The City of Harrisburg hereby authorizes the creation of a public
body corporate and politic, to be named the "Harrisburg Land Bank."
A municipal land bank is hereby established as a separate legal entity and a public body corporate and politic, to be known as the "Harrisburg Land Bank," for the purposes of acting as a land bank under the Land Bank Act and implementing and administering this ordinance. The Land Bank shall have duration until terminated and dissolved under § 2-511.54 of this chapter.
The mission of the Harrisburg Land Bank is to return vacant
and underutilized property to productive use through a unified, predictable,
and transparent process, thereby to assist in revitalizing neighborhoods,
creating socially and economically diverse communities, and strengthening
the City's tax base.
A.
The Harrisburg Land Bank will identify and use available resources
to facilitate the return of vacant, blighted, abandoned and tax-delinquent
properties to productive use, thereby combating community deterioration,
creating economic growth and stabilizing the housing and job market.
B.
The Harrisburg Land Bank will acquire, hold, and transfer interest
in real property throughout the City of Harrisburg as approved by
the Board of Directors for the following purposes:
C.
In undertaking all of these core functions and in the general course
of operations, the Harrisburg Land Bank will act in ways consistent
with the stated mission, purposes, goals and priorities set forth
in its enabling ordinance and this chapter.
D.
In undertaking all of these core functions and in the general course
of operations, the Harrisburg Land Bank will work in conjunction with
local government partners and other community stakeholders.
Except as otherwise provided in this ordinance, the Harrisburg
Land Bank shall have title to all of its real property, and the City
shall not have an ownership interest in real property owned by the
Land Bank.
In accordance with Section 2109(b) of the Land Bank Act, the
real property of the Harrisburg Land Bank and its income and operations
are exempt from state and local tax, except where specifically enumerated
in the Land Bank Act. This tax exemption does not apply to real property
of the Land Bank after the fifth consecutive year in which the real
property is continuously leased to a private third party. However,
real property shall continue to be exempt from state and local taxes
if it is leased to a nonprofit or governmental agency at substantially
less than fair-market value.
The Harrisburg Land Bank shall comply with all federal and state
laws, rules, regulations and orders applicable to this ordinance.
The Harrisburg Land Bank shall not obligate the City, nor shall
any obligation of the Land Bank constitute an obligation of the City.
Except as otherwise specifically provided, this ordinance does
not create in any person, other than the City, and is not intended
to create by implication or otherwise, any direct or indirect benefit,
obligation, duty, promise, right to be indemnified (such as contractually,
legally, equitably or by implication), or right to be subrogated to
the City's rights under this ordinance, or any other right or
benefit.
The City and any municipality or taxing jurisdiction that combines,
or participates in, the Land Bank after the effective date shall not
be liable personally on the bonds or other obligations of the Harrisburg
Land Bank. Rights of creditors of the Harrisburg Land Bank shall be
solely against the Land Bank pursuant to Section 2105(i) of the Land
Bank Act.
A taxing jurisdiction may participate in the Harrisburg Land
Bank pursuant to an intergovernmental cooperation agreement. The agreement
must specify the membership, if any, of the taxing jurisdiction on
the Board and the actions of the Harrisburg Land Bank which are subject
to approval by the taxing jurisdiction.
