Flint Township View

Twp. board approves DDA, CIAs, appoints members





FLINT TWP. — The township board on March 5, adopted an ordinance to create a Downtown Development Authority and passed resolutions to establish a Corridor Improvement Authority for both Beecher and Bristol roads.

The ordinance and resolutions will take effect after publication in a local newspaper. Their content including district boundaries, can be read on the township website at www.flinttownship.org.

All three entities are being created in an effort to promote economic growth in the township.

During public comment, several people spoke in favor of the DDA.

Larry Ford, chairman of the township planning commission and a township resident, said the DDA can bring in new businesses, new jobs and new residents.

Ford previously served as chairman of the Genesee County Chamber of Commerce and the Flint Downtown Development Authority.

He recalled the good things accomplished by a previous township Central Business District Development Authority that was dissolved several years ago.

“We have peaked and gone downhill,” he said.

He voiced concern about buildings vacant for a long time in the township for a long time which he has discussed often with Tracey Tucker, township economic enhancement director.

He said he hopes the DDA will build to a point where a full-time director can be hired to oversee projects. He said he would like to see Tucker in that role, exclusively eliminating the many other township hats she wears.

George Menoutes, a former township trustee and planning commission member, also supported the DDA. The former CBDA was responsible for installation of many service roads and curb cuts and redevelopment of empty buildings,

He also said getting the right person to run the DDA would help repurpose vacant properties and benefit the community.

As part of forming a DDA and CIAs, the township board also approved members to serve on each body.

The DDA board consists of the township supervisor and ten other people of which 51 percent have interests in the township.

The newly appointed members of the DDA are:

• Marc Boeckl, CEO of TDM, for a three-year term

• Win Cooper, president of Cooper Commercial, three-year term

• Gary Hurand, developer, one year term

• Kevin Stiff, owner of The Dive Shop, four-year term

• Miles McFee, general manager of Genesee Valley Center mall, two-year term

• Craig Williams, director of Bishop International Airport, two-year term

• John Koegel, president of Koegel Meats, four-year term

• Ghassan Saab, CEO of Sorenson Gross Construction, four-year term

• Steve Schnieder of Health Alliance Plan (HAP), one year term

• John Gazall of Gazall, Lewis & Associates, two year term

• Karyn Miller, township supervisor, three-year term

By law, the terms appointment must be staggered at first then become four-year terms.

Members of the Bristol Road – Corridor Improvement Authority are:

• Kim Stoddard, Baker College, four-year term

• Randy Kilbreath, owner of MasterCraft Taxidermy, four-year term

(Pending corporate approval for representative) Financial Plus Credit Union, three-year term

• Brad Khirfan of Khirfan’s Market, three-year term

• Alicia Gibbons, owner of Donna’s Donuts, two-year term

• Steve Smith, a resident, one-year

• Enrique Rodriquez, supervisor’s representative, three-year term

Members appointed to the Beecher Road – Corridor Improvement Authority are:

• Russell Hudson, president of McLaren- Flint, four-year term

• Michael Goulet, manage at Gaines Jewelry, three-year term

• Brandon Bird of Huntington Bank, two-year term

• Michael Aversa, Michael David Photography, one-year term

(Pending corporate representative) for Diplomat Pharmacy, four-year term

• Lawrence Ratliff, a resident, two-year term

• Kathy Funk, supervisor’s representative, three-year term

To avoid conflict of interest between the Authority Boards and the EDC board, Ratliff, Rodriquez and Koegel, who were EDC members, will be asked to resign from that body to assume their new roles. That will create three openings on the ninemember EDC board.

The next step is for the new authorities to begin meeting to draft a project plan detailing what improvements they hope to make in coming years. A Tax Increment Financing (TIF) plan also will be written to capture taxes from future property value increases that will pay for developments.


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