Clinton to hold public hearing on zoning, budget
Clinton residents will have the opportunity to weigh in on proposed zoning changes and the city’s budget during a public hearing on Monday, June 23.
The Clinton City Council will hold a public hearing at 5:30 p.m. that day at Clinton City Hall, 100 N. Bowling St.
The hearing, which is prior to the council’s regular meeting, will cover a proposed zoning ordinance and the city’s budget for the coming fiscal year. Members of the public are encouraged to attend and speak.
Zoning changes
The proposed zoning ordinance would allow new uses — including multifamily housing — in areas zoned as “Interstate Business District.”
City Planner Preston Stokes said the zoning district is near the interstate, primarily to the north of the city along North Charles G. Seivers Boulevard.
If approved, the ordinance would permit multifamily dwellings, such as apartment buildings with five or more contiguous units. However, such developments would require special exception approval from the Clinton Planning Commission and could not face or have primary access to arterial roads like North Charles G. Seivers Boulevard.
“It’s really just opening up that zone for some high-density multi-family uses,” Stokes said. “Hopefully, we can end up getting some more housing near that part of town.”
Stokes noted that the Interstate Business District already allows a wide variety of uses, and that some developers have previously shown interest in building apartments in the area.
The ordinance would also allow the Planning Commission to approve storage yards in several business zoning districts where they were previously prohibited.
The ordinance will take effect if approved on final reading by the City Council.
City budget
The second part of the public hearing will focus on the city’s proposed budget for the coming fiscal year.
“It’s a balanced budget — revenues and expenditures,” City Manager Roger Houck said during the council’s May 19 meeting, when the budget passed unanimously on first reading.
Because property reappraisal values will not be finalized until July 1, the budget does not currently include a tax rate. Houck said the council will need to adopt a tax rate after that date.
He added that the property tax rate will “more than likely” drop from 86 cents to between 45 and 50 cents per $100 of assessed value, to reflect increased property values.
The proposed budget also includes a 6% payroll increase for city employees.
