Chapter 2.50
PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT SERVICES

Sections:

2.50.010    Planning and Development Services – Establishment.

2.50.020    Department of Metropolitan Development.

2.50.030    Department of Economic Development.

2.50.040    Department of Redevelopment.

2.50.050    Redevelopment Authority.

2.50.060    Evansville Land Bank.

2.50.010 Planning and Development Services – Establishment.

(A) There is hereby created Planning and Development Services.

(B) Planning and Development Services shall include the following:

(1) The Department of Metropolitan Development.

(2) The Department of Economic Development.

(3) The Department of Redevelopment.

(4) The City Planning and Development Board. [Ord. G-81-53, passed 12-14-81. 1962 Code, Art. 3, Ch. 10, § 1; 1982 Code § 30.125; 1983 Code § 3.30.125.]

2.50.020 Department of Metropolitan Development.

(A) There is hereby created the Department of Metropolitan Development.

(B) Duties. The department shall:

(1) Develop and implement a viable mechanism to provide decent housing, a suitable environment, and expanded economic opportunities to the residents of the City and primarily to those of low and moderate income.

(2) Be responsible for planning and implementing the use of funds available through community development block grant programs.

(3) Prepare an annual community development plan subject to approval by the Mayor and review and allocation by the Common Council. A public hearing shall be required prior to approval of the annual community development plan and prior to any material change in that plan.

(4) Expenditures of program funds shall be made only as specified in the plan. Funds that are available to the City for development programs under a letter of credit from the Federal Department of Housing and Urban Development may be drawn by the department as follows:

(a) Funds for specified development projects which are part of the annual community development program or “programmed funds,” as reviewed by the Mayor and allocated by the Common Council, may be drawn without further authorization.

(b) Funds for “unspecified local option activities” may be drawn only by specific prior written authorization of the Mayor and the Common Council.

(c) Unobligated programmed funds may be reprogrammed only by the same process through which the annual community development program is adopted.

(5) The annual community development plan shall, among other things, contain the following information:

(a) The name and address or description of the geographic boundaries of each project intended for funding.

(b) A comprehensive assessment of the community development needs for the City’s low and moderate income population.

(c) An explanation of how low and moderate income families affected or served will benefit either directly or indirectly from each project.

(d) The amount of money allocated for each project.

(e) An estimate of the cost of administering each project.

(6) To the extent practicable, project funds shall be targeted to geographic areas within which reside substantial numbers of persons of low and moderate incomes.

(7) A monthly monitoring report of program activity shall be compiled and made available to the public at cost.

(8) The department shall publish an annual performance report within 90 days after the close of the program year. The report shall include the number of low and moderate income persons who directly benefited from each project and the cost of administering each project.

(9) The department’s records shall be open to the public at any reasonable time for inspection and copying, at cost.

(10) The Department of Metropolitan Development is designated as the agency responsible for administering an urban homesteading program for the City of Evansville under which family dwellings for one through four families may be conveyed to individuals or families, who must occupy and rehabilitate the dwellings, pursuant to IC 36-7-17.

(C) Citizen Advisory Committee. A Citizen Advisory Committee shall be established to maximize citizen input on the planning, implementation, and evaluation of community development and other projects, plans, and activities. The Citizen Advisory Committee shall consist of persons appointed by the Mayor to serve at his pleasure. [Ord. G-89-15, passed 4-25-89; Ord. G-81-53, passed 12-14-81. 1962 Code, Art. 3, Ch. 10, § 2; 1982 Code § 30.126; 1983 Code § 3.30.126.]

2.50.030 Department of Economic Development.

(A) Pursuant to IC 36-7-12-1 et seq., there is hereby created a Department of Economic Development.

(B) Pursuant to IC 36-7-12-5, there is hereby created an Economic Development Commission, consisting of five members appointed pursuant to law, which shall perform the duties and functions as required by law.

(C) Fees for Preliminary Expenses. Pursuant to IC 36-7-12-29, the fees for preliminary expenses incurred in connection with negotiations with any person concerning the terms and conditions of financing facilities shall be a maximum fee of one percent of the total amount of the bond issue with a cap of $10,000 per issue for a single project issue or $10,000 per project in the case of program financing under IC 36-7-12-18.5, and shall be collected by the City Economic Development Commission.

(D) The Executive Director of the Department of Metropolitan Development shall report to and give staff assistance to the Economic Development Commission as deemed necessary by the Mayor. [Ord. G-2019-1, passed 2-25-19; Ord. G-81-53, passed 12-14-81. 1962 Code, Art. 3, Ch. 10, § 3; 1982 Code § 30.127; 1983 Code § 3.30.127.]

2.50.040 Department of Redevelopment.

(A) There is hereby created the Department of Redevelopment pursuant to IC 36-7-14-1 et seq.

(B) Pursuant to IC 36-7-14-1 et seq., there is hereby created a Redevelopment Commission consisting of five members which shall perform the duties and functions as required by statute.

(C) The Director of the Department of Metropolitan Development shall report to and give staff assistance to the Redevelopment Commission as deemed necessary by the Mayor. [Ord. G-81-53, passed 12-14-81. 1962 Code, Art. 3, Ch. 10, § 4; 1982 Code § 30.128; 1983 Code § 3.30.128.]

2.50.050 Redevelopment Authority.

(A) The City hereby creates a redevelopment authority under IC 36-7-14.5 to be known as the Evansville Redevelopment Authority (“authority”), as a separate body corporate and politic and as an instrumentality of the City.

(B) The authority is organized for the following purposes:

(1) Financing, constructing, and leasing local public improvements to the commission;

(2) Financing and constructing additional improvements to local public improvements owned by the authority and leasing them to the commission;

(3) Acquiring all or a portion of one or more local public improvements from the commission by purchase or lease and leasing these local public improvements back to the commission, with any additional improvements that may be made to them;

(4) Acquiring all or a portion of one or more local public improvements from the commission by purchase or lease to fund or refund indebtedness incurred on account of those local public improvements to enable the commission to make a savings in debt service obligations or lease rental obligations or to obtain relief from covenants that the commission considers to be unduly burdensome; and

(5) Any other purposes permitted by the Act, including the issuance of bonds to finance local public improvements.

(C) The Board of Directors of the authority shall be composed of three members who are residents of the City and shall be appointed by the Mayor for three-year terms. [Ord. F-96-5 § 1, passed 5-14-96.]

2.50.060 Evansville Land Bank.

(A) Pursuant to IC 36-7-38, the Mayor’s office is hereby directed to organize a nonprofit corporation under IC 23-17, known as “Evansville Land Bank Corporation,” as an independent instrumentality exercising essential governmental functions.

(B) The primary purpose of the land bank shall be to acquire, manage, maintain, protect, rent, lease, repair, alter, sell, trade, exchange, or otherwise dispose of distressed real property acquired through tax foreclosure or other methods as provided in IC 36-7-38 for residential real property located within the City and any other governmental entity with which the land bank has agreed or contracted to perform services.

(C) The land bank shall have nine members on its board of directors comprised of the following:

(1) Three directors, who must be residents of the City, shall be appointed by the Mayor. The initial directors appointed hereunder shall serve a term equal to the remainder of the calendar year in which the land bank is established plus renewable terms equal to one calendar year.

(2) Three directors, who must be residents of the City, shall be appointed by the Council. The initial directors appointed hereunder shall serve a term equal to the remainder of the calendar year in which the land bank is established plus renewable terms equal to two calendar years.

(3) One director, who must be a resident of the City, shall be appointed by the Vanderburgh County Treasurer. The initial director appointed hereunder shall serve a term equal to the remainder of the calendar year in which the land bank is established plus renewable terms equal to three calendar years.

(4) The directors appointed pursuant to subsections (C)(1) through (3) of this section shall appoint two additional directors, who shall not be required to be residents of the City. The initial directors appointed hereunder shall serve a term equal to the remainder of the calendar year in which the land bank is established plus renewable terms equal to three calendar years.

(D) The land bank’s goals and priorities concerning the disposition of properties must include the sale or transfer of properties:

(1) For redevelopment that will act as a catalyst for further development;

(2) That support a comprehensive development plan or strategic plan for neighborhood revitalization;

(3) That reduce blight in the community;

(4) That revitalize or stabilize neighborhoods;

(5) That will be returned to productive, tax paying status;

(6) That will be returned to productive uses, including development of side lots, green spaces, and gardens;

(7) That are available for immediate ownership or occupancy without a need for substantial rehabilitation;

(8) That will be used for affordable housing;

(9) That will promote and foster energy efficient residential homes;

(10) That meet all building code requirements prior to occupation; or

(11) That will generate operating support for the functions of the land bank.

(E) The land bank shall do the following:

(1) Maintain an inventory of real property held by the land bank.

(2) Develop policies, guidelines, and procedures for the acquisition, redevelopment, and disposition of property by and from the land bank. The policies, guidelines, and procedures developed under this subsection must be formulated in plain language with the objective of being clearly understood.

(3) Make the information described in subsections (E)(1) and (2) of this section available for inspection at the land bank’s offices and on Evansville Land Bank Corporation’s website.

(F) The land bank shall be subject to IC 5-14-1.5 (open door law) and IC 5-14-3 (public records law).

(G) The land bank may directly employ, or otherwise contract with, any staff deemed necessary to carry out its duties and responsibilities. Such staff and contractors shall be paid directly from the funds of the land bank. [Ord. G-2023-9 § 1, passed 6-14-23; Ord. G-2016-23 § 1, passed 7-29-16.]