City council to discuss
budget, tax relief,
ordinances tonight
By Heather Mangold
City
Editor
The West Lafayette city council will meet at 7:30
tonight to discuss several issues within the community, including the
ordinance that could restrict Boiler Room from building a rooftop patio.
After Chris Watson, owner of Boiler Room, looked
into the possibility of building the new space, the Tippecanoe County
Area Plan Commission and West Lafayette city council members discussed
the possibility of changing zoning laws. The change would require that
additional parking would be required for rooftop patios and decks.
Watson said he feels as though the commission and
council members are targeting his business because it’s a bar.
"I understand they don't like the bars, but we're
a legal business," said Watson.
Area Plan Commission member and West Lafayette
council member Jan Mills said the amendment to zoning laws has nothing
to do with the fact that Watson's business is a bar. She said she thinks
exceptions should not made for any business, including Boiler Room.
"I think the point is you either have to have the
same kind of parking regulations for everyone or next week we're going
to have someone else asking for a variance," said Mills. "It's a problem
that's not going to go away."
The council will also discuss the approval of a
new budget and tax relief plan for the year 2002. The budget appropriates
a total of $16,829,600. As a result of the new plan, estimated tax rates
would be 0.98 percent lower than from last year.
"This is good news," said Judy Rhodes, West Lafayette
clerk and treasurer.
The council will also hear a proposal regarding
the approval of a lease between the West Lafayette redevelopment commission
and the West Lafayette Redevelopment authority.
West Lafayette city attorney, Robert Bauman, called
the plan a "$2 million no-brainer."
The plan would refinance the Wabash Landing parking
garage — an action that was expected by project officials from
the start. Bauman said officials chose this time to refinance the project
because of the success of Wabash Landing and because of current low
interest rates.
If the ordinance is approved during its second
reading in October, it could save West Lafayette taxpayers roughly $2
million.
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