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Council grants shopping center extension

Thursday, May 22, 2008

The city council gave approval to a measure Monday evening to provide a 30-month extension to Koman Properties, Inc., for the development of the Farmington Crossing shopping complex west of U.S. 67.

Koman had asked for an extension during the May council work session, citing a slowing economy as the reason the development had not moved forward by this point. According to City Administrator Greg Beavers, in the original development agreement in 2006 the company was given until this month to begin work on their 90-acre shopping complex.

With the new extension it would allow the developer 30 months to begin construction, subsequently putting a deadline until the fall of 2010 to get the shopping complex started.

Scott Haley, project manager for Koman Properties, spoke during the work session earlier this month. He said the company continues to build shopping centers across the Midwest, but that developers have seen a slowing in major retailers choosing to locate in smaller markets since the economy has taken a downturn in the past two years.

Haley had said he was optimistic that major tenants could be found for the Farmington Crossing complex. The original plan called for the shopping center to be built in one phase, with three major “big box” tenants including a Home Depot, Target and a major grocer. Then smaller outlots and shops would be sold or leased to restaurants and smaller retailers. At one point the plan also called for an office complex.

Councilman Larry Forsythe spoke in favor of the contract extension Monday evening. He said that when the development was originally approved in 2006 he felt it was a good project, and that he still feels it is a good, viable project today. Other council members nodded in agreement as Forsythe spoke.

Forsythe also questioned whether the other developer within the Tax Increment Financing, or TIF, district had been given an extension on an agreement. The city administrator confirmed that the other developer, Gundaker Commercial, had recently been given an extension on an agreement.

With that said, the council voted unanimously to approve the extension for Koman Properties.

In other actions, the group also heard of a plan to reorganize the police department. Chief of Police Rick Baker explained a plan to revamp the “command structure” of the city’s police force.

Baker explained that with the retirement of Lt. J. Lee Boyd it would be a good time to look at revising the command of the department — a move which had not be reviewed since 1984. At that time, Baker said, the department had 12 officers as compared to 26 now.

The chief proposed three things to the Public Service Committee. He suggested the department eliminate an office administration position, dividing the duties of the retiring lieutenant between three veteran officers. Second, he suggested the department hire an officer to fill the void made by Boyd’s retirement, then appoint one officer from within the department to serve as a drug officer. He said since the department has been fully staffed in recent weeks he allowed an officer to devote a portion of his time to working drug cases exclusively. Activity of that officer resulted in removing approximately 10 pounds of marijuaua and $9,000 in drug money from circulation.

Third, the chief suggested the command structure be redesigned to include three lieutenants. Currently the department has five sargeants with between 15 and 24 years of experience. He proposed that officers would complete exams and be interviewed by the police personnel board to be considered for promotions to three lieutenant posts, the filling of two sargeant vacancies and one corporal vacancy created by the promotions.

The council approved Baker’s proposed measure to begin the reorganization of the department.

During the session the council learned that Councilman Don Johnson had announced his resignation earlier in the day. Mayor Jeannie Roberts said Johnson told her he was stepping down for personal reasons. Roberts will appoint a new council member as early as June to replace Johnson until the next municipal election.

Johnson was serving the second year of his first two-year term on the council.

And Councilman Forsythe asked that the officials revisit the process for issuing temporary alcohol permits for events. He said as a council member he would like to be aware when alcohol permits were issued. Other council members agreed, and it was decided to draft a policy to consider which would change the way temporary liquor permits are approved.

Following the meeting Forsythe said he was concerned over the Farmington Chamber of Commerce’s plans to operate a beer garden during Country Days as a fundraiser in June. However, he said, he did not make an issue of the chamber’s plans this year because the decision had already been made and permission given by the city under the current process for issuing permits.

The council will meet next on the second Thursday in June.