The Clark Township trustees, meeting Thursday, December 18, worked to finalize arrangements for a public hearing on a downtown development authority (DDA) that has been set for Thursday, January 8. The hearing will be at the Clark Township Community Center on M-134 at 7 p.m.

DDA exploration committee member Ken Drenth gave a presentation similar to the one to be given at the public hearing, which outlines the proposed DDA boundaries and a draft ordinance.

The township cannot approve the ordinance to form a DDA until 60 days after the public hearing. That 60 days is to allow property owners inside the proposed boundaries to opt out of the program, taxing units to opt out of having their taxes captured, and make any subsequent changes to the boundaries. Most businesses in Hessel and Cedarville are included in the proposed district, Mr. Drenth said.

The proposed boundaries can be made smaller, but not bigger, after the public hearing, said Township Clerk Mike Miller.

"That's why they went big to start out with," he said.

A DDA is a municipal tool to finance and promote economic development.

If the DDA ordinance is enacted, Supervisor Gerald Hill will appoint eight to 12 people, subject to township board approval, to govern the DDA. Its budget, however, is subject to the approval of the township board.

DDA meetings would be open to the public, with minutes available to the public.

The DDA would be able to raise funds through loans, grants, donations, and tax increment financing authority (TIFA).

A TIFA captures the taxable growth of properties within the DDA boundaries. For instance, if the taxable value of a commercial building goes up because of improvements made to it, the taxes resulting from that increased value could be applied to DDA programs and operations.

Taxpayers would not pay any more taxes under a DDA than they otherwise would, but, under a TIFA, some of the taxes they do pay could be funneled to a DDA, Mr. Drenth said.

"It has no impact on the taxpayer," he said.

Tentative DDA boundaries in Hessel are along M-134 between Pickford Avenue and Island View Road and south to Hessel Point Road, as well as the two blocks to the west of Pickford Avenue between Cedar Street and Lake Street, properties in Cedarville along M-134 between Beach Street and M-129 south to Hodeck Street, and along M-134 east to Bay Street and along M-129 between State Avenue and Islington Road.

The M-134 corridor connecting Hessel and Cedarville will also be in the DDA district.

State law allows only one DDA for each municipality. By including the M-134 corridor in the proposed boundaries, both Cedarville and Hessel can be included in one DDA, Mr. Drenth said.

Appointments and scheduling changes

The township board appointed John Shoberg to the Sewer Advisory Board to fill the spot vacated by Steve Autore in September.

Jay Altmaier, Fred Bryner, and Mark Engle were reappointed to two-year terms on the Clark Township Board of Review.

The board also approved its 2009 meeting schedule at the Thursday meeting. Meetings in 2009 will remain on the third Thursday of every month at 7 p.m. in the Township Offices, except for meetings on Thursday, January 15, Thursday, February 19, Thursday, March 19, and Thursday, December 17, which will begin an hour earlier at 6 p.m.

"I think that will be good for the public, because people stay here until sometimes 9:00 or 9:30 [p.m.] to make their presentations, unless we move them up. I've seen it the last few years," trustee Mike Lofdahl said.