October 22, 2019 at 4:02 p.m.
Plant growth ahead
Plant growth ahead
Fort Recovery Industries is planning to expand its operation.
Portland City Council on Monday forwarded the company’s tax abatement request to the city’s tax abatement advisory committee after learning about plans for a total investment of nearly $4.5 million.
Jay County Development Corporation executive director Travis Richards, who previously worked as an engineer for Fort Recovery Industries, presented the tax abatement request from the company, which had Larry Holmes and Christopher Jetter in attendance.
He noted that the company moved into its location on county road 100 North in 2011 and has since invested more than $20 million.
The current plans call for a 27,000-square-foot expansion at a projected cost of $1.45 million. The company also plans to invest just over $3 million for a zinc die-casting station and other support equipment.
The request is for a five-year abatement on the expansion and a three-year abatement on the equipment.
Fort Recovery Industries currently has 55 employees in Portland and expects to add five more with the expansion.
“The tax abatement is important to us as far as defraying some of those up-front costs,” said Larry Holmes of Fort Recovery Industries. “So we do appreciate the support and we look forward to continuing this relationship. It’s been a good one.”
Council members Bill Gibson, Judy Hedges, Kent McClung, Janet Powers and Don Gillespie, absent Judy Aker and Michele Brewster, voted to send the request to the tax abatement advisory committee for its review.
In other business, council:
•Heard Portland Mayor Randy Geesaman report the following:
—The city collected 90.34 tons of trash during fall clean-up week last week, up slightly from 88.09 tons during clean-up week in the spring.
—He and several local officials attended the Aviation Indiana annual conference last week and met with Federal Aviation Administration and INDOT officials about the planned runway extension at Portland Municipal Airport. The project is expected to be handled in two phases, with work to begin next year complete by the end of 2021.
—A meeting to continue to examine the possibility of putting a 24-inch sewer line under Meridian Street back into use is scheduled for 11 a.m. Wednesday.
•Approved an amendment to the city ordinance regarding the insurance surplus fund to accurately reflect how and when transfers are made to and from that fund.
•Heard from Powers that the flashing light by East Elementary School remains out. It is the third consecutive meeting that she has mentioned the issue. Geesaman said he has spoken to INDOT officials repeatedly about getting the light fixed.
Powers also noted that there is a problem with a manhole cover coming loose on Water Street on the east side of the city and that there is a street light out on Miller Avenue. Geesaman said employees from the wastewater department will address the manhole cover problem this week.
Portland City Council on Monday forwarded the company’s tax abatement request to the city’s tax abatement advisory committee after learning about plans for a total investment of nearly $4.5 million.
Jay County Development Corporation executive director Travis Richards, who previously worked as an engineer for Fort Recovery Industries, presented the tax abatement request from the company, which had Larry Holmes and Christopher Jetter in attendance.
He noted that the company moved into its location on county road 100 North in 2011 and has since invested more than $20 million.
The current plans call for a 27,000-square-foot expansion at a projected cost of $1.45 million. The company also plans to invest just over $3 million for a zinc die-casting station and other support equipment.
The request is for a five-year abatement on the expansion and a three-year abatement on the equipment.
Fort Recovery Industries currently has 55 employees in Portland and expects to add five more with the expansion.
“The tax abatement is important to us as far as defraying some of those up-front costs,” said Larry Holmes of Fort Recovery Industries. “So we do appreciate the support and we look forward to continuing this relationship. It’s been a good one.”
Council members Bill Gibson, Judy Hedges, Kent McClung, Janet Powers and Don Gillespie, absent Judy Aker and Michele Brewster, voted to send the request to the tax abatement advisory committee for its review.
In other business, council:
•Heard Portland Mayor Randy Geesaman report the following:
—The city collected 90.34 tons of trash during fall clean-up week last week, up slightly from 88.09 tons during clean-up week in the spring.
—He and several local officials attended the Aviation Indiana annual conference last week and met with Federal Aviation Administration and INDOT officials about the planned runway extension at Portland Municipal Airport. The project is expected to be handled in two phases, with work to begin next year complete by the end of 2021.
—A meeting to continue to examine the possibility of putting a 24-inch sewer line under Meridian Street back into use is scheduled for 11 a.m. Wednesday.
•Approved an amendment to the city ordinance regarding the insurance surplus fund to accurately reflect how and when transfers are made to and from that fund.
•Heard from Powers that the flashing light by East Elementary School remains out. It is the third consecutive meeting that she has mentioned the issue. Geesaman said he has spoken to INDOT officials repeatedly about getting the light fixed.
Powers also noted that there is a problem with a manhole cover coming loose on Water Street on the east side of the city and that there is a street light out on Miller Avenue. Geesaman said employees from the wastewater department will address the manhole cover problem this week.
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