BOT to Take Action on SID Ordinance Tonight (Again)

It's like deja-vu, all over again. - Yogi Berra

In what is becoming similar to a scene out of Groundhog Day, the movie starring Bill Murrey, where he wakes up every morning to relive the same day over and over, the latest agenda for tonight's Board of Trustees (BOT) meeting has an ordinance to enact a Special Improvement District (SID) listed for first reading...again.

A committee had met from April 2011 until October 2011 to determine if a SID should be enacted.  The committee , however, many business owners are .

This will be the third time the ordinance has and will be the second time it’s voted on, if the BOT decides to do so.  At , the ordinance passed 4-0.

On the docket tonight is Ordinance 2012-01, which calls for the creation of a SID in South Orange.  If passed, it will be read for second reading and the public will be able to comment at the next BOT meeting.

The ordinance creates both a SID and a Downtown Business Improvement Zone (DBIZ).  If passed, the ordinance authorizes Village Counsel Steven Rother to work with Main Street South Orange to transform their organization into a Downtown Management Corporation. 

Some of the changes in the latest version fix the wording of the sections involving the creation of a SID and DBIZ, including clarifying that properties included within the boundary shown on the map of the SID in exhibit A will be affected.  Any money collected by assessments of business shall be used solely to benefit the district.  Any business owner who doesn’t pay the assessment will be treated as if property taxes weren’t paid.  In addition, the Village will submit quarterly payments to the corporation. 

Another change calls for a representative of the South Orange Performing Arts Center (SOPAC) to be included on the board of the corporation as an ex officio nonvoting member.  It was discussed at previous workshops that it’s important to make sure SOPAC is in the loop of all the SID’s activities.

The corporation will be controlled by a board of twelve members.  Included will be one trustee, four property owners, four business owners or operators, two residents who are neither a property nor business owner and one member of the Parking Authority.  The Village Administrator or a designee will join SOPAC’s representative as the other ex officio non-voting member.  The Board of Trustees will decide all the members of the board with the exception of the Parking Authority member.

Tonight’s meeting starts at 7:30 p.m. at Village Hall.