| What is the
TIF Interested Parties Registry? One
of the most important elements of public participation
in the TIF process is making sure that everyone
who is affected by a TIF district knows about
key developments. In the past, the City only
sent notices of events such as public hearings
or actions such as land acquisition to people
who owned property within the boundaries of
the TIF. That excluded renters, small business
tenants who leased their space, community organizations,
and people just outside the TIF boundaries who
still wanted to keep up with what was taking
place next door. |
| To help fix this problem, the State TIF reform
law signed by Governor Ryan in August 1999, municipalities
such as Chicago are required to establish an “interested
parties registry” for all individuals and
organizations who wish to stay informed about
their TIF. While it isn’t the only step
needed to ensure full public participation in
the TIF process, it is a step in the right direction. |
What Will You Find Out Through the
Interested Parties Registry?
The City’s regulations on the interested parties
registry include two types of notices: those sent
out before a TIF-related action has been approved
by the City Council, and those after the change has
already taken place.
There are two types of notices that can help communities
proactively organize around TIF changes:
- When the preliminary TIF redevelopment plan and
eligibility study have been completed. This notice
must include the date and location for the official
public hearing on the TIF.
- When the Housing Impact Study (required if the
TIF will displace residents from 10 or more units,
or if at least 75 residential units are included
in the TIF) is complete. This notice must also include
the date for the public meeting on the Housing Impact
Study.
The other notices must be sent out within 10 days
after the changes have been approved by the City Council:
- The TIF is expanded
- Land use in the TIF is significantly changes (for
example, from residential to commercial)
- The life of the TIF is extended beyond the original
23-year period
- The number of low-income households that will
be displaced by the TIF increases (if that increase
is greater than 10)
- The total proposed budget of the TIF increases
by more than 5 percent, or additional eligible cost
categories are added to the project budget.
The regulations for the interested parties registry
do not require the City to inform the public about
redevelopment agreements (subsidies to specific private
developers)that have been proposed unless they change
the land use, require major changes to the overall
project budget of the TIF, or result in the displacement
of 10 or more occupied residential units.
How Can You Sign Up for the Interested
Parties Registry?
The City has developed an official sign-up form for
the registry. For individuals, it requires you to
provide proof of residency (through a copy of your
driver’s license, utility bill, lease, etc.).
For organizations, it requires a brief description
of your organization’s activities, or an organizational
brochure or flyer. (The description could be as simple
as a sentence like, “Our organization is interested
in activities that will improve the conditions in
our neighborhood.”) If you are hesitant about
providing the City with personal information about
yourself, NCBG recommends that you sign up for the
registry through a neighborhood organization you are
involved with – your block club, church, school,
community group, sports club – any local organization
with which you are affiliated. This will allow you
to be part of the registry without giving out your
personal information.
Registration forms can also be picked up at the following
locations:
City of Chicago
Department of Planning & Development
121 North LaSalle Street, Room 1000
M -F 9am - 4:30pm
Harold Washington Library
400 South State Street
Government Documents, 5th Floor
Business, Science & Technology, 6th Floor
Su 1pm - 5pm; M 9am - 7pm; T, Th 11am - 7pm
W, F, Sa 9am - 5pm
If you require additional information, please call
the TIF Interested Parties Registry Information Line
at:
(312) 742-1783.
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