DevLee

The City of Auburn has published four new press releases online:

New Traffic Signal at East Glenn Avenue and East Samford Avenue

Northbound Lane of Donahue Drive to be Rerouted through May 1

Portion of Ross Street Closed April 29

Auburn Parks and Recreation Department Summer Brochure to be Released Monday, May 4

Please direct questions regarding specific press releases to the individual contact listed within each press release.

Auburn, Ala. – Straehle + Hess USA, Inc. has announced plans to expand its Auburn operations, currently housed in the Auburn Center for Developing Industries on Pumphrey Avenue, to an existing facility in Auburn Technology Park North. City of Auburn and company officials made the move official at a signing ceremony held at Auburn City Hall this afternoon.

Straehle + Hess specializes in high-end textiles for automobile manufacturers such as Aston Martin, Audi, Mercedes Benz, and Porsche. In 2004, Straehle + Hess located in Auburn as part of the City’s industry incubator program. The program allows companies to ramp up operations in an existing incubator facility before constructing a permanent facility. Over the last 20 years, the City of Auburn has graduated more than 10 companies from its incubator program, many of which have gone on to further expand their operations. Kirsten Schoenharting, Managing Director of the German parent company for Straehle + Hess, commented at the signing, “The City of Auburn has been a tremendous partner in our attempt to build a larger footprint for our company in the North American market. Auburn is an ideal environment for our business. Auburn University’s Samuel Ginn College of Engineering, particularly the Department of Polymer and Fiber Engineering, has been a great resource for us over the last five years.” “I am pleased to see the investment in our incubator program is paying dividends,” said Mayor Bill Ham, Jr. “We congratulate Straehle + Hess on their expansion and look forward to seeing their production and hiring process ramp up.” The company was awarded a large contract for the new M-Class vehicle that will be produced by Mercedes Benz US International in Vance, AL. The expansion is expected to bring 20 new jobs and an additional capital investment of more than $500,000. Company officials expect to begin the hiring process in the fourth quarter of 2009. For more information, please contact the City of Auburn’s Workforce Development Division at (334) 501-7300.

Company Contact:
Straehle + Hess USA, Inc.
1490 Pumphrey Avenue
Auburn, AL 36832
(334) 501-0916

Auburn, Ala. – The Auburn City Council will consider three ordinances authorizing the Lee County Revenue Commissioner to assess and collect City ad valorem (property) taxes at its Tuesday, April 21 meeting. These ordinances do not authorize a new tax or a tax increase, but instead authorize the assessment and collection of existing taxes. The City Council must authorize the County Revenue Commissioner to assess and collect the property taxes annually. Auburn’s property taxes total 26 mills and break down as follows:

5 mills – General Fund
5 mills – Special Five Mill Tax Fund
5 mills – Special Additional School Tax Fund
11 mills – Special School Tax Fund

Of the 26 mills assessed to Auburn property owners, 16 mills are legally restricted and must be used for education purposes, specifically to pay debt service on school debt or provide funds for school operations. The remaining 10 mills are split between the City of Auburn’s General Fund and the Special Five Mill Tax Fund. Revenue from the City’s General Fund provides monies for paving and maintaining roads; public safety services, such as police and fire protection; and community events such as the Annual Easter Egg Hunt, Bike Bash, and CityFest. General Fund revenues also provide infrastructure improvements such as traffic signals and bridges, new bike paths and sidewalks, and public safety facilities, such as fire stations. In addition to providing public services through its General Fund, the Auburn City Council appropriates funds to Auburn City Schools directly from the General Fund. The City Council has allocated $6,988,003 to Auburn’s school system for Fiscal Year 2009.

The City of Auburn utilizes a Special Five Mill Tax Fund for debt repayment on capital projects. All projects must be approved by Auburn voters. In January, Auburn citizens voted to use revenue from the Special Five Mill Tax Fund for $9 million in public works projects, including the Donahue Drive – Magnolia Avenue intersection improvements and the Frank Brown Recreation Center renovations. A complete list of projects is available online at www.auburnalabama.org/5mill. Previous Five Mill projects include the City of Auburn/Auburn University Yarbrough Tennis Center, the Auburn Public Library expansion, the Auburn Soccer Complex, Town Creek Park, and Town Creek Cemetery.

For more information, please contact Auburn City Hall at 501-7260.

SOURCE: Auburn City Press Release

The City of Auburn City Council e-Packet for the Tuesday, April 21, 2009 Council meeting is now available online. Please visit the City Council Agenda page for more information.

Auburn, Ala. – The Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada (GFOA) has announced that the City of Auburn’s FY09 & FY10 Biennial Budget has received the Distinguished Budget Presentation Award. A formal presentation of the award will be made at an upcoming City Council meeting.

Budget reviewers were impressed with the wealth of information available in Auburn’s budget, noting that “this document does a wonderful job of explaining the budget, organization, and community. Some documents assume the reader knows what a Capital Improvement Plan is, or what a City Manager does, this document explains everything…” They went on to say, “Auburn presented extensive financial policies, their vision, mission…issues, priorities, and challenges that guided them in the budget development process.”

The GFOA’s Distinguished Budget Presentation Awards Program is the only national awards program in governmental budgeting. Auburn and Birmingham are the only two Alabama cities to receive the award on a consistent basis. A copy of the press release from GFOA is available on the City of Auburn’s website at www.auburnalabama.org.

Mayor Bill Ham, Jr. commented, “On behalf of the City Council, I would like to congratulate our City staff on this outstanding accomplishment. The City of Auburn is committed to running a fiscally sound government, and I believe this award signifies our continued commitment to providing a thorough and detailed account of our tax dollars. I would encourage citizens to visit our website so they can see first-hand the amount of work and detail that goes into our budget document.”

For more information, please visit www.auburnalabama.org/budget or contact the City of Auburn Finance Department at 501-7220.

City of Auburn Budget Information

Source: Auburn City Press Release

Auburn, Ala. – Are you looking for an affordable homeownership opportunity? If so, the City of Auburn Community Development Division invites you to join them for an affordable housing information session and open house showcasing the Northwest Village Subdivision on Saturday, April 18 from 9:30 – 11:30 a.m. Stop by the Boys & Girls Club Meeting Room at Boykin Community Center to pick up an information packet on affordable housing and the Northwest Village Subdivision. A representative from the City of Auburn Community Development Division will be on-hand to answer questions. While you’re there, be sure to register for a chance to win a FREE grill.

Immediately following the information session at Boykin, attendees are encouraged to visit an open house at the Northwest Village Subdivision, located off Foster St in Northwest Auburn. The subdivision features brand new three bedroom, two full bath homes; decorative street lights; sidewalks; private driveways; beautifully landscaped yards; and much more. Applications are now being accepted for the newest phase of homes. To qualify, purchasers must meet income requirements set forth by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).

For more information, please contact the City of Auburn Community Development Division at 501-7280.

Thursday, April 9, at 10:00a.m.- Wrapsody Ribbon Cutting (112 North College Street downtown AU-old Heartstrings location)

Here are photos from the two new CVS locations being built in Auburn. You can get an idea of where they are in the building process for yourself.

This first one isof the CVS on Moores Mill Road across from where they are about to begin construction on a new Publix.

This second photo is of the CVS location across from the mall on Opelika Rd.

Auburn, Ala. – The portion of Magnolia Avenue between Donahue Drive and Cox Street will be closed for road construction beginning Monday, March 30. The closure is expected to last up to six weeks.

Westbound traffic on Magnolia Avenue will be rerouted to Donahue Drive via Thomas Street and Glenn Avenue. Eastbound traffic will be rerouted back to Magnolia Avenue via Donahue Drive, Glenn Avenue, and Cox Street. A map detailing the closure and detours is available on the City’s website at www.auburnalabama.org

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This road construction project is part of the Donahue Drive – Magnolia Avenue Intersection Improvements Project approved by Auburn voters earlier this year as part of the Special Five Mill Projects Referendum. Project work includes the addition of left and right turn lanes at the intersection of Donahue Drive and Magnolia Avenue. The project also includes resurfacing Magnolia Avenue from College Street to Donahue Drive, sidewalk improvements, and the installation of crosswalks along Magnolia Avenue.

Citizens are encouraged to visit the City of Auburn’s website at www.auburnalabama.org to view the latest news on street closings and adjust travel routes accordingly. For more information, please contact Paul Bridge with D&J Enterprises, Inc. at 559-0100.

The City of Auburn Board of Zoning Adjustment e-Packet for the April 1, 2009 regular meeting is now available online. Please visit the Board of Zoning Adjustment Agenda Page for more information.