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TEG THURSDAY, MARCH 3, 2016 V V V PULITZER PRIZE-WINNING FAMILY OWNED SINCE 1895 V V V TIF DISCUSSION GETS HEATED Developer cites city commissioner Steve Harmon’s conflict of interest in blocking his project Good Evening VVV To TIF or not to TIF? WWW.EMPORIAGAZETTE.COM NRH FOUNDATION WELCOMES PAUL QUIN By Jessie Wagoner STEVE HARMON City Commissioner By Cathryne Scharton [email protected] At Wednesday’s city commission meeting Jim Witt, assistant city manager, presented a resolution for a public hearing on the 24th Avenue development project. Following Witt’s presentation, Spencer Thomson, a commercial real estate attorney for Thomson Walker, LLC, took the floor and accused Commissioner Steve Harmon of voting down the development because Harmon owns properties in downtown Emporia.  “He made it clear he wouldn’t vote for it under any circumstances,” said Thomson. “It’s been that way from day one … He stated pub- PRO SPENCER THOMSON commercial real estate attorney for Thomson Walker LLC DEV “He and his wife apparently own substantial real estate downtown. He has stated preference for development and investment downtown and unfortunately that’s not where the retailers and the market are.” PO SED “I don’t support tax incremental financing for retail. Retail is different than industrial development.” ELO PM E NT [email protected] lic purpose is that he thinks it is not wanted by the neighbors in that area and that’s his stated reason. I wanted to point out that there are a lot more reasons for the commission to support it than there are to not support it in the best interest of the broader community. It’s not about Commissioner Harmon. It’s not about a few individuals who may live near by; it’s about the entire community and what’s good for the city of Emporia as a whole.” “He and his wife apparently own substantial real estate downtown. He has stated preference for development and investment downtown and, unfortunately, that’s not where the retailers and the market are. So, one could cer- tainly argue that that presents a conflict … ,” said Thomson.   When contacted for comment after the meeting, Harmon clarified that it’s not retail development or development outside of the downtown area that he is against. He is against the tax incremental funding being used for retail development. “They can start developing today if they want to; it’s just they want to use tax money for it and I am not in favor of the TIF,” said Harmon. “I don’t support tax incremental financing for retail. Retail is different than industrial development. You’re not trying to Please see City, Page 3 There is a new face and new energy at the Newman Regional Health Foundation — Paul Quin has joined the foundation as executive director.  Quin has operated P.J. Quin and Associates for 15 years. Prior to that Quin was involved in health care foundation work. He comes to the Foundation with years of experience. “I have been in this field for 30 years,” Quin said. “It’s not my first rodeo, as they say.” Quin has many goals for the Foundation. Fostering community and board investment in Newman Regional Health is just one goal Quin is working towards. “It’s not the history of this place,” Quin said. “I think the opinion has been that the county owned it (the hospital), the county governed it, the county seated it and it kind of ran as a government entity. It is a quasigovernment entity, a public-private partnership, if you will, as a nonprofit corporation.” That means, according to Quin, that in order to provide the quality and diversity of medical services the community desires, it will require help from individuals, not just county dollars. Those individual efforts have helped the hospital expand services in regards to cardiac care and cancer services; Quin expects that to continue in the future. “If we want that diagnostic piece of equipment so we don’t have to get in our car and drive up the road to a university hospital then we are going to have to do it in our own interest,” Please see Quin, Page 3 ROTARY AND KIWANIS CLUBS TEAM UP FOR SALVATION ARMY RENNOVATIONS By John Robinson [email protected] COURTESY PHOTO  Jack Atherton of the Rotary Club primes a wall in the Salvation Army Annex building. The Rotary Club and Kiwanis Club joined together for a project. VOL. 124, NO. 209 When the Emporia Rotary Club decided to renovate the Salvation Army’s Annex building, President Harvey Foyle reached out to the Kiwanis Club, resulting in what he believes is the first joint project between the two clubs. “This is the first time anyone can remember that two clubs came together to work on one project,” Foyle said. The Rotary Club received a “I knew (Kiwanis Club) knew clubs, with two different skill levtwo-for-one match grant from the how do woodwork and I know the els, to do this one project.” Rotary District, and asked the KiThe Kiwanis Club constructed wanis Club to lend a hand with Rotary group knows how to paint,” a 12-by-7-foot wooden cabinet, Foyle said. “It’s nice with the two construction. while the Rotary Club plastered, primed and painted the 40-by-40foot meeting room. The groups also replaced the large window at the front of the room and provided a 10 foot steel serving table for the kitchen. “We believe that the Salvation Army money that we give should go towards the spiritual and leadership things for the people and not for brick and mortar,” Foyle said. “So we took care of the brick and mortar.” Lt. Lynn Lopez of the Salvation Army said the updates to the building make it seem brand new. “It’s a ‘night and day’ differCOURTESY PHOTO  ence,” Lopez said. “It