(a) No person, partnership, corporation and/or unincorporated association shall be eligible to receive any grant, loan from Community Development funds or tax incentive, whether administered directly by the Department of Development or indirectly through a program administered by a non-profit agency on behalf of the City, unless the applicant is paid in full or is current and not otherwise delinquent in the payment of any of the following:
(1) Any outstanding judgments, liens, grant or delinquent loan obligations owed to the City of Canton, any other municipality, township, county, state or federal governmental entity;
(2) Utility bills for water, sewer and sanitation services owed to the City of Canton;
(3) Income taxes (to include mandatory wage withholding by employers) owed to the City of Canton, any other municipality, township, county, state or federal governmental entity;
(4) Real estate taxes and assessments on any properties owned by the applicant;
(5) Personal property taxes owed to the Stark County Auditor and/or State of Ohio; or
(6) Any outstanding loans, grants, subsidies or other entitlements received from any federal or state funded Housing and Community Development program.
(b) The applicant shall be required to provide to the City of Canton a notarized statement averring that the applicant is paid in full or is current and not otherwise delinquent in the payment of the obligations listed in subsections (a) (1 - 6).
(c) Falsification of such statement shall result in cancellation of any grant or loan received, and the applicant shall be required to refund any grant or loan funds received.
(d) Council may waive or modify the requirements of this section as applied to a particular applicant if in the interest of justice, and upon consideration of the surrounding circumstances, such waiver or modification is deemed reasonably necessary by Council.
(e) Under any Community Development program in which the combined household income of all members is calculated for the purpose of determining income eligibility of the applicant, no applicant shall be eligible to receive any grant or loan from the Department of Development if any coapplicant or other member of the same household is delinquent in the payment of any of the categories listed in subsection (a) hereof.
(f) Notwithstanding the above, this section shall not apply to any individual, partnership, corporation or incorporated association seeking assistance under a HOME Repair or Emergency Shelter program grant, at the time of the application.
(g) No partnership, corporation or unincorporated association which has as one of its partners, shareholders or owners, any person who is a twenty percent (20%) or greater equity owner in such partnership, corporation or unincorporated association and who is delinquent in any of the categories listed in subsection (a) hereof, shall be eligible for the award of any grant or loan. No person who is a twenty percent (20%) or greater equity owner in any partnership, corporation or unincorporated association which is delinquent in any of the items listed in subsection (a) hereof shall be eligible for the award of any grant or loan.
(h) The Department of Development and any other department which may hereinafter or presently administer the awarding of grants and loans to applicants under any program shall establish guidelines and screen applicants consistent with the foregoing requirements. All City Departments shall comply with the requests of the Department of Development and any other department for information which are made pursuant to this
section.
(i) The Department of Development, for programs within its administration and authority, may waive or modify the requirements of this section, under appropriate surrounding circumstances, where a strict interpretation of this section would not further the established goals of the Department. (Ord. 205-2010. Passed 11-8-10.)