Why aren't all of you asking MUM to state their position on this? Not making suppositions but asking them for their official stance? And the TM'ers on the city and county councils? Seems insane not to, unless you WANT Heartland to move in.
________________________________ From: "'Rick Archer' r...@searchsummit.com [FairfieldLife]" <FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com> To: FairfieldLife <FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com>; fairfieldc...@yahoogroups.com Sent: Saturday, July 5, 2014 3:57 PM Subject: [FairfieldLife] Urgent! Tell the JeffCo BOS: Say 'NO' to a $1.55 Million Heartland Co-op Tax Credit Handout Before this Monday, July 7: Say 'No' To $1.55 Mill Heartland Co-op Tax Credit Handout! Dear Rick If the idea of handing out $1.55 million in state tax credits to Heartland Co-op for the creation of six new jobs while possibly losing 30 existing jobs bothers you, now is the time to speak up. This Monday morning, July 7th at 9 am, the Jefferson County Board of Supervisors will meet to discuss whether to sponsor Heartland Co-op’s application for $1.55 million in tax credits and incentives under the Iowa High Quality Jobs program. It doesn’t get more absurd than this. The county stands to potentially lose 30 jobs at Overland Sheepskin from the project, as the considerable amounts of dust and noise from the grain elevator will make it difficult for Overland to continue its operations in the present location. Ten to twenty tons of grain dust emissions per year and expensive furs just don’t go together! The decision before the BOS is whether to ignore this fact, and approve the $1.55 million tax handout for the creation of six permanent jobs at the new Heartland Co-op facility. The program falls under Iowa’s High Quality Jobs program, and it is part of an already controversial state tax credit programput in place under Governor Terry Branstad. For the tax credit application, Heartland will need the nod of the JeffCo Board of Supervisors. The tax credit program is intended to offer incentives for local economic development, but a facility that creates six jobs, while potentially causing the loss of 30, can hardly be argued to constitute economic development. This, of course, is just one of the numerous ways in which the proposed Heartland facility is likely to adversely affect JeffCo residents. Increased road maintenance costs from the up to 30,000 to 60,000 additional truck trips per year, increased truck traffic through the streets of Fairfield, tons of annual grain dust emissions, and other impacts on the quality of life are just a few of the likely drawbacks of this supposed “economic development” project. The Board of Supervisors has said that the Heartland Co-op facility is a done deal, and there’s nothing they can do. Well, at the very least, they can refrain from supporting a $1.55 million handout to Heartland in state tax credits! This is their chance to stand up for the Leahy family, who for more than twenty years have provided 30 jobs at Overland Sheepskin. How You Can Voice Your Opinion If this just doesn’t seem right to you, now is the time to speak up! Send an email to the supervisors. Or, if you know and are on friendly terms with one of them, call to share your concerns. And if possible, come to the meeting this Monday, July 7, 9 am at the Court House. As always, of course, it’s imperative that we are polite and courteous, when sharing our concerns, and stick to the facts. Below are some possible points to mention if you send an email. Feel free to copy this text and insert in an email, or better, rephrase in your own words and add your own observations. (We also suggest that you send a copy of the email to us afterwards at i...@ahead-iowa.org; it's useful for us to have it for our records.) Sample Email Text (Please copy or edit into your own words) To JeffCo Board of Supervisors As I understand it, the BOS will be voting on whether to support an application for a $1.55 million tax credit to Heartland Co-op under the Iowa High Quality Jobs program. As the public debate around the proposed Heartland facility has made clear, the facility represents numerous downsides to our community. In particular, the creation of six jobs, while likely losing 30 at Overland Sheepskin can hardly be characterized as “economic development.” Further, Heartland Co-op is not in compliance with the application criteria for the program, which clearly state that the application has to be submitted beforethe projected is started. Since Heartland Co-op has already started construction, this clearly is not the case. As a resident of Jefferson County, I urge you to abstain from a vote in support of this program for the above mentioned reasons. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - BOS email addresses: Lee Dimmitt, Chairman lee.dimm...@jeffersoncountyia.com Richard C. Reed, Vice-Chair - email: dick.r...@jeffersoncountyia.com Becky Schmitz - email: bschm...@jeffersoncountyia.com Volunteer! If you’d like to help spread the word or volunteer in other ways, please send us an email at i...@ahead-iowa.org. We’d love to hear from you! Like us on Facebook! Like us on Facebook and get notified about news and updates! Not Yet a Member? Join AHEAD-Iowa! Join AHEAD-Iowa to stay updated on news and events concerning Heartland Co-op and the broader Fairfield community! Registering is easy, and it's free! Simply go here to sign up, it only takes a moment. Click Here to Read and Sign our Petitions
