Creston City Council will provide $100,000 over a 10-year period to Union Couty Development Association for the UCDA Board of Trustees Building 301 Project after passing a resolution during Tuesday’s regular meeting with a split decision.
Seven community members took podium during the meeting’s public forum to discuss various issues, the first of which was Melvin Scadden, who came to voice concern over the resolution to fund the UCDA’s project.
Scadden expressed that this may not be the best use of the city’s funds.
“That’s a $100,000 that could be put to working on the streets or sewers or cleaning up the town a little bit,” said Scadden. “I think the city needs to stay out of the real estate business. There’s a lot of people that (are) in it already that shouldn’t be and I think the city’s another one that should stay out of it, because that’s not what I want my tax money to go for is something like that.”
Scadden also asked whether or not UCDA pays property taxes without answer from the council. Pantini later clarified — during his appointment with council before the resolution was put to a vote — that UCDA pays property taxes on all the buildings it owns.
UCDA Executive Director Wayne Pantini’s request for funding from the city was first made in writing, to the mayor in April — at that time, UCDA had raised $326,500 for the project. While updating the council on the project’s progress, Pantini reported that fundraising efforts have now reached around $400,000; the total funding necessary for the project, Pantini said, is $525,000.
Pantini also reported that, after securing and receiving a grant last month, contractors have begun to be lined up to begin work on the building, and facade work will begin by the end of the month.
The council was not unanimously supportive of funding the project, expressing concern about other funding and the usefulness of the shared workspace to the community, among other issues. After much discussion with Pantini during his appointment, the resolution passed, 4-3, with councilors Madison, Wilson and Wintermute opposed.