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