After months or survey and research, Harrisburg resident and business owner Eric Papenfuse announces the proposal of a Midtown Improvement District (MID), which would encompass the area of Forster to Maclay Streets, Front to 7th Streets. When a PA Improvement District is established, a special assessment is levied on all properties in the District. The funds are to be used to support a publicly-approved plan. Per Papenfuse?s point-of-view, at this point in time the best purpose for establishing such an improvement district in Midtown Harrisburg is for public safety. Thus, although the project is still in preliminary stages, the formal MID Plan will be developed with security as the core function of the MID. ?If we don?t have public safety, we don?t have anything,? Papenfuse said of the Midtown area and its value to businesses and residents. Ultimately, after a series of public meetings, the Plan will be made available to the public and every property in the designated area will be mailed a ballot to vote. 40% of property owners in the Midtown area must formally oppose it for the project to fail. In order to object the MID, a property must send in a ?no? ballot. Otherwise, doing nothing counts as a ?yes? vote. The first public meeting on the MID has been scheduled for April 9th at 7:00pm at the Midtown Bookstore.--Tara Leo Aucheyr