Warrick County Council approves tax abatements, $100,000 for small-business program and advertises BRIC siren project

Warrick County Council voted unanimously on multiple economic and public-safety items at its late meeting, approving tax-abatement resolutions for two manufacturers, funding a small-business promotion and authorizing advertising tied to a federal BRIC grant for siren replacements.

Steve Raleigh, Warrick County economic development, told the council a colocation plastics project in North Fork Industrial Park will involve U.S. firm Ultima Plastics and a German partner, Aco, and said the county is considering a 10-year real property tax abatement and a nine-year personal property abatement for Ultima. "The U.S. company, Ultima, is gonna own the real estate, expand the real estate, and lease out some of it to the German company," Raleigh said as he introduced the confirming resolution. The council approved the resolution on a recorded voice vote, motion carries 7-0.

A second confirming resolution to declare an economic revitalization area for ECCO Incorporated — described by the presenter as a personal property abatement for manufacturing equipment — also passed 7-0.

Raleigh also gave a compliance report on two first-year abatement recipients. He said Industrial Park Holdings had completed a 150,000-square-foot warehouse and was "in compliance" with its wage and investment commitments for year one, and that Matrix Design Group's new 40,000-square-foot headquarters is likewise meeting hiring expectations.

The council approved a $100,000 additional appropriation to continue the Warwick Bucks program, which Raleigh described as a small-business support tool that keeps spending local. "We have 85, I think, currently, merchants from across the county participating," he said. The appropriation was approved by motion, 7-0.

David Wilmore, Warrick County EMA director, briefed the council on a BRIC (Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities) grant application to replace county weather sirens. He presented two vendor quotes: Century Sirens at $659,934 and Federal Signal at $911,578. Wilmore outlined the FEMA reimbursement structure — "This grant is a 75/25 where FEMA would reimburse us 75% and the county technically would be out 25%" — and supplied the county-share calculations: roughly $164,983.50 for the Century quote and about $227,894.50 for Federal Signal if that option were chosen. Commissioners had already approved moving forward; the council voted to advertise the project and use rainy-day funds up front if necessary, with the understanding the county would seek FEMA reimbursement if the grant is awarded. The advertising motion carried 7-0.

On health matters, an additional-appropriation request for VAX Care was tabled after no health-department representative attended; the motion to table carried 7-0.

Council members also approved several housekeeping and budget corrections (including a $30,000 reallocation for jailer-related appropriations and a $1,319 reimbursement for sheriff vehicle repair) and agreed to ask Baker Tilly for estimates related to a local income tax (LIT) ‘must meeting’ (contract cost not to exceed $10,000 as discussed). A motion to refer the contract request to the county commissioners for signature carried 7-0.

What happens next: projects requiring outside approval will move through the usual review steps. The BRIC application will continue through state homeland security to FEMA, and any procurement after advertising will follow county procurement rules; the council asked staff to return with appropriation requests if and when grant awards or other confirmations arrive.