County staff previews draft foreign-trade-zone policy and requests direction on fees and reporting

Christy Moffitt, Director of Economic Development and Strategic Investments, briefed the court on a draft foreign-trade-zone (FTZ) policy to formalize how the county will consider requests for letters of no objection to activate FTZ sites. Moffitt said four requests had arrived in the prior 12 months and staff want a formal local process to handle future petitions.

Moffitt explained the legal framework (federal FTZ oversight by U.S. Customs and Border Protection and state authorization) and described three applicant categories the draft policy would screen: targeted industry clusters, local/small businesses, and a third category for nonconforming but strategically important businesses that would be vetted by the planning and budget subcommittee. She said activation would also require a pilot payment-in-lieu-of-tax agreement so that foregone tariff advantages do not meaningfully reduce property-tax receipts to local jurisdictions. “We are here today to talk to you about formal policy and procedure for the consideration of requests for letters of support for foreign trade zones,” Moffitt said.

Commissioners asked for a fiscal note and for clarity on administrative costs and community benefits. One commissioner recommended that staff charge an application or administrative fee to recover county staff time and provide an annual report describing the number of requests, community benefits delivered, and the program’s outcomes. Moffitt said staff will return with a final draft policy, proposed fees, and suggested metrics for periodic review.