The Common Council last night approved the request from Shiloh Christian Church for a waiving of $22,817 in city building permit fees. According to Ron Klattenberg, this was the first waiver of building permit fees, other than those recommended by the Economic Development Committee, since the Council voted in 2004 to enact a no-waiver policy.
Mayor Giuliano and several councilmen each said that the no-waiver policy was in the form of a resolution, and that resolutions are not binding to the council, especially in a new council session.
Klattenberg ultimately abstained from voting, because he felt that the city should have a policy on fee-waivers, before it approved one. Eric King, chair of the church's building committee, said that without the building permit fee waiver, the church would be unable to commence construction before winter.
This was enough to persuade the Council that they should act immediately. Most of the Council spoke of the troubled recent history that the church has had, since it sold its previous church. They also spoke of the economic benefits to the community of a large construction job.
The waiver was passed with only David Bauer voting against it.
5 comments:
Councilman David Bauer votes against everything. He would vote against people breathing air if he had his way. He just likes to talk and his talk shows are boring. I say vote him out of office.
It was previously reported that the church was given $2 million for a new church and that the proposed new building would cost $1.5 million. Now they say they can't start building without a waiver of fees of $22,817. What happened to the other $500,000?
David Bauer is the only council member who takes his fiduciary duty seriously. The rest of the city coucil needs to grow a back bone. They have been bamboozeled by a group of minor league grifters. If they can't afford the fees they certainly can't afford to construct a new building.
I am going to come to the next city council meeting with my own sob story and ask them to grant me a waiver on this years property taxes. Thanks to the church for showing me that this is an option.
Pastor Hinton told me at the meeting last night that my figures were wrong. He says the Church received slightly over $1.1M for the project, as part of a legal settlement with the developer of the Walgreens on the lot where their historic church sat.
He said they were working to raise the remaining funds necessary for the new building.
All construction projects include inspection fees as part of the costs of building. I do not think it is appropriate for city taxpayers to fund building inspections for churches. Especially when for the past 6 years such funding has been denied to other non-profits in similar situations, following a very clear Council Resolution.
How about the extra acreage that the church received as part of the settlement to their lawsuit? Does this not hold any value to the property and the 1.1 Million dollar settlement? Seems to me that there is a political machine backing the church and seeking votes any way possible. Let me guess Democratic majority on the passing of this request. Truly time to reassess the powers of the majority of this council. Apathy is allowing crooked and egotistical individuals to continue to bring advancement to the City and harmony within the council chambers. I say shame on those who continue this behavior as most of you were not raised with the values that you portray before your constituents. Grow up and serve with pride and dignity and lose the EGO. It is not all about being right but making the right choices and as of now you are bringing shame to the City of Middletown by not seeing beyond your shoe laces. Unfortunately Anonymous is the only way to sign this post as honesty is not well received by Egomaniacs.
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