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Martin County closes FY16 CDBG after Weitron meets investment and hiring goals
Summary
The Martin County Board of Commissioners unanimously approved closeout of the county's FY2016 CDBG Building Reuse grant after Weitron, Inc. exceeded hiring and investment targets tied to a $620,000 grant for a 53,000 sq.ft. facility in Everetts.
The Martin County Board of Commissioners on March 10 unanimously approved a resolution to close out the FY2016 Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Building Reuse program after county officials reported that the project met its performance targets.
County Manager James Bennett told the board the $620,000 CDBG-Economic Development Building Reuse grant supported renovations to a 53,000-square-foot industrial facility in Everetts. Weitron, Inc., a packager and distributor of refrigerant gases, selected the site and pledged $12.8 million in investment and the creation of 31 jobs as part of the award conditions. Bennett said Weitron had met or exceeded those requirements: as of December 2020 the company had invested as promised and hired 32 employees, 25 of whom the county recorded as qualifying as low- and moderate-income.
Chairman Ronnie Smith opened the required public hearing and said he was impressed that the company chose Everetts. Economic Development Coordinator Kyle Touchstone confirmed during the hearing that Weitron had hired above its stated goal and that two additional employees had been added as of January 2021.
The board voted 5-0 to adopt the closeout resolution, which authorizes the chairman to execute closeout documentation under North Carolina CDBG program regulations. The resolution notes that a public hearing was held and that comments were favorable.
By formally closing the project, Martin County certified to the state that the Weitron project complied with the grant conditions, including the targeted benefit to low- and moderate-income residents. The closeout completes the county's administrative obligations for CDBG grant #16-E-2907.
The board took no further action on the project at the meeting; Bennett and county staff will proceed with the paperwork required to finalize the grant closeout.
