Transcription
[Music]
You are watching Access LaPorte County Channel 97. Coming up next is the January 27th, 2025 meeting of the Urban Enterprise Association. You can find more information for this meeting at www.aclaportcounty.org.
[Music]
I'll call the Michigan City Urban Enterprise Board of Directors regular meeting to order on Monday, January 27th, 2025, at 6 p.m.
I'll start off with a roll call:
Nick Poock, present.
Dakota Uler, present.
Syia Collins, present.
Tonio Col, present.
My last name is Martin Bruce, present.
Miss Willis, present.
Um, Chair's presiding. Will we have a quorum?
I'll go down.
Oh, I'll ask, is there any amendments to the agenda?
We need to add the November 18th minutes.
I have a motion. Do I have a second to that?
A second.
Motion and a second. Any more discussion?
I call for the vote. All in favor?
Aye.
Any opposed?
Nay.
Motion passes.
We'll go down to the approval of the December 2nd meeting minutes, but they need to be amended to reflect the location.
Um, just say add "City" after "Michigan" in the very first line and to change the, uh, to the proper location that City Hall.
I move that the minutes from the December 2nd meeting be approved with any necessary corrections.
Second.
Got a motion and a second. Any more discussion?
Hearing none, all in favor say aye.
Aye.
Any opposed?
Nay.
We'll go down to that motion passes.
Excuse me, to the November 18th minutes. The only thing I saw here was also on the first line, just add "City" after "Michigan."
I move that the November 18 minutes be approved with any necessary corrections.
Second.
Had a motion and a second. Any discussion?
Hearing none, call for the vote. All in favor?
Aye.
I vote aye as well. Any nays?
Hearing none, motion passes.
We'll go down to the Director's Report with the update from the Executive Assistant Search Committee.
I turn the floor over to Nick.
All right, so we've had three resumes that have been submitted.
Um, Joseline Schooley actually retracted her resume.
Mary Loggins, we've reached out to try to set up an interview and have not received any communication from her.
That leaves us with Miss Kamisha Williams, who we met with a couple of weeks ago.
It was myself, Bruce, and Tristan.
Antonio was unavailable, but we did meet and have an interview with Miss Williams.
Um, and that's where we're at.
Any questions from anybody on the board?
Just where was it publicized?
The, uh, the Beacon.
It was publicized through the Chamber of Commerce.
The city posted it as well in the news.
And to add to it, Dakota, I had a conversation with a mutual acquaintance who showed a level of interest, but apparently he did not contact Tristan.
We'll go down to the December Finance.
I'm sorry, is anybody anything else from anybody else?
What was your recommendation?
When is the, um, the date that you were allowed to submit resumes until?
Was it until February?
So we still have another week?
Yeah, so I think we'll just wait until that deadline and then we'll make a decision.
Okay, we go down to the December Finance report.
Has anybody had a chance to take a look at that?
You packed it up?
Yeah, oh, I'm sorry.
I just want yours because it's in color.
Um, I just have a few kind of thought moments that we should, um, moving forward because, of course, our grant cycle is closed now.
So we need to, um, we see how much we have, um, and we need to start kind of thinking about how many grants, um, that we want to, um, distribute this year.
How many business grants?
How many residential grants?
Um, and we also have a new grant that we're going to talk about.
Um, but as far as financially, this is where we stand.
So as a collective, we have to determine our cap.
That was, um, I'm sorry.
Go ahead.
No, okay, but this, we're not making decisions today.
Um, Mr. President, I do apologize.
I think that this is just a, um, conversation to start looking at how many, um, and what we want to move towards.
Um, start thinking about the different activities.
Uh, you know, as the president and I, um, and pretty much all of you all have shared is that we want to do more community outreach.
So that also has to, um, be incorporated into that.
Um, I know that the cycle doesn't start until March, but if we do have a, um, administrator, an administrative assistant come in, we want to be able to give them a budget that can guide their efforts so that it won't, they won't go into it blindly.
Um, as well as, you know, kind of trying to approve the application because that'll be great because us along with them will be in the process of, you know, learning the new ropes and following procedure and policy.
Um, so as I was just informed, you know, this number may be a little lower or it may get higher depending upon what we have coming in.
But as of now, I know that we've received maybe 95%, maybe 90, 95% of our pay.
So the stock went well.
Um, but thanks to Dan, um, he has been a lifesaver as far as, um, finances.
So I just want you guys to start thinking about those things as we go through with this agenda.
Sylvia, I have a question.
Just a listen and test on my part.
Are you saying that the 284 is close to the total funds that we'll have for 2025 approximate?
So this is an approximate number of what I know.
It's approximate what we have in reserve.
So I, what we like to, what how we look at it is from the checking.
Um, and then, because we have, we have the checking and then we have the money market account, which is an account that is utilized to grow.
Um, and it's been doing a little, you know, I grow.
I didn't, I think I didn't ask my question carefully.
Is it, are we about 90% paid on our invoices?
So at this point, I'm going to use rough numbers.
I'm going to say we got somewhere between 290,000 to 300,000 and that's all we have to spend this year.
That's, that's what I'm trying to get straight in my head.
It's a little less than that.
So I would look at it as about, I would look at it as far as budgeting, um, 200,000 because we still have rent for our office.
We still have salary coming.
I mean, well, not salary, but contracts coming out for our administrator.
Um, and our everyday professional service.
We got about 200,000 to give away.
That's what I'm trying to get in my head.
Thanks.
Yes, but not, I wouldn't say to give away because we also want to do outreach, so that's going to cost us as well.
That's right.
Um, so we need to incorporate that as well as office supplies and things of that nature.
That's why I want you to start thinking about it.
Thanks.
It's a lot.
That's why I want everybody to kind of start bringing that to the table because we need to have that kind of locked down and finalized by March when the, um, grant opening up.
You have something to, no, sorry.
This may be a question for Dan, but is there any way we can look back over maybe like the last five years and see how much we've distributed in business grants and residential grants?
Three years.
Three years give us sort of parameter.
This thinking it plus it's going to be hard because we haven't really had, we got three, that's as far as back able.
Yeah, three years as far as, you know, because me and Dan, we kind of went back, um, cookie meal it together or it piecemeal it together and kind of looked at it.
Um, if you look in the financial report, it shows you what we, um, found as far as applications that were tracked, uh, stored, which is way less than what was actually done.
But as far as the verification process, um, record wasn't kept as efficient as I would have liked it to.
And y'all know that that irritated me.
So yeah, it did.
We were stressed, weren't we?
Quick question.
I apologize for my, um, lack of information.
So, um, these grants, do they have to be made to a nonprofit organization or group or can it be a for-profit or how does that work?
So these, okay, so just a general description because this is kind of our first meeting of the year.
So the Urban Enterprise Association, um, acquires funding from, well, we don't, we acquire funding from a tax rebate that are given to the businesses located in these districts, right?
So with that tax rebate, we get a portion of that back, which is what Dan does, and he acquires those funds, and that total fund is utilized to improve community, um, development, uh, restructuring, cleanup, beautification, things of that nature.
So our grants go to, uh, residents to clean up, well, well, that's our ultimate goal, but it goes to residents for roofs, for, um, handicap accessible ramps, to siding, to windows, you know, things to improve the exterior of the home, which will in turn increase the value of that neighborhood.
And then we also, um, have a business grant which will do the same thing for the businesses located within those, um, districts.
Okay, well, within our Urban Enterprise Zone.
CU, it's a zone.
Oh, okay.
So, but there we have the capability to do a lot more.
It just hasn't, you know, our president, which is Tristan, has this, um, great vision of, you know, getting the information out there and shifting the perspective of what we do so that a lot of people can, you know, start buying into, you know, this program, especially larger businesses located in our zone.
Um, and just kind of moving forward in a policy-driven format so that we can improve these areas the way that they should be, you know?
Yeah, the whole thing is actually governed by state statute.
Yes.
Um, so we have guidelines that we follow based off of that.
And there are a couple other things that we've talked about, um, towards the end of last year, um, of implementing this year over and above the business and residential grants.
Yes, that we think will make a difference.
Yes, okay.
Um, which is our beautification application.
Um, I know you guys don't have that a copy of that more so because it's something that we got to create together.
Together we talk about a workforce development and a workforce development as well.
Um, so once we get down there, me and Tristan kind of go through and tell you all, you know, our P, what we, how we came to these different conclusions, and then you guys take it from here.
And then, um, in February, we'll finalize.
That's basically the objective, but I don't want to move forward in application.
But I know that you're new to the board, so I have no problem with, um, administering those answers to you as well as giving you a copy of our signed bylaws.
Awesome, no problem.
Anything else on the December Finance report?
I just, uh, just want to point out that the last few checks that went out to the, for the residential and the business grants weren't cashed until this, to January.
So they be reflected on the January report.
There's also the last payments that were owed to attorney Novak and the, um, the, there was some, the office supplies, the office supplies and CLH for their finishing up of their work will all be represented on the January Finance report.
So the 284 number will be different essentially with everything that finally comes out that that torped on from over the year.
And anything else?
Anybody from the board?
Any other questions for the December Finance report?
Hearing none, uh, do I have a motion to accept the finance report?
Move.
Second.
I have a motion and a second.
Any more discussion?
Hearing none, I'll call for the vote.
All in favor?
Aye.
Any opposed?
Nay.
Oh, I keep doing that, I'm sorry.
Uh, we'll move on.
We'll move down to the new business to the DDF Consultant LLC contract proposal and open the floor.
D, would you like to talk about this?
Also, um, the contract proposal was in everybody's email.
I wasn't able to print it out, but I'm sure has everybody had a chance to view it?
Has it loaded?
I would say that that's why I came here this evening.
Welcome, everybody.
My name is Dan Bodic.
I own my own company, Development Economic Finance Consulting, DDF Consulting for short.
I've been involved in finance and economic development for over 30 years.
Prior to that, I was a land use planning advisor or, um, consultant.
I worked with the city of Whiting, but in my current day, I work with municipalities, townships as far as assisting with economic development projects and quantifying the impacts of land use decisions.
But to give you a quick overview, I also work with, uh, UEA's throughout Northwest Indiana.
I've been working with the Hammond UEA for 15, 16 years.
I've also worked with the LaPorte UEA and over periods of time, I've worked with the East Chicago UEA as well as the Michigan City UEA and assisting in not only calculating your qualified participation fees that businesses receive from filing a form EZ2 to monitoring those fees to assisting with budgets, preparing tax impact and tax rate impacts, tax levy impacts to be submitted to the city council.
Because when a company files their form EZ2, it's over a 10-year period.
Uh, normally we'll go and check those to make sure they're filing them correctly and then quantify that to a total and sum those.
And if I'm just only using a number, if that value is $28 million of assessed value that's been deducted, we then identify that, uh, tax impact to the city's tax rate, uh, so that we can submit that to the city.
Another, uh, communication that goes to the city that we assist on is we review all the form EZ2s in their location.
If they are in a designated allocation area for tax increment financing purposes, they must be approved by the city's common council as a legislative body.
So we prepare that resolution and presentation to them.
Uh, so we also work closely with the LaPorte County Auditor's office.
We work closely with the companies when they file.
In some instances, their filing is due on May 15th due to a change in controller or for some reason they may file late.
We, at the authorization of the board, I would assist them in a waiver of non-compliance, and then that goes through the board and gets that process done and make sure it's filed with the auditor to apply that deduction.
Also work with the, uh, board in each one of instances, whether it's Hammond, LaPorte, Michigan City, or East Chicago, and identifying and preparing the form EBR, which is their actual participation fee, which is an invoice statement that is due by my state legislation says it's due by June 1st annually.
Uh, however, I have made the recommendation to a number of UEA's because the UEA program is administered and managed by you as the board totally by you.
Now that's been since 19 or since 2018, 2019, so you can change that date.
And for example, the City of Hammond had a collection rate of maybe like 75, 80% by that June 1, and then there was a lot of follow-up with companies.
But by extending it to July 1st so that their form E2s that were due on May 15th and their form EBRs that were due on June 1st, there was a six-week period where the accountants and the finance people forgot or just checked that tax box and left it behind them.
And then they focused on their EBR, whereas they would get confused as to what was due when.
So by just having that six-week difference to July 1st, Hammond increased it to almost 98, 99% collection fee by July 1st.
Uh, so LaPorte has taken on that.
East Chicago has taken on that approach, and it seems to work out much better, reduces the amount of questions and the filings.
Uh, everything is done through, we also assist the board with preparing the statements, the packets, the cover letter, and identifying the deductions that the company took before.
So when they fill out their form EZ2, it takes them about 10 minutes, which is easier for you.
Uh, they don't have to look up last year's, which in some instances it may be incorrect because we've worked with the auditor's office to make sure we have the correct information on the correct lines.
Uh, so those are just some of the tasks we go through and provide for you.
And when necessary, we attend meetings of the Hammond UA board to give you a presentation, ask any questions.
Uh, for example, we do work with the UEA's when necessary, predominantly, uh, more so in detail with the Hammond UEA to prepare their budget.
Uh, typically when this year's, so the I just looked it up, the, uh, DLGF issued their budget order on January 8th.
So we can really go through and start to prepare the EBR invoice statements for the UEA to go out to the businesses, and those can be sent out as an email.
Uh, with Hammond, everything is done by email.
Uh, their forms are done by email, submitted to the auditor by email.
Uh, it's done in an Excel spreadsheet, uh, schedule and task worksheet.
Uh, so it makes it easier for everybody, and then we collect those and sum all that information up.
But, uh, what I wanted to get to is your tax rates for taxing unit 009 and 022, which is 009 is Cool Spring Township, Michigan City, 022 is Michigan Township, Michigan City.
Those rates are now available.
We can start to prepare your packets, uh, assuming our agreement is approved, and we can work with Sylvia to get those out.
Um, and then once the J, now those are based on the January 1st, 2024 filings when they're going to start putting together in March and April their form EZ2 for January 1st, 2025.
Once those are, uh, verified and approved, um, as the deduction by the auditor, we then estimate what the participation fee would be next July 1st or whatever date you choose, and that helps you with your budgeting for next year.
So for example, Hammond, they will use that information to determine how much money they're going to restrict for a specific grant or four or five or six grants, and that allows them to budget for next year.
And then typically with Hammond in November, we send out preliminary statements so that the companies can budget, which is another reason why they have a high collection rate because I'm company XYZ in November, early December, I get a statement that says my participation fee is $116,000.
They now can budget for it next year when they get the invoice for you, it might be 114.
They just write the check and off it goes as opposed to getting that check and finding out where they're going to pay it from.
So that's been helpful too, and we provide that service.
Uh, just as, uh, people will always ask, you know, what is your fee?
Uh, typically for, uh, with the Michigan City organization, our not to exceed last year was $10,750.
I did increase it this year in the assumption that there would be a little bit more assistance to Sylvia and the board.
However, I bill on an hourly rate, so in many instances, I don't even get to that unless necessary, and then I'll let you know when I'm at 90% and say we should be able to finish it or I'm going to need an amendment.
But very rarely do I do an amendment.
I would write it off in many instances before I do an amendment, um, because that's just the way I work in my company.
Um, I did put in for $400 in expenses.
Uh, typically I don't charge you for the mileage for here, but if it's a special meeting or I have to go to the county, I will charge mileage on that.
And I think this year I didn't charge any mileage.
It was more, I think it was, uh, let me look at my notes.
I charged $32.92 for the mailings to go out to the businesses.
That's it, and that's just reimbursement for that.
Um, so that's an overview.
If you have any questions of me, I'd be more than happy to answer them if I can.
Usually I can, if I can't, I will get back to you because I don't know all the answers.
So any questions from the board?
I do.
Um, Dan, thanks for coming.
I appreciate you, um, explaining what you do.
Um, you talk about sending an email out.
I think that is the age that we live in.
Um, a lot of things are done electronically nowadays.
Do you notice, um, a difference in responses between smaller mom-and-pop-owned businesses compared to larger corporations and the other UEA's that you deal with?
Typically, the smaller businesses will sometimes need some handholding and making sure that they understand how the form E2s and the form EBRs are completed.
And normally I take the approach of if it's a, if it's authorized by the UEA, I will work.
So for example, in Hammond and LaPorte and East Chicago, they will say these businesses called contact them and work with them and make sure that everything they're filing is accurate and correct and explain it to them.
Because I believe in sitting down mentoring with, and now it's more a virtual call with their accountant or financial person or their CFO and explain to them how it works.
And then I give it to them next year and they fill it out themselves and they say, Dan, can you check it?
And I say, yes, I check it.
There's not many corrections or revisions, and then the third year they do it on their own because now they understand how to do that.
Uh, and then they keep good notes with it also.
So I always have them put the comments in the Excel schedule so that the next person who comes in understands why, where that number is coming from, how it's calculated, where it's calculated, when it's due.
I'm all about educating.
I would rather educate the CFOs and the finance people and the accountants on how to prepare directly so in the future I don't have to check it.
It just goes to the auditor and it's done because then I can spend more time answering more challenging questions for you and not dealing with the smaller calculation of the participation fees.
Help you with the budget, help you with designing grants for a business to take advantage of or a residential resident of the Enterprise Zone.
So, and to Sylvia, I appreciate all that she did.
I did sit down with her for probably an hour and a half, two hours and just went through everything.
And she asked a lot of questions, and I probably had 95% of the answers, but some I didn't.
I got back to her, but it was explaining how the program works and also working with your board president and answering questions of him too.
So yeah, it's difficult to understand, but once you get the basics, it makes sense and you understand the calculations.
Do you have any more questions from the board?
I don't have a question, but, um, just for the board's clarification, um, I know we heard that he increased it, so I want to explain the purpose of the increase.
You know, um, as we know, the record wasn't kept even though he had the capability to do it.
The previous group decided that they were going to keep the tracking, which did decrease the budget by, you know, a portion.
However, um, we were only able to put together the past three years, and that was because we literally had to take piece by piece from bank statements and all of that to get it done when he could have.
Our, that would have never been a part of the executive assistant's job at all.
So it takes something off that person's plate and gives them more of an opportunity to get to the community or, um, respond to businesses and give them his information to, you know, so that he can answer those questions instead of, you know, us being caught in the, you know, in that draft of not being able to receive the funds or not him not even knowing that we got the check or that they got the check or the check was mailed or the check was cashed.
He will structure the spreadsheet is very much amazing.
Um, it was all we would have needed walking as new members into this board, but it did not exist.
Um, so that is what that increase and him doing more of the things that he's qualified to do that I am not, you are not, the financial advisor, the financial treasurer that we elect.
We don't have that capability, right?
So then we end up scrambling, um, which is why I'm that happy we're getting an executive assistant because I am not doing it anymore.
I think too, to just to add to that, I mean, looking around, it's a whole new board.
It is.
This is all new to all of us.
Uh, so somebody with your experience and expertise is going to be invaluable, I think.
So, and if there's any questions, please call me up, email me.
I'll be more than happy to educate or answer your questions because that then you could become a better board at what you do.
And he answers and don't even charge.
I'm just, sometimes I don't.
Some, in reality, sometimes I don't because we had, we had conversations, calls, and he was literally, he's the reason why we know these numbers.
U, he's the reason why I was able to do the financial report.
He is the reason why our finances have been stabilized, reconciled, and we're able to move forward in an amazing fashion.
I just want to add that I've seen Dan present many times to the Planning Commission, and he's able to clear the landscape on all the numbers that relate to those proposals, right?
Yeah, like I said, I work in my degree is in finance and my Master's Degree.
So to make it simple, like my father asked, what do you do?
I apply financial and financial quantification to land use decisions.
So that's right here for the Planning Commission because they ask a lot of financial questions about what are the taxes, what's the tax impact, you know, what's the cost per square foot, what did you use for comparables, and I give them all that information because I know what, I usually know what questions they're going to ask.
Yeah, I have some friends on another UEA, and I've already vetted you through them too, and that is the catat, that is the I on the cake.
You know, the frosting is that we, he works for consecutive UEA's in Northwest Indiana, which allows him to identify certain trends when it comes to, you know, budgeting and hey, how many for our size grants should we do, and it puts us in a better format.
You know, and I just ask y'all to allow, you know, move forward.
Well, I'll make a suggestion.
I just think that he will be best for it because he gives us more bang for our buck.
He also gives us accountability.
If somebody asked us December 10 why something occurred, you know, we can answer that because we couldn't.
So do I have a motion on the DDF Consulting LLC contract?
Second.
Second.
Oh, there you go.
I have a motion and a second.
Any more discussion?
Hearing none, I'll call for the vote.
All in favor?
Aye.
Any opposed?
Hearing none.
Thank you.
Thank you.
Thanks.
You going to unlock the contract?
Pardon?
You going to unlock the contract?
Yeah, we'll start work, and I, you know, I work with a lot of smaller entities and larger communities.
And so some companies would say not to start until you have a signed contract, but I know you all.
I know the mayor.
I know people in Michigan City that, and I'm here for the best interest of Michigan City.
So if there's something you need, call me.
Um, I got your, uh, checks in my car for last year's invoice.
I'll wait for those.
I'll wait for, but to those you reached out to, if they gave a favorable response, I appreciate it.
If they did, let me know because I need to make some corrections and changes both for staffing, and we'll sit down and talk, and we'll correct it.
So yeah, and I do apologize for your delay on your check.
It's okay.
Did I ever bother you?
I'm a patient, and I looked, I cleaned that office good.
Thank you very much.
I look forward to working with everybody.
Thank you.
We'll move down to the 2025 residential.
Okay, so I'm pretty sure you guys kind of, um, read through it hopefully.
One thing I do want is to look at this, um, table 1.1.
I'm pretty sure that's changed or it is updated and or something.
So I want to look more into the, um, poverty levels and household size and things of that nature because, um, when I look back into the data, this was collected in, uh, 2017, which means I think you're right, probably the numbers are updated.
Yeah, they got to be.
Um, I gave for the residential grant, um, I gave more detail and more ex, you know, I added more explanation for certain things as well as a process because what happens is, um, they, we, we're advocates of ourselves.
So if we go out and we give someone an application, um, and then you collecting and it comes to me and it's missing pieces, then I have to reach out to your person, you know?
So leaving it in the hand of our administrator to, you know, kind of follow this guideline and follow this process, but again gives the person applying for the grant more accountability.
Um, and it gives them, gives them an opportunity to explain to us the purpose for, because what we've been doing is, you know, kind of reading through their, um, applications and then come in and then we'll make a recommendation, but we don't know anything, you know, about what it is that they want to do.
And so talking with, you know, some of the board members as well as the, um, president, we wanted to add the section where, you know, we required them to come in and present their, um, their proposals, present their projects, and it also gives us a face-to-face, um, conversation with the person in the community.
Because once they do, once I see their face, I know when I walk past that house, I remember Miss Jenny.
She came in for her porch.
Look at her porch looking nice, you know?
It gives us that connection to the community versus, um, me reapplication and then, you know, you getting a check, you know?
It makes them more interactive.
Um, it also gives them the, for the residents, the opportunity to understand what permitting that they need, whether they're in certain areas, what how that they should apply, um, what they're qualified for based on this table.
You know, historically, we kind of just been moving to the number they're supposed to get a fee based upon, I don't know, that's the wrong, their income.
Yeah, based upon their income.
So if that is the thing, I want to make sure that we continuously follow, um, procedure, um, and not just doing things willy-nilly.
You know, I want to move into, as a board, us collectively moving to the new year on a great path and helping improve those individuals.
So this application better explains the process and what they, um, must do, and it also gives the dates that the applications should be submitted in order for them to be heard on this meeting.
It has been a, it wasn't that long before me, and I'm, I'm going to speak for Tristan.
We get applications like hours before we're coming here, and you know, their, that, you know, the perception is that they're going to go on the meeting or that they're going to, you know, get their application approved.
And then we constantly get here, and they're missing, uh, certain things, and then we have to table it.
Whereas if they're here and they answer those questions, we can alleviate a lot of the miscommunication or why we didn't vote or why their grant wasn't heard that day.
It makes them come in and, you know, be responsible and take accountability for what they want.
Um, but it also gives us the opportunity to do the same thing as well.
So we stick to these dates.
We accept applications around that time.
If you see, it's only from, uh, February to October because that is our grant cycle.
So anything that's collected after our October meeting is automatically, um, held to the next grant cycle.
Um, unless the application changes.
Again, not to interject, but it's also, I think another thing we should take into consideration looking at the way other UEA's around the area do things.
They have a grant committee that essentially don't just, I know previously in the past we hand a lot of work over to the executive system to follow through, make sure all the documentation was in correctly.
I think we can establish a grant committee of three members to work with whoever the next administrative assistant is to work to make this face safe to make sure everything is collected and appropriated for the meetings.
That way we don't just put all the burden on one person like the issue we ran into last cycle.
That way we got multiple hours and multiple things to be able to catch something.
So I'll open the floor now if anybody wants to volunteer to be on the grant committee.
I'll volunteer.
I want to.
C.
Right, we got three right here.
I think from what I seen with the LaPorte UEA does, the grant committee usually meets a week before the meeting or 30 minutes before the meeting to follow up and make sure our documentation is correct.
So I'll make that suggestion caveat and I leave it to you guys with the grant committee.
Uh, I think it was Bruce and Mr. Connley and Miss Martin.
Thank you.
Um, but yeah, that's all I had to add.
I have some comments.
I'm sorry, someone else.
I just want to ask a quick, quick question.
With the application process, is there a checklist that comes with it so that the, oh, okay.
Yeah, and that's another thing.
Last page, yeah, because it tells you, and then you can just look on my, you see that?
Oh, okay.
I don't think I got printed the last page of the application.
Yes, mhm.
The very last page.
Um, but no, I agree, um, Mr. President, because we get here and then we're missing IDs, and then we got to go through a situation where we got to wait.
They got to wait a whole month because their ID isn't with them, you know?
So I think that'll be cool.
We can, um, we can have consistent meetings, give consistent reports, um, and meet with, oh, I can't just point, I'm sorry, meet with an administrative assistant.
I'm sorry, um, I'm going down.
Um, but because of, and another big thing about this application, um, and then I'll end it with this, we have a lot of, this is the residential grant that I'm talking about currently, right?
Yeah, yes.
So we have a lot of individuals who are, um, elderly, and, um, this application was just very generic, and they had a lot of questions.
This one breaks it down.
It explains, it gives in detail, um, certain terminology that's utilized to, you know, to fill out the application, and it helps them understand how to go through the process.
I think it's important for them because if me and Tristan looked at the previous application, we can do it, you know?
But if a 72, 80-year-old woman looked at the application and she don't understand because it's asking for wages and things of that nature, and she don't know if her social security qualifies and things of that, so that is all entailed in this application.
And it gives them, um, a clearer understanding.
It's longer, but these are all the questions that I have ran into, you know, uh, where my house got to be, what does ownership mean?
I think they should also be stressed with, hopefully, hopefully when we find an executive assistant that we stress the importance of working with the constituents throughout that application process.
Yes, to alleviate some of those problems.
That is true.
I agree.
Anything else?
No, uh, any questions from the board on this?
I got a couple comments, but I think you do too.
You go first.
Uh, U, yeah, so I mean these may be minor, um, but on the second page, local contract, I don't know if we want to change it to local licensed contractors.
Yes, um, I think that's important, and I'm glad that that's in there that it's local contractors.
Um, that benefits the city in two ways.
Uh, right under that, under quotes, are we going to stay with just two quotes?
Um, as you can see, um, it says, "advantage are encouraged to provide two separate quotes."
Um, as long as they showed us, and maybe I should add that, I'm, I didn't want to, you know, go into it, and then some people would just be like, "Oh, I tried."
You know, you have to show that you sufficiently attempted to acquire quotes.
Like, uh, the previous lady, she showed us emails where she submitted for quotes and, um, never got anything back.
And I know that happens from time to time depending on workload.
Contractors will pick and choose what they want to do.
Yes.
Um, and then move forward with better relationships.
They'll be more likely to want to work with us, right, when they're getting paid timely and whatnot.
Yes.
Um, third page under submit proof of payment, just a correction.
Uh, there is quite a bit of the and ofes they could be eliminated from the S.
I know that student, but, uh, page four, um, so we were just talking about the deadlines.
Um, and this is great that we have the deadline date as well as the meeting dates.
Um, I think it's great that we're going to ask the homeowners to come present because there was a question that we threw out there, uh, previously in one of our meetings of maybe, uh, you know, once we move forward and have an executive assistant, um, asking that resident how they found out about the Urban Enterprise Zone and the benefits of that.
So, um, maybe if it's not on the application, that'll give us an opportunity to ask some at that time because I think that's something we need to track.
But on page four at the top, it says, uh, the UA meetings are on the third Monday at 6.
Petition deadlines are due on the third Monday by 4.
So I think it would be the Monday before the meeting, correct?
No, so if you look, so the B for the following month.
Okay, gotcha.
So like now February is, um, when the, they need to turn them in for them to be heard on March, and then on March, they have to turn them in by March meeting in order for them to be held, I mean to be heard on April's meeting.
So maybe you just say petition deadlines are due on the third Monday for the following.
Okay, I think that clears just so that there's clarification on that.
I don't want them to think, well, if I get it in by 4:00, they're going to have an answer of 6.
Yeah, I got you.
I got you.
Third Monday, four.
As far as the residential grant goes, that's all the questions that I had on that.
I actually, I had one question for the board on the submit proof of payment.
This is a reimbursement grant, but I know last grant cycle in the previous grant cycle, the board has paid contractors directly.
And I guess what always the conundrum always have when looking through the residential grant, just looking from the past work is essentially these are low-income residents that we are offering as grant to, but essentially we're making them pay.
If they're, if they're barely, if they're, if they're barely making $52,000, if they're barely making $440,000 a year, we expect them to have $5,000 laying around to redo their roof or to get this work done, and then we repay them for it.
I've always kind of, that's where I always kind of got a little confused on, like I never understood it.
It never really made sense to me in the sense of that.
And then last grant cycle, how it went back and forth from pay, making the payment beforehand till then forcing them to reimbursement.
So I just want to see, I just want to get consensus of the board or what exactly redoing this grant cycle that way it's consistent across the board, not so much of the back and forth.
Yeah, I think that, um, for me, for the residential grant, I, I mean, I can understand the reimbursement for the business, but residential just never made sense to me.
I don't, I, me either.
I don't think it should be, um, a reimbursement grant because our ultimate goal is to help them.
And if they are, you know, like Tristan said, a lower poverty, you're taking that $5,000 from them at that time, which puts them in more of, um, poverty.
Yes, they're fixed, um, but they can't get that medication or that food or get that lawn mod, you know?
So we're essentially impacting them a little negatively, and we're trying to positively, um, impact them.
So I would have to imagine that the whole purpose of that is to make sure the work gets done before we, you know, pay the money out for the, for the work that was quoted.
Um, so I think we'd have to put in some sort of stipulation in there or some kind of contract agreement, but we don't pay them.
We pay the contractor, and they submit the invoices to us, and we would then, um, pay so the money never goes to the resident.
It goes to the company doing the work, correct?
I want to suggest that I'm volunteering you to work on a committee with me to see about designing some kind of pseudo escrow account because I can speak even from my scant three and a half years in Michigan City.
It is a meaningful minority of the time the guys don't do the work when you pay them up front, correct?
And that's what I'm worried about.
So I suggest that you and I try to work out some kind of an escrow account to this.
I'm fine with that as long as Mr. President is, I'm completely fine with it.
I don't got to do it.
I have some other comments, but I want, but are you done?
Yes, thank you.
All right, so now I'm wearing my privacy lawyer hat.
If you don't mind, let's go to the last page.
Are we keeping a copy of any of these items that are listed here?
The answer, please tell me no.
For which one?
Well, like the driver's license and, uh, tax return, the W2.
We don't, I mean, I don't want to get like too overblown on this, but we, we do not want to have responsibility for retaining any of this personal identifying information.
So from all the records I've seen, there's been no copies of, I, I'm just saying let's be conscious of that.
I got you.
Um, I just been looking, you know, it's when they bring, when they come with the application, I'll look at it, verify, yeah, and then, you know, move on.
But they do tend to submit all that.
I going to, and, and I'm going to poke fun at you for five seconds.
You saw me smirk when you said 72.
I'm 70.
That's why I smirk.
That's all it's all Sylvia, but that's why that tablet's so close.
Yeah, but the point is I'm G, I'm going to forget the point I was going to make is that I don't think there's an easy answer.
I think it's important for us to acknowledge that when you're glancing at the tax return, you're getting to see their social security number.
And so perhaps you do this already.
I'm suggesting that you at least, um, ask them to make a copy of the tax return and block out the social security number so you can say you never saw it.
It feels like that's hygienic for us.
Let's say remove any personal identifying information, something with their name and amount they made.
I guess what I would, I think with some of these items, I think with us adding the requirement of them coming in, they can hold off on some of those items until they come in and just be a visual presentation as opposed to sending anything.
I think that kind of, I just like the idea of at least us asking them to, to, um, obscure the social security number because, you know, it's just that we, we just don't want to be accountable for seeing it.
Okay, well, if we go the way Tristan is referring to, we won't, they won't even give us any of that.
They'll just come in, do their presentation, we'll glance, and then let them know we glanced.
I’m being FID.
I'm hoping they'll obscure the social security number even when we, but the other point, and again, because I'll forget Sylvia just a moment, is the statement is a statement of consent to assess the ownership documents of the above of the home.
Um, I don't know exactly how we want to word this, but look, I'm just wording, I'm just reading this way that it's kind of like we don't want to put ourselves as we are underwriting that we determined that they own the home.
But it feels like we should make that determination, and because of the, I'm leveling this at LaPorte County, the craziness of LaPorte County, that it's so hard to get access to real estate documents.
Are we going to look at Beacon ourselves to say at least Beacon says that John Smith owns a home?
Beacon isn't always accurate.
I know it isn't always accurate.
Should, but you see where our use of the word assess in that statement is that could be a powerful, that could be that we're underwriting that we don't want to do it.
So I'm open to thoughts on this.
I'm open to you, uh, correcting our legal language.
I think that that would be, may I may I volunteer that what you and I would look, this is a low pain point, but I'm just trying to fine-tune it.
That's all.
I'll send it right to you.
We can figure this out over a coffee.
Absolutely, yeah, fluid.
Yeah, fluid, fluid.
'Cause be mindful this is just a, this is just our first draft.
Oh, oh, I know this.
So I just want to articulate this while I was on my mind, that's all.
That's F, I'm going to send it right to you.
I'll be happy to serve on that committee as well.
You're welcome to join us in fluid.
There you go.
And Amber's off law office is right across the street.
You know, we go knock on her door.
So got Dakota, Nick, and Bruce, and I'm sorry, and Bruce.
Fluid and going over grant.
Yes, sounds great.
That's for both grants.
Yeah, fine.
Yeah, we can do both.
Yeah, and thanks for all your work.
You know, it's easy for me to sit here and make suggestions when you did all the heavy lifting here.
That's okay.
Can I ask this?
Maybe it's a dumb question, but I'm just going to ask it.
Um, okay, you guys were discussing whether or not you keep any of the applicant's personal information on file.
Um, would there be any kind of, um, situation where, say down the line, there would be some type of audit or something where that information would be, this is, um, we need to have that information on file somewhere?
That is an excellent question, not a dumb question.
It's an excellent question.
Do you know why it's excellent?
Because we, wearing my lawyer hat, I'm not sure what the, what, how to reconcile the two.
And that's why I volunteered our friend over there to help me noodle through this because I think we might be able to suffice with just the first last name and the address as opposed to needing all the, all that information.
But let's ask D.
I just, I was, my first, I look directly at you.
So this is where working with other UEA's is helpful, um, and communities, uh, with grants.
Typically, they will pull up the assessment record and the tax record, and whoever is the taxpayer of record at that moment should be the applicant.
If they are not, there's either a record that they just recently purchased the project or the real estate or the improvements, or there's some reason why they are not on that tax bill that makes it real simple.
Um, if that seems work, I, yeah, I, I like that.
It's a nice, because the, I didn't mean to cut you off.
No, it's fine.
The reason is that if I'm renting, I'm not allow, I shouldn't be qualified to submit that grant application.
It should be the property owner of record.
I just want to reinforce it, and then I'll leave the topic alone.
It even the scant number of real estate transactions I've handled, which is less than 10, I've seen things like this, like what you're alluding to.
You're like, really?
So it must happen a lot.
Oh, it happens.
It happens, and it'll put us at liability if we grant a completion of a roof and one of the roofers fall in, and the owner never gave consent for his roof to be completed.
Yeah, well, and, and thank you to that.
Did we, this is, thank you for Q-ing my last comment.
Are we asking for proof of insurance, which is another topic we should be?
They have, they have to have, they have to follow all, um, uh, regulations of the city.
The city, they, they won't be able to touch that roof without being licensed, having a, uh, CO, what is it?
CFO and bonding and things of that nature.
Uh, they can't get a permit to build, and that is in my department.
But I understand that Michigan City does not require bonding from contractors.
We don't.
You have to have insurance.
You have to have insurance.
Just say bond.
Yeah, no, we just kind of, I'm, I'm being too vidious.
Yeah, we can't get the bond, but we want insurance.
That's that 70-year-old.
So I think that's why it's important that there are licensed contractors and because insured.
Yeah, and they can't pull any permits to do the work.
And so say we get a contractor that does the work without, um, pulling permits, they won't.
That's in here.
Yeah, we have the ability to, um, not cover it.
That covers us because no, go ahead, go ahead, finish your com.
I just want, yeah, because, um, the same issue previously, um, with historic preservation and the windows and all of that, this application, uh, will safeguard us, uh, moving forward, especially after that.
Dan, and remember, and keep in mind that it is, and it should be stated that it is a reimbursement grant that you are reimbursed upon the city's certificate of occupancy or completion of the improvements made and final inspection, which means they, that it's really the owner's hus to make sure it's done properly.
You're only reimbursing them for that cost or percentage of that cost.
You're not doing the project.
Yeah, anything else?
Uh, I think it's a good start.
So do I have a motion to hold this over to the next meeting?
I'll make a motion to hold this over to the next meeting while the committee works on this.
Okay, got a motion in a second.
Any more discussion?
Hearing none, I'll call for the vote.
All in favor?
Aye.
Any opposed?
Motion passes.
We'll go down to BS 25 business grant.
Where is it?
Okay, so the first one you got was, um, I like, I like to reuse templates, so sorry about that.
I resent it, but you had, has everybody had the chance to read the second version?
No, I didn't print it because Tristan was calling me.
Um, but this grant, um, it's, yeah, it's, I'm pretty sure he, it, yep, right?
No, it's not.
It's my mistake.
Okay, has everybody had the opportunity to look at the business grant who's on the email sent?
And I'm mistaken, left it out from copying when I printed out the BO package tonight.
That's all right.
Um, once again, it's just their first TR.
Yes, it is.
Um, so what I'll do is I'll just go through and explain the, uh, changes in addition.
Um, the business grant doesn't have, it's not as, you know, detailed as a residential grant because as a business, I just feel like you definitely need to come in here and present because it gives that we're, that's what we're here for, right?
The businesses helped drive us.
Um, so by them coming in, presenting their project, uh, it gives the businesses around them the idea to invest back into this, um, invest back into this association.
Um, so for them, they have to come in as well and present.
Um, when we, okay, so this was the issue, the, that's where my first question is the, um, what was that grant with the, uh, event that they had, small business expo?
So the small business expo, we, we granted them, but then we had a hard time getting, um, I9 and things of that nature.
So that's a part of this application that, you know, if you're going to submit, you need to submit to verify that you're a legitimate business, and they need to submit their I9 as a part of our checklist.
So that's added to, um, the checklist as well.
We also need to, you know, follow the parameters of their work.
So sometimes they come in and then they give us these list of things that they want to do, and then we give them up to a certain point, right?
So say we give them 7,500, and then they aren't able to get the rest of the work done, but now we, they have one half that has windows.
We, they need to give us a holistic view of what they're going to do because half of the building completed is worse than the building was in the first place, which means we're ultimately not improving, right?
'Cause that's what I just saw that we, you know, I literally just saw this take place, uh, well, I just drove past it.
So with that being said, they need to have a sufficient plan how, if this is the total and we give you this, how do you plan to cover the remaining portions to complete all of the work or just give us the quote for the portion that we're going to, uh, cover, and then we determine is that sufficient enough to improve that?
Is that a useful amount of money for us to give?
We need to start thinking those things and not just, oh, I want to approve and give them this.
We need to start having little measures of, you know, and the significance because we have the same people coming back because they know all they have to do is, and they're going to get, uh, 7,500.
So, and that'll help us, you know, manage and budget our grants and, you know, identify how many we need to budget for for 2026 because we noticed that we did this, you know, which Dan is going to help us with.
So am I correct, Dan?
You are correct.
You can provide for in your grant conditions or parameters that need to be met before reimbursement is provided.
And in some instances, they should be providing a progress report either quarterly during the project, every quarter of the project being done, or in thirds.
And then they should, should be in the application, it should be a narrative that states what impact this project is having on the community, employment, hiring, salary.
So if you're going to be putting windows in, what's the impact of putting windows in?
It's going to open up more vacant space for operations, which will lead to four people being, we're looking at people in the zone.
Y' capture all that you do the minute.
So you heard all that.
I'll pick it up in the video.
Um, but yeah, so the, we need to have more purpose in these communities, um, and more of an impact.
Um, so that's basically what this, the changes are in their, you know, requirements, parameters, um, liability, uh, following all zoning and regulations and things of that nature, um, which I think is important.
But that's all I have, so I open up, I'll open up to the board any comments or questions.
Yeah, I got a question about the, um, the business grant.
Now the business grant is just for improvement of buildings or is it for actual events?
That's what we got to figure out.
I guess that's where the holdup came in last year was we approved, we approved, we didn't before us.
Well, the board approved, um, a grant for an event.
Yeah, but we don't offer a grant for an event, but it was approved under the guise of the same parameter.
So she opened it up to discussion of which way do the board, does the board want to go completely away from that, or does the board want to encompass that inside this grant or make a branch off, make its own grant from that?
And that's kind of the per question she's being asked of the board.
Okay, I think maybe we could put the parameters or something like that under the other grant application that we're going to create for, um, neighborhood improvement.
Yes, okay.
So I don't think we have to include it in this one.
I mean, it honestly, I don't even know we, I think me, like Tristan said, me and him, we were confused about it.
I think you, um, you were confused.
We, Bruce was confused.
Um, so I just wanted to make sure that we clarify it that this is for business, um, facade exterior improvements.
Um, that's why even in the new application, it has a list of things that this grant covers: shingles, roofing, siding.
Um, you know, it has a list of all of those things which didn't exist, um, before.
So what can you tell somebody?
You say it's a business grant to help improve our business.
You didn't say that, you know?
So making it more, um, specific.
I, I like that it's more specific, and, and I like what you said.
What somebody who wants to have a publicity event, which might be helpful, we put it under other.
It feels cleaner, tighter.
Yeah, yeah.
So, and we'll take input on, you got an idea, something out of worded?
I do.
Okay, yeah, but we do have another grant that we're going to talk about in a minute.
Okay, Dan, so you may want to consider a third class category as a sponsorship event, and then basically the criteria are how many individuals are served.
So if you're helping $2,000 to sponsor an employment fair, how many people came to that fair?
How many people were interviewed by the entities?
How many received jobs or their average salaries?
So you have some parameter to determine do you fund that in the future because, you know, you sponsor an event and it has no impact or very little impact, don't come back to me next year.
Yeah, you can do nothing then, right?
So really it's a third category.
Okay, because your second one with the businesses is really a real property improvement grant.
It's to the building or structure, same thing with the residential, right?
Same thing with the residential, and the applicant has to own that building.
The residential owner has to own it, but the business can.
So the business, and this is another piece that I think we may want to add to the residential, the contingent, um, the businesses, if they don't own it, they can get a letter from the business owner giving them, um, right to, uh, do those, um, changes.
Because you know, like how we, for example, our Board of Zoning and Appeals for BZA, businesses come in to change certain use just for a piece of, um, that property.
And in order for them to change that use, they have to come in with, um, a letter certified by the owner giving them the right to apply on their behalf.
So basically that's exactly what the business grant did before and it does now just for the outside of the building.
Yes, exterior, um, for Cade, roofing, things of that nature.
You know, I got a couple things on this one, just minor.
Um, the, I like the wording under work permits on page two of, you know, specific requirements for the historic district.
I think we might want to add that to the residential grant.
Okay, I'm just so we clear on that when they apply.
Oh, I'm sending you to application.
Um, on this one though, we just have local contractors preferred that, and that was a thing.
The applications weren't never like they, they're not consistently aligned together.
So the residential directly stated, but the business didn't.
So I think that is something that we want to kind of, um, clarify on both ends because I wish it was a way we can do more to promote the contractors that participate in the UEA already, like participate those part of our process with maybe having the, that can be something that the administrator can work on and have a list of those contractors for, um, when they come in for the application, which will cut out, it'll cut out the quoting process.
And then, you know, we'll, the businesses will know that, you know, we're kind of promoting them for this work.
So when you see somebody come, we'll have a relationship with them, so paying them once work complete will be more efficient, and it gives them more of a comfort.
Okay, yeah, I know usually G get my check.
I fix that roof.
It, my sense is that in the business, it feels like it may be a little dodgy if we require local contractors because some of these people, they might, let's just pick on fluid again.
They have, I think, five or six different locations.
They may have a relationship already with a carpenter who offices in Crown Point, and I feel like, I don't know, we want to say you can't use the guy who's already part of your, all depends on what you consider local.
Well, well, local doesn't constrain you to Michigan City in my opinion.
I mean, 'cause could essentially could just make it where they have to use the license.
I mean, don't at the city contract have to be licensed through the city?
They, they have to, they have to go through the city licensed contractors and make it that way.
'Cause I'm sure there's some, that's where I was getting a list from, from out of Chicago that are licensed to work out here.
That way we're not just making them stick in the CRA, making them stick with a certain bucket.
It's a variety that they can pick from and choose from who they want to use.
So they must be city licensed.
I think that feels more, we don't, what I don't want to do is have controversy and we sort of get distracted on defending that fine point.
I got you.
More controversy, maybe I should say.
Yeah.
Um, anything else?
Those all got anything, Bruce?
No, it's just I've already, my mind volunteered that Nick and I will work out the escrow as to the BU and Dakota and Dakota.
Yes, so here's another thought is some UEA's and granting entities will cap a limit on the grant amount that may be requested, say $10,000 and summons or $5,256.
Um, with a required match of 25%, 50% of that.
In some instances, a condition may be that if you use a local contractor, that grant limit can be increased by 10%.
I like if you use an UEA business member, you increase it by 20% or next.
So that you don't have to, you're still going, you're still limited, but if you choose to use somebody local, you can get a little bit more money because we want you to use local.
I like the idea.
Reason here's what's in my head, which goes back to one of my earlier questions.
We got, and these are soft numbers, but let's say we really only have 160,000 to give out during the year.
We got to be careful about reason.
So, so, but we'll collectively increase revenue, and then it's easier to get into that right.
Well, you assume everybody can receive the full amount.
Yeah, and based upon, you know, just for the clarification, I did some small numbers, um, with what we have, um, and we can give out, uh, 17 residential, 11 business grants this year, and it's only bringing us to, um, 6,000.
And that is at max, it's 108.
Hm, it's 180.
I know how to account, correct?
I said approximately.
You see, he likes to, uh, put me out there, taking all.
I know, I got a final this week.
Yeah.
Um, but so on just a soft budget, you know, just looking at it, um, and we can give out, uh, 17 residential, 11 business grants this year, and it's only bringing us to, um, 6,000.
And that is at max, it's 108.
Hm, it's 180.
I know how to account, correct?
I said approximately.
You see, he likes to, uh, put me out there, taking all.
I know, I got a final this week.
Yeah.
Um, but so on just a soft budget, you know, just looking at it, um, and we can give out, uh, 17 residential, 11 business grants this year, and it's only bringing us to, um, 6,000.
And that is at max, it's 108.
Hm, it's 180.
I know how to account, correct?
I said approximately.
You see, he likes to, uh, put me out there, taking all.
I know, I got a final this week.
Yeah.
Um, but so on just a soft budget, you know, just looking at it, um, and we can give out, uh, 17 residential, 11 business grants this year, and it's only bringing us to, um, 6,000.
And that is at max, it's 108.
Hm, it's 180.
I know how to account, correct?
I said approximately.
You see, he likes to, uh, put me out there, taking all.
I know, I got a final this week.
Yeah.
Um, but so on just a soft budget, you know, just looking at it, um, and we can give out, uh, 17 residential, 11 business grants this year, and it's only bringing us to, um, 6,000.
And that is at max, it's 108.
Hm, it's 180.
I know how to account, correct?
I said approximately.
You see, he likes to, uh, put me out there, taking all.
I know, I got a final this week.
Yeah.
Um, but so on just a soft budget, you know, just looking at it, um, and we can give out, uh, 17 residential, 11 business grants this year, and it's only bringing us to, um, 6,000.
And that is at max, it's 108.
Hm, it's 180.
I know how to account, correct?
I said approximately.
You see, he likes to, uh, put me out there, taking all.
I know, I got a final this week.
Yeah.
Um, but so on just a soft budget, you know, just looking at it, um, and we can give out, uh, 17 residential, 11 business grants this year, and it's only bringing us to, um, 6,000.
And that is at max, it's 108.
Hm, it's 180.
I know how to account, correct?
I said approximately.
You see, he likes to, uh, put me out there, taking all.
I know, I got a final this week.
Yeah.
Um, but so on just a soft budget, you know, just looking at it, um, and we can give out, uh, 17 residential, 11 business grants this year, and it's only bringing us to, um, 6,000.
And that is at max, it's 108.
Hm, it's 180.
I know how to account, correct?
I said approximately.
You see, he likes to, uh, put me out there, taking all.
I know, I got a final this week.
Yeah.
Um, but so on just a soft budget, you know, just looking at it, um, and we can give out, uh, 17 residential, 11 business grants this year, and it's only bringing us to, um, 6,000.
And that is at max, it's 108.
Hm, it's 180.
I know how to account, correct?
I said approximately.
You see, he likes to, uh, put me out there, taking all.
I know, I got a final this week.
Yeah.
Um, but so on just a soft budget, you know, just looking at it, um, and we can give out, uh, 17 residential, 11 business grants this year, and it's only bringing us to, um, 6,000.
And that is at max, it's 108.
Hm, it's 180.
I know how to account, correct?
I said approximately.
You see, he likes to, uh, put me out there, taking all.
I know, I got a final this week.
Yeah.
Um, but so on just a soft budget, you know, just looking at it, um, and we can give out, uh, 17 residential, 11 business grants this year, and it's only bringing us to, um, 6,000.
And that is at max, it's 108.
Hm, it's 180.
I know how to account, correct?
I said approximately.
You see, he likes to, uh, put me out there, taking all.
I know, I got a final this week.
Yeah.
Um, but so on just a soft budget, you know, just looking at it, um, and we can give out, uh, 17 residential, 11 business grants this year, and it's only bringing us to, um, 6,000.
And that is at max, it's 108.
Hm, it's 180.
I know how to account, correct?
I said approximately.
You see, he likes to, uh, put me out there, taking all.
I know, I got a final this week.
Yeah.
Um, but so on just a soft budget, you know, just looking at it, um, and we can give out, uh, 17 residential, 11 business grants this year, and it's only bringing us to, um, 6,000.
And that is at max, it's 108.
Hm, it's 180.
I know how to account, correct?
I said approximately.
You see, he likes to, uh, put me out there, taking all.
I know, I got a final this week.
Yeah.
Um, but so on just a soft budget, you know, just looking at it, um, and we can give out, uh, 17 residential, 11 business grants this year, and it's only bringing us to, um, 6,000.
And that is at max, it's 108.
Hm, it's 180.
I know how to account, correct?
I said approximately.
You see, he likes to, uh, put me out there, taking all.
I know, I got a final this week.
Yeah.
Um, but so on just a soft budget, you know, just looking at it, um, and we can give out, uh, 17 residential, 11 business grants this year, and it's only bringing us to, um, 6,000.
And that is at max, it's 108.
Hm, it's 180.
I know how to account, correct?
I said approximately.
You see, he likes to, uh, put me out there, taking all.
I know, I got a final this week.
Yeah.
Um, but so on just a soft budget, you know, just looking at it, um,
Other 65% that they have to reinvest, could they say of that 65% we gave 25% of that to the UA so that they could, uh, stipulate where the funds are going? You know how to train somebody, it happens. So it may not be specifically for their employee but Encompass, right?
So the intent of the program, it's difficult to, as a lawyer, you can't judge intent of the legislative body. But it's my understanding that the intent was this UEA deduction is a savings to the company. Me as company XYZ, I save $100,000. I pay 35 or whatever percentage it is to the local UA, whatever is legislatively determined by the local UEA. Assume it's 35%. I read a check for $35,000.
I have to now report how I use the remaining $65,000 for building improvements, increase in salary of Zone employees, work or training for not only employees but Zone employees. And if that comes to only $50,000, I still have $15,000 to invest. I can then donate that to the UEA, restrict it, and I get a tax deduction on it because it's a 501c3 organization.
So it's to your advantage to now start, okay, stocking—I mean, investing—not stocking, but verifying they're utilizing reinvestment in the company. Because it was, which is what I'm getting to. I give sometimes long answers, so stop me if... but the intent was for the savings to be put back into the business, not for the owners to receive a profit. Bingo, there you go, to include that in their profit. The savings was meant to be reinvested into the community.
Now, if that's by giving a donation to the UEA, and it has happened, some companies do that. Y, I'm going to Gap tomorrow. Oh, tell them they better get their paperwork.
So is that customarily within what you, what the kind of service that you provided for other UAs, is to be able to monitor these? Or the UEA monitor that? Typically, the UA monitors it because your executive staff would schedule a meeting with GAAP and say, "Here was your form EBR. You had a tax savings of $100,000. You paid in $35,000. Show me how you reinvested your according to this EBR. I want to see the receipts."
All right, so we being proactive on this? Yes, but we'll be a little delicate. You have to be a little bit... I would even want to get the credit, no more hardcore.
Yeah, so anything else from the board? I have a motion to move this to table this until the next meeting as well and turn it over to the grant committee. So moved. Second.
Got a motion and a second. Any more discussion? Hearing none, I'll call for the vote. All in favor? Any opposed? Hearing none, motion passes.
We'll go down the 2025 budget. I know, um, per city ordinance, we must turn over a 2025 budget to the city council by March 1st, which is the same time as our grant cycle begins.
I know last year the way the budget was done was the executive assistant, the executive administrator, excuse me, and the president sat down and they came up with a budget in the first meeting. I want to do it a little differently this year. I wanted to ask two volunteers to join me and kind of go over the finances and look through how we proceeded last year and come up with a budget to present back to the board at the next meeting.
So if I can have two volunteers for that? Um, Mr. I, I'll do it too. I mean, I think it's going to, um, have to be determined off some of the stuff that Bruce and I talk about as far as...
Yeah, and I'm ad hoc anyway. I technically have to be where you are, not when you are. In other words, you had to be separate from those conversations because he worked for the city. Is that what you're saying?
No, I, as vice president... [Music] I okay, Ronnie. Um, if you guys prefer that, I'm perfectly... I just wasn't sure what you were saying, that's all.
No, as um, vice president, we're taking AOT on every board, me and um, Tristan, so it's fine. I thought you make a different point.
I'll good. Um, so I'll email you guys and see what day works for everybody.
Um, we'll move down to Old business. Seeing that there is none, we'll move to public comment. You see we got some visitors here.
Anybody from public comment like to say anything? I'll just, uh, introduce myself. I'm, uh, Kamisha Williams, who had the interview with, uh, Bruce and Nick and president.
Um, this is amazing, and just being here to be able to, like, listen to the things that you guys want to add to the program, it's exciting. Um, I even got the baby here taking notes. We almost... it's like, I don't know if this is a SOP or if this is just like facts that help the residents or the... like, it's so much here.
She just in standard operating procedure coming at me. Yeah, I want you guys to see that I'm serious about this. Um, yeah, this position I feel like is in alignment with me so much. So I ran into Bruce today, like even just going to the Westside neighborhood meeting. I ran into Tristan and found out about this.
Like, I just feel like it's all just happening so easily, like things... I don't know. Uh, I'm excited, and the first is Saturday, so I don't think anybody else is going to apply.
Well, thank you for coming and joining us tonight. That's great. Thank you. I think it's great that you bring your son. That's awesome.
Yeah, let him see how, you know, local politics works. That's awesome.
Oh yeah, that's James Baldwin. He, um, and I got this quote from the Hope Center. It was on a wall at the Hope Center, basically about how your kids won't do what you say, but they'll imitate you.
That's right. Oh, young man, like that happens for me all the time, like when I'm doing what I'm supposed to be doing.
So, and this is the whole... I mean, that's the whole point, right? It is. I, my... you can ask him, they always here. I'm... I still follow my mom to work.
He does. Thank you. Uh, any more public comment?
Uh, well, I'm Jose, and I was invited by Tone. Even though I got here a few minutes late, I had to go help a nephew who was trying to DoorDash. He had a flat tire.
Um, but this is a great idea here. Everything. I've been on both sides, not really with the grants, but as far as, um, construction, own and for the last 20, 30 years in Michigan City, and I'm from Chicago, so I feel everything work for toning blank.
So I know about the in-house, out-house, how that works out. Um, so this is a great thing here. Thank you.
Um, any more public comment? Hearing none, I'll close public comment.
I open up director's comment. Anybody from the board have anything you'd like to say?
I’ll just say real quickly, I'm glad that I was chosen to be a part of this. Um, I'm really enjoying what I'm learning, and I'm looking forward to learning a lot more being a part of it. So thank you.
Thank you, than you're here. Any more comments?
Um, I was also voted in at the last council meeting, so I look forward to working with everybody for the next four years. Thank you.
City council, m... city council appointment, two votes made. Any more director comments?
Hearing none, do I have a motion to adjourn?
Adjourn. Second.
I got a motion to second. All in favor? Motion adjourned. Thank you, everybody. [Music]