July 23, 2014 at 2:10 p.m.
Ethanol abatement moves forward (04/13/06)
Jay County Council
By By MARY ANN LEWIS-
Members of the Jay County Council greeted a request for a tax abatement for a proposed ethanol plant with approval.
Officials from The Andersons Inc., who hope to build a large ethanol plant near the company’s grain terminal just east of Dunkirk, are asking for nearly $5 million in abatements — or phased-in taxes — on the plant.
Members of the council Wednesday agreed to send the request to the Jay County Tax Abatement Advisory Committee, which is expected to consider the request and issue a recommendation by early May.
An official from the company said Wednesday the project could be completed about a year after the start of construction, but that if work on another proposed plant were to begin, The Andersons would likely not proceed with the local plant.
The Andersons, a multi-faceted ag products company, will be seeking a tax abatement on $1,809,790 worth of manufacturing equipment and on $2,962,200 in real estate improvements for the project, which is expected to create approximately 25 full-time jobs with an annual payroll of more than $1 million.
Although total construction costs for the project are expected to be about $112.1 million, tax abatements can only be approved on the estimated assessed valuation of the construction and/or equipment, Jay County Auditor Freda Corwin explained earlier this week.
The maximum length of time for an abatement on real property is 10 years, while an abatement on machinery may be granted for five years.
The proposed plant would be located at 4678 South 1110 West — just east of The Andersons Inc. terminal.
Dawn Betancourt, general manager of the Dunkirk facility; Nick Conrad, assistant treasurer of The Andersons Inc.; and Rod Harris, business development director, addressed the council Wednesday night about how the operation would benefit the Dunkirk area and the entire Jay County community.
Betancourt told the council that The Andersons Inc. has been a community supporter for several years, donating to such projects as Arts Place, public libraries, the Jay County 4-H program, the Dunkirk Volunteer Fire Department, and many others.
“Your support has helped us build our business here,” Conrad said about the county’s help in making the business successful. “Your past support is what’s brought us here tonight.”
Betancourt explained when The Andersons Inc. acquired the grain operation in 1983, it was purchasing five million bushels of grain a year. That figure has grown to 21 million bushels, she said.
Explaining the company’s decision to undertake such a large project, Betancourt said, “We’re a risk management company. We’re very conservative by nature.”
Conrad explained that once the first shovel of dirt is turned, construction could be completed within one year, but he cautioned, if another operation from an outside company would begin construction before The Andersons Inc. plant begins, plans for their local operation would be put on hold and probably be moved to another county.
“There are currently six other competing projects within a 40 mile radius of Jay County,” he said.
“Good luck,” council president Marilyn Coleman told company representatives, as the council unanimously passed the request on to the abatement advisory committee.
In another tax abatement matter, the council learned that Penn Manufacturing, Inc., 355 S. Broadway St., Pennville, is in compliance with the terms of an abatement granted in 2004 of $40,000 for a lathe mill, surface grinder, cut off saw, and welder. The business is owned by Rodne Penrod.
Additionally Wednesday night the council approved several additional appropriations, the biggest one for $25,000 to the Jay County Commissioners for the purchase of a building on West Walnut Street to be razed and used as parking for courthouse employees.
The council and commissioners had looked at the purchase of the building just north of the courthouse about a year ago, but the offer was turned down at that time.
Commissioners’ president, Milo Miller Jr., explained Wednesday night the county was approached several weeks ago, and the financial company that now owns the building agreed to accept the $25,000 offer.
He said plans are to tear the building down and pave the lot. Total cost of the project is expected to be about $90,000 — including the purchase price.
The purchase will be paid from the county’s infrastructure fund, which is generated by a host community fee paid to the county by Waste Management of Indiana, the owner/operator of the Jay County Landfill.
Other additional appropriations were approved for:
•Coroner office equipment, $1,000.
•County assessor computer equipment, $4,500.
•Wayne Township assessor computer equipment, $600.
•Public defender salary, $5,293.78.
•Jail equipment repair, $10,000.
Jay County Sheriff Todd Penrod explained the money was needed to replace the department’s repeater system, which allows for interactive radio contact within the department. He said the old equipment, purchased in 1983, had been operating at only about 25 percent efficiency.
“I’ve already got it,” Penrod said about the purchase. “We had to have it.”
•Computer maintenance for Jay County Circuit Court, $1,000 from probation user fees fund.
•FEMA disaster reimbursement of $7,950.04 from the highway fund.
The council Wednesday night also adopted a tax ordinance stating that anyone who owes $25 in property tax liability should make the payment in a single installment by May 10 of that year. Any installment of $25 or less that is not paid by that date will be assessed a $5 processing charge.
Commissioner Faron Parr also addressed the council about the application of the chemical-based dust control substance placed on the county’s gravel roads for the first time last year.
Parr said county residents, as well as commissioners, were pleased with the results and it is hoped the applications can be done again this year, with an additional four or file miles included in the application.
“We’re had a positive response from the dust control,” he said. “On some roads the chemical is still there.”
But, he added, the cost of the materials continues to increase.
“If we can’t pave every stone road, we’ll continue to use the chemical,” he said.[[In-content Ad]]
Officials from The Andersons Inc., who hope to build a large ethanol plant near the company’s grain terminal just east of Dunkirk, are asking for nearly $5 million in abatements — or phased-in taxes — on the plant.
Members of the council Wednesday agreed to send the request to the Jay County Tax Abatement Advisory Committee, which is expected to consider the request and issue a recommendation by early May.
An official from the company said Wednesday the project could be completed about a year after the start of construction, but that if work on another proposed plant were to begin, The Andersons would likely not proceed with the local plant.
The Andersons, a multi-faceted ag products company, will be seeking a tax abatement on $1,809,790 worth of manufacturing equipment and on $2,962,200 in real estate improvements for the project, which is expected to create approximately 25 full-time jobs with an annual payroll of more than $1 million.
Although total construction costs for the project are expected to be about $112.1 million, tax abatements can only be approved on the estimated assessed valuation of the construction and/or equipment, Jay County Auditor Freda Corwin explained earlier this week.
The maximum length of time for an abatement on real property is 10 years, while an abatement on machinery may be granted for five years.
The proposed plant would be located at 4678 South 1110 West — just east of The Andersons Inc. terminal.
Dawn Betancourt, general manager of the Dunkirk facility; Nick Conrad, assistant treasurer of The Andersons Inc.; and Rod Harris, business development director, addressed the council Wednesday night about how the operation would benefit the Dunkirk area and the entire Jay County community.
Betancourt told the council that The Andersons Inc. has been a community supporter for several years, donating to such projects as Arts Place, public libraries, the Jay County 4-H program, the Dunkirk Volunteer Fire Department, and many others.
“Your support has helped us build our business here,” Conrad said about the county’s help in making the business successful. “Your past support is what’s brought us here tonight.”
Betancourt explained when The Andersons Inc. acquired the grain operation in 1983, it was purchasing five million bushels of grain a year. That figure has grown to 21 million bushels, she said.
Explaining the company’s decision to undertake such a large project, Betancourt said, “We’re a risk management company. We’re very conservative by nature.”
Conrad explained that once the first shovel of dirt is turned, construction could be completed within one year, but he cautioned, if another operation from an outside company would begin construction before The Andersons Inc. plant begins, plans for their local operation would be put on hold and probably be moved to another county.
“There are currently six other competing projects within a 40 mile radius of Jay County,” he said.
“Good luck,” council president Marilyn Coleman told company representatives, as the council unanimously passed the request on to the abatement advisory committee.
In another tax abatement matter, the council learned that Penn Manufacturing, Inc., 355 S. Broadway St., Pennville, is in compliance with the terms of an abatement granted in 2004 of $40,000 for a lathe mill, surface grinder, cut off saw, and welder. The business is owned by Rodne Penrod.
Additionally Wednesday night the council approved several additional appropriations, the biggest one for $25,000 to the Jay County Commissioners for the purchase of a building on West Walnut Street to be razed and used as parking for courthouse employees.
The council and commissioners had looked at the purchase of the building just north of the courthouse about a year ago, but the offer was turned down at that time.
Commissioners’ president, Milo Miller Jr., explained Wednesday night the county was approached several weeks ago, and the financial company that now owns the building agreed to accept the $25,000 offer.
He said plans are to tear the building down and pave the lot. Total cost of the project is expected to be about $90,000 — including the purchase price.
The purchase will be paid from the county’s infrastructure fund, which is generated by a host community fee paid to the county by Waste Management of Indiana, the owner/operator of the Jay County Landfill.
Other additional appropriations were approved for:
•Coroner office equipment, $1,000.
•County assessor computer equipment, $4,500.
•Wayne Township assessor computer equipment, $600.
•Public defender salary, $5,293.78.
•Jail equipment repair, $10,000.
Jay County Sheriff Todd Penrod explained the money was needed to replace the department’s repeater system, which allows for interactive radio contact within the department. He said the old equipment, purchased in 1983, had been operating at only about 25 percent efficiency.
“I’ve already got it,” Penrod said about the purchase. “We had to have it.”
•Computer maintenance for Jay County Circuit Court, $1,000 from probation user fees fund.
•FEMA disaster reimbursement of $7,950.04 from the highway fund.
The council Wednesday night also adopted a tax ordinance stating that anyone who owes $25 in property tax liability should make the payment in a single installment by May 10 of that year. Any installment of $25 or less that is not paid by that date will be assessed a $5 processing charge.
Commissioner Faron Parr also addressed the council about the application of the chemical-based dust control substance placed on the county’s gravel roads for the first time last year.
Parr said county residents, as well as commissioners, were pleased with the results and it is hoped the applications can be done again this year, with an additional four or file miles included in the application.
“We’re had a positive response from the dust control,” he said. “On some roads the chemical is still there.”
But, he added, the cost of the materials continues to increase.
“If we can’t pave every stone road, we’ll continue to use the chemical,” he said.[[In-content Ad]]
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