Laserfiche WebLink
71 <br /> <br />A RESOLUTION EXPRESSING COUNCIL'S SUPPORT FOR PRIVATE <br />OWNERSHIP OF THE NEW POSTAL FACILITY. <br /> <br /> WHEREAS, the United States Postal Service purchased <br />land in the City of Portsmouth at the intersection of Broad <br />Street and Meander Road, north of London Boulevard, for the. <br />construction of a postal facility; and <br /> <br /> W~EREAS, in excess of sixty percent (60%) of the real <br />property in the City of Portsmouth generates no real property <br />tax revenues or other payments in lieu of taxes; and <br /> <br /> WHEREAS, if said facility was owned by the U. S. Postal <br />Service, same would be added to the tax exempt category of <br />real property; and <br /> <br /> WHEREAS, in view thereof, the City of Portsmouth urged <br />that a construct and lease format be utilized which would <br />permit private ownership of the facility and thus place same <br />on the real property tax rolls'of the City of Portsmouth; and <br /> <br /> WHEREASr the United States Postal Service's bid proposal <br />indicated that it would consider bids on the basis of Postal <br />Service ownership (non-taxable), or a lease-back for private <br />construction and ownership (taxable); and <br /> <br /> WHEREAS, discussions with private developers who have <br />expressed an interest in submitting lease-back proposals <br />suggest that the format used artificially supports Postal <br />Service ownership, and that the abbreviated time frame allowed <br />for preparation and submission of bids would negate the use <br />of innovative financing for private ownership of the facility; <br />.and <br /> <br /> WHEREAS, the Council of the City of Portsmouth Ks vitally <br />interested in seeing the facility developed in a manner which <br />meets the needs of the Postal Service, but at the same time, <br />addresses the critical concerns of the City of Portsmouth as <br />to its tax exempt properties. <br /> <br /> NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Council of the <br />City of Portsmouth expresses its commitment to the use of <br />private ownership for the new postal facilty, and to that <br />end, requests that the bid opening date for the facility be <br />delayed until such time as the factor for bid equalization be <br />revised in the most equitable light as possible and to <br />assure ~ reasonable period of time for private developers to <br />explore the use of innovative financing for private owner- <br />ship of the facility. <br /> <br /> <br />