Warsaw City Council discussed Monday a request by Dalton Corp. for a 10-year tax abatement to purchase new manufacturing equipment.
The company is at 1900 E. Jefferson St.
Dalton Corp. plant manager Scott Bleeks said the company proposes to invest $5 million in personal property or manufacturing equipment and $100,000 in distribution equipment.Warsaw City Council discussed Monday a request by Dalton Corp. for a 10-year tax abatement to purchase new manufacturing equipment.
The company is at 1900 E. Jefferson St.
Dalton Corp. plant manager Scott Bleeks said the company proposes to invest $5 million in personal property or manufacturing equipment and $100,000 in distribution equipment.
The company wants to purchase logistics equipment, a eurodrive processing cell and a flexible finishing cell for its iron casting services.
Bleeks said the company does not anticipate hiring any new employees.
City Planner Jeremy Skinner said the city's tax abatement guidelines state in order to be considered for a 10-year tax abatement, a company must invest more than $500,000 in real or personal property improvements as well as hire 10 new or 20 part-time employees.
Skinner said he recommended the council not approve the tax abatement request since the company did not meet the requirements of hiring new employees.
Mayor Ernie Wiggins said the council will again discuss the tax abatement request at its Dec. 3 meeting to allow councilmen George Clemens and Jeff Grose, who were absent during Monday's meeting, to review the request.
The council also reviewed evacuation routes for the city in instances of an emergency. The council tabled the discussion until its December meeting to look at the state statute for evacuation routes.
The routes were approved by the Warsaw Traffic Commission at its Oct. 11 meeting and submitted to the council for approval.
The proposed emergency evacuation routes established by the Warsaw Police Department include east and west routes on Center Street, as well as Winona Avenue from Detroit Street to Argonne Road; and north and south routes including Harrison Street from Center Street to the Kosciusko Community Hospital, Country Club Road, North Lake Street, Logan Street and Ranch Road.
The ordinance states the mayor, or city council in absence of the mayor, will determine and proclaim an emergency.
The duration of the emergency is determined by the mayor, or city council, until it is determined the emergency no longer exists and the emergency order is terminated.
The council also approved a resolution for a grant reimbursement for the Chinworth Bridge trail project. The construction management fee is $86,895.75, of which the city will pay 20 percent or $17,379.15.
The council also:
n Approved an ordinance on first reading for 2008 elected officials' salaries. The council will need to approve the ordinance on a second reading at its December meeting.
If approved, the mayor, clerk-treasurer and common council's salaries would be increased by 3 percent for 2008. The board of public works and safety and plan commission members' salaries would remain the same.
n Approved an ordinance for the human resources department to transfer $2,300 for office supplies, printing, handbooks and phone charges.
n Approved an ordinance from the cumulative capital improvement fund to transfer $10,000 from improvements other than buildings to other capital outlays; transfer $10,000 from the street department's general fund from salaries and wages to other capital lays; and transfer $30,000 from the street department's general fund from equipment to other capital outlays. The transfers are for the the second phase of the Lake City Greenway Beyer Farm Trail.
n Approved an ordinance for the Warsaw Municipal Airport to transfer $2,500 from aviation depreciation professional services to aviation depreciation equipment. The transfer will allow the airport to purchase a John Deere diesel zero-turning radius mower.
n Approved an ordinance for the cemetery to transfer $800 from other services and charges to office supplies.
n Approved an ordinance for Wiggins to transfer $500 from office supplies to communication and travel; $500 from operating supplies to communication and travel; and $500 from repairs and maintenance to communication and travel.
n Approved an activity report for October for the Warsaw Fire Department with 129 responses.
