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Regular Council Meeting November 16, 2015 Page 12 did not get a property response so the Council asked that the entire contract be cancelled, a new tax statement be sent to the Harpers and abated taxes be returned to the City. Mayor Hashmi said he appreciated all of Council Member Clifford's hard work. Council Member Clifford asked that item 20 remain open should Council want to take any action after hearing from the Harpers. Mayor Hashmi asked if it was acceptable to combine items 20 and 21. A Motion to combine items 20 and 21 was made by Mayor Hashmi and seconded by Council Member Pickle. Motion carried, 7 ayes — 0 nays. 21. Discussion from Harrison, Walker and Harper regarding Paris Warehouse 107 tax abatement agreement(s). Jordan Harper with Harrison, Walker and Harper introduced himself. He said the purpose of coming to the meeting was actually to give factual information on what happened with the 2006 tax abatement. He also said he was there to respectfully request that certain elected officials and appointed officials stop their questionable and harmful behavior and he hoped they could move forward as a community. He said there seemed to be a lot of personal agendas and political agendas and that was not really adding value to the community. He explained this was the 2006 proposed expansion and that Council Member Clifford was right, as they never constructed the building. He explained they had a client that was interested in them expanding operations, so they came to the city council and asked for an abatement if they built the building, their business model changed, they did not build the building, and therefore there was no taxes assessed and there were no taxes paid. Mr. Harper said the 2006 tax abatement was null and void and no one ever acted on it. He said Council Member Clifford's allegations that a million dollars' worth of taxes were abated, and that they were out of compliance for 2012 was all based on a '06 abatement that never happened. He also said they did not build the building therefore they had no compliance requirements. Mr. Harper informed everyone there were never any taxes assessed on it, they did not have to create 158 full -time jobs because they didn't build the building and therefore they got no benefit from the tax community. Mr. Harper said this was absurd that he had to defend their organization or their family because Council Member Clifford provided information that he knew prior to bringing it to the council, never happened. Mr. Harper said certain elected officials were using their position for personal agendas and this had to stop in the community. He stated they had a 2004 abatement agreement that had a requirement of 30 jobs, but they created 152 jobs at the minimum. He also said it was abated for eight years, but should have been seven, and he brought that up when he met with John Godwin, Pam Anglin, and Chuck Superville. He said that Rebecca Clifford was also invited to that meeting, but did not attend. He said Mrs. Clifford's recommendation that we were out of compliance, was all based on a 2006 abatement and they didn't get a 2006 abatement. Mr. Harper said John Godwin sent all of that information to everybody sitting up here, but they were getting slandered in front of the public on something that never happened. He said this questionable behavior by elected and appointed officials had to stop and referenced this happened on the PEDC Rogers and Wade incentive agreement where they had documented appraisal information that came to the council and to the city attorney, but