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County staff brief commissioners on WebWheel expansion, tax‑abatement hearings set for Oct. 23
Summary
Economic development consultant Jonathan Blake outlined two tax‑abatement requests from WebWheel for a proposed 200,000 sq. ft. expansion and laid out related redevelopment commission and council steps, plus recommendations for county guidelines on abatements and TIF review.
Jonathan Blake of RGL Solutions briefed the Perry County commissioners on multiple economic development prospects and next steps for tax abatements and infrastructure support.
Blake said WebWheel is considering a roughly 200,000 square‑foot expansion near Tall City that would represent about a $57 million capital investment and create an estimated 28 jobs. "This includes $15,000,000 of real property and about 42,000,000 in personal property," Blake said. He told commissioners the county council adopted initial resolutions on Sept. 25 to create economic development areas and preliminarily approve abatements and had set public hearings on the abatements for Oct. 23 in the commissioners' meeting room.
Blake said the county redevelopment commission would consider a preliminary contribution of funds toward water and sewer improvements for the project, and any RDC commitment would later come to the commissioners and then to the county council for approvals. He described those funds as subject to reimbursement conditions to prevent an unconditional disbursement.
Blake also described another prospective project, "Project Revive," a proposed materials‑recovery/transfer operation with a capital range of roughly $75 million to $200 million and 5−50 projected jobs; he said the county is submitting preliminary information to keep conversations open while more technical details are evaluated.
As part of broader economic policy work, Blake said staff will recommend a county policy on tax abatements to establish guardrails that scale abatements to the size and type of investment; similar guidance will be prepared for the redevelopment commission when it considers TIF (tax increment financing) projects. He also said the county will pursue a distinct county brand identity separate from the PCDC (Perry County Development Corporation), and that a Derby Community Association grant application to T‑Mobile for park improvements is pending a decision in the next 30–45 days.
Why this matters: The WebWheel request and RDC conversation could require public infrastructure spending and set precedents for how the county approaches abatements and TIF. Commissioners were advised to expect the company and site selector at the Oct. 23 public hearings.
What happens next: The redevelopment commission will consider committing funds for water/sewer work; commissioners should expect an RDC motion and, if approved, subsequent contractual or reimbursement terms to appear for commissioner review later in October. Public hearings on the abatements are scheduled Oct. 23.
