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EDC finds most abatements in compliance, flags Oliver Winery shortfalls as market-driven
Summary
At its June 9 meeting the commission found four of six abatement recipients met or exceeded commitments, discussed Prelli LLC’s trade-off of fewer hires for higher wages, and recommended the county council consider Oliver Winery’s noncompliance as largely due to market forces; the motion passed 3-0.
The Monroe County Economic Development Commission reviewed SB1 compliance filings for six companies on June 9 and recommended that the county council be informed of the staff findings, with a particular note for Oliver Winery.
Staff reported that Phoenix (Lazarus), GLC Bloomington LLC, Tassis and Baxter are in compliance or have exceeded employment and wage commitments. Prelli LLC remains below its originally projected headcount but has higher total wages than projected; staff and commissioners said that is consistent with the company’s prior explanation that it would hire fewer but higher-paid employees.
Oliver Winery’s compliance materials drew the most scrutiny. Staff said the SB1 form initially presented to the commission omitted part-time payroll and showed 59 full-time employees versus 63 in the original abatement application. Eric Smith of Oliver Winery joined the meeting remotely and said the winery employs about 49 part-time workers; he initially estimated part-time payroll at about $250,000, then corrected that figure to roughly $600,000, which he said averages to about $12,000 per part-time employee per year.
Smith said the abatement has allowed continued investment in the property and in equipment, but that broader market changes since the 2022 application reduced the pace of hiring and capital improvements. Commissioners discussed remedies including a separate recommendation noting that Oliver Winery’s shortfalls appear to be the result of external market factors rather than company mismanagement; they also discussed a possible six-month check-in and reminded that a formal noncompliance finding by the county council can trigger a hearing process.
By roll call the commission approved the staff recommendations and the separate note for Oliver Winery by a 3-0 vote and will forward its findings to the county council for final action.
