380 AgreementA 380 agreement is often used by municipalities to offer city funds for loans, grants, or services to businesses. These offers are often at little or no cost to the corporation in order to promote state and local economic development. Many times, the offers will also include property tax abatement (which means they will reduce property taxes for the business). The goal is stimulate business and commercial activity in the city. The city must report the 380 agreements to the State. The 380 agreement allows for negotiation that does not have to be communicated to citizens beforehand.
Site Plan ReviewSite plan reviews are a city regulatory process in which a municipality's planning staff and officials evaluate development plans (new buildings, additions, canopies, etc.) to make sure that they are in compliance with zoning standards. Citizens are not involved in this process. The site plan identifies whether or not a business will need to use city water, will need streets or other infrastructure, building size, and more.
Planned DevelopmentPlanned Development or "PD" is a zoning trend that allows flexible zoning. Planned Development allows the city to develop a customized set of rules for a specific property instead of following standard zoning code. The PD can be used to mix land use into different units, like creating an industrial park - or any appropriate combination that may be planned, developed, or operated as land use units (how a specific property will be used). PD allows for more control over each development instead of relying on the general and outdated ordinances of the current light manufacturing (ML) zoning.
Ordinance vs. GuidelinesYou may read about "guidelines" or "ordinances" when learning about the data center or other city plans. An "ordinance" is city law - so, permanent rules relating to how the city operates. The kind of ordinance a city can enforce is defined in the Texas Constitution and its statutes. A guideline, in contrast, is a set of instructions that while formal in nature, are not mandatory and may function instead as management or planning instructions; they are recommendations. Guidelines have no effect until they are tied to a 380 agreement.
MoratoriumA moratorium pauses or suspends activities or laws. They are often used during times of hardship, but they can also be used by municipalities to pause or stop normal operations until a resolution to a specific problem is decided. Moratoriums are not permanent. They can be used to preserve resources and reduce risk while gathering more information, exploring different options, and reassess specific situations.
Community Benefit AgreementCommunity benefit agreements are legally binding agreements between community-based organizations or citizens and businesses. These agreements are negotiated between the community and the data center. They should be transparent and available so citizens understand what is in the agreement. Transparency is critical in this process because it keeps the public informed of changes that will affect their daily lives. Communities can ask for funding for schools and other educational programs, hazard monitoring, utility assistance, ensuring specific number of local jobs, and investment in other ways that will lead to community benefit.
|
