01-24-2022 Common Council Meeting Minutes (Signed)

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REGULAR MEETING JANUARY 24, 2022 Councilmember Rachel Tomas Morgan made a motion to hear Bill No. 22-02 and Bill No. 22-06 together. Councilmember Troy Warner seconded the motion, which carried by a voice vote of nine (9) ayes. Santiago Garces, Executive Director of Community Investment, with offices on the fourteenth (14th) floor of the County -City Building, introduced Bill No. 22-02 and Bill No. 22-06. Angelina Billo, Assistant Director of Business Development, with offices on the fourteenth (141h) floor of the County -City Building, presented Bill No. 22-02 and Bill No. 22-06. Councilmember Henry Davis Jr. stated that this is a massive opportunity for the City. He asked who would hold this abatement accountable. Santiago Garces responded that tax abatements require a yearly submission of compliance information. The County Assessor's Office coordinates the payment of taxes. Information is compiled and provided to Council yearly around June. Councilmember Henry Davis Jr. requested confirmation that the Community Investment Committee receives this information. President Sharon L. McBride responded that the entire Council should review the information. Councilmember Rachel Tomas Morgan added that last ygar the information on companies requesting waivers was received by the Committee and was then addressed by the full Council. President Sharon L. McBride requested that the Clerk's Office resubmit the June 2021 minutes, which addressed the waivers to Council. Attorney Bob Palmer verified the statement from Councilmember Rachel Tomas Morgan. Councilmember Canneth Lee stated that this project is a win for the City. Vice -President Sheila Niezgodski stated that she is excited about this project as representative of the sixth (61h) District. This could be the largest development of its kind in the United States. Jason Banicki, 3822 Ford Street, South Bend, Indiana, stated that, while he believes this to be a fantastic project, the average hourly wage calculates to seventeen dollars ($17) per hour, rather than twenty-nine dollars ($29) per hour. He asked who was fact -checking these numbers. He stated that over nine (9) years, the petitioner would pay approximately two and a half million dollars ($2,500,000) in property taxes, but three million dollars ($3,000,000) are needed for infrastructure. The difference of which will fall on the taxpayer. Paul Mastronardi, 1577 County Rd 34, Kingsville, Ontario, responded that most labor in the greenhouse is H-2A under the federal program. Locals will want to be more active in the higher - paying jobs. Upgrades will provide further infrastructure to the area. Santiago Garces added that much of the processes of the site involve recycling and reusing material like water to maximize efficiency. The abatement allows the petitioner to offset costs while building their distribution network. Councilmember Henry Davis Jr. stated that the Department of Community Investment should go back over the numbers given the comments from Jason Banicki. Vice -President Sheila Niezgodski stated that numbers are based on one hundred ten (110) jobs, but there could be up to two hundred (200) jobs created. Councilmember Troy Warner noted an application in the packet that outlines the numbers. These numbers must be met, or else a waiver is issued. He spoke in support of the project. Councilmember Rachel Tomas Morgan stated that it is exciting for South Bend to land this project that represents the future of how food is grown. Councilmember Eli Wax stated that he is excited for this project, economically and otherwise. Councilmember Canneth Lee stated that this project uses technology to significantly impact the world, and the investment level is high. 21