Brethren and Sisters in Love,
I write to you this morning from sacred ground, soon to be known as Church of the NURD (North Urban Renewal District). We're happy to take collections, and we'll welcome all your prayers.
After all, we're going to need both, especially when the City of Sandpoint asks us if we want one of their LIDS when it removes and rebuilds the BLIGHT, running along our pasture to the West. Of course, when they give us the LID, we're wondering if we're supposed to give them our share of Great Northern Road in return.
We are, indeed, filled with a Mighty Spirit this morning now that the public Word has been spoken, regarding Urban Renewal plans in Sandpoint. In Revelations Act I at Community Hall last night, we learned that God's $$ pie here in Bonner County will soon include a few extra slices----for the next ten years, in fact.
And, because the tax increases will be distributed well beyond the Sandpoint city limits past Dover (another URD place) clear over to Priest River, east to Clark Fork, up north to Elmira, and down south to Athol, the financial burden on the multitude should not be so great.
Bonner County taxpayers will be aiding the City of Sandpoint in its grand design to live up to the exclusive tastes of those masses who will come if we just build it in gold-plated fashion. We learned from the purveyors of URD Word that the chosen few (members of the URD committee) are rushing to URD quickly to capture all increased tax benefits generated by 2005 construction within Sandpoint's downtown URD district---the Seasons at Sandpoint, to be exact.
I do understand this morning from last night's assumptive prophecy that Panhandle State Bank, Seasons, and other multimillion-dollar construction projects will generate increased taxation. That increase over what each location pays now, before construction, will go directly to URD for the next ten years. I don't understand exactly why the county taxpayers will share in adding to the URD collection plate, but they shall, according to the Word.
This money will pay for utilities (sewer) and reconstruction of Great Northern Road and Woodland Drive. It will also pay for beautification efforts in the downtown URD from First to Fifth and Larch to Pine. When the ten years of taxation ends, new businesses attracted to our attractive town will take up the gap and start paying the bills, rather than the city and county taxpayers.
And, as the gentiles in the audience spoke last night, visions of the $$$ pie continued to change. What about the schools to hold all the kids who have already come and who will come with the new businesses? Who will pay for that? What about the aged sewage treatment system which is in dire need of upgrading? Who will pay for that? What about the fire station that will surely be needed north of the high-speed tracks that often block Great Northern Road? Who will pay for that?
To which, one URD purveyor said, "Many trains will be going down the tracks. We're just the first ones to jump on."
Well, golly gee, I say unto you all, who will pay for the new schools, the sewage treatment system, the fire stations, etc. when all the trains are on the track at the same time?
We also learned that during this URD improvement process, that property owners bordering Great Northern Road will be asked to contribute to LIDS (local improvement development) fees for road improvement.
This road improvement benefits Quest Aviation and at least two high-end air parks which do not own frontage on Great Northern Road. The House of Love does have frontage on Great Northern Road and, in fact, owns part of the road because the City never acquired proper easement. Our immediate plans do not include starting a light business to help pay for our LID.
So, since we're going to need a lot of God's help in finding the money to help finance the road for Quest and the air parks, we've decided to start our own church, right here on the grounds. It will not cost quite as much as some churches I've heard about in Sandpoint's future. We figure $1,000 will do it. That includes materials and labor.
Since our barn already serves as a family shrine, we'll enhance it just a bit by erecting a large white cross on the north end where the pigeons now pray and poop. We'll also nail the large, white letters "LOVE" across the north facade, and then we'll be ready for services. Membership is limited to four-legged creatures with tails. No more feline cast-offs from the Friends of the Shelter down the road.
Every Sunday in the ground-floor sanctuary, the Reverend William Love will bless the creatures. As deacon, I'll distribute communion in the form of alfalfa, Meow Mix and Atta Boy.
Occasionally, we'll invite more of God's creatures to join us for the summer revivals in the hay loft above, where we can all look out the second-story door, beyond the esthetic expanse of metal buildingville, and behold the blessings of our improved, safer "quality of life." We'll also rejoice over what God's work and a lot of taxpayers' money have done to our fair city.
Hallelujah! Just put your donations in our Great Northern Road hub-cap collection plates at the end of the driveway.
10 comments:
Well, the way I figure it, they might need some of the money to defray some of those problems that Sandpoint has with that nagging problem of "light pollution" that was at the top of the City Council agenda a couple of years back. Methinks that it all smacks of a bunch of immigrants from that looney-bin state to the far southwest who settle in Sandpoint only to get homesick....they want the place to remind 'em of California...
MJB
"When the ten years of taxation ends, new businesses attracted to our attractive town will take up the gap and start paying the bills, rather than the city and county taxpayers...."
Now you know that is a hogwash promise..(sorry hogs, didn't mean to insult you) in ten years they can dream up more use for $$ so they can extend the payments...
I know the city has infrastructure needs, but why do some of us that have already paid the price to develop our properties have to "pony" up again? When Carol and I purchased our light industrial site on Industrial Drive next to John Snedden's manufacturing operation and built a new home for Selkirk Press Inc., we came up with the money that we needed to accomplish what we wanted to do. I don't remember seeing anyone walking up or down our street passing out enticements and handouts so that we could build our building. We're happy with what we accomplished. I just don't see why I should have to pay for what they want to do to develop their properties. Don't waste any time in getting your First Church of Love incorporated as a non-profit. Then you'll really get a laugh up on 'em!
Well done!! Now that's what I'm talkin' about. Keep the drums rolling...you go girl!
Amen sister Love. Thank you for your honesty and humor.
Mariann's explanation is more honest then what the folks favoring the URD are passing out.
As one of the brethern living in an area not close, but touched by, may I sign up to be a "field missionary"? my hisband is noted for being "outstanding in his field".
And what the brotherhood of the URD don't bother to tell you is that the taxes collected that WOULD go to other taxing districts like the library, hospital, etc., will no longer go to them, but will go to the URDs instead. That's a HUGE loss for those districts. Also... did anyone mention that they can raise bonds in these districts without going to vote on them? In most cases, a bond requires a super majority. Not in the URDs. Marianne, you need to write an article for both papers on this!!!!
Hello, All,
I appreciate your comments. Thought I'd pass along a bit more information. Since posting my Church of the NURD comments (an attempt to let humor ease my ire) yesterday, Bill and I have talked to one city council person, Frances Ogilvie, and the head honcho of URD, Mark Williams.
We wanted to know if we heard correctly that in addition to the URD incremental taxation, the city really would impose LIDs on the property owners bordering Great Northern Road.
Our main concern is double taxation and the fact that two cars go out of the Love driveway to use the road, while more than 100 will soon be in and out of Quest Aviation twice daily, once they start full production in approximately four months.
Quest does NOT border Great Northern Road; therefore, Quest would not be taking on a LID, while we Loves, who are not profiting in any way off from our "home" would pay big time, based on a couple of hundred feet of road frontage.
We have not yet received a clear answer to this question. I've also sent a similar inquiry to Kody Van Dyke but have not yet heard back from him.
In our discussions yesterday, we both emphasized that the communications on this issue has been murky at best. That may be by design or it may reflect just what they've told us---they're not totally tuned in to the whole concept and exactly how it will work themselves.
Therefore, our belief is that council members need to be heavily lobbied this next couple of weeks to give this a little more time, even if they do lose some of the projected taxation from this year's construction projects.
We believe it needs to be better communicated and that all parties who will be working directly with this process---council members and the chosen URD committee---need to be on the same page and fully educated on how they're going to divert all these funds over the next ten years.
When asked what the consequences would be in waiting until next year, Mark Williams told Bill it might mean 11 years instead of ten and, of course, a delay in construction of proposed projects.
Well, I'd take one more year of paying on a program and another year of bumpy driving if I felt confident that this concept was well thought out and thoroughly researched.
Too many unanswered questions at this point, and I don't feel very confident in the people who will be running the show, based on their apparent lack of knowledge for the "i" dotting and "t" crossing.
So, call 'em up, ask the questions and then lobby individual council members who will be voting on this issue to give it more time for gaining a bit more wisdom.
Great comment Marianne! I agree that if the council members themselves don’t clearly understand the whole concept, they ought to be taking things slowly. You know why they’re rushing? Not because the proposed projects might be delayed, but because the tax revenues from the increased value in the areas of impact as a result of the new construction would go to the normal taxing districts and would not be able to be “captured” by the URD. "The Seasons" is almost finished, almost ready to be put on the tax rolls. They want this to be a done deal before that happens or taxes on $123 million in valuation will be allocated to all taxing districts. I think they all know exactly what will happen and are being obtuse by design. Politics at their worst.
Besides, do we really want all these multi-million dollar projects built in and around Sandpoint so wealthy people can have a summer home here? Do people really believe that URDs will create the kind of jobs that our college graduate kids need in order to live here? I see them as creating nothing but minimum wage service jobs - retail clerks, food servers, housekeepers (hotel maids), and the like. Sandpoint is off the beaten path. It's not easy to get here. Businesses that support corporate executive type jobs can't sustain themselves here very well for a variety of reasons, location being a big one. I just don't buy into all the hype about how good this is going to be for Sandpoint residents.
I wish I lived in the city limits so I could vote in Tuesday's election. I don't, but my daughter does and I've been educating her and her husband.
Update: We heard back from Frances Ogilvie last night, and I received a response from Kody Van Dyke. Essentially, both said that, in addition to urban renewal funds, the City is reviewing other options to help pay for the road. LIDS, according to Kody, are on the list, along with block grants, a Federal economic development grant, urban renewal, the city general fund, and impact fees.
Apparently all play a part in the potential mix to upgrade the local infrastructure.
Frances told Bill similar information and suggested that the City has options on how and to whom they impose the LIDS. The North Division improvement project imposed LIDS on businesses but not residents.
I also learned the 2.5 million dollars allocated in the plan for land acquisition/easements for road right-of-way involves purchase of land from the railroad. In property owners' cases, they will have a choice of giving up needed land/easements through condemnation, voluntary sale or donation.
So, this is what I know for sure, and we'll continue to study this and ask questions. Our motive is personal. We love our place/home and want to exhaust every means possible to remain here as long as we can afford it. To us, it's not just a piece of dirt for more metal buildings and pavement.
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