[Electronic-lan] Info on Lawrence Opportunity Zones + Crisis of democracy in Lawrence

Wed Jan 16 16:35:37 CST 2019

Eric,
Great points, all.  I'm looking forward to the discussions on policy ideas.

On Wed, Jan 16, 2019, 12:08 Eric Kirkendall via Electronic-lan <
electronic-lan at lists.ku.edu wrote:

> Hi, I would like to share a few thoughts re our agenda item, "Identify
> Issues we expect to address this year", and background for the "Opportunity
> Zone" agenda item.  Thanks, Eric
>
> *A crisis of democracy*
>
> Regarding our agenda item, "Identify Issues we expect to address this
> year", I think we are facing a *crisis of democracy* in Lawrence, and
> should address it.
>
> In spite of having a great City Commission which should be making key
> decisions with neighborhood and resident input, city employees have taken
> over decisionmaking on many key issues, with no public notice until the
> decision is a fait accompli.
>
> Three examples:
>
> 1, The city started dumping nitrates into the Kansas River without a vote
> by the City Commission. The City Commission did not know it was underway
> until a citizen asked about it at a City Commission meeting
>
> 2, City employees decided not to accept an opportunity for the city to use
> all-renewable wind energy and save huge amounts of money, apparently
> without even notifying the City Commission of the option. *City officials
> explain why Lawrence didn’t take Westar’s offer of wind energy,
> <https://na01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww2.ljworld.com%2Fnews%2Fcity-government%2F2019%2Fjan%2F15%2Fcity-officials-explain-why-lawrence-didnt-take-westars-offer-of-wind-energy%2F&data=02%7C01%7Celectronic-lan%40lists.ku.edu%7C8ef4f733e1804df2170208d67c02f892%7C3c176536afe643f5b96636feabbe3c1a%7C0%7C0%7C636832749537651454&sdata=loAIBnrMNr2SnCGRYFoKKfKqxciCWlCM8imkeoUZXEo%3D&reserved=0>*
> LJW
>
> 3, Without notice to or a vote of the City Commission, or any involvement
> with landowners and residents, but in coordination with non-resident
> "economic development partners", city employees caused all of East
> Lawrence, all of Brook Creek, and part of the Barker neighborhood to become
> part of an Opportunity Zone.
>
> To me, there are *at least *two key issues here, *sharing information
> with residents,* and *providing opportunities for input.*  In many cases,
> we are getting neither.  I think the LAN should consider taking the lead on
> addressing this issue, and demanding that the City Commission make key
> decisions, with input by residents and neighborhood organizations.
>
> *Opportunity Zone references and resources*
>
> As background for our Opportunity Zone agenda item, I pasted a few
> references below.
>
> The Lawrence Opportunity Zones
> <https://na01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Flawrenceks.org%2Fed%2Fopportunity-zones%2F&data=02%7C01%7Celectronic-lan%40lists.ku.edu%7C8ef4f733e1804df2170208d67c02f892%7C3c176536afe643f5b96636feabbe3c1a%7C0%7C0%7C636832749537651454&sdata=FoeYb4vkgt%2FnaRyqLo39FByxby2Xi3C6tW053yksP2w%3D&reserved=0>,
> as designated by the Governor
>
> *Discussion of the East Lawrence, Brook Creek, & Barker "Opportunity Zone"
> <https://na01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fgroups%2F321045395173629%2F&data=02%7C01%7Celectronic-lan%40lists.ku.edu%7C8ef4f733e1804df2170208d67c02f892%7C3c176536afe643f5b96636feabbe3c1a%7C0%7C0%7C636832749537651454&sdata=0xs9abGD60iQ6GnwLpevO0GlO6MsU8zyqFV%2BfrTwAnI%3D&reserved=0>*(Public
> Facebook Group)
>
> *Will Opportunity Zones help distressed residents or be a tax cut for
> gentrification?
> <https://na01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.brookings.edu%2Fblog%2Fup-front%2F2018%2F02%2F26%2Fwill-opportunity-zones-help-distressed-residents-or-be-a-tax-cut-for-gentrification%2F&data=02%7C01%7Celectronic-lan%40lists.ku.edu%7C8ef4f733e1804df2170208d67c02f892%7C3c176536afe643f5b96636feabbe3c1a%7C0%7C0%7C636832749537651454&sdata=73I5EDJE1bwLGn0yrqoaqc0hGFI8k8d5abxVQ6OFcf4%3D&reserved=0>*,
> Brookings Institute
> "Supporters say this will help revitalize distressed communities, but
> there is a risk that instead of helping residents of poor neighborhoods,
> the tax break will end up displacing them or simply provide benefits to
> developers investing in already-gentrifying areas."
>
> *How Opportunity Zones Benefit Investors and Promote Displacement,
> <https://na01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fitep.org%2Fhow-opportunity-zones-benefit-investors-and-promote-displacement%2F&data=02%7C01%7Celectronic-lan%40lists.ku.edu%7C8ef4f733e1804df2170208d67c02f892%7C3c176536afe643f5b96636feabbe3c1a%7C0%7C0%7C636832749537651454&sdata=YnJyKOndA8VEdZNqyml0F4YI4L0t72z3RAiEu5qXFsI%3D&reserved=0>* Institute
> on Taxation and Economic Policy
> “... additional investment driven by opportunity zones could have the
> unintended effect of fueling higher real estate prices that serve to
> displace low-income citizens and businesses rather than benefit them."
>
> *Opportunity zones: vital community development tool or tax windfall for
> the rich?
> <https://na01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.curbed.com%2F2018%2F10%2F3%2F17898370%2Fopportunity-zones-tax-bill-community-development-capital-gains&data=02%7C01%7Celectronic-lan%40lists.ku.edu%7C8ef4f733e1804df2170208d67c02f892%7C3c176536afe643f5b96636feabbe3c1a%7C0%7C0%7C636832749537661459&sdata=BDpsPm2p%2FLESFqi2HI35cae%2F3iPHTX3JzTWSgFE8%2Few%3D&reserved=0>*
> , Curbed
> "...some policy analysts call it a loophole-riddled windfall for the
> ultra-rich that won’t lead to additional development but just make
> developments already in progress that much more profitable for investors."
>
> *Opportunity Zones: What We Know and What We Don’t,
> <https://na01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Ftaxfoundation.org%2Fopportunity-zones-what-we-know-and-what-we-dont%2F&data=02%7C01%7Celectronic-lan%40lists.ku.edu%7C8ef4f733e1804df2170208d67c02f892%7C3c176536afe643f5b96636feabbe3c1a%7C0%7C0%7C636832749537661459&sdata=ViqmVd9SLcyXL7bkU3P5OGKqJ9lAO6QSOdocuL2iWeI%3D&reserved=0>*
> Tax Foundation
> 'Research suggests place-based incentive programs redistribute rather than
> generate new economic activity, subsidize investments that would have
> occurred anyway, and displace low-income residents by increasing property
> values and encouraging higher skilled workers to relocate to the area.'
>
> 'While opportunity zones present certain budgetary and economic costs, it
> is unclear whether opportunity zone tax preferences used to attract
> investment will actually benefit distressed communities.'
>
> *An Unlikely Group Of Billionaires And Politicians Has Created The Most
> Unbelievable Tax Break Ever,
> <https://na01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.forbes.com%2Fsites%2Fforbesdigitalcovers%2F2018%2F07%2F17%2Fan-unlikely-group-of-billionaires-and-politicians-has-created-the-most-unbelievable-tax-break-ever%2F%237b1774f41485&data=02%7C01%7Celectronic-lan%40lists.ku.edu%7C8ef4f733e1804df2170208d67c02f892%7C3c176536afe643f5b96636feabbe3c1a%7C0%7C0%7C636832749537661459&sdata=Hd3bxHS%2Ff2KksAQQZAP%2BTeW1ZcYi%2BkgavVkjKX45aCY%3D&reserved=0>*
> Forbes
> “If everything goes right, a big slice of the estimated $6.1 trillion of
> paper profits currently resting on American balance sheets is about to go
> to work to revitalize America’s depressed communities. If all goes wrong,
> however, it will prove to be one of the biggest tax giveaways in American
> history, all in service of gentrifying neighborhoods and expelling local
> residents.”
>
> *New tax breaks could lift distressed areas — or become a big, gentrifying
> tax giveaway
> <https://na01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.twincities.com%2F2018%2F12%2F15%2Ffrom-15-story-buildings-to-tiny-apartments-opportunity-zones-mean-promise-and-risk%2F%27&data=02%7C01%7Celectronic-lan%40lists.ku.edu%7C8ef4f733e1804df2170208d67c02f892%7C3c176536afe643f5b96636feabbe3c1a%7C0%7C0%7C636832749537661459&sdata=Bx1rIgHXgm9OemLLxJ5ldW8AF3WsXfJyQU41gxHuJYA%3D&reserved=0>*,
> Twincities.com
> "Cities such as Minneapolis have signaled to the investment community that
> they’re seeking O-Zone projects that deliver a social good, such as
> affordable housing, rather than upscale housing."
>
> Regards,
>
> Eric Kirkendall
> 785-550-3408
>
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>>
>> > On Jan 14, 2019, at 1:50 PM, Courtney Shipley via Electronic-lan <
>> electronic-lan at lists.ku.edu> wrote:
>> >
>> > Hello, Everyone!
>> >
>> > Join us Wednesday evening for the first LAN meeting of 2019. REMEMBER
>> TO PAY YOUR DUES FOR THE YEAR. It is $25 for neighborhoods and $5 for
>> individuals.
>> >
>> > Please take a moment to tell us if you'd like the regular meeting time
>> to change by taking this Doodle poll. Several people have had conflicts
>> with the third Wednesday of the month. Click the link below and tick the
>> days of the month that work for you.
>> >
>> https://na01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fdoodle.com%2Fpoll%2F2wxrbx95ddzyqfe9&data=02%7C01%7Celectronic-lan%40lists.ku.edu%7C8ef4f733e1804df2170208d67c02f892%7C3c176536afe643f5b96636feabbe3c1a%7C0%7C0%7C636832749537661459&sdata=EfiVioT2A8aNOEyuvd%2BofJovwok66bjUO2k3mq92BJE%3D&reserved=0
>> <https://na01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fdoodle.com%2Fpoll%2F2wxrbx95ddzyqfe9&data=02%7C01%7Celectronic-lan%40lists.ku.edu%7C8ef4f733e1804df2170208d67c02f892%7C3c176536afe643f5b96636feabbe3c1a%7C0%7C0%7C636832749537661459&sdata=EfiVioT2A8aNOEyuvd%2BofJovwok66bjUO2k3mq92BJE%3D&reserved=0>
>> >
>> > Please also take a moment to review the LAN Mission Statement.
>> >
>> https://na01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Flawrenceneighborhoods.wordpress.com%2F&data=02%7C01%7Celectronic-lan%40lists.ku.edu%7C8ef4f733e1804df2170208d67c02f892%7C3c176536afe643f5b96636feabbe3c1a%7C0%7C0%7C636832749537661459&sdata=ukolIVUcVS%2Fh2tIqVkKFEB1ZqmTeUHOE9i9pfRxSSyM%3D&reserved=0
>> <https://na01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Flawrenceneighborhoods.wordpress.com%2F&data=02%7C01%7Celectronic-lan%40lists.ku.edu%7C8ef4f733e1804df2170208d67c02f892%7C3c176536afe643f5b96636feabbe3c1a%7C0%7C0%7C636832749537661459&sdata=ukolIVUcVS%2Fh2tIqVkKFEB1ZqmTeUHOE9i9pfRxSSyM%3D&reserved=0>
>> >
>> > Also review the Policy Document.
>> >
>> https://na01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Flawrenceneighborhoods.wordpress.com%2Flan-policy-document%2F&data=02%7C01%7Celectronic-lan%40lists.ku.edu%7C8ef4f733e1804df2170208d67c02f892%7C3c176536afe643f5b96636feabbe3c1a%7C0%7C0%7C636832749537671468&sdata=jOX2%2FB44aVZmFLSKj8kzdgOsVC3eKThcaHoQaqOjmZU%3D&reserved=0
>> <https://na01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Flawrenceneighborhoods.wordpress.com%2Flan-policy-document%2F&data=02%7C01%7Celectronic-lan%40lists.ku.edu%7C8ef4f733e1804df2170208d67c02f892%7C3c176536afe643f5b96636feabbe3c1a%7C0%7C0%7C636832749537671468&sdata=jOX2%2FB44aVZmFLSKj8kzdgOsVC3eKThcaHoQaqOjmZU%3D&reserved=0>
>> ?
>> >
>> > As well as The Constitution and By-Laws for discussion.
>> >
>> https://na01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Flawrenceneighborhoods.wordpress.com%2Flan-constitution-by-laws%2F&data=02%7C01%7Celectronic-lan%40lists.ku.edu%7C8ef4f733e1804df2170208d67c02f892%7C3c176536afe643f5b96636feabbe3c1a%7C0%7C0%7C636832749537671468&sdata=5uUsXIZb%2B438iTykUphTWkt4yTczkNzaWyKcOMW9d2Q%3D&reserved=0
>> <https://na01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Flawrenceneighborhoods.wordpress.com%2Flan-constitution-by-laws%2F&data=02%7C01%7Celectronic-lan%40lists.ku.edu%7C8ef4f733e1804df2170208d67c02f892%7C3c176536afe643f5b96636feabbe3c1a%7C0%7C0%7C636832749537671468&sdata=5uUsXIZb%2B438iTykUphTWkt4yTczkNzaWyKcOMW9d2Q%3D&reserved=0>
>> >
>> > See you all soon!
>> > Courtney Shipley, Chair
>> >
>> >
>> >   Lawrence Association of Neighborhoods Agenda
>> > Lawrence Public Library
>> > January 16th, 2019 7:00 p.m.
>> >
>> >  Introductions
>> >
>> > Accept minutes from December
>> >
>> > Treasurer?s Report: Cindy Suenram/Edna Mosher
>> > Don?t forget to pay your dues for 2019
>> >
>> > Update from City Planning Department: Becky Pepper, city planner
>> >
>> > Neighborhood reports
>> >
>> > Discussion of possible Opportunity Zones in Brook Creek, East Lawrence,
>> and Barker neighborhoods.
>> >
>> > Identify Issues we expect to address this year
>> >
>> > Review the LAN Mission Statement, Policy Document, and Bylaws.
>> >      Discuss whether updates are needed.
>> >
>> > <Jan 2019 LAN Agenda.pdf>
>> >
>> ***************************************
>>
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