A Special Meeting of the Board of School Directors of the Williamsport Area
School District of which all members were duly notified and of which due public
notice was given as required by Act 84 of 1986, was held on Friday afternoon,
April 30, 2004, beginning at 5:00 p.m. in the Board of Directors’ Room,
District Service Center, 201 West Third Street, Williamsport, Pennsylvania.
The Vice-President, James E. Temple, called the meeting to order with the
following members:
PRESENT:
David A. Huffman, Susan A. Mahaffey, Pamela J. Markle, James E. Temple,
Lois T. Williams, Thomas A. Zimmerman
David B. Stone, Jr. present via conference phone.
ABSENT:
Karen V. Harris, Jay B. Shultz.
2.
Presentation by Representative Cappelli, Mayor Wolf and Dr. Matteo concerning
the FlowServe Keystone Opportunity Zone property.
3.
Motion made by Mrs. Markle, seconded by Mrs. Williams, to approve the following
resolution authorizing a Keystone Opportunity Zone for the FlowServe Building
and Property located at 701 First Street, Williamsport.
KEYSTONE OPPORTUNITY ZONE
701 FIRST STREET
A RESOLUTION CONTINGENTLY EXEMPTING REAL PROPERTY TAX, EARNED INCOME TAX, NET
PROFITS TAX, MERCANTILE AND BUSINESS PRIVILEGE TAX WITHIN A SPECIFIC GEOGRAPHIC
AREA IN THE CITY OF WILLIAMSPORT DESIGNATED AS AN ENHANCEMENT TO THE #7
SUBZONE OF THE CENTRAL REGION KEYSTONE OPPORTUNITY ZONE. IN ORDER TO FOSTER
ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES, STIMULATE INDUSTRIAL, COMMERCIAL, RESIDENTIAL
IMPROVEMENTS AND PREVENT PHYSICAL AND INFRASTRUCTURE DETERIORATION WITHIN AREAS
OF LYCOMING COUNTY, COMMONWEALTH OF PENNSYLVANIA.
WHEREAS
, the Williamsport Area School District,
Williamsport Pennsylvania, recognizes the need to encourage investment in
areas within a defined geographical and political boundary of
the City of Williamsport, described
and set forth in Attachment “A”, hereinafter the “Enhanced
Area,” that is experiencing distress characterized by unemployment, low
investment of new capital, blighted conditions, and underutilized, obsolete or
abandoned industrial, and commercial structures, and deteriorated tax base; and
WHEREAS
, the Pennsylvania Keystone Opportunity Zone, as amended by Act 51 of 2003,
hereinafter referred to as the “Act,” authorizes political
subdivisions to apply to the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic
Development (DCED) for designation of an area within the respective political
subdivision as an enhancement to a Keystone Opportunity Zone and, as a
precondition of such application, to enact a binding resolution that provides
within the designated and approved geographic area exemptions, deductions,
abatements or credits from all local taxes identified in the Act, which
resolutions will be contingent only on DCED’s approval of the application;
and
WHEREAS
, enactment of such exemption will result in improving both the economic,
physical, and social conditions within the Enhanced Area by stimulating
existing businesses’ employment, creating new employment and diminishing
blight; and
WHEREAS
, it is expected that increased private and public-sector investors will
reverse the disinvestments and conditions of blight within the Enhanced Area;
and
WHEREAS
, the Williamsport Area School District
is participating in an application to DCED via SEDA-Council of Governments
seeking approval of an enhancement to the 7th
Subzone of the Keystone Opportunity Zone.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED
by the Board of School Directors of the Williamsport Area School District,
Lycoming County, that effective as of January 1, 2004, until date of December
31, 2010 contingent only on DCED’s approval of the application for the
enhancement of the 7th
Subzone of the Central Region Keystone Opportunity Zone, the following
provisions shall apply to properties listed on Attachment “A”:
the provisions and limitations hereinafter set forth within the boundaries of
the Enhanced Area in accordance with the Act, such exemption to run from
January 1, 2004 until December 31, 2010.
2.
The exemption shall be 100% of the real property taxation on the assessed
evaluation of properties within the Enhanced Area, known as Attachment “
A”
3.
Earned Income and Net Profits Taxes; Business Privilege and Mercantile Taxes
.
The Williamsport Area School District also waives business gross receipts tax
for operations conducted by a qualified business; earned income received by a
resident and/or net profits of a qualified business received by a resident or
nonresident of the Enhanced Area Attachment “A” attributable to
business activity conducted within the Keystone Opportunity Zone.
4.
The provisions of the Act not herein enumerated, shall, nevertheless, be
incorporated as part of this resolution by reference.
5.
This resolution shall become effective January 1, 2004, contingent and
conditioned on the approval by DCED of the application with respect to the
Enhanced Area of the 7th
Subzone of the Central Region Keystone Opportunity Zone.
RESOLVED AND ENACTED
by the Board of School Directors of the Williamsport Area School District,
Lycoming County, Pennsylvania, this 30th day of April, 2004.
Roll Call – Ayes: Mahaffey, Markle, Stone, Temple, Williams and
Zimmerman
Nays: Huffman
The motion carried 6-1-0.
4.
ITEMS FROM BOARD MEMBERS - None
5. ITEMS FROM THE PUBLIC - None
6.
Upon motion made by Mrs. Markle, seconded by Mr. Zimmerman and carried the
meeting adjourned at 5:20 p.m.
________________________________
Charles E. Peterson, Jr. Board Secretary