Special Board of Aldermen 05-17-2021 Page 3
timeline have saved the applicant’s time and energy but it’s still the same coordination process for planning
and engineering. They’re still reviewing these plans. We have to make sure they still comply with city
ordinances, the drainage, the stormwater, and the landscaping and so there is still significant staff time
involved. It just helps the applicant to avoid the Planning Board. While that does take one step out of it,
those are still in our que and they’re still actively things that we need to prioritize time to get these
applications through. | don’t know that there’s anything at this moment. | truly hope that this is a kind of a
good sign of the moment, and of the times, and of the economy and the low interest rates. Certainly we
can ask Engineer Hudson as well but | don’t think that this is a long-term problem at this point. | think it’s a
blip which is why we’ve asked for this funding. | do think by the fall we will slow down again. If that is not
the case, | certainly will be looking to come back to you with a longer term solution but | think if interest
rates rise as they say they might later this year and as we get closer to the winter season, we should level
out again. This is an effort to stay ahead of it until we don’t push people out past construction season.
Chairman Dowd
All set Alderman Tencza?
Alderman Tencza
Yes thank you.
Chairman Dowd
Yes | just want to give a shout out to the Planning and Engineering Departments for all they’re doing with
the middle school project. They have been great, very responsive, and there were two reasons I'd like to
see this passed. One is | don’t want that to have anything interfering with that great support we’re getting,
and two, all of these things add to the tax base which is very positive for us.
Alderman Jette
Director Marchant you — so this is labeled “unanticipated revenue” so from what you said, it sounded like
we’re getting because there are increased applications we’re getting more revenue from the application
fees than we anticipated and you’re just taking that revenue and applying it to subcontracting out some of
the work that has to be done so it’s kind of a wash. Am | understanding that correctly?
Sarah Marchant, Community Development Director
That’s not the source of funding we’re using but yes the money we collect in application fees is higher than
anticipated. That goes directly to the general fund and it is not on both sides of the balance sheet. Yes
that money goes to the general fund. We have increased revenues coming in this year and you'll see that
in the budget book. These dollars are coming from unanticipated revenue from the purchase of the Burke
Street property and | see Director Cummings nodding along and | think he would be the best to explain
where that unanticipated revenue is coming from.
Chairman Dowd
Director Cummings would you like to add?
Tim Cummings, Director of Economic Development
Yes thank you Chairman Dowd. For the record, Tim Cummings, Director of Economic Development. As
Director Marchant correctly stated, the source of funds for this particular expenditure we identified over the
last few months we have been getting about $10,000 for basically an option that the perspective purchaser
of the Burke Street property had been paying the city. We're going to take this revenue which was
