China TIF committee receives first 2022-23 application

by Mary Grow

Members of China’s Tax Increment Financing (TIF) Committee received their first applications for 2022-23 TIF funds at their Dec. 13 meeting. They postponed action until more applications are in, they hope by the Jan. 3, 2022, deadline.

Scott Pierz, executive director of the China Region Lakes Alliance, talked about plans for the rest of the current fiscal year and next year and about longer-range plans, which might involve an expensive alum treatment for part of China Lake (see The Town Line, Dec. 9, 2021, p. 1).

China Lake Association President Stephen Greene intends to submit a complementary application for funds to pay for additional analysis of bottom sediments in the north part of the lake’s east basin, a preliminary step toward determining whether the alum treatment is a good idea.

Greene said he has no firm cost estimate yet. He hopes to have one in time to meet the Jan. 3 deadline.

Four Seasons Club President Thomas Rumpf is asking for 2022-23 TIF funds for trail work and for the annual ice fishing derby, now expanded into China Ice Days and scheduled for the weekend of Feb. 18-20, 2022.

In addition to reviewing the applications, TIF Committee members discussed the program in general: how much money they have and how it is budgeted, what types of projects are eligible, whether they can legally create an emergency fund and similar topics.

They are currently operating under the TIF Second Amendment, approved by China voters in June 2021 and by the state Department of Economic and Community Development in November. Changes in project types or fund allocations would require a third amendment, with the same approval process, Town Manager Rebecca Hapgood said.

The next regular TIF Committee meeting is scheduled for 6 p.m. Monday, Jan. 10, 2022.