A phase one environmental study assessment completed at the Greenfield Industrial Park could help attract businesses there, according to recent discussions at Greenfield Village Council meetings, and council is now considering a proposal for such a study.
As reported earlier this week, the Highland County Board of Commissioners awarded CTL Engineering the job of conducting a similar assessment at the Leesburg Industrial Park, which belongs to the county. The cost, according to Nicole Oberrecht, commission board deputy clerk and economic development specialist with the office, will be $16,800, though that price could be reduced due to an archeological study already having been performed at the Leesburg site.
Oberrecht said on Wednesday that there are three categories of industrial parks: fully ready; pipeline parks, which have some work complete, but lack necessary assessments; and fatally flawed parks.
She said the Greenfield and Leesburg parks fall into the second category, but with the environmental studies could be boosted to the first category. Additionally, the sites could be certified with the state and have enhanced visibility to businesses looking for a site.
Greenfield received three proposals for the assessment at its industrial park, with one of those being the firm the county chose.
Greenfield City Manager Ron Coffey reported on Wednesday, “Due to certain economies of scale involved in working with both Leesburg and Greenfield, CTL is able to offer its services to us for … $29,200.”
Coffey indicated that price had been reduced from the original fee proposed by CTL, though he did not elaborate as to how much the original proposal was.
And, “to soften any resistance” council may have on spending nearly $30,000 on the assessment, Coffey said, the Greenfield Foundation has offered to pay half the cost.
While council members expressed gratitude in the foundation’s offer, there were some concerns raised by councilman Chris Borreson about whether a title search would be required. He pointed out that title searches previously cost Greenfield money and the better part of a year on the village’s now nearly complete multi-million dollar railroad rehabilitation project.
Council has the information before them for consideration and Coffey is to research whether there was a title search performed on the property when the village purchased it about three decades ago.
In other business, a recent mandate by the state requires the village to create a Volunteer Peace Officer’s Dependents Fund (VPODF) to provide death benefits to the survivors of volunteer peace officers killed in the line of duty. This must be administered by a village board comprised of two council members, two volunteer peace officers, and a fifth person chosen by the previously mentioned four.
Council members Chris Borreson and Mark Clyburn volunteered for the council posts on the board and are to meet with the volunteer officers on the board to determine the fifth member.
According to Coffey, there are several volunteer officers called upon by the village “from time to time.”
On another matter, village finance director Carolyn Snodgrass reported the preliminary numbers for March as: month-to-date revenue, $325,583; month-to-date expense, $320,972; year-to-date revenue, $1.27 million; year-to-date expense, $1.39 million; with a general fund balance as of March 31, 2016 as $398,004.
Coffey reported that a Community Shred Day, hosted by Community Savings Bank, is scheduled, rain or shine, for April 30 from 9 a.m. to noon. There is no charge for the service and anyone can participate by bringing any unwanted documents for safe disposal to the bank’s parking lot on April 30.
Also coming up is a community cleanup day set for May 7 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. As in previous years, a dumpster will be set up in the gravel area near the railroad tracks between South Washington and South Second streets.
The Greenfield Village Council meets the first and third Wednesday of each month at 7:30 p.m. in the council chambers on the first floor of the City Building. The meetings are open to the public. To be put on the agenda, call the village offices at 937-981-3500.
Reach Angela Shepherd at 937-393-3456, ext. 1681, or on Twitter @wordyshepherd.
