IDA Shares News, Upcoming Projects

By REBECCA HAZEN
News Editor

The Dade County Industrial Development Authority held an information only meeting, due to not having a quorum, on Monday, Jan. 17. Unable to vote on items, board members shared information about ongoing news and upcoming projects and events.

Alliance for Dade Chair George Williams attended the meeting via phone call and spoke to the board members about what the Alliance is currently working on.

Williams reported that there are now 95 investors. The Alliance hopes to reach 100 investors.
There are many new businesses in Dade County, and the Alliance has had a few ribbon cuttings in the past weeks, with more scheduled in the near future. Williams encouraged the board members to visit and support the new businesses.

The Alliance will hold a Lunch and Learn event on Feb. 24. The speakers will be local officials, including County Executive Ted Rumley, Trenton Mayor Alex Case and Dade County Schools Superintendent Josh Ingle. An additional Lunch and Learn event with Senator Jeff Mullis and Representative Mike Cameron is in the works for this spring.

The Alliance is also working on a program called Drugs Don’t Work, which will be a new benefit for Alliance investors. Companies will have the opportunity to go through a certification process, after which they can apply for a reduction in their worker’s compensation price. Williams said that this would be available sometime next month.

“We’re happy to have a functional chamber of commerce now. The Alliance has had many successful events,” Executive Director William Back said.

Also, during the informal meeting, board chair Peter Cervelli noted that the board’s officers would be elected during the February meeting. In addition to Cervelli, Sharon Moore is currently vice chair and treasurer, and Larry Case is secretary.

Back noted that the bylaws provide for a non-member officer, such as a community liaison, and said that is an officer position the board members should think about having in the future.

Back also reported that Brian Kemp, Georgia Governor, has designated Dade County as a tier three county. The system consists of tiers one through four, four meaning the richest and one being the poorest. Dade County has been a tier three county for many years.

Back noted that “Project Charter” is the latest RFI (request for information).

“It’s in the earliest stages,” Back said. “The company wants to build a 300,000 square foot building on three levels, and they anticipate hiring 40 employees. It is a company that manufactures batteries for automobiles.”

Back informed board members that the city of Trenton intends to implement a new rate structure for wastewater in the industrial park, based on the materials that are flowing out.

“That would require metering at every site. That is something the city will be working on for the next six months,” Back said. “It looks like it will be somewhat of an increase in sewer costs to the manufacturing companies here.”

According to Back, there is a strip of land owned by the IDA that runs between two pieces of land that Trenton Pressing owns. Trenton Pressing would like to take ownership so that they can develop a parking lot.

“It would be great if we could trade them a similar sized piece of land. There is quite a bit of vacant land. I am making a proposal that we trade a 50-foot strip of land that the IDA owns for a 50-foot strip of land that Trenton Pressing owns. That land would take us from paved South Industrial Boulevard, east to the creek,” Back said.

It was noted that Larry Moore resigned from the board at the end of last year. His son, Larry Moore II, who could not attend Monday’s meeting, is taking over in his place. Back noted that new board members go through a one-day training program, which Moore will complete in the next few weeks.

The next meeting will be Feb. 21.