
Email: mcribbins@co.coos.or.us
 
 
Videos of the hearings:
December 13, 2017
https://coosmediacenter.viebit.com/player.php?hash=Makyr2P6cWn2
 
August 31, 2017
https://coosmediacenter.viebit.com/player.php?hash=COouDtEQJUqy
 
September 25, 2017
https://coosmediacenter.viebit.com/player.php?hash=H1rPhV2VF0Fd
 
Port of Coos Bay CCURA
http://www.portofcoosbay.com/ccura/

More info on the Campaign to Shut Down the CCURA
www.cooscountywatchdog.com/shut-down-the-coos-county-urban-renewal-agency.html
 
The Campaign on FB
https://www.facebook.com/ShutDowntheCoosCountyURA/

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CATO Policy Analysis #676 ~ The Case Against Tax-Increment Financing

Related Posts:
Public Comment Due BY December 1, 2017 on Coos County Urban Renewal Agency
The Continuing Saga of the Coos County Urban Renewal Agency
Coos County Board of Commissioners FINAL VOTE on Extending the URA Debt
Information on the Campaign to Shut Down the North Bay URA
Coos County Proposed Ordinance Adopting North Bay UR Plan ~ FOREVER
Coos County Commissioners Hearing on Extending the Debt of the North Bay URA
Cribbins & Sweet Utilize Voter Suppression on Urban Renewal Extension  
PERS Task Force Recommends Exempting School Districts from Urban Renewal
List of Coos Bay’s Urban Renewal Expenditures from 2006 - 2012
LTE ~ Coos Bay Urban Renewal Giving Away Public Assets Paid for by The Public
#CoosBay Urban Renewal Monies Siphoned from Public Basic Services 
Port of #CoosBay Blowing Through Your Tax Dollars Like Drunken Sailors 
Commissioners Campaign Contributors are Champions of Corporate Welfare
Coos County Public Hearing on Extending the Urban Renewal Tax Debt Dec. 13, 2017
The Excesses of Tax-Increment Financing & Urban Renewal
Coos Bay URA Spends $300,000 on North-South Gateway While Streets Deteriorate
Coos Bay Street Action Plan Open House Thursday, June 8, 2017, 5:30pm
Coos Bay Legally Steals from Average Citizens to Decorate a Private Business
Coos Bay Taking from the Poor to Give to the Privileged Using Urban Renewal
Coos Bay Gives $97,000 of Public Money to the Local Drama Club
Coos Bay Redistributing Money to Owners of Historical Places
Coos Bay Giving Away Public Money to a Private Business Using Urban Renewal
CATO Policy Analysis #676 ~ The Case Against Tax-Increment Financing
Comments

Coos Bay Town Hall Meeting ~ Input on Urban Renewal Slush Fund January 9, 2018

1/5/2018

Comments

 
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TOWN HALL MEETING
Urban Renewal Agency Wants Your Input
The Coos Bay Urban Renewal Agency (Agency) is in the process of reviewing the Empire Urban Renewal Plan (Plan).  For the most part, the Plan was created more than twenty years ago. A number of Urban Renewal Projects listed in the Plan have been accomplished while others have yet to be undertaken. One of the largest projects, the South Empire Blvd Street project was recently completed. That project included a complete makeover of South Empire Blvd, which was aimed at increasing pedestrian and bicyclist safety through the widening of the street and installation of bicycle lanes, sidewalks, and lighting.     
 
The purpose of the Plan review is to ensure the project list reflects today’s needs of the District. It is more than possible that the Plan will need to be updated to reflect the current and anticipated future needs of the Empire Urban Renewal District. Over the next few years, the Agency will have additional resources to undertake projects listed in the Plan.The Agency would like to gather public input on not only the remaining projects already in the Plan, but also potential projects that would be added to the Plan. The Coos Bay Urban Renewal Agency will be hosting a Town Hall meeting on Tuesday, January 9 at the Dolphin Theatre beginning at 5:30 pm. The Dolphin Theatre is located at 580 Newmark Avenue. A copy of the current Empire Urban Renewal Plan can be found online at Empire URA Plan.  

http://coosbay.org/uploads/PDF/Plans/Coos_Bay_Empire_Plan_with_Amendments_073115.pdf
Related Posts:
Coos County Public Hearing on Extending the Urban Renewal Tax Debt Dec. 13, 2017
The Excesses of Tax-Increment Financing & Urban Renewal
Coos Bay URA Spends $300,000 on North-South Gateway While Streets Deteriorate
Coos Bay Street Action Plan Open House Thursday, June 8, 2017, 5:30pm
Coos Bay Legally Steals from Average Citizens to Decorate a Private Business
Coos Bay Taking from the Poor to Give to the Privileged Using Urban Renewal
Coos Bay Gives $97,000 of Public Money to the Local Drama Club
Coos Bay Redistributing Money to Owners of Historical Places
Coos Bay Giving Away Public Money to a Private Business Using Urban Renewal
CATO Policy Analysis #676 ~ The Case Against Tax-Increment Financing
Public Comment Due BY December 1, 2017 on Coos County Urban Renewal Agency
The Continuing Saga of the Coos County Urban Renewal Agency
Coos County Board of Commissioners FINAL VOTE on Extending the URA Debt
Information on the Campaign to Shut Down the North Bay URA
Coos County Proposed Ordinance Adopting North Bay UR Plan ~ FOREVER
Coos County Commissioners Hearing on Extending the Debt of the North Bay URA
Cribbins & Sweet Utilize Voter Suppression on Urban Renewal Extension  
PERS Task Force Recommends Exempting School Districts from Urban Renewal
List of Coos Bay’s Urban Renewal Expenditures from 2006 - 2012
LTE ~ Coos Bay Urban Renewal Giving Away Public Assets Paid for by The Public
#CoosBay Urban Renewal Monies Siphoned from Public Basic Services 
Port of #CoosBay Blowing Through Your Tax Dollars Like Drunken Sailors 
Commissioners Campaign Contributors are Champions of Corporate Welfare

Comments

CCURA Public Hearing TODAY December 13, at 3pm in the Owen Building

12/13/2017

Comments

 
The following meeting will be held in the Owen Building at 3:00pm.  It was advertised on the Port of Coos Bay website for 1:30pm, but that is the incorrect time.  It has been changed, but if the Port Director cannot schedule a meeting should the commissioners be giving him access to $37 million dollars. 


December 13, 2017 REVISED SPECIAL MEETINGS NOTICE COOS COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS The Coos County Board of Commissioners has scheduled or will attend the following meetings during the period of December 11 through December 15, 2017: Wednesday, December 13: 10:00 AM worksession- Insurance Premiums- room 121 3:00 PM Continuation of Hearing on Urban Renewal Plan Amendment- Owen Building large conference room

Coos County Public Hearing on Extending the Urban Renewal Tax Debt Dec. 13, 2017


Comments

Coos County Public Hearing on Extending the Urban Renewal Tax Debt Dec. 13, 2017

12/11/2017

Comments

 
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The Coos County Commissioners will be holding a
public hearing on December 13th 2017, at 3:00 PM.

The meeting will be held in the
Owens Building at 225 N Adams St, Coquille, OR 97423. 


2017 Some of the Meeting Documents

2017-12-13 Proposed Updated CCURA Plan Amendment November 22, 2017
File Size: 2542 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

2017-12-13 Report on Proposed Updated CCURA Plan Amendment November 22, 2017
File Size: 611 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

2017-12-13 Updated Urban Renewal Information Coos County
File Size: 107 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

 AM-17-005 Urban Renewal
North Bay Renewal Agency District Report
North Bay Urban Renewal Plan Amendment
North Bay Urban Renewal Plan as Amended
12/05/17 Memo to the BOC

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The Continuing Saga of the Coos County Urban Renewal Agency

 FB page dedicated to shutting down the Coos County Urban Renewal Agency
www.facebook.com/ShutDowntheCoosCountyURA/
Related Posts:
The Excesses of Tax-Increment Financing & Urban Renewal
Coos Bay URA Spends $300,000 on North-South Gateway While Streets Deteriorate
Coos Bay Street Action Plan Open House Thursday, June 8, 2017, 5:30pm
Coos Bay Legally Steals from Average Citizens to Decorate a Private Business
Coos Bay Taking from the Poor to Give to the Privileged Using Urban Renewal
Coos Bay Gives $97,000 of Public Money to the Local Drama Club
Coos Bay Redistributing Money to Owners of Historical Places
Coos Bay Giving Away Public Money to a Private Business Using Urban Renewal
CATO Policy Analysis #676 ~ The Case Against Tax-Increment Financing
Public Comment Due BY December 1, 2017 on Coos County Urban Renewal Agency
The Continuing Saga of the Coos County Urban Renewal Agency
Coos County Board of Commissioners FINAL VOTE on Extending the URA Debt
Information on the Campaign to Shut Down the North Bay URA
Coos County Proposed Ordinance Adopting North Bay UR Plan ~ FOREVER
Coos County Commissioners Hearing on Extending the Debt of the North Bay URA
Cribbins & Sweet Utilize Voter Suppression on Urban Renewal Extension  
PERS Task Force Recommends Exempting School Districts from Urban Renewal
List of Coos Bay’s Urban Renewal Expenditures from 2006 - 2012
LTE ~ Coos Bay Urban Renewal Giving Away Public Assets Paid for by The Public
#CoosBay Urban Renewal Monies Siphoned from Public Basic Services 
Port of #CoosBay Blowing Through Your Tax Dollars Like Drunken Sailors 
Commissioners Campaign Contributors are Champions of Corporate Welfare

Comments

The Excesses of Tax-Increment Financing & Urban Renewal

12/4/2017

Comments

 
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The Excesses of Tax-Increment Financing & Urban Renewal
 
Sex scandals aside, taxes are the biggest issue on the table right now, which is understandable when most families are spending more on taxes than they do on housing, food, and clothing combined.  Most people think they are paying too much due to the overspending of government, so it makes sense to shrink the budget.
 
There never seems to be enough revenue for education, infrastructure, and public safety, so eliminating the process of tax-increment financing would stop Urban Renewal Agencies from siphoning money from those and other overlapping taxing districts that provide those services. 
 
According to data collected from the “OR Property Tax Annual Statistics FY 2016-2017” found on the Oregon Department of Revenue’s website, there are 77 Urban Renewal Agencies in the state that manage 113 areas/districts.  Those UR agencies received $223.3-million from the “Revenue from Excess,” while others received an additional $21.1-million from special levies totaling $244.4-million that was diverted from other various taxing districts or directly from the taxpayers.  The revenue from property taxes going to Urban Renewal through the TIF process in FY 2009-2010 was $182-million.
 
“Revenue from Excess,” is the property tax revenue generated by increased property values inside the UR area over the frozen increment when the authorities enacted the plan for the district.  Without the TIF process, the other districts that overlap the UR area would retain that money.  
 
Statewide in FY 2016-2017, Public education lost $87.2-million in potential revenue because of urban renewal activity. Cities lost $73.3-million in that same fiscal year, and counties lost $41.5-million, which includes the $28.2-million taken from Multnomah County alone.  Other districts, including Fire Districts, lost $21.3-million. 
 
Those totals do not include the maintenance of the unfunded projects built with the redirected money.  
 
Politicians use urban renewal funding as seed money to create new taxing districts, or they use tax dollars from existing districts to maintain unnecessary projects at the expense of necessary amenities. Those projects include auditoriums, carousels, conservation easements, convention centers, decorations, estuaries, murals, racetracks, swimming pools, sports stadiums, sculptures, street art, and theaters, which take money directly from colleges, roads, schools, police and fire departments.
 
The idea of redevelopment is to increase the assessed values of property surrounding and within the urban renewal area by artificially inflating the local tax base using public money---all to generate new economic activity that most likely would have taken place with or without public incentives.  It just may not have happened in the area desired by the urban renewal planner but in a place chosen by the private business owner, which alleviates the taxpayers of the financial risk. 
 
Some independent studies have found little evidence that municipalities with Urban Renewal Agencies developed any faster than cities without these programs did.  In fact, one study titled “The Effects of Tax Increment Financing on Economic Development” written in March of 1999 by two professors of economics, Richard F. Dye, and David E. Merriman, it found TIF areas grew slower than areas without it did.  Quote, “If the use of tax increment financing spurs economic development that would not have happened but for the public expenditures, we would expect (after controlling for other growth determinants and for self-selection) a positive relationship between TIF adoption and growth. If the use of tax increment financing merely moves capital around within a municipality, relocating improvements from non-TIF areas of the town to within TIF district borders without changing the productivity of that capital, we would expect (after appropriate controls) to find a zero relationship between TIF adoption and growth. What we find, however, is a negative relationship between TIF adoption and growth. This is consistent with the hypothesis that government subsidies reallocate property improvements in such a way that capital is less productive in its new location.
 
A Senior Fellow at the CATO Institute made the case against urban renewal and tax-increment financing in a policy analysis titled, “The Case against Tax-Increment Financing” by Randal O’Toole.  In the paper, he states, “There are two problems with any attempts to reform TIF. First, no matter how much legislatures may try to focus TIF on genuine examples of blighted neighborhoods, cities will find ways to get around such safeguards. Second, there is little evidence that city gov­ernments are better than private developers at determining the type and location of new development that cities need, and plenty of evidence that they are not as good. Instead of reforming TIF, state legislatures should sim­ply repeal the laws that give cities and coun­ties the authority to use it and similar tools to subsidize economic development.”
 
The politicians intentionally design these types of development schemes to centralize power and money for the utilization of government planners.  Oregon legislators both Democrat and Republican ignore the annual loss of revenue, especially to education, so they can continue the excessiveness of constructing nonessential boondoggles of the future because it benefits the special interest of both parties today.    
 
About the author: 
Rob Taylor is the tentative Chief Petitioner for the “Committee to Shut Down the Coos County URA.”  Go to CoosCountyWatchdog.com for more information.

The Excesses of Tax-Increment Financing & Urban Renewal

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Coos Bay Taking from the Poor to Give to the Privileged Using Urban Renewal
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CATO Policy Analysis #676 ~ The Case Against Tax-Increment Financing
Public Comment Due BY December 1, 2017 on Coos County Urban Renewal Agency
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Coos County Board of Commissioners FINAL VOTE on Extending the URA Debt
Information on the Campaign to Shut Down the North Bay URA
Coos County Proposed Ordinance Adopting North Bay UR Plan ~ FOREVER
Coos County Commissioners Hearing on Extending the Debt of the North Bay URA
Cribbins & Sweet Utilize Voter Suppression on Urban Renewal Extension  
PERS Task Force Recommends Exempting School Districts from Urban Renewal
List of Coos Bay’s Urban Renewal Expenditures from 2006 - 2012
LTE ~ Coos Bay Urban Renewal Giving Away Public Assets Paid for by The Public
#CoosBay Urban Renewal Monies Siphoned from Public Basic Services 
Port of #CoosBay Blowing Through Your Tax Dollars Like Drunken Sailors 
Commissioners Campaign Contributors are Champions of Corporate Welfare

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Coos Bay URA Spends $300,000 on North-South Gateway While Streets Deteriorate

12/4/2017

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South Gateway Project on Highway 101

Estimated Completion Date on Dec. 30, 2017

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Coos Bay’s Urban Renewal Agency has a desire to improve the eye appeal of the Highway 101 streetscape within the City limits. In 2016, the Agency engaged the services of GreenWorks, a Portland-based landscape architectural and urban design firm, to prepare renderings for streetscape concepts throughout the Highway 101 corridor in Coos Bay. The streetscape concepts were presented to the Agency in 2016. The ideas included both a basic concept for landscaping along with the fence railing theme that matches the recently completed railing project between the rail museum and Front Street.  

While there are a number of areas identified for streetscape improvements along Highway 101, the Agency chose to start with improvements to the two-existing City entry monument locations. The north entry is near the existing "Welcome to Coos Bay" monument sign on the west side of Highway 101 (just north of the ACE Hardware store). The south entry project area involves the "island" on Highway 101. just south of the Shell service station and across the street from Fred Myers. The Agency has entered into a contract with Clean Rivers Erosion Control, a local company, to undertake the designed streetscape improvements. Work was started on the south entrance project area. The contractor has completed the site prep and they are now installing new curbs and gutters, planter divider walls, signposts for the new “Welcome to Coos Bay” sign, and fence posts, etc. 


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Urban Renewal Agency Minutes - January 5, 2016
Consideration of Approval of Highway 101 Streetscape Renderings
Public Works Director Jim Hossley stated over the last several months the Urban Renewal
Agency had reviewed various ideas and renderings for the Highway 101 streetscape. The City engaged the services of Greenworks to prepare the renderings for the streetscape along Highway 101 throughout the City. The rendered options were geographically grouped into the South, Central, and North. The latest renderings included the addition of the "is land" near the south entry into the City. The renderings also carried the fence railing theme that matched the recently completed railing project between the Railway museum and Front Street. Board Member Shoji suggested the Agency needed to set a plan to involve the public on the "Welcome to Coos Bay" signs; expressed concern about new expenditures noting the flag project was unfinished. City Manager Craddock advised deficiencies on the Boardwalk needed to be addressed before the flag poles were replaced; suggested the Agency could set a plan to include the public. Board Member Vaughan suggested streetscape six was not realistic; should incorporate plants to help stabilize the hillside and combat invasive species; was not in favor of including "rotten logs" along the highway. Board Member Kramer moved to approve the concept renderings. Board Member Brick seconded the motion which passed with Chair Groth and Board Members Brick, Kramer, Shoji, and Vaughan voting aye. Board Members Daily and Leahy were absent.

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Coos Bay Urban Renewal Agency Minutes - September 19, 2017
Approval of Streetscape Construction Bid

Public Works and Community Development Director Jim Hossley stated over the past two years, the Urban Renewal Agency reviewed various ideas and renderings for the Highway 101 streetscape. The goal was to improve the appeal of the Highway 101 streetscape from the south to north city limits. The streetscape improvements would be restricted to Highway 101 right-of way (ROW) and City owned property. Due to funding constraints, efforts on the project focused on the two existing entry monument locations.
 
Based on early cost estimates, staff budgeted $175,000 in this year's Downtown Capital Projects Fund Urban Renewal budget for the streetscape projects at the entry monument locations. After completion of the construction documents, the design consultant estimated the total construction cost to be $225,071. The project was advertised for bid, and the City received one bid from Clean Rivers Erosion Control for a total cost of $249,999. Mr. Hossley noted there was a $75,000 shortfall in the budget relative to the bid price, but there were adequate funds in the Urban Renewal Downtown Capital Projects Fund to cover the bid price plus a contingency.

Urban Renewal Agency Minutes - September 19, 2017 21 
Mr. Hossley advised the proposed bid only covered the streetscape improvements and did not include the two entry signs and rockscaping . The estimated cost for signs was $32,000 and rockscaping was $10,000. Vice-Chair Marler expressed concern about the increased costs for the project.
 
Board Member Groth moved to award contract to Clean Rivers Erosion control for a cost of $249,999 plus a 10% contingency of $25,000 for a total cost of $274,999. Board Member Kilmer seconded the motion which carried. Ayes: Benetti, DiNovo, Farmer, Groth, Kilmer, Marler. Absent: Kramer.
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BACKGROUND:
Over the past nearly two years, the Urban Renewal Agency has reviewed various ideas and renderings for the Highway 101 streetscape. The goal is to improve the eye appeal of the Highway 101 streetscape from the south to north City limits. The streetscape improvements would be restricted to Highway 101 right-of-way (ROW) and City owned property. City staff provided initial ideas for improvements. The City then engaged the services of Greenworks, a Portland based landscape architectural and urban design firm, to prepare renderings for streetscape concepts along Highway 101. After initial consideration of the first renderings, the Agency asked that efforts be focused on the two existing entry monument locations due to funding constraints. Additional areas would be addressed as funding becomes available. The north entry is in the vicinity of the existing “Welcome to Coos Bay” monument sign on the west side of Highway 101. The south entry concept includes the “island” in Highway 101 just south of the Shell service station. Greenworks presented ideas for the two entry monument locations to the Agency in early 2016. Their renderings provided a basic concept for landscaping and included the fence railing theme that matches the recently completed railing project between the rail museum and Front Street.

The Urban Renewal Agency then approved a contract with Greenworks to develop specific landscape plans for the City’s two gateway sites. The scope consisted of two tasks. Task 1 was preliminary design which resulted in a site plan. This plan depicted all new areas to be landscaped and included proposed locations for trees, plant beds, and ornamental pedestrian fence in a simplistic graphical format for review and approval by the Agency. Task 2 was for development of the construction documents. The consultant fee for completing both tasks was $27,016.50. The Agency reviewed the results of the Task 1 effort at a Work Session earlier this year

At the same time the streetscape activity was occurring, the City Council also considered a new City entrance monument logo. Council’s direction to the Logo Advisory Committee was to create a welcome sign logo including a tall ship theme. The current City Council stopped the new logo design effort in late 2016.

Based on early cost estimates, staff budgeted $175,000 in this fiscal year’s Urban Renewal Downtown Capital Projects Fund budget for the streetscape project. The design consultant, after completion of the construction documents this summer, estimated the total construction cost to be $225,071 (not including new monument signs). The project was advertised for bid, and the City received one bid. The bid was from Clean Rivers Erosion Control for a total cost of $249,999 (does not include monument signs). Note, the rock work behind the fence railing on the north entry is proposed to be done by separate contract. Due to the $75,000 shortfall in the budget relative to the bid price, it will be necessary to discuss possible alternatives or courses of action.

BUDGET IMPLICATIONS:
Based on early cost estimates, staff budgeted $175,000 in this year’s Urban Renewal Downtown Capital Projects Fund budget for the streetscape project. The design consultant, after completion of the construction documents this summer, estimated the total construction cost to be $225,071 (not including new monument signs). The project was advertised for bid, and the City received one bid. The bid was from Clean Rivers Erosion Control for a total cost of $249,999 (does not include monument signs). Note, the rock work behind the fence railing on the north entry is not in the bid and is proposed to be done by separate contract with a different contractor. There are adequate funds in the Downtown Project Fund (Fund 57) to cover the overage.

2016-01-05 Coos Bay URA Minutes
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2017-09-19 Agenda URA Meeting
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2017-09-19 Minutes URA Meeting
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Coos Bay Taking from the Poor to Give to the Privileged Using Urban Renewal
Coos Bay Gives $97,000 of Public Money to the Local Drama Club
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CATO Policy Analysis #676 ~ The Case Against Tax-Increment Financing
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Coos County Board of Commissioners FINAL VOTE on Extending the URA Debt
Information on the Campaign to Shut Down the North Bay URA
Coos County Proposed Ordinance Adopting North Bay UR Plan ~ FOREVER
Coos County Commissioners Hearing on Extending the Debt of the North Bay URA
Cribbins & Sweet Utilize Voter Suppression on Urban Renewal Extension  
PERS Task Force Recommends Exempting School Districts from Urban Renewal
List of Coos Bay’s Urban Renewal Expenditures from 2006 - 2012
LTE ~ Coos Bay Urban Renewal Giving Away Public Assets Paid for by The Public
#CoosBay Urban Renewal Monies Siphoned from Public Basic Services 
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Public Comment Due BY December 1, 2017 on Coos County Urban Renewal Agency

11/27/2017

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November 22, 2017:  The Port is to post their Final Coos County Urban Renewal Agency Amendment on the Port’s website: http://www.portofcoosbay.com/ccura It would be good for people to look this latest CCURA Amendment over.  The words that have been taken out have a line through them and the words that have been added are in italics
 
December 1, 2017:  All written testimony is due to the Coos County Commissioners via the Coos County Planning Department: Planning@co.coos.or.us
 
December 13, 2017: Continued Hearing at 3:00 p.m. at the Coos County Owen Building in Coquille.
 
·       The first hearing that was held on August 31st is available for viewing here:
https://coosmediacenter.viebit.com/player.php?hash=COouDtEQJUqy
 
·       The second hearing was held on September 25, 2017 is available for viewing here:
https://coosmediacenter.viebit.com/player.php?hash=H1rPhV2VF0Fd
 
·       No video of Oct 30, 2017 continued hearing.
 
·       Recent World article about all this here: Tax payers fund 'rising tide'
 
NOTE: The whole point of the Coos County Urban Renewal District is basically to use our tax dollars to essentially “build it and they will come” ( meaning infrastructure ).  This is so the Port’s idea of industry will come and create jobs…jobs…jobs.  We can all see how well that has worked for the last 30 to 40 years.  The problem with the CCURA Amendment at first was that these guys wanted us tax payers to pay even more while at the same time they would be giving industries that are, or that are proposed to be operating out on the North Spit, an enterprise zone tax exemption for 3 or more years.  In the case of Jordan Cove this amounts to a 15-year tax abatement.  Their definition of “blighted areas” is simply just “undeveloped land.”  No thought to the North Spit being a high habitat Coastal Shoreland area or that the property is located in a natural hazard zone.  I thought several of our people including JC hit the nail on the head at this last hearing held on October 30th which was not videotaped.  “We the People” are essentially paying for the roads, sewer, water, natural gas lines, etc, on the North Spit so some industry will come in here and enjoy all those benefits and then NOT PAY TAXES.  Such a deal for them, eh? 
THIS INFO IS FROM: Jody McCaffree

Related Posts:
The Continuing Saga of the Coos County Urban Renewal Agency
Coos County Board of Commissioners FINAL VOTE on Extending the URA Debt

Information on the Campaign to Shut Down the North Bay URA
Coos County Proposed Ordinance Adopting North Bay UR Plan ~ FOREVER
Coos County Commissioners Hearing on Extending the Debt of the North Bay URA
Cribbins & Sweet Utilize Voter Suppression on Urban Renewal Extension

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CATO Policy Analysis #676 ~ The Case Against Tax-Increment Financing

11/14/2017

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The Case Against Tax-Increment Financing

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A Senior Fellow at the CATO Institute made the case against Urban Renewal and Tax Increment Finance in a paper titled, “The Case against Tax-Increment Financing” by Randal O’Toole.  In it, he stated, “There are two problems with any attempts to reform TIF. First, no matter how much legislatures may try to focus TIF on genuine examples of blighted neighborhoods, cities will find ways to get around such safeguards. Second, there is little evidence that city gov­ernments are better than private developers at determining the type and location of new development that cities need, and plenty of evidence that they are not as good. Instead of reforming TIF, state legislatures should sim­ply repeal the laws that give cities and coun­ties the authority to use it and similar tools to subsidize economic development.”


2011-05-18 Tha Case Against TIF
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Related Posts:
The Continuing Saga of the Coos County Urban Renewal Agency
Coos County Board of Commissioners FINAL VOTE on Extending the URA Debt
Information on the Campaign to Shut Down the Coos County Urban Renewal Agency
Coos County Republican Party Resolution Opposing School Bond Measure #6-166
Coos County Proposed Ordinance Adopting North Bay UR Plan ~ FOREVER
Coos County Commissioners Hearing on Extending the Debt of the North Bay URA
Cribbins & Sweet Utilize Voter Suppression on Urban Renewal Extension

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The Continuing Saga of the Coos County Urban Renewal Agency

11/14/2017

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The Continuing Saga of the CCURA
 
On Monday, October 30, 2017, the Coos County Board of Commissioners held the second hearing to discuss renewing of the county’s urban renewal plan for another twenty years.  The board had to continue the meeting until December 13, 2017, because the Director of the Port of Coos Bay did not submit the suggested changes to the URA plan until a few hours before the meeting. 
 
The urban renewal agency is a county entity, but the UR area is on the North Spit, so the Port of Coos Bay manages its finances and directs the projects under the authority of the board members of the Coos County Urban Renewal Agency.    
 
Some of those changes included adding an ending date out to 2038 and eliminating the special levy.  The levy is a direct tax paid for by all the property owners in the county, approximately $0.0229 per $1,000 assessed value goes toward the CCURA Special Levy.  The URA Board also lowered the amount of the agency’s allotted maximum indebtedness from $60,900,390 to $37,169,510 over the life of the district.  The projected tax increment financing revenues over the 20-year life are supposed to be around $32.4-million.
 
The UR agencies projected revenue is the money that would normally go to ten other regular taxing districts.            
 
Operations and overhead costs are among the allocations listed in the Tier 1 category.  Approximately $500,000 would go to Special Studies and planning, $181,369 would go to Financing Fees, and another $660,000 would go to Administration.  Those speculative figures will change due to increasing cost overruns.   
 
The CCURA has been around since 1986.  By next June of 2018, the agency will have a whopping $1,011,500 on hand as the anticipated bank balance.  A good portion of that funding should have gone to the several taxing districts that the UR area is overlapping instead of sitting idle while county roads deteriorate and jail beds lay vacant.  Those other districts provide essential services to the people of the county, such as roads, schools, and law enforcement to list a few. The UR agency has not undertaken a major project since 2014, which was the safety improvement at the Trans-Pacific Parkway railroad crossing.
 
There are 79 taxing districts in Coos County, seven of which are urban renewal districts.  Five urban renewal agencies supervise those seven UR districts.  Those county UR districts retained 5% or $3-million annually from the revenue collected by the county in property taxes from all the districts, which in FYE 2017 was $65.2-million.  $3-million is roughly the same amount of taxes designated to the county’s ports and libraries.  The county, which is a taxing district itself, loses roughly $300,000 annually from the general fund due to the drainage of the Tax Increment Financing process.
 
Urban Renewal and the process of TIF is a scheme to circumvent funding from the necessary county services while rewarding the agency that is taking the money in the first place.  Many of the beneficiaries of this process are supporters of Commissioners Cribbins and Sweet, so they have no incentive to stop the drain until the people demand a change.   
 
To find out more information go to
www.cooscountywatchdog.com/shut-down-the-coos-county-urban-renewal-agency.html

Related Posts:
Coos County Board of Commissioners FINAL VOTE on Extending the URA Debt
Information on the Campaign to Shut Down the Coos County Urban Renewal Agency
Coos County Republican Party Resolution Opposing School Bond Measure #6-166
Coos County Proposed Ordinance Adopting North Bay UR Plan ~ FOREVER
Coos County Commissioners Hearing on Extending the Debt of the North Bay URA
Cribbins & Sweet Utilize Voter Suppression on Urban Renewal Extension

Comments

PERS Task Force Recommends Exempting School Districts from Urban Renewal

11/6/2017

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PERS Task Force Releases Recommendations
On Wednesday, the task force appointed by Governor Kate Brown to develop solutions that reduce the unfunded liability of the Public Employee Retirement System (PERS), released its recommendations. The group was instructed to "think outside the box" and it appears they did.

Among the concepts in the 64-page report (available here), are the creation of a "PERS Resolution Plan." This would provide a matching fund for local PERS employers as an incentive to contribute funds to side accounts in order to pre-pay PERS liabilities. Providing the "seed money" for such a program would require additional analysis. The report also recognizes that preemptions on local government finances are a hindrance to the ability of cities to fund their pension obligations and should be examined.

Other recommendations would exempt the inclusion of school districts in urban renewal districts and limit economic development zone benefits. While these might provide short-term relief for some PERS employers, they would leave cities with a reduced capacity to revitalize themselves and grow their economies. The League looks forward to continued conversations with policy makers that will result in the reduction of mandated PERS costs.

Contact: Scott Winkels, Intergovernmental Relations Associate – swinkels@orcities.org


Related Posts:
City of Bandon Considers Marijuana Ordinance & Public Drinking Ordinance
Information on the Campaign to Shut Down the Coos County Urban Renewal Agency
Coos County Republican Party Resolution Opposing School Bond Measure #6-166
Coos County Proposed Ordinance Adopting North Bay UR Plan ~ FOREVER
Coos County Commissioners Hearing on Extending the Debt of the North Bay URA
Cribbins & Sweet Utilize Voter Suppression on Urban Renewal Extension


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