City of Middletown, CT Chapter 150 Enterprise Zone

[HISTORY: Adopted by the Common Council of the City of Middletown 12-45-1994. Amendments noted where applicable.]

§ 150-1 Establishment; boundaries; targeted investment community.

A. In accordance with the provisions of C.G.S. § 32-70, as amended, the Downtown CBD/North End Area of the City of Middletown is hereby designated as an enterprise zone. The boundaries of said enterprise zone shall be as follows: The border between the City of Middletown and Town of Portland in the CT River on the east; the City Tire property and Union Street on the south; Main Street from Union Street northerly to Court Street, and thence continuing northerly along boundaries coterminous with the North End CBD Urban Renewal Area and Housing Development Zone to the Arrigoni Bridge on the west; and properties abutting Rte. 66 in the North End Industrial Area, including the railroad property, and excluding any properties on Miller and Bridge Streets on the north.

B. The official document delineating the enterprise zone boundary is the map (one inch equals 200 feet) produced by the City of Middletown, dated December 1, 1994, and signed by the Commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Economic Development on December 2, 1994.

C. The creation of an enterprise zone in Middletown makes the City a targeted investment community. The Commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Economic Development may extend certain enterprise zone benefits, including the property tax abatement described in § 150-2 below, to qualifying firms in the targeted investment community, at the request of the Mayor, in accordance with the recommendation of the Economic Development Committee and Common Council of the City of Middletown.

§ 150-2 Benefits.

The designation of the enterprise zone in these areas shall entitle qualifying firms to a five-year, eighty-percent abatement of property taxes as provided under C.G.S. § 12-81(59) and (60) and grants for jobs created. For the purpose of this chapter, qualifying firms are described in the regulations of the State of Connecticut, Department of Economic Development, Enterprise Zone Program.

§ 150-3 Residential and nonmanufacturing facilities.

A. All real property in the enterprise zone which is improved in a manner which causes its assessment to be increased during the period when such area is designated as an enterprise zone shall have its real estate assessment fixed. Such fixed assessments shall apply only to existing buildings and shall not apply to new construction.

(1) Additionally, such fixed assessment shall be for a period of seven years from the time of such improvement and shall defer any increase in assessment attributable to such improvement, in accordance with the following schedule:

	Year	Percentage of Increase Deferred
	First	100%
	Second	100%
	Third	50%
	Fourth	40%
	Fifth	30%
	Sixth	20%
	Seventh	10%

(2) The cost of this fixed assessment is not reimbursed by the State of Connecticut.

B. In the event of a general revaluation by the City of Middletown in the year in which such improvement is completed, resulting in any increase in the assessment on such property, only that portion of the increase resulting from such improvement shall be temporarily abated. In the event of a general revaluation in any year after the year in which such improvement is completed, such abated assessment shall be increased or decreased in proportion to the increase or decrease in the total assessment on such property as a result of such revaluation.

C. Any fixed assessment on any residential property shall cease if for any such property any dwelling unit in such property is rented to any person whose income exceeds 200% of the median family income of the City of Middletown or, for any conversion condominium declared after the designation of the enterprise zone, any unit is sold to any person whose income exceeds 200% of the median family income of the City of Middletown.

D. No improvements of any real property which qualifies as a manufacturing facility under the provisions of C.G.S. § 32-9p(d) and § 150-2 of this chapter shall be eligible for the benefits under this section.

E. No property shall be eligible for benefits under this section if it already has a deferred increased assessment authorized under § 272-7 or 272-9 of the Middletown Code of Ordinances.

§ 150-4 Enterprise Zone Advisory Committee.

A. An Enterprise Zone Advisory Committee (EZAC) shall be established to formulate policy for the promotion and development of the zone, coordinate economic development programs in the zone with related job training and recruitment and social services programs, and adopt an enterprise zone revitalization plan. The plan shall specify goals and objectives for the enterprise zone, describe strategies to attain such goals and establish an implementation schedule. The Enterprise Zone Advisory Committee shall submit its plan to the Economic Development Committee, the Common Council and to the Commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Economic Development for review and comment.

B. The Enterprise Zone Advisory Committee shall consist of the following City officials and community representatives:

(1) The Economic Development Director in Middletown; the Mayor or his/her designee; a representative of the Common Council who has been appointed by said Council; the Chief of Police or his/her designee; the Executive Director of the Middletown Housing Authority or his/her designee; and a representative of the Middletown Board of Education, appointed by said Board;

(2) A representative of Middlesex Community Technical College, appointed by its President;

(3) Two representatives of the Middletown business community, one of whom shall be a member of the Middlesex County Chamber of Commerce;

(4) Two persons who own businesses located in the enterprise zone; and

(5) Two representatives of neighborhood community organizations serving the area in which the enterprise zone is located, or two residents of the enterprise zone.

C. The members described in Subsection B(3), (4) and (5) of this section shall be appointed by the Mayor and approved by the Common Council. Furthermore, said members shall serve for a term of five years.

§ 150-5 Report.

A. The Middletown Economic Development Director shall prepare a report every six months detailing the number of projects which occurred in the enterprise zone (and outside the zone under the targeted investment community), the type of project (manufacturing, residential, retail, commercial), the number of existing and new jobs retained or created, the number of such jobs held by residents of the zone or Job Training Partnership Act (JTPA) eligible residents of Middletown, the number of square feet impacted, the amount of new investment generated, and the gross and net impact on the grand list and tax collections.

B. The report shall also serve as a means to monitor any changes in occupancy, use or ownership in facilities and firms which have been granted benefits. The report shall be submitted to the Mayor, the Enterprise Zone Advisory Committee, the Economic Development Committee, the Common Council and the Commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Economic Development.