The Greenwood City Council voted Tuesday to begin the process of issuing a bond to develop property in the Greenwood-Leflore Industrial Park for a company that intends to bring at least 130 jobs to the city.
City Attorney Don Brock said the city had been approached by a manufacturer, which at this time wishes to remain unnamed. The address of the property has not been determined, he said.
Brock said the plan is to buy the property, renovate it and enter into a long-term lease with the company.
He said the deal will not cost the city any taxpayer money. It is “just like the Milwaukee Tool project, where we buy the building and then they lease it back from us and the payment covers the debt service on the bond that the city takes out,” he said.
To start the process, the council unanimously approved hiring the Ridgeland-based law firm Butler Snow LLP to serve as bond counsel and Government Consultants Inc. of Madison to prepare documentation.
Brock said the entire process should be completed by the end of the summer.
In other business:
- Jody Bradley of the Greenwood Police Department told the council that seven new surveillance cameras will be installed by his department over the next two weeks.
This will bring the total to 55. The surveillance system can support 64 cameras, he said.
Ward 7’s Carl Palmer asked Bradley if he could specify where the new cameras will be installed.
“I can tell you where they are going, and they will be in very needy places,” Bradley said, adding that he and Police Chief Terrence Craft have had extensive discussions on where the cameras need to go.
He also said that two more license plate readers have been purchased and will be installed, bringing the total to five.
- Palmer said he and Ward 6’s Dorothy Glenn attended a Keep America Beautiful meeting on Tuesday morning and were told that people can claim free litter kits that each include a vest, garbage bag and scale for weighing garbage.
They may claim the kits at kab.org by registering as volunteers.
Palmer also expressed dismay at the litter of tires across the city. He said in his ward alone, he saw a stack of 10 tires as well as two or three bigger tires.
He asked citizens to dispose of tires at one of the county disposal centers, such as at the location on Mississippi 7 at the Greenwood/County Unit System. Palmer said he was willing to use his own trailer to collect tires and take them for proper disposal.
- Approved a contract with C Spire for the company to serve as the city’s internet provider at a cost of $2,420 for 96 months.
- Mayor Carolyn McAdams said the city is still looking for summer workers for the Summer Parks program and the Urban Youth program.
“We’ve gotten a few applications but not nearly what we used to get,” she said. “We used to get 60 or 70 applications, and I think right now, the last time I checked, we may have six applications.
“For young students or young people who want to work for six weeks during the summer, please come and fill out an application at City Hall,” she said.
Council President Ronnie Stevenson was absent from the meeting. Ward 1’s Johnny Jennings presided in his absence.
- Contact Kevin Edwards at 662-581-7233 or kedwards@gwcommonwealth.com.
