POST FALLS - The Post Falls Urban Renewal Agency has tapped a consultant for an independent study of its urban renewal districts.

"The economic impact study will provide the agency and the city with definitive data on the impact of urban renewal on economic development and job expansion within Post Falls and is anticipated to be used in future strategic planning and the city's recently announced initiative to expand economic development," said Len Crosby, a URA board member.

Results will be shared with other interested organizations and groups, including the Jobs Plus business recruitment agency, the chamber of commerce, legislators and others involved in community development.

The Metts Group, operated by former Idaho Department of Labor economist Alivia Metts, is performing an assessment on the Expo District first for $5,000.

"If that is a worthy product, we would have her complete a similar study on the other districts," said Tom Lien, URA executive director.

Lien said a study on the City Center district is not anticipated due to its closure in 2018, leaving the Center Point, West Seltice II and East Post Falls districts left to evaluate and a total cost of the study of $20,000.

Crosby believes it's important to have a third party ensure districts are achieving maximum return on investment, identify priority areas in districts and gather other information.

"Did we enhance the ability to attract development and create jobs or did we have a miscue?" Crosby said, referring to how the information can be useful.

The URA's District Review Committee and staff review districts periodically but an independent look is wise, considering critics of urban renewal, Crosby said. He said the last time the Legislature took a hard look at urban renewal agencies, the data was provided by the agencies themselves.

Crosby said URA board volunteers and staff also have limited time for such a study due to multiple projects, including the Greensferry overpass, Spokane Street improvements, Highway 41 trail and Spencer Street extension.

The Greensferry overpass is expected to be completed in mid-November with landscaping finished in the spring. Spencer Street from Second Avenue to Seltice Way in East Post Falls will be extended this fall. The Highway 41 trail from Seltice to Mullan Avenue will be constructed next year.

In other URA news:

* The board on Thursday approved a fiscal 2016 budget of $5.29 million, which is a decrease of $2.76 million from the current year.

The decrease is mostly due to the agency completing work on the Greensferry overpass and to Spokane Street.

Revenues are projected to decrease in four of the five districts with City Center only expected to see an increase, according to information provided by the county assessor.

Crosby said he doesn't have an explanation for the expected decreases, but sees them as a positive sign.

"I'm happy that we're taking fewer tax-increment dollars, creating jobs and impacting the economy," he said.

The total expected expenditures with the five districts is $5.08 million with 61 percent of those funds being associated with the Greensferry overpass.

* Jame Davis, who replaced Samantha Babich on the board, had her first meeting on Thursday.

Davis is a community development specialist for Jobs Plus, has lived in Post Falls for more than eight years and has been active with the Chamber of Commerce, Rotary, library foundation, Jacklin Arts and Cultural Center and the Parks and Recreation Commission.

Babich resigned due to moving to the Seattle. The seat expires on Dec. 31, 2016.

• Urban renewal 101

Urban renewal districts created by the city and administered by the urban renewal agency have a base tax rate when the district is created. That base tax rate continues to be collected by the county and remitted to taxing entities over the life of the district. As a district is improved, has new construction and increases in value due to improvements, the incremental tax created by those improvements in excess of the base tax is allocated to the URA to pay for the public improvements that have been made within the district. In most cases, the tax increment received by the agency is used to reimburse proponents who have completed and paid for the improvements and dedicated them to the city prior to reimbursement. In cases with projects such as the Greensferry overpass, the tax increment is used to pay for those projects or repay bonds issued by the URA.