Retail development got a huge boost Thursday night when Guymon City Council voted to give a 1 percent sales tax rebate/incentive to Land Run commercial Real Estate Advisors, LLC, to develop the former Homeland property on Main Street before a packed house of primarily business owners who opposed the issue coming to a vote that night.
Many opposed the issue altogether, but, of the handful who spoke, several urged council to wait 30 days. Councilman William King stated he had a health issue — he’s getting his knees replaced — and couldn’t attend in 30 days. Councilman Jim Norris also said he wouldn’t be present in 30 days.
Mayor Dave O’Sullivan said he was comfortable with the proposal and the developer and tabling the issue wouldn’t change his mind. The council voted 4-0 in favor of the incentive agreement, with councilman Randy Hinds absent.
More than an hour was devoted to the issue. During public comments, Hunny’s owner Kim Peterson, who also hosted an informational meeting between city officials and business owners Tuesday night, said profit should be the only incentive needed. He said there were other viable alternatives that should be considered — such as beautification of Main Street and an aggressive clean up campaign.
He had gone so far as to call the Clinton city manager to find out more about their statute-based program. He was told that a gap in business or service is determined, an offer is made to existing businesses to cover that gap and then a suitable business is recruited. The Clinton city manager also wanted to know if financial data had been received from the developer. (Later, City Manager Ted Graham said he had received a letter from Russell’s bank president outlining a 10-year relationship and extending the “highest recommendation” as a financial reference.)
Peterson concluded by asking the council to “wait two more weeks or four more weeks,” adding that a “one-month delay shouldn’t make or break the project,” that he wanted city council to “slow down and think this through” before going ahead with something that could “adversely affect all businesses in Guymon.”
Jerry Guthrie of Guymon Glass said he disapproved for ethical reasons — that government and business should be separate.
Alluding to the “architectural debacle,” Greg Landes of Cactus Jack’s urged council to table the matter for 30 days to look at it some more.
Business owner Jamie Kaufman said questions were asked Tuesday night and no answers were given. She kept saying more answers were needed before any action should be taken.
Several times during the hourlong discussion, Council had to point out that this was not going to raise taxes, that it was up to the developer to select/install tenant businesses who would make money before he would get a cent back. If the new businesses don’t make money, he gets no rebate.
Business owners were also quick to state that they did not fear competition — that was a recurring theme.
In other business, council granted Allegiance Communications an additional 4 years on their contract, from 2019 to 2023. Greg Harrison, Allegiance vice president for regulatory affairs, said that until Janury of this year the local office had been run by a management firm out of Tyler, Texas, but Allegiance was now at the helm and ready to improve the product, including low hanging lines in alleys, referencing the semi rig that knocked out power and cable and sparked a fire when taking a shortcut through an alley and catching on wires and dragging poles out of the ground.
Council also accepted a $5,000 challenge grant from the Oklahoma Arts Council for Artist Incubation to make repairs and help with the summer artist series. Matching funds had already been allocated in the Community Development budget.
A Department of Justice grant in the amount of $18,841 was accepted and will be used to purchase 10 bulletproof vests for the combined city/county tactical unit, according to Guymon Police Chief Eddie Adamson.
Nearly $44,000 was shaved off the South end paving project by choosing to offer a standard driveway, and council approved that change order. If a resident wants a larger driveway, then they may pay Highway Contractors the difference. However, whatever the City tore out, the City will re-pave, added Graham.
Meeting as the Guymon Utilities Authority, the panel approved a $92,873 DWSRF payment for work on the additional water wells.
The contract actually is for a 2% rebate if contractual conditions are met.
Yes, the city collects 4 percent in taxes. However, 2 percent is encumbered — 1 percent for capital improvements and 1 percent for wastewater treatment which, per City Attorney David Petty at a previous meeting, cannot be touched, so the rebate is for 50 percent of the remaining 2 percent, or 1 percent.
Thanks for the clarification.
This does not tell me what they want to build.?????
The developer will be renovating the existing Homeland center. As I understand it, depending on what tenant businesses he signs up and their space requirements, there would be 4 to 7 businesses there. The only one mentioned Thursday night was that Dollar General was staying and expanding.