02-10-03 Council Meeting Minutes

Home Browse Search

REGULAR MEETING FEBRUARY 10, 2003 they believe the amendments to the ordinance make great sense because it doesn't just recognize a business because they are going to spend some dollars on capital investment in our community but it recognizes companies who share similar goals which the City has identified in this ordinance. It sends a clear message to the community that the City can encourage businesses to come here but not just any business, but businesses that will add to the quality and character of the community. Mr. Eagan encouraged the Council to vote on the proposed amendments to the abatement ordinance. Mr. Carl Bossung, 61450 Myrtle Trail, South Bend, Indiana, Partner, Crowe Chizek LLP, thanked the Council and the administration for helping their company complete the project at 320 East Jefferson Boulevard. They have moved in and are functioning. They are quite proud of the facility and it is working out well. He noted that the expansion has allowed them to keep one hundred fifty (150) support jobs for their firm. The team effort of the City and the Council worked well and tax abatement was a part of that total package. He stated that in making project decisions, businesses like to know the ground rules. The proposed ordinance gives an opportunity to look at the City's priorities and what makes sense for the benefit of the City. It allows businesses to adjust the scope of their project in order to achieve the right number of points under the ordinance in order to maximize their benefit. Mr. Bossing indicated that he wholeheartedly supports the endorsement and positive vote on this ordinance. Mr. Jerry Thoma, President, Environmental Health Laboratories, 110 South Hill, South Bend, Indiana, thanked the Council, the Mayor and the City for all of the assistance that was given to them over the last several years during their efforts to expand their facilities. It was that spirit of cooperation that they enjoyed with the City that made their expansion possible and helped bring Underwriters Laboratories into the City of South Bend. In 1993, as a small privately owned business, Environmental Health Laboratories came before the Council seeking a tax abatement for the second expansion of their then fledgling business. As entrepreneurs they had a dream of something much more substantial with the potential of providing much greater benefit to the health and well being of the people in South Bend, in Indiana and in much of the US. Today Environmental Health Laboratories impacts over 50 million US citizens as they document the safety of public drinking water for public drinking water supplies. Today they operate as a wholly owned subsidiary of Underwriters Laboratories UL one of the world's largest conformity assessment companies. UL has become over the last one hundred seven (107 ) years one of the most recognized symbols of product safety and quality in the world. The tax abatement in 1993 did have an impact in their ability to realize their dream. The potential for an abatement had a significant impact on UL's decision to build a fifty thousand (50,000) square foot expansion which was completed last October. The potential for an abatement a couple of years ago was crucial in UL's decision to build in South Bend. Mr. Thoma stated that the current system is quite arbitrary and provides little to help perspective businesses to understand the chances of obtaining an abatement. The new ordinance creates a solid predictable and equitable rationale that will encourage more investment by businesses of the quality of Underwriters Laboratories and Crowe Chizek and others to invest in South Bend. Mr. Thoma stated that he supports this ordnance and he urged the Council to adopt it. Mr. Dave Lerman, CEO, Steel Warehouse & Lock Joint Tube, 3210 Miami Street, South Bend, Indiana, stated that over the years they have been favored with tax abatements for many of the projects they have had to try to stay competitive in their industries. He noted that he believes that it is absolutely vital for the survival of the manufacturing community to have tax abatement. It ■