Exhibit 10

201417203 Exhibit 10

EXHIBIT 10

The Journal Times

Article

June 01, 2012

Exhibit 10

201417203 Exhibit 10

Root River

River development proposal unveiled, headed

to City Council The plan for the Root

June 01, 2012 6:28 am • CHRISTINE WON christine.won@journaltimes.com

RACINE — A once-faraway vision of a revitalized riverfront Downtown has taken root and is

closer to reality, supporters hope.

The Root River Corridor Redevelopment Plan, “RootWorks,” being touted as the first of such a

comprehensive nature to focus on the river, was unveiled to the public Thursday night.

The plan’s goals for the approximately 325-acre Root River corridor between Memorial Drive

and the river’s mouth are fourfold: to create a sense of place, increase public access and

interaction, improve water quality and stimulate economic growth. The plan proposes to do that

by creating new boardwalks, bike paths closer to the water, a seasonal food court area, a music

venue and more, including the River Loop, a proposed 1.75-mile recreation loop connected to

the Root River Pathway.

The Root River Council, made up of several area volunteers, has been working since 2006 to

revitalize the river area Downtown. On Thursday, the council unveiled the comprehensive plan

in its entirety to more than 40 people, including several city officials, at the Root River

Environmental Education Community Center, 1301 W. Sixth St.

“Looking at the city from the river, you see the different possibilities,” state Rep. Cory Mason,

D-Racine, said Thursday, hours before leading a few on a public paddle down the river despite

the rain. He’s on the RRC and is chair of the technical team that pushed the plan.

“By investing in redevelopment, it creates an opportunity for the city to increase its tax base,

redevelop an improved land currently under capacity and really give people jobs,” he said.

It would revitalize the riverfront, attract businesses and tourists Downtown and create a hub of

community, supporters said Thursday.

It’s a vision the RRC hopes the city and community will share.

Exhibit 10

201417203 Exhibit 10

The 35-page proposal, which incorporated public input, goes before the City Plan Commission

on June 13 for consideration, and from there to the City Council for public hearing and adoption

on June 19.

The City Council’s adoption would show the city’s “commitment” in moving forward with the

plan, city officials said at the meeting.

While no city funds have gone into the plan development, city personnel have been involved

with the process in an advisory capacity.

The plan was developed through grants from public and private sources, including the SC

Johnson Fund, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, Community Development Block

Grant program and more, totaling about $117,000 for the current fiscal year, according to the

council.

If the city approves the plan, the next stage would be securing funding for implementation.

The plan identifies eight priority projects deemed as feasible for the next few years,

including pedestrian bridges, painting bike lanes and creating a public boardwalk near CNH

campus.

Mary Schroeder, who said she’s a lifelong Racine resident, came to the meeting Thursday

because of her interest in the Root River. Schroeder, an active canoeist, said she believes the city

needs to invest in the redevelopment of a long underutilized asset, adding: “I think we need this

to move forward.”

For more about the Root River Council

For more information, email rootrivercouncil@gmail.com, visit www.rootrivercouncil.org or call

(262) 672-0283.

Exhibit 11

201417203 Exhibit 11

EXHIBIT 11

City of Racine

Common Council

Meeting Minutes June

19, 2012

Exhibit 12

201417203 Exhibit 12

EXHIBIT 12

Mayor John Dickert

Letter May 01, 2013

Exhibit 13

201417203 Exhibit 13

EXHIBIT 13

DNR Letter To

Matt Sadowski

September 18, 2013

Exhibit 14

201417203 Exhibit 14

EXHIBIT 14

The Journal Times

Article

April 03, 2014

Exhibit 14

201417203 Exhibit 14

City council members question RootWorks

grant, project City council members ultimately vote to accept dollars to purchase properties

April 03, 2014 6:40 am • By Cara Spoto

RACINE — The city recently netted a grant to purchase properties it needs to complete a phase

of the RootWorks: Root River Corridor Redevelopment Plan, but some aldermen aren’t happy

about how the city is planning to use those funds.

On Wednesday, they and other City Council members spent the better part of 40 minutes

debating whether the city should accept the $242,000 matching grant as planned or hold off until

spending concerns and questions about future project costs could be addressed.

While aldermen like Sandy Weidner and Eddie Diehl raised concerns about future demolition

costs, the loss of property tax dollars and the proper use of city funds, other aldermen, like Q.A.

Shakoor II and Greg Helding, encouraged their fellow City Council members not to hold off on

accepting the funds.

“If we dither this away until we lose it, we are not going to get this kind of help again anytime

soon,” Helding said. “If we have to ask questions, let’s do that now.”

Other supporters of going ahead with the acceptance, including the five members of the Root

River Council who spoke during the meeting’s public comment period, pointed to a letter of

support that was written by area state legislators.

The city learned early last month that the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources had

chosen the city for the Knowles-Nelson Stewardship Program grant.

In the end, the council voted 10-5 to accept the grant, with Aldermen Mike Shields, Sandy

Weidner, Henry Perez, Jeff Coe and Eddie Diehl opposing. Nearly all those opposed to accepting

the grant had backed a failed measure put forth by Diehl to have the request to accept the grant

sent to the Committee of the Whole for further discussion.

The grant

Explaining the grant to the Finance and Personnel Committee last month, city staff said the plan

was to use the money to purchase five parcels on Mound Avenue designated under the

RootWorks plan as the future site of a bike path, scenic overlook and outdoor classroom.

Exhibit 14

201417203 Exhibit 14

As part of requirements of the grant, the city would also use the grant dollars and its matching

funds — a donation of land from one of the property owners, remaining dollars from other grant

sources and $86,483 in intergovernmental shared revenue funds — to pay to relocate the

property owners and/or their tenants, staff explained.

While Weidner’s main concerns about the grant centered around future costs, and the city’s

practice of “continuing to put more land into the public trust,” Diehl’s have focused around how

the city plans to the use the grant dollars.

Troubled by the proposal to spend grant funds and city dollars on relocation costs, Diehl said this

week that he learned from a state employee knowledgeable about such property acquisitions that

the city was not required to pay relocations costs under the Knowles grant.

City Administrator Tom Friedel said Wednesday that the city made plans to pay relocations costs

because that was what the DNR instructed the city to do. He added, however, that he had spoken

to Diehl about the information he received, and was checking with the DNR to make sure they

were, indeed, on the right track.

“Bottom line is we will do whatever we are required to do by the DNR. We wrote the grant

based on what they told us to,” Friedel said. “Certainly we won’t expend any funds from the

grant that we are not required to.”

During Wednesday’s meeting, Diehl said he has nothing against the project, and wants to make

sure the city isn’t spending money it doesn’t have to spend.

“I am thrilled about the grant. My questions are about some of the details,” he said.

Other concerns with the grant

The specter of the city paying out unnecessary relocation costs isn’t the only thing that has stuck

in Alderman Eddie Diehl’s craw about a grant the city plans to use to purchase property along

Mound Avenue as part of RootWorks.

He also has raised concerns about connections two members of the Root River Council — Monte

Osterman and Marty Defatte — have to one of the buildings the city plans to purchase through

the grant: an industrial warehouse at 1251 Mound Ave.

Osterman’s business, Osterman Granite & Marble, leases space in the building. Defatte, a real

estate agent for Shorewest, is listed as a real estate agent on the property.

Diehl has said he is troubled that both men might unfairly benefit from the city’s acquisition of

the property. He said Osterman, the only tenant at 1251 Mound Ave., might unfairly benefit from

the estimated $25,000 the city could end up paying the property owner or tenant to relocate.

Exhibit 14

201417203 Exhibit 14

As for Defatte, Diehl pointed out that the real estate agent could have known ahead of time that

the property was going to be purchased by the city and stands to receive a commission when the

property is sold.

Asked about Diehl’s concerns on Tuesday, Osterman said he moved his workshop to the

building in 2010, long before the RootWorks plan was approved. He said he did not know that

the grant, awarded to the city last month by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources,

would pay to relocate commercial tenants. He added, however, that even if he did receive funds

to relocate, it would still be a losing prospect for his business.

“(Relocating) creates downtime — you are not working. Nobody in their right mind would want

to relocate their business,” he said.

Asked about Diehl’s concerns regarding his role as the agent for the building, Defatte said he had

“no comment.”

City staff have said they don’t believe the men’s connection to the property and their status as

RRC members should cause any concern, especially because the RRC had no role in drafting the

RootWorks plan. They added that the RRC, outside of speaking in favor of the RootWorks plans,

has never had any say in whether they are approved or receive city funds.

Exhibit 15

201417203 Exhibit 15

EXHIBIT 15

DVD

April 02, 2014 Racine

Common Council

Meeting Root Works

Discussion

Exhibit 16

201417203 Exhibit 16

EXHIBIT 16

IRS

List of Racine

Non-Profit

Organizations

Exhibit 17

201417203 Exhibit 17

EXHIBIT 17

Root River Council

Facebook Page

Exhibit 17

201417203 Exhibit 17

Exhibit 18

201417203 Exhibit 18

EXHIBIT 18

Statement of

Ben Lehner

SOI Region 2025

Industry Opportunities

Conference

Exhibit 18

201417203 Exhibit 18

SOI Region 2025 Industry Opportunities: What do the Numbers Miss?

March 7 and 14, 2014

Fifteen thought leaders from throughout the State of Ingenuity (SOI) region will share their

insights regarding economic development opportunities and challenges in this six-county region

that spans northeastern Illinois and southeastern Wisconsin. Three areas will be spotlighted:

Racine/Kenosha, Beloit/Janesville/Whitewater, and Rockford/Belvidere. By engaging leading

economic development thinkers in key economic hubs in the SOI region, these workshops will

generate ideas to expand and diversify the regional SOI economy that will be presented to the

U.S. Economic Development Administration.

The workshops will culminate with an Idea Lab discussion on Friday, March 14, to identify

regional themes, issues, and action steps based on 2025 horizon emerging markets from across

the three panels.

All four sessions are open and free of charge. Information on the participants, time, and location

of each session follow. Participant’s bios are provided at the end of this document.

Racine/Kenosha Panel

March 7, 2014, 10am-12:30pm

Gateway Technical College, iMET Center, Room 235, 2320 Renaissance Blvd. Sturtevant,

Wisconsin Panelists: Jaimie Charon, Senior Small Business Consultant, Wisconsin Women’s

Business Initiative Corporation Racine Office; John Dickert, Mayor of Racine, Wisconsin; Ben

Lehner, Executive Director, Root River Council; Kate Walker, Director of Business

Development, Gateway Technical College Facilitator: Keenan Grenell, Ph.D., Chief Executive

Officer of Global Capital Group, LLC

Participant Biographies

Racine/Kenosha Panel (March 7, 2014)

PANELISTS:

Ben Lehner, Executive Director, Root River Council

Ben is an AmericCorps VISTA alum and executive director of The Root River Council

(http://rootrivercouncil.org/), a non-profit focused on redeveloping Racine's Root River. He

owns the Circa Celeste Café and Catering and is a board member of Sustainable Edible

Economic Development (SEED). He is owner of Root Connections, a grant writing,

communications and community outreach consulting firm.

Exhibit 19

201417203 Exhibit 19

EXHIBIT 19

City of Racine

Ordinance 2-332

Exhibit 19

201417203 Exhibit 19

DIVISION 2. DEPARTMENT OF CITY DEVELOPMENT

Sec. 2-331. Created; director.

Sec. 2-332. Duties.

Secs. 2-333—2-345. Reserved.

Sec. 2-331. Created; director.

There is hereby created the department of city development and the office of the director of city

development, who shall be the head of the department.

(Code 1973, § 3.175.010)

Sec. 2-332. Duties.

It shall be the duty of the department of city development and the director of city

development to:

(1) Serve as staff to the city plan commission, redevelopment authority and the community

development committee, with the director of city development serving as secretary to the

city plan commission, and as executive director and secretary to the redevelopment

authority.

(2) Perform planning services set forth in Wis. Stats. ch. 236 and Wis. Stats. §§ 62.23 and

66.431.

(3) Administer the community development block grant program.

(4) Prepare applications for federal and state grants-in-aid relating to redevelopment

plans, urban renewal plans and other programs as directed by the common council.

(Code 1973, § 3.175.020)

Secs. 2-333—2-345. Reserved

Exhibit 20

201417203 Exhibit 20

EXHIBIT 20

City of Racine

Ordinance 46-268

Exhibit 20

201417203 Exhibit 20

DIVISION 9. INTERGOVERNMENTAL REVENUE SHARING FUND

Sec. 46-266. Created.

Sec. 46-267. Funding.

Sec. 46-268. Administration.

Sec. 46-269. Earnings.

Secs. 46-270—46-279. Reserved.

Sec. 46-266. Created.

There is hereby created a fund to be known as the intergovernmental revenue sharing fund, into

which fund shall be placed all revenue sharing contributions disbursed to the city from the

wastewater commission in accordance with the Racine Area Intergovernmental Sanitary Sewer

Service, Revenue Sharing, Cooperation and Settlement Agreement dated April 25, 2002, (the

"agreement") and all interest payments from loans of funds under this division.

(Ord. No. 4-03, pt. 1, 2-19-03)

Sec. 46-267. Funding.

Any and all monies received under section 46-266 shall be retained in the Intergovernmental

revenue sharing fund and disbursed only for use for capital projects specifically required by the

"agreement", which shall not be subject to section 46-268 below, and for capital projects and

associated costs and expenses where such projects have private investment and result in taxable

real estate development or job creation/retention, or are unique tax exempt projects that eliminate

blight and result in tangible indirect increases in taxable real estate or job creation/retention.

Monies from this fund shall not be used for any other purpose and shall not be transferred to any

other fund.

(Ord. No. 4-03, pt. 1, 2-19-03)

Sec. 46-268. Administration.

The intergovernmental revenue sharing fund shall be administered by the common council.

The common council shall solicit the recommendation of the redevelopment authority of

the city regarding the eligibility of proposed projects. Projects resulting in tax base creation

shall have a minimum ratio of $5.00 in net new tax base for every $1.00 of public investment in

projects where there is not a loan payback to the city. No minimum ratio of tax base creation for

loan capital shall be required. Commercial and industrial projects shall be eligible for

consideration if a project creates a minimum of one full-time equivalent job for every $50,000.00

of non-loan capital granted under this division or one full-time equivalent job for every

$100,000.00 of loan capital provided under this division. Funding requests that do not meet the

standards may be considered and granted upon two-thirds vote of the common council.

(Ord. No. 4-03, pt. 1, 2-19-03)

Exhibit 21

201417203 Exhibit 21

EXHIBIT 21

Results of a

Root River Council

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