FORT WAYNE – Beginning next week, the Allen County Fort Wayne Capital Improvement Board will have millions of dollars to spend with no set process for how to allocate the money.
The board Thursday discussed the creation of its new website with local firm One Lucky Guitar. Ben Campbell, board president, said the website will be the sole way for people to submit ideas.
Because the board has no staff, he said it would become overwhelming if each member was expected to accept every “napkin idea” floated his way. This means directing everyone seeking financial support – such as a CEO, the mayor or a county commissioner – to the website.
“This is going to be the entry, the portal for applications,” Campbell said.
The seven-member capital improvement board – including city and county appointments – was created by state law in 2009.
It collects some state income and sales taxes from IPFW, Grand Wayne Center, Memorial Coliseum and the Holiday Inn near the Coliseum, but the bulk of its financing comes from the county’s food and beverage tax not needed to finance Coliseum debt.
The board received $3.1 million in early 2011, but state law prevents spending any of the revenues for a year. Consultant John Stafford, from IPFW’s Community Research Institute, told the group the money will be available in February. It will receive $1.1 million this year.
Stafford said the 2012 payment was lower than expected partly because 2011’s payment was more than expected. He said the payments were flipped based on the schedule of the Coliseum paying off its debts.
Future checks should begin at $3 million and grow over time, Stafford said. While the payment this year will be less than expected, the two-year total remains larger than originally projected, Stafford said.
The board set aside $15,000 for website development, which Campbell said will be the key way for people to request money. While he said the site doesn’t need to serve as marketing, as people will find them if they want the money, it does need to be clean and informational.
Campbell said he was unsure whether the group will receive a few or numerous applications, but he said it must prepare to receive many. He suggested setting up a process in which groups submit a pitch to a board subcommittee for vetting. If successful, the groups could then complete a formal application.
The board will use its February meeting to create its application process. The website is expected to go live by the end of the first quarter.
