County Resurrects Redevelopment Commission
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
The Kosciusko County Redevelopment Commission was resurrected Monday after an absence of many years.
Larry Teghtmeyer, Bruce Woodward, Bill Warren, Max Courtney and Lowell Owens were sworn in as members.
County Commissioner Ron Truex addressed the group saying the commissioners and county council are excited about the potential of the group.
"We realized with the interest from Louis Dreyfus (to construct a soybean plant), we needed to restart the commission. We thought about people we wanted on it. We cannot create another tax increment financing district without a redevelopment commission."
The Indiana Department of Environmental Management has approved the Dreyfus air permit application; land south of Claypool has been zoned for the facility; and the company holds options to buy needed property. Those options haven't been exercised and the company hasn't made any firm announcement regarding its plans.
But the possibility of a TIF for the Dreyfus plant was just one issue discussed.
"We want people who are going to think and ask questions and make suggestions. We'd like to hear from you" Truex said.
"If the county has the money, what do we do for economic development? If we had a few hundred dollars, where would it do the most good?
"Don't wonder, ask us."
The county's industrial corridor has no sewer services and Truex said no businessman is going to buy land without such a service. He said the city has a treatment plant but they shouldn't have to pay to get it to the county.
"The only thing I hear negative about our industrial zone is that sewer isn't available," Truex said. "If what we need is to create a regional county sewer district, then that's what we'll do."
The commissioner said Warsaw and Leesburg officials have met for the last two months about extending a sewer system north along Ind. 15 to Leesburg residents.
Teghtmeyer, a county councilman, said there are a variety of issues involving the commissioners, the council and Kosciusko Development Inc.
The intention is to have one county board responsible for answering any questions.
"We ought to have a cooperative effort between all three groups regarding economic development," Teghtmeyer said.
In addition to the interest in the county shown by Dreyfus, the group discussed the company proposing an ethanol plant in either Fulton, Cass or Carroll county.
Truex said Syracuse Town Manager Jeff Noffsinger approached him, saying if there was money available for economic development, he knew of several businesses who would move to the county in the next year.
The group discussed meeting a couple of times each month until they felt comfortable with all their responsibilities and learned what they needed to know. They plan to begin by inviting representatives of Umbaugh and Associates for financial advice, Ice Miller for legal issues, Dan Richard of the Area Plan Commission regarding zoning and others.
Courtney said he envisions the commission conducting studies and recommending action to the county commissioners and the council.
The group discussed the development along U.S. 30 between Columbia City and Fort Wayne and around Plymouth. "Someone was behind all that," Truex said.
"We need to have an environment conducive to business without destroying the environment," Courtney said. He added that while Kosciusko County seems to be doing very well, companies have closed recently and others are laying people off their jobs.
"We have not done our job well," Truex said. "We haven't provided this kind of board for too long."
The county oversees one TIF district, the one for Maple Leaf Farms.
County Auditor Sue Ann Mitchell explained the TIF was established based on what Maple Leaf expected the assessed valuation to be. The AV was less than predicted and the county is responsible for the shortfall.
She said there is $39,000 in the TIF account and a payment due of $102,000 in February. Tax dollars captured from the TIF covers the payment eventually.
She advised the group that Maple Leaf also has discussed expansion.
Max Courtney will serve as president of the commission; Warren, vice president; Owens, secretary; and Woodward, treasurer. Mitchell will be recording secretary. [[In-content Ad]]
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The Kosciusko County Redevelopment Commission was resurrected Monday after an absence of many years.
Larry Teghtmeyer, Bruce Woodward, Bill Warren, Max Courtney and Lowell Owens were sworn in as members.
County Commissioner Ron Truex addressed the group saying the commissioners and county council are excited about the potential of the group.
"We realized with the interest from Louis Dreyfus (to construct a soybean plant), we needed to restart the commission. We thought about people we wanted on it. We cannot create another tax increment financing district without a redevelopment commission."
The Indiana Department of Environmental Management has approved the Dreyfus air permit application; land south of Claypool has been zoned for the facility; and the company holds options to buy needed property. Those options haven't been exercised and the company hasn't made any firm announcement regarding its plans.
But the possibility of a TIF for the Dreyfus plant was just one issue discussed.
"We want people who are going to think and ask questions and make suggestions. We'd like to hear from you" Truex said.
"If the county has the money, what do we do for economic development? If we had a few hundred dollars, where would it do the most good?
"Don't wonder, ask us."
The county's industrial corridor has no sewer services and Truex said no businessman is going to buy land without such a service. He said the city has a treatment plant but they shouldn't have to pay to get it to the county.
"The only thing I hear negative about our industrial zone is that sewer isn't available," Truex said. "If what we need is to create a regional county sewer district, then that's what we'll do."
The commissioner said Warsaw and Leesburg officials have met for the last two months about extending a sewer system north along Ind. 15 to Leesburg residents.
Teghtmeyer, a county councilman, said there are a variety of issues involving the commissioners, the council and Kosciusko Development Inc.
The intention is to have one county board responsible for answering any questions.
"We ought to have a cooperative effort between all three groups regarding economic development," Teghtmeyer said.
In addition to the interest in the county shown by Dreyfus, the group discussed the company proposing an ethanol plant in either Fulton, Cass or Carroll county.
Truex said Syracuse Town Manager Jeff Noffsinger approached him, saying if there was money available for economic development, he knew of several businesses who would move to the county in the next year.
The group discussed meeting a couple of times each month until they felt comfortable with all their responsibilities and learned what they needed to know. They plan to begin by inviting representatives of Umbaugh and Associates for financial advice, Ice Miller for legal issues, Dan Richard of the Area Plan Commission regarding zoning and others.
Courtney said he envisions the commission conducting studies and recommending action to the county commissioners and the council.
The group discussed the development along U.S. 30 between Columbia City and Fort Wayne and around Plymouth. "Someone was behind all that," Truex said.
"We need to have an environment conducive to business without destroying the environment," Courtney said. He added that while Kosciusko County seems to be doing very well, companies have closed recently and others are laying people off their jobs.
"We have not done our job well," Truex said. "We haven't provided this kind of board for too long."
The county oversees one TIF district, the one for Maple Leaf Farms.
County Auditor Sue Ann Mitchell explained the TIF was established based on what Maple Leaf expected the assessed valuation to be. The AV was less than predicted and the county is responsible for the shortfall.
She said there is $39,000 in the TIF account and a payment due of $102,000 in February. Tax dollars captured from the TIF covers the payment eventually.
She advised the group that Maple Leaf also has discussed expansion.
Max Courtney will serve as president of the commission; Warren, vice president; Owens, secretary; and Woodward, treasurer. Mitchell will be recording secretary. [[In-content Ad]]