Polson Redevelopment Agency studies projects
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POLSON — Many folks have heard of the Polson Redevelopment Agency, but they really don’t know what it does. According to PRA Chair Jules Clavadetscher, PRA is an urban renewal effort that operates under a law authorized by the state legislature in the 70s.
The City of Polson adopted the PRA in the 90s, and its goal was to improve the tax base (property values) in blighted areas. At that time, the urban renewal districts were identified as Salish Point, the central business district, and a transitional area, the railroad properties on Seventh Street East and Seventh Avenue.
The PRA receives a portion of property taxes from the district to use for urban renewal. It is not a new tax, Clavadetscher explained.
Until the Montana Department of Revenue and Lake County got everything figured out, the PRA received no funds until 2008-09.
To develop and oversee the money, five people form the Polson Redevelopment Agency Board. Board members must be citizens of Polson, all volunteers. They are Clavadetscher, Ken Avison, Rick LaPiana, Lou Marchello and Ivy McGowan.
The board makes recommendations to the Polson City Commissioners on how the money should be spent. Then the Commissioners vote on whether or not to approve the projects.
“The first project we recommended to the city as the Main Street project,“ Clavadetscher explained.
So far $150,000 of money has gone towards the Main Street project, with an additional $6,200 for the Riverside stairs.
“We are not unique as a state-adopted law or as a community,” Clavadetscher said, noting that parts of the river walk in Missoula were constructed using urban renewal funds.
Other states as well as Montana towns and cities, such as Billings, Helena, Kalispell, Billings, Butte, and “even Choteau” have urban renewal districts.
As far as what comes next, in April the Polson PRA compiled a list of possible projects, such as the railroad properties, the Gambles building on Main Street and the possibility of a tower on Salish Point.
Urban renewal generates about $130,000 per year, Clavadetscher explained, and the PRA’s task will be to explore projects to see what would be best for the future of Polson.
