9 October 2014 Dearborn County Redevelopment Meeting Notes

9 October 2014 Dearborn County Redevelopment Meeting Notes

Present: Dave Deddens, Chairman, John Rahe, Jim Deaton.

ABSENT: Dennis Kraus, Sr.(vacation), Jim Helms, Dusty Burress (non- voting school board member)

Also present: Terri Randall, county administrator and economic development director, Andrea Ewan, attorney, Sue Hayden, minute taker, and Randy Maxwell, consultant.

 ABSENT: Gayle Pennington, Auditor and DCRC treasurer

The meeting began at 8:12 without a quorum. Jim Deaton arriving in 30 minutes. Holding voting items until he arrives.

Approval of September 11 minutes- approved.

Rahe congratulated Terri for being voted Woman of the year (woman of distinction)- Board concurred.

New Business:

Claims and TIF Financials - Accepted.

Claims:

Oren Turner- $7166.68 for Sept and Oct.

Terri Randall- mileage- $86.26+179.02=265.28

Seitz Agency- $100 bond for Dennis Kraus

ePop Studio- $35 + 35 = 70 domain renewal and web hosting Sept

Terri Randall and Sue Hayden- Salaries- $1736.32- deducted thru payroll

Randy Maxwell- $825- Sept consulting

Ewan Law Office= $1425- May thru Sept 9.5 hours

FTC&H $4000- evaluation of Whitewater River Channel survey- pd from TIF 4303

Barnes and Thornburg- <112 .94=""> refund for overpayment

FINANCIALS and TIF FUNDS BALANCES:

Cash of Fund 4931- $399,934.23

FUND 4932- Commission Match- $500,000

Growth and Development Fund- $500.000

FUND 4301- TIF Washington TWP- West Aurora- $164,357

FUND 4302- TIF St. Leon Kelso TWP- $79,559.64

FUND 4303- TIF St. Leon Harrison TWP- $36,553.43

FUND 4304 TIF West Harrison- $12,502.43

FUND 9139 Economic Development Research Grant- $91,646.42

Lead Economic Development Officer’s report: Randall sent out a letter to the woman (Mrs. Taylor) who owned the land for the signage at Aurora Industrial Park. The woman said her husband had passed away after a long battle with MS and had been researching it and no one knew much about how it got there. Final word on that conversation was that they would go thru Doug Denmure and see if they could move the sign or purchase the piece of property.

Guinevere Emery is present and is the new Aurora city mgr and assisting Jeff Stratman there. She was asked by Randy Turner and Stratman to bring up the Aurora sewer pump requiring continual repair. Thinking some of Aurora Casket manufacturing product might be causing this. There is considerable cost to repair this grinder pump. The cost is up to $250,000 possible as discussed at the Aurora utility meeting.  Randall said this had come up as a problem before when she was out there. They are not in the city limits. If we get TIF money out of that maybe we could discuss this. Emery said more research needs to be done. Aurora Municipal utility might require pretreating before these go thru the sewer facility. Aurora is getting a committee to look further into this. Randall asked for a copy of the study that had already been done on this. Emery said that she is finished with her county community corrections job and also with being clerk treasurer of Moores Hill with 30 day availability for consult to them. POWER OUTAGE IN LAWRENCBURG AND SURROUNDING AREAS AT 8:30 AM so typing in the dark for a few minutes.

Rahe brought up an economic dev lead. Randy Maxwell is following up on this now also.

Governor was accommodating here and lt. gov. made a phone call to the “project” they are still waiting to hear about. She thought we were the underdog- they said no he wouldn’t say that. Sent him that basket of IND goodies and little things to make them think they would be part of our community. The company is concerned about our labor pool.

Signatures for Grant Sponsorship-RR Infrastructure grant of $100,000 thru IEDC and DCRC is the administrating sponsor agent. Ewan has reviewed. They will set aside the money and it gets paid by reimbursement to DCRC. Approved and Deddens signed.

Update by Vernon “Red” Tegeler -VP Production and Sunil Maheshwan – plant manager of this plant when it starts- from Whitewater Mill – Res said they will open by April 1, 2015. They used a laptop to show pictures as the power was out. He had nothing but good things to say about all the local help they have had. Randall said she had met a local man recently hired by Whitewater Mills and he liked it. Todd Sargent manages the new workers. Red said they also have been blessed to have Maxwell Group on site and helping them to pick the right contractors. 130-140 people working on site now. Sunil showed pictures of the 24/7 concrete pouring for the building. Maxwell built the office building in front. The manufacturing building is nearly as tall as the silos. There are additional safety measures. They have an expert from Switzerland helping in this construction. Precast concrete building for loading went up quickly. The facility is designed for future growth and another building can slip up right alongside the new one. They plan to be here for a long time. They will add steel storage bins when expanding. They have Coppage Construction to prepare for the rail construction site for the rail spur. They will be making offers in two weeks for some more hires. The millers and maintenance crew need to be hired first. Training will occur at Teutopolis, IL and Hopkinsville, KY plants and at Kansas where millers are trained. They have had several conversations with Harrison FD so they know what is going in and what is needed. Permitting and EPA also have been handled. They will also have the FD tour the entire plant so they know how to get in etc. They will have an ongoing relationship and will have more tours when new things are introduced. This plant will be very clean and sanitary.

They have been trying to get more involved with producers in the area here. They have met with Farm Bureau in the area. They offer some programs for producers to entice them to grow more wheat. In Teutoplois, IL plant area they see the possibility of double cropping and different types of wheat. They want to give them good price. They need to use fertilizer and fungicides etc. Trying to get two crops a year. These are areas that used to be more corn and soybean areas and they are getting more wheat grown.

Randall said that we couldn’t be prouder of this partnership. We take it on faith that we will be more partners- feels almost like family. Red and Sunil agreed. Randall said that when she came for her tour she wasn’t prepared so they gave her some boots for her tour.

They said they can opt for more automation and the recipes for flour mix could fill overnite. They have 3 customers that they will provide for ultimately. This will get 3 businesses moved to the site. The third one is owned by Conagra but does McDonald’s biscuits. Randall thanked them for coming in for this and they are coming to the luncheon today at the event center. (The Women of Distinction Luncheon)

Attorney report- Andrea Ewan- has nothing

Other Business- FTC&H report came back and the data is very middle of the road. There is not a strong argument to get more land out of the flood plain. Generally disappointing result for the board. Maxwell said it was still money well spent. They don’t think they should spend any more money on this now. The info may be valuable to the homeowners down there. Maxwell said that homeowners down there have had issues with them and this will be useful for that.  [NOTE: Perhaps they should share this info with planning and zoning.]

Per Randall- Ted Nagele is already moving from Cincinnati here and he will be the first producer using the mill product.

Randall said we have to realize how much of an asset Harrison is to us. We have also lost a few projects to them in year’s past- they are competitors. Harrison benefits from our TIF too with downtown business etc.

Meeting adjourned at 9:30 AM

Christine Brauer Mueller

Lawrenceburg Township