Wednesday, May 7, 2008
Fosters
ROCHESTER — The City Council on Tuesday roundly rejected the chance to purchase industrial land at the Granite State Business Park, despite claims the investment will bring in jobs and other benefits.
“I think if we don’t do this we’re going to be missing a number of opportunities that would present themselves to us,” said Councilor Chuck Grassie. “The communities that do have land available will get the business.”
Grassie said the city may have used a nontax supported fund for the $750,000 purchase.
“We say our primary objective is economic development, and we fail to invest in it,” said Mayor John Larochelle.
In opposition, Councilor Doug Lachance cited an abundance of wetlands and the lost opportunity to obtain the land for Skyhaven Airport earlier in the night.
The vote was 8-4 against the purchase.
Officials had said there are seven available lots — six of them between 31⁄2 and 51⁄2 acres and one totaling 55 acres — at the 250-acre park, which sits behind the airport.
The park owner, Howard Katz of New York, had expressed a willingness to work with the city, and it appeared the sale would be for below-market rates.
The cut likely doesn’t bode well for a separate $500,000 plan for a railroad crossing at the park that would open up access to undeveloped land. “I would say (the crossing is) probably going the same way” as the land purchase, said City Manager John Scruton.
Before the vote, Bob Mulcahy, chairman of the Rochester Economic Development Commission, said the city has a good track record in building business parks. He pointed to the Ten Rod Road park, which was built in the 1980s in challenging economic times.
“It’s an investment that never fails,” he said.
Elsewhere, there was no action on Councilor Ray Varney’s supported request that deauthorization resolutions be drafted for the City Hall expansion and Route 11 service road projects, which combine for millions of dollars.
Action is expected to come next week.
The Route 11 project — which would take vehicles off the main road and filter them through an enhanced commercial district — is the number one goal laid out in the city’s economic development master plan.
Karen Pollard, the economic development manager, said it’s challenging economic times like these that it’s important to show “we are committed to our plans.”
Lachance said it’s good enough the city have a plan for the road, and action this spring doesn’t block funds in future years.
“If someone wants to go in and develop, they can build their section of the road,” he said
A major benefit to the city is continuing to have the infrastructure ready for prospective businesses, officials say.
“The more ready, the more attractive it becomes,” Pollard said.
Councilors didn’t take action on the manager’s plan to have a greater say over which employees get the ax in the event of budget cuts.
Varney said he was not willing to sign off on City Manager John Scruton’s request until he gets more information on the current employee merit system.
Varney previously said the proposal would have experienced employees “give up their seniority” and is a “catalyst for organization” with a union.
Scruton wants to be able to hire back non-union employees based on their skills and a department’s need — not according to their seniority or other factors as it is today.
The manager would not comment on the possibility employees would seek to unionize because of the proposal.
City employees are reluctant to speak about the possibility, but one employee said if budget cuts affect nonunion employees disproportionally “I believe you will see a push for unionization.”
Councilors have until the end of the month to block the change. Otherwise, it become the rule.
Lachance said he has mixed feelings on the plan. “You want to be sensitive to the needs of the people who have been serving the city for a long time,” he said, but “on the other hand we need to give the man flexibility to do his job.”
Otherwise, “it’s like electing a sheriff and not letting him carry a gun.”