02 City Council (6/5/03) - Laserfiche WebLink

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Regular City Council Meeting June 5, 2003 Page 7 of the Historic Preservation Commission and the Planning and Zoning Commission to establish a Historical Overlay District (HD) and accompanying Rehabilitation Standards for a substantial portion of the Downtown area, and called for anyone who wished to speak to come forward. Barbara Wilson, 3110 Stacy Lane, came forward giving background information about the certified local government status of the City of Paris. She said that the city applied for and became a certified local government in January of this year. She said that certified local government status is the economic tool they have chosen to use, and it is being used by towns and cities in the State of Texas to help revitalize aging city centers and downtowns. Ms. Wilson advised that this creates a partnership with the State and Federal government to encourage reinvestment in the aging part of the city. Certified local governments accomplish revitalization by creating a Buildings and Standard Commission and creating a Historical Preservation Commission. These commissions allow the city to deal with burned-out, abandoned, and neglected properties, which this city has an enormous amount of. They are not generating income for the owners, and they are not generating sales tax revenue for the city and the schools. People can be encouraged to revitalize or put their resources into worthy historic structures when they know the Buildings and Standards Commission is taking care of the neglected properties that are devaluing adjacent properties. Their investment can be more secure when they know that when a neighbor neglects or abandons their property something can be done about it. If they are in a historical overlay district, these property owners will also know that the Preservation Commission can help them access federal funds and state monies for historic properties and the city and school tax relief can be enacted for properties designated in a Historic District. To this end, they are asking the Council for approval of this Historic Overlay District. Ms. Wilson stated that the incentives that come along with being a Historic District and being a Certified Local Government can only benefit property owners. She said that it can also benefit our city, schools, and can increase the quality of life. Councilman Bell requested that Ms. Wilson explain the procedure that a property owner would go through to change their property and add on to it; removal of a