I want to take this opportunity to extend a "thank you" to the Marshall County Council members.

At their last meeting, Mr. Jerry Faulkner approached the governing body with a tax abatement request seeking the County's support for his plans to invest capital and create more jobs in the area.  Council members availed themselves to project briefings all in an effort to take a broader understanding of the project that was scheduled for their consideration on July 13.

The clear message through these discussions and during the meeting could be summarized as "we (Marshall County) are interested in helping our local employers grow".   

The process of a tax abatement approval is basically a two-step process by the local governing body for the property where the expansion will occur.  The first step is to declare the area, where the expansion will occur, as an "economic revitalization area".   The second step is to "confirm" the area as an economic revitalization area through a public hearing.  Each step requires the passage of an ordinance with the second including the approval of a tax abatement with a defined term.

The Council completed the first step on July 13th and will soon meet on the second step.  Your council has once again availed themselves.  They have organized themselves to go through the process as quickly as possible, under time requirements set by state statue, to meet the needs of the business.

The MCEDC Board of Directors appreciate the support demonstrated through this process as well as the continued support for economic development from all our local governing bodies.  Whether we learn about business expansion through the Business Expansion and Retention (BEAR) program, through referrals or even word of mouth.... your MCEDC is here to help you.

JJC

The Plymouth Industrial Development Corporation (PIDCO) finalized the sale of a 14 acre lot to the Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT). The sale was preceded by several months of planning and design as the project went through the required development review process. In order to meet the lot specifications, as requested by INDOT, the lot was re-platted from the original lot approved by the Plan Commission in January 2015.    

INDOT plans to construct an $8-9 million state-of-the-art maintenance facility on the site located north of Dupont Pioneer and east of the recently completed Commerce building. The site is a prime location for such a facility as it is situated within an industrial area and will not be immediately adjacent to Pioneer Drive or U.S. 30.    

Six property owners in Plymouth, Bremen, Bourbon, and Argos have signed agreements allowing access to conduct Phase I environmental assessments.  These properties were identified as potential Brownfield sites to be part of a $600,000 U.S. EPA Coalition Brownfield Assessment grant.  

The funding opportunity was explained to the property owners in a public forum held last March and in ongoing conversations. Over 70 properties throughout the county were identified as potentially having environmental concerns.  The six properties currently under investigation are priority sites.  

The coalition will continue to discuss the grant with other property owners as additional funds are still available through the award.

Marshall County's unemployment rate dropped to 3.8% in April, which is the lowest and first time it has been under 4% in over 13 years, according to data provided by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The jobless rate decreased from 6.2% in January and 5.3% in April 2014 signifying continual business growth by local employers.