Texas Property Tax Incentives for Brownfields Redevelopment (Ad Valorem Property Tax Abatements)

Local governments can offer additional ad valorem property tax abatements to attract cleanup and redevelopment of #brownfields. Senate Bill 1596 and House Bill 1239 of the 75th Texas Legislative Session added Section 312.211 to the Texas Tax Code, allowing municipal or county taxing authorities to grant property-tax relief for the development or redevelopment of certain brownfields in a reinvestment zone that have been cleaned up through the VCP.
To be eligible, the real property must:

1. be located in a reinvestment zone created under Tax Code 311; 
2. not be in an improvement project financed by tax increment bonds; and
3. have received a voluntary-cleanup certificate of completion from the VCP.

The governing body must enter into a tax-abatement agreement with the owner of the brownfield property as set forth in Tax Code 312.002.  The governing body is allowed to exempt from taxation:

1. up to 100 percent of the value of the property in the first year covered by the agreement;
2. up to 75 percent in the second year;
3. up to 50 percent in the third year; and
4. up to 25 percent in the fourth year.

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EPA grant to fund Hernando cleanup estimate

Source:  Commercial Appeal, H. Bailey
6/3/12

Aiming to be proactive for development, Hernando will use a federal $400,000 "brownfield" grant from the Environmental Protection Agency to do a community assessment of blighted but potentially viable sites, city officials said.  "Places that even have the perception of being polluted are part of this," said Community Development director Shelly Johnstone. "By identifying such locations now with the help of environmental experts, we can target cleanup money more effectively, and this helps planning and the developers."
"This is the first step that will help us get cleanup funds later on," Mayor Chip Johnson said.
The grant requires a formal bid process under which city aldermen will hire the "best engineers" to conduct the study, he said. The EPA last week announced the grant for Hernando along with $400,000 awards each to Columbus in east-central Mississippi and McComb in the state's southwestern corner. The grants are part of $69.3 million released nationwide by the agency to provide communities with funding necessary to clean and redevelop contaminated properties, boost local economies and create jobs while protecting public health.

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Oklahoma City's Devon Energy goes for 'green' gold on former # brownfield site

Source: NewsOK.com, R. Mize

Devon Energy Center, when complete, won't be “green” just because of what went into it, but also because of what came out of the ground under it.  Part of the parcel of land now with the address 333 W Sheridan Ave. has a dirty history, one that reflects the changes in the city around it. But most recently, since Devon Energy Corp. Larry Nichols acquired it, it's a story of colors: brown, green and gold., executive chairman, told some of the tale as the closing speaker at the Oklahoma Brownfields Conference Wednesday at the Skirvin Hilton Hotel. Part of the city block was “brown” — in need of environmental remediation — because of former uses as a trolley barn, then a kind of “motor hotel,” both of which left contaminated soil and water from fuel leakage.

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Brownfields 2013 - Call for Ideas

Each year the #brownfield conference's educational program is a direct result of your presentation ideas. Don't miss your chance to be part of the most engaging and powerful event of its kind - the Call for Ideas will close on August 3rd.

IMPORTANT:  

In an effort to make the National Brownfields Conference experience enjoyable for all participants, conference organizers are requesting that the majority of educational sessions are tailored to encourage conversations and participation from attendees.  We want the Brownfields 2013 educational program to motivate brownfields stakeholders to share knowledge and expertise and learn from each others’ experiences.  Therefore, when evaluating the responses to this Call for Ideas, conference organizers will favor sessions that encourage discussion and stakeholder participation.

REQUIRED INFORMATION:

To submit an abstract for Brownfields 2013 you must complete our online submission form. Follow these steps to successfully complete the form:

Step 1:	Determine a general topic that best describes your session idea
Step 2:	Choose a session format
Step 3:	Propose a title
Step 4:	Briefly describe the session and include key takeaways for the audience
Step 5:	Choose a knowledge level
Step 6:	List confirmed speakers and their contact information

STEP 1: GENERAL TOPIC AREA (CHOOSE ONE)

• Technical Assistance – Includes engineering solutions such as: assessment methods; cleanup technologies; and green cleanup.
  
• Financing Redevelopment Opportunities- Includes financial strategies and solutions such as: economic development; investment issues; leveraging public/private financing; tax incentives; banks; and insurance issues.
• Real Estate and Development- Includes site selection approaches; site preparation and marketing; redevelopment readiness; working with developers; vertical construction; and commercial issues.
• Planning for a Better Environment – Includes environmental issues such as: area-wide planning; zoning; smart growth; transportation; air; water and toxic issues; community development priorities; and economic market assessment.
• Community – Includes people solutions such as: workforce development; community gardens; local involvement; historical and cultural issues; environmental justice; gentrification and displacement; public health; and faith-based and art issues.
• Redevelopment and Revitalization – Includes development solutions such as: innovative federal, state and local programs; renewable energy; case studies; legislation and codes; targeting of specific economic sectors such as auto, mine-scarred lands, ports, mills, tanks, etc.; RCRA facilities; Superfund sites; and federal facilities.
• Liability and Enforcement – Includes legal solutions such as: CERCLA and RCRA liability; BFPP; and liability transfer.
• Data, Research and Public Health – Includes current research results and innovative solutions for addressing public health issues involving the environmental impacts associated with contaminated lands.

STEP 2: SESSION FORMAT (CHOOSE ONE)

• Town Hall Meeting - Informal meeting led by one or two leaders or experts in a specific topic or area of interest, where stakeholders are given an opportunity to discuss emerging issues and voice concerns and preferences with other participants, as well as the session leader(s).  Proposed Town Hall Meeting sessions should include a session title, a summary of the proposed topic and explanation of why it will be of interest to the proposed audience, and a summary of the credentials of no more than two session leaders.
• Round Table Discussion - Discussion on a specific topic led by one or two topic experts.  The room is set to allow for table groups of 10-12 participants. Attendees are encouraged to engage in discussion through a series of topic-related questions posed by the topic expert or session facilitator. Proposed Round Table Discussions must include a session title, a summary of the topic to be covered, an explanation of the targeted audience, and a summary of the credentials of the topic experts who will lead the session.  No more than two facilitators or topic experts should be identified.
• Panel Discussions -  Group of no more than three speakers who are recognized experts in a specific topic, who generally have different viewpoints or experiences within the specific topic.  A moderator will lead the panel discussion and follow on question and answers.  Proposed panel sessions must include a concise and comprehensive summary of the specific topic to be covered by the panelists, an explanation of why the topic is important to Conference stakeholders, and a summary of the targeted audience.  Proposed panel sessions can include no more than three speakers, including the session moderator.  Sessions must be tailored to encourage and allow for audience interaction.

STEP 3: PROPOSED TITLE

Conference organizers read hundreds of abstracts each year. Proposing a catchy title will create a good first impression and will make your abstract easy to remember. Be creative!

STEP 4: DESCRIPTION (1,200 CHARACTER LIMIT)

There will be a character limit on descriptions this year, so please focus on why the topic is important and include any key takeaways for participants. Make sure that your description reflects the session format.

STEP 5: KNOWLEDGE LEVEL (CHOOSE ONE)

• Beginner
• Intermediate
• Advanced

STEP 6: PROPOSED SPEAKERS

List the speakers you have confirmed to participate in this session. Make sure to include each speaker's name, title, organization, phone number, email address, and a very brief bio that identifies why they should be considered for the session. The number of speakers reflects the session format.

speaker's name, title, organization, phone number, email address, and a very brief bio that identifies  why they should be considered for the session. The number of speakers reflects the session format.