Council wants jobs for citizens with Helicopter Tech building lease
The Century council Monday night approved Interim City Manager Vernon Prather's recommendation to transfer $13,677.20 to pay water system debt service and infrastructure.
The balance of the Local Option Sales Tax (LOST) kept in the Florida Prime General Fund was $817,287.04. Part of the transfer is for two loan payments of $4,907.35 and $6.235.74 and a 6-inch prop meter interconnection project fee of $2,534.11. The total $13,677.20 transfer leaves $803,609.84 in the account.
In a motion made by Councilman Luis Gomez and seconded by Councilwoman Sandra McMurray Jackson, the motion carried unanimously.
Next, the council discussed the recommendation by Prather to run an advertisement for Request For Proposals (RFP) to lease the more than 40,000-square-foot municipal building, located at 6081 Industrial Boulevard which has been vacant for 12 years and not producing any revenue.
“We've tried to get someone in there,” said Councilman James Smith. “Mayor, have we not approached anyone to try to occupy the space?”
Mayor Henry Hawkins said there have been several inquiries recently from parties interested in leasing the building and town authorities thought advertising to request RFPs was the fairest way.
“We crossed this bridge a while back,” said Gomez. “I want to stress that that is one of the last facilities as far as job opportunities and industry in the town of Century. It seems to me we have never shopped that property so we need to shop and offer it for job opportunities instead of just trying to get somebody in it for revenue.”
The building was originally built for Starter Sportswear and later, Helicopter Technologies.
Gomez said he is not going for a dog and pony show, and feels he is responsible for the well-being of the town and its citizens and he is aware there was a proposal on the table for that space. He did not agree in leasing it to a company that would not bring jobs to the town and said that if jobs are not coming there, he is not interested and he will not vote for it.
Councilman Smith agreed and reminded the council that he was against the offer when it was requested for lease before. He did suggest looking at a business that could possibly employ locally.
Gomez said that he will go along with the council as far as advertising, but he is against spending money the town does not have.
Prather said there are five items a proposal is required to provide minimally: the desired date to start occupancy, amount of proposed monthly lease fee, number of employees associated with the business activity and the statement of the proposed business activity, and the signature required by an officer or owner of the company.
“All those questions you are talking about are minimum requirements in the proposal,” said Prather. “It lets you know when someone is serious. I think we should go through this process and then evaluate what is submitted. Advertising it ourselves, the cost will be minimal.”
The complete RFP can be seen on Page 3A inside today's Tri-City Ledger.
In a motion made to advertise an RFP to lease the building made by Councilman Smith and seconded by Councilwoman Jackson, the motion carried unanimously.
The building will be advertised for lease in local media on July 9 and 16, with a closing date of August 6, 2020.
