---
date: 2023-04-11
title: Citywide Development Authority Agenda Packet
source: 2023-04/2023-04-11_Citywide Development Authority_Agenda Packet.pdf
pages: 1
---

DOWNTOWN DEVELOPMENT Citywide Development
AUTHORITY OF THE
CITY OF STOCKBRIDGE Authority Meeting
BOARD MEMBERS Agenda
Roger Custin, Chair April 11, 2023 6:00 PM
Maxwell Sears, Vice-Chair
Robert Swygert, Secretary
Barbara Richardson, Treasurer
Frangela Merritt, Board Member
Vacancy, Board Member
Councilman Elton Alexander

ADMINISTRATION
Kim Allonce
Economic Development Director

Kira Harris-Braggs
Main Street Manager
STOCKBRIDGE CITY HALL

Vanessa Holiday 4640 NORTH HENRY BLVD.
Recorder STOCKBRIDGE, GA 30281

Website: www.cityofstockbridge.com
Brandon Bowen
Attorney
Phone: 770-389-7900
Page | 2

Fax: 770-389-7912

April 11, 2023 6:00 PM 4640 N. Henry Stockbridge, GA 30281 Phone: (770) 389-7900
AGENDA
CITYWIDE DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY MEETING
CITY OF STOCKBRIDGE
TUESDAY, APRIL 11, 2023 6:00 PM

I. Call to Order
1. Invocation Followed by Pledge
2. Roll Call
3. Approve Agenda
II. Officers and City Staff Reports
III. Old Business
4. Review and Approval of March Meeting Minutes
5. By-Laws Review & Vote
6. Marketing Video Approval and Vote
IV. New Business
7. City Manager Vision and Updates
8. Economic Development, Presenter, Alan Durham, Center for Econ Dev-
GA TECH
9. Finance & Budget Update – Gadson Woodall, Treasurer
10. Economic Development Update – DA Director
V. Executive Session (if needed)
VI. Adjourn
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CITY OF STOCKBRIDGE
DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY
REGULAR MEETING
SUMMARY MINUTES
Tuesday, March 14, 2023 6:00 P.M.
Mark Glenn, Board Member Samantha Samuels, Board Member
Cathy Hill, Board Member Ariel Shaw, Board Member
Kalpesh Patidar, Board Member Gadson Woodall, Board Member
Vacant – Board Member

Other Guest in attendance: Jeremy Harris of JecoPhoto and Attorney Chanel
Patrick of Fincher Demark LLC.
Chairwoman Shaw called the meeting to order at 6:08 p.m.
All board members recited the Pledge of Allegiance in unison.
Board member Dr. Hill was asked to proceed with a verbal roll call. All members
were in attendance.
Board member Dr. Hill motioned to approve the March 14, 2023 agenda as
printed; seconded by Mr. Glenn. The motion passed unanimously.
Board member Samuels motioned to approve the January 10, 2023 minutes with
corrections made; seconded by Mr. Glenn. The motion passed unanimously.
Board member Samuels motioned to approve the February 7, 2023 minutes with
corrections made: seconded by Mr. Glenn. The motion passed unanimously.

Old Business
By-Laws Update
Attorney Patrick, representative of Fincher Denmark LLC. noted amending the By-
Laws to make them sound better and adding verbiage. Attorney Patrick
recommended the board review the amended By-Laws and submit any
amendments to Chairwoman Shaw.

Chairwoman Shaw suggested that the board review the draft By-Laws and submit
Location: Stockbridge City Hall 4640 North Henry Blvd. Levi Meeting Room Stockbridge, GA 30281
Page |2

any changes within the next fifteen (15) days, and to vote on the By-Laws at the
next scheduled meeting. Attorney Patrick noted she would look at the feedback and
would provide an update to the board.

New Business
Strategy Subcommittee Update
Chairwoman Shaw noted meeting twice with board members Dr. Hill and Ms.
Samuels to come up with several ways without hiring a third party or firm and
agreed on providing a precise way to market what the City has. Chairwoman Shaw
introduced Jeremy Harris of Jecorphoto to present a pitch for marketing the city.

Mr. Harris noted the project's goal would be to produce an engaging promotional
video highlighting the well-known sites and areas of the City and explaining the
benefits of why to invest in the City. Mr. Harris noted his company would produce
a one-minute highlight video which would include drone footage, B-Roll, and
voiceover to use on the preferred website or YouTube, which will also include
highlights and testimonial interviews of current Stockbridge business owners,
elected officials and city staff members.

Mr. Harris noted the project would take between 14-21 days to produce, with an
estimated cost of $4,150.

Chairwoman Shaw noted a second quote was from Gobi Photography and Video,
citing being similar in cost to Jecorphoto, and mentioned a presenter was absent to
present. Board member Samuels noted seeing a cost of $850 for a (1) minute
promotional video and stated the presenter did not have enough time to put
documents together. Board member Hill requested to have documentation provided
to the board.

Chairwoman Shaw presented the Citywide Development Authority (CDA)
Strategic Initiatives and noted throughout Phase 1, the CDA identified the Mission
and Vision, started building a foundation and grabbing low-hanging fruit.
Chairwoman Shaw also noted the CDA is designated with the powers to finance
(by loan, grant, lease, borrow, or otherwise) projects for the public good; execute
contracts and agreements; purchase, lease, and sell property and issue revenue
bonds and notes. Chairwoman Shaw stated during Phase, 1 the CDA plans to
develop “Select Stockbridge” to produce a drone and B-Roll footage of the entire
city, highlighting key areas to include but not limited to:

1. Amphitheater
2. Jodeco Development
3. Proximity to Hwy 75
Location: Stockbridge City Hall 4640 North Henry Blvd. Levi Meeting Room Stockbridge, GA 30281
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4. Piedmont Henry, now a Level 3 Trauma Center
5. Proximity to Colleges
6. Merle Manders Conference Center
7. Historic References- MLK Sr. Heritage Trail and the birthplace of MLK Sr.
8. Eagles Landing Golf Course
9. Connectivity with trails
10.Highlighting major films filmed in Stockbridge
11.Swan Lake

Board member Patidar suggested adding the proximity to the Airport and named as
the “gateway to the South”.

Chairwoman Shaw noted another addition to add is having a different friendly user
website for prospective investors and more, seeing the current CDA website is a
landing page under the City of Stockbridge web page.

Chairwoman Shaw noted having a quick tour of the City and inventory of
properties with available board members, meeting with Georgia Economic
Development State Directors and Regional Partners, and ways to help beautify the
exit and entryway into the City. Kim Allonce, Economic Development Director,
noted the City Council had a council meeting on March 13, 2023, with no quorum,
but still allowed Sky Designs to present the wayfinding signs (presentations are
available on the city’s website) to identify the gateways into the city.

Chairwoman Shaw noted scheduling a bus tour after receiving a complete analysis
with prospective developers and establishing a location to host an investors
meeting and possible membership with Eagles Landing Club.

Chairwoman Shaw noted receiving the DDA’s Retail Market Analysis which has
allowed the DDA to receive the grant which created the analysis. In contrast, the
city as a whole needed to be qualified to receive the funding. Chairwoman Shaw
suggested going after low-hanging fruit with Mixed Development, retail, and
dining.

Chairwoman Shaw noted with the current market study, Stockbridge stands out as
a leading retail spending destination, meeting many of the needs of the residents
and attracting outside visitors. Chairwoman Shaw noted the initial phase focus
would be on retail, restaurants, hotel/mixed-use, and film, with the secondary being
medical new high-end automobile dealerships.

Chairwoman Shaw noted requesting a meeting with Josh Fenn Executive Director
of the Henry County Development Authority.
Location: Stockbridge City Hall 4640 North Henry Blvd. Levi Meeting Room Stockbridge, GA 30281
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Board member Dr. Hill inquired about including one item for existing business
retention and holding town hall meetings. Chairwoman Shaw noted the incentive
list would focus on existing businesses and reported holding off on town hall
meetings for the moment.

Chairwoman Shaw suggested to Board member Samuels to retrieve the sample
video from Gobi Photo and video package for voting purposes at the next meeting.

Chairwoman Shaw inquired on the boards thought on “Select Stockbridge” and
noted it’s common for authorities to use the city’s name.

Board member Glenn motioned to accept the Select Stockbridge Strategic
Initiatives: First year; seconded by Board Member Hill. The motion passed
unanimously.

South Metro Conference Feedback
Chairwoman Shaw noted the conference was great and she was able to speak with
Fayette County Development Authority and wanted insight from the other board
members.

Board member Hill noted focusing on the highlight of the South Metro Area
development authorities such as Fayette, Clayton and Douglas counties and also
spoke with the Council for Quality Growth.

Board member Glenn noted being able to network with other development
authority boards and expressed some boards would be able to come to the city and
speak.

Finance Update- Gadson Woodall, Treasurer
Board member Woodall noted the city opening an account for the CDA with Truist
Bank with the funding available by the end of the week; he also stated the board
has an annual budget of $45,000.

Chairwoman Shaw requested seeing an overdraft budget.

Board member Dr. Hill noted the Attorney costs $36,000 annually, leaving the
board with $12,000. Chairwoman Shaw stated that if there are no actionable items,
the board will not need to meet monthly, and the attorney fees will not reach
$36,000.

Economic Development Update – Development Authority Director
Location: Stockbridge City Hall 4640 North Henry Blvd. Levi Meeting Room Stockbridge, GA 30281
Page |5

Mr. Allonce noted Sky Designs presented the wayfinding signs (presentations are
available on the city’s website) to identify the gateways into the city at the city
council meeting on March 13, 2023. Mr. Allonce noted having primary, secondary
and tertiary monument with restoration of older signs.

Chairwoman Shaw inquired about digital boards next to the amphitheater; Mr.
Allonce noted a proposed board tangent upon the council's approval and has an
estimated cost of $1.2 million.

Mr. Allonce noted the economic development department putting out and RFP for
a strategic plan that will go out on March 22, 2023 which will allow a consulting
firm to help develop the strategic plan for the city.

Mr.Allonce noted the city being busy with ribbon cuttings and encourages the
board to attend them, which are held every Friday.

Mr. Allonce expressed deep condolences for the DDA Chair’s partner, who passed
and was part owner of Barn in Beautiful in the Downtown area. Mr. Allonce also
noted the DDA is working on a Downtown Master Plan and would like to have the
same message with marketing.

Mr. Allonce noted acquiring CoStart for marketing purposes which provides
information on vacant properties; he also mentioned implementing policies for
incentives and information on properties and will present to the council during the
council retreat.

Mr. Allonce noted he would attend the capital on March 15, 2023 for Henry
County day; he also noted being in the process of creating business units to help
serve businesses more efficiently and stated adding over 300 new businesses due to
the annexation.

Chairwoman Shaw suggested board members to attend Henry County Day.

Attorney Update-Attorney Chanel Patrick
Attorney Patrick suggested sending out links prior to meetings for any documents
that needs to be reviewed.

Minutes prepared by: Randi Rainey, Deputy City Clerk

Location: Stockbridge City Hall 4640 North Henry Blvd. Levi Meeting Room Stockbridge, GA 30281
Bylaws of the Development Authority of the City of Stockbridge

ARTICLE I
NAME

The name of the Authority shall be the Development Authority of the City of Stockbridge or Citywide
Development Authority, (the “Authority”).
ARTICLE II
PURPOSE AND POWER

Section 2.1. Purpose. The Authority is a “public body, corporate and politic” instrumentality and political
subdivision of the State of Georgia established pursuant to the authority of the Official Code of Georgia,
Annotated, §36-62-1, et seq., as amended, and by resolution duly adopted on April 12, 2021 by the Mayor
and Council of the City of Stockbridge, Georgia (“City of Stockbridge”). The purpose of the Authority shall
be to develop and promote, for the public good and general welfare, trade, commerce, industry and
employment opportunities within the City of Stockbridge.

Section 2.2. Powers. The powers and duties of the Authority shall be those granted by the Constitution and
laws of the State of Georgia. The Authority shall have the power to make such rules, regulations and policies
consistent with state law as expressly provided under O.C.G.A. § 36-62-6 et seq and as incorporated
herein.

ARTICLE III
BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Section 3.1. Membership. The Board of Directors (the “Board”) of the Authority shall be composed of
seven (7) members, each of whom shall be a taxpayer residing in the City of Stockbridge and none of
whom shall be a member of the governing body of the City.

Section 3.2. Terms. The initial terms of office of the Board shall be staggered to include four (4) members
to serve an initial term of two (2) years and three (3) members to serve an initial term of four (4) years.
Thereafter, any succeeding Board member shall serve a term of four (4) years as set forth by Law. If, at
the end of any term of office of any Board member, a successor thereto has not been elected, the Board
members whose term of office has expired shall continue to hold office until his or her successor is so
elected as provided under the Development Authorities Law (O.C.G.A. § 36-62-4 et. seq.).

Section 3.3. Reimbursement. The Board shall receive no compensation for their services but shall be
reimbursed for their actual expenses incurred in the performance of their duties.

Section 3.4. Vacancies. A vacancy on the Board shall exist in the event of any member of the Board being
convicted of a felony, or a member being convicted of a crime which involves moral turpitude or entering a
plea of nolo contendere thereto; who fails to attend three (3) consecutive regular meetings of the Authority
without an excused approval by the Board Chairperson. A vacancy on the Board shall also exist in the
event of death, resignation, or relocation of a member outside of the City of Stockbridge, Georgia area. A
vacancy shall be filled by an appointment by resolution of the Mayor and Council of the City.

ARTICLE IV
MEETINGS

Section 4.1. Regular Meetings. Regular meetings shall be determined by the resolution of the
Authority. Unless otherwise suspended by action of the Board, meetings shall be held not less than
once per quarter. Notice of meetings shall be given in accordance with the Georgia Open Meetings
Act, O.C.G.A. § 50-14-1, et seq.

Section 4.2. Special Meetings. Special meetings may be called by the Chairperson or any three members
of the Board. Notice of any special meeting shall be given in accordance with the Georgia Open Meetings
Act, O.C.G.A. § 50-14-1, et seq. at such place within the City of Stockbridge, Georgia, as shall be specified
in the notice of such meeting.
Section 4.3. Notice of Meetings. Notice of regular meetings, including the time and place therefore, shall
be provided to the members at least two business days ahead of the scheduled meeting. Notice of special
meetings must be provided no less than twenty-four (24) hours before the start of the meeting. Public notice
of all meetings must be made in accordance with the appropriate provisions of the Georgia Open Meetings
Act (O.C.G.A. § 50-14-1 et. seq.).

Section 4.4. Notice of Special Meetings. Notice of special meetings may be either oral or written. Oral notice
may be delivered personally or by telephone and shall be given at least twenty-four (24) hours prior to the
time of the meeting. Written notice may be sent by mail or electronic mail or delivered personally. If delivered
personally or by electronic mail, such notice shall be delivered twenty-four (24) hours prior to the time of
the meeting. If written notice is sent by mail, such notice shall be mailed three (3) days prior to the time of
the meeting. Unless specified otherwise, any notice hereinafter called for in these by-laws shall be given
as specified in this section. No notice of a meeting needs to be given to the Board unless such the Board
states an objection to the place and time of the meeting. The Board may object to the manner in which a
meeting has been called or convened or to the transaction of business. No notice shall be required by the
Board if at any time before or after the meeting, such notice was waived in writing.

Section 4.5. Quorum. Four (4) members or a majority of the directors, including either the Chairperson
or Vice-Chairperson to preside, at a meeting duly assembled and present to vote, shall constitute a
quorum for the transaction of business. However, no action may be taken by the board without the
affirmative vote of a majority of the full membership of the board. If at any meeting of the Authority
there shall be less than a quorum, a majority of those present may adjourn and or postpone the
meeting to another date, time place without further notice, subject to all requirements of these bylaws
and the Open Meetings Law. This Authority shall also comply with any additional requirements of the
Open Meetings Law pertaining to its minutes.

Section 4.6. Executive Session. For the purposes of these bylaws the terms executive meeting(s) or
session(s) and/or executive meeting(s) or session(s) shall mean one and the same. The Chairperson may
call for an executive session of the Authority only from within an open meeting, and no additional notice is
required.

Section 4.7. Scope of Executive Sessions. Consistent with the scope detailed under O.C.G.A. §50-14-3(6)
and §50-14- 1(d)(l) of the Open Meetings Act, the Board may enter into Executive Session if authorized by
the majority of a quorum to (1) consult and meet with legal counsel pertaining to pending or potential
litigation, settlement, claims, administrative proceedings, or other judicial actions pending or threatened by
or against the Authority, or any of the members of the Board in their official capacity as Board members;
(2) discuss the acquisition of real estate; (3) discuss or deliberate upon personnel matters; or (4) for any
other reason recognized by the Open Meetings Act.

Section 4.8. Procedures. Executive sessions shall be closed to the public. Any resolution, rule, regulation,
ordinance, or other official action of an agency adopted, taken, or made at a meeting which is not open to
the public as required by O.C.G.A. §50-14-1, et seq., shall not be binding. Voting on issues discussed in
executive session shall only be made binding by a vote in an open meeting.

Section 4.9. Ex officio members. The Authority may include in its meetings and activities persons
known as Ex officio members who shall be non-voting members representing governments, agencies
or institutions in Henry County. Ex officio members may participate in Authority discussions and
activities, provide reports from their respective agencies, and serve on Authority committees, subject
to approval by the Chairperson. The Authority may create or disband Ex officio memberships as
deemed necessary. Ex officio members are afforded regular participation in the Authority's public
meetings and thereby contribute information and exercise influence in these discussions. As such, Ex
officio Members shall agree to be bound as are Directors by the rules as they apply regarding Conflicts
of Interest and Confidentiality as recorded in these Bylaws.

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ARTICLE V
OFFICERS

Section 5.1. Election. The directors shall elect from one of their number a Chairperson, a Vice
Chairperson, a Secretary, a Recording Secretary, a Treasurer and a Sergeant-at-Arms. The Treasurer
and the Recording Secretary may be, but need not be, a director. A meeting shall be held during the
month of December of each year for the purpose of electing new officers for the following twelve {12)
months. Notice of the time and place of such meeting shall be given by the retiring Chairperson as
provided for herein for regular meetings.

Section 5 . 2 . Term and Removal. All officers will serve one-year terms, with no limits on the number of
terms they may serve. All officers shall be elected by and serve at the discretion of the directors
and any officer may be removed from office, either with or without cause, at any time, by the
affirmative vote of the majority of the directors of the authority then in office. A vacancy in any office
because of death, resignation, removal, disqualification or otherwise, shall be filled by the directors
for the unexpired portion of the term. Resignations shall be submitted in writing to the Chairperson.

Section 5.3. Duties of Chairperson. The Chairperson shall be responsible for directing all Board affairs and
shall preside at all meetings of the Board. He or she may sign any documents, which have been authorized
by the Board or are required by law to be signed or executed. In general, he or she shall perform all duties
incident to the office of Chairperson and such other duties as may be prescribed by the Board from time to
time. The Chairperson of the Authority shall be entitled to vote only in the event of a tie. The Chairperson
shall appoint committees and committee chairpersons as may be necessary. The Chairperson shall be a
member of all committees. The Chairperson, or its designee, shall be responsible to the City Council for
reports and information on the Authority.

Section 5.4. Duties of Vice Chairperson. In the absence of the Chairperson, or in the event of his or her
inability or refusal to act, as determined by a majority of the members present at a meeting at which a
quorum is present, the Vice Chairperson shall perform the duties of the Chairperson and when so acting,
shall have all the powers of and be subject to all the restrictions upon the Chairperson. The Vice
Chairperson shall perform such other duties as from time to time may be assigned to him or her by the
Chairperson.

Section 5.5. Duties of Secretary. The Secretary shall act as custodian of Authority records, books, as well
as the Seal of the Authority. The Secretary shall affix the Authority seal to any lawfully executed documents
requiring it and shall attest to the signature of the Chairperson and/or the Vice Chairperson of the Authority
who are authorized to execute documents of the Authority. The Secretary shall maintain a current list of the
names, addressed and telephone numbers of the Chairperson, Vice Chairperson, the officers, and legal
counsel. The Secretary shall give appropriate notices in accordance with the bylaws and as required by
law. .

Section 5.6. Duties of Recording Secretary. The Recording Secretary shall attend meetings for the purpose
of recording the minutes of such meetings. The Recording Secretary need not be a member of the board.
If a non-member, the Recording Secretary shall not have any of the powers, rights, or duties of directors.

Section 5.7. Duties of Treasurer. The treasurer shall be the chief financial officer and custodian of the
funds of the Authority and shall supervise the collection of monies due to the Authority, the expenditures of
the Authority funds, and the preparation and maintenance of appropriate books of accounts including banks,
trust companies and any other depositories institutions. The Treasurer shall have the responsibility of
keeping an accurate list and descriptions of all financial records, accounts, properties and business
transactions of the Authority. The Treasurer shall receive and give receipts for monies due and payable to
the Authority from any source. The Treasurer shall make or cause to be made such disbursements as the
Authority may direct and to see to the proper drafting of all checks, drafts, notes and order for the payment
of the money as required in the business of the Authority and as the Authority may direct. The Treasurer
shall oversee development of the Annual Budget. The Treasurer shall cause an Annual Audit of the books

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Stockbridge Development Authority
Bylaw 2023
of the Authority to be made by the firm that audits the books of the City of Stockbridge and present such
audit to the Boards members of the Authority. A copy of the audit shall be filed with the state Auditor, if
necessary, to comply with Local Government Financial Standards Act (Georgia Laws, 1980, p. 1738). The
Treasurer shall make reports to the Authority as to its financial condition. The Treasurer shall make available
all financial information of the Authority to the Mayor and Council of Stockbridge, Georgia. In general, the
Treasurer shall perform all duties usually incident to the office of Treasurer and such other duties as may
be prescribed by the members of the Authority from time to time. The Treasurer need not be a of the board.
If a non-member, the Treasurer will not have any of the powers, rights, or duties of the Board.

Section 5.8. Duties of Sergeant at Arms. Sergeant at Arms is the chief bylaws enforcement and protocol
officer of the Authority and is responsible for order and efficiency during meetings. The Sergeant at Arms
reviews and implements all issues relating to the safety and security of the Authority members and meeting
environments. The Sergeant-at-Arms shall have the responsibility to verify attendance and compliance with
“Open Meeting" Laws and quorums at meetings. If the Authority votes by raised hands, the sergeant-at-
arms counts the hands; if the Authority votes by ballot, the Sergeant-at-Arms will distribute, collect and
count the ballots.

Section 5.9. External Advisors. The Board may appoint professional advisors such as engineers, attorneys,
fiscal agents, accountants, and employees and may assign such duties as are necessary to accomplish
the purpose of the Authority. Professional advisors and legal counsel serve at the pleasure of the Authority
and may be dismissed by a majority vote of the Board. The Board may provide for their compensation and
duties.

Section 5.10. Subcommittees. Standing or special subcommittees of the Board may be created as deemed
appropriate by the Chairperson or a majority of the members of the Board. The Authority may appoint
members of the subcommittees such as individuals who live or work in the City of Stockbridge as the
Authority deems appropriate and such members do not have to be members of the Authority. The
subcommittee shall serve in an advisory capacity to the Authority. The Chairperson of the Authority shall
choose from among the members of each subcommittee a person to serve as chairperson of that
subcommittee. The chairperson of each subcommittee shall serve a term assigned by a majority of the
Board and be eligible for reappointment. Each subcommittee shall make reports of its activities to the
Authority as the Chairperson or the Board requests.

ARTICLE VI
CONFLICT OF INTEREST AND CODE OF ETHICS

Section 6.1. Code of ethics: The provisions of Georgia Code of ethics for members of boards, commissions,
and authorities (O.C.G.A. Code Sections 45-10-3 and 45-10-4) shall apply to all Board members of the
authority. No member or employee of the Authority shall have, directly or indirectly, any financial interest,
profit, or benefit, in any contract work or business of the Authority, nor in the sale, lease, or purchase of any
property to or from the Authority. Should one or more members or employees have acquired, prior to their
affiliation with the Authority, property located in an area in which the Authority is undertaking to implement
a development plan, and the Authority wishes to purchase or otherwise acquire such property from the
employee or member, then in such event, the sale or transfer of such property, upon full disclosure of the
employee or member's interest in property, shall not be deemed a violation of this Article. In addition to the
foregoing, the members of the Authority may by resolution adopt a conflict of interest and ethics policy that
incorporates a Code of Ethics appropriately similar to those maintained by the State of Georgia and/or City.
For purposes of clarification, the members and employees of the Authority shall be required to comply with
applicable provision of the laws of the State of Georgia as such relate to conflicts of interest and ethics.

ARTICLE Vll
FISCAL YEAR

Section 7.1. Time. The fiscal year of the Authority shall begin on the first day of January of each year and
end on the last day of December of each year.

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Section 7.2. Annual Audit. The Treasurer of the Development Authority shall cause an annual audit of the
books of the Authority to be made by the firm that audits the books of the City of Stockbridge and present
such audit to the Board members of the Authority. An audited financial statement shall be provided to the
City of Stockbridge fiscal officer, within six months of the end of the previous fiscal year. A copy of the audit
shall be filed with the State Auditor; if necessary, to comply with the Local Government Financial
Management Standards Act. (Georgia Laws, 1980, p. 1738).

ARTICLE VIII
BYLAWS, SEAL AND POLICIES

Section 8.1. Establishment of Bylaws. These bylaws are established pursuant to further efficiency and
operation of the Authority and shall become effective upon a majority vote of the members of the Board
provided, however, that as and to the extent of any inconsistency between the provisions of these bylaws
and state law, the provisions of state law shall prevail.

Section 8.2. Rules, Regulations and Policies. The Board shall have the power and authority to make such
rules, regulations, and policies consistent with state law as said Board may deem expedient concerning the
purpose of the Authority provided for by state law.

Section 8.3. Seal. The Seal of the Authority shall consist of an impression bearing the name "
“Development Authority of the City of Stockbridge, Georgia" around the perimeter and the word "SEAL"
and the year of activation in the center thereof. In lieu thereof, the Authority may use an impression
or writing bearing the word "SEAL" enclosed in parentheses or scroll, which shall also be deemed the
seal of the Authority.

ARTICLE IX
LEGAL AND FINANCIAL AUTHORITY TO ACT

Section 9.1. Finances. All funds of the Authority shall be deposited into a bank account or depository
as designated by the Authority. All funds must remain in the care and custody of the Treasurer or
Chairperson until such bank deposit occurs.

Section 9.2. Execution of Notes, Drafts, and Checks. All drafts, checks, etc. drawn against accounts
of the Authority shall be approved by the Board and signed by the Chairperson or the Vice Chairperson
or Treasurer.

Section 9.3. Bookkeeping. The Treasurer shall keep regular books of accounts showing receipts and
expenditures and shall render to the members of the Board of the Authority and the Mayor and City
Council for the City of Stockbridge, at least quarterly, an account of Authority transactions, and also
of the financial condition of the Authority.

Section 9.4. Contracts and legal Instruments. When necessary and proper for carrying into execution
the powers and purposes set forth under O.C.G.A. § 36-62-6 et seq, contracts and other instruments
to be executed by the Authority shall be signed by, unless otherwise required by law, the chairperson,
and the secretary.

Section 9.5. Financial Obligations and Expenditures. When necessary and proper for carrying into
execution the powers and purposes set forth in the Development Authorities Law pursuant to O.C.G.A.
§ 36-62-6 et seq, the Board may authorize by majority vote, in writing, any officer or City of Stockbridge
personnel to execute financial transactions and undertake financial obligations required for operations
of the business of the Authority. The Authority will employ the use of signed vouchers for disbursement
of funds.

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Section 9.6. Conveyance of Title. Upon the action of the Authority resolving to convey title or take title
to real property, the signature of the Chairperson as well as the signature of the Secretary shall be
required.
ARTICLE X
AMENDMENTS

Section 10.1. Amendments. The by-laws of the Authority shall be amended, revised, suspended or
released by a majority vote of at least five (5) members of the Board who must be present to vote. Notice
of proposed amendments shall be submitted in writing via certified mail or by electronic mail to
each member of the Board at least ten (10) days prior to such meeting at which such proposed
amendment(s) shall be presented. The notice must include a fair statement of what amendment or revision
is proposed.

ARTICLE XI
ATTENDANCE

Section 11.1. Attendance. In the event of a state of emergency or emergency conditions, the Authority may
call a virtual teleconference meeting pursuant to Section 4.1, as provided herein. The Authority may meet
by virtual teleconference, so long as the notice requirements are adhered to according to the Georgia Open
Meetings Act under O.C.G.A. § 50-14-1 et. seq. The Authority shall afford means for the public to have
simultaneous access to the teleconference meeting. Emergency conditions shall include but are not limited
to, a threat to public safety, a threat to the preservation of property, or a threat to public services. If the
Authority meets in-person, and any one member of the Board suffers from an emergency condition, and if
no undue burden is presented, there may be an option for a hybrid, virtual teleconference and in-person
meeting.

The foregoing Bylaws were adopted by the Development Authority of the City of Stockbridge this _____ day of
____________2023.

Chairperson of the Authority

Secretary of the Authority

Page 6 of 6
Stockbridge Development Authority
Bylaw 2023
CITY OF
STOCKBRIDGE
PRESENTATION
MARCH 14, 2023

PREPARED BY JECORPHOTO.COM
About Us Timeline

Table Of Project
Overview/Goal
Service
Agreement

Content Project Description
Contact Us

Budget
Breakdown
JECORPHOTO.COM

About Us
Jecor Photography LLC is full service photography &
videography agency serving Central Georgia & Alabama for
over a decade. Our expertise extends to Corporate
Branding Videos & Photos, single-camera location shoots,
multi-camera broadcast events, web streaming, & studio
interviews.
Project Overview/Goal
The goal of this project is to produce engaging promotional videos highlighting the
prominent sites and areas of the City of Stockbridge and explaining benefits of why to
invest in the city.

We will produce:
A. (1) One Minute Highlight Video including Drone Footage, BRoll, and
Voiceover to be used on Website/YouTube.
B. (1) 3-5 Video including highlight and Testimonial Interviews of
Current Stockbridge Business Owners/Development Board
Members/City Manager/ED Director and/or Elected Officials.

All deliverables will be exported in industry standard digital formats.
PROJECT DESCRIPTION

Planning
Planning for this project consists of the City of Stockbridge
providing script of for Voice-Over and Identifying Key Areas &
People that will be featured.

Pre-Production
Pre-Production scouting of locations & coordination production
dates for testimonials.

Production
This will be a two day production. Day 1 will consist of filming
each designated location. Day 2 will consist of filming each
designated testimonial.

Post-Production
Post-Production consists of editing footage, syncing
audio, color correction, creating graphics if needed and
exporting.
JECORPHOTO.COM

PRE-PRODUCTION Scouting Sites, Scheduling $250
Testimonials, Project Coordination

Budget
PRODUCTION 2 Days of Recording, Voice-Over with
Full Commercial Rights, Lighting, Audio
$2650 Breakdown
Total for this Project is

POST-PRODUCTION
$4150
Editing, Color Grading, Audio Mixing $1250
Timeline
This Project Should be Delivered with in
14-21 days.

Day 1 - Planning Coordinating
Day 3 - Receive Script & Designated Areas/Interviewees
Day 4 - Record of Designated Areas
Day 5 - Record Interviews/Testimonials
Day 6 - Post Production Starts. This process is 7-10 Days.
Day 12 - Review Project for Corrections/Approval
Day 14 - Deliver Final Edits
SAMPLE VIDEO #1
Contact Us Website : www.jecorphoto.com

Email : info@jecorphoto.com
Thank you for the opportunity to
Address : 944 Marietta Street #2 Atl, GA
present we look forward to working with
you on this project. Phone : 205-4567-4618
Gobi Photography and Video Proposal

I. Introduction
We are Gobi Photography and Video. We have 15 years’ experience in photography and video. We
specialize in commercial videography and photography.

II. Problem/Opportunity
Video is a powerful medium that can solve a variety of problems for individuals, businesses, and
organizations. Here are some common problems that video can help solve:

1. Lack of engagement: Video is a highly engaging medium that can capture the viewer's attention
and keep them interested in the content being presented. This is especially important in a world
where attention spans are getting shorter and shorter.
2. Limited reach: Video can help businesses and organizations reach a wider audience by leveraging
the power of the internet and social media. By creating and sharing compelling videos, you can
expand your reach and connect with people who may not have heard of your brand or message
otherwise.
3. Lack of understanding: Video is a great tool for explaining complex concepts or ideas in a way
that is easy to understand.
4. Lack of authenticity: Video can help businesses and organizations build trust and credibility by
showcasing the people and processes behind the brand. By featuring real employees, customers,
or partners in your videos, you can create a more authentic and relatable brand image.
5. Inability to create an emotional connection: Video is a powerful tool for creating an emotional
connection with your audience. By using storytelling techniques, music, and other elements, you
can create videos that resonate with viewers on a deeper level and inspire them to take action.

Overall, video can solve a wide range of problems and help businesses and organizations achieve their
goals in a more engaging and effective way. We can prepare a video that will educate and promote the
city and development authority.

III. Proposed Solution
Our proposal includes a short promotional video and a longer video that can provide a more in-depth
explanation of your services as well as promote the organization and city.

IV. Services and Deliverables
• We expect to allocate 1-2 days to filming, with alternate dates for inclement weather.
• Incorporate existing archival footage from past events.
• Aerial video and photography
• Office interviews as required.
• Consultations to discuss video development, objectives, scripts, and storyboard.
• Below is our quote. We are happy to further discuss the purpose and deliverables to provide
you with the best product and solution possible.

Package 1: 3-5 Minute Video ($3,500)
• Up to 8 hours of filming on location

Gobi Photography and Video Proposal

• Professional video editing
• Custom graphics and animations
• Royalty-free music and sound effects
• Up to 3 rounds of revisions
• Delivery in 1080p HD format
• Up to 2 interviews or voiceovers

Package 2: 1-Minute Video ($1,500)
• Up to 4 hours of filming on location
• Professional video editing
• Custom graphics and animations
• Royalty-free music and sound effects
• Up to 2 rounds of revisions
• Delivery in 1080p HD format
• Up to 2 interviews or voiceovers

Additional Services:

• Additional filming hours: $250/hour
• Additional interviews or voiceovers: $150 each
• Please note that the above package prices are based on a single day of filming. Additional days
will incur extra fees.

V. Investment/Costs
Our initial estimate for this project is $5,000. $1.500 for the short promotional video, and $3,500 for the
longer 3–5-minute video.

VI. Conclusion
Thank you for considering our videography services for your project. We are excited about the
opportunity to work with you and create a high-quality video that meets your needs.

I would be happy to discuss this proposal in more detail and answer any questions you may have. I look
forward to the opportunity to work with you and bring your vision to life.

Roger and Charlene Sibaja
Gobi Photography and Video

To
The City of Stockbridge
Citywide Developmental Authority
C/O Samantha Samuels

Date : March 14th, 2023

Proposal for a 1-minute promotional video.

This proposal includes the following:
B-roll footage of the city space
Drone footage of the city space
Video editing (with or without visual words)
Background music
Voiceover
Travel

Estimated total is $850.00 subject to change based on the specific details.

Ezron Benjamin
Manager

P.O. Box 802, Marietta, Ga 30061
media@ezzyspotlight.com EzzySpotlight.com
STRATEGIC
VISIONING

CITY OF TUCKER
DOWNTOWN DEVELOPMENT
AUTHORITY
TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. INTRODUCTION + BACKGROUND | 3
2. VISIONING SESSIONS | 9
3. COMMUNICATION + COLLABORATION | 14
4. DOWNTOWN DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY
TOOLBOX | 18
5. ADDENDUM: JOINT SESSION
DOWNTOWN DEVELOPMENT
AUTHORITY/MAYOR & CITY COUNCIL | 18
1. INTRODUCTION + BACKGROUND
INTRODUCTION
About the Team

The Enterprise Innovation Institute (EI2) is Georgia Tech’s chief CEDR’s economic development team are experts with decades of
business outreach and economic development organization. Since experience in advising economic development and community
its inception in 1960, its core mission is to help business, industry, leaders on how to stay competitive in an ever-changing global
entrepreneurs, and economic developers across Georgia grow and economy. CEDR’s staff includes:
remain competitive. EI2 continues Georgia Tech’s more than 60-year
legacy of commitment to community economic development by • Economists
providing research and technical assistance to support economic • City Planners
development efforts in communities in Georgia and around the world. • Economic Development Finance Professionals
• Downtown Development Specialists
• Public Policy Researchers

The expertise of the CEDR team is concentrated in the areas of
strategic planning, organizational development, labor market and
workforce analysis, facilitation, research, and economic and fiscal
impact analyses. All have a depth of experience performing applied
research for the economic development community. When needed,
staff can supplement their skills by calling on Georgia Tech academic
The Center for Economic faculty to assist in specific research projects. Through their research,
Development Research (CEDR) is an CEDR helps their clients understand the opportunities and challenges
applied economic development unit in fostering local and regional economic development.
of EI². CEDR assists local elected
officials, economic developers, policy For purposes of this report, the research team at CEDR will simply be
referred to as “Georgia Tech”.
makers, and community and state
leaders who seek innovative tools
and methods to leverage their local
advantage and quality of life for their
residents by attracting, maintaining,
and growing business and industry
within their areas.

Project Overview

Georgia Tech is pleased to present this report assisting the City of
Tucker Downtown Development Authority in their pursuit of strategic
visioning and planning services. As an EDA University Center,
Georgia Tech has supported economic development efforts across
Georgia for decades, including research, facilitation, technical and
management expertise. These services are available through its
headquarters in Atlanta, GA and a network of regional offices located
throughout the state.

Recognizing some of the challenges of being a Downtown
Development Authority (DDA) formed just several years ago, but also
some of the opportunities, the City of Tucker DDA initiated Strategic
Visioning process to better understand how the DDA can work more
efficiently for the betterment of the city. The DDA will use this
Visioning process to lay the groundwork for its own strategic
planning.

This Strategic Visioning project consisted of four fundamental tasks:
(1) project kick off, (2) review of recent initiatives, (3) strategic
visioning sessions, and (4) creation of outcome-based findings to
Impact of the Georgia Tech’s CEDR team across Georgia.
address the DDA’s short and long-term economic and community
Source: http://cedr.gatech.edu/projects/ development planning goals.

Visioning Process

Georgia Tech used an established strategic planning process for this
visioning project, guided by research to gain the greatest understanding
The Tucker DDA and Georgia Tech held a
of the challenges and opportunities facing the Tucker DDA. Georgia
kickoff call on September 15th, 2020 to
Tech focused on identifying common themes based on its research and review the visioning process goals for the
feedback from the three (3) visioning sessions. Based on staff expertise 1. Kick Off DDA and establish the project timeline.
in strategic planning and hands-on experience with downtown Meeting
development authorities, Georgia Tech developed a practical “toolbox” to
inform the DDA on how it should focus its community and economic
development efforts.
During November 2020, Georgia Tech
Georgia Tech worked with leadership from across the City of Tucker’s reviewed several plans and studies
conducted on behalf of the City of Tucker.
local government to develop its approach. These studies provided valuable insight into
current conditions and challenges facing the
2. Review of city, as well as valuable insight into the city’s
Recent Studies economic and community development
goals.

Georgia Tech worked with the DDA to hold
three virtual strategic visioning sessions
focused on identifying the DDA’s biggest
challenges, and opportunities for creating the
most economic prosperity in the City of
3. Strategic Tucker. These sessions led to the creation of
Visioning a working vision and mission for the DDA.

After a review of the plans and studies and
distilling the outcomes from the visioning
sessions, Georgia Tech identified a “toolbox”
of programs and initiatives the DDA can use
4. The DDA in building its brand and value to the
Toolbox community.

Image: Outdoor dining on Main St. in the City of Tucker
Source: @CityofTucker Twitter page

History Purpose of the DDA

The City of Tucker was incorporated in 2016, but it wasn’t until 2019 that Downtown Development Authorities
the City of Tucker’s DDA was established. The Tucker DDA consists of a
seven-member board. Typically, the connotation of a “downtown DDAs serve an important role in local community and economic
development authority” gives the impression that the organization would development. Authorized by the state and activated through the local
only work within the extent of Main Street. However, the City of Tucker’s community (usually through a resolution), DDAs can be used as the
DDA boundaries (shown in blue) extend well beyond Main Street to the financial vehicles to facilitate projects on behalf of the local
Pittsburg neighborhood to the north, along the length of the government.
Lawrenceville Highway corridor running east-west, and the Mountain
Industrial area, south to East Ponce de Leon Avenue to Stone Mountain. Georgia’s Downtown Development Authority Law (O.C.G.A. 36-42-1
through 36-42-16) allows municipalities to activate a downtown
development authority for the purposes of revitalizing and
redeveloping central business districts.

For DDAs to be effective, they must remain active and file appropriate
paperwork annually with the State of Georgia. Inactivity from DDAs
can be a potential barrier to new business development in a city’s
downtown and commercial corridors.

DDAs are authorized to exercise financial flexibility for economic
development purposes and are primarily focused on the revitalization
of the central business district (e.g., Main Street). Examples of the
tools they may use include:

• Property tax incentives1
• Revenue bonds and notes
• Infrastructure upgrades
• Ad valorem tax incentives
• Own/lease/sell property

Image: City of Tucker Downtown Development Authority Boundary

Local Organizations

Community Improvement Districts (CIDs)
While the roles and responsibilities of these organizations were
Prior to its incorporation, the City of Tucker already had several discussed during the visioning process, it may still benefit the DDA to
entities in place to fund improvement projects in the area: the Tucker- further clarify their purpose and roles in the city. This includes
Northlake Community Improvement District (CID), established in considering:
2013, and the Tucker Summit CID established in 2011 (formerly the
Stone Mountain CID). CIDs and DDAs are entities that have certain • Why does the organization exist?
legal capabilities to facilitate various projects and developments in a • What are the kinds of projects they pursue?
community. These entities are uniquely positioned to work together • How can the DDA be an effective partner to this organization?
to accomplish tasks for the overall betterment of the city and will be
addressed in further detail later in this report. Recognizing the value and function that these organizations provide
to the city, elements of the DDA’s five-year work plan could be
Nonprofit + Community Organizations assigned to the appropriate volunteer groups. For example, the
As a widely recognized and well-established community, Tucker has Tucker DDA is already responsible for downtown development efforts
many dedicated volunteers from the community to help activate and and should be encouraged to meet and partner with the Old Town
improve the downtown area. The framework of community volunteer Tucker Merchants Association. The DDA could partner with the
organizations with energetic and engaged citizens already exists, and Tucker Rotary club to explore establishing an Adopt-A-Highway
the DDA recognizes that it’s important their work continue. program, constructing attractive gateway entrances into the city, or
raising private funds to sponsor a new downtown park. There could
be opportunities for the DDA to facilitate new or existing volunteer
groups to address other initiatives, like downtown beautification
projects, music, a farmer’s market, or public art/mural installations.

Image Sources: City of Tucker community organizations (l-r: Friends of Kelly Cofer Park, Main St. Theatre, and Henderson Park Community Garden).
https://www.tuckerga.gov/community/community_organizations/index.php

2. VISIONING SESSIONS
VISIONING SESSIONS “It’s important to create a shared
Introduction
vision for the City of Tucker Downtown
Development Authority so that they
The cornerstone of any organizational planning effort, visioning is the can effectively communicate their role
process of defining the future of what an organization “wants to be” – its and responsibilities to the community
destination or strategic direction. An effective vision statement and be an effective organization
encapsulates the organization’s purpose and presents a clear picture of
long-term success and why it matters. Most importantly, a vision should be moving forward.” – Georgia Tech
memorable and make a lasting impact to those inside and outside of the
organization. Supporting the vision statement is the organization’s mission,
which states the action steps that the organization will take to achieve its During this session, the group was asked to take a short survey in the
vision. online application Mentimeter for Georgia Tech to get a better
understanding of some of the perceptions of the DDA and how
The Tucker DDA came together over three separate visioning sessions with economic development is currently handled in the community.
members of the Tucker City Council and local government to define the
DDA’s vision and mission. Georgia Tech facilitated the following sessions: In response to how the city approaches economic development,
respondents described it as slow, cautious, and lacking direction.
• Visioning Session #1: November 18th, 2020 Yet, respondents also saw the untapped potential of the DDA whose
• Visioning Session #2: December 16th, 2020 members have the skills and ability to change some of these views.
• Visioning Session #3: January 7th, 2021
In terms of projects that the DDA should be focusing on, a variety of
answers were presented at that time:

A DDA is a major decision-making and • Parcel assembly and underutilized properties that will
benefit city growth
project-driven entity that plans and • Downtown redevelopment
manages the downtown business district. • “Non-organic” growth (i.e., identifying businesses that may
not otherwise locate in Tucker without location assistance)
• Affordable housing options
• Quality of life projects to keep downtown active and
Visioning Session #1: Getting to Know You thriving
At this opening session with the DDA (seven members) and their partners • Redeveloping Lawrenceville Highway (beyond Main St.)
(12 total City Council, city staff, and CID representatives), Georgia Tech • Activating downtown alleys
introduced the visioning process, its purpose, and ground rules for • Working in accordance with adopted plans
participation. The purpose of the first session was to get a better • Establishing development “zones”
understanding of the DDA – the talents that comprise the board, the • Working in partnership with CIDs, City Council, and city staff
relationships and dynamics between the DDA and other city organizations,
their process for conducting business as a board, some of the challenges
that they currently face, goals they want to achieve, and opportunities to
create a stronger downtown development authority in the City of Tucker.
10
Visioning Sessions

The DDA plays either a lead role or secondary role in many of the city’s
recent plans and studies, as shown below. But without clear direction
or an implementation strategy with other responsible city entities, the
Key Questions Raised in Visioning…
DDA is unable to prioritize the tasks in these plans.
“How do we get the group moving?”
Georgia Tech recommended that the DDA meet to review these plans
and studies and identify the tasks that are within their purview, and then
meet with City Council and the CIDs to ensure that everyone is working
“What tools does the DDA have in its
together and moving in the same direction. toolbox?”
By the end of this session, it was clear that the DDA faced three main “How do we get on the same page?”
challenges: 1) lack of strategic direction, 2) communication and
workflow, and 3) project execution. Together, these challenges stem
from a lack of vision. Once the DDA has its vision in place, it can begin
to remedy its current challenges and begin to move forward.

Recent Plans + Studies
Study Date Purpose Responsible Parties
Comprehensive Plan 2018 To serve as a “travel guide” for the community’s journey City Manager, Mayor/City Council, County,
toward the future of its choice. CID, CD/ED Staff, GIS, Parks
Downtown Master Plan 2019 20-year blueprint for the growth and redevelopment of Tucker-Northlake CID, “City” (entity not
Tucker’s downtown. specified)
Strategic Transportation Master Plan 2019 Analysis of existing and future transportation needs and DeKalb County Roads Dept., Georgia DOT
identifies policies, projects and programs to remedy
transportation issues and meet future needs throughout
the City.
Trail Master Plan 2019 To evaluate opportunities for trail connectivity, as well as Friends of Tucker Parks
new trails in the City of Tucker.
Historic Resource Report 2019 Establish a baseline document that lists Tucker’s historic Tucker Historical Society, Tucker Summit
resources as well as a history of the area. CID, Friends of Tucker Parks
Downtown Tucker Grid Plan 2020 To utilize existing alleys and uncover historic alleys to Tucker-Northlake CID
provide quality public space and accessibility that is safer
for pedestrians spending time downtown.

11
Visioning Sessions

Visioning Session #2: Who Do We Want to Be?
During its second session, the group explored what they desired their Several concerns were raised during this session, including the
future to look like, and their role in the future development of the city. existing perception that the DDA can only work in downtown, when
The goal of this meeting was to brainstorm a “living vision” which can in fact, the DDA can work on projects throughout the city. To
grow and change as the DDA evolves and gains more experience and overcome that perception, the DDA should be marketing and
trust. positioning itself as a valued partner to the city, with the financial
tools and legal authority to execute projects that are unique to a
The central question presented at this meeting to drive creation of DDA. However, the DDA needs initial “seed” resources to begin to
the vision statement was: “How can the DDA help to make downtown establish itself as a valued asset to the community.
Tucker the best it can be?” The participants also expressed a need
for strategic direction in order to activate and utilize the full powers of Georgia Tech recommended that the DDA’s next steps should
the DDA. From the previous visioning session, it was noted that the include a board work session to review all recently completed
DDA can start by identifying and prioritizing projects from the city’s plans and studies to identify priority tasks, timelines, identify
recently completed plans and studies as the lead or co-lead, in staff/support to execute projects, and budgets. After this work
communication with City Council, the CIDs, and other city entities, as session, it was recommended that the DDA hold a work session
appropriate. with City Council and the CIDs to come to a consensus on these
activities and prioritize short/medium/long-term projects and
For example, the DDA can align with and support five key goals from budgets for completing the work.
the Comprehensive Plan (adopted prior to the DDA’s formation):

1. Enhance Downtown
2. Improve Transportation Connections
3. Preserve and Improve Neighborhoods
4. Strengthen Rec and Community Resources
5. Bolster the Economic Base

Tucker DDA Vision Statement

The Tucker Downtown Development Authority is a quasi-governmental organization that values
investing in and fostering community development projects that result in the long-term vitality of
commercial areas throughout the City of Tucker.

12
Visioning Sessions

Visioning Session #3: How Do We Get There?
During this final visioning session, the group built on the vision
statement created in the previous session and created action steps Mission: The Tucker Downtown Development
to achieve their vision. These steps are included in the DDA’s Authority will fulfill its vision in the following ways:
mission statement and support the vision by communicating the
actionable ways that the DDA will “get there,” or achieve its vision.
1. Partnering with and assisting the City and the
Based on three primary areas of concern identified throughout the CIDs in key development projects by using the full
visioning process, the DDA developed actions that would address powers and authority of the DDA.
the following:

2. Identifying new business locations using tools to
utilize real estate parcels, vacant commercial
buildings, find niche markets for businesses, and
create a feedback mechanism to better understand
the needs of local businesses.

3. Forming collaborative partnerships with the City
Council, the CIDs, and other organizations to fund
projects that better the City of Tucker.

4. Growing Tucker by facilitating assistance to local
businesses through marketing, promotion,
investment, and partnership.

5. Improving commercial corridors through
proactive DDA-established improvement programs.

13
3. COMMUNICATION + COLLABORATION
COMMUNICATION + COLLABORATION Know Your Role:
Introduction
Whatever the collaboration looks like,
Throughout all three visioning sessions, common issues surfaced identify the “lead” organization and the
concerning the Tucker DDA’s communication/messaging and the extent of “secondary” support groups up front.
collaboration occurring between elected officials, city staff, CIDs,
community organizations, and the business community. These efforts are
always difficult for newly created authorities and are further compounded Collaborative Projects
by the creation of a new city government which faces similar challenges.
As an example, the DDA’s 501(c)(3) non-profit (if established) may be
called upon to help implement alley projects initiated by the Tucker-
For Tucker to become a success story, there are some key communication
Northlake CID in the downtown area. The non-profit organization
and collaboration approaches that should be incorporated into the DDA’s
could accept land donations as a gift to provide the owner with a tax
standard operating procedures.
deduction. The DDA might be asked to retain ownership of alley right-
of-way because the authority has much more flexibility with property
Collaboration acquisition, disposition, and improvements than the City of Tucker.
Because the Tucker DDA is not a self-funded organization, it will rely Successful implementation of the alley improvement program will
primarily on the City of Tucker, CIDs, existing community organizations, involve the CID, the City of Tucker, and the Tucker DDA working in
foundations, businesses, and fundraising efforts for financial assistance to concert to accomplish the goals of the plan.
accomplish many of its goals. This is not unusual; most authorities in
Georgia rely on outside sources for financing, making it of paramount Another example of collaboration would be a marketing and
importance to build strong relationships and establish trust throughout the promotion strategy initiated by the DDA with partial funding from the
community. City of Tucker, matched by interested community organizations, and
sponsored by the local realtor’s association. The effort could involve
The Tucker DDA has broad powers that the city government and CIDs do the Old Town Tucker Merchant's Association, Tucker Business
not; therefore, the authority should be viewed as a powerful partner that Association, and the Tucker Civic Association. Because each of
can be called upon to accomplish community and economic development these organizations have a vested interest in the promotion and
objectives. Because the City of Tucker and the CIDs are self-funded and success of Tucker businesses, they could each contribute expertise,
have staff, these organizations will often serve as the “lead” or “prime” in time, and funding to accomplish marketing and promotion goals.
many projects and the DDA will serve as “sub” or “secondary” partner
assigned to carry out a specific task within a much larger effort. For
programs created and managed by the DDA, the authority will assume the
‘”lead” role and depend on others for secondary support. “What can the Tucker Downtown
Development Authority do to help?”

15
Communication + Collaboration

Communication
For the DDA to collaborate, members must be able to communicate with Utilizing traditional press, social media, and actively updated
one united and consistent voice. Effective communication is vital while websites are effective means of commuting with Tucker citizens and
interacting with elected officials, appointed boards, businesses, attracting the attention of potential new businesses. The DDA
developers, and the community. Programs, projects, plans, and should continue to build on efforts to utilize online posts and press
strategies should be thoroughly vetted and determined feasible by the releases for media coverage to announce new programs and grants,
DDA before the topic is discussed with elected officials, media, and promote special events, and to highlight success stories of local
citizens. In public forums, the Chair and/or Vice Chair should be the small businesses and entrepreneurs.
face and voice of the DDA.
Perhaps the most important aspect of communication for the DDA is
Discussions about property acquisition strategies should only be clearly articulating to the Mayor and City Council which projects the
discussed in closed session. Planned real estate purchases can drive DDA is focusing on and the costs associated with successfully
values higher with speculative development and make a successful implementing the pieces those plans. During the visioning sessions,
project more difficult to execute. Furthermore, if a potential project DDA members explored the existing plans and studies and identified
does not move forward, it may be viewed as a “failure” of the DDA rather specific tasks that should be assigned to the DDA. By focusing on
than external circumstances. tasks already identified in previously approved plans, the authority
will be supporting efforts that have already received significant
To help foster an environment of collaboration, cooperation, and public input and the support and approval of elected officials.
transparency, the DDA should send a representative to public meetings
of the City Council, the new Urban Redevelopment Authority, the New Project Implementation: An Example
Planning Commission, and both CIDs who can then report back to the
DDA with updates at its regular meetings. This is especially important The Tucker Downtown Development Authority could create and
when agenda items include topics such as new development, administer a façade grant program to assist property owners and
redevelopment, tax allocation districts (TADs), streetscape businesses with upgrades to the storefronts of historic buildings in
improvements, or other relevant topics withing the DDA boundary. To the downtown central business district and other commercial
prevent each individual organization from operating in silos, consistent buildings in targeted areas. The façade grant program would provide
communication is vitally important. Fortunately, many DDA members matching funds to property or business owners at appropriate levels,
already work with or serve on boards for other community groups and i.e., 80% private and 20% grant, or even 50% private and 50% grant for
can share information with the rest of the board at regular meetings. early users of the program to generate interest and produce
immediate results.

16
Example

The intent of a façade grant program is to assist property owners with Façade Grant Program Funding Sources
the restoration and enhancement of existing commercial buildings that
are in poor condition. Eligible projects should visibly improve the unique 1. City of Tucker general funds transferred to DDA through
historic and architectural character of the storefront. Examples include an Intergovernmental Agreement
but are not limited to replacing damaged facade signs, installing new 2. Tucker Downtown Development Authority reserve funds
awnings, exterior painting, window or door repair/replacement, wiring
and installation of exterior lighting, and other general storefront 3. Allocation in conjunction with a larger bond issuance
restoration activities. In addition to providing DDA grant funds for 4. Private foundations, banks, area businesses, community
exterior improvements, the City of Tucker could agree to waive any organizations, fundraisers
permit and inspection fees for grant recipients as an additional
5. Community Improvement Districts
monetary incentive.
The façade grant program should not be utilized for interior
improvements, routine maintenance like roof repair/replacement, soft Façade Grant Program Action Items
costs and contractor fees (i.e., architectural blueprints), or other
1. Survey within the DDA boundary to determine which
activities that do not significantly improve the exterior appearance of
buildings would benefit from a façade grant and identify
the building. Grant funds should not be utilized for alterations that are
potential costs of likely improvements.
not historically appropriate, that remove or damage historic
architectural details, or for buildings that are less than fifty years old 2. Identify façade improvement grant program budget and
until a majority of the downtown historic buildings have been restored. secure committed funds.
All façade grant applications would be processed and approved by the 3. Create and administer the façade grant program including
Tucker Downtown Development Authority through impartial project application forms and fees, maximum grant award
evaluation based on clear scoring/ranking criteria in order to avoid the amounts, matching fund requirements, impartial
arbitrary and capricious awarding of funds. Establishing a non-profit application scoring system, and conditions of grant
501(c)(3) organization dedicated to the preservation of Tucker’s history awards.
and the revitalization of downtown and other commercial areas will 4. Identify directors and/or interested citizens with a design
allow program donations from individuals and businesses to be eligible background to participate in a façade advisory capacity
for tax deductions. including architects, designers, historic preservationists,
consultants, etc.
5. Ensure grants awarded are NOT used to diminish the
historical integrity of buildings or to fund inappropriate
alterations.
6. Promote the façade grant program on websites, local
news outlets, and social media.

17
4. DOWNTOWN DEVELOPMENT
AUTHORITY TOOLBOX
DOWNTOWN DEVELOPMENT
AUTHORITY TOOLBOX
Introduction DDA Toolbox

In order to be prepared to respond to the needs and concerns of the Non-Profit 501(c)(3) Action Items
citizens and businesses of Tucker, the DDA should focus on building and 1. Create and file required paperwork to form a 501(c)(3)
promoting a toolbox of incentives and programs. Some programs may not non-profit organization.
be needed today but could be invaluable in the future as economies 2. Appoint non-profit board of directors (can be same as
recover from Covid-19. The most appropriate tools for the Tucker DDA downtown development authority).
include a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization for tax deductible 3. Create separate banking accounts to hold funds for the
donations/funding, façade grant program, non-conforming sign non-profit independently from downtown development
replacement program, Downtown Revolving Loan Fund (DCA), Public Art authority or City of Tucker accounts.
Program, as well as marketing and promotion efforts to support local 4. Hold meeting as needed to establish bylaws, mission,
businesses and events. Once created, each of these tools should be vision, goals, and work plan.
promoted through the DDA’s webpage and social media to make people
aware of the opportunities to participate.
Façade Grant Program
Establish a Legal Non-Profit 501(c)(3) for Revitalization The Tucker Downtown Development Authority should create and
The creation of a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to the administer a façade grant program to assist property owners and
revitalization of Tucker is important because it allows financial and in-kind businesses with upgrades to the storefronts of historic buildings in
donations from individuals and businesses to be eligible for tax the downtown central business district and other commercial
deductions. The 501(c)(3) should be integrated into a public/private buildings in targeted areas. The façade grant program should provide
partnership (P3) between the Tucker Downtown Development Authority, matching funds to property or business owners at appropriate levels,
dedicated individuals, and the private corporate sector. The board of i.e. 80% private and 20% grant, or even 50% private and 50% grant for
directors for this non-profit could have a much broader and effective early users of the program to generate interest and produce
constitution than the downtown development authority board by including immediate results. Funding sources and action steps are on page 17.
influential members from local banks, utility companies, and corporations
interested in the revitalization of Tucker who may not be eligible to be
appointed as a director on the authority due to residency requirements.
Such a collaborative P3 effort has the potential to raise a significant
amount of private and corporate funds to assist with restoration and
revitalization projects throughout the city.

If possible, this 501(c)(3) non-profit should be created and managed under
the umbrella of the Tucker DDA in order to ensure the organization remains
politically impartial and focused entirely on revitalization efforts.

19
DDA Toolbox

Sign Improvement Grant Program
The Tucker Downtown Development Authority should create and 4. Private foundations, banks, area businesses, community
administer a sign improvement program to assist property owners and organizations, fundraisers
businesses with upgrades to non-conforming signage that is grandfathered 5. Community Improvement District
in such as pole signs, internally illuminated plastic signs, improperly scaled
signage, billboards, and other signs that do not adhere to the sign Sign Improvement Grant Program Action Items
ordinance or design guideline overlays. The sign improvement program
1. Survey within the DDA boundary to determine which non-
could be used to purchase and remove existing signs or to assist with
conforming signs would benefit from a sign improvement
construction costs for new monument signs that are more appropriate for
grant and identify potential costs of removal and
area and help decrease the amount of visual clutter along major corridors.
replacement.
2. Identify sign improvement grant program budget and
The sign improvement grant program should provide matching funds to
secure committed funds.
property or business owners at appropriate levels, i.e. 100% grant for
3. Create and administer the sign improvement grant
purchase and removal of blighted signs, 80% private and 20% grant, or 50%
program including application forms and fees, maximum
private and 50% grant for early users of the program to generate interest
grant award amounts, matching fund requirements,
and produce immediate results. The City of Tucker could agree to waive
impartial application scoring system, and conditions of
any permit and inspection fees for sign grant recipients as an additional
grant awards.
monetary incentive.
4. Identify directors and/or interested citizens with a design
background to participate in an advisory capacity
All sign improvement grant applications would be processed and approved
including architects, designers, sign fabricators,
by the Tucker Downtown Development Authority through impartial project
consultants, etc.
evaluation based on clear scoring/ranking criteria in order to avoid the
5. Promote the sign improvement grant program on
arbitrary and capricious awarding of funds. Establishing a non-profit
websites, local news outlets, and social media.
501(c)(3) organization dedicated to the preservation of Tucker’s history
and the revitalization of downtown and other commercial areas will allow
program donations from individuals and businesses to be eligible for tax
deductions. The non-profit organization would also allow business owners
a tax deduction to donate the value of the physical sign upon removal.

Sign Improvement Grant Program Funding Sources
1. City of Tucker general funds transferred to DDA through an
Intergovernmental Agreement
2. Tucker Downtown Development Authority reserve funds
3. Allocation in conjunction with a larger bond issuance

20
DDA Toolbox

Downtown Revolving Loan Fund (RLF)
The Georgia Department of Community Affairs (DCA) administers the Downtown Revolving Loan Fund Action Items
Downtown Development Revolving Loan Fund (RLF) to provide financial
 Contact Cherie Bennett at DCA to explore project
assistance to cities, counties and development authorities involved in
financing options with the RLF for downtown
downtown development. The RLF provides below-market rate gap
development projects.
financing to fund projects in core historic downtown areas and adjacent
 Discuss the RLF funding option with property owners,
historic neighborhoods where investment will spur commercial
businesses, and developers to assist with project gap
redevelopment.
financing if standard loans do not fully meet project
costs.
The City of Tucker and the Tucker DDA meet eligibility requirements to
participate in this program, which requires a city’s population to be 100,000
or less with active projects in a historic central business district. The users Public Art Program
of RLF funds may be a private business or a public entity such as a city or Goal 1 in Tucker’s Comprehensive Plan seeks to enhance downtown
development authority. Loan amounts range from a minimum loan of Tucker by “allocating funds to create a culturally-rich arts community
$50,000 to a maximum amount of $250,000 per project, not to exceed 40% through collaborative relationships, financial support, and
of total eligible project costs. strengthening local arts organizations, artists and cultural activity.”

Applicants for the DCA program must demonstrate they have a viable Public Art is also mentioned frequently in the Tucker Downtown
downtown development project and clearly identify the proposed uses of Master Plan with ‘painting exterior wall murals’ receiving the highest
the loan proceeds. Once approved, funds may be used for a variety of rating from respondents in a Visual Preference Survey. While the city
redevelopment activities including real estate acquisition, development, put out an RFP for a Public Arts Master Plan, proposals came in at a
redevelopment, rehabilitation and new construction; the rehabilitation of much higher cost than budgeted. More importantly, as it currently
public buildings (on a limited basis); the purchase of equipment and other stands, no public art is permitted in Tucker. Existing zoning and
assets (on a limited basis). overlay districts should be updated to allow for and
encourage/incentivize public art installations, especially in the
RLF interest rates are typically below-market; Main Street designated cities historic downtown district.
currently receive a 2% rate, and all other undesignated cities qualify a 3%
rate. The repayment period of the loan is 15 years with a fifteen-year
amortization. Security is typically project collateral and/or personal
guarantees. RLF applications are accepted throughout the calendar year Private development chases public
and awarded as loan funds become available. A copy of the Initial Project
Assessment form can be downloaded at www.dca.ga.gov.
improvements. Developers are more likely
to take risks investing where public
improvements are being made.

21
DDA Toolbox

Downtown Tucker Marketing + Promotion
The main responsibility of a DDA is the management and promotion of the A partnership between University of Wisconsin-Madison, Ohio State
city’s historic downtown central business district (CBD). While the Tucker University, and University of Minnesota Extension has developed an
DDA’s boundary was drawn to include commercial areas outside the CBD excellent downtown marketing analysis and implementation
in case redevelopment opportunities arise, the authority’s initial focus strategy called “Downtown and Business District Market Analysis“
should be the downtown and immediately adjacent areas. Promoting that could serve as a guide for the Tucker DDA.
downtown Tucker’s unique character and one-of-a-kind restaurants and
This market analysis toolbox provides best practice techniques and
stores to shoppers, business owners, visitors, investors, and developers
technologies that should be used to conduct a market analysis for
helps to foster a positive image of the historic downtown core and the
the downtown district and other commercial areas in the city. The
entire city. These efforts increase community pride and improve consumer
toolbox has been designed as a self-help tool to help the
and investor confidence in an unproven market. Initially focusing efforts on
community: 1) understand the market; 2) analyze opportunities by
the downtown area will allow the DDA to build a solid foundation of
business or real estate sector; and 3) put the research to work to
knowledge, success, and trust.
strengthen economic activity:
Marketing and promotion efforts for downtown Tucker require thorough
https://fyi.extension.wisc.edu/downtown-market-analysis/
knowledge of market conditions, demographics, consumer demand, and
potential opportunities. At minimum, this includes:
• Market Analysis
• Retail Leakage Assessment (to identify retail needs that are not
addressed in the city)
• Building Vacancy Inventory (including identification of issues
keeping the building empty) Economic development does not happen
• SWOT Analysis (to determine the area’s strengths, weaknesses,
opportunities, and threats) overnight. A thriving downtown requires a
• Branding and Image Development
• Marketing Plan
concerted long-term effort involving the
entire community including elected
officials, appointed boards, volunteers, and
most importantly the citizens of Tucker.

22
ADDENDUM Priorities
JOINT SESSION: DOWNTOWN Additional Mayor and City Council Priorities
DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY + MAYOR & In addition to these top short-term priorities to be focused on first,
CITY COUNCIL there was also support for the DDA to assist with the following
projects over the long term (not ranked in order of importance):
Addendum
• DDA/501(c)3 should work with the CID on the implementation
of the Downtown Tucker Grid Plan, Downtown Tucker Alley
CEDR staff presented the results of the DDA visioning sessions and
Activation Plan, and the Tucker Downtown Master Plan;
recommendations at a regularly scheduled public meeting of the Tucker
• Economic development staff should coordinate the
City Council on August 23, 2021. The Mayor and City Council shared their
development of marketing collateral, promotional websites, a
thoughts and questions about the strategies and recommendations and
GIS database to track property values and vacancies,
ranked each according to their preferred prioritization.
maintain a list of current properties for sale or lease;
• Develop measurable criteria to evaluate the success and
Mayor and City Council Top Priorities
effectiveness of DDA programs; create an annual report on
DDA activities and successes;
1. Hire an economic development manager. • Develop policies and procedures along with a strategy for the
2. Develop an incentives strategy, policies, procedures and consideration of land acquisition activities to avoid arbitrary
application to address potential inquiries for redevelopment decisions and knee-jerk reactions every time a property
projects. This strategy should include policies for: A) Direct comes on the market;
Incentives such as tax abatement, grants, gap financing, • Explore the demand and feasibility for a small business
low interest loans, bond financing, direct public investment incubator and/or coworking space in downtown;
in infrastructure, land development, and other direct • Establish a positive and ongoing relationship with Decide
financial assistance, and B) Indirect Incentives such as DeKalb and the DeKalb Housing Authority to assist with
permit/fee waivers, expedited rezoning and inspections, economic development and mixed-use housing projects;
and other inducements. • Regularly send DDA member(s) to M&CC meetings to give
3. Create a 501(c)3 non-profit organization to provide federal regular updates on DDA activities and establish open lines of
tax benefits for a variety of donations including in-kind, communication; and
direct monetary donations, and partial value donations. • Explore the feasibility for creating a Tax Allocation District.
4. Explore the feasibility of developing specialized incentive
programs such as a Sign Improvement Program and/or a
Façade Grant Program.
5. Public Art and Murals: Determine how the DDA can best
assist the effort through steering committee participation,
possible involvement of the 501(c)3 for donations/fund
raising, and marketing/promotion of the effort.
6. Develop a Five-Year Work Plan for the DDA that includes
specific tasks, timeframes, cost/budget requirements, and
funding sources. Gain M&CC support for the plan.
Tucker Downtown Development Authority
Tax Abatement Incentive Policies

Introduction
The Tucker Downtown Development Authority (TDDA) and the Tucker City Council operate cooperatively
to implement goals set forth in the city’s comprehensive plan and other plans, studies, documents, and
ordinances in order to foster economic development and community revitalization throughout the city.
The creation of tax abatement guidelines to incentivize quality development plays an important role in
aligning the goals and expectations of future development and redevelopment. These guidelines are
intended to provide a basis for consistent and sound decision making as well as to communicate
economic development priorities and goals to developers, the public, and elected or appointed officials.
While these guidelines provide a foundation for the consideration of tax abatement incentive requests,
the TDDA retains the legal right to analyze, table, approve, deny, or modify any incentive request. Tax
abatement incentive requests will be thoroughly evaluated by city staff and TDDA board members, and
a fiscal impact analysis will be conducted to evaluate each application. This policy is meant to serve as
guidance in considering development incentive requests; however, adherence to the prerequisites as
stated herein does not guarantee a project will receive a tax incentive.
Background
The Tucker Downtown Development Authority is an economic development organization that focuses
not only on downtown Tucker and the Main Street area, but also includes the Northlake area, all major
commercial corridors, and all commercially zoned property in the city limits. Established in 2018, the
Tucker Downtown Development Authority promotes and markets the downtown area and other
commercial parcels. TDDA priorities include, but are not limited to, the following economic
development strategies:
• Revitalize and redevelop properties
• Issue bonds to finance projects
• Market the City of Tucker to consumers and businesses
• Acquire and dispose of land and property
• Create public/private partnerships to build support for the city's downtown, commercial
corridors, and other commercial properties
• Create and market a brand and positive image for the City of Tucker
• Pursue beneficial business, office, industrial, residential, mixed-use, parking, beautification,
and public improvement projects
The City of Tucker and the Tucker City Council recognize that the Tucker Downtown Development
Authority (TDDA) is a separate, independent body with the constitutional authority to provide tax
incentives at their discretion in accordance with Georgia’s Downtown Development Authorities Law of
1981 and subsequent amendments (O.C.G.A. § 36-42). The powers of the TDDA include:

1. To sue and be sued.
2. To adopt and to change as necessary a corporate seal.
3. To make and execute contracts and other agreements, such as contracts for construction, lease
or sale of projects or agreements to finance projects.
4. To purchase and own property, real or personal and to sell or otherwise dispose of property,
lease or rent property. The authority’s property is tax-exempt.
5. To finance projects by loan, grant, lease or otherwise.
6. To finance projects using revenue bonds or other obligations of authority.
7. To borrow money. To apply for and receive government grants, loans, loan guarantees or other
financial assistance.
8. To receive and use city tax monies.
9. To employ an executive director for the downtown revitalization efforts.
10. To prepare plans for the downtown area or to hire others to prepare plans.
11. To exercise any power of public or private corporations under state law, which does not conflict
with the authority’s public purpose.

Tax Abatement Incentives
In the State of Georgia, a principal tool for attracting and securing competitive economic development
projects is the use of tax abatement. Local Tax incentives may involve the issuance of revenue bonds or
the execution of bond-for-title transactions involving leasehold interest. Bond-for-title transactions
enable the tax-exempt TDDA to take title ownership of the applicant's economic development project
(the "Project"). The Project is then leased back or rented by the TDDA to the applicant, and the applicant
pays rental/lease fees that repay the bonds.
The result of such a transaction is that the applicant may receive a reduction in the amount ad valorum
property tax it otherwise would pay as ad valorem tax on the Project since the owner, the TDDA, is
exempt from property taxes. The total amount of tax abatement is determined by a fiscal impact
analysis and the PILOT (payment in lieu of taxes) agreement. Tax abatement may apply to real and/or
personal property for a standard period of ten years with 100% abatement in year one phasing down
ten percent per year to 10% abatement in year ten. When the tax abatement period is completed,
ownership of the Project will be transferred back from the TDDA to the Project. Tax abatement periods
and phasing schedules may be adjusted by the TDDA depending on specific needs and financing gaps of
the Project.
Prerequisites
The Tucker DDA has been charged by the City of Tucker to provide tax incentives to economic
development and redevelopment projects that align with and move forward the goals of Tucker
Tomorrow, the City of Tucker's Comprehensive Plan. Through resolutions provided by the TDDA Board
of Directors, specific projects will be identified and given preliminary approval (the "Inducement"). For a
project to potentially receive an Inducement, approval of the following minimum prerequisites must be
met:
• Proposed project must be contained wholly within the Tucker DDA geographic boundaries
as formally designated by the Tucker City Council and amended as needed
• Complete a formal application
• Provide a project narrative, preliminary renderings, and a complete project pro forma
• Meet with city staff and TDDA Chair and Vice Chair
• City staff will ensure the completion a fiscal impact analysis for all affected taxing authorities
including the city, county, and school board in order to determine project feasibility and
impact.
Considerations in Providing Tax Abatement Incentives
In evaluating the appropriateness of a completed application that meets all prerequisites to receiving a
tax abatement, the DDA board will evaluate each project against the factors below.
Job Creation and Wages
Commercial, industrial, and office projects should create at least 20 new jobs and be identified as a
targeted industry sector as defined by Tucker’s economic development plan or by Decide DeKalb. New
jobs should pay no less than the county’s current average wage for that industry sector’s NAICS code.
This quarterly wage data is available through the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics at:
https://data.bls.gov/cew/apps/data_views/data_views.htm#tab=Tables .

Residential and Mixed-Use
The Tucker DDA recognizes the importance of improving the quantity, quality, and diversity of housing
to foster economic development. To this end, the TDDA supports the use of incentives to encourage the
construction of high-quality residential or mixed-use projects that cater to residents of all ages and
income levels. Eligible projects within targeted commercial redevelopment areas may contain a
combination of land uses where residents can live, work and play, thereby reducing automobile travel
trips and congestion in the area. The introduction of new residential units can boost the tax digest,
create a ‘halo effect’ of reinvestment in surrounding areas, and provide a new customer base for local
restaurants, retail stores, and service establishments.

Due to the legal structure of tax abatements and bond-for-title transactions in Georgia, only leased
residential products will qualify for this incentive; for-sale residential units and condominiums cannot
receive tax abatement incentives.

Exceptions and Waivers
The TDDA is vested with legal authority for determining whether to enter into any bond-for-title
transactions to provide tax abatement incentives and may make exceptions to any eligibility
considerations or alter them at any time. The TDDA reserves the right to grant exceptions or waivers for
projects that are determined to be in the best interest of the City of Tucker.

Process and Timeline

Bond-for-title transactions will receive two formal approvals by the full TDDA board: (1) the Inducement
Resolution when the proposed project and incentive transaction is approved in principle, and (2) the
final Bond Resolution where full legal documentation is approved in substantial form. The applicant will
be expected to have knowledgeable representatives and legal advisors available for necessary staff and
TDDA meetings when appropriate.

Following the Inducement Resolution approval from the TDDA, the applicant will work with the TDDA
Chair and Vice Chair, city staff, and TDDA legal representation to finalize legal documentation, obtain
the final Bond Resolution at a future TDDA meeting, and submit all necessary documents for bond
validation to the District Attorney’s office for review and approval. Following successful bond validation,
the bond-for-title transaction may be executed.

The timeline for consideration of tax abatement incentives varies based on each individual project,
issues encountered, and the schedules of city staff and TDDA Directors. A simple, quality project is
anticipated to take approximately 3-6 months from application submission to closing the bond-for-title
transaction. However, additional time may be needed for more complex projects. In order to expedite
the process, the TDDA reserves the right to hold special-called meetings to accelerate the schedule.
Refer to Appendix B for a sample timeline.
Below is an outline of the process of applying for and receiving a tax abatement incentive from the
TDDA. Appendix B expands on this process and includes a chart of sample timeline.

Phase I, Preliminary Project Development Steps:

1. Initial Project Inquiry with staff
a. Location
b. Concept
c. Developer and partner background
d. Potential obstacles

2. Pre-Application Meeting with staff, DDA Chair, and Vice Chair

3. Eligibility Determination
a. Targeted industry, number of jobs, average wages
b. Commercial or mixed-use redevelopment location
c. Preliminary site development plan
d. Preliminary renderings
e. Square feet/number of units

4. Pro Forma Review
a. Costs
b. Revenue
c. Profit/Loss

5. Application for Tax Abatement Incentives
a. Office and industrial
b. Mixed-use redevelopment

6. Finance Gap Determination
a. Infrastructure
b. Environmental
c. Other

7. ‘But For’ Qualification Preliminary Approval

Phase II, Executive Project Review Steps:

1. Project Review
a. Concept
b. Location
c. Developer
d. Obstacles

2. Eligibility Determination
a. Targeted industry
b. Mixed-use redevelopment location
c. Preliminary site development plan
d. Preliminary renderings
e. Square feet/number of units

3. Pro Forma Review
a. Costs
b. Revenue
c. Profit/loss

4. Finance Gap Determination
a. Infrastructure
b. Environmental
c. Other

5. ‘But For’ Qualification Executive Approval

6. Local Fiscal Impact Analysis (LOCI) Findings

7. Proposed Tax Abatement Amount and Schedule

8. Executive Project Approval

9. Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) and Draft Payment-in-Lieu-of-Taxes Agreement (PILOT)

Phase III, Project Initiation Steps:

1. Tucker Downtown Development Authority Project Approval

2. Inducement Resolution

3. Preparation of Bond Documents

4. Bond Validation Hearing

5. Bond Placement

6. Project Commencement

7. Annual Compliance Reporting
Appendix A: Fiscal Impact Example
Fiscal Impact Analysis Sample – City of Tucker Sample Industrial Project
January 2022

At the request of the economic development staff of the City of Tucker and the Tucker Downtown
Development Authority (TDDA), the Center for Economic Development Research (CEDR) at Georgia Tech’s
Enterprise Innovation Institute conducted a fiscal impact analysis for the City of Tucker, DeKalb County,
and the DeKalb County School Board for the proposed industrial project.

Per the information provided by the city and the developer, the project will create 200 new jobs with an
average salary of $50,000. Real property improvements would total $36 million with $35 million in year
one and $1 million in year two. Taxable personal property investment will be $5.25 million. The TDDA is
offering a 10-year phased in tax abatement on real property improvements only. The tax abatement
would apply equally to the city, county, and school property taxes.

The fiscal impact estimates presented here are generated using the LOCI™ fiscal impact model which
utilizes the Per Capita Multiplier Method — the classic average costing approach to estimate local costs.
This method assumes that over the long run, the best estimates of future operating costs are the current
average operating costs. While there may currently be some level of excess capacity in both the county
and school system, there is no way to know how much capacity, or whether or not the location decision
of the new households will utilize that capacity or require significant new marginal costs. Therefore, given
the size of this project relative to the City of Tucker, the average cost approach is the most appropriate.

Revenue and expenditure data specific to the City of Tucker, DeKalb County, and the DeKalb County School
Board were used in the model and were taken from the most recent financial documents publicly available
from the Georgia Department of Community Affairs, the Georgia Department of Revenue, and the Georgia
Department of Education. For the school system it is important to note that only LOCAL costs per student
were considered; the costs covered by state or federal monies were not included. Revenue and expenses
for enterprise funds were not included as it is assumed that over the long-run revenues should equal the
associated expenses.

Finally, for all three taxing jurisdictions, the stream of new revenues and expenditures are forecast for a
10-year period which is the timeframe of the tax abatement. The future stream of net benefits (positive
or negative) is then put in current dollars using a Net Present Value (NPV) calculation. Normally, this
calculation would use a discount rate bracketed by the interest that must be paid on current debt and the
interest that could be earned in the appropriate investment funds market. However, to make the analysis
slightly more conservative, the discount rate used was 5 percent.

City of Tucker

Figure 1 shows the estimated revenues and expenses that will accrue to the City of Tucker because of this
project. Table 1 details the city’s revenue and expenses generated by year for this project. Given the
commuting patterns prevalent in DeKalb County and the City of Tucker, as well as the existing level of
unemployment in the county, it is estimated that the project will result in six new households created
within the city limits. The NPV of the project over 10 years, including the cost of tax abatement incentives,
is expected to be approximately $551,000 to the City of Tucker.
Figure 1: Tucker revenues and expenses resulting from the industrial project

DeKalb County

Figure 2 shows the estimated revenues and expenses that will accrue to DeKalb County as a result of this
project. Table 2 details the county’s revenue and expenses generated by year for this project. Given the
commuting patterns prevalent in DeKalb County, it is estimated that the 200 new employees will create 51
new households within the county. The net present value (NPV) of the net fiscal benefit of this project over
the next 10 years is approximately $173,000 to DeKalb County, including the cost of tax abatement incentives.

Figure 2: DeKalb County revenues and expenses resulting from the industrial project
DeKalb County Board of Education

Figure 3 shows the estimated revenues and expenses that will accrue to the DeKalb County Board of Education
as a result of this project. Table 3 details the board of education’s revenue and expenses generated by year for
this project. We estimate that 46 new households will be created within the school district, representing 30
new students across the DeKalb County school system. Given the new revenues, the NPV of the net fiscal
benefit of this project to the school board over the next 10 years is approximately $455,000, including the cost
of tax abatement incentives.

Figure 3: DeKalb County revenues and expenses resulting from the industrial project
Appendix B: Tax Incentive Timeline
Phase I, Preliminary Project Development Steps
Step Timing
1. Initial Project Inquiry Variable
a. Location
b. Concept
c. Developer and Partner
Background
d. Potential Obstacles
2. Pre-Application Meeting with staff, DDA Scheduled after staff review
Chair, and Vice Chair
3. Eligibility Determination Variable
a. Targeted Industry
b. Mixed-use Redevelopment
Location
c. Site Development Plan
d. Preliminary Renderings
e. Square Feet/ Number of Units
4. Pro Forma Review Variable
a. Costs
b. Revenue
c. Profit/Loss
5. Application for Tax Abatement Incentives At least two months prior to a scheduled TDDA
a. Commercial, Office, and meeting to consider Inducement
Industrial
b. Mixed-use or Residential
Redevelopment
6. Finance Gap Determination At least 6 weeks prior to a scheduled TDDA
a. Infrastructure meeting to consider Inducement
b. Environmental
c. Other
7. ‘But For’ Qualification Preliminary At least 6 weeks prior to the TDDA meeting to
Approval consider Inducement

Phase II, Executive Project Review Steps

Step Timing
1. Project Review Variable
a. Concept
b. Location
c. Developer
d. Obstacles
2. Eligibility Determination Variable
a. Targeted Industry
b. Mixed-use Redevelopment
Location
c. Site Development Plan
d. Preliminary Renderings
e. Square Feet/Number of Units
3. Pro Forma Review Variable
a. Costs
b. Revenue
c. Profit/Loss
4. Finance Gap Determination At least 6 weeks prior to the TDDA meeting to
a. Infrastructure consider Inducement
b. Environmental
c. Other
5. ‘But For’ Qualification Executive Approval At least 6 weeks prior to the TDDA meeting to
consider Inducement
6. Local Fiscal Impact Analysis (LOCI) Approximately 3 weeks prior to the TDDA
Findings meeting to consider Inducement
7. Proposed Tax Abatement Amount and Approximately 2 weeks prior to the TDDA
Schedule meeting to consider Inducement
8. Executive Project Approval Approximately 2 weeks prior to the TDDA
meeting to consider Inducement
9. Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) Approximately 2 weeks prior to the TDDA
and Draft Payment-in-Lieu-of-Taxes meeting to consider Inducement
Agreement (PILOT)

Phase III, Project Initiation Steps
Step Timing
1. Tucker Downtown Development TDDA public meetings are scheduled monthly and
Authority Project Approval special called meetings are available
2. Inducement Resolution TDDA public meetings are scheduled monthly and
special called meetings are available
3. Preparation of Bond Documents Variable, following passage of Inducement
Resolution, to be completed at least 1 week prior
to TDDA meeting for final Bond Resolution
4. Bond Validation Hearing TDDA public meetings are scheduled monthly and
special called meetings are available
5. Bond Placement Following the Bond Validation, at the
convenience of all parties
6. Project Commencement Variable
7. Annual Reporting Compliance Annually
TAX ABATEMENT
AND INCENTIVES
ANALYSIS

CITY OF TUCKER
DOWNTOWN
DEVELOPMENT
AUTHORITY
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. KEY TAKEAWAYS | PG 3
2. INTRODUCTION | PG 6
3. COMPARABLE COMMUNITIES | PG 11
4. CONCLUSIONS AND
RECOMMENDATIONS | PG 32
5. TAX ABATEMENT PROCEDURES | PG 34
6. APPENDIX | PG 38
1. KEY TAKEAWAYS
KEY TAKEAWAYS
Report Highlights

• The Georgia Tech team researched 19 local governments, including 3 counties and
16 cities that were considered comparable to Tucker. However, for 3 of the 16 cities,
Peachtree Corners; John’s Creek; and Lilburn, the team only looked at whether they
offered tax abatement at the municipal level.

• Only seven cities surveyed offer tax abatement outside of county incentives.

• A majority of municipalities do not charge a fee for tax abatement; however, those that
do range from $1,000-$7,000 and are generally a percentage of the deal or enough to
cover the cost of a fiscal analysis.

• A total of six cities surveyed (46 percent) have at least one active CID.

• Six cities (46 percent) have at least one active TAD. TAD application fees vary greatly
across municipalities, ranging from $0 to $15,000.

• A total of five cities (38 percent) have a state opportunity zone located within their
boundary.

• A total of four cities (31 percent) have a federal opportunity zone located within their
boundary.

• A total of five cities (38 percent) offer a revolving loan fund. The amounts vary across
municipalities, ranging from $50,000 to $250,000.

• A total of eight cities (62 percent) offer a façade grant. The amounts vary across
municipalities but are generally a 50 percent match up to $1,000, $2,500, or $10,000.

• A total of seven cities (54 percent) have a historic preservation commission.

• While it is a policy for counties, a total of four cities (31 percent) require a fiscal impact
analysis with their tax abatement applications. These include Athens-Clarke,
Chamblee, Dunwoody, and Lilburn.

KEY TAKEAWAYS
Report Highlights

• Very few municipalities have a local economic development ordinance to ensure
maximum flexibility.

• Many municipalities indicated that offering incentives is not a one-size-fits-all
approach and that incentives should be given on a case-by-case basis.

• Many municipalities emphasized the importance of partnerships, including the
county development authority and local attorney, in making good deals.

2. INTRODUCTION
INTRODUCTION
About the Team

The Enterprise Innovation Institute (EI2) is Georgia Tech’s chief CEDR’s economic development team are experts with decades of
business outreach and economic development organization. Since its experience in advising economic development and community
inception in 1960, its core mission is to help business, industry, leaders on how to stay competitive in an ever-changing global
entrepreneurs, and economic developers across Georgia grow and economy. CEDR’s staff includes:
remain competitive. EI2 continues Georgia Tech’s sixty-year legacy
of commitment to community economic development by providing • Economists
research and technical assistance to support economic development • City Planners
efforts in communities in Georgia and around the world. • Economic Development Finance Professionals
• Downtown Development Specialists
• Public Policy Researchers

The expertise of the CEDR team is concentrated in the areas of
strategic planning, organizational development, labor market and
workforce analysis, facilitation, research, and economic and fiscal
impact analyses. All have a depth of experience performing applied
research for the economic development community. When needed,
staff can supplement their skills by calling on Georgia Tech academic
The Center for Economic faculty to assist in specific research projects. Through their research,
Development Research (CEDR) is an CEDR helps their clients understand the opportunities and challenges
applied economic development unit in fostering local and regional economic development.
of EI². CEDR assists local elected
officials, economic developers, policy For purposes of this report, the research team at CEDR will simply be
referred to as “Georgia Tech”.
makers, and community and state
leaders who seek innovative tools
and methods to leverage their local
advantage and quality of life for their
residents by attracting, maintaining,
and growing business and industry
within their areas.

Project Overview Planning Process

The Center for Economic Development Research (CEDR) within the The GT project team worked closely with the City of Tucker DDA to
Enterprise Innovation Institute (EI2) at Georgia Tech is pleased to collect and review the necessary data for this analysis. The project
present this report to the Tucker Downtown Development Authority to was broken into five major task areas: (1) review of comparable
create local economic development incentive policies and procedures community incentive policies, (2) synthesis and comparison of
to help encourage redevelopment and job creation. Georgia Tech has findings, (3) creation of tax abatement recommendations and
provided assistance and support for economic development efforts in procedures for Tucker, (4) formal presentation of findings and a draft
Georgia for decades, such as research, facilitation, technical, and report to the Tucker DDA, and (5) formal presentation to the Tucker
management expertise, including visioning sessions specifically mayor & city council.
designed to assist the newly created Tucker Downtown Development
Authority (DDA). 1. REVIEW OF COMPARABLE COMMUNITY INCENTIVE POLICIES
The first month of the project was dedicated to researching,
This project was initiated by the Tucker DDA and is intended to collecting, and understanding the economic development incentive
policies offered by the comparable communities. This task involved
provide an overview of creating tax incentive policies and procedures
gathering data from municipal websites and interviewing city
for Tucker. CEDR’s previous visioning sessions with the DDA and economic development staff to better understand the formal
Mayor & City Council indicated that developing these policies was a processes of applying for incentives with other cities. Tucker's
top priority and should be completed as quickly as possible. Another Economic Development Manager helped refine which communities
top priority identified from the visioning sessions includes developing were included in this task.
a broader incentives toolbox for the DDA to use on a wide variety of
potential projects; however, creating this all-encompassing toolbox 2. SYNTHESIS AND COMPARISON OF FINDINGS
will take much more time than establishing these initial tax incentive Using data gathered from Task 1, CEDR created an easy-to-
policies and procedures. Therefore, CEDR has addressed the understand chart to illustrate different incentives, application
immediate need for economic development tax incentive policies and requirements, impacts, standards, and fees that are commonly
procedures first and will send a separate proposal in the future to help utilized by comparable communities. The benefits and negatives of
these policies were discussed to help the Tucker DDA identify which
create the broader DDA toolbox.
approaches would be most beneficial. The report appendices include
a Tax Abatement White Paper, Inducement Resolution, Tax
A description of the planning process and methodology used by the Abatement Applications, and Decide DeKalb’s Incentives Policy.
CEDR team follows.
3. CREATION OF TAX ABATEMENT RECOMMENDATIONS AND
PROCEDURES FOR TUCKER
Based on the findings of Tasks 1 and 2, CEDR developed economic
development tax incentive policies and guidelines uniquely tailored to
fit the needs of Tucker and remain competitive with other
municipalities offering similar inducements. This required regular
video meetings and phone calls with DDA leadership and city staff to
develop the strategy.

Planning Process

4. FORMAL PRESENTATION OF FINDINGS AND A DRAFT REPORT
TO THE TUCKER DDA
The final report was prepared in close coordination with the DDA.
The draft report will be submitted to the DDA for approval and a
public meeting will be held to discuss the findings, recommendations,
and implementation of economic development incentives.

Deliverables in the draft report include a final set of tax incentive
policies and procedures as well as a standardized tax incentive
REVIEW OF COMPARABLE
application for the City of Tucker and the DDA to publish on their
COMMUNITY INCENTIVE
websites. Specific items to be addressed include, but are not limited SYNTHESIS AND
POLICIES
to, factors that DDA should consider in evaluating requests for tax COMPARISON OF FINDINGS
incentives such as capital investment in real and personal property,
number of jobs created, average new annual wages, and potential
new tax revenues versus costs (cost/benefit analysis). The draft
report evaluates the appropriateness of creating different tax
incentive tiers based on varying levels of investment and the
potential fiscal impact of each proposed project.

5. FORMAL PRESENTATION TO THE TUCKER MAYOR & CITY
COUNCIL
The final report will be presented to the Tucker Mayor & City Council
once final edits and changes are made to the draft report. This will CREATION OF TAX
allow open discussion about the pros and cons of offering incentives ABATEMENT
and allow for public questions and comment at an open meeting. RECOMMENDATIONS
Citizen support for the new initiative will be important and making AND PROCEDURES FOR
FORMAL PRESENTATION OF
sure their concerns are addressed will be necessary for formal TUCKER
FINDINGS AND A DRAFT
adoption. REPORT TO THE TUCKER
DDA

FORMAL
PRESENTATION TO THE
TUCKER MAYOR & CITY
COUNCIL

Tax Incentives Other Incentives

As stated previously, this report serves as a guide for tax CEDR recommends that the Tucker DDA create a broader economic
incentive policies that the city of Tucker can implement. Tax development toolbox down the road to build upon this study and the
incentives include the following tools: recommended tax incentives. Other economic development incentives to
consider as part of the broader toolbox include:
• Local
• Tax Abatement: A company can receive an abatement on • Local
real or personal property for an agreed upon amount and • Community Improvement District (CID): A CID is an association of
number of years, in exchange for providing a benefit or property owners who decide to tax themselves to fund additional
benefits to the community. Tax abatement in Georgia is services and improvements in their district. CIDs exist in six of the
structured as a “bonds for title” transaction, which is comparable cities. There are currently two active CIDs in the City of
described in Appendix A of this document. Tax abatement is Tucker. Therefore, the creation of additional CIDs should not be
used in seven of the comparable cities. considered at this time.
• Tax Allocation District (TAD): A TAD is a defined area • Façade Grant: A grant program, generally a matching grant,
where real estate property tax monies gathered above a administered through the municipality that allows small businesses in
certain threshold for a certain period are used to fund designated areas to apply for funding for façade and other property
redevelopment efforts. TADs exist in six of the comparable improvements. Eight comparable cities offer a façade grant program.
cities. • Historic Preservation Commission: Historic Preservation
• State Commissions are appointed by the municipality and are responsible for
• Enterprise Zone: Enterprise Zones are defined geographic applying standards and design guidelines to the municipality’s historic
areas that meet at least three of five criteria as it pertains to district. A total of seven comparable cities have their own Historic
pervasive poverty, unemployment, underdevelopment, Preservation Commission.
distress, and blight. Enterprise Zones are eligible for tax • Revolving Loan Fund (RLF): Created after a municipality receives a
incentives such as local property tax exemption and local Community Development Block Grant (CDBG), the RLF is used for
abatement and or reduction in occupation taxes, regulatory lower interest rates, lease rates, etc. to provide capital for small
fees, building inspection fees, and other fees imposed on businesses and expand economic opportunity. Five comparable cities
businesses. Enterprise Zones exist in two of the comparable offer RLFs.
cities: Canton and Smyrna. • Federal
• State Opportunity Zone: Opportunity Zones are • Federal Opportunity Zone: Localities qualify as Federal Opportunity
economically distressed communities, defined by census Zones if they have been nominated for that designation by the state and
tract, that are eligible for certain grant programs and that nomination has been certified by the Secretary of the U.S. Treasury
incentives. A total of five comparable cities have a state via his delegation of authority to the Internal Revenue Service. A total of
opportunity zone in their jurisdiction. four comparable cities have a federal opportunity zone in their
• Industrial Revenue Bonds (IRBs): IRBs are municipal debt jurisdiction.
securities issued by a government agency on behalf of a
private sector company and intended to build or acquire
factories or other heavy equipment and tools at lower-than-
market costs. IRBs were not part of the initial criteria but
could be considered in the future as Tucker builds its
economic development toolbox.

*Note: Refer to page 13 for a complete list of the incentives offered by each comparable community
10
3. COMPARABLE COMMUNITIES
COMPARABLE COMMUNITIES
Research and Data Collection

Before beginning research and data collection, the CEDR team along FIGURE 1. COMPARABLE CITIES AND COUNTIES
with Tucker’s Economic Development Manager identified comparable
communities based on the following criteria: size, location, historic
downtown, future development, retail mix, among others. In total the
team researched 19 communities, including 3 counties and 16 cities,
as listed in Figure 1 and Table 1. CEDR collected different levels of
data from each community, depending on the community’s economic
development initiatives and their applicability to Tucker’ economic
developments goals. The standard list of criteria CEDR collected from
each community is as follows:

• Community Improvement Districts (CIDs): Does the community
have any CIDs in its jurisdiction? If so, how many?
• Tax Allocation Districts (TADs): Does the community have any
TADs in its jurisdiction? If so, how many? And what is the
application fee for creating a TAD?
• Tax Abatement: Does the community offer tax abatement? If so,
what fees are associated, including application fees?
• Opportunity Zones: Are there any opportunity zones located in
the community (state or federal)? If so, how many?
• Revolving Loan Fund: Does the community offer a revolving loan
fund? If so, what is the amount? TABLE 1. LEVEL OF DATA COLLECTION PER COMPARABLE COMMUNITY
• Façade Grant: Does the community offer a façade grant? If so,
what is the amount? LEVEL OF DATA CITIES COUNTIES
• Historic Preservation: Has the community formed a historic COLLECTION
preservation commission? INTERVIEW WITH Chamblee, Dunwoody None.
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
MANAGER
While collecting standard criteria from each community, CEDR noted STANDARD CRITERIA Athens-Clarke*, Canton, Duluth, Cobb,
additional incentives the communities offered not included in the Kennesaw, Madison, Marietta, Dekalb,
above list. CEDR also interviewed two communities, Chamblee and Newnan, Norcross, Roswell, Gwinnet
Dunwoody, to obtain a more in-depth overview of economic Smyrna, Woodstock
development challenges and successes. CEDR collected tax TAX ABATEMENT AND John’s Creek, Lilburn, None.
abatement and enterprise zone information only from three ENTERPRISE ZONES Peachtree Corners
communities, John’s Creek, Lilburn, and Peachtree Corners. Table 1 *CEDR focused on incentives active within Athens’ city limits.
summarizes the level of data collection for each community. The team
collected this information through website searches, as well as video
calls, phone calls, and email exchanges with city, county, and
development authority employees.
12
TABLE 2. RESULTS OF COMPARABLE COMMUNITIES RESEARCH

Tax Abatement Opportunity Historic
Level of Data # of TADs (Application Revolving Loan
Community # of CIDs (Fees, Application Zones (# State, Façade Grant Preservation
Collection Fees) Fund (Amount)
Fees) # Federal) Commission

Yes (Varies, $6,000- Yes ($1,500, 50%
CHAMBLEE 1 0 Yes (0, 1) No No
$7,000) matching)
INTERVIEWS Yes (0.125% of the
DUNWOODY 1 0 total amount of No No No No
bonds, $1,000)

ATHENS-CLARKE 6* (Cost of Fiscal Yes (Do not
0 Yes* Yes (7-8*, 0) No Yes
COUNTY Analysis) exceed $150,000)
CANTON 1 1 (Varies) No Yes (2, 0) Yes ($250,000) Yes ($2,500, matching) Yes
Yes ($1,500, 50%
DULUTH 0 1 (None) No Yes (1,0) No No
matching)
KENNESAW 0 0 Yes (*, $1,500) No No No Yes
MADISON 0 0 No Yes (1*, 0) Yes (*) Yes ($5,000, matching) Yes
Yes ($2,000, 50%
MARIETTA 1 0* No* Yes (1, 5) No Yes
matching)
Yes ($1,000, 50%
NEWNAN 0 0 Yes (*, None) Yes (0,2) Yes (Varies) No
matching)
Yes (Up to $10,000,
NORCROSS 1 1 ($10,000-$15,000) Yes (*, None) Yes (0,2) No Yes
STANDARD DATA matching)
COLLECTION Yes (Up to $2,500,
ROSWELL 1 0 No No No Yes
matching)
Yes ( $50,000-
SMYRNA 0 1 (*) No No No No
$250,000)
WOODSTOCK 0 1 (*) No No * * No
Yes ($25 per sqft up to
Yes (*, .01% of the
COBB COUNTY 3 0 Yes (1, 5) No $20,000 per building, Yes
deal)
matching required)
Yes (*, $3,000 for
fiscal analysis and
DEKALB COUNTY 7 3 ($500) Yes (4, 12) Yes No Yes
$2,500 for fiscal
analysis update)
GWINNETT
6 5 ($10,000-$15,000) Yes (*,*) Yes (2, 3) * * Yes
COUNTY

JOHN'S CREEK N/A N/A No N/A N/A N/A N/A
TAX ABATEMENT AND LILBURN N/A N/A Yes (Varies, Varies) N/A N/A N/A N/A
ENTERPRISE ZONES PEACHTREE
N/A N/A No N/A N/A N/A N/A
CORNERS
*See community profiles for more information.
13
Interviews - Cities

Chamblee TABLE 3. CHAMBLEE INCENTIVES
The City of Chamblee was identified as a comparable community for
its location in metro Atlanta and recent developments and INCENTIVE CHAMBLEE
enhancements to the downtown area. To better understand
Chamblee’s economic development policies and incentives, the CIDS 1
CEDR team conducted an interview with Chamblee’s Economic TADS 0
Development Manager. Key themes that emerged from the interview
and lessons learned for Tucker to consider included: TAD APPLICATION FEES n/a
TAX ABATEMENT Yes
• Offering economic development incentives in house is key to TAX ABATEMENT FEES Varies
jumpstarting downtown development and bringing up property
values TAX ABATEMENT APPLICATION FEES $6,000-$7,000
• Planning for economic development is important to consider and STATE OPPORTUNITY ZONES 0
takes time before implementation is ready to begin FEDERAL OPPORTUNITY ZONES 1
• Public-private partnerships are key in successful economic
development initiatives and projects REVOLVING LOAN FUND (RLF) No
• Identifying target industries is extremely helpful in crafting an RLF AMOUNT n/a
incentives guideline that caters to the community at hand FAÇADE GRANT Yes
• Incentives should be given for very specific parts of projects and
should be analyzed on a case-by-case basis, especially when it FAÇADE GRANT AMOUNT Half the project cost
comes to the amount of tax abatement not to exceed $5,000
• Including a memorandum of understanding and fiscal impact HISTORIC PRESERVATION No
analysis for all incentives is recommended COMMISSION
• Land banking is an important tool for the DDA to consider Source: https://www.chambleega.com/403/Economic-Development

Source: Source:
https://images1.loopnet.com/i2/fG2Ob7yB4TDWbd3eSBc https://www.chambleega.com/gallery.aspx?PID=18
taSPdDzghiQ0IrO6GBB1dWHE/110/5070-Peachtree-
14 Blvd-Chamblee-GA-Building-Photo-1-Large.jpg
Interviews - Cities

Dunwoody TABLE 4. DUNWOODY INCENTIVES
Although not identified as a comparable community, the City of
Dunwoody was mentioned in numerous conversations as having a INCENTIVE DUNWOODY
successful tax abatement program. To better understand Dunwoody’s
economic development policies and incentives, the CEDR team CIDS 1
conducted an interview with Dunwoody’s Economic Development TADS 0
Manager. Key themes that emerged from the interview and lessons
TAD APPLICATION FEES n/a
learned for Tucker to consider included:
TAX ABATEMENT Yes
• Offering incentives at the local level can be more attractive to TAX ABATEMENT FEES 0.125% of the total
developers instead of going through the county amount of bonds
• Having the applicant present their project, pro forma, etc. before TAX ABATEMENT APPLICATION FEES $1,000
signing off on the incentive is extremely important and can help
STATE OPPORTUNITY ZONES 0
with community pushback
• Developing a good relationship with the county’s development FEDERAL OPPORTUNITY ZONES 0
authority, Decide DeKalb, is crucial in making successful deals REVOLVING LOAN FUND (RLF) No
• The attorney the municipality hires is extremely important to bring
RLF AMOUNT n/a
good deals to the table
• Successful economic development takes time and is not a one- FAÇADE GRANT No
size- fits-all approach FAÇADE GRANT AMOUNT n/a

HISTORIC PRESERVATION No
COMMISSION
Source: https://www.dunwoodyga.gov/government/departments/economic-
development

Source: Source:
https://www.dunwoodyga.gov/Home/Components/New https://reporternewspapers.net/2021/09/14/dunwoody-
s/News/133/76 city-council-defers-vote-on-new-sign-code/
15
Incentives Offered - Cities

Athens-Clarke County TABLE 5. ATHENS-CLARKE COUNTY INCENTIVES
To better understand economic development practices in Athens,
CEDR referenced the Athens-Clarke County official website and INCENTIVE ATHENS-CLARKE
conducted an informal interview with the unified government’s
economic director. The overall purpose of this research process was CIDS 0
to identify what economic development policies and incentives exist in TADS 6 (not yet active)
Athens’ city limits with a focus on the incentives listed in Table 5.
TAD APPLICATION FEES Not finalized yet. Will
The research demonstrated that Athens-Clarke County utilizes many cover the cost of fiscal
of the incentives available to Georgia municipalities. The unified analysis.
TAX ABATEMENT Yes
government’s larger mission is to create job opportunities for low-to-
moderate-income individuals and support small business TAX ABATEMENT FEES *
entrepreneurs. Most recently, Athens-Clarke County adopted plans to TAX ABATEMENT APPLICATION FEES *
create six tax allocation districts (TADs) within city limits. State
STATE OPPORTUNITY ZONES 7-8**
opportunity zones are also located within city limits. However, Athens
does not use these zones because the state’s jobs tax credit is a FEDERAL OPPORTUNITY ZONES 0
better opportunity for businesses in their jurisdiction. In addition to the REVOLVING LOAN FUND (RLF) Yes
standard data collection, CEDR found that Athens-Clarke utilizes
RLF AMOUNT Do not exceed $150,000
Georgia’s freeport tax exemption, which relieves businesses from
paying taxes on inventory in warehouses. FAÇADE GRANT No
FAÇADE GRANT AMOUNT DDA provided a $10,000
(50%) grant for 2016-
2017
HISTORIC PRESERVATION Yes
COMMISSION
*Information not available
**Opportunity zones are not in use
Source: https://www.accgov.com/140/Economic-Development

Source: Source:
https://www.athensga.com/chamber- https://www.atlantaparent.com/things-to-
16 impact/ do-athens-with-kids/
Incentives Offered - Cities

Canton TABLE 6. CANTON INCENTIVES
CEDR referenced Canton’s official website and communicated via
email with the city’s community development director to identify INCENTIVE CANTON
economic development incentives in use. The findings are presented
in Table 6. In addition to these incentives, Canton offers property and CIDS 1
occupational tax abatement for businesses located in the River Mill TADS 1
LCI Enterprise Zone. The Enterprise Zone is not a conventional bond-
for-title tax abatement program where a development authority owns TAD APPLICATION FEES Varies
the property of a new development. Instead, the Enterprise Zone TAX ABATEMENT No
allows developers to borrow from a tax-exempt bond program offering TAX ABATEMENT FEES n/a
below market interest rates.
TAX ABATEMENT APPLICATION FEES n/a
STATE OPPORTUNITY ZONES 2
FEDERAL OPPORTUNITY ZONES 0
REVOLVING LOAN FUND (RLF) Yes
RLF AMOUNT $250,000
FAÇADE GRANT Yes
FAÇADE GRANT AMOUNT $2,500; matching

HISTORIC PRESERVATION Yes; Main Street
COMMISSION Program
Source: https://www.cantonga.gov/business/business-support/city-of-
canton-economic-development

Source: https://www.cantonga.gov/ Source: https://www.exploregeorgia.org/sites/default/files/legacy_images/
downtown-canton-1495139451.jpg
17
Incentives Offered - Cities

Duluth TABLE 7. DULUTH INCENTIVES
CEDR referenced Duluth’s official website to identify economic
development incentives in use. In addition to the incentives presented INCENTIVE DULUTH
in Table 7, the Duluth DDA operates a targeted loan program
primarily geared toward local restaurants. Duluth’s planning, CIDS 0
development, and marketing/events departments also appear to be TADS 1
very well-connected and engaged with developers from project
concept to implementation. TAD APPLICATION FEES None
TAX ABATEMENT No
TAX ABATEMENT FEES n/a
TAX ABATEMENT APPLICATION FEES n/a
STATE OPPORTUNITY ZONES 1
FEDERAL OPPORTUNITY ZONES 0
REVOLVING LOAN FUND (RLF) No
RLF AMOUNT n/a
FAÇADE GRANT Yes
FAÇADE GRANT AMOUNT $1,500, 50% matching

HISTORIC PRESERVATION No
COMMISSION
Source:
https://duluthga.net/business/economic_development.php

Source:
Source: https://gwinnettmagazine.com/exploring-the- https://www.newhomesource.com/community/ga/dulut
new-and-improved-downtown-duluth/ h/northstar-at-duluth-by-stanley-martin-
18 homes/151503
Incentives Offered - Cities

Kennesaw TABLE 8. KENNESAW INCENTIVES
CEDR contacted Kennesaw’s Economic Development Director via
email to identify the economic incentives in place in the city. While INCENTIVE KENNESAW
Kennesaw does not utilize many of the incentives inquired about
(Table 8), they do engage in tax abatement. Through email CIDS 0
exchanges, Kennesaw explained that tax abatement procedures are TADS 0
typically not specified in economic development ordinances or DDA
policies because it is difficult to amend policies if a project has a TAD APPLICATION FEES n/a
higher degree of difficulty than expected. Furthermore, DDAs tend to TAX ABATEMENT Yes
provide substantial tax abatements for key projects, but that value is TAX ABATEMENT FEES *
offset by a lower frequency of deals.
TAX ABATEMENT APPLICATION FEES $1,500
STATE OPPORTUNITY ZONES 0
FEDERAL OPPORTUNITY ZONES 0
REVOLVING LOAN FUND (RLF) No
RLF AMOUNT n/a
FAÇADE GRANT No
FAÇADE GRANT AMOUNT n/a

HISTORIC PRESERVATION Yes
COMMISSION
*Information not available
Source: https://www.kennesaw-ga.gov/development/

Source: https://www.kennesaw-ga.gov/wpcontent/uploads/
2014/10/maps.jpg
19
Incentives Offered - Cities

Madison TABLE 9. MADISON INCENTIVES
CEDR identified Madison’s economic incentives (Table 9) through
internet searches and contact with the city. In addition to opportunity INCENTIVE MADISON
zones, revolving loan funds, façade grant, and historic preservation,
Madison engages in a variety of other economic development CIDS 0
initiatives including the following: TADS 0

• Pro bono work to help businesses obtain state and federal TAD APPLICATION FEES n/a
preservation tax credits. TAX ABATEMENT No
• Gig team that awards incentives and low-income housing tax TAX ABATEMENT FEES n/a
credits and helps projects become better candidates for federal
funds. TAX ABATEMENT APPLICATION FEES n/a
• Downtown fire alarm matching grant program. STATE OPPORTUNITY ZONES 1*
• Heritage grant program to restore and operate assets in downtown FEDERAL OPPORTUNITY ZONES 0
(offers four annual grants of $8,000).
• A special tax district. REVOLVING LOAN FUND (RLF) Yes
RLF AMOUNT Unknown
FAÇADE GRANT Yes
FAÇADE GRANT AMOUNT $5,000; matching

HISTORIC PRESERVATION Yes
COMMISSION
*One discontiguous zone in three areas
Source: https://madisonga.org/economic-development/

Source: https://www.exploregeorgia.org/sites/default/files/l
egacy_images/goosebumps-madison-1452884111.jpg
20
Incentives Offered - Cities

Marietta TABLE 10. MARIETTA INCENTIVES
CEDR gathered economic development incentive information from
Marietta’s official website and emails with the city’s economic INCENTIVE MARIETTA
development project manager. In addition to the incentives listed in
(Table 10), Marietta offers the follows incentives: CIDS 1
TADS 0*
• The Development Authority offers tax-exempt bond finances to
support new construction. TAD APPLICATION FEES n/a
• Businesses located in Historically Underutilized Business Zones TAX ABATEMENT No**
(HUBZones), a federal SBA program, gain preferential access to TAX ABATEMENT FEES n/a
federal procurement opportunities.
• Marietta Military Zones offer state job tax credits ($3,500 credit per TAX ABATEMENT APPLICATION FEES n/a
job) in areas adjacent to military zones, less developed, and have STATE OPPORTUNITY ZONES 1
high poverty rates. FEDERAL OPPORTUNITY ZONES 5
• Less developed census tracts also can access state job tax credits
($3,500 credit per job) for businesses engaged in certain industries. REVOLVING LOAN FUND (RLF) No
• The city offers a freeport tax exemption through the State of RLF AMOUNT n/a
Georgia. FAÇADE GRANT Yes
FAÇADE GRANT AMOUNT $2,000; 50%
matching
HISTORIC PRESERVATION Yes
COMMISSION
*The City closed two TADs in 2020 because of continually decreasing
property values in the areas. To respond to these areas, the City passed a
$68 million bond to fund community improvements.
**Tax abatement rarely occurs in the City. It is discouraged by the city
council and staff.
Source: https://www.mariettaga.gov/525/Economic-Development

21
Incentives Offered - Cities

Newnan TABLE 11. NEWNAN INCENTIVES
CEDR identified Newnan’s economic development incentives through
web searches and email exchanges with the Assistant City Manager. INCENTIVE NEWNAN
In addition to the incentives listed in Table 11, Newnan offers the
Brick and Click Grant, a $500, 50 percent matching grant for CIDS 0
downtown businesses to improve their online presence. TADS 0
TAD APPLICATION FEES n/a
TAX ABATEMENT Yes
TAX ABATEMENT FEES None*
TAX ABATEMENT APPLICATION FEES None
STATE OPPORTUNITY ZONES 0
FEDERAL OPPORTUNITY ZONES 2
REVOLVING LOAN FUND (RLF) Yes
RLF AMOUNT Amount varies
FAÇADE GRANT Yes
FAÇADE GRANT AMOUNT $1,000; 50% matching

HISTORIC PRESERVATION No
COMMISSION
*The City does not levy a fee. However, they have received a percentage of the
bond proceeds, as allowable under GA Law.
Source: http://www.cityofnewnan.org/business/business_development/index.php

Source: https://www.facebook.com/MainStreetNewnan/ Source: https://www.exploregeorgia.org/sites/def
ault/files/styles/listing_slideshow/public/listing_im
ages/profile/1836/400398-11929.jpg?itok=CoXEFhL3
22
Incentives Offered - Cities
Norcross
To better understand the economic development policies and TABLE 12. NORCROSS INCENTIVES
incentives in Norcross, the CEDR team referenced the city’s official
website as well as conducted an informal phone interview with the INCENTIVE NORCROSS
city’s Economic Development Director. In addition to the incentives
included in Table 12, Norcross offers Georgia’s less developed CIDS 1
census tracts job tax credits and freeport tax exemption to TADS 1
businesses. Norcross is also located in a foreign trade zone which
TAD APPLICATION FEES $10,000-$15,000
provides tariff and tax relief to businesses engaging in international
trade. Additional insight from discussions with the city is included TAX ABATEMENT Yes
below: TAX ABATEMENT FEES *
TAX ABATEMENT APPLICATION FEES None
• The city previously had a state opportunity zone within its boundary
and used it quite a bit. STATE OPPORTUNITY ZONES 0
• The city offers incentives like reduction of fees and taxes and FEDERAL OPPORTUNITY ZONES 2
accelerated review for specific projects.
REVOLVING LOAN FUND (RLF) No
• A good example of a tax abatement deal done through the DDA
was the Brunswick Apartments – the DDA helped allocate funding RLF AMOUNT n/a
for the parking deck as part of the project and now receives FAÇADE GRANT Yes
revenue from parking.
FAÇADE GRANT AMOUNT Up to $10,000,
matching
HISTORIC PRESERVATION Yes
COMMISSION
*Information not available
Source: https://www.norcrossga.net/844/Economic-Development

Source: https://www.norcrossga.net/929/Eat-Drink
23
Incentives Offered - Cities

Roswell TABLE 13. ROSWELL INCENTIVES
To better understand the economic development policies and
incentives in Roswell, the CEDR team referenced the city’s official INCENTIVE ROSWELL
website as well as conducted an interview with the Executive Director
of Roswell Inc. In addition to the incentives included in Table 13, CIDS 1
Roswell Inc. offers numerous tax credits, including job tax credits, fee TADS 0
reductions, industry-specific tax credits, and more.
TAD APPLICATION FEES n/a
Additional information gathered from the interview beyond the TAX ABATEMENT No
incentives included in Table 13 included: TAX ABATEMENT FEES n/a

• The city had a state opportunity zone from 2010-2020, which TAX ABATEMENT APPLICATION FEES n/a
brough in 300 new businesses. STATE OPPORTUNITY ZONES n/a
• Tax abatements are offered through the county development FEDERAL OPPORTUNITY ZONES n/a
authority.
• For desirable projects, the city offers financial incentives and REVOLVING LOAN FUND (RLF) No
permit/fee waivers up to $35,000. RLF AMOUNT n/a
• A revolving loan fund is offered through Fulton County. FAÇADE GRANT Yes
FAÇADE GRANT AMOUNT Up to $2,500,
matching
HISTORIC PRESERVATION Yes
COMMISSION
Source: https://roswellinc.org/

Source: https://www.visitroswellga.com/eat-drink/

24
Incentives Offered - Cities

Smyrna TABLE 14. SMYRNA INCENTIVES
To better understand the economic development policies and
incentives in Smyrna, the CEDR team referenced the city’s official INCENTIVE SMYRNA
website as well as conducted an interview with the city’s Community
Development Director. In addition to the incentives included in Table CIDS 0
14, Smyrna offers tax and fee waivers as well as a Small Business TADS 1
Technical Assistance program, which provides services and
assistance to small businesses that meet certain eligibility TAD APPLICATION FEES *
requirements. There is also an Enterprise Zone located in the city’s TAX ABATEMENT No**
boundary. TAX ABATEMENT FEES *

Additional information gathered from the interview beyond the TAX ABATEMENT APPLICATION FEES .01% of the deal
incentives included in Table 14 include: STATE OPPORTUNITY ZONES 0
FEDERAL OPPORTUNITY ZONES 0
• Fee waivers are often used as an incentive for new projects.
• The Enterprise Zone in Cobb County covers the northern part of REVOLVING LOAN FUND (RLF) Yes
Smyrna, which has been a useful incentive. RLF AMOUNT $50,000-$250,000
• The city used the TAD to fund two major projects, but it is no longer FAÇADE GRANT No
active.
FAÇADE GRANT AMOUNT n/a

HISTORIC PRESERVATION No
COMMISSION
^Information not available
*^ DDA has the ability, but they are generally run through the county
Source: https://www.smyrnaga.gov/departments/departments/community-
development-economic-development/economic-development

Learn more about the Small Business Technical Assistance program here:
https://www.smyrnaga.gov/departments/departments/community-development-economic-
development/economic-development/development-assistance
Source: https://www.exploregeorgia.org/city/smyrna
25
Incentives Offered - Cities

Woodstock TABLE 15. WOODSTOCK INCENTIVES
To better understand the economic development policies and
incentives in Woodstock, the CEDR team referenced the city’s official INCENTIVE WOODSTOCK
website. CEDR reached out to the business licensing team but was
unable to connect with anyone. Although incentives information on CIDS 0
the city’s website was limited, CEDR found information on CIDs, TADS 1
TADs, tax abatement, and opportunity zones. Woodstock’s website
TAD APPLICATION FEES *
also indicates that they offer some tax and fee waivers to small
businesses. TAX ABATEMENT No
TAX ABATEMENT FEES n/a
TAX ABATEMENT APPLICATION FEES n/a
STATE OPPORTUNITY ZONES 0
FEDERAL OPPORTUNITY ZONES 0
REVOLVING LOAN FUND (RLF) *
RLF AMOUNT *
FAÇADE GRANT *
FAÇADE GRANT AMOUNT *

HISTORIC PRESERVATION No
COMMISSION
*Information not available.
Source:
https://www.woodstockga.gov/your_government/departments/economic_de
velopment/index.php

Source: https://www.travellens.co/best- Source: Source: https://visitwoodstockga.com/shop-and-dine/
26 things-to-do-in-woodstock-ga/ https://visitwoodstockga.com/locations/wood
stock-visitors-center-deans-store/
Incentives Offered - Cities

Cobb County TABLE 16. COBB COUNTY INCENTIVES
To better understand the economic development policies and
incentives in Cobb County, the CEDR team referenced the county’s INCENTIVE COBB COUNTY
official website. CEDR reached out to the county for more information,
but they declined to participate. In addition to the incentives included CIDS 3
in Table 16, Cobb County offers entrepreneurship and innovation TADS 0
grants; business retention strategies and incentives; target industry
incentives; special economic impact grants, which provide services TAD APPLICATION FEES n/a
and assistance to businesses looking to expand or relocate their TAX ABATEMENT Yes
business in Cobb County; enterprise zones; military zones; TAX ABATEMENT FEES *
rehabilitation programs; and a variety of state tax credits.
TAX ABATEMENT APPLICATION FEES .01% of the deal
STATE OPPORTUNITY ZONES 1
FEDERAL OPPORTUNITY ZONES 5
REVOLVING LOAN FUND (RLF) No
RLF AMOUNT n/a
FAÇADE GRANT Yes
FAÇADE GRANT AMOUNT $25/sq ft up to
$20,000 per building,
matching required
HISTORIC PRESERVATION Yes
COMMISSION
*Information not available
Source: https://www.cobbcounty.org/economic-development

Learn more about special economic impact grants here:
https://www.cobbcounty.org/economic-development/incentives

27 Source: https://www.cobbsuperiorcourtclerk.com/
Incentives Offered - Cities

DeKalb County TABLE 17. DEKALB COUNTY INCENTIVES
To better understand the economic development policies and
incentives in DeKalb County, the CEDR team referenced the county’s INCENTIVE DEKALB COUNTY
official website as well as conducted an interview with the Vice
President of Economic Development at Decide DeKalb. In addition to CIDS 7
the incentives included in Table 17, DeKalb County offers numerous TADS 3
tax incentives and financing tools, including job tax credits and
industry-specific incentives. DeKalb County also has census tracts TAD APPLICATION FEES $500
that qualify for Georgia’s Less Developed Census Tract’s program; TAX ABATEMENT Yes
therefore, businesses in these areas receive Georgia’s most TAX ABATEMENT FEES *
competitive job tax credit.
TAX ABATEMENT APPLICATION FEES $3,000 for fiscal
Additional information gathered from the interview beyond the analysis and $2,500
incentives included in Table 17 included: for fiscal analysis
update
STATE OPPORTUNITY ZONES 4
• The city of Decatur has one TAD in addition to the three in the
county, but there has never been a project funded through a TAD. FEDERAL OPPORTUNITY ZONES 12
• The school board is not included in TADs. REVOLVING LOAN FUND (RLF) Yes
• They recommended speaking with Dunwoody and Brookhaven,
RLF AMOUNT Varies
specifically regarding tax abatement.
FAÇADE GRANT No
FAÇADE GRANT AMOUNT n/a

HISTORIC PRESERVATION Yes
COMMISSION
*Information not available
Source: https://www.decidedekalb.com/

28 Source: https://www.linkedin.com/company/dekalb-county-government
Incentives Offered - Cities

Gwinnett County TABLE 18. GWINNETT COUNTY INCENTIVES
To better understand the economic development policies and
incentives in Gwinnett County, the CEDR team referenced the INCENTIVE GWINNETT
county’s official website. CEDR reached out to the county but was not COUNTY
able to connect with anyone. In addition to the incentives included in CIDS 6
Table 18, Gwinnett County offers target industry incentives, fee TADS 5
reductions and accelerated approval, and industrial revenue bonds.
The industrial revenue bonds, available through the county’s TAD APPLICATION FEES $10,000-$15,000
development authority, provide up to $10 million in tax-free bonds to TAX ABATEMENT Yes
fund manufacturing facilities. TAX ABATEMENT FEES *
TAX ABATEMENT APPLICATION FEES *
STATE OPPORTUNITY ZONES 2
FEDERAL OPPORTUNITY ZONES 3
REVOLVING LOAN FUND (RLF) *
RLF AMOUNT *
FAÇADE GRANT *
FAÇADE GRANT AMOUNT *

HISTORIC PRESERVATION Yes
COMMISSION
* Information not available.
Source:
https://www.gwinnettcounty.com/web/gwinnett/departments/planningdevel
opment/economicdevelopment

29 Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gwinnett_County,_Georgia
Tax Abatement and Enterprise Zones - Cities

John’s Creek, Peachtree Corners, and Lilburn Incentives TABLE 19. JOHN’S CREEK INCENTIVES
CEDR contacted city staff at John’s Creek, Peachtree Corners, and
Lilburn to determine whether these cities practice tax abatement or INCENTIVE JOHN’S CREEK
utilize an enterprise zone for incoming businesses. As demonstrated
in Tables 19, 20, and 21, Lilburn is the only city that offers tax TAX ABATEMENT No
abatement. None of the cities have an enterprise zone. TAX ABATEMENT FEES n/a
TAX ABATEMENT APPLICATION FEES n/a
ENTERPRISE ZONES No
Source: https://johnscreekga.gov/businesses/economic-development

TABLE 20. PEACHTREE CORNERS INCENTIVES

INCENTIVE PEACHTREE
CORNERS
TAX ABATEMENT No
TAX ABATEMENT FEES n/a
TAX ABATEMENT APPLICATION FEES n/a
ENTERPRISE ZONES No
Source: https://www.peachtreecornersga.gov/267/Economic-Development

TABLE 21. LILBURN INCENTIVES

INCENTIVE LILBURN
TAX ABATEMENT Yes
TAX ABATEMENT FEES *
TAX ABATEMENT APPLICATION FEES Varies
ENTERPRISE ZONES No
* Information not available.
Source: https://www.cityoflilburn.com/103/Doing-Business

30
Synthesis and Comparison of Findings

After compiling the results of the community TABLE 22. COMPARABLE CITY INCENTIVES SUMMARY BY INCENTIVE TYPE
research, CEDR analyzed the prevalence of
INCENTIVE PREVALENCE AMONG COMPARABLE CITIES
economic incentives among the comparable TYPE
communities. In total the team collected data on
CIDS A total of six cities (46 percent) have at least one active CID.
three counties and 16 cities. Of the 16 cities, the
team collected the standard criteria from 13 cities TADS A total of six cities (46 percent) have at least one active TAD. TAD
and collected tax abatement information only from application fees vary greatly across municipalities, ranging from $0 to
three cities. The team found that on average about $15,000.
half of the communities offered each incentive type. TAX A total of seven cities (44 percent) offer tax abatement. Associated fees and
DeKalb County offered the most incentives from the ABATEMENT application fees vary across municipalities. Generally, application fees are a
standard data criteria list (seven out of eight), percentage of the deal or enough to cover the fiscal analysis.
including CIDs, TADs, tax abatement, opportunity OPPORTUNITY A total of seven cities (54 percent) have at least one opportunity zone
zones (state and federal), revolving loan funds, and ZONES located within their boundary. This includes a total of five state opportunity
a historic preservation commission. Gwinnett and zones and four federal opportunity zones.
Cobb Counties, Norcross, and Canton also offered
a high number of incentives, including six out of the REVOLVING A total of five cities (38 percent) offer a revolving loan fund. The amounts
LOAN FUND vary across municipalities, ranging from $50,000 to $250,000.
eight incentives in the standard data criteria list.
FAÇADE GRANT A total of eight cities (62 percent) offer a façade grant. The amounts vary
The team summarized the prevalence of economic
across municipalities but are generally a 50 percent match up to $1,000,
development incentives by incentive type among
$2,500, or $10,000.
cities (Figure 2. and Table 22.). This analysis
included 16 cities for tax abatement and 13 cities HISTORIC A total of seven cities (54 percent) have a historic preservation
for the remaining incentives. PRESERVATION commission.
COMMISSION

FIGURE 2. COMPARABLE CITY INCENTIVES SUMMARY BY INCENTIVE TYPE
100%
1 1 1

75% 6 6
7 7 9 3
7 7
50%

25% 7 7
6 6 7 5 5
CIDs TADs Tax Opportunity State Federal Revolving Façade Grant Historic
Abatement Zones Opportunity Opportunity Loan Fund Preservation
Zones Zones Commission

31 Yes No Unknown
4. CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
Findings and Conclusion

After completing interviews, research, and data collection, the CEDR The City of Tucker and the Tucker DDA should remain
team synthesized information to draw comparisons across comparable consistent with Decide DeKalb’s incentives standards and
communities. These findings have been presented to the Tucker DDA policies (Appendix E) in order to avoid ‘incentives shopping’
and discussions have been held to determine the authority’s tax and unnecessary competition with the countywide
abatement incentive strategy. organization.

For most communities, county development authorities, such as Decide Based on Tucker’s economic development plan and
DeKalb, provide tax abatement incentives for office and industrial targeted industry analysis, instances where Tucker could
economic development projects. County development authorities deviate from Decide DeKalb include:
typically offer tax abatement to attract targeted industries based on a
company’s new job creation, average salaries, and capital investment. • Tucker-specific targeted industries that are not
included in Decide DeKalb’s target list or
Based on DeKalb County’s economic development plan and targeted industries identified as a part of Tucker’s
industries analysis, Decide DeKalb provides tax abatement for Economic Development Strategic Plan
recruitment, retention, and expansion projects valued over $10 million
with at least 20 new jobs in the following targeted industries: • Desirable projects that may create less than 20
new jobs but have a high level of capital
• Professional and Business Services investment, such as data centers
• Life Sciences
• Major redevelopment projects with a high
• Tourism
concentration of housing units
Film Production and Distribution
• Logistics
• Construction and Support Trades The following pages detail recommended tax abatement
• Advanced Manufacturing incentive procedures for Tucker. The city’s current incentive
application for commercial/industrial projects is shown in
Appendix C, and a new incentive application for mixed-use
Decide DeKalb also provides the following incentives to qualifying redevelopment projects is provided in Appendix D.
projects:

• Reduction of fees for general contractor building and land
development permits
• Reduction of business occupation taxes (business license
fees)
• Matching funds for water and sewer infrastructure
improvements
• Acceleration of some or all aspects of the development
review process

33
5. TAX ABATEMENT PROCEDURES
TAX ABATEMENT PROCEDURES

Recommended Tax Abatement Procedures Phase I, Preliminary Project Development Steps:
Phase I, Preliminary Project Development
1. Initial Project Inquiry
The purpose of Phase I, Project Development is for the Economic Development Office a. Location
to make initial contact with developers and businesses to help shape the project, answer b. Concept
questions, and eliminate non-qualifying inquiries. Tucker’s economic developer will c. Developer and Partner Background
become familiar with the development partners and their prior developments as well as d. Potential Obstacles
their project financing stack.
2. Pre-Application Meeting with staff, DDA Chair, and
During Phase I, possible obstacles will be identified from brownfield contamination to Vice Chair
public infrastructure requirements. The developer’s pro forma should be closely reviewed
during this stage and modified as necessary. A complete and accurate pro forma will 3. Eligibility Determination
illustrate finance gaps that can potentially be filled with tax abatement incentives. If there a. Targeted Industry
is no gap and the developers’ profit margins are reasonable in today’s market, then no b. Mixed-use Redevelopment Location
incentive should be needed. Phase I will help clearly illustrate that ‘But* For’ a public tax c. Site Development Plan
incentive, the project would not be feasible. While the identification of a finance gap and d. Preliminary renderings
the ‘But For’ determination is not currently required by law for tax abatement, Georgia e. Square Feet/Number of Units
Tech/EI2 recognizes that this approach is fiscally responsible, safeguards taxpayer funds,
and is widely accepted as a best practice in the economic development industry. 4. Pro Forma Review
a. Costs
The developer will be offered an opportunity to meet with staff, the DDA Chair, and DDA b. Revenue
Vice Chair before completing an application for either an office/industrial tax abatement or c. Profit/Loss
a mixed-use project tax abatement. For office/industrial tax abatement, the project should
be competitive with another jurisdiction and be an identified targeted industry for the City 5. Application for Tax Abatement Incentives
of Tucker and/or Decide DeKalb. Office/industrial tax abatement project minimum jobs, a. Office and Industrial
salaries, and capital investment requirements should remain consistent with Decide b. Mixed-use Redevelopment
DeKalb to avoid duplication of services.
6. Finance Gap Determination
Mixed-use projects should be located within in a targeted commercial redevelopment a. Infrastructure
area. The completed application should be used to conduct a local fiscal impact analysis b. Environmental
(LOCI) to determine the costs and benefits of the project in terms of future tax revenues. c. Other
The LOCI analysis will help determine the amount and duration of the potential tax
abatement required to fill the finance gap and whether or not the project is feasible after 7. ‘But For’ Qualification Preliminary Approval
attorney and bond fees are assessed. Once the finance gap is established, the ‘But For’
test is met, and the potential tax abatement amount is determined, the project should
move forward to the next stage Phase II, Executive Project Review.

35
Recommended Tax Abatement Procedures

Phase II, Executive Project Review Steps Phase II, Executive Project Review Steps:

The purpose of Phase II, Executive Project Review is for the 1. Project Review
Economic Development Office to advance the proposed project to a a. Concept
senior level of review. Once project specifics have been finalized and b. Location
the finance gap clearly demonstrated, city and TDDA leadership c. Developer
should be brought into the process. An executive project review d. Obstacles
meeting could include the mayor, city council members, city manager,
assistant city manager, finance director, development director, 2. Eligibility Determination
planning and zoning, city attorney, TDDA chair and vice chair, TDDA a. Targeted Industry
attorney, bond attorneys, and others. The purpose of this second b. Mixed-use Redevelopment Location
level of review is to ensure that the proposal is consistent with c. Site Development Plan
existing plans and studies, city zoning, ordinances, infrastructure, d. Preliminary Renderings
future development plans, city finances, and downtown development e. Square Feet/Number of Units
authority goals.
3. Pro Forma Review
The Phase II, Executive Project Review will also ensure that elected a. Costs
officials and appointed boards are working together to move the b. Revenue
project forward. (This review should be informal; avoid designating c. Profit/Loss
and appointing an official executive project review board or formal
subcommittee for this review, as the meeting would then become 4. Finance Gap Determination
open to the public if a quorum is present.) a. Infrastructure
b. Environmental
During Phase II, the executive team will review the project information c. Other
and application collected by the Economic Development Office in
Phase I including project specifics, obstacles, pro forma, finance gap, 5. ‘But For’ Qualification Executive Approval
‘But For’ qualification, fiscal impact analysis, and potential tax
abatement duration and amount. Once the executive team is 6. Local Fiscal Impact Analysis (LOCI) Findings
satisfied with the project and financing details, a Memorandum of
Understanding (MOU) can be executed between the developer, City 7. Proposed Tax Abatement Amount and Schedule
of Tucker, and TDDA to detail the roles, responsibilities,
commitments, and incentives will be involved in project 8. Executive Project Approval
implementation. A draft Payment-in-Lieu-of-Taxes agreement
(PILOT) agreement can be prepared at the end of Phase II to detail 9. Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) and Draft Payment-in-Lieu-
specific performance requirements, timelines, and tax abatement of-Taxes Agreement (PILOT)
schedule, that the project must comply with in order to receive tax
abatement incentives. The PILOT agreement will include annual
reporting requirements, performance measures, and claw back
provisions.
36
Recommended Tax Abatement Procedures

Phase III, Project Implementation Phase III, Project Initiation Steps:

Phase III, Project Initiation entails a formal vote for project approval 1. Tucker Downtown Development Authority Project Approval
from the Tucker DDA at an open, public meeting followed by the
formal adoption of an Inducement Resolution, which details the 2. Inducement Resolution
authority’s legal structure and terms for the issuance of bonds. The
Inducement Resolution is an official declaration of intent to issue 3. Preparation of Bond Documents
bonds (Appendix B contains a sample Inducement Resolution). The
bond attorney will prepare all bond documents and a bond validation 4. Bond Validation Hearing
hearing will be held at the county superior court. Once the bond
issuance is approved by the court, the bonds are placed (typically 5. Bond Placement
with the project developer/company) and project implementation can
begin. The Office of Economic Development should conduct annual 6. Project Commencement
compliance to ensure that all conditions of the project are met; if they
are not, claw back provisions may be triggered. 7. Annual Compliance

37
6. APPENDIX
APPENDIX A: Tax Abatement White Paper
1075 Peachtree Street, N.E.

Suite 2500

Atlanta, GA 30309-2401

(404) 885-1500

Fax (404) 892-7056

http://www.seyfarth.com/
404.888.1883 direct

404.892.7056 fax

danmcrae@mindspring.com

dmcrae@seyfarth.com

“BONDS FOR TITLE”

Use This Legal Product,
Privately Placed Industrial Development Revenue Bonds,
As A Simple Structure to Provide
Property Tax “Abatement” for a Project

January 1, 2014

Daniel M. McRae
Partner 25th Floor
1075 Peachtree St. NE
Seyfarth Shaw LLP Atlanta, GA 30309

404.888.1883
fax 404.892.7056
dmcrae@seyfarth.com
dan@danmcrae.info

5073824v.9
“BONDS FOR TITLE”

Executive Summary

“Abatement” is an incentive increasingly demanded by companies when making project
location or expansion decisions. By “abatement”, what this White Paper means is relief from ad
valorem property taxes resulting from the bond-financed sale-leaseback structure described
herein. Therefore, “savings” is used interchangeably with “abatement.”

In order to obtain ad valorem property tax savings for a company’s project or in order to
obtain State grants or local incentives for the project, the title to the project must be vested in a
development authority, with the company having the status of a lessee. There is an exception in
the case of tax abatement where a local constitutional amendment provides for “direct
abatement”; this exception exists in only a handful of communities. In all other cases, including
projects in communities that have “constitutional” development authorities, a bond issue using a
lease structure is necessary. The lease structure is commonly used where the bonds provide real
financing, as well as property tax savings and, possibly, other incentives. There are other
situations in which the transfer of title to the project to the development authority can represent
all or part of the funding for the bonds. Bonds in that case can be referred to as “bonds for title”.
In those situations, the company will pay project costs from out of its equity or funds from a
commercial loan. Nevertheless, bonds for title can make the project eligible for ad valorem
property tax savings or other incentives

In a “bonds for title” transaction, industrial development bonds (“IDBs”) are actually
issued. Most often, in a typical bonds for title transaction, the Bonds are issued to the company
itself. Sometimes the transaction is structured so that the bond purchaser is an affiliate of the
company (in some situations, there can be Georgia income tax advantages to having the bonds
purchased by an affiliate). For purposes of the following discussion, we will assume that the
Bonds are sold to and held by the company itself.

The “bonds for title” structure involves the issuance of IDBs by a development authority
to acquire or construct the project, and the lease of the project to the company at a rent equal to
debt service on the bonds. The company, as lessee, would have an option to buy the project for
$1.00 when the bonds have been retired. The transaction results in title to the project vesting in
the development authority, regardless of the extent to which there is cash funding from outside
sources for the project. Thus, this transaction can be called “bonds for title”. Sometimes you
will hear a transaction like this referred to in Georgia as issuing “tax abatement bonds” or
“phantom bonds” instead. All of these terms refer to the same type of transaction. We use the
term “bonds for title” because it best implies how the transaction works.

Bonds for title are used for projects that cannot be financed with federally tax-exempt
bonds under the federal rules applicable to “private activity bonds”1 and/or in situations where it

In such cases, the projects generally do not qualify for tax-exempt bond financing, either

5073824v.9
is not necessary to use the bonds to provide the funding for the project. Thus, the bonds will be
federally taxable bonds, and the rules of the federal tax code relating to tax-exempt bonds will
not be applicable to taxable bonds for title.

Structure

In the typical bonds for title structure, the company is both the bondholder and the lessee.
The development authority is the lessor, but its rights to receive rents and a security interest in
the project would be pledged to the bondholder (i.e., the company) as security for the bonds, by a
Deed to Secure Debt, Assignment of Rents and Leases and Security Agreement (or if the project
is merely an equipment project, an Assignment of Rents and Leases and Security Agreement
would be used). Therefore, the company has complete control over the project at all times.

Accountants should treat a bond lease as a capital lease (as contrasted with an “operating
lease” or “true lease”)2. Given such treatment, the project will, for accounting and federal tax
purposes, appear as an asset on the company’s balance sheet, just as though title were in the
company. The asset represented by the bonds and the liability representing the company’s rent
obligation to the development authority will, in effect, offset each other. At the end of the lease,
which will be the end of the property tax savings period, the company will be able to obtain legal
title to the project by paying $1.00 to the development authority. If, for some reason, the
company wished to obtain title earlier, it could do so by paying off (or canceling) the bonds and
paying the $1.00 option price. The lease would terminate upon reacquisition of title by the
company, as would the property tax savings period.

We have developed a simplified structure bonds for title. Under this structure, the bonds
are issued as a single “drawn-down bond”, which is issued under a bond resolution and a bond
purchase loan agreement among the development authority, the company, as lessee, and the
company as bond purchaser. No trust indenture is involved3. The development authority
would appoint the company (i) as its agent for the purpose of requesting draws under the bond
purchase loan agreement, (ii) as the custodian of the Project Fund and Debt Service Fund (or
Sinking Fund) created by the Bond Resolution, and (iii) as Registrar and Paying Agent for the
Bond. The documents would permit the company, as bond purchaser, to disburse cash (pursuant
to a draw request which is made by the company as agent for the development authority) to the
company, as Custodian of the Project Fund, and to use that cash to pay project costs or to
reimburse the company for costs of the project that the company has paid. To the extent cash is

because they are not “manufacturing” projects, or because the project size exceeds the limitation
on tax-exempt bonds and other capital expenditures for “manufacturing” projects. Because of a
federal tax law change in 2007, the combined limit on tax-exempt manufacturing bonds and
other capital expenditures is now $20 million (of which, up to $10 million can be represented by
tax-exempt bonds). See our White Paper, “Bond FAQ’s.” Financing using tax-exempt bonds can
also be structured to include property tax abatement as an incentive.
How any particular bonds for title transaction (or any other transaction) is booked and reported
depends on the treatment given it by the responsible accounting professional.
It is, of course, possible to use a trust indenture and a trustee, if desired.

5073824v.9
disbursed, it will be either immediately returned to the company as a reimbursement or is used to
pay current invoices for project costs. When the draw is for a reimbursement (which will
generally be the case), the documents permit the foregoing to be made by book entries, so that no
cash need actually be disbursed by the company for the Bond and then reimbursed to the
company for project costs. Further, documents also permit property for the project, previously
paid for by the company, to be transferred by the company to the development authority in
exchange for increases in the principal balance of the draw-down bond. In that situation, no cash
would be need to be disbursed4.

Normally, at the closing of the issuance of the bond, an initial draw would be made in an
amount equal to costs theretofore incurred by the company for the project, such as costs of land
and any construction to the date of closing, or , if equipment is involved, costs of equipment paid
by the company prior to the issuance of the bond. The initial principal balance of the bond
would be the amount funded on that date. Thereafter, additional draws would be made for
additional project costs subsequently incurred by the company. In most cases the company will
be transferring property in exchange for an increase in the principal balance of the bond, and no
actual cash would be disbursed. Each subsequent funding would increase the principal balance
until the full amount has been funded. Each draw will be reflected on a schedule of advances
attached to the bonds and will increase the principal balance of the bond by the amount of the
draw.

By using a draw-down bond, the company funds the bonds only when, and to the extent,
required to pay or reimburse itself for costs of the project. Because the entire amount of the
bonds is not funded at the closing, there is no need to have a trustee to hold and invest the bond
proceeds during the construction period. The principal balance that results from draws would be
reduced by any principal payments that the company may make. If the bond is structured to have
a single bullet payment of principal at final maturity at the end of the property tax savings period,
the company never has to disburse any cash to pay principal of the bond, because it can merely
surrender the bond for cancellation at final maturity and purchase the project for $1.00. If the
bond is structured for principal to be paid periodically, the periodic rent will include the amount
needed to pay principal. If the bond has a principal amortization schedule, the principal
component of the basic rent can be offset against bond principal payments by book entries.
Interest would accrue on the principal balance and would be payable once per year; this too can
be paid by book entries. The company, as lessee, is required to pay rent to the company, as
bondholder, to pay the interest and principal on the bond. The amounts are a complete “wash”.
The documents permit this to be handled through book entries, and no cash actually need be
disbursed. The documents can further provide that where the company is both the lessee of the
project and the bondholder, the rent and matching debt service shall be deemed to be paid.

Under this simplified drawn-down bond structure, there is no need for an underwriter, no
need for a letter of credit to provide credit support for the bonds and no need for a trustee or third
party paying agent for the bonds. The company would not incur any of the costs associated with
those features of a traditional financing.

Cash funding would, of course, be possible if desired.

5073824v.9
Role of the development authority

The issuance of bonds and the use of the financing lease structure is discretionary with
the development authority. If the bonds are not issued and if title is not acquired by the
development authority, the project will not be exempt from property taxes, and there will be no
property tax savings. Thus, the development authority is in a position to determine whether or
not property tax savings will be allowed, and the amount and duration of property tax savings.
By limiting the duration of the lease, the development authority can limit the period during
which the project is exempt from actual property taxes, which will limit the property tax savings
period. In addition, as a condition to the transaction, the development authority can require the
company to make payments in lieu of taxes, in one or more years of the lease term, to the local
taxing authorities, or to some other appropriate body.

The development authority can use a phase-in approach to property tax savings. For
example, in the case of a 10-year lease, the transaction might be structured to require no tax
payments (or payments in lieu of taxes, depending on how the savings is structured) to be made
during the first five years, with payments being required in the remaining five years in an amount
equivalent to an annually increasing percentage of normal taxes. Another example would be to
have payments starting at ten percent (10%) and increasing by 10% in each subsequent year.
Thus, the duration and amount of property tax savings is a matter of negotiation between the
company and the development authority. The degree to which a project will create jobs and
provide economic benefits to the community will often have an effect on the amount of property
tax savings that is provided. In some cases, the documents provide for the company to provide a
specified number of jobs and/or to invest a specified amount of capital in the community. If
these employment and/or investment goals are not met, the property tax savings provided will be
reduced (that is, additional payments will be required) by the percentage of the shortfall in
meeting such goals.

More is required than just an issue of bonds to effectuate property tax savings, of course.
A proper structure will have features involving the taxability or valuation of the lease. The effect
of this structure, in terms of providing relief from ad valorem property taxation, will vary from
case to case. For example, the Development Authorities Law, which governs statutory
development authorities, in some cases (e.g., certain “office building facilities”) makes the
Authority’s legal title taxable (a bond lease would pass the taxes through to the lessee in such a
case). Different techniques exist for addressing such issues. However, specific legal advice
should be obtained as to the effect of any particular savings transaction.

Local considerations are also factors that may influence the duration and amount of
savings to be provided. In many communities, the Board of Commissioners and/or the City have
adopted a policy defining the terms and conditions on which property tax savings will be made
available. General law, and local policies consistent therewith, should always be followed.

5073824v.9
Funding

Bonds for title are most commonly used where the company is using equity as the source
of funds to pay project costs and is using the bonds solely as a vehicle for placing title to the
project in the development authority for property tax savings purposes. However, bonds for title
can be used in situations where the company’s source of funding for the project is a financing
arrangement, such as a line of credit with a third party lender, e.g., a bank or insurance company.
There are a number of ways that a bonds for title transaction can be combined with a true
financing.

Where the initial source of funding is a loan from a financial institution, the commercial
loan documents can be put in place first and the project can then be conveyed to the development
authority in a bonds for title sale-leaseback transaction subject to the lender’s security interest in
the project. The conventional loan documents would be written to permit that subsequent sale
and leaseback.

If the initial source of funding for the project is to be company equity, and if it is
contemplated that, subsequent to the bonds for title closing, the company equity will be replaced
by a commercial loan, the bond documents can be written to accommodate the subsequent
commercial financing. For example, the documents can provide for the development authority,
at the company’s request, to join with the company in granting to the lender a first priority
security title to the project that is superior to the security for the bond previously granted to the
company.

Another approach to allow the combination of “bonds for title” with commercial
financing, is to use a collateral assignment by the company of the bond (and its security interests
in the project, as bondholder) to the lender to secure new borrowings by the company. Thus, the
use of bonds for title does not impair the company’s borrowing power. This can also be used in
situations involving a parent-subsidiary structure. We served as bond counsel on such a
financing for a large project. The company’s parent corporation obtained funding for the project
and for other facilities in various parts of the country under a line of credit from an insurance
company. The parent borrowed money under the line of credit and loaned it to the company to
fund the bond. Those funds were used to pay and reimburse the company for project costs. The
bond was issued to the parent and the collateral for the bond (the project) which was pledged by
the company to its parent which pledged the bond and repledged the collateral to the insurance
company. The parent borrowed additional funds under the line of credit which it loaned to other
subsidiaries to pay costs of the facilities in other states. The facilities in other states were
likewise pledged to the insurance company to secure amounts borrowed from the insurance
company for those facilities.

More Information

This paper is a quick-reference guide for company executives and managers, economic
developers, participants in the real estate and financial industries, and their advisors. The
information in this paper is general in nature. Various points which could be important in a

5073824v.9
particular case have been condensed or omitted in the interest of readability. Specific
professional advice should be obtained before this information is applied to any particular case.
Any tax information or written tax advice contained herein (including any attachments) is not
intended to be and cannot be used by any taxpayer for the purpose of avoiding tax penalties that
may be imposed on the taxpayer. (The foregoing legend has been affixed pursuant to U.S.
Treasury Regulations governing tax practice.)

Additional information concerning this topic, as well as White Papers and references on
other topics, can be found at http://danmcrae.info/.

If you have any specific questions or comments, we would be pleased to provide more
information. Please contact:

Daniel M. McRae, Partner
Seyfarth Shaw LLP
1075 Peachtree Street, N.E., 25th Floor
Atlanta, Georgia 30309
Telephone: 404/888-1883
Facsimile: 404/892-7056
dmcrae@seyfarth.com
dan@danmcrae.info

5073824v.9
“BONDS FOR TITLE” FLOWCHART

BOND
LEASE

BONDS

$ BOND
PROCEEDS

TITLE COMPANY
DEVELOPMENT
AUTHORITY
$ PURCHASE
PRICE

$ RENT

5073824v.9
APPENDIX B: Inducement Resolution
INDUCEMENT RESOLUTION OF THE ATLANTA DEVELOPMENT
AUTHORITY DECLARING ITS INTENTION TO ISSUE NOT TO
EXCEED $40,100,000 IN ORIGINAL AGGREGATE PRINCIPAL AMOUNT
OF ATLANTA DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY TAXABLE LEASE
PURCHASE REVENUE BONDS IN ONE OR MORE SERIES TO FINANCE
THE ACQUISITION AND CONSTRUCTION OF A PROPOSED MIXED-USE
DEVELOPMENT FOR ; AND OTHER
RELATED MATTERS

WHEREAS, The Atlanta Development Authority (the “Authority”) has been
duly created and is existing under and by virtue of the Constitution and the laws of the State of
Georgia (the “State”), in particular, the Development Authorities Law of Georgia (O.C.G.A.
§36-62-1, et seq., as amended) (the “Act”) and an activating resolution of the City Council of
the City of (the “City”), duly adopted on February 17, 1997, and approved by the
Mayor of the City on February 20, 1997, and is now existing and operating as a public body
corporate and politic and an instrumentality of the State; and

WHEREAS, the Authority was created for the purpose, among other things, of
promoting and furthering the public purpose of developing trade, commerce, industry and
employment opportunities, and the Act empowers the Authority to issue its revenue bonds in
accordance with the applicable provisions of the Revenue Bond Law of the State, O.C.G.A.
Sections 36-82-60, et seq., as amended, for the purpose of financing the cost of any “project” (as
defined in the Act) in furtherance of the public purpose for which it was created; and

WHEREAS, the Authority adopted and approved its “Amended and Restated Lease
Purchase Bond Guidelines for Economic Development” on April 18, 2013, as amended (the
“Defined Economic Development Benefit”), which established certain criteria for participation
including the investment of new capital that leads to job creation or retention in the City or other
economic benefits including the attraction of targeted industries, capital investment and
infrastructure development; and

WHEREAS, the officials of the Authority have been informed by representatives of
, a Georgia limited liability company (the “Company”), that
the Company desires for the Authority to issue its revenue bonds for the purpose of financing, in
whole or in part, the acquisition, construction, installation and equipping of approximately
105,000 square feet of retail, 15,000 square feet of creative office space and 120
multifamily residential units (the “Project”), to be located on Georgia Avenue in downtown
; and

WHEREAS, it is estimated by the Company that the acquisition, construction,
installation and equipping of the Project will require expenditures currently estimated to be
approximately $40,100,000 which will be invested in a targeted area within the City and that the
availability of revenue bond financing is an important factor under consideration by the
Company in determining the financial feasibility of the Project; and

WHEREAS, in addition to the capital expenditures to be made to fund the Project it is
expected that the undertaking will (i) produce not fewer than 189 permanent retail jobs and 76
permanent office jobs , (ii) 160 temporary construction jobs, and (iii) will result in such other

Inducement Resolution – Summerhill – Georgia Avenue (Lease Purchase Revenue Bonds)
public benefits (collectively, the “Public Benefits”) which commitments are to be documented
and delivered contemporaneously with the undertaking herein contemplated; and

WHEREAS, the Company has requested that the Authority evidence its preliminary
determination of its willingness to issue bonds to finance the acquisition, construction,
installation and equipping of the Project and to evidence the Authority’s intent to confirm the
applicable ad valorem tax leasehold schedule for this Project; and

WHEREAS, after preliminary inquiry as to the nature of the Project, and based upon
information provided by the Company, the Authority has made, and wishes to declare, its
preliminary determination that, in consideration of the Public Benefits expected to be received,
assisting with the financing of the acquisition, construction, installation and equipping of the
Project, will be in the best interest of the citizens of the City and will be in furtherance of the
public purposes for which the Authority was created and should, therefore, move forward
without delay; and

WHEREAS, the most feasible method of financing the construction, installation and
equipping of the Project is for the Authority to issue its lease–purchase revenue bonds, in one or
more series, in the maximum aggregate principal amount not to exceed $40,100,000, to be
known as The Atlanta Development Authority Taxable Lease Purchase Revenue Bonds
( – Avenue Project), Series 2022 (the “Bonds”), and to apply the proceeds
for that purpose, and for the Authority to lease the Project to the Company pursuant to a lease
agreement (the “Lease Agreement”) whereby the Company shall make, or otherwise cause to be
made, rental payments and other payments in amounts sufficient to pay the principal of,
redemption premium, if any, and interest on the Bonds as same become due and payable and to
pay certain fees of the Authority and other amounts, fees and expenses related thereto; and

WHEREAS, in furtherance of its public purpose, the Authority wishes to declare its
preliminary determination of its intention to issue the Bonds as authorized by the Act, said Bonds
to be designated appropriately as approved by the Authority prior to issuance of the Bonds; and

WHEREAS, the issuance of the Bonds shall be subject to payment of (i) a non-
refundable $5,000 application fee; (ii) an Issuer’s fee equal to the greater of $25,000 or one-
eighth (1/8th) of one-percent (1%) of the aggregate principal amount of the Bonds authorized to
be issued; and (iii) a $50,000 compliance monitoring fee, $10,000 of which shall be payable in
advance on the effective date of the Lease Agreement, and the remaining portion payable
annually, in advance, in $5,000 installments, commencing on the third anniversary of the date
that the Project is placed in service; and

WHEREAS, the issuance of the Bonds shall further be subject to a reasonably acceptable
financing plan being implemented by the Company which would comply in all respects with the
affordability standards and compliance monitoring requirements of the Authority, the laws of the
State and all applicable requirements of federal law, including, without limitation, the provisions
of the Act; and

WHEREAS, the Authority, after careful consideration, has preliminarily ascertained,
found and determined that (i) the Bonds will constitute special and limited obligations of the

Authority payable solely from the revenue pledged to the payment thereof and shall not
constitute or be deemed to constitute a debt of the Authority, the City or the State or any political
subdivision thereof within the meaning of any State constitutional limitation on debt, nor a
pledge of the faith and credit of the Authority, the City or the State or any political subdivision
thereof, nor shall the Authority, the City or the State be subject to any pecuniary liability thereon,
(ii) the Bonds will be not be payable from nor charge upon any funds other than revenue pledged
to the payment thereof, (iii) no holder or holders of any Bonds will ever have the right to compel
any exercise of the taxing power of the Authority, the City or the State or any political
subdivision thereof to pay the Bonds or any interest thereon, nor to enforce the payment thereof
against any property of the Authority, the City or the State or any political subdivision thereof,
(iv) the Bonds shall not constitute a charge, lien or encumbrance, legal or equitable, upon any
property of the Authority, the City or the State or any political subdivision thereof, other than the
specific funds pledged therefor; the Authority has no taxing power, and (v) the Project satisfies
the Defined Economic Development Benefit criteria;

NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, by the Board of Directors of The Atlanta
Development Authority, and it is hereby resolved by the authority of the same as follows:

1. This Inducement Resolution is adopted pursuant to the provisions of the Act; and
the Board of Directors of the Authority, after careful consideration and deliberation, hereby find
that the Project for which the Bonds are to be issued will develop trade, commerce, industry, and
employment opportunities and that together with the other expected Public Benefits are all for
the public good and general welfare of the City and promote the general welfare of the State.
Therefore, the proposed Project constitutes a “project” within the meaning of O.C.G.A. §
36-62-2(6)(N).

2. In order to evidence the Authority’s willingness to issue the Bonds to finance, in
whole or in part, the acquisition, construction, installation and equipping of the Project, the
execution by the Authority and delivery to the Company of an inducement letter (the
“Inducement Letter”) is hereby authorized, said Inducement Letter to be in substantially the
form attached hereto as Exhibit A, subject to such changes, insertions and omissions as may be
approved by the Chair, Vice Chair, President and Chief Executive Officer or Executive Vice
President and Chief Operating Officer of the Authority, and the execution of said Inducement
Letter by the Chair, Vice Chair, President and Chief Executive Officer or Executive Vice
President and Chief Operating Officer of the Authority shall be conclusive evidence of any such
approval.

3. It is the Authority’s intent that an ad valorem tax leasehold valuation schedule
apply to the Project, to be determined, subject to the confirmation by the Fulton County Board of
Assessors (the “Board of Assessors”); provided that the Company shall acknowledge that failure
to attain at least 70% of the committed jobs and capital investment, as applicable, within three

(3) years of the issuance of the Bonds will constitute sufficient basis for the Authority or the
Board of Assessors to review and revise the leasehold valuation schedule.

4. The Company may, from time to time as it may deem necessary prior to the
issuance of the Bonds, advance funds necessary to begin the acquisition, construction,

installation and equipping of the Project; any such funds so advanced shall be repaid to the
Company from the proceeds of the Bonds when the same are issued and delivered.

5. For the purpose of financing the costs of the Project and other costs and expenses
incident thereto, funding any necessary reserves and paying all or a portion of the costs of
issuance of the Bonds, the Authority hereby declares its official intention to issue the Bonds (to
be designated more appropriately as approved by the Authority prior to the issuance of the
Bonds) in one or more series from time to time in the maximum original aggregate principal
amount of not to exceed FORTY MILLION ONE HUNDRED THOUSAND AND
NO/100 DOLLARS ($40,100,000), or such greater amount as the Authority by a subsequent
resolution may approve, on such terms and conditions as the Authority in its sole and absolute
discretion by a subsequent resolution may approve under and in accordance with the
applicable laws of the State, and further subject to the following: (a) a reasonably
acceptable financing plan being implemented by the Company which would comply in all
respects with State law and with the Defined Economic Development Benefit criteria; (b) the
execution by the Company and other applicable parties of such documentation as may be
required by the Authority in its sole and absolute discretion, in order to effect the financing
of the Project herein contemplated; and (c) the compliance with all applicable requirements of
State, local and federal law in effect at the time of issuance of the Bonds.

6. The Authority finds, considers and declares that the issuance and sale of the
Bonds for the purposes set forth in this Inducement Resolution will be appropriate and consistent
with the objectives of the Act and the other laws of the State.

7. The Chair, Vice Chair, President and Chief Executive Officer or Executive Vice
President and Chief Operating Officer and Secretary or Assistant Secretary of the Authority
(each, an “Authorized Officer”) are further hereby authorized to take any and all further action
and execute and deliver any and all other documents as may be necessary or appropriate to
proceed to work with the Company in connection with the financing of the Project through the
issuance of the Bonds.

8. No declaration, obligation or agreement herein contained or contained in any of
the documents authorized hereby shall be deemed to be a covenant, obligation or agreement of
any director, officer, agent, attorney or employee of the Authority in his or her individual
capacity, and neither the directors of the Authority nor any officer or employee executing any
document authorized by this Inducement Resolution shall be liable personally thereunder or be
subject to any personal liability or accountability by reason of the execution and delivery thereof.

9. The Authorized Officers are hereby authorized to execute such further documents
and do such further things as they may determine to be necessary or proper to carry out the intent
and purpose of this Inducement Resolution or any document herein authorized. All acts and
doings of the directors, officers, agents, attorneys and employees of the Authority which are in
conformity with the purposes and intent of this Inducement Resolution and in the furtherance of
the proposed issuance of the Bonds and the execution, delivery and performance of any
document authorized hereby, shall be, and the same hereby are, in all respects approved, ratified
and confirmed.

10. All resolutions of the Authority or parts thereof in conflict with the provisions
herein contained are, to the extent of such conflict, hereby superseded and repealed.

11. The Authority finds, intends, and declares that this Inducement Resolution shall
constitute its official action evidencing its present intent, subject to the terms and conditions
hereof, to issue the Bonds pursuant to the laws of the State in an aggregate principal amount not
to exceed the amount set forth hereinabove, or such greater amount as the Authority by a
subsequent resolution may approve, to finance the Project in whole or in part, including, without
limitation, to reimburse such original expenditures from bond proceeds within the meaning of
and to the extent as may be permitted or required by the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as
amended (the “Code”). The Authority finds, determines and declares that the issuance and sale
of the Bonds for the purposes set forth in this Inducement Resolution will be authorized by, and
will be appropriate and consistent with, the provisions of the Act and the other laws of the State,
and that the adoption of this Inducement Resolution is and constitutes the taking of affirmative
official action by the Authority evidencing its present intent, subject to the terms and conditions
hereof, to issue the Bonds within the meaning of and to the extent permitted or required by the
Code, and the regulations promulgated pursuant thereto, including, without limitation, Section
1.150-2 of such regulations.

12. This Inducement Resolution shall take effect immediately upon adoption on this
st
21 day of September, 2022.

Adopted and approved this 21st day of September, 2022.

THE ATLANTA DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY

By:
Chair

[SEAL]

Attest:

By:
Assistant Secretary
12. This Inducement Resolution shall take effect immediately upon adoption on this
st
21 day of September, 2022.

Adopted and approved this 21st day of September, 2022.

THE ATLANTA DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY

By:
Vice Chair

[SEAL]

Attest:

By:
Assistant Secretary
Exhibit A

Inducement Letter

THE ATLANTA DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY
133 Peachtree Street, NE, Suite 2900
, GA
(404) 800-1000

September 21, 2022

COHW Summerhill GA AVE, LLC
171 17th Street NW
Suite 1200
Atlanta, GA 30363
Attn: David Nelson

Re: Proposed Financing of a Project by The Atlanta
Development Authority for COHW Summerhill GA AVE,
LLC

Ladies and Gentlemen:

THE ATLANTA DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY (the “Authority”), is informed
that COHW Summerhill GA AVE, LLC, a Georgia limited liability company (the
“Company”), is considering financing the costs of the acquisition, construction, installation
and equipping of approximately 105,000 square feet of retail, 20,000 square feet of
office space and 120 multifamily residential units (the “Project”), to be located on
Georgia Avenue in downtown Atlanta. The Project is expected to result in significant capital
investment in a targeted area, increase jobs in the City of Atlanta (the “City”) and require
expenditures in an amount estimated to be approximately $40,100,000. The Authority
further understands that contemporaneous with the consummation of the transactions
contemplated herein that the Company has committed to and documented its commitment
to provide certain other Public Benefits.

It is our understanding that the availability of revenue bond financing in the City for the
purpose of facilitating the acquisition, construction, installation and equipping of the Project is
an important factor under consideration by the Company in determining the financial feasibility
of the Project.

Accordingly, in order to assist the Company with the financing of the proposed Project
and to induce the Company to locate the same and to arrange for its operation in the City, and, in

A-1
order thereby to carry out the public purposes for which the Authority was created, we hereby
make the following proposals:

1. Subject to a reasonably acceptable financing plan being implemented by the
Company which would comply in all respects with Georgia law and compliance with the
Authority’s Amended and Restated Lease Purchase Bond Guidelines for Economic Development
(the “Defined Economic Development Benefit”) criteria, the Authority will issue its Taxable
Lease Purchase Revenue Bonds (Summerhill – Avenue Project), Series 2022 (the
“Bonds”), in an aggregate principal amount not to exceed $40,100,000, for the purpose of
financing the acquisition, construction, installation and equipping of the Project. Any advances
made by the Company for the acquisition, construction, installation and equipping of the Project
shall be repaid to the Company from the proceeds of the sale of the Bonds when the same are
issued and delivered.

2. The terms and conditions of the purchase of the Bonds will be determined by one
or more bond purchase contracts, in terms satisfactory to the Authority and subject to the
approval of the Company, to be entered into between the Authority and the purchaser or
purchasers of the Bonds or such underwriter or underwriters as the Company may select.

3. Simultaneously with the delivery of the Bonds, the Authority will enter into a
lease agreement with the Company pursuant to which the Company will lease the Project from
the Authority and will make payments in amounts sufficient to timely pay the principal of, the
redemption premium (if any) and the interest on the Bonds and certain other amounts, fees and
expenses and the terms and provisions of the lease agreement shall be substantially in the form
generally utilized in connection with such financial undertakings by the Authority, as agreed
upon by the Authority and the Company. Such lease agreement (hereinafter referred to as “basic
security document”) shall contain, in substance, the following provisions:

(a) The term of the basic security document will coincide with the term of the Bond
issue.

(b) The amounts payable under the basic security document will be paid directly to
the bondholders or to a corporate trustee to be named by the Authority and subject
to the approval of the Company for the benefit of the bondholders, as the case
may be, at such times and in such amounts as shall be timely and sufficient to pay
the principal of, and the redemption premium (if any) and the interest on, the
Bonds as the same become due and payable and certain other amounts, fees and
expenses. The obligation of the Company to make all payments required under
the basic security document shall be absolute and unconditional after the delivery
of the Bonds.

(c) The Company will be permitted to replace or substitute obsolete or worn out
machinery, equipment and related personal property in accordance with the basic
security document.

(d) The Company will pay any taxes, assessments or utility charges which may be
lawfully levied, assessed or charged upon the Company, the Authority, the

A-2
proposed Project or the payments derived from the basic security document if
failure to pay would result in a lien or charge upon the proposed Project or the
revenues of the Authority therefrom.

(e) At the Company’s expense, the Company will keep the Project insured against
loss or damage or perils generally insured against by industries or businesses
similar to the Company, and will carry public liability insurance covering
personal injury, death or property damage with respect to the proposed Project
and will name Authority as an additional insured. The amount of such insurance
shall be in an amount customarily obtained for projects of similar size and scope
acceptable to the Authority.

(f) The basic security document shall provide that, in the performance of the
agreements contained therein on the part of the Authority, any obligations it may
incur for the payment of money shall not be a general debt on its part or of the
City or of the State of Georgia (the “State”), but shall be payable solely from the
payments received under such basic security document or from Bond proceeds,
and, under certain circumstances, insurance proceeds and condemnation awards.

(g) The basic security document shall contain agreements providing for the
indemnification of the Authority and said corporate trustee and the individual
directors, members, officers, agents and employees thereof for all costs, charges,
or expenses incurred by them and for any claim of loss suffered or damage to
property or any injury or death of any person occurring in connection with the
acquisition, construction, installation, equipping, expansion and improvement of
the Project.

(h) So long as any principal amount of the Bonds is outstanding, the Project shall not
be sold, transferred or conveyed to any other entity without prior written consent
of the Authority, which consent shall not otherwise unreasonably be withheld;
provided, however, that the Authority must be satisfied that the transferee and the
business which would be operated at the Project would qualify under the
Development Authorities Law of the State, and further, that the transferee’s
financial condition shall be sufficient to pay the indebtedness as the same
becomes due.

(i) The basic security document shall provide that the subleasing of any portion of
the Project will require the consent of the Authority, or its designated agent,
which consent may not be unreasonably withheld.

4. It is the intent of the Authority that an ad valorem leasehold valuation schedule
apply to this Project, subject to confirmation by the Fulton County Board of Assessors (the
“Board of Assessors”) provided, however, the Company shall acknowledge that failure to attain
at least 70% of the committed jobs and capital investment, as applicable, within three (3) years of
the issuance of the Bonds will constitute sufficient basis for the Authority or the Board of
Assessors to review and revise the leasehold valuation schedule.

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5. If requested by the Authority, the Company will enter into one or more guaranty
agreements under the terms of which the Company (or such other related entities if requested by
the Authority) will absolutely and unconditionally guarantee payment of (a) the principal of, and
the redemption premium (if any) and the interest on, the Bonds as the same become due and
payable, and (b) all other amounts payable by the Authority under the terms of the Bonds and/or
the trust indenture.

6. The Company may advance any interim funds required in connection with the
acquisition, construction, installation and equipping of the Project and be reimbursed from the
proceeds of the sale of the Bonds when the same are issued and delivered.

7. The Authority will assist in the prompt preparation of the basic security
document, when required, and, where requested, any security agreement, promissory note or
guaranty agreement, and will proceed with the validation of the Bonds in the Superior Court of
Fulton County as appropriate.

8. The Company shall be responsible for, and shall promptly pay all approved fees,
costs and expenses, including fees, costs and expenses of counsel and any required leasehold
valuation expert, related to the issuance of the Bonds. The Authority will receive any additional
payments based upon the final structure of the Bonds. The Company acknowledges that it is
responsible for the payment of all fees and costs associated with the issuance of the Bonds,
including reasonable fees and expenses for the Authority’s issuer counsel, Hunton & Williams
LLP (“Issuer Counsel”), bond counsel, Dentons US LLP (“Bond Counsel”), leasehold valuation
expert and other costs reasonably incurred by the Authority in validating or otherwise proceeding
with the issuance of the Bonds. The Company acknowledges that it has been advised of the
amount of the Issuer Counsel’s fees for the lease purchase bonds and that the same are
acceptable to the Company. In the event the Project does not close, the Bonds are not sold, or if
for any other reason the transaction terminates, the Company agrees to pay all reasonably
incurred fees, costs, and expenses of the Authority and its counsel. The Company acknowledges
that the legal cost associated with preparing and negotiating the Inducement Resolution,
appearing before the Fulton County Superior Court and obtaining a memorandum of
understanding from the Board of Assessors is not less than $25,000. In the event that Bonds are
not issued as described in paragraph 12 or the Company abandons the financing as described in
paragraph 15, it agrees to pay, as a “break-up” fee to the Issuer Counsel an amount equal to the
lesser of its actual fees or $25,000.

9. Upon the delivery of the Bonds, except for the indemnification provisions and
provisions relating to the payment of the fees, costs and expenses of the Authority set out herein,
the other provisions of this proposal and the agreement resulting from its acceptance by the
Company shall have no further effect and, in the event of any inconsistency between the terms of
this proposal and the terms of any basic security document, trust indenture, bond purchase
contract, and any security agreement, promissory note or guaranty agreement, the provisions of
such basic security document, bond purchase contract and any security agreement, promissory
note or guaranty agreement or any other security documents shall control.

10. If for any reason the Bonds are not issued within twelve (12) months of the date
of this proposal, the provisions of this proposal and the agreement resulting from its acceptance

A-4
by the Company shall, at the option of either the Company or the Authority to be evidenced in
writing, be canceled and neither party shall have any rights against the other and no third parties
shall have any rights against either party, except the Company (subject to paragraph 8) will pay
all reasonable expenses of the Authority, including attorneys’ fees and expenses incurred in
connection with the proposed Project and the proposed issuance of the Bonds.

11. The Company will apply for, use its best efforts to obtain, and pay for, if
applicable, all permits, licenses, authorizations and approvals required by all governmental
authorities in connection with the acquisition, construction, installation and equipping of the
proposed Project; provided, however, that neither the Company nor any user of the Project shall
apply for tax allocation district financing for any portion of the Project without the Authority’s
prior written consent. The Company represents that it is in compliance and current on all
obligations owed to the City of Atlanta and any of its departments, including the watershed
department and the office of buildings. Further, the Company agrees to install permanent and
temporary signage acknowledging as a part of the financing syndicate on the
same basis, size and in a comparable location as any and all other signage recognizing debt or
equity partners in the Project.

12. The Company, in accepting this proposal, does thereby agree to indemnify,
defend and hold the Authority and the individual directors, members, officers, agents and
employees thereof harmless against any claim of loss or damage to property or any injury or
death of any person or persons occurring in connection with the acquisition, construction,
installation and equipping of the Project. The Company also agrees to reimburse or otherwise
pay, on behalf of the Authority, any and all reasonable costs, claims, charges or expenses not
hereinbefore mentioned actually incurred by the Authority in connection with the proposed
Project. This indemnity shall be superseded by a similar indemnity in the basic security
document, and, if the Bonds are not issued and delivered, this indemnity shall survive the
termination of the agreement resulting from the Company’s acceptance of this proposal. Nothing
herein contained shall require the Company to provide indemnification against any claim,
liability or loss resulting from any act of gross negligence or willful or intentional misconduct on
the part of or attributable to the indemnitee.

13. The Company, in accepting this proposal, does hereby acknowledge that for
federal income tax purposes the Bonds will not be issued on a tax-exempt basis.

14. Unless the Authority and the Company shall have entered into an agreement with
the Board of Assessors relating to the ad valorem taxation of the proposed Project, the Company
will pay all ad valorem taxes with respect to the Project or the site thereof, as though it were the
fee simple owner thereof regardless of the fact of any ownership interest of the Authority in the
Project or the site thereof; provided, that the foregoing shall not preclude the Company from
asserting a claim for ad valorem tax exemption to which it would be entitled under the laws of
the State, as fee simple owner of the Project or the site thereof. The Authority acknowledges that
it is the intent of the parties to enter into such an agreement with the Board of Assessors.

A-5
15. The Company will pay the Authority (i) a nonrefundable $2,500 Application Fee
and (ii) an Issuer’s Fee equal to the greater of $25,000 or 1/8 of 1% of the bond issuance amount,
each of which is payable at closing. The Company will also pay the Authority a $50,000
compliance monitoring fee, $10,000 of which shall be payable at closing, and the remaining
portion payable annually, in advance, in $5,000 installments, commencing on the third
anniversary of the date that the Project is placed in service. Additionally, the Company is
responsible for the fees of the Trustee, leasehold valuation expert and the fees of the Issuer
Counsel (subject to paragraph 8 above). Payment of these fees is contingent upon the issuance
and sale of the Bonds; provided that if the Company requests the Issuer Counsel to seek
validation of the Bonds, a legal challenge arises as to the validity of the Bonds and if the
Company decides to abandon the financing, based on a legal challenge or for any reason which is
not the cause of the Authority, the Company shall agree to pay Issuer Counsel the costs of court
filings and the “break-up fee” as described in paragraph 8 above. The Company shall be
responsible for the costs defending any contested bond validation and shall cooperate with the
Authority in the selection of counsel should it decide to proceed following a contest.

16. All fees, including the Authority’s Issuance Fee and fees and expenses of the
Issuer Counsel and Bond Counsel, will be paid at closing or, with the prior written permission of
the Authority, within one week of closing subject to the provisions of Paragraph 8 above.

[REMAINDER OF PAGE INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK]

A-6
If the foregoing proposal is satisfactory to you, you may so indicate by having the
following acceptance executed by a duly authorized officer of the Company and returning a copy
to the Authority, along with the original and appropriate corporate resolution and incumbency
certificate authorizing execution of this agreement. This proposal and your acceptance will then
constitute an agreement in principle with respect to the matters herein contained as of the date
hereof.
Yours very truly,

THE ATLANTA DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY

By:_____________________________

Name:
Title: President and Chief Executive Officer

A-7
ACCEPTANCE

The undersigned having read and considered the foregoing letter from The
Atlanta Development Authority, dated September 21, 2022 does hereby agree to and accept
the terms and conditions set forth therein.

This the ____ day of ______________, 2022.

COHW SUMMERHILL GA AVE, LLC, a
Georgia limited liability company

By:____________________________
Name:
Title:

A-8
APPENDIX C: Tucker DDA Tax Abatement Application
City of Tucker Downtown Development Authority the "Tucker DDA"
Tax incentive Program Overview

About the DDA

The DDA is an economic development tool that focuses not only on downtown Tucker and
the Main Street area, but also includes the Northlake area and the major commercial
corridors. Established in 2018, the Tucker Downtown Development Authority will promote
and market the downtown area and commerical corridors including but not limited to the
followign economic development strategies:

• Revitalize and redevelop properties
• Issue bonds to finance projects
• Market the City of Tucker to consumers and businesses
• Acquire and dispose of land
• Build public/private partnerships to build support for the City's downtown and
commerical corridors
• Work to market a positive image for the City of Tucker
• Undertake beneficial, business, office, industrial
or parking projects

The Tucker DDA meets regularly, the first Monday of every month at 6:30 PM EST.
Meetings are subject to change and special meetings may be called at any time. More information about the TuckerDDA can be found online at
www.tuckerga.gov/government/downtown_development_authority .

Property Tax Incentives

In the State of Georgia, a principal tool for attracting and securing competitive economic development projets is through the application of tax incentives.
These incentives involve the issuance of revenue bonds either to the Applicant or other purchasers as it identifies. The proceeds of the bonds enable the
Tucker DDA to take title of the Applicant's economic developement project (the "Project"). The project is then leased or rented by the TuckerDDA to the Applicant,
and the Applicant pays rentals that repay the bonds. The result of such a transaction is that the Applicant may receice a reduction in the amount is it otherwise
would pay as ad valorem tax on the project.

Project Prerequisites

The Tucker DDA has been charged by the City of Tucker to provide tax incentives to economic development projects that align with and move forward the goals of
Tucker Tomorrow (the City of Tucker's Comprehensive Plan). Through resolutions provided by the Tucker DDA Board of Directors, specific projects will be identified
and given prelimniary approval (the "Inducement"). For a project to potentially receive an Inducement, approval the following minumum prerequisites must be met:

• Proposed project must be in the Tucker DDA geographic boundries designated by the City Council
• Complete a formal application
• Work with the Tucker DDA and third party to complete a fiscal impact analysis for city, county, and school board
• Provide a project narrative and project

Meeting project prerequisites do not guarantee a project will receive a tax incentive. The Tucker DDA reserves the right to approve or deny any tax incentive request.
Tax incetive requests will be evaluated on a individual per project basis and include a holistic and comprehensive review.

Fees

Application Fee ‐ Applicant is expected to pay a fee of $5,000 made payable to the City of Tucker Downtown Development Authority at the time that an
application submission. This application fee will cover the cost of the required fiscal impact analysis.

The applicant will be responsible for all closing and legal fees for both the Tucker Downtown Development Authority and Applicant, as well as the cost of monitoring
compliance.

Closing Fee ‐ There is a standard closing fee of 1/8 of 1% (0.00125%) of the face value of the bonds in addition to annual fees, based off project size and complexity,
which the Tucker DDA may implement as well.

Process & Timeline

1 Preliminary conversation and discussion between City of Tucker Economic Development Manager and Tucker DDA Chair
2 Complete and submit application with check for costs and fees
3 Tucker DDA orders fiscal impact analysis using project information provided from project application
4 Tucker DDA discusses project materials
5 Tucker DDA Bond Attorney circulates draft Inducement Resolution
6 Tucker DDA public Board Meeting to adopt Inducement Resolution
7 Tucker DDA Bond Attorney prepares full legal documents
8 Full Tucker DDA Board adopts final Bond Resolution
9 Filing of Bond Validation papers in Superior Court
10 Publication of notice to the public Bond Validation Hearing
11 Bond Validation hearing in Superior Court of DeKalb County
12 Closing of Bond‐Lease Transation

OPEN RECORDS NOTICE

NOTICE: Any information provided to the Authority or its staff is subject to mandatory disclosure upon request under the provisions of the Georgia Open Records Act
or other applicable laws. The proceedings of the Authority are also open to the public under the Georgia Open Meetings Law. DO NOT PROVIDE TRADE SECRETS OR
OTHER CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION TO THE AUTHORITY OR ITS STAFF, LEST THEY BE DISCLOSED. If the answer to a question or requested material for the application
involves confidential information, discuss the matter with the Authority’s counsel. If it necessary to provide information that constitutes a trade secret (the
“Confidential Information”) to the Authority , pursuant to O.C.G.A. § 50‐18‐72(a)(34), you may include with such Confidential Information an affidavit affirmatively
declaring that specific Confidential Information constitutes a trade secret in accordance with O.C.G.A. § 10‐1‐27 (the “Trade Secret Affidavit”). Please be advised
that the Authority must follow the provisions of O.C.G.A. § 50‐18‐72(a)(34) when responding to an Open Records request with respect to the Confidential Information.
The Authority and its staff may treat any information provided to it and not specified as Confidential Information in the Trade Secret Affidavit or information
that it determines does not constitute a trade secret as non‐confidential and not constituting a trade secret.
City of Tucker Downtown Development Authority (DDA)
Tax incentive Program Application

Tabs

The City of Tucker Downtown Development Authority (DDA) Application consists of the following worksheets found in the tabs of this workbook:

1 ‐ Applicant Information 4 ‐ Fiscal Impact Analysis Agreement
2 ‐ Project Information 5 ‐ Application Certification
3 ‐ Financing Information

Items to Include with Submission

• Electronic copy of this completed application
• Cover Letter requesting action by the authority including:
• Nature and description of project • How does the project affect the City of Tucker
• Project address and location • Why the Tucker DDA's particiaption is critical to your project
• Job and Investment information • Other information you deem pertinnat to the application
• Job classifcations & average salary
• Financial information including:
• Three (3) years of historical financing statements (audited preferred) for the applicant or its parent company (if the applicant is a new entity)
• Minimum of a five (5) year pro‐forma
• A statement about financing the project and/or Term Sheet detailing specific project terms, if available
• Detailed Capital Budget for this project
• Other financial information you deem pertinent
• Documentation of formal site plans that are ready for submission to the City of Tucker, if applicable
• Completed and signed copies of tabs 1‐5
• Submit this appkication to Jackie Moffo, Economic Development Manager, City of Tucker, at jmoffo@tuckerga.gov .

Protected Content

Many cells are protected and cannot be changed. Any changes to the protected cells will void the application. If the applicant has an issue with any application content
please contact Jackie Moffo, Economic Development Manager, City of Tucker, at jmoffo@tuckerga.gov.

Contact

If you have questions about this application, please reach out to:

Jackie Moffo
Economic Development Manager
City of Tucker, GA
jmoffo@tuckerga.gov
470‐366‐1856
City of Tucker Downtown Development Authority (DDA)
1 ‐ Applicant Information

General Information

Name of Applicant Company: Application Date:

Owner/Parent Companyy (if applicable): Name of Project/Development:

Type of Organization (i.e ‐ non‐profit) Address of Project/Development:

Contact Person: New or Existing Facility:

Title: Project Type (i.e.‐ Industrial):

Email: Years in Community:

Phone:

Company Address:

City, State, Zip
If applicable ‐ % Ownership

Name of the Limited Partnership:

Name of the General Partnership:

Name of General Partner(s):

Name of General Partner(s):

Name of General Partner(s):

Name of General Partner(s):

If Joint Venture, Name of Joint Venture Partners and Respective Partiicpatns in JV ‐

Other Users (and Percentage of Project Anticipated to be Utilized)

Name of Other User: Percentage to be Utilized:

Name of Other User: Percentage to be Utilized:

Additional Contact Information for any person responbsible for on‐going relationship with the City of Tucker DDA and the Authority regarding bonds and taxes

Name: Name:

Title: Title:

Email: Email:

Phone: Phone:

Address: Address:

City, State, Zip: City, State, Zip:
Contact

If you have questions about this application, please reach out to:

Jackie Moffo
Economic Development Manager
City of Tucker, GA
jmoffo@tuckerga.gov
470‐366‐1856

Process & Timeline

1 Preliminary conversation and discussion between City of Tucker Economic Development Manager and Tucker DDA Chair
2 Complete and submit application with check for costs and fees
3 Tucker DDA orders fiscal impact analysis using project information provided from project application
4 Tucker DDA discusses project materials
5 Tucker DDA Attorney circulates draft Inducement Resolution
6 Tucker DDA public Board Meeting to adopt Inducement Resolution
7 Bond Attorneys prepare full legal document
8 Full Tucker DDA Board Adoption of final Bond Resolution
9 Filing of Bond Validation papers in Superior Court
10 Publication of notice to the public Bond Validation Hearing
11 Bond Validation hearing in DeKalb Superior Court
12 Closing of Bond‐Lease Transation
City of Tucker Downtown Development Authority (DDA)
2 ‐ Project Information

Project Description ‐ please provide a copy of your preliminary or conceptual site plan

Principal User's General Nature of Business:

Current # of employees, companywide:

Business to be conducted in Tucker, GA:

NACIS of proposed facility:

Address (or closest cross street):

Parcel Identificaton Numbers (List Each):
Build to Suit, New Construction, Redevelopment, or Existing
Building?:

Lease or purchase of property or building?:

New to Tucker or existing business?:

If existing, describe current operations and location(s):
If existing, how many employees will be retained becasuse of this
project?
Average salary of new jobs. Include in separate attachment types of
jobs/titles
Average salary of retained jobs. Include in separate attachment
types of jobs/titles

If this is an existing building, what is the age of the building?

Is the project currently occupied?:

Is the site appropriately zoned for the proposed development?:

Does this project require a re‐zoning? Please provide details:

Are there variances or SLUPs required? If so, why?:

Are there any potential environmental hazards?:

Provide square footage, job and investment information in the tables below. Attach supporting documents as needed. If investment list is not land,
building or equipment, please elaborate:

Please provide a detailed description of why this project, or portion of your project, could NOT proceed with out this incentive:

Investment ‐ Investment ‐ Investment ‐ Investment ‐ Total
Jobs ‐ New FTE Land Building Equipment Other Investment
Year1 $ ‐
Year2 $ ‐
Year3 $ ‐
Year4 $ ‐
Gross SF % Year5 $ ‐
Residential Year6 $ ‐
Retail Parking: Year7 $ ‐
Office Surface Structured Total: Year8 $ ‐
Hotel Residential Spaces: 0 Year9 $ ‐
Industrial Commercial Spaces: 0 Year10 $ ‐
Total Sq. Ft. 0 0% 0 Total $ ‐ $ ‐ $ ‐ $ ‐ $ ‐ $ ‐

Development Team Information

Developer: General Contractor:

Contact Person: Contact Person:

Address: Address:

City, State, Zip: City, State, Zip:
Phone: Phone:

Email: Email:

Property Manager: Construction Guarantor

Contact Person: Contact Person:

Address: Address:

City, State, Zip: City, State, Zip:

Phone: Phone:

Email: Email:

If Multifamily and/or Mixed‐Use If Hotel/Motel

% # Number of Rooms
# of Units for Rent/Lease
# of units for Purchase/Owernship Resturant?

Retail Space?
# of Studio Units Parking Garage?
# of One Bedroom Units
# of Two Bedroom Units Additional Amenitites?
# of Three Bedroom Units

Total Number of Units

Has any member of the development team, or its principals, been associated with defaulted development or have been determined to have "troubled status" within the last 5 years? If so, explain

Has any member of the development team, or its principals, been associated with found to be in non‐compliance with any federal, state, or local grant, or loan program requirements within the last five years
If so, please explain.

Has any member of the development team, or its principals, been associated with found to be in non‐compliance with any federal, state, or local grant, or loan program requirements within the last five years

0 Has any member of the development team, or its principals, been involved in any legal proceedings in the last three years which include bankruptcy, judgments, tax liens, etc.? If so, please explain

Please provide the following information on completed developments

Development Name Location/State Total SF Property Type Source of Financing Incentives (if any)
City of Tucker Downtown Development Authority (DDA)
3 ‐ Financing Information

Issue Size and Type

Proposed amount of issue:

Type of issue:
Description of financing (include rating, if any,
and identify any proposed Lender or credit
enhancer):

Private or Public Offering? (Authority Policy limits
public offerings)

Applicant's Bond Counsel

Name:

Address:

Contact Person (name/title)

Email:

Phone:

Sources and Uses

Uses Amount Comments
Acquisition
Hard Costs
Soft Costs
Developer Fees
Total $ ‐

Amort. Term Funding
Sources Lien Position Amount Interest Rate Loan Term (yrs) (yrs) Commited Annual Debt Service
Debt 0 0
Equity
Grant Incentive (if applicable)
Other
Total $ ‐ $ ‐
City of Tucker Downtown Development Authority (DDA)
4 ‐ Fiscal Impact Analysis

Fiscal Impact Analysis ‐ Project Worksheet

Project Name/Code Name: Date:

Type of Business to be conducted in
Principal User (if different from Tucker:
applicant or owner):

Principal User's General Business
Type: Project Type ‐ NEW: EXPANSION:

Organization Name %

Other Users (and percentage of the project anticipated to be utilized):

Physcial Address (street, city, zip):

Current value of the land: Value of any existing buildings:

Employment Phase‐In Schedule ‐ if the project is an expansion of an existing facility, enter NEW employment only.
IF exisiting jobs are at risk, enter ALL employment. Future years are the number of NEW jobs by

Year of operation # of jobs 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
retained:
# of New Jobs:
Average Salary
(Enter all wages in today's dollars. Do NOT adjsut for inflation. Total Retained Jobs
Average wage should EXCLUDE benefits) Total New Jobs:
Average Wage:

Capital Investment Phase‐In Schedule ‐ If the project is an expansion of an existing facility, enter new capital investment only. Enter all investments
in today's doollars. DO NOT adjust for inflation. Year 0 reprsents the ENTIRE construction period, even if that construction period is multi‐year. Year 1 is the first year of operations

Additional Real Property Investment

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Year Building
(Enter all wages in today's dollars. Do NOT adjsut for inflation. Total Retained Jobs

Additional Personal Property Investment
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Class 1:
Class 2:
Class 3:
Class 4:
(See shadded box for definition of all property types) Total Personal Property Investment:
Total Property Investment:

Class 1: Economic life of 7‐10 years. Examples include copiers, electronic manufacturing equipment, vending equipment, rental appliances, and broadcasting equipment.
Class 2: Economic life of 8‐12 years. Examples include office furniture, fixtures and equipment, restaurant and bar equipment, hotel furnishings, and most manufacturing equipment.
Class 3: Economic life of 13 years or more. Examples include tanks and storage, billboards and signs, cold storage and ice making equipment.
Class 4: Economic life of 1‐4 years. Examples include computers and computer equipment, special tools and guages, jigs, dies, molds, and patterns, and special shipping devices.

Utiities: Does the project require an increase in water and/or sewer capacity? YES NO

If yes, please provide additional
information:

Signature of Company Officer: Print Name:
City of Tucker Downtown Development Authority (DDA)
5 ‐ Applicant's Acknowledgement

The Applicant has reviewed this Application and the charges and other requirements stated herein as well as made a general inquiry as to the Authority’s bond inducement and issuance
process, and hereby acknowledges that it understands these matters. Further, the Applicant is providing all the information requested and listed on the Authority's Project Check List
(see below). Also enclosed with this Application is the required fee of $5,000.00 ( the cost of the required fiscal impact analysis) which is payable to the City of Tucker Downtown
Development Authority, and this fee is non‐refundable in any and all events. The Applicant further acknowledges that it is the responsibility of the Applicant to review with Applicant's
counsel all filing requirements, deadline dates, IRS information, returns, and payments, filing dates, and any and all related matters pertaining to this Application and the bonds that may
be issued, and that Applicant hereby undertakes such responsibility and fully releases the Authority from any and all responsibility and liability related to such information and actions.

The Applicant further acknowledges that the Authority serves as a conduit for financing and does not itself provide or arrange financing. The Applicant further acknowledges that it must
obtain an underwriter or lender and make arrangements for the financing satisfactory to the Authority and that the Authority does not provide credit or credit support for bonds.

The information provided in the Application is a minimum requirement and the DDA reserves the right to request additional information from the applicant or to request clarification
or additional documentation. Decisions regarding applications are at the sole discretion of the DDA.

Company Name:

Submitted By:
(Authorized Compnay Officer Signature)

Printed Name:

Date:
APPENDIX D: Tucker DDA Tax Abatement Application
(Mixed Use)
City of Tucker Downtown Development Authority the "Tucker DDA"
Tax incentive Program Overview

About the DDA

The DDA is an economic development tool that focuses not only on downtown Tucker
and the Main Street area, but also includes the Northlake area and the major commercial
corridors. Established in 2018, the Tucker Downtown Development Authority will
promote and market the downtown area and commerical corridors including but not
limited to the followign economic development strategies:

• Revitalize and redevelop properties
• Issue bonds to finance projects
• Market the City of Tucker to consumers and businesses
• Acquire and dispose of land
• Build public/private partnerships to build support for the City's downtown
and commerical corridors
• Work to market a positive image for the City of Tucker
• Undertake beneficial, business, office, industrial
or parking projects

The Tucker DDA meets regularly, the first Monday of every month at 6:30 PM EST.
Meetings are subject to change and special meetings may be called at any time. More information about the TuckerDDA can be found online at
www.tuckerga.gov/government/downtown_development_authority .

Property Tax Incentives

In the State of Georgia, a principal tool for attracting and securing competitive economic development projets is through the application of tax incentives.
These incentives involve the issuance of revenue bonds either to the Applicant or other purchasers as it identifies. The proceeds of the bonds enable the
Tucker DDA to take title of the Applicant's economic developement project (the "Project"). The project is then leased or rented by the TuckerDDA to the Applicant,
and the Applicant pays rentals that repay the bonds. The result of such a transaction is that the Applicant may receice a reduction in the amount is it otherwise
would pay as ad valorem tax on the project.

Project Prerequisites

The Tucker DDA has been charged by the City of Tucker to provide tax incentives to economic development projects that align with and move forward the goals of
Tucker Tomorrow (the City of Tucker's Comprehensive Plan). Through resolutions provided by the Tucker DDA Board of Directors, specific projects will be identified
and given prelimniary approval (the "Inducement"). For a project to potentially receive an Inducement, approval the following minumum prerequisites must be met:

• Proposed project must be in the Tucker DDA geographic boundries designated by the City Council
• Complete a formal application
• Work with the Tucker DDA and third party to complete a fiscal impact analysis for city, county, and school board
• Provide a project narrative and project

Meeting project prerequisites do not guarantee a project will receive a tax incentive. The Tucker DDA reserves the right to approve or deny any tax incentive request.
Tax incetive requests will be evaluated on a individual per project basis and include a holistic and comprehensive review.

Fees

Application Fee ‐ Applicant is expected to pay a fee of $5,000 made payable to the City of Tucker Downtown Development Authority at the time that an
application submission. This application fee will cover the cost of the required fiscal impact analysis.

The applicant will be responsible for all closing and legal fees for both the Tucker Downtown Development Authority and Applicant, as well as the cost of monitoring
compliance.

Closing Fee ‐ There is a standard closing fee of 1/8 of 1% (0.00125%) of the face value of the bonds in addition to annual fees, based off project size and complexity,
which the Tucker DDA may implement as well.

Process & Timeline

1 Preliminary conversation and discussion between City of Tucker Economic Development Manager and Tucker DDA Chair
2 Complete and submit application with check for costs and fees
3 Tucker DDA orders fiscal impact analysis using project information provided from project application
4 Tucker DDA discusses project materials
5 Tucker DDA Bond Attorney circulates draft Inducement Resolution
6 Tucker DDA public Board Meeting to adopt Inducement Resolution
7 Tucker DDA Bond Attorney prepares full legal documents
8 Full Tucker DDA Board adopts final Bond Resolution
9 Filing of Bond Validation papers in Superior Court
10 Publication of notice to the public Bond Validation Hearing
11 Bond Validation hearing in Superior Court of DeKalb County
12 Closing of Bond‐Lease Transation

OPEN RECORDS NOTICE

NOTICE: Any information provided to the Authority or its staff is subject to mandatory disclosure upon request under the provisions of the Georgia Open Records Act
or other applicable laws. The proceedings of the Authority are also open to the public under the Georgia Open Meetings Law. DO NOT PROVIDE TRADE SECRETS OR
OTHER CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION TO THE AUTHORITY OR ITS STAFF, LEST THEY BE DISCLOSED. If the answer to a question or requested material for the application
involves confidential information, discuss the matter with the Authority’s counsel. If it necessary to provide information that constitutes a trade secret (the
“Confidential Information”) to the Authority , pursuant to O.C.G.A. § 50‐18‐72(a)(34), you may include with such Confidential Information an affidavit affirmatively
declaring that specific Confidential Information constitutes a trade secret in accordance with O.C.G.A. § 10‐1‐27 (the “Trade Secret Affidavit”). Please be advised
that the Authority must follow the provisions of O.C.G.A. § 50‐18‐72(a)(34) when responding to an Open Records request with respect to the Confidential Information.
The Authority and its staff may treat any information provided to it and not specified as Confidential Information in the Trade Secret Affidavit or information
that it determines does not constitute a trade secret as non‐confidential and not constituting a trade secret.
City of Tucker Downtown Development Authority (DDA)
Tax incentive Program Application for Mixed‐use Projects

Tabs

The City of Tucker Downtown Development Authority (DDA) Application consists of the following worksheets found in the tabs of this workbook:

1 ‐ Applicant Information 4 ‐ Fiscal Impact Analysis Agreement
2 ‐ Project Information 5 ‐ Application Certification
3 ‐ Financing Information

Items to Include with Submission

• Electronic copy of this completed application
• Cover Letter requesting action by the authority including:
• Nature and description of project • How does the project affect the City of Tucker
• Project address and location • Why the Tucker DDA's particiaption is critical to your project
• Job and Investment information • Other information you deem pertinnat to the application
• Job classifcations & average salary
• Financial information including:
• Three (3) years of historical financing statements (audited preferred) for the applicant or its parent company (if the applicant is a new entity)
• Minimum of a five (5) year pro‐forma
• A statement about financing the project and/or Term Sheet detailing specific project terms, if available
• Detailed Capital Budget for this project
• Other financial information you deem pertinent
• Documentation of formal site plans that are ready for submission to the City of Tucker, if applicable
• Completed and signed copies of tabs 1‐5
• Submit this appkication to Jackie Moffo, Economic Development Manager, City of Tucker, at jmoffo@tuckerga.gov .

Protected Content

Many cells are protected and cannot be changed. Any changes to the protected cells will void the application. If the applicant has an issue with any application content
please contact Jackie Moffo, Economic Development Manager, City of Tucker, at jmoffo@tuckerga.gov.

Contact

If you have questions about this application, please reach out to:

Jackie Moffo
Economic Development Manager
City of Tucker, GA
jmoffo@tuckerga.gov
470‐366‐1856
City of Tucker Downtown Development Authority (DDA)
1 ‐ Applicant Information

General Information

Name of Applicant Company: Application Date:

Owner/Parent Companyy (if applicable): Name of Project/Development:

Type of Organization (i.e ‐ non‐profit) Address of Project/Development:

Contact Person: New or Existing Facility:

Title: Project Type (i.e.‐ Mixed Use):

Email: Years in Community:

Phone:

Company Address:

City, State, Zip
If applicable ‐ % Ownership

Name of the Limited Partnership:

Name of the General Partnership:

Name of General Partner(s):

Name of General Partner(s):

Name of General Partner(s):

Name of General Partner(s):

If Joint Venture, Name of Joint Venture Partners and Respective Partiicpatns in JV ‐

Other Users (and Percentage of Project Anticipated to be Utilized)

Name of Other User: Percentage to be Utilized:

Name of Other User: Percentage to be Utilized:

Additional Contact Information for any person responbsible for on‐going relationship with the City of Tucker DDA and the Authority regarding bonds and taxes

Name: Name:

Title: Title:

Email: Email:

Phone: Phone:

Address: Address:

City, State, Zip: City, State, Zip:
Contact

If you have questions about this application, please reach out to:

Jackie Moffo
Economic Development Manager
City of Tucker, GA
jmoffo@tuckerga.gov
470‐366‐1856

Process & Timeline

1 Preliminary conversation and discussion between City of Tucker Economic Development Manager and Tucker DDA Chair
2 Complete and submit application with check for costs and fees
3 Tucker DDA orders fiscal impact analysis using project information provided from project application
4 Tucker DDA discusses project materials
5 Tucker DDA Attorney circulates draft Inducement Resolution
6 Tucker DDA public Board Meeting to adopt Inducement Resolution
7 Bond Attorneys prepare full legal document
8 Full Tucker DDA Board Adoption of final Bond Resolution
9 Filing of Bond Validation papers in Superior Court
10 Publication of notice to the public Bond Validation Hearing
11 Bond Validation hearing in DeKalb Superior Court
12 Closing of Bond‐Lease Transation
City of Tucker Downtown Development Authority (DDA)
2 ‐ Project Information

Project Description ‐ please provide a copy of your preliminary or conceptual site plan

Principal User's General Nature of Business:

Current # of employees, companywide:

Business to be conducted in Tucker, GA:

NACIS of proposed facility:

Address (or closest cross street):

Parcel Identificaton Numbers (List Each):
Build to Suit, New Construction, Redevelopment, or Existing
Building?:

Lease or purchase of property or building?:

New to Tucker or existing business?:

If existing, describe current operations and location(s):
If existing, how many employees will be retained becasuse of this
project?
Average salary of new jobs. Include in separate attachment types of
jobs/titles
Average salary of retained jobs. Include in separate attachment
types of jobs/titles

If this is an existing building, what is the age of the building?

Is the project currently occupied?:

Is the site appropriately zoned for the proposed development?:

Does this project require a re‐zoning? Please provide details:

Are there variances or SLUPs required? If so, why?:

Are there any potential environmental hazards?:

Provide square footage, job and investment information in the tables below. Attach supporting documents as needed. If investment list is not land,
building or equipment, please elaborate:

Please provide a detailed description of why this project, or portion of your project, could NOT proceed with out this incentive:

Jobs ‐ New FTE Land Building Equipment Other Investment
Year1 $ ‐
Year2 $ ‐
Year3 $ ‐
Year4 $ ‐
Year5 $ ‐
Year6 $ ‐
Gross SF % Year7 $ ‐
Residential Year8 $ ‐
Retail Parking: Year9 $ ‐
Office Surface Structured Total: Year10 $ ‐
Hotel Residential Spaces: 0 Year11 $ ‐
Other Commercial Spaces: 0 Year12 $ ‐
Total Sq. Ft. 0 0% 0 Year13 $ ‐
Year14 $ ‐
Year15 $ ‐
Total $ ‐ $ ‐ $ ‐ $ ‐ $ ‐ $ ‐

Development Team Information

Developer: General Contractor:

Contact Person: Contact Person:

Address: Address:

City, State, Zip: City, State, Zip:
Phone: Phone:

Email: Email:

Property Manager: Construction Guarantor

Contact Person: Contact Person:

Address: Address:

City, State, Zip: City, State, Zip:

Phone: Phone:

Email: Email:

If Multifamily and/or Mixed‐Use If Hotel/Motel

% # Number of Rooms
# of Units for Rent/Lease
# of units for Purchase/Owernship Resturant?

Retail Space?
# of Studio Units Parking Garage?
# of One Bedroom Units
# of Two Bedroom Units Additional Amenitites?
# of Three Bedroom Units

Total Number of Units

Has any member of the development team, or its principals, been associated with defaulted development or have been determined to have "troubled status" within the last 5 years? If so, explain

Has any member of the development team, or its principals, been associated with found to be in non‐compliance with any federal, state, or local grant, or loan program requirements within the last five years
If so, please explain.

Has any member of the development team, or its principals, been associated with found to be in non‐compliance with any federal, state, or local grant, or loan program requirements within the last five years

0 Has any member of the development team, or its principals, been involved in any legal proceedings in the last three years which include bankruptcy, judgments, tax liens, etc.? If so, please explain

Please provide the following information on completed developments

Development Name Location/State Total SF Property Type Source of Financing Incentives (if any)
City of Tucker Downtown Development Authority (DDA)
3 ‐ Financing Information

Issue Size and Type

Proposed amount of issue:

Type of issue:
Description of financing (include rating, if any,
and identify any proposed Lender or credit
enhancer):

Private or Public Offering? (Authority Policy limits
public offerings)

Applicant's Bond Counsel

Name:

Address:

Contact Person (name/title)

Email:

Phone:

Sources and Uses

Uses Amount Comments
Acquisition
Hard Costs
Soft Costs
Developer Fees
Total $ ‐

Amort. Term Funding
Sources Lien Position Amount Interest Rate Loan Term (yrs) (yrs) Commited Annual Debt Service
Debt 0 0
Equity
Grant Incentive (if applicable)
Other
Total $ ‐ $ ‐
City of Tucker Downtown Development Authority (DDA)
4 ‐ Fiscal Impact Analysis

Fiscal Impact Analysis ‐ Project Worksheet

Project Name/Code Name: Date:

Type of Business to be conducted in
Tucker:
Principal User (if different from applicant or owner):

Principal User's General Business Type: Project Type ‐ NEW: EXPANSION:

Organization Name %

Other Users (and percentage of the project anticipated to be utilized):

Physcial Address (street, city, zip):

Current value of the land: Value of any existing buildings:

Employment Phase‐In Schedule ‐ if the project is an expansion of an existing facility, enter NEW employment only.
IF exisiting jobs are at risk, enter ALL employment. Future years are the number of NEW jobs by

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15
Year of operation # of jobs retained:
# of New Jobs:
Average Salary
(Enter all wages in today's dollars. Do NOT adjsut for inflation. Total Retained Jobs
Average wage should EXCLUDE benefits) Total New Jobs:
Average Wage:

Capital Investment Phase‐In Schedule ‐ If the project is an expansion of an existing facility, enter new capital investment only. Enter all investments
in today's doollars. DO NOT adjust for inflation. Year 0 reprsents the ENTIRE construction period, even if that construction period is multi‐year. Year 1 is the first year of operations.

Additional Real Property Investment

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15
Year Building
(Enter all wages in today's dollars. Do NOT adjsut for inflation. Total Retained Jobs

Additional Personal Property Investment
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15
Class 1:
Class 2:
Class 3:
Class 4:
(See shadded box for definition of all property types) Total Personal Property Investment:
Total Property Investment:

Class 1: Economic life of 7‐10 years. Examples include copiers, electronic manufacturing equipment, vending equipment, rental appliances, and broadcasting equipment.
Class 2: Economic life of 8‐12 years. Examples include office furniture, fixtures and equipment, restaurant and bar equipment, hotel furnishings, and most manufacturing equipment.
Class 3: Economic life of 13 years or more. Examples include tanks and storage, billboards and signs, cold storage and ice making equipment.
Class 4: Economic life of 1‐4 years. Examples include computers and computer equipment, special tools and guages, jigs, dies, molds, and patterns, and special shipping devices.

Utiities: Does the project require an increase in water and/or sewer capacity? YES NO

If yes, please provide additional information:

Signature of Company Officer: Print Name:
Instructions: Enter NEW investment/units for each year. Year 0 is the construction period.
IF the construction period is more than 1 year, AND the partial construction will be taxable, please check the below box:Construction period is more than 1 year, AND the partial construction will be taxable.
Year: 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15
Residential
Single‐Family (Value) $ ‐ $ ‐ $ ‐ $ ‐ $ ‐ $ ‐ $ ‐ $ ‐ $ ‐ $ ‐ $ ‐ $ ‐ $ ‐ $ ‐ $ ‐ $ ‐
Multi‐Family (Value) $ ‐ $ ‐ $ ‐ $ ‐ $ ‐ $ ‐ $ ‐ $ ‐ $ ‐ $ ‐ $ ‐ $ ‐ $ ‐ $ ‐ $ ‐ $ ‐
Total: $ ‐ $ ‐ $ ‐ $ ‐ $ ‐ $ ‐ $ ‐ $ ‐ $ ‐ $ ‐ $ ‐ $ ‐ $ ‐ $ ‐ $ ‐ $ ‐

Year: 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15
Housing Units
MF ‐ 1 room 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
MF ‐ 2 room 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
MF ‐ 3 room 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Townhomes 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Singe‐family 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Age‐restricted housing 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Total: 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Instructions: Enter NEW investment/jobs/payroll for each year. Cumulative totals will be calculated by the model.

Year: 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15
Commercial Investment
Retail (Value) $ ‐ $ ‐ $ ‐ $ ‐ $ ‐ $ ‐ $ ‐ $ ‐ $ ‐ $ ‐ $ ‐ $ ‐ $ ‐ $ ‐ $ ‐ $ ‐
Restraruants (Value) $ ‐ $ ‐ $ ‐ $ ‐ $ ‐ $ ‐ $ ‐ $ ‐ $ ‐ $ ‐ $ ‐ $ ‐ $ ‐ $ ‐ $ ‐ $ ‐
Lodging (Value) $ ‐ $ ‐ $ ‐ $ ‐ $ ‐ $ ‐ $ ‐ $ ‐ $ ‐ $ ‐ $ ‐ $ ‐ $ ‐ $ ‐ $ ‐ $ ‐
Office (Value) $ ‐ $ ‐ $ ‐ $ ‐ $ ‐ $ ‐ $ ‐ $ ‐ $ ‐ $ ‐ $ ‐ $ ‐ $ ‐ $ ‐ $ ‐ $ ‐
Total: $ ‐ $ ‐ $ ‐ $ ‐ $ ‐ $ ‐ $ ‐ $ ‐ $ ‐ $ ‐ $ ‐ $ ‐ $ ‐ $ ‐ $ ‐ $ ‐

Annual Total Investment $ ‐ $ ‐ $ ‐ $ ‐ $ ‐ $ ‐ $ ‐ $ ‐ $ ‐ $ ‐ $ ‐ $ ‐ $ ‐ $ ‐ $ ‐ $ ‐
(All Sectors)

Jobs by Business Type Enter average wage by sector below.
Multi‐family operating (Jobs) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Retail (Jobs) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Restrarurants (Jobs) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Lodging (Jobs) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Office (Jobs) 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Total (Jobs): 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

# of new employees
living at project 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Average wage by sector:
$ ‐ MF operating
$ ‐ Retail
$ ‐ Restaurant
$ ‐ Lodging
$ ‐ Office

Year:
Retail Sales Data 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15
Enter retail sales data if available. If not, enter the number of square feet by type below and industry averages will be used. Check the box below if square feet is used.
Annual Taxable Sales for: Square feet instead of sales
All Retail:
All Restaurants: 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
All Lodging: 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Total Retail Sales: 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Year:
Lodging Data 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15
Average Annual Occupancy Rate:
Average Price Per Room Night: 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0%
Number of rooms: $ ‐ $ ‐ $ ‐ $ ‐ $ ‐ $ ‐ $ ‐ $ ‐ $ ‐ $ ‐ $ ‐ $ ‐ $ ‐ $ ‐ $ ‐ $ ‐
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Enter tax abatment schedule, if applicable.
Year:
Abatement Schedule (% Savings): 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15
0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 0.0%
City of Tucker Downtown Development Authority (DDA)
5 ‐ Applicant's Acknowledgement

The Applicant has reviewed this Application and the charges and other requirements stated herein as well as made a general inquiry as to the Authority’s bond inducement and issuance
process, and hereby acknowledges that it understands these matters. Further, the Applicant is providing all the information requested and listed on the Authority's Project Check List
(see below). Also enclosed with this Application is the required fee of $5,000.00 ( the cost of the required fiscal impact analysis) which is payable to the City of Tucker Downtown
Development Authority, and this fee is non‐refundable in any and all events. The Applicant further acknowledges that it is the responsibility of the Applicant to review with Applicant's
counsel all filing requirements, deadline dates, IRS information, returns, and payments, filing dates, and any and all related matters pertaining to this Application and the bonds that may
be issued, and that Applicant hereby undertakes such responsibility and fully releases the Authority from any and all responsibility and liability related to such information and actions.

The Applicant further acknowledges that the Authority serves as a conduit for financing and does not itself provide or arrange financing. The Applicant further acknowledges that it must
obtain an underwriter or lender and make arrangements for the financing satisfactory to the Authority and that the Authority does not provide credit or credit support for bonds.

The information provided in the Application is a minimum requirement and the DDA reserves the right to request additional information from the applicant or to request clarification
or additional documentation. Decisions regarding applications are at the sole discretion of the DDA.

Company Name:

Submitted By:
(Authorized Compnay Officer Signature)

Printed Name:

Date:
APPENDIX E: Decide DeKalb’s Incentives Policy
March 8, 2016
A RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, the Governing Authority of DeKalb County is tasked with the protection of the
County’s health, safety, and general welfare; and
WHEREAS, Economic Development is highly competitive regionally, nationally, and
internationally
WHEREAS, offering incentives to potential businesses interested in locating in DeKalb
County is essential to attract new investment, create jobs, and expand the local tax base; and
WHEREAS, DeKalb County has adopted an Economic Development Strategic Plan to provide
a roadmap for economic development activities countywide, and has tasked its Development
Authority, Decide DeKalb, with implementing that plan; and
WHEREAS, DeKalb County has identified target industries in its Economic Development
Strategic Plan. These were selected after an in-depth examination of industry clusters within the
County that led to the identification of the following target industries: Professional & Business
Services; Life Sciences; Tourism; Logistics; Construction & Support Trades; and Advanced
Manufacturing; and
WHEREAS, the film production and distribution industry has been included in this policy as a
niche within the tourism industry because of the unique opportunities it presents in the County and the
State; and
WHEREAS, targeting certain industries will focus scarce resources on industries that provide
the highest economic impact and hold the greatest potential for sustained growth; and
WHEREAS, the Governing Authority finds that this resolution will expand and attract
businesses, create jobs, and increase economic growth, thereby improving the general welfare of the
County;
NOW, THEREFORE, be it ordained by the Governing Authority of DeKalb County,
Georgia, and it is hereby ordained by the authority of same, that the attached Economic Development
Incentives Policy (Exhibit A) is adopted.

ADOPTED by the DeKalb County Board of Commissioners, this _____ day of __________, 2016.

LARRY L. JOHNSON, MPH
Presiding Officer
Board of Commissioners
DeKalb County, Georgia
March 8, 2016
APPROVED by the Chief Executive Officer, or designee, of DeKalb County, this _____ day of
______, 2016.

LEE MAY
Interim Chief Executive Officer
DeKalb County, Georgia

ATTEST:

BARBARA H. SANDERS, CCC
Clerk to the Board of Commissioners and
Chief Executive Officer
DeKalb County, Georgia

APPROVED AS TO SUBSTANCE: APPROVED AS TO FORM:

LUZ BORRERO OV BRANTLEY
Deputy Chief Operating Officer for Development County Attorney
March 8, 2016

Exhibit A
Economic Development Incentives Policy
1. Background

The objective of this Economic Development Incentives Policy is to create and expand economic
development activity, enhance the tax base, create and retain jobs, and spur redevelopment in DeKalb
County. This policy will also assist in addressing blight by creating an environment that encourages
private sector reinvestment in key areas.

The Board of Commissioners of DeKalb County adopted the Economic Development Strategic Plan
on September 23, 2014. This Strategic Plan included the objective of optimizing incentives, supporting
entrepreneurship, and enhancing marketing, branding, and communications for DeKalb County.

An active business attraction program is an ideal way to improve the economic health and vitality of
DeKalb County. Business attraction and expansion efforts can be done through a variety of programs
and tools. Financial incentives and eliminating or minimizing barriers to doing business in an efficient
and effective manner are critical components of these efforts. Financial incentives are one tool
designed to more quickly move the County’s economy forward.

This Incentives Policy is designed to catalyze economic activity by focusing on opportunities aligned
with the County’s Economic Development Strategic Plan, Comprehensive Plan, and the Activity
Centers established therein. The policy is specifically designed to spur development directly related to
target industries or related niches.

In addition, specific incentive levels were established in light of the projected benefits to the County,
as represented by the number of new jobs created, the increase and diversification of the County’s tax
base, and the additional revenues generated for the County’s Enterprise and General Funds.

2. Coordination with Decide DeKalb

The Development Authority of DeKalb County (Decide DeKalb) serves as the County’s Economic
Development arm and is tasked with implementing the County’s Economic Development Strategic
Plan. As such, Decide DeKalb and the County coordinate closely on all potential development
projects. Decide DeKalb works with the County to set up pre-application meetings and assemble the
Major Projects Team, as warranted. Under this incentives policy, Decide DeKalb will serve as the
liaison for applicants and will coordinate with the County and the applicant throughout the application
preparation, submittal, review, and approval process. Applicants that approach the county for
incentives through this policy will be referred to Decide DeKalb for any financing or other incentives
they may need for their project.

3. Policy Administration

The Chief Operating Officer, or designee, of DeKalb County shall be authorized to provide Economic
Development Incentives in the form of fee reductions, waivers, and matching funds based on the
criteria established in this policy. The Director of Planning and Sustainability shall oversee the
incentives program and provide recommendations on incentives applications to the Chief Operating
Officer, or designee.

4. Incentives Application Process
March 8, 2016

Applicants seeking an economic development fee reduction, waiver, or matching funds must file an
application with the Director of Planning and Sustainability, or designated staff. Such application must
be made prior to payment of any fees applicant would like reduced or waived, and prior to
construction of any water/sewer infrastructure for which applicant plans to request matching funds for
the project. Projects expected to last more than five years should submit separate phased incentives
applications. The administration will inform district and superdistrict commissioners when an
economic development incentives application has been received for a project within his or her district
or superdistrict.

A business seeking a fee reduction, waiver, or matching funds must provide independent research to
support their assertion that they will meet the impact requirements of this policy. These requirements
include greater than 50% of the project being dedicated to a target industry, or some combination of
target industries, along with meeting all other criteria established in this policy. The study must
demonstrate that the development would not occur “but for” the offer of incentives. The projected
attainment of these requirements should be presented by applicant and conducted by an independent
service provider.

The County may hire an independent service provider to conduct this analysis, and may establish
application fees to recover the cost of this service.

5. Incentives Approval Process

The Director of Planning and Sustainability will assess the application against established incentives
criteria, and provide the Chief Operating Officer, or designee, with a recommendation on the
appropriate fee reduction waiver, or matching funds. The final determination whether to offer
incentives to a Targeted Business will be made by the Chief Operating Officer, or designee, after
considering whether such an offer of incentives is in the best interest of DeKalb County.

This process is conducted and managed by the Director of Planning and Sustainability. However, the
Chief Operating Officer (COO), or designee, makes the final determination whether an applicant
meets the requirements for fee reductions, waivers, or matching funds. The COO, or designee, will
mail the applicant a letter either rejecting the application for incentives or approving the application
for incentives. The COO, or designee, will provide the applicant, the Director of Finance, the Director
of Watershed Management, and the Director of Planning and Sustainability a letter detailing the fee
reductions, waivers, or matching funds authorized. The applicant then enters into a contract with the
County to accept the incentives based on conditions established in this policy.

Incentives offered shall include the following:

1. Reduction of fees for general contractor building and land development permits.
2. Reduction of business occupation taxes (business license fees).
3. Matching funds for water and sewer infrastructure improvements.
4. Acceleration of some or all aspects of the development review process.

All potential fee reductions, waivers, and matching funds are subject to DeKalb County’s budgetary
constraints.

In no event shall any incentive result in a payment of County funds to an applicant.
March 8, 2016
The Chief Operating Officer, or designee, is hereby authorized to execute agreements with eligible
businesses, which detail the requirements and benefits referenced herein.

5. Appeals

In the event that an applicant is rejected by the COO, or designee, and would like to appeal this
decision, the applicant within 30 days of rejection shall write a letter to the Director of Planning and
Sustainability appealing this decision.

This process for appeal is conducted and managed by the Director of Planning. However, the Chief
Executive Officer (CEO), or designee, makes the final determination whether an applicant’s appeal
should be granted and incentives should be given. Within 30 days of receipt of the appeal, the CEO, or
designee, will write the applicant a letter either confirming the denial of incentives or approving the
appeal for incentives. In the event the CEO, or designee, approves the appeal and an applicant is
awarded the prescribed incentives, the COO, or designee, will provide the applicant, the Director of
Finance, the Director of Watershed Management, and the Director of Planning and Sustainability a
letter detailing the fee reductions, waivers, or matching funds authorized. The applicant then enters
into a contract with the County to accept the incentives based on conditions established in this policy.

6. Eligibility Criteria

In order for a project to be eligible for Economic Development Incentives, it must satisfy defined
eligibility criteria related to the type of development proposed, projected job creation and investment,
and water usage.

a) Target Industries

In order for a project to be eligible for Economic Development Incentives, a majority of the project,
measured as greater than 50% of the project investment, must relate to one or more of the following
target industries or related niches (See related NAICS Code for further information):

 Professional & Business Services (541)
Includes firms which provide services that require niche educational training, such
as engineers, accountants, and lawyers, as well as firms that provide direct services
to businesses.
i. Consulting, Accounting, & Marketing (5416, 5412, and 5418);
ii. Engineering (541330);
iii. E-Commerce;
iv. Creative Design (5414); and
v. Entrepreneur Enabled Businesses
 Life Sciences (5417)
Includes services, products, and activities that are broadly related to research,
manufacturing, and other activities focused on, or utilizing, living organisms, with
particular attention to the maintenance or restoration of health.
i. Biotechnology;
ii. Health IT;
iii. Proteomics;
iv. Bioinformatics; and
v. Senior Care Centers (623110, 623311, & 624120)
 Tourism
March 8, 2016
This industry is focused on destinations, travelers, and the businesses that create
destinations and accommodate those travelers.
i. Cultural Tourism (926110);
ii. Youth Sporting Events (713990);
iii. Bed & Breakfast Inns (721191); and
iv. Dynamic Tour Packages (561520)
v. Film/Motion Picture and Music Production and Distribution (512110 and
512220)
 Logistics
Includes businesses associated with the process of planning, implementing, and
controlling the efficient flow of goods and services through the supply chain from
producer to consumer.
i. Warehouse Distribution (493);
ii. Truck Terminals (488490);
iii. Back Office Support Services (561); and
iv. Specialized Freight Trucking (484110)
 Construction & Support Trades
Includes businesses that provide create, or support the creation, of residential,
commercial, or industrial buildings, civil engineering work, or other infrastructure
development.
i. Homebuilding (236116)1;
ii. Contracting (236-238); and
iii. Construction Materials Manufacturing (333120)
 Advanced Manufacturing
Category of manufacturing that utilizes innovative technologies to make superior
products and improve production methods.
i. Fabricated Metals Manufacturing (332);
ii. Light Manufacturing & Assembly (3133)
iii. Laboratory Equipment & Supplies (327212, 327215, 334515); and
iv. Medical Equipment & Supplies (3391)

b) Employment and Investment Thresholds

i. Incentives Schedule: Land Development and Building Permits

To qualify for permit or business license waivers or reductions, a project must meet the required
economic impact thresholds outlined in the table below, as measured by the investment and new jobs
created by the business locating or expanding in DeKalb County

Tier Potential Economic Impact Potential Incentives
I For investment projects with a taxable value within a  Permit discounts of 50% on General
range of $10 to $15 Million dollars and creating a Contractor Fees
minimum of 20 new jobs.  Business occupation taxes capped at
$1,000 for one (1) year.

Businesses that specialize in single family home or multi-family construction and/or support may be eligible for
incentivizes to locate in DeKalb County. However, construction of a single family residential home, subdivision, or
multifamily development will not be eligible for incentives under this policy
March 8, 2016
II For investment projects with a taxable value within a  Permit discounts of 60% on General
range of $16 to $20 Million dollars and creating a Contractor Fees
minimum of 30 new jobs.  Business occupation taxes capped at
$1,000 for two (2) years.
III For investment projects with a taxable value within a  Permit discounts of 70% on General
range of $21 to $30 Million dollars and creating a Contractor Fees
minimum of 40 new jobs.  Business occupation taxes capped at
$1,000 for three (3) years.
IV For investment projects with a taxable value within a  Permit discounts of 80% on General
range of $31 to $50 Million dollars and creating a Contractor Fees
minimum of 60 new jobs.  Business occupation taxes capped at
$1,000 for four (4) years.
V For investment projects with a taxable value within a  Permit discounts of 100% on General
range of $51 Million and above, and creating a minimum Contractor Fees
of 100 new jobs.  Business occupation taxes capped at
$1,000 for five (5) years.

ii. Incentives Schedule Water and Sewer Fees

To qualify for water/sewer infrastructure improvement matching funds, the applicant must meet the
water usage criteria established in the table below.

Tier Potential Economic Impact Potential Incentives
I For investment projects with a taxable value within a County will match each dollar contribution
range of $10 to $15 Million dollars and creating a toward cost of capacity improvements costing
minimum of 20 new jobs, and that produce at least up to $200,000 for water and/or sewer with the
$100,000 in new annual water and sewer revenues County’s total contribution not to exceed
$100,000
II For investment projects with a taxable value within a County will match each dollar contribution
range of $16 to $20 Million dollars and creating a toward the cost of capacity improvements for
minimum of 30 new jobs, and at least $200,000 in new water and/or sewer costing between $200,000
annual water and sewer revenues and $400,000 with the County’s
total contribution not to exceed $200,000
III For investment projects with a taxable value within a County will match each dollar contribution
range of $21 to $30 Million dollars and creating a toward the cost of capacity improvements for
minimum of 40 new jobs, and at least $300,000 in new water and/or sewer costing between $400,000
annual water and sewer revenues and $600,000 with the County contribution not
to exceed $300,000
IV For investment projects with a taxable value within a County will match each dollar contribution
range of $31 to $50 Million dollars and creating a toward the cost of capacity improvements for
minimum of 60 new jobs, and at least $400,000 in new water and/or sewer costing between $600,000
annual water and sewer revenues and $800,000 with the County contribution not
to exceed $400,000
V For investment projects with a taxable value within a County will match each dollar contribution
range of $51 Million and $75 Million, and creating a toward the cost of capacity improvements for
minimum of 100 new jobs, and at least $500,000 in water and/or sewer costing over $1,000,000
new annual water and sewer revenues with the County contribution not to exceed
$500,000
VI For investment projects with a taxable value within a County will match each dollar contribution
range of $76 Million and above, and creating a toward the cost of capacity improvements for
minimum of 100 new jobs, and at least $750,000 in water and/or sewer costing over $1.5 Million
new annual water and sewer revenues with the County contribution not to exceed
$750,000
March 8, 2016
iii. Sustainable Building Certification Credits

Projects that obtain one or more sustainable building certifications through LEED, Earthcraft, Green
Globes, or the Living Building Challenge will receive a 15% credit toward the required investment to
obtain all incentives. Applicants will include their intent to obtain one of these certifications on their
application. For example, a development estimated at $18 million of investment that creates 40 new
jobs and $300,000 in new water/sewer revenue would ordinarily qualify for a Tier II incentive for
permitting, business license, and water/sewer incentives. However, if that same development was
built and certified through any of the aforementioned sustainable building programs, it would receive a
15% investment credit and qualify for Tier III incentives ($18 million + $2.7 million = $20.7 million).

7. Developments with High Water Usage and Low Sewage Usage

Investment projects with a taxable value of $10 Million+ and creating a minimum of 20 new jobs, with
a sewage usage that is 30% of water usage will receive a 50% discount in sewage rates for 5 years.

8. Expansion of Water & Sewage Capacity for Public Benefit

The Director of Watershed Management may contract to reimburse a developer for water and sewer
system improvements beyond what is required for the development, where it will expand capacity for
other potential users.

9. Acceleration of Development Review Process

Any proposed development with a taxable value of at least $10 million may request an expedited
process for Land Development and Building permits. For approved projects, the County will provide
guaranteed service level agreements for completion of all Land Development and Building permit
reviews within ten business days of applicant submission. Additionally, the County will establish a
single point of contact to work closely with project managers, contractors, owners, and other interested
parties.

10. Coordination with DeKalb County Workforce Development Agency

The DeKalb County Workforce Development Agency provides businesses with access to dollars to
assist training new and existing employees. Any development project that receives incentives through
this policy will be required to collaborate with the DeKalb County Workforce Development Agency to
advertise jobs created during the development process and take advantage of the following services, as
appropriate:

 Job candidate recruitment and screening
 Customized job fairs for employers
 Occupational skills training funded through the Workforce Innovation & Opportunity Act
(WIOA), which covers up to 100% of training costs
 Work-Based Training: Internships, On-the-Job-Training, Customized and Incumbent Worker
Training
 Skills assessments for all new and existing employees
 Layoff aversion solutions
March 8, 2016
 Community/business collaborations with the Georgia Department of Labor, Georgia Piedmont
Technical College, the Georgia Department of Economic Development – Workforce Division,
and other entities as needed

11. Performance Bond

Applicants seeking an economic development fee reduction, waiver, or matching funds must secure a
performance bond with a bonding company in the amount of the incentives offered to the business by
the County, for a period of no less than five years. The bond must be secured, and documentation
must be presented to the County prior to finalizing the incentives contract.

12. Business Fails to Meet Policy Guidelines

The responsibility to meet the requirements associated with target industries, job creation, taxable
value, sustainable building certification, and/or water/sewer revenue for any incentives given to a
business through this policy transfer to any subsequent business or other entity to which ownership
passes during the incentives time period. In the event the business is sold, the business owner must
provide the buyer with a deed detailing the obligations of the owner under the incentives contract.
Once the transaction is complete, the new owner must contact the Director of Planning and
Sustainability to inform him or her of the transfer.

Businesses that receive any incentive under the provisions of this policy shall agree not to relocate
outside DeKalb County for five years after incentives are granted. If the Targeted Business relocates
outside DeKalb County during the incentive period, the Targeted Business shall immediately
reimburse DeKalb County for the full value of any and all incentives received pursuant to this Policy.

In the event an applicant fails to meet the financial or employment impact levels, or obtain required
sustainable building certification presented to the county, the applicant shall return to the County the
amount of incentives in excess of the amount typically awarded for the financial impact level the
applicant has attained.

Projects must attain requirements associated with target industries, job creation, taxable value,
sustainable building certification, and/or water/sewer revenue in the period of time outlined in the
table below.

Incentives Time to Meet
Tier Eligibility Criteria
I Three Years
II Three Years
III Four Years
IV Four Years
V Five Years
VI Five Years

13. Extensions

In the event an applicant acknowledges that they will not meet the prescribed impact levels in the time
allotted, the applicant may request an extension on this time frame by submitting a letter to the COO,
March 8, 2016
or designee, detailing (1) the reason they have failed to meet the impact levels established; (2) time of
extension requested; and (3) a plan to meet the impact levels established in that time frame.

The COO, or designee, can grant an extension with evidence that the project delays were out of the
control of the applicant; there has been substantial progress made towards reaching impact
requirements; and/or applicant has shown a good faith effort in reaching the requirements.

Extensions shall only be granted once, for no more than one year, as determined by the specific
circumstances after review by the Chief Operating Officer or designee as to how much time will be
needed to complete the project.

14. Incentives Ceiling & Reporting to the DeKalb County Board of Commissioners

Applicant shall convey yearly reports to the county to show adherence to the requirements presented
for incentives, including First Source Jobs awarded, for a period of five years after the incentives are
granted.

An annual incentives ceiling will be proposed to the Board of Commissioners through the budget
process based on historical incentives data and knowledge of anticipated projects. This incentives
ceiling will inform the anticipated revenue projections utilized by the Office of Management and
Budget when preparing the annual County budget.

The County will track all approved incentives applications, as well as the total amount awarded for
each incentives category to ensure the total amount approved in a given fiscal year does not exceed the
allotted fiscal year budget for fee waivers, reductions, and matching funds.

Quarterly reports will be provided to the Board of Commissioners regarding the progress of existing
incentives projects and the benefits of previously completed projects to assess the success of the
program on an ongoing basis.
