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Regular Council Meeting <br />November 16, 2015 <br />Page 13 <br />that never got shared. He also said subsequently $50,000 was spent on a PEDC investigation <br />that was a waste of tax payers' money, because the investigation proved nothing. Mr. Harper said <br />Council Member Clifford knew that the 2006 abatement was null and void but he chose to give <br />this longwinded presentation about compliance, about people not doing the job correctly and that <br />HWH got a million dollars' worth of taxpayers' money that got abated on a building that never <br />was built. He said that they had the same thing happening from Council Member Clifford's <br />brother Judge Clifford who was continuing to slander HWH /the Harper Family while he was <br />getting reprimanded in public. He said everybody knows that the ongoing FBI investigation is <br />not true. He said this was a pattern of mistreatment and this is a pattern of a problem all the way <br />through. <br />Mayor Hashmi cautioned Mr. Harper to stay on this agenda item, because of the agenda <br />posting. <br />Mr. Harper said this was a waste of public funds, a misuse of power for personal and <br />political agendas and this was harmful to our community. He also said Paris was going to have <br />to work really hard to build Paris' reputation, because Paris was a laughing stock in the State <br />right now because of handling of these items. <br />Council Member Clifford said his wife, Rebecca, was not invited to that meeting with the <br />taxing entities. Mr. Harper said she was, but she could not come because she was out of town. <br />Mrs. Clifford said she was not invited to the meeting. <br />Council Member Clifford wanted to know what justified the 2012 and 2013 abatements. <br />Mr. Harper said they got eight and it should have been seven. Council Member Clifford said the <br />contract started in 2005 and ended in 2011, and then inquired about the justification of the tax <br />abatements in 2012 and 2013. Mr. Harper said the 2013 abatement was not justified. Council <br />Member Clifford asked about the 2012 abatement and Mr. Harper said it was a seven -year <br />abatement. Council Member Clifford said they should go by the contract. Mr. Harper said when <br />you go by the contract, it will show that the company overpaid taxes and he was working on that <br />with the tax accessor. He also said if there was an error in evaluation or abatement, he would <br />work with the appraisal district to work it out. Mr. Harper said if they owe money, they will pay <br />it. Council Member Clifford said the contract that was signed in 2004, began in 2005 and was to <br />have ended in 2011. He asked the city attorney if the abatement of taxes could be extended to <br />2012, if the abatement period began in 2005 and ended in 2011 according to the contract. The <br />city attorney said it could not be extended under the contract. Mayor Hashmi confirmed with <br />City Attorney Kent McIlyar that you could not start abating taxes until a building is built. Mr. <br />Harper said he had a substantial completion document dated August 10, 2005. Mr. Harper said <br />logically if you are going to invest 4.5 million dollars in the community, the city council, PJC, <br />and the county say ok, business owner, if you're going to invest in the community, we're going <br />to give you a seven -year abatement. The trade -off is the investment, so who cares if it is from <br />2006 -2012 or from 2005 -2011, because it is still a seven -year abatement. <br />Mayor Hashmi inquired if the contract ended in 2011 or 2012, understanding the contract <br />reflects a termination date of 2011 but the building wasn't built until 2006. Mr. McIlyar said <br />according to the contract, it began in January 2005 and seven years later ended, in 201 I.Council <br />