12031I RESOLUTION NO. 12,031
2 A RESOLUTION TO ENDORSE ACTIONS TO DEVELOP A LAND BANK AU-
3 THORITY PROGRAM THAT CAN BE USED BY THE CITY OF LITTLE ROCK
4 AND THE STATE OF ARKANSAS; AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES.
5 WHEREAS, a part of the Future - Little Rock program was to develop a land bank
6 authority that could be used to acquire and consolidate property and structures that
7 are subject to irreversible deterioration and to develop these properties into afford-
s able housing, and
9 WHEREAS, despite repeated attempts to make such a program work under the re-
10 strictions of the Arkansas Constitution it was never possible to develop a public and
11 private program that could acquire structures or properties and then make them
12 available to private parties, and
13 WHEREAS, efforts of the Future - Little Rock program were successful, such as the
14 creation of the Targeted Neighborhood Enhancement Plan, and the adoption of Act
15 320 of 1997, to statutorily authorize this plan, and
16 WHEREAS, new efforts in Georgia and Michigan have helped to outline plans that
17 can assist in the creation of land bank authorities that are designed to provide mar -
18 ketable title to depressed properties that can be made a part of a land bank, and af-
19 terwards be made available for the development of residential housing, and
20 WHEREAS, Director Joan Adcock has spearheaded an effort to study this issue in
21 detail and, in cooperation with former Director and State Representative Myra Jones,
22 has put together a working task force of county property tax officials and assessors,
23 developers, lawyers, bankers, lending institutions, community groups, and others, and
24 is working through the details of a plan that would include ordinances, resolutions,
25 and statutory schemes, to help make such a program a reality under Arkansas law,
26 and
27 WHEREAS, the study of a land bank authority has benefited from the substantial
28 input, ideas and support from William 0. "Bill" James, Michael D. Robinson, Grover
29 Evans, Sharlett Craig, Bill McElwee, Chris Porter, Susan Chan Arthur "Otto" Williams,
3o Darryl Swinton, Mark D. Ross, Martie North and Director Genevieve Stewart, as well as
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RESOLUTION
Endorsing effort of develop land bank authority
1 the legal advice of Paul Dobbs and Jay Taylor, and will benefit from the legal and leg -
2 islative guidance of Larry Holifield,
3 NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF THE CITY
4 OF LITTLE ROCK, ARKANSAS:
s Section 1. The City endorses the efforts to create a land bank authority within
6 the City of Little Rock, and a program that can be available to other communities
7 within the State of Arkansas, and commends the efforts of Director Adcock and Ms.
s Jones to study, develop and report on such an effort.
9 Section 2. The City Manager is authorized to devote City staff and resources to
10 such a project, and to make certain City facilities such as the Willie Hinton Neighbor -
11 hood Resource Center available to this effort.
12 Section 3. The City expresses its hope that a report, with potential draft legisla-
13 tion and other details, can be presented to the Board of Directors at the earliest pos-
14 sible time so that it can endorse this program as part of the 2007 legislative package
15 of the City and of the Arkansas Municipal League.
16 Section 4. Severability. In the event any title, section, paragraph, item, sen-
17 tence, clause, phrase, or word of this resolution is declared or adjudged to be invalid
18 or unconstitutional, such declaration or adjudication shall not affect the remaining
19 portions of the resolution which shall remain in full force and effect as if the portion
20 so declared or adjudged invalid or unconstitutional was not originally a part of the
21 resolution.
22 Section 5. Repealer. All laws and parts of laws are hereby repealed to the ex-
23 tent of such inconsistency.
24 ADOPTED: June 21, 2005
25 ATTEST: APPROVED:
26
27
&&� 28f Nancy Wood, City Clerk Jim iley, Mayor
29 U APPROVED AS TO LEGAL FORM:
30
32 Thomas M. Carpenter, City Attorney
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RESOLUTION
Endorsing effort of develop land bank authority