HomeMy WebLinkAboutC.054.93011_0384IREDELL COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
REGULAR MINUTES
AUGUST 17, 2004
The Iredell County Board of Commissioners met in Regular Session on
Tuesday, August 17, 2004, 7:00 p.m., in the Iredell County Government Center
(Commissioners' Meeting Room), 200 South Center Street, Statesville, NC.
Present were:
Chairman Steve D. Johnson
Vice Chairman Godfrey Williams
Doug Madison
Marvin Norman
Sara Haire Tice
Staff present: County Manager Joel Mashburn, County Attorney Bill Pope,
Finance Director Susan Blumenstein, and Clerk to the Board Jean Moore.
CALL TO ORDER by Chairman Johnson.
INVOCATION by Chairman Johnson.
PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
ADJUSTMENTS OF THE AGENDA
OTIO by Chairman Johnson to approve the agenda with the following
adjustment.
Deletion: Request from the City of Monroe for an Opportunity to Discuss a Proposed
Natural Gas Pipeline Project and the Acquisition of Rights -of -Way (see
briefing minutes)
VOTING: Ayes — 5; Nays — 0.
PUBLIC HEARING
Chairman Johnson declared the meeting to be in a public hearing.
Consideration of an Economic Development Incentive for Penske Racing
South: Economic Developer Melanie O'Connell Underwood said Penske Racing had
purchased the former Matshusita Compressor building in Mooresville. She said the
company would use the incentive to help in the renovations of the former industrial
building that had been vacant for three and half years and convert it into a motorsports
facility. Underwood said the company was requesting an incentive of $139,200.00
based upon an $8 million dollar investment (on top of the purchase price).
Penske Racing South President Don Miller said the company had existed in
Mooresville since 1990 on a four -acre site. He said that over the past 15 years, the site
had been continually upgraded, and it was expanded in 1993 by the construction of
another building along with the addition of 25-30 people to the staff of 60 employees.
Miller said later, six adjacent acres were purchased and four more facilities were built.
He said that due to Penske's international customer base, people traveled to Mooresville
from all over the world to tour the first class wind tunnel and chassis facility. Miller
said Penske provided 206 jobs, yet the company had never requested an incentive from
the county. He said Penske's goal was to house all of its employees under one roof,
instead of having them in four or five different buildings. Miller said the remodeled
facility would include a gift shop and museum in the front section, along with a glass
tower in the center that would rise and take people to a 310 ft. "catwalk" where fans
could observe the automotive technicians at work. Miller said Penske would utilize
about 240,000 sq. ft., and another company would be allowed to locate in the back
portion; thus creating even more jobs.