MONROE — Despite misgivings about incorrect information being circulated and eminent domain concerns, aldermen, some in their last major vote as council members, approved the Redevelopment Authority Project Plan 5-3 at their meeting Monday.

Alderman Jeff Newcomer was attending his last full council meeting after five years on council. He said he considered abstaining from a vote on the RDA, but decided his advocacy for city growth needed to be honored. He called Monroe “a great city” but said he was worried about its direction if there is no development. 

Fellow outgoing member Rob Schilt echoed the sentiment, noting that he has not seen population growth since his birth. Schilt said he felt confident voting in support of the RDA because of his research, including talking to members of the public and experts.

“Everything I’ve been told is we’re going to move in a positive direction,” he said. “…I hope everyone understands this is for the greater good of us all.”

Newly reelected Alderwoman Brooke Bauman agreed.

“Logic clearly dictates that the needs of many outweigh the needs of the few,” she said.

Aldermen Richard Thoman, Michael Boyce, Chris Beer, Bauman, Newcomer and Schilt voted in favor of the project plan. Council members Ron Marsh, Donna Douglas and Mickey Beam voted against it.

Beer, who did not seek reelection this year, said other council members expressed growth concerns that have been discussed in the past and continue to be an issue.

“We need to grow, and I’ve said that for a long time,” Beer said, adding that the purchase of roughly 98 acres of land north of the city was a positive step and similar actions should continue.

Douglas said the vote should be postponed until new council members were installed and called for a new vote to be scheduled in June. Beam and Douglas agreed that misinformation had been a problem, with Douglas noting that she had been told Verona had an RDA when it actually had a Community Development Authority. 

“These are our citizens sitting here and they need to know the truth,” Douglas said. 

She also noted that City Administrator Phil Rath may have been misleading in his remarks that the planning for reconstituting the inactive RDA began roughly a year ago. The decision to pursue a more active RDA began after the city did not choose to create a CDA due to protests from the Monroe Housing Authority in late February 2018. During Tuesday’s council meeting, Rath said the resolution to officially reconstitute the RDA was passed by council on May 15.

Douglas had referred to the first meeting of the new authority, which took place in October.

The RDA project plan outlines powers granted by the state to the authority, including its ability to grant loans and establish programs to help bolster structural improvements for residents and business owners within its newly outlined district. Redevelopment District No. 1 spans from slightly west of 7th Avenue, up to parcels surrounding 10th Avenue Court and continues east through the 1900 block of 9th Street and down to 14th Street. It encompasses the downtown area. 

At the meeting, RDA members Ron Markham, Ron Spielman and Ryan Ziltner spoke in favor of the plan, both noting the positive effect visual updates to buildings will have for the city. 

Spielman said that plan is “not finite, but represents fence posts along the road to get us where we need to go. … the RDA isn’t going to solve all of the problems by itself. It’s going to take a collaborative effort,” echoing the sentiment from city officials that the plan is “another tool in the toolbox” for improvements.

Residents LaVern Isley and Steve Elmer spoke during public comment as they have during previous meetings regarding the RDA plan. Both pointed to Tax Increment District 7 as an option for development downtown and said the district, which designates properties as blighted for the purpose of state requirements, is unnecessary. 

Elmer said the RDA would become its own entity with no oversight from the city. While the authority becomes an extension of the city rather than one under its direct orders, it is no different than the housing authority, Plan Commission and other commissions like the group which oversees police and firefighters, Rath said. 

The RDA would also need to procure two-thirds approval from Monroe Common Council if members want to change the project area boundaries or they wish to amend the project plan.