The marathon meeting started at 7 PM and ended at 12:30 AM. Dozens of speakers argued their views on the proposed pork processing plant earmarked for Mason City’s south side. The city council asked many questions and took diligent notes during the time all speakers took to the public podium.
At about midnight, the council unanimously approved (6-0) a development agreement with Prestage Foods, as follows:
Recommendation: Staff recommends approval of the resolution setting the terms for a Development Agreement between the City of Mason City and Prestage Foods of Iowa.
Review: On March 21, 2016, the North Iowa Corridor Economic Development Corporation announced that Prestage Foods of Iowa would construct an over 600,000 square-foot pork production plant in Mason City. Prestage Farms, Inc. the parent corporation of Prestage Foods of Iowa, is based in North Carolina and has hog raising facilities in North Iowa. The proposed plant will be their first pork production facility (they have existing turkey production facilities in several states). Prestage Foods of Iowa proposes to employ 900-1,000 employees initially on the first shift, and intends to provide a second shift in the future, employing an additional 1,000.
The facility will be located on the Newman Farms property, on the south side of 43’d Street SW and west of South Pierce Avenue extended. The NICEDC and City Staff have been working with the company to determine their public infrastructure needs as well as incentives to attract Prestage Foods of Iowa to this site. A draft Development Agreement includes City commitments to construct needed infrastructure as well as provide rebates of incremental property taxes. The property is located in the new Southside Gateway Urban Renewal Area, which will be considered in a public hearing on April 21, 2016.
Development Agreement: The proposed Development Agreement obligates the City to provide certain public improvements and provide incremental tax rebates to enable development of the pork production facility. In return, Prestage Foods of Iowa must meet minimum employment commitments and maintain a minimum property value. The proposed terms reflect two phases of the overall project: the initial operations (Phase I), which will employ at least 922 full-time equivalent jobs for the first shift, and a future Phase II, which adds a second shift (employing an additional 1,000 full-time equivalent jobs) and requires additional public infrastructure to serve the greater water and sewer needs of the second shift.
The Agreement notes that for Phase I, Prestage Foods of Iowa must provide a minimum of 922 full-time equivalent jobs by August 1, 2018. If Phase II is implemented by the company, this number increases to a minimum total of 1,922 full-time equivalent jobs. The second phase commitment for utility improvements by the City of Mason City and job creation by Prestage Foods of Iowa will be enacted upon request of the company at later date, with a provision of notice suitable to allow the City of Mason City to complete the required utility improvements to support second shift operations of the company.
The Phase I public improvements are those required to enable the initial, single-shift production after the plant is constructed. The Phase II improvement will be implemented when the developer notifies the City of its plans to add a second shift. Phase I improvements include:
1. Water utility system improvements, to provide up to 1.5 million gallons of potable water per day to the processing plant.
2. Wastewater utility system improvements to treat up to 1.5 million gallons of wastewater from the processing plant.
3. Road Improvements. The City will construct an approximately 2,800 linear foot, standard width extension of Pierce Avenue, ending in a cul-de-sac, together with related improvements to the existing roadways at South Pierce Avenue, South Federal Avenue and 43rd Street SW. The City will apply to the Iowa Department of Transportation for a RISE grant to fund this improvement.
Adding a second shift will require more water capacity and more wastewater treatment capacity than can be provided under Phase I. The Phase II Public Improvements would be constructed when the developer is ready to begin a second shift. These improvements include improvements to the water utility system in order to provide up to 2.8 million gallons of potable water per day to the processing plant and improvements to the wastewater utility system to treat up to 2.8 million gallons of wastewater.
The City will fund the water and wastewater utility improvements in both phases with general obligation bonds abated by Tax Increment Financing and Utility Fees. The City of Mason City will apply for RISE grant funds to pay for the road improvements necessary for the facility and the necessary matching funds will be covered with GO bonds abated with Tax Increment Financing. The property tax payment not rebated to Prestage Foods of Iowa may be used to pay for the road and utility improvements made within the district. The Prestage Foods of Iowa facility will generate significant amounts of water usage fees that may be used as a payment source for any project financing required to complete utility improvements.
In addition to the public improvements, the City proposes to provide a 10-year, 50% rebate of incremental property taxes. The amount of the annual rebate is subject to the actual taxes paid; however, the total 10-year rebate cannot exceed $15,500,000.
The proposed terms also include a Minimum Assessment Agreement requiring the assessed value of the property, beginning with the completion of construction, to be at least $100,000,000 for the life of the agreement. This ensures that the property will generate adequate property tax (only half of which is rebated) to be used towards retiring the debt service for the public improvements.
Budget Impact: There is no impact to the budget related to this resolution. If the development agreement is approved and Prestage Foods begins construction, the City intends to sell General Obligation bonds abated by Tax Increment Financing and utility usage fees for construction of the public improvements.
Council Action Requested: Staff recommends approval of the resolution setting the terms for a Development Agreement between the City of Mason City and Prestage Foods of Iowa.
The council must vote again on this matter before it is fully approved.
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Many citizens spoke for and against the possible pork plant development. Some came from as far away as Des Moines. Here are some of the best presentations:
https://youtu.be/UYq-3Un5UFk
Photos from Tuesday night / Wednesday morning marathon city council meeting at which dozens of speakers argued their…
Posted by NorthIowaToday.com on Wednesday, April 6, 2016
Seems some are worried about the influx of people to Mason City. There are many able bodied people in North Iowa that could work and don’t. They are living off the welfare system. Put these people to work. That will help reduce the amount of people moving here and get some off their lazy butts.
Good point. If there is work available and they are able to work they should be taken off welfare and they would either have to work or starve.
Couldn’t you just see that leech Peter the Great working in a packing house. There would certainly be a case of long pig in the plant. Cancel his disability and put him to work
Mayor boasts at Surf Ballroom.
We had a report by someone who wishes to remain anonymous on fear of reprisal that. On 12 February 2016 at a HAIRBALL concert, the mayor was overheard boasting to his entourage that the hog processing plant was a done deal. If true the mayor needs to be a little more discreet on where he boasts.
We openly admit this was from a single source. We don’t know if the mayor even went to this concert. We think the public would be curious as to who the members of his entourage were if he did go to this concert.
Reported by an anonymous someone sounds like cheap gossip and bullshit. Sorry Im not taking you bait.
Iowa is well mentioned in the far east – Avoid Iowa the pig capital of the world,
Well you know we have NO chance of being elected again – but I made 10 times that amount just by saying Yeoh -daylite cum and me wanna go home – TRUMP 2016 – Jail time only because you cannot disgrace a pubic servant.
Well, the elite people of Mason City voted Bookmeyer back in, and then turned around and vote in his buddy Schoneman. Now we’re stuck with him and his closed door politics. We had the opportunity to get rid of him, too late now.
In my view they already had this planned, they will never change their plans for the concerns of people or the truth that was presented on the horrific pig factory slaughterhouse, it is all about temporary money to keep their false system going, at the expense of people and the environment, they just do not care and they never will they are psychopaths.
Let’s start by saying the council is TOTALLY against the people of MC. Period. Good luck council and mayor it’s gonna get you too.Listening to Max Weaver compared to others is like a top fuel dragster versus a go-Cart, and makes so much sense it hurts. Shoneman is the joke of the town. Bookmeyer went through the towns agenda like he was reading the funnies.It all is to him. This gallery shit are you kidding? Latham all you see is real estate that’s obvious. You sounded silly.
It’s coming and good luck with all of your families..The ground, the lack of water, the parties in your back yard smelling, crime and a rough looking city, it’s going to be bad.! But then you won’t be around to see it.
All I keep hearing is how bad the smell will be. Now I live on the south side of town and I do have some concerns about the smell also. The thing that bugs me is that no one is bitching about the stench that already exists in this town from Purina, sewage treatment plant and Cargil.
There’s no odors from Cargill. But there’s strong odors from AG processing.
$ 13.10 per hour with the overtime on 52 hour weeks…is our water worth it?
the best point made: With 52 hour work weeks what is the employee turn around time? People will get tired of working these long hours and quit, leaving scab workers to take over…what environment will this create?
2.8 million gallons of waste water PER DAY
As the anonyman said – LOOK TO THE MONEY! -Do you think only the politicans in DC are on the take – hell – were now globalized any elected official – anywhere can take a shoe box full of $100 bills – some people could get wealthy for just saying YEA !
This is a map of animal factories, Iowa i saturated, http://www.factoryfarmmap.org/#animal:hogs;location:US;year:2012, who owns the banks, Revelation 3:9, who is their god, answer “Moloch” what does “Moloch”, require, animal and human sacrifice, the land the U.N. was built on was a prior slaughterhouse, owned by Rockefeller, and donated for the U.N. to be built, please go to youtube and study ancient civilizations to the present, nothing has changed, the $ tables need to be turned again this time for the last time.
Federal government AGENDA 21 – Read it sometime – more or less the making America a 3rd world country as in your case a 3rd world city.
Cock-a-doodle-dooo!
Get up a petition and make this china dung project come to a vote – It will work !!! BY the way T I F – means the taxpayers will pay this amount approx. $ 1,500,000.00 every year for 10 years -this increase in your tax bill will be apportioned percentage wise per household -probably around 5% per year increase. Most berny sanders people think the city is giving the company a free ride for this period of time -NOT SO the taxes will be assessed to your tax bill instead of the hog lot. The city will collect the money from you – GET IT ! Nothings free unless your berny the balarney sanders/alias SAND MAN .
https://www.change.org/p/terry-branstad-the-people-vs-prestage-water-quality-and-quality-of-life-across-north-iowa?recruiter=522813932&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=facebook&utm_campaign=share_page&utm_term=mob-xs-share_petition-no_msg&fb_ref=Default
Hey cheap ass. If this issue is so important to you why don’t you take out a paid add with NIT to promote your cause. Otherwise don’t bother looking for a handout with your solicitations. Put your money where you mouth is and put some skin in the game.
Get a life loser!
Love how people are all up in arms about this.
Scared of a few darker skinned people moving to town? Speaking a language you don’t quite understand?
Was Albert Lea worse off back in the day when they had a packing house? Was Decker’s bad for Mason City?
Get off your high horses and stick a cork in it. This is coming through and all the whining and pissing about it won’t change that.
Maybe you could all start up a KKK chapter and circlejerk it with your ‘totally not a racist’ buddies.
wow..you define the word racist!!
I will admit that I am not educated enough on this subject. But I grew up in Mason City and Deckers employed many people that made mason City their home and raised their families here. One thing I can’t stand is hiprocrasy. This plant will produce pork products. It seems people want to eat pork chops, bacon, ribs, etc. But they don’t want it to come from a local plant. It’s like, I want to eat my bacon ,but don’t want it produced in my town. And then there’s the killing of these animals. I have bought chicken from local farmers that butcher and clean the chickens themselves. Is it humane? Probably not, but I still buy from them. Many small lockers give people the opportunity to buy half a pig or a cow. Those animals are alive and killed for purchase of the meat products. So, is it just me asking these questions of those that are opposed?
Matt is it too late to try a city vote or are we screwed??
Only way you could do anything about the project is to lobby 4 council members to say no. Or sue in court, maybe. The time for a vote may never have presented itself. Deliver a petition to the council with many, many signatures and that might lobby them to stop or slow down. See Ken Kline at the CG courthouse for an official petition, take it out, and get signatures.
Approved again. You can bitch all you want, but it is a done deal. Do you really think our council wants to look like fools to the state?
LVS-It should make you happy that this passed again as you are on the record as siding with the Mayor on this one. You and the Mayor both believe this will be a good thing for Mason City. Congrats to you and the Mayor on your 2nd reading victory.
That makes us right and you wrong again. That makes us smart and you stupid again. Go back to living on your welfare if you are so afraid of working. We invested a lot of money in that area where they want to build and it is time we had a return on our investment. I very seldom agree with the mayor but I certainly do this time. What is laughable is Kuhn playing like he is concerned. he could give a shit less. His employer will probably get the contract to build out there.
You know what will be laughable is to hear you complain when you are paying higher taxes to cover the millions of dollars in tax breaks the mayor is giving this billion dollar company. You will also enjoy giving way more money to the school district to pay for the huge impact this will have on our schools, we all know how much you like giving your money to Anita. You will also be glad to welcome the three families of illegals who will be moving into that rental house next door to you. Be sure and thank them for the gangs and drug they bring with them too. And lastly you and the Mayor can enjoy sitting out on your porch together drinking ice cold polluted water and breathing in the stench of liquid hog manure be spread on the fields north of town. I will not need to take one of those $12 an hour jobs as I am currently employed and am not depending on you to pay for my kid’s lunch at school as most of the workers at the plant will be because they will not be making a livable wage. Hey but I guess you’re right and I’m wrong, you’re smart and I’m stupid.
You are finally right about something. I am smart and you are stupid. This town has been dying for years because there were no decent jobs with benefits available for the average worker. There are hundreds of people who can not find decent pay because there are no manufacturing jobs left in this city. The cement plant is gone, the sugar beet plant is gone, the brickyards are gone. The other cement plant is dying, Deckers is gone and with all these loses the tax base has gone with it. Your damn scare tactics are just bull shit. Technology has improved and the risk of what you claim is so low it can’t even be measured. Just think of all the money that will be put in our local economy. You are just a racist who is afraid of people that are a little different from you.
LVS Now that is funny. You of all people call me a racist and saying I am afraid of different color! Every other post you put on here you are telling some African American to go back to Detroit! You flip flop more than the flap jacks at Perkins. At least I do research before I post, you just shoot from the hip and hit your foot most of the time. You do give me a good laugh on a daily basis though so thanks for that. Can’t wait to see you open your check book for the schools and the Mayor and then not complain about it. Can’t believe you are wrapped around the Mayors little finger, the Mayor finally got ol LVS in his pocket.
LVS does not “shoot from the hip”, he pulls all of his inane thoughts out of his nether regions, the same place that his head resides.
LVS not only flip/flops, but also lies most of the time.
He is pretty much a blowhard internet tough guy but real life pussy & dumbass.
@Dumb AZZ-You and your butt buddy Sid who has his head so far up his azz he is going to suffocate really deserve eachother. I sill do not like the mayor but even he can be right once and we need jobs in this town. I could be as stupid as you twins but then I would have to live with it. If ignorance was bliss you two dumb azzes would be the happiest people in this miserable city.
LVS, you have to be the most idiotic & ignorant old coot in Northern Iowa.
You spout the same old shit all the time because you are too stupid to show any creativity.
I would like to insult you further, but I’m afraid that I would not do as well as nature already did to you.
While not wishing ill on anyone, there will be a great many people that will read your obituary notice with great satisfaction & a smile on their face.
Aw Phil-It is nice to fave another dumb azz fan and you sure fit the bill. You could really have hurt my feelings if I gave a shit about your opinion, which I don’t You are just another low life loser who thinks he is a tough guy by piling on with the other cowardly dumb azzes. What a bunch of freaking dumb azz idiots you are. Do, go piss up a rope loser.
Speaking cowards LVS, you’ve got a yellow streak a mile wide running all the way down your back to your saggy pathetic old ass.
You may not care what someone thinks, but I can guarantee you that no one and I mean no one gives a rat’s ass what you think.
You are nothing more than a bitter, broken down old fossil with a big mouth, ass-kissing lips and microscopic brain.
You’re about as sharp as a marshmallow and as useless as a knitted condom.
You are to intellect what warthogs are to beauty.
@Sid-well here you are again making weak minded attempts to belittle someone older, wiser and so much smarter than you that you can not possibly understand anything he post. You are just a keyboard tough guy who hides in the closet and then comes out and tries to be smart. You really need to get that dick out of your mouth and back in your ass before you suffocate. Later needledick.
Don’t know who you are ,seems that you are the anonymous LVS , I am working at Sugar Beet Plant right now . Never has been closed since 1911. Pretty sure I’m here right now.
I think you are mistaken. It did close for awhile and used to employ hundreds of workers every year. Now there are may 20 there full time. Don’t tell me about it. I worked there back in the day and used to know the superintendent very well. It is nothing compared to what it was.