Color Master in Butler Announced Expansion
Article by Jeff Jones | KPC News | February 22, 2022
BUTLER — Another Butler industry is expanding.
Color Master, 810 S. Broadway, a master batch pigment manufacturer, will add 13 jobs, each paying $20 per hour.
The company is looking to construct an 18,000-square-foot expansion and remodel a 4,000-squarefoot research and development space at its Butler facility. That project is expected to cost $1.7 million. The company also anticipates adding $485,000 of machinery and equipment.
Monday, Butler’s Common City Council voted 5-0 to award two tax abatements to the company.
The abatements — one for three years and the other for 10 years — were recommended by Butler’s Economic Development Commission, which met Feb. 17.
The three-year abatement, covering the machinery and equipment, will be a 100% deduction the first year, a 60% deduction the second year and a 30% deduction in the final year.
The 10-year abatement, covering the building expansion, will be a 100% deduction the first year and decrease by 10% each subsequent year, with a 10% deduction in the final year.
All industries receiving tax abatements in Butler are required to submit annual compliance forms, documenting employment, community involvement and other criteria.
After the vote, City Planner Vivian Likes thanked Color Master President Kyle Skaggs and the company for its ongoing support of Butler and various activities in the community. Skaggs thanked the City Council for the abatements and its support.
Later, the Common Council voted to appoint its newest members — Darren Alloway and Mark Cline — to fill vacancies on the city’s Plan Commission as its appointees. They join returning member Scott Lanning as council appointees.
Former Common Council member Gale Ryan, who resigned last month as he is moving out of his district, was one of those Plan Commission members. He will continue to serve on that body, however, as he was appointed by Mayor Mike Hartman. Ryan replaces Kent Likes. Likes, who is married to Vivian Likes, announced his resignation last month.
In other personnel news, City Superintendent Eric Dohner announced that Lloyd Beard, wastewater plant lab technician and operator in charge, has submitted his resignation.
Sharing a report from Lanning, who is the city’s interim wastewater superintendent, Dohner said the plant’s peak capacity is 6 million gallons.
With recent rains and melting snow, “We were running at 6 million gallons,” Dohner said. “It was as much as we could take. … It was right there pushing the maximum of the plant.”
While the infrastructure is in place for the long-term control plan, which includes underground stormwater storage, upgrades are still in progress at the plant.
Clerk-Treasurer Angela Eck shared a proposed timetable to finance an upcoming stormwater project.
Under the proposed schedule, by March 4, Barnes & Thornburg will deliver a proposed bond ordinance for review and comment. The council is slated to introduce the ordinance at its March 21 meeting and adopt it at the April 4 meeting.
After publication of the ordinance in the newspaper, a 20-day objecting period begins. A bond sale is anticipated to take place May 25.
Earlier, the Board of Works approved an engagement letter to Baker Tilly so they can begin working on the bond issue.
Board of Works members Robert Haywood and Eric Johnson also approved a $4,457.02 quote from Havel to make repairs to the radiant heating system in the Butler/Wilmington Township fire station.
Anton King, executive director of the DeKalb County Economic Development Partnership, gave a report of 2021 activities.
Countywide housing and broadband strategies were launched last year.
The housing study has been completed but King said the results have not yet been made public.
The study will outline the needs for market rate, workforce, affordable and multi-family housing. King said the plan is to host a housing symposium to invite community leaders, employers, educators, bankers and lenders to roll out the strategy.
“We’ve been prospecting developers to get that in front of them,” King added.
The broadband initiative will include consultations with providers to determine the cost to build and expand the network.
DeKalb County communities share in the costs of the partnership. Board of Works members approved Butler’s 2022 share at $12,000.
Article source: https://www.fwbusiness.com/news/latest/article_849c6871-d595-5fbc-bafb-0aca243a495e.html