Celina Council to consider residential tax abatements after renewed push for housing development

CELINA — Residential tax abatements and the need for additional housing development in Celina were major topics of discussion during Monday night's Celina City Council meeting.

Mayor Jeffrey Hazel told council members he had been in discussions with the Celina City Schools Board of Education regarding residential tax abatements and said the school board now appears to be supportive of the proposal.

Hazel said the city is still working to determine whether changes are needed to Celina's Community Reinvestment Area, particularly regarding whether the city should remain under its current pre-1994 designation or move to a post-1994 designation.

He said the issue involves how much authority the city and school district would have over tax abatements and what percentage of taxes could be abated.

Council agreed to hold a committee meeting at 6 p.m. August 24 to discuss the tax-abatement issue. Council indicated the meeting could include public comment because of the expected community interest.

Local realtor and builder Cole Stevens addressed council in support of adopting a residential tax-abatement program.

Stevens said he believes the lack of abatements is making it more difficult to build affordable housing in Celina. He said people looking to move to the community are having difficulty finding homes they can afford and urged city officials to be more proactive in encouraging developers.

Stevens also criticized the city's recently increased water tap fees, saying he was the first customer to pay the new fees and paid more than $3,000, compared with approximately $1,400 for 2 taps under the previous fee structure.

City officials said the increased fees are necessary to cover the costs of the city's water system and that enterprise funds, including water, electric and sewer funds, are restricted in how they can be used.

Council members generally agreed that additional housing development would benefit Celina, while noting the financial challenges involved in providing infrastructure for new development.

Hazel said there are approximately 62 potential residential lots within the city, although many are privately owned and not currently for sale. He estimated there are probably around 30 lots that could realistically be available.

He also said approximately 20 acres along Meyer Road has been purchased by Clausman Development for potential residential development. The property would need to go through the annexation process before development could proceed.

Another major topic Monday night was the condition and future of Celina's baseball facilities.

Resident and recreational baseball coach David Weitzel again addressed council about the condition of the baseball diamonds at Eastview and Westview parks. Weitzel said he is concerned about reports that some Eastview diamonds could eventually be eliminated.

Council members said they were not aware of any decision to eliminate the Eastview diamonds and indicated that future decisions would be based largely on field usage.

Councilman Joe Wolfe said he recently inspected the diamonds and described their condition as unacceptable. He said the fields need maintenance and additional work.

Weitzel also told council that drinking fountains at both Eastview and Westview were not operating. City officials said they would look into the issue.

Council members also discussed the city's limited park staffing. The city maintains approximately 135 acres of park property with 1 full-time employee, with another position included in the proposed 2027 budget.

Council also advanced an ordinance concerning the city's ambulance agreement with Mercer County.

Ordinance 29-26-O amends the existing agreement between the City of Celina and Mercer County regarding ambulance service. City officials said the change essentially puts in writing additional staffing that has already been made possible by the successful EMS levy.

The additional funding allowed the city to add 3 firefighter-paramedics, increasing staffing from 5 to 6 personnel per shift.

Council approved the ordinance on second reading by a 5-0 vote.

During the meeting, council also discussed the removal of some trash cans along the lake. City officials said the additional trash cans were removed because they were being used for household garbage, creating a significant workload for city employees.

Officials said the removed cans required approximately 60 employee hours per week to service. The cans will continue to be placed at the lake and city parks during special events.

The next Celina City Council meeting is scheduled for August 24, with the special committee discussion on residential tax abatements scheduled for 6 p.m.