The Homer City Council withdrew its funding support for the downtown development authority in regards to any lease of the Herbert Garrison Civic Center.
The council’s vote, taken at its regular December meeting on Tuesday, followed brief discussion on the issue that members have tabled for months in hopes the authority and the property’s multiple owners could achieve a deal.
Ultimately, new information related to unpaid property taxes, which date back to 2009, prompted the council’s unanimous decision. About $775 is owed on the civic center located at 193 Sycamore Street, according to county records.
“I certainly don’t think we can do anything on it if there are (tax) liabilities,” said councilman Chris Tucker.
City Attorney Lee Hicks, who alerted the council to the back taxes, recommended the members deny, essentially, the DDA’s funding request for the lease and maintenance of the property.
Tucker would go on to make a motion that followed Hicks’ suggestion and left the door open for future city funding, should the taxes be paid.
At previous meetings, the council tentatively figured on allocating $6,000 to the DDA for its management of the civic center.
While the money is included in this year’s budget, the funding has not been passed to the authority. The city asked the DDA to secure a lease agreement first, which is what started the back-and-forth negotiations in June.
The authority’s chairwoman Janice Tennent was chiefly involved with discussing lease terms with the multiple Garrison family members who own the property.
At various times, the owners have indicated vastly different goals for the lease, including increases in insurance coverage to a property appraisal. One owner also expressed a deep interest in donating the old school house building to the city outright, which the city declined.
Though Tennent was not present Monday, authority member Dave Gaddis did attend. He updated council members on the lease, which had been signed by some Garrison family members and not by others.
“So I didn’t get the lease back,” he said.
