BROWNFIELDS REGIONAL REDEVELOPMENT TASK FORCE

Thursday, November 18, 2004

AGC office

5000 Grantswood Road

Irondale , AL 35210

Meeting Summary

Welcome to AGC from TW Pugh

Bob Wilkerson begins the introductions and provides an overview of the task force. 

In Attendance:

Members:

Bob Wilkerson                     Regional Planning Commission of Greater Birmingham

Jennifer Fairley                      RPCGB

Phillip Wiedmeyer                ARCA

Karen Ameen                        Jefferson County Land Planning

Bob Strickland                      Alagasco

Keith Strother                       City of Birmingham

Dixie Beatty                           ADEM

Edwin Johnston                   ADEM

Guests:

T.W. Pugh                             AGC

Joel Gilbert                            Balch & Bingham

Allison Whitfield                 Williams Environmental Services, Inc

 Update on Grant Submissions:

We have made 3 submissions in last 90 days.  What direction do we wish to go in the future?  We won’t be doing redevelopments, don’t have time resources, but our task force can make a statement, perhaps demonstrate ways of accomplishing redevelopment.  Jennifer Fairley gives a summary of the three Tarrant grants.  They are posted to the web page: http://www.fairley.biz/brownfields.htm

 Discussions:

Community Involvement:

Committee discusses the importance of community involvement prior to funding.  RPC GB is involved with communities in various programs.  Tarrant was part of the walkable communities and RPC is providing a comprehensive plan. Partners with RPC and this Task Force are involved with Five Mile Creek Partnership, so we have some engagement through these programs.  This provides the format to begin an engagement in any community to provide the input that would help propel our goals forward.

 Legislation and Liability:

Phillip Wiedmeyer advises the committee on the tax abatement act and will provide a copy of this to the committee.  He also comments that a large obstacle is education.  There are good tools in place for incentives, but they have not been promoted.  We need to embrace this challenge and provide for education in our region – perhaps for the whole state.  Phillip believes that the financial development incentives are available along with liability protection.  He continues that his firm is applying for grant money to do an outreach program with development community.  Other states have done this and have doubled the number of applicants in their brownfields programs.

 Task Force Survey:

Our survey was sent out with a confidentiality promise.  Most responses are municipally owned sites.  Many properties are idol – due to fear and low property tax rates, and no incentives to develop. Bob does receive calls daily form interested parties.

 Voluntary Plan:

Historically the Superfund issue scared owners.  Now the program is voluntary and Dixie Beatty with ADEM comments that if a property owner comes voluntarily with a plan, ADEM will do everything to help the plan take precedence as facilitator versus punitive actions.  Property owners need to be educated to this process.  ADEM is providing outreach and information regarding this. Bob comments that we need to target the community leaders, the policy and decision people with this message. 

 Education:

Edwin Johnston recommends that our committee provide an outreach program.  Invite the regional leaders, ADEM, EPA and explain the voluntary program, legislation and liability issues.

Phillip gives an example: Maryland now uses a customer focus in their program.  Their goals include improving customer service and simplifying the application process.  They have a GIS based website.  They lower the time involved, which lowers the costs. He offers that a conference would be too general suggests we produce brochures, power point programs and become effective on a smaller scale.  Keith recommends requesting funding from Alabama Power for a brochure.

 GIS:

Bob comments on the RPC GB’s GIS program that Elizabeth Salter demonstrated.  We have that format is place, now we need to build the content.

 Scope of Work:

Bob discusses his task of providing a scope of work for RPC GB on all development issues.  Brownfields are one part of a larger picture for our region. 

 Success Story: Atlantic Station at our next meeting

            December 9  

Regional Planning Commission

1:30PM