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Interim city manager outlines growth plan and warns sewer debt requires new jobs
Summary
Interim City Manager Greg Nijhoff told Mount Pleasant residents the city and its Economic Development Corporation must work closely to recruit manufacturing jobs and use recent sewer upgrades to attract development; he described project examples, EDC limits under state law and the need to update bylaws.
Greg Nijhoff, interim city manager, told a packed Mount Pleasant Q&A that the city is preparing for imminent growth and needs the Economic Development Corporation and downtown merchants to work together to bring jobs and pay for recent infrastructure investments.
Nijhoff opened a slide presentation describing examples of local development—new restaurants, housing projects and the NXG truck-bodies facility—and said the EDC’s role is to recruit industrial and manufacturing employers while partnering with the city to make sure infrastructure is ready. "EDC as a city partner actually not only helps recruit businesses and bring them into the city, but they also partner with the city to make sure our infrastructure's ready," Nijhoff said.
Why it matters: the city recently undertook a major sewer expansion to unlock capacity for the I‑30 business park, hospital site and other growth nodes. Nijhoff said the city borrowed tens of millions to expand sewer capacity and that new commercial and industrial development will be needed to offset that debt. "We borrowed $45,000,000," Nijhoff said in his presentation and later referenced the financing again; he framed the expansion as a necessary step to open service to large tracts of developable land and to support projects such as the NXG facility and the CHRISTUS hospital site.
EDC scope and recent deals: Nijhoff explained that the EDC was established under state industrial-development law and is legally limited to industrial and manufacturing projects; he said voters approved the tax that funds the EDC and that the board brings projects to the city council for final approval. He used NXG as a case study: the EDC negotiated an incentive package that included a roughly $1,000,000 incentive and sewer connection; the agreement included an annexation clause that Nijhoff said the city must enforce so that sewer service and tax impacts align with the council’s expectations.
Nijhoff proposed practical next steps — updating EDC bylaws and articles jointly with the council, appointing appropriate board members and holding regular coordination meetings among EDC, downtown Main Street, the Chamber of Commerce and city leaders. "Both bodies have to approve this document," Nijhoff said of the bylaws updates, arguing that clarifying roles will reduce confusion and strengthen recruitment.
Council and staff acknowledged the financial tradeoffs of growth and emphasized that any incentives or commitments would return for council approval. Nijhoff said the EDC’s flexibility is an important tool for economic development, but the council retains ultimate oversight of budgets and annexation decisions.
Ending: Nijhoff closed by urging continued partnership and inviting downtown leaders and residents to suggest code changes that lower business costs. He said the city will post the presentation and continue the dialogue privately and in future public meetings.
