City Approves Incentive Plan To Keep Danek In Warsaw

July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.

By DAVID A. BEALL, Times-Union Staff Writer-

In a special joint meeting of the City Council and the Warsaw Redevelopment Commission Thursday, a plan to keep Sofamor-Danek in the area was put into motion.

"The purpose of this meeting is to talk about an incentive package for orthopedic hardware manufacturer Medtronics-Sofamor Danek," said Jeff Noffsinger, city planner. "The company is looking to locate a new manufacturing facility either here or in Memphis, Tenn., or Minneapolis, Minn."

The incentive package involves the city annexing 427.59 acres north of U.S. 30 and east of CR 150W under the I-2 Light Industrial zoning classification and adding the property to the Northern Economic Development Area.

Richard Hill, attorney with the South Bend law firm Baker & Daniels and legal consultant to the city, said a binding agreement between the city and Sofamor Danek would also be a part of the package.

"The agreement calls for a binding contract between the city and company mandating the number of jobs and investment on the part of the company and the needed improvements made by the city," Hill said.

Sofamor Danek will commit to creating an additional 140 jobs, with investments of $7.5 million in real property improvements and $12.5 million in personal property improvements.

Warsaw Mayor Ernie Wiggins said the annexation and expansion of the northern development area was needed for the city to successfully compete with the other municipalities to keep Sofamor Danek in Indiana.

"We are truly in competition with Memphis and Minneapolis. This package will help us keep the jobs and investments here," Wiggins said.

Sofamor-Danek is expected to make a decision in the next two weeks on where to locate.

In other business, the council approved the annexation of 40 acres east of Husky Trail and north of Harrison Elementary. The area will be in the R-2, residential, zoning classification, and will be the last annexation the city pursues until its sewage treatment capacity is increased.

"This will probably be the last annexation the city will do for a while, until we increase our sewer capacity," he said.

The council, at the request of Warsaw Community Development Corp. director Trish Brown, extended today's deadline for supplying all documentation on the city's HOME grant. The WCDC is administering the city's grant under a subreceipient agreement.

The city requested the documentation in a July 2 letter from the city clerk's office.

"WCDC cannot feasibly allocate the hours necessary to complete your request with this (July 16) deadline," Brown said in a July 8 letter. "Should there be an emergency that I am not aware of for this July 16 deadline, please advise my office no later than Monday, July 12 with an explanation. Otherwise, I will assume that a deadline of Sept 1 is agreeable to provide you with the information you requested."

Wiggins said no extensions past Sept. 1 will be granted. [[In-content Ad]]

In a special joint meeting of the City Council and the Warsaw Redevelopment Commission Thursday, a plan to keep Sofamor-Danek in the area was put into motion.

"The purpose of this meeting is to talk about an incentive package for orthopedic hardware manufacturer Medtronics-Sofamor Danek," said Jeff Noffsinger, city planner. "The company is looking to locate a new manufacturing facility either here or in Memphis, Tenn., or Minneapolis, Minn."

The incentive package involves the city annexing 427.59 acres north of U.S. 30 and east of CR 150W under the I-2 Light Industrial zoning classification and adding the property to the Northern Economic Development Area.

Richard Hill, attorney with the South Bend law firm Baker & Daniels and legal consultant to the city, said a binding agreement between the city and Sofamor Danek would also be a part of the package.

"The agreement calls for a binding contract between the city and company mandating the number of jobs and investment on the part of the company and the needed improvements made by the city," Hill said.

Sofamor Danek will commit to creating an additional 140 jobs, with investments of $7.5 million in real property improvements and $12.5 million in personal property improvements.

Warsaw Mayor Ernie Wiggins said the annexation and expansion of the northern development area was needed for the city to successfully compete with the other municipalities to keep Sofamor Danek in Indiana.

"We are truly in competition with Memphis and Minneapolis. This package will help us keep the jobs and investments here," Wiggins said.

Sofamor-Danek is expected to make a decision in the next two weeks on where to locate.

In other business, the council approved the annexation of 40 acres east of Husky Trail and north of Harrison Elementary. The area will be in the R-2, residential, zoning classification, and will be the last annexation the city pursues until its sewage treatment capacity is increased.

"This will probably be the last annexation the city will do for a while, until we increase our sewer capacity," he said.

The council, at the request of Warsaw Community Development Corp. director Trish Brown, extended today's deadline for supplying all documentation on the city's HOME grant. The WCDC is administering the city's grant under a subreceipient agreement.

The city requested the documentation in a July 2 letter from the city clerk's office.

"WCDC cannot feasibly allocate the hours necessary to complete your request with this (July 16) deadline," Brown said in a July 8 letter. "Should there be an emergency that I am not aware of for this July 16 deadline, please advise my office no later than Monday, July 12 with an explanation. Otherwise, I will assume that a deadline of Sept 1 is agreeable to provide you with the information you requested."

Wiggins said no extensions past Sept. 1 will be granted. [[In-content Ad]]

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