I .
BULK RATE
us, POSTAGE AID
B nton Harbor, I 49022
P mi 0.50
int Tri-County Southw
By Terry eDy
The heralded Enterpri Zone bill'
chances of passi into 1 have dimmed
the ichigan Hou nd Senate grapple
this wee with legislation called the
Economic Gro th Area bill.
Sponsored by Detroit Sen tor J ac
Kelley, the bill - S.B.46 and comp ion
bills S.B. 47 and 48 - expre the same
goals the proposed Enterprise Zone
bill, but spring from different concept
of hat go ernment i pposed to do.
According to Dr. J c Ru 11
consultant to -the Senate" Committee on
Corporation d Economic Develop­
ment, the Economic Growth Areas bill
as up for it third re ding, Tuesd y �
arch 22 and p e is expected thi
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11 confirmed the opinion of
vocate Robert J c n t t
n te tterition a on the Growth
bill and not on Enterpri Zone.
J ck n, 0 ner of Triax Tube, Ben­
ton Harbor, told commi ioners onday
night at the. regular city commis ion
meting, that' perh p then there will be
ction on our bill."
According to urces close to
Kelley' committee, the chance re slim
of anything happening. "If it doe come
out of committee, hat intere ould
there be in a' city bill?' the source
que tioned. 'The bill (Enterpri Zones)
ould still ha to p the Sen te and
Hou r
J son feel optimistic about the
Zone bill, howe er, and told The Citizen
in an intervie that the Growth Area
bill is n effort to kill Enterpri lone.
J ac n denounced the Growth Are
bill becau it holds no incentives to
attract busine s to locate in distressed
area like Benton Harbor.
Ru 11 point out however, that S.B.
46 is only enablin legi ation. He said
th t once the act is pa d it i expected
th t everyone ith an idea of h t at­
tract busine ill offer le islation
to offer- tho incentives to re idents
busine s and industry in the de . n -
ted Growth reas.
J ck n i al critical of the Citi-
zen Council that dmini ers, moni­
tors and evaluate the busine de el­
opment in the propo d Growth Are
bill.
It is labor orientated," J n id.
"The citizens are not trained in rehabili-
tation or anything. They do not ha e to
an er to anyone."
Under th Gro . h Area t an 11
member bo rd would govern the min­
istration monitoring and evalu tion of
the propo d econorni de elopment.
Jackson . d th Enterpri Zon
Committee appointed by th city com­
mi . on three ee 0 in anti ipation
of Zone I gi ation, ill meet Thru y
at 7: 30 a.m. at C ptain' T bl on . er­
vie Drive.
There will al be public he ring
on the boundaries for an Enterpri Zone
in the city at the onday, rch 28
city commi 'on meetin, de ite t
sh y future of the bill.
The Gro th Are bill al mand te
and make it qualific tion of becoming
Gro th rea, that the city t 'de
10 percent of its HUD Community
Development Bloc Grant if it i an enti­
tlement city - the city of Benton Har­
bor is.
This too goes into the Fund dmini .
tered by the Citizen Council.
The Fund can be u d to offer bu i;
n 10 ns fund public impro ments
provide grant to Community B d
Organization for funding publi improve­
ment , but not more than 15 percent of
the fund can be u for rninistr tion
and plannin purpo
Cit e mu t ee to of er incre d
city rvice. Though th Enterpri
Zon bill requires this the Zone bill
offers no mechani to fund the in­
crea d services as do the Growth bill.
Under the Econorni Gro h Are
bill, the Department of Commerce ould
h e the authority d r onsibilit
to the en citie receivin desia-
nation Gro th Are .
The Commerce Dep rtment ould
monitor, provide techni e in
developing plan and e uate.
Under the Enterpri Zon bill
t te ide Authority ppointed b th
By Terry
The question of how to revitalize
the distre d cities of ichigan is addre
sed by S.B.46 - the Economi Gro h
Are act, sponsored by Sen. John elley
(D-Detroit).
The bill takes the concept of the
Enterprise Zon bill -' concentrati
economic development effort on
specificied are - and mold it to fit
Democratic philo phy that the people
affected,· should have control over the
happening in their city,
According to Kelley aides p e
of the Senate bill ems certai thi ee
and ith p e of companion Hou
bills Michigan ill have ne urban
policy in effect by July 1 of thi ye .
Unlike the proposed Enterpri Zone
bill the Growth Are bill require resi­
dential control in the form of a Citizen
Council.
This Council mu t com from re .-
dents must have three member elected
bu residents. Th Council will control
. the Economic De elopment fund author­
ized by the bill.
This fund will b created by reb tes
from the state to the city for tax ab te­
ments granted by the city under the pro­
visions ofP.A. 198 and 255. According to
the proposed le islation, citie ill be
reimbursed 50 percent of the co to
them of jhe batement .
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