South Carolina #Brownfield Tax Credit

Financial incentives are available for non-responsible parties who have entered into the South Carolina VCP. They include:

1. State corporate income tax credit for expenses incurred by a taxpayer in cleaning up a site. For your convenience, the "Credit for Expenses Incurred Through Brownfields/Voluntary Cleanup Program" form has been placed on the Department of Revenue's web page.
2. Jobs tax credit in the amount of an additional $1000 to established job tax credit
3. Property tax exemption, with county concurrence
4. Fees in lieu of property taxes, with a $1 million threshold minimum

To find the form for the income tax credit:

1. Type http://www.sctax.org in your web browser
2. Go to "Forms and Instructions"
3. Current Years Forms and Instructions
4. Tax Forms and Instructions Table of Contents
5. Scroll to SC SCH TC-20 - "Credit for Expenses Incurred Through Brownfields/Voluntary Cleanup Program."

If you have any questions concerning the form, please call Lynda May, Department of Revenue at (803) 898-5786.

STATE-FACILITATED TIF FOR BROWNFIELD REDEVELOPMENT

While #brownfield redevelopment offers many benefits, it also has its costs (including expenses related to demolition, site preparation and construction, and environmental assessment and planning) and perceived risks. Public financing not only provides monetary support for a project, but also reflects government faith in the project’s viability. As a result, some form of public financing or government-backed financial incentive can help jumpstart a brownfield reuse program and ensure that sites do not remain idle and contaminated. Tax increment financing (TIF) has emerged as one type of financing tool to close funding gaps for desirable economic and community development projects. With other state and local funding options limited, localities have increasingly turned to TIF as the primary financing incentive that is both within their control and can meet the scale
of funding needed.

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Denton, TX to ask for more time on #brownfield land transaction

Source: DentonRC.com, P. Heinkel-Wolfe

Published: 23 May 2012 12:05 AM

After an hour in executive session Tuesday evening, the Denton City Council agreed to give City Manager George Campbell the authority to amend a contract the city has to buy 2 acres of county-owned land downtown. The briefing was the eighth such closed-door session on the city’s proposed purchase of the parcel since discussions first began in March 2011.Council members made no public comment as they cast a unanimous vote at the end of a work session, though city documents attached to the agenda show the city manager is poised to ask Denton County Commissioners Court for more time to finish the deal, which was originally scheduled to close Nov. 29, 2012. City staff had recommended the move, citing a need for more time to make a thorough environmental assessment of the property.

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Writing a Request for Proposals for Brownfield Assessment Grants

So you've been awarded a #Brownfields Assessment Grant.... Now what?  It's time to put together a Request for Proposals (RFP) or Request for Qualifications (RFQ), so you can get the environmental engineers, geologists, and qualified environmental professionals on contract to do the work outlined in your Brownfield Assessment Grant Proposal.  Here are a couple of important considerations:

1. Be sure the RFP includes any required certifications under State Brownfield Regulations or State Law.  For instance, some States consider Phase I and/or Phase II Environmental Site Assessment work to be considered the "practice of engineering" or the "practice of geology".  Other States have "Licensed Site Professional" programs, requiring the work to be done by certain individuals.  Contact your State Brownfield Director for information related to licensing.
2. You will be inundated by calls from "professionals", "consultants", and carpetbaggers who can do anything.... yes, anything related to brownfields.  Get your RFP published as soon as possible so you can put the phone calls, meetings and "let me take you to lunch" dates to bed.
3. Ask for a copy of a completed "Phase I Environmental Site Assessment" (ASTM Standard 1527-05) that meets the "All Appropriate Inquiry" requirements to be included in their Proposal.  Here's a link to EPA Guidance on what to look for in a Phase I ESA (http://epa.gov/brownfields/aai/AAI-Reporting-fact-sheet-and-checklist-062111-Final.pdf).  Use it to compare against what the Proposer has submitted along with other Proposers.
4. Use the following guidance developed by EPA on contractor selection to assist you (http://epa.gov/brownfields/aai/HiringEP_Addendum_factsheet.pdf ).
5. Contact past Brownfield Assessment Grant recipients and ask questions.  They've been down the road you are now on and have maybe even had a flat tire or run into a ditch (or two).  Their insight is invaluable.

We've included some links to some RFPs/RFQs used by past Brownfield Assessment Grant recipients that you may want to review as you are putting your own RFP/RFQ together.  These are strictly examples and should not solely be relied upon since every grant proposal and every community is different.  They have been provided strictly as examples.

• Cocoa, FL
• Tampa, FL
• Treasure Coast Regional Planning Council
• Pasco County
• Mitchell County Development Authority
• Central Florida Regional Planning Council

Finally, and most importantly, if someone calls you and tells you that he is a "BrownSfield Expert,".... he's not.