Gestamp North America was given a unanimous resolution of support for an industrial facilities tax (IFT) exemption on real property of $15.219,155 for 11 years by the Chelsea City Council on Oct. 2.
The plant at 5800 Sibley Road will house a new chassis manufacturing operation in the former Jaytec facility and is expected to create 195 new jobs within two years of the facility’s completion according to the IFT application.
Company representatives said they expect to employ 40 people by the end of this year and 348 people over the next five years. The pay range, they said, would be from $15 an hour to up to $300,000 a year for a plant manager. This will be a non-union shop, they said.
The plant is expected to be a three-shift operation, the representatives said.
It’s expected that a majority of the products made there will be shipped by truck to Chicago and Flatrock, the company reps said, with an expected 50-60 trucks in and out of the plant.
Several council members expressed concern about the number of trucks the company will be sending through the downtown. In addition, Council Member Melissa Johnson expressed her concerns about possible air quality impacts of the manufacturing process at the plant that is located next to Chelsea’s largest park — Timbertown.
Company representatives told the City Council that they have filed mitigation plans with the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality and they expect inspections of the plant’s operations.
The company has submitted an application to become a member of the Chelsea Area Chamber of Commerce and plans to get involved in local charity organizations, the representatives said.
The resolution of support for the tax abatement now goes to the State Tax Commission for final approval.
(Council Members Marcia White and Peter Feeney were absent from the meeting.)
In other business, the City Council also unanimously approved amended bylaws for the Human Rights Commission (HRC) and those can be found online here under boards and commissions. It’s expected that the HRC will now discuss a complaint that has been filed.
The City Council also gave City Manager John Hanifan the go-ahead to schedule a visioning session with the Huron River Watershed Council and invite neighboring communities to learn about green infrastructure.
“Green infrastructure is the interconnected network of open spaces, natural areas and waterways that supports native species, maintains natural ecological processes, sustains air and water resources and contributes to our health and quality of life,” according to information about these 2-hour sessions.
You can go here for examples.
Hanifan updated the council on the Palmer Event Space where above ground utility work is underway. He also said work on the pathway leading to the city’s dog park is underway and the dog park is getting close to opening.
To watch the meeting, please click here.
