§ 24-58. Tax incentive application and approval process.

(a)

When filing a tax incentive application with the heritage preservation officer, the applicant shall:

(1)

Certify to the heritage preservation officer that the subject property is a historic resource or is within a historic overlay district.

(2)

Certify to the heritage preservation officer that the tax incentive request is for a project that has received a certificate of appropriateness pursuant to section 31.A of the zoning ordinance or under sections 24-56 and 24-59 of this article.

(3)

Certify to the heritage preservation officer that the project for which the applicant wishes to apply a tax reduction has been completed.

(b)

An application for a tax incentive shall be initiated by the owner of the subject property or by his or her agent, by completion of the appropriate application forms provided by the heritage preservation officer. The application shall include all receipts for the cost of the project as well as an affidavit affirming that all information on the application is correct and the receipts presented are for the cost of the project. Said application shall be received by the heritage preservation officer at least twenty (20) days prior to a public meeting of the heritage preservation commission.

(c)

No fees shall be required either upon filing of the application or upon approval or disapproval by the heritage preservation commission.

(d)

The heritage preservation commission shall hold a public meeting on all requests for tax incentives. Said meeting shall not be scheduled until the completed application form is submitted.

(e)

At the public meeting the heritage preservation commission shall determine, from the data submitted by the applicant and the information provided by the heritage preservation officer, if the completed project is substantially in compliance with the certificate of appropriateness. If the commission finds that additional information relative to the pending application is necessary for its review, the commission may postpone the public meeting on an application until such information is provided.

(f)

The commission shall have the authority to approve or disapprove an application for a tax incentive, or to approve a request with such conditions as the commission deems necessary to bring the project into compliance with the approved certificate of appropriateness. The commission shall not approve requests for tax incentives where the project was completed prior to the adoption of this ordinance, where the applicant has not obtained a certificate of appropriateness, or where the applicant has not substantially complied with the requirements imposed on a certificate of appropriateness.

(g)

Effective date . Upon approval by the heritage preservation commission, the heritage preservation officer shall notify the Ellis County Tax Assessor. The tax assessor shall reduce the city portion of the property tax for the subject property by fifty (50) percent in accordance with the provisions herein and as indicated by the approved request.

( Ord. No. 2997, 2-5-18 )