Company asks for TIF district (08/07/06)

Premier Ethanol LLC has taken the formal first step to have the land that is the site for its proposed new plant be declared a tax increment financing (TIF) district.

Bob Quadrozzi, executive director of Jay County Economic Development, presented a formal written request to Jay County Commissioners today from Premier management personnel to have the 180-acre parcel of land southwest of Portland be declared a TIF district - a move that could provide $2 million in funding for onsite infrastructure needs, the request said.

The request will also be discussed with members of the Jay County Council and commissioners Sept. 12.

At that time county officials will discuss the possibility of using an interlocal agreement with the city of Portland's redevelopment commission to get the plan in place.

Sue Beesley, an attorney with the Indianapolis law firm Bingham McHale LLP, who serves as the city commission's attorney, will be asked to attend that meeting and explain the TIF process.

Also today commissioners Milo Miller Jr., Gary Theurer, and Faron Parr learned from Ralph Frazee, director of Jay County Emergency Management, that a tornado warning siren to be placed on the roof of the courthouse has arrived.

He told commissioners the equipment would have to be disassembled because it would not fit the access opening to the roof of the courthouse. Commissioners then suggested the possibility of using a lift to take the nearly 800-pound unit to the roof.

The $10,465.30 cost of the siren from Federal Signal Corp. may be re-paid through Homeland Security grants Frazee has said in the past.

Concerning homeland security, commissioners approved resolution 2006-3 adopting the National Incident Management System (NIMS) system for the county.

The resolution, as well as training for all of the county's emergency personnel is required for the county to be eligible to apply for dozens of federal grants, Frazee said.

Miller said today he had recently attended a state meeting concerning Major Moves funds and how those funds will be spent. He said he learned from Department of Commerce representatives that improvements on Ind. 26 west of Portland - including widening and taking out 90 degree angle curves - are now scheduled for 2008.

"They've been considering this forever," Miller said of the Ind. 26 work.

He also said DOC officials will be looking at traffic safety issues at Votaw and North Meridian streets as well as West Votaw Street near Industrial Drive and the new Wal-Mart Super Center.[[In-content Ad]]