Scott County plan to attract new industries moves ahead

Scott County is significantly closer to establishing its Enhanced Enterprise Zone, though the zone will not include at least one municipality eligible to participate.

Over the past few weeks Scott County Developer Joel Evans, the county's chief economic development officer, has been seeking the blessing of municipal governments within the zone's proposed geographic area.

The county's Enhanced Enterprise Zone board of directors -- made up of Terry Cole, Joy Cauthorn and Bud Morton of Sikeston; Steve Whitaker of Chaffee; Chap Arnold of Scott City; Oran school superintendent Mitch Wood and North Scott County Ambulance District director Larry Chasteen -- must submit a joint application between the county and affected municipal governments to the Missouri Department of Economic Development to establish the zone.

Once established, the zone will provide property tax abatements for industries that chooses to set up shop within the zone boundaries.

Evans said nine municipalities are in the zone's boundaries: Scott City, Chaffee, Vanduser, Haywood City, Blodgett, Morley, Dielstadt, Miner and a small part of Cape Girardeau. So far, Evans said he's approached every city but Morley and Dielstadt to ask for their approval of the application. Every city has granted that approval but Miner.

The Southeast Missourian was unable to contact Miner's mayor Betty Barnes or any of its four members of the board of aldermen. Evans approached the board at its regular monthly meeting in August.

City clerk Janet Tuttle said the board heard the discussion, but board members didn't comment on the proposal, and the board didn't vote on inclusion in the zone. Evans said the city decided to opt out.

"If that's the wishes of their constituents, so be it," Evans said, "but I think it's a travesty they're not participating. In industrial recruiting communities are eliminated before they're even thought of if they don't have this kind of incentive package."

Tuttle said city leaders decided not to participate because the city only has a few parcels of land available for industrial development.

Scott City approved a resolution last Monday including the city in the zone, but councilman Rob Henderson questioned the boundaries of the zone, which didn't include an area along U.S. 61 south of Kelso where the city hopes one day to have a new Interstate 55 interchange constructed.

Evans said all areas eligible for inclusion in the zone -- at least 60 percent of residents have incomes below 90 percent of the median income of all residents and the area's unemployment rate is equal to or exceeds the average rate of unemployment for the state or county -- were included.

City leaders discussed the zone's boundaries with Evans after the meeting, Scott City Mayor Tim Porch said, and the city understands those boundaries can't be expanded.

"We don't want to clog up the county's request," Porch said. Besides, Porch said if a new I-55 interchange is installed, it will happen several years down the road.

The Chaffee City Council will vote on its resolution at its October meeting, said Mayor Loretta Mohorc. She said she expects the measure to receive the council's full support.

"We're very excited. It's a win-win," Mohorc said of inclusion in the enterprise zone.

msanders@semissourian.com

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