Monday, December 17, 2007

Area one of fastest growing

A new U.S. Census Bureau report ranks the Auburn-Opelika area 89th among the top 100 fastest-growing metro areas in America.

April 5, 2007

A new U.S. Census Bureau report ranks the Auburn-Opelika area 89th among the top 100 fastest-growing metro areas in America.

In the period between April 1, 2000, and July 1, 2006, Auburn-Opelika gained 10,689 residents - a growth of 9.3 percent, according to the population estimates released this week.

Huntsville was the only other Alabama city to appear in the top 100, registering a 10 percent growth rate and coming in at No. 83.

Local officials say the news reflects positively on the area.

“Wow,“ Opelika Mayor Gary Fuller said when notified of the report. “What fuels this (growth) are good paying jobs and all of the industry and manufacturing and the opportunities that there are for people to be employed. People will move for good jobs and for opportunities, and I think that is one of the things that has happened.

“I’m excited about that.“

Growth in Opelika remains steady, Fuller said, noting that in the coming months, his city has a chance to break its record, not yet a year old, for the number of new homes built in a fiscal year.

Auburn Mayor Bill Ham echoed Fuller’s delight with the report but attributed Auburn’s continued growth, currently paced at about 2,000 residents per year, to residents’ satisfaction with city services.

Ham called the city’s annual citizen survey, released this week, “very telling.“

“There’s a tremendous amount of information in there ... the overwhelming numbers are very positive,“ Ham said. “The quality of life and schools are still very, very big issues.“

Ham said the positive reviews Auburn consistently draws in the citizen survey show that the rate of the city’s growth has not negatively impacted residents’ quality of life.

“Nearly all the numbers, across the board, were more positive than they were the previous year,“ Ham said. “I would have a concern if they were going in the opposite direction.“

Fuller and Ham agreed that the spoils of growth, such as increased tax revenue and expanding retail opportunities, come with their own challenges - especially in ensuring that infrastructure keeps pace with residential growth.

“We don’t want to outrun our infrastructure,“ Fuller said, noting as an example Opelika’s recent expansion of its Westside Wastewater Treatment Plant. That plant, he said, was reaching capacity, and the expansion project will allow it to serve an 1,100-home development planned at National Village.

“We work at it every day,“ Fuller said. “We’re a long way from being at the tipping point, but we’ve got to be conscious of it, and we are.“

Ham said as growth continues, cooperation between Auburn and Opelika, especially on transportation issues, will be key for both cities. It is fortunate, he said, that Auburn and Opelika enjoy a good working relationship and cooperate on many projects, including public safety issues, the Auburn-Opelika Robert G. Pitts Airport and workforce development, among others.

“We’re essentially joined at the hip in so many ways,“ Ham said. “A healthy working relationship with Opelika is vitally important.“

Auburn City Manager Charlie Duggan agreed, saying that municipal officials share a desire to explore “areas of cooperation” that have the potential to make government services more efficient.

“Under the current climate right now, among Auburn, Auburn University, Opelika and Lee County, I think we have as much political cooperation as has ever been enjoyed here before,“ he said. “We do compete, and I don’t see that changing, because we each want what’s best for our cities. Where we go head-to-head, we’re going to fairly compete. But where we can combine, I think the willingness is there.“

Area named nation’s top spot for industry

Being between billion-dollar automotive plants has really paid off for Opelika and Auburn and earned the area top billing.

March 23, 2007

Being between billion-dollar automotive plants has really paid off for Opelika and Auburn and earned the area top billing.

Site Selection magazine, a national trade publication, ranked Auburn/Opelika Metropolitan Statistical Area the top economic development area among metro areas with populations under 200,000 people.

Among the assets listed by the magazine were the proximity to Hyundai in Montgomery and a future Kia plant in West Point, Ga., Auburn University, Southern Union Community College, top health-care facilities and the 2,200- acre Northeast Opelika Industrial Park on Interstate 85.

Last year, the Auburn/Opelika MSA with a population of 123,000 people brought in 19 new facility projects. In Auburn, approximately 1,069 jobs were created with a $161.3 million in capital investment; and in Opelika, approximately 523 jobs were created with a $198.5 million in capital investment.

“Anytime that our area receives recognition in a publication as widely respected as Site Selection, it’s a good thing,” said Al Cook, Opelika economic development director. “We’re confident that our area will continue to grow and because of the outstanding leadership exhibited by Mayor (Gary) Fuller, the city council and the Opelika Industrial Development Authority this trend will continue.”

“We’re very aggressive on business expansion and a lot of the projects we have recruited over the years are now entering expansion phases and that’s been going very well for us,” said Phillip Dunlap, director of economic development.

Dunlap said that once companies get on line, they begin to grow and gain additional customer base, resulting in expansion.

“It takes some time to do that and what we’re seeing are some of the company’s we recruited in the last few years creating new jobs and adding capital investment now,” Dunlap said. “For us the job creation aspects are solid and there will continue to be job opportunities here in the market place.”

Auburn/Opelika beat Tuscaloosa for the top honor in the Tier 3 category of U.S. metros, although Tuscaloosa’s 12 corporate projects accounted for $592 million in capital investment.

The magazine delves in corporate real estate management and economic development for it’s bi-monthly editions.

To qualify, a project has to meet at least one of three criteria: at least $1 million in private capital investment, at least 50 new jobs or the addition of at least 20,000 square-feet of new floor area.

The editor selections were based on the development organizations’ overall performance in the following categories: total capital investment; jobs created; investment per capita; jobs per capita; overall economic vitality; depth and breadth of economic strength; diversity of industry; ability to generate break-through deals; and the overall quality of the group’s nomination package, including verifiable documentation for all projects.

A Tale of Two Cities

One thing Auburn residents share is a desire to protect something of a most intangible nature: the small-town feel that makes Auburn the “loveliest village on the Plains.“

March 18, 2007

Ask people around town what their biggest concern with downtown development is and you are likely to get as many answers as you make acquaintances. Everyone will have their own idea of how best to preserve and protect downtown Auburn.

But as the Urban Core Task Force found as it worked through a series of public hearings over the course of five months, one thing Auburn residents share is a desire to protect something of a most intangible nature: the small-town feel that makes Auburn the “loveliest village on the Plains.“

Tapped by the Auburn City Council to address and assuage citizens’ concerns over how looming development might forever change the city’s quaint downtown area, the task force was charged with studying city ordinances, policies and procedures and “formulating a community vision for the Urban Core which will assure the economic viability, aesthetic integrity, and reflect sensitivity to the historical importance of our downtown by retaining the ’Auburn Character.’“

How, then, to convert such an ethereal goal into action?

The result was the creation of the College Edge Overlay District and changes to regulations governing the Urban Core and University Service districts, which the Auburn City Council approved this week. But while supporters hail the move as a forward-thinking measure to protect downtown, some developers say they are restrictive to the point of possibly discouraging investment in the area.

The recommendations

Former Auburn Mayor Jan Dempsey, who chaired the task force, said that as the group gathered information about what Auburn residents thought was important and special about their city, they found that a sense of place and the scale of the downtown area were foremost in the minds of citizens.

“(The recommendations) intend to address as much as possible those characteristics that we spent a lot of time trying to define, which is the ’loveliest village,’ the emotional attraction to this very important place in Auburn’s history as it goes forward,“ she said.

Five months later, the Auburn Planning Commission and City Council were presented with the task force’s recommendations. Provisions for the new College Edge Overlay District (CEOD), which encompasses parcels fronting College Street between Thach and Mitchum avenues, cap at 66 feet building heights while allowing an additional two feet for decorative cornices. Among other things, they require that first-floor uses be retail, office, commercial or institutional, to encourage the pedestrian nature of downtown, Dempsey said. There is an expanded parking requirement, to 1.5 spaces per residential unit, to address concerns about the availability of parking in the area.

Perhaps most controversial is the CEOD’s so-called “step back” provision, which requires that, beginning with the third floor after the first 24 to 36 feet, upper floors be situated 15 feet back from the building front. This requirement directly addressed citizens’ distaste for tall buildings that can create a “tunnel effect,“ Dempsey said.

Many of the other provisions are “very prescriptive,“ Dempsey admitted, but they are necessary to accomplish the task force’s mission. Some of these changes include specific glazing provisions; the incorporation of certain building materials; requirements limiting the size, lettering and mounting of signs; and types and sizes of building awnings and canopies.

Objections

Questions were raised about the ordinance at the Planning Commission meeting in January and before the City Council on Feb. 20. Developers’ concerns centered on the prescriptive nature of the ordinance, permitted uses that the ordinance made conditional and reduced utility of downtown property due to the step back provision.

With regard to the specific guidelines of the CEOD, commercial developer Tom Hayley noted that there is a “line between design standards and architectural review” and encouraged the council to keep its actions practical. Councilman Robin Kelley noted that under the CEOD provisions, if Toomer’s Corner or some similarly historic business was to burn down, it would not be able to be rebuilt as it currently exists.

Auburn Planning Director Forrest Cotten explained that the conditional use change is part of an ongoing process the Planning Commission is undertaking to overhaul the special development standards governing permitted uses.

“The intent of the Planning Commission in making that recommendation was that it would be an interim measure while special development standards were being developed for specific uses that, once in place, would allow certain uses to revert back to permitted from conditional,“ Cotten said, adding that he hopes to have that process completed by late July to early August.

The step back provision caused the most stir, drawing comments from developers that it constituted a “taking” of property without compensation which could lead to lawsuits against the city.

Jack Burkhalter said that the CEOD might have had its genesis in a “fear of too many student condos” and urged that the council “rethink regulations made in reaction” to such concerns.

“What was feared is perhaps not in play anymore because of the market,“ he said, adding that the council should consider compensating downtown property owners for the new, more stringent requirements.

Hayley agreed.

“The step back hurts property values. The sixth floor made up for that, and now there are only five allowed,“ he said, referring to the floor-to-area ratio in the CEOD of five.

Hayley asked the council why it would matter if a building had six floors as long as it still met the height requirements prescribed in the ordinance.

“Give us back the utility of our buildings,“ he said. “That would handle the financial concerns I have.“

Councilman Gene Dulaney noted that the setback provisions - one to 10 feet - remain unchanged in the Urban Core and that the step back provision only applies on College Street; therefore, he said, the two would never coincide.

Possible test cases

On the books just a few days, it may not be long before the CEOD is put to its first tests. Auburn businessman Ed Lewis has been purchasing property on the west side of College Street and plans some redevelopment there. And the members of the First Baptist Church of Auburn, which sits within the CEOD, announced last month their plans to sell their three acres because of the prohibitive cost of refurbishing and renovating existing buildings.

FBC Auburn Senior Pastor Jim Evans said that although church representatives were wrapping up their study about whether to move as the task force was beginning its work, church officials have reviewed the changes and are not concerned.

“Our determination was we didn’t see anything there that would deter someone from wanting to buy the property,“ he said. “We didn’t see anything in there that dissuaded us one way or the other about what we were thinking about.“

Evans acknowledged that the church will seek at least $10 million for its property, and while church leaders have chosen not to engage in conventional marketing, they already have prospects.

“We’ve had three nibbles, and what I assume is happening is that they are doing the research right now. We are not negotiating quite yet,“ Evans said.

He added that he expects that a hotel or something similar will end up where the church is now.

“I think that (the zoning changes) can probably change (Auburn) for the good,“ he said. “I think that it could lead to a visually aesthetic, attractive piece of property and help commerce.“

Going forward

Dempsey said that she understood and expected concerns to be raised about the task force’s recommendations, but that it was impossible to achieve complete unanimity among interested parties. She noted that throughout the task force’s process, most, if not all, owners of property downtown were contacted to participate and that most expressed their satisfaction with the proposed changes.

“I feel positive about it going forward,“ she said. “There’s nothing that a City Council ever adopts that can’t be, through a period of time, amended for improvement.

“I’ve always said the enemy of better is best … if through a construction project or as we address other issues, we see that things could be changed for the better, there would be no reason not to do that.“

Planning Commission Chairman and task force member Brenda Rawls echoed Dempsey’s sentiments.

“I am satisfied with (the new regulations), because even though you get a group of people together and there’s not 100 percent agreement, there was consensus that this was the best thing to do, that this was the fairest thing to do, and that the majority of the people agreed with it,“ she said.

Council members agreed that as time passes and development projects come before them for approval, it will probably be necessary to make changes to the CEOD. Kelley expressed concern about the glazing requirements affecting the city’s ability to attract retail downtown and noted that if it is shown to be negatively impacting the city’s efforts, that provision will need to “go away immediately.“

Councilman Dick Phelan said that the step back provision, although controversial, was what he liked best about the CEOD. Regarding potential litigation, Phelan said, “If it comes up, it comes up,“ knowing that the council will see changes to the CEOD in the future.

Auburn Mayor Bill Ham said that the council was admittedly “plowing new ground” and that it would be essential for members to maintain a “common-sense approach” when considering future changes to the CEOD regarding new materials and uses that may become acceptable.

“I, for one, would be open minded for what makes sense,“ he said.

Councilman Bob Norman noted that “although we asked for cold medicine and got chemotherapy,“ he believed the CEOD ordinance would be a “living document,“ like the U.S. Constitution, and could be amended to reflect changes as necessary.

Dulaney said that the task force found that what made Auburn’s downtown special was a “sense of place.

“The task force did a great job in suggesting how to keep that sense of place,“ he said. “We have repeatedly said that this is a starting point.

“But you have to start at some point, and this ordinance is a good starting point.“

New auto supplier may come to Auburn industrial park

Auburn’s industrial park continues to grow.

March 8, 2007

Auburn’s industrial park continues to grow.

At tonight’s planning commission meeting, the industrial development board and city staff will be requesting that the commission recommend to the City Council the conditional use approval of an industrial use for an as yet unnamed business.

“Project Pear” is a plastic injection molding company that will supply several automotive manufacturers. Economic development staff and the automotive supplier are still finishing up some of the building details, but they may announce the new industry in coming weeks. The location, 265 Teague Court, was formerly the site of Alabama Board Company, which relocated to Louisiana, and Global Management Business (GMB) Automotive USA, which announced May 9, 2006, that it was coming to Auburn but decided for internal reasons not to build the manufacturing plant at this time. Megan McGowen, assistant director of economic development, said Project Pear looks like it would occupy about 90,000 square feet of space in the Auburn Industrial Park off Pumphrey Avenue.

In other business, the commission will consider:

• Annexing: Mt. Vernon Baptist Church, 4881 U.S. Highway 29 S., 12.5 acres; Ed Richardson, 925 Rocky Hill Drive, 4.1 acres; Sebron and Melvin Isom, Wimberly Road south of Martin Luther King Drive, 40 acres; and Segars Properties LLC, Shug Jordan Parkway, 10.05 acres;
• Final plat approval: Tuscany Village Plat 1B, off North College Street and south of Forestry Preserve, 46-lot performance residential subdivision; and Heritage Park, southeast corner of North Donahue Drive and Bragg Avenue, 12 lots;
• Conditional use: Bar 51, 2328 S. College St., approval for a lounge; Drive-up ATM, One Point Financial, 1717-A S. College St., approval for a road service use; Homes at Lakeview, 1103 and 1105 Lakeview Drive, approval for a twin home development; and City Walk Plaza, 230 E. Glenn Ave., approval for a multiple-family development, condominiums. The planning commission meeting is scheduled to begin at 5 p.m. and will be held in city council chambers, 171 N. Ross St.

For more information visit the City of Auburn online, http://www.auburnalabama.org. Click on “Planning Commission Packet” under News Bulletin.

Plant to impact Auburn

The addition of Seohan Auto USA and Seohan Driveshaft USA means more jobs for the community – a total of about 170 new jobs over the next few years.

February 28, 2007

Alabama Gov. Bob Riley joined city and state leaders on the Capitol steps in Montgomery on Tuesday to announce that two new companies would soon be setting up shop in Auburn.

The addition of Seohan Auto USA and Seohan Driveshaft USA means more jobs for the community – a total of about 170 new jobs over the next few years.

“This is a first class company with really solid technology that fits very well with the direction Auburn is going,” said Phillip Dunlap, director of Economic Development for City of Auburn.

But for residents who aren’t planning to work there, what does this announcement mean? Dunlap said, it means more.

“Say, you’re a resident of Auburn and you like to play tennis in the tennis complex, or you like to play softball in the softball complex or you have to children that you’d like to receive that fine education in the Auburn school system,” Dunlap said. New companies add to the city’s tax base.

So, it’s industry like this that, he said, helps make those things happen.

And the impact isn’t exclusive to the company’s new locale.

State Sen. Ted Little said progress doesn’t stop at city and county lines.

“This will be good for Lee County, Tallapoosa County, Russell County, Chambers County, Macon County and others,” he said. “Dollars put into economic development in Lee County and East Alabama has a ripple effect.”

More jobs, more money and, according to Dunlap, there’s more to come.

“That’s how it impacts the every day lives of citizens,” he said. “Besides providing jobs that pay taxes and that payroll that gets turned over in the economy it also provides taxes for schools and a lot of other things that we as residents of auburn like to see to support our quality of life.”

For residents that are interested in the new jobs, the company will be working with the Alabama Industrial Development Training (AIDT) and the Auburn Training Connection when it begins the hiring process. Information about both organizations is available online. The AIDT Web site address is http://www.aidt.edu. The Auburn Training Connection is available through the city’s Web site at http://www.auburnalabama.org.

Construction of the new facility is expected to begin immediately. The companies hope to have production underway by the end of the year.

According to information from the Governor’s office, Seohan Auto USA and Seohan Driveshaft USA are part of the Korea-based Seohan Group.

Supplier announces location

Auburn’s 44th manufacturer announced its new location Tuesday morning.

February 28, 2007

Auburn’s 44th manufacturer announced its new location Tuesday morning.

Seohan Group joined Gov. Bob Riley and city officials on the front steps of the state Capitol to announce the new location of Seohan Auto USA and Seohan Driveshaft USA in Auburn. The two automotive suppliers are part of the Seohan Group, which is based in Korea.

“These companies are yet another example of the quality businesses that Alabama is able to recruit thanks to our excellent workforce, strong partnerships with local communities and a booming economy,“ Riley said. “I am proud to welcome Seohan to Alabama and am confident they will find great success in our state.“

Riley and Auburn officials were joined by Yong-Suk Kim, Seohan Group CEO.

“Seohan plans to create approximately 200 jobs and (a combined) $40 million in capital investment at our facility,“ Kim said. “We are pleased to bring this automotive company to the people of Auburn and we will work together to bring us great success.

“We are particularly honored to be associated with the State of Alabama, Lee County and the City of Auburn,“ Kim concluded. “We are very optimistic about the outlook for our business.“

Phillip Dunlap, Auburn’s director of economic development, said the area will definitely feel Seohan’s impact.

“I think that what happens at an announcement is the tip of the iceberg,“ Phillip Dunlap said. “This is a first-class company, a high-quality supplier. It’s just another example of the type of companies we recruit (in Auburn).“

Seohan manufactures front and rear axles for Montgomery’s Hyundai plant. The companies will jointly occupy a 250,000-square-foot building in Auburn’s Industrial Park, on the corner of Pumphrey Avenue and Webster Road.

Construction of the new facility is expected to begin immediately, and production is scheduled to begin by the end of the year. Seohan Group will be hiring engineers soon and begin staffing the facility with the help of the Alabama Industrial Development Training office later this summer.

“Years ago I didn’t foresee the automotive industry as being as big as it is in Alabama,“ said Auburn Mayor Bill Ham. “Through the state’s efforts and governor’s efforts we’ve been able to make this a regional industry for us. It’s a big deal for Alabama and certainly a big deal for Lee County.“

Ham said that with the Hyundai facility in Montgomery and the Kia plant coming to west Georgia, east Alabama will continue to see, between the state capitals, more and more demand for automotive suppliers.

“Throughout east Alabama and now the Southeast, it’s going to continue to become a part of our daily lives,“ said Ham.

Mayor calls community a vibrant, prosperous city

Job growth, high-quality schools and partnering to assure prosperity are just part of what Auburn Mayor Bill Ham thinks makes his city great.

February 23, 2007

Job growth, high-quality schools and partnering to assure prosperity are just part of what Auburn Mayor Bill Ham thinks makes his city great.

Ham, who was recently elected to his third term, drove those points home as he delivered the State of the City Address at the Auburn Chamber of Commerce Thursday morning.

“I never get tired of talking about this city,” Ham told those in attendance. “I think George Petrie said it best, though, when he ended the Auburn (University) Creed with, ‘I believe in Auburn and I love it.’”

Ham said Auburn is growing by approximately 2,000 people per year, adding nearly 500 new single-family homes within three years and 44 new subdivisions.

“I’ve watched this sleepy little town turn into a vibrant, prosperous city,” said Ham, who was born and raised in Auburn. “The city’s partnerships are stronger than ever and the state of the city is excellent.

“People will look back on this decade and see that this was one of the most significant times in our history,” he said. “Our job is to maintain what our predecessors have left us.”
As for the future, Ham said that the city is well-equipped to handle what comes.

“Where does the city go from here?” Ham asked, suggesting the city continue to follow the Auburn 2020 plan, invest in its schools, remain fiscally conservative with tax dollars, maintain excellent staffs and have a good relationship with Auburn University. “Through partnerships, we will continue to prosper.
“The partnerships we build also include the valuable relationship with Lee County and our sister city, Opelika,” Ham said.

Ham commended several entities that serve the city daily:
- City Council: “Today’s City Council is one of the best I’ve served with in 20 years,” Ham said. “They continue to do what’s right for the city and people. (Being a prosperous community is) about holding elected leaders accountable for the direction we are going.”

- School system: “Schools have always been Auburn’s number one priority and it will continue to be. A majority of our City Council rates schools as their number one priority,” he said. “Our system is considered to be the best in the nation and it’s an important part of the economic engine that draws people here.”

- Economic department: “Within the last 14 months the City of Auburn has created over a thousand new jobs with our industrial endeavors and $161 million in industrial impact, including three new locations that will be announced within the next 30 to 40 days.

“The city will have to remain competitive if we want to impact our economic development,” Ham said.

- Auburn University: Ham discussed how important it was for the City of Auburn to play a part in the university’s Auburn Research Park, an agreement the city council is considering for the March 6 meeting.

“We must create partnerships like this (with AU),” Ham concluded. “Out of these strong partnerships comes things like the research park. This is clearly one of the most exciting projects the city and university have taken on together.”

Preserving History

A small group of Auburn residents have some big ideas for the future of the community’s historic structures.

February 18, 2007

A small group of Auburn residents have some big ideas for the future of the community’s historic structures.

For about three months, a group of 10 citizens have been meeting to discuss historic preservation in Auburn. As a result of the weekly meetings, the Auburn Preservation League was formed.

Dr. Bobby B. Dees, a graduate of Auburn University, spearheaded the initiative.

“I’ve wrestled with the idea of a preservation league for the last year,“ Dees said. “I’ve always been open on the premise that you can get anything accomplished by sitting down with others in a reasonable manner to come to conclusions.“

Since his return to The Loveliest Village a little more than three years ago, Dees has been restoring older homes that some may have thought were lost historic treasures.

He agreed to lead the group if, and only if, they wanted to pursue the preservation of Auburn in a positive light.

“As citizens we want to be able to sit down with the City, contractors, developers or other concerned citizens and see what we can provide to carry on Auburn history,“ Dees said. “We want to see the City have policies to ensure the future development. Growth is good, but it needs to be in an organized direction so that 100 years from now we can look back and remember homes that were built in the 1920s, 1940s or 1970s.“

Dees believes that there is no better time than now for the preservation league to form and take positive steps forward to conserve Auburn’s historic structures.

“I’ve talked to hundreds of people to see what I could initiate and people are ready for something to happen to preserve Auburn structures,“ Dees said. “I could either turn a deaf ear and watch it all go away or do something about it.“

With a positive focus, the Auburn Preservation League was created, designed to promote a constructive, proactive effort by private citizens toward preserving Auburn’s remaining historic structures and sites.

“The purpose of the Auburn Preservation League is to foster historic preservation and to promote cooperation in combining the resources of local government, associations, organizations, business and citizens in order to enhance the quality and beauty of the Auburn community,“ states the association’s mission statement.

“With the demolition of so many of Auburn’s homes and buildings, the timing for the creation of an Auburn Preservation League is perfect,“ Dees said. “Auburn is fortunate to have the expertise of its citizens in many areas. The university, local government, businesses, organization, both civic and church, students, as well as others, have the knowledge needed to foster historic preservation through this, across the board, positive, ‘team’ approach.“

The APL is sponsoring a membership reception Wednesday from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m., in the Auburn Chamber of Commerce EAMC Briefing Center, 714 E. Glenn Ave. The APL is extending invitations to anyone wanting more information and/or anyone interested in becoming a charter member.

“It is the hope of the APL pioneers that everyone will join us in keeping Auburn ‘The Loveliest Village on the Plains,’ “ concluded Dees.

For more information, contact the APL at P.O. Box 2945, Auburn, AL, 36831-2945.

$10M in reserve funds to be considered for aiding research park

The City of Auburn is expected to consider an ordinance Tuesday night to allocate reserve funds to the Auburn Research Technology Foundation for further development of the Auburn Research Park.

February 17, 2007

The City of Auburn is expected to consider an ordinance Tuesday night to allocate reserve funds to the Auburn Research Technology Foundation for further development of the Auburn Research Park.

In a meeting Friday of the city’s Industrial Development Board, members indicated they were in support of the deal.

“This is what the board does,“ said Economic Development Director Phillip Dunlap in the action to support local industry. ARTF earned $10 million from the state Capital Improvements Trust Fund, but Auburn University officials say it can’t be paid out until it is spent. The ordinance would mean the IDB would allocate $10 million of city reserve funds as interim financing for the project.

“This is not a grant,“ Dunlap said. “This in effect is a loan.“ City Manager Charlie Duggan said the city’s cash reserve is about $15 million as of the 2006 fiscal year, $4.5 million of which is permanent.

He said the funds are used in case of instances like severe economic downturn, natural disasters and unexpected costs. Brian Keeter, AU director of public affairs, said the state requires that actual expenses must occur before they can be reimbursed. If the City Council approves the proposal between IDB and ARTF, the foundation would reimburse the IDB with state bond funds.

“As soon as the money comes back to the board, it will go to the city’s funds,“ Dunlap said.

Keeter said it won’t be a one-time $10 million payment, but rather paying IDB back as state funds come in.

Jon Waggoner, special counsel to the AU president, said the contract will stipulate full repayment of the remaining funds no later than two years from either 90 percent occupancy or from the date the certificate of occupancy is issued. Duggan said the city will also get back all the interest it would have earned had the money been in the city account.

Construction for the park started last April when the city hired Russo Corporation of Birmingham to develop the infrastructure, which was funded by the city for $5 million. The infrastructure is nearing completion. Keeter said ARTF will hire a contractor for building construction once interim financing is obtained.

“The Auburn Research Park holds great promise to fuel economic growth and bring new jobs to the region,“ Keeter said.

Sanders, heritage group look back at old Auburn

While Auburn University served as a radio pioneer with one of the most powerful institutional radio stations in the world during the early days of radio, Auburn residents have woken up to radio personality Bob Sanders for more than 50 years.  Sanders, who was guest speaker Wednesday for the Auburn Heritage Association membership luncheon, talked about an Auburn that was.

January 17, 2007

While Auburn University served as a radio pioneer with one of the most powerful institutional radio stations in the world during the early days of radio, Auburn residents have woken up to radio personality Bob Sanders for more than 50 years.

Sanders, who was guest speaker Wednesday for the Auburn Heritage Association membership luncheon, talked about an Auburn that was.

He said downtown Auburn has changed some. There were no high rise building then. There was Olin L. Hill, Toomer’s, Auburn Hardware, two banks on opposite corners, two grocery stores and a couple of furniture stores.

“There was a place called Webbs Confectionery that nobody except me seems to remember on North College Street. For eight cents, you could get a pauper’s delight. That was six scoops of ice cream, about six toppings - cherries, nuts - the whole thing.

“It was truly a delight. I would save up enough money to get one of those and pig out on that.”

He said there was Burton Bookstore, Ware’s, two movie theaters - Tiger and War Eagle theaters, the Grille, Jake’s Joint, but there were no shopping centers or fast food places.
Sanders, who came to college in Auburn in 1949, said there wasn’t much between Auburn and Opelika.

“Much of Dean Road was just dirt when we first came and you had to wind around in a big circle to get to the highway. It didn’t go straight across like it does now. Between Auburn and Opelika was just country.

“Where Village Mall is now, there was a beautiful pasture and dairy cows. Where Midway Plaza is was a vegetable stand down on the road there,” Sanders said.

“If you are new in town this will be hard to imagine, but downtown Opelika was the shopping center of central and east Alabama. It was a busy place.”

He said there were two department stores, men’s clothing stores, women’s clothing stores, children’s stores, shoe stores, jewelry stores, furniture stores, appliance stores and automotive dealerships.

“Opelika was a busy, busy place. There were two theaters. They brought in acts like the Jimmy Dorsey Band at the Martin Theater in downtown Opelika.

“On a Saturday afternoons there would be just throngs of people on the sidewalks. It was solid people all over everything. Unless there was a football game, Auburn was pretty dead on the weekend.

“Back then, Auburn was a college town. Its industry was the university. Opelika was an industrial town. There were two big textile mills - Pepperell Mills and Opelika Manufacturing Co.”
He said Auburn has had so many changes since he first came here, and expects all the expansion to hook up with Atlanta at almost any time now.

“That they tell me is progress, but I am glad I remember Auburn as it was when I first came here,” Sanders said.
The Auburn Heritage Association, dedicated to historic preservation in Alabama, was founded in 1974. The association’s purpose is to provide an organization dedicated to the identification and preservation of items and material of historical significance in Auburn and its surrounding environment.

Friday, December 14, 2007

testentry

another tesr

hope this one works

Thursday, December 13, 2007

Valley city council tables bond vote

What people know as “fast time,“ or the difference between Central and Eastern times, has slowed for two weeks the city’s bond financial proposal of up to $11.3 million.

November 13, 2007

VALLEY - What people know as “fast time,“ or the difference between Central and Eastern times, has slowed for two weeks the city’s bond financial proposal of up to $11.3 million.

The Valley City Council tabled its vote for two weeks Monday night on the bond financial proposal because the legal advertisement included the time of 6 p.m. for a public hearing on the proposal and not the actual 7 p.m. meeting time.

The council held a second public hearing before its regular meeting Monday, but got no questions or comments, for or against, on the financial proposal. Citizens will have another chance for questions or comments at a third public hearing at 7 p.m. EST Nov. 26 before the council votes on the proposal.

“I am a person that is in a hurry, but my better judgement makes me not be in cases that are legal,“ Valley Mayor Arnold Leak said after the meeting. “Even though it seems trivial, it gives us a little bit more time to look at the details and see if there is anything else in there that may have been missed.

“So, not only are we going to be able to get the time right, we are going to have another public hearing,“ he said. “We had no questions or comments tonight, which I was extremely surprised about.

“We will take two more weeks, but in the scheme of 30 years that is not much time.“

The city’s financial proposal is being proposed in order to pay for the costs of infrastructure improvements in the city.

Before the first public hearing last Friday, “We intend to borrow about a little bit less than $6 million, but the $11.3 million figure was used so our financial people could clear that line of credit which would be our max of what we could borrow.“

Leak said the industrial improvement areas are special laws within the state that allow cities and developers to recover their development costs by defining what they call an improvement district.

“An improvement district has a border around it,“ Leak said. “The new developments are included in that border. Only the new development within that border may recover some of its development costs by charging extra fees, or taxes, to those who use the new development.

“We have an area that is in and around what we call our Sportsplex. There will be about 800 units, a major-name grocery store and a number of other stores, as many as 15 different stores, over a period of time.

“We expect all that growth to happen within the next two years,“ the mayor said.

Leak said those stores and the apartments in the improvement district are allowed to collect an extra fee to be paid against the development costs.

“These fees will not be collected anywhere else in the city,“ he said.

He used the example of paying a 9 percent sales tax in the city versus paying 10 percent at a new store in the improvement district.

“The extra percent pays off the borrowed money for the developer,“ Leak said. “The City of Valley will dedicate a portion of its normal money from that new money to pay off its development costs.“

While the city plans to borrow under $6 million, the general obligation warrants being considered are for an amount of up to $11,305,000 with a final maturity date of not later than Dec. 31, 2038.

The proposed warrants are to cover costs relating to the project and the issuance of the warrants. Those costs include:

• road improvements within the city,
• relocation utilities in and around the entrance/exit and where the ITC Venue Project is to be located,
• relocation of roadways which will provide entry and exit to the ITC Venue Project,
• road construction to be undertaken along and around the ITC Venue Project,
• extend the portion of Fairfax Bypass from Fob James Drive to Hughley Drive into five lanes,
• infrastructure and improvements to be constructed in and around the ITC Venue Project, and
• construction and installation of new traffic lights in the surrounding area.

The Valley City Council meets in the city hall at 20 Fob James Drive in Valley. The next regular meeting will be Monday, Nov. 26, at 6 p.m. EST. Written comments for or against the financial proposal may be mailed to Valley City Clerk Martha Cato at 20 Fob James Drive, Valley, AL 36854.

Sorento to be first locally-produced Kia

Last week in Las Vegas Kia officials announced an SUV redesign of its next generation Sorento, which is expected to roll off production lines in 2009 at the company’s West Point, Ga., site.

November 13, 2007

Last week in Las Vegas Kia officials announced an SUV redesign of its next generation Sorento, which is expected to roll off production lines in 2009 at the company’s West Point, Ga., site.

The 2010 model Sorento is based on the company’s existing mid-size SUV, which sports a V6 engine and earned a five-star crash safety rating by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Randy Jackson, director of human resources for Kia Motors Manufacturing Georgia Inc., said the Sorento redesign was announced to auto dealers in Las Vegas Tuesday during the company’s national dealer convention meeting.

“The theme was ‘Roadmap to Georgia,’ “ Jackson said.

On Nov. 6, Auto News reported that the first product to roll off production lines in Georgia would be the redesigned Sorento.

“The five-seat Sorento now is Kia’s largest SUV. Job 1 is scheduled for November 2009. A second vehicle, which the company did not name, also is scheduled for the plant,“ according to http://www.autonews.com.

Aside from the redesigned Sorento, Car Design News reported that Kia is looking to strengthen its SUV lineup with the new Sportage and Borrego.

As part of a U.S. Department of Energy-sponsored validation program, Kia’s second-generation hydrogen fuel cell electric Sportage is currently undergoing long-term testing in the United States, according to http://www.kia-buzz.com. The company recently displayed its fuel cell electric vehicle platform at a Frankfurt Motor Show.

“This new platform represents the next step forward in Kia’s continuing commitment to develop cleaner, greener production vehicles for the future. Kia’s computer simulations indicate that clothed in a Sorento-type body, the new FCEV could accelerate to 100 kph in just 10 seconds, reach a top speed of 170 kph and achieve a 600 km range - all with zero emissions,“ according to Kia Buzz.

While Kia is in the midst of launching an aggressive hiring campaign in Georgia for its hourly employees, salaried position interviews have been ongoing. To help in the salaried recruitment effort, Kia has hired Management Recruiters of Auburn-Opelika LLC and JC Malone Associates of Louisville, Ky. As far as hourly positions go, Jackson says online job applications will “soon” be posted at http://www.kiajobsingeorgia.com.

“We’re still testing the system for bugs,“ Jackson said. “We want to make sure everything we do is tested. If it takes a little bit longer to make sure it (online job application) is perfect, we’ll take that time.“

Once hired, he says, some salaried and hourly employees will be sent to Korea to train. Meanwhile talk remains centered on production numbers; the company expects to crank out 300,000 Kia-made vehicles annually creating 2,500 jobs. Jackson says Kia’s $20 million onsite training center is almost complete.

“That’s where we’ll do our interviews, role-playing and training of new hires,“ he said.

Construction of a stamping plant is already under way at the West Point, Ga., site where steel structures are expected to rise in December. And Jackson says welding, paint and assembly shops are in the works. There are reportedly 300 workers onsite where AMCO serves as general contractor.

As company officials continue to have regular supplier meetings, Jackson says the Kia plant is expected to lure five to six auto suppliers creating 2,000 additional new jobs.

“The drive from West Point, Ga., to Montgomery will be an auto-based drive; motorists will see a corridor of suppliers,“ Jackson said.

For salaried position information at the Kia plant in West Point, Ga., contact Management Recruiters of Auburn-Opelika LLC at 334-749-4941 or visit its Web site at http://www.mrauburn.com. Electronic resumes are welcome at . In the subject line, type in the word, “Kia.“ Resumes for salaried positions are also being accepted at JC Malone Associates of Louisville, Ky.; the company can be reached at 502-456-2380. For more Kia job information, visit http://www.kiajobsingeorgia.com, the Georgia Department of Labor Career Centers at http://www.dol.state.ga.us or Georgia’s Quick Start program at http://www.georgiaquickstart.org.

Georgia’s Kia plant is tentatively scheduled to ramp up production in November of 2009.

State unemployment rates fall to record low

The governor’s office announced Friday that Alabama’s unemployment rate dropped to a “record low” from 3.7 percent in September to 3.1 percent in October, which is below the national unemployment rate of 4.7 percent.

November 17, 2007

The governor’s office announced Friday that Alabama’s unemployment rate dropped to a “record low” from 3.7 percent in September to 3.1 percent in October, which is below the national unemployment rate of 4.7 percent.

A year ago, the state’s unemployment rate was reportedly 3.6 percent.

“This shows our economy is resilient,“ Gov. Bob Riley stated in a press release.

His office reported a number of pro-growth tax incentives proposed during the 2007 legislative session, which included, “Making Our Tax Code Fairer for Middle Class Families,“ “Creating Jobs in Rural Alabama,“ “Making Health Insurance More Affordable” and “Helping the Unemployed to Become Employed.“

“The recent announcement by Gov. Riley naming various incentives to help unemployment in Alabama are great initiatives,“ said John Wild, president of the Auburn-Opelika Tourism Bureau. “It will take time to evaluate which measures work more effectively for our area. ‘Helping the unemployed to become employed’ is one program that we hope will directly help us and relieve some of the competition for our local work force.“

Wild said that a Lee County Workforce Development committee has been working the past six months to assist local businesses and industries to conquer short-term labor shortages and enhance careers for people in the future. He credited both mayors and both chambers for spearheading meetings that have evaluated local needs.

“It is not a quick or temporary fix but a longer term approach that we believe will help develop a work force for the future and provide quality salaries, wages and benefits for our local employees,“ Wild said.

In Riley’s proposed tax incentives for small businesses, the proposal states, “The tax incentive would allow small business owners to deduct from their state income taxes twice the amount they pay for health insurance premiums. The deduction would be available to businesses with fewer than 25 employees. Employees of small businesses could also deduct twice the amount they contribute to premium payments; this deduction would make employer-sponsored health insurance more affordable and encourage greater employee participation. To qualify for the deduction, an employee must have an adjusted gross income of less than $50,000. This measure represents a focused plan to decrease the number of uninsured in Alabama by increasing the availability and affordability of employer-sponsored health insurance among small businesses. Moving the uninsured into employer health plans ultimately lowers health care costs borne by the taxpayers.“

Both the Auburn and Opelika chambers of commerce have addressed the importance of affordable health insurance for small business employees. During chamber seminars, local small business owners have remarked on the high cost of offering health insurance to employees.

“In 2007, the Auburn Chamber of Commerce’s Governmental Affairs committee sent a message to Gov. Riley in support of House Bill 278, as well as sent a mailer to its 850-plus member businesses in an effort to encourage the state legislators to approve HB 278 included in the governor’s package of tax incentives,“ said Lolly Steiner, president of the Auburn Chamber of Commerce. “We know that our small businesses want to provide their employees with quality health insurance, but we also know that they would appreciate help. We are relieved to know that the governor is still committed to supporting the needs of small business owners as their challenges to do business in Alabama grow. I am sure our board and members will again join together in support of this package in the upcoming legislative session.“

Wendi Huguley Routhier, president of the Opelika Chamber of Commerce, said the chamber will continue to support legislation that allows local small business owners to offer an attractive benefits package to full-time employees.

“Last February the Opelika Chamber Board of Directors voted to support Gov. (Bob) Riley’s proposal to allow small business employers to deduct from their state taxes twice the amount they pay for health insurance premiums while allowing employees to do the same on their personal income taxes,“ Routhier said. “The chamber has not changed its stance. We strongly believe that affordable health care insurance options are imperative for our member businesses to compete for the most qualified employees, thus contributing to the overall economic success of our area.“

Wild, who has worked in the hospitality industry for more than 20 years, pointed out the need for a reliable workforce.

“The Hospitality industry in Auburn and Opelika is starving for help; you can’t drive past most any cluster of restaurants without seeing ‘help wanted’ signs, and they are getting larger and larger,“ Wild said. “This shows the intensity or frustration owners and operators have in the area while having great products, an abundance of customers but limited in their ability to hire and train staff to properly serve their clientele. Lodging properties in Auburn and Opelika are under the same pressure, you just don’t see signs posted on their front lawns.“

For more information, visit http://www.governor.state.al.us., http://www.auburn-opelika.com, http://www.auburnchamber.com or http://www.opelika.com.