The City of Scottsbluff has approved zoning changes for several new ‘blighted and substandard’ areas to make it easier to get Tax Increment Financing, known as TIF, to help pay for improvements.
During Monday’s council meeting, tracts of land near 5th Avenue and 27th Street and Highway 26 and 40th Street were changed.
After brief discussions, the council approved the changes, which brought the total percentage of the city with the designation to more than 31 percent.
By state law, the maximum percentage of a first class city that can be classified as blighted and substandard is 35 percent.
Council member Betsy Vidlak asked Development Services Director Zach Glaubius asked if there were any drawbacks, but he said there wasn’t because there was always the opportunity for annexation to keep the threshold down.
