Homewood City Hall
The Homewood City Council approved a tax incentive package for Milo’s Tea as the beverage company considers purchasing part of the Barber facility.
The package is for 10 years and includes 100% of sales and use tax paid to the city for construction-related materials being abated, along with 90% of a portion of property tax dollars due to the city following what Milo’s said would be a $58 million capital investment project to improve the facility, with the other 10% remaining with the city.
The 90-10 split does not affect the current amount of property taxes received by the city on the facility, which is roughly $24,500 annually from both personal and real property tax. The city will continue to receive that amount. The split only impacts any increase to property taxes on top of that amount following any capital improvements made by Milo’s that raise the property value of the facility.
Milo’s would be responsible for the full amount of property tax and sales tax dollars due to Homewood City Schools.
The plant was recommended to be split into two lots by the city’s Planning Commission, with the current owner continuing to make ice cream on one lot and selling the other, potentially to Milo’s Tea, which is separate from Milo’s Restaurants.
A representative from Milo’s told the finance committee on Oct. 11 they plan to bring 146 jobs with an average annual salary of $45,000 and fully-funded healthcare, along with other benefits. The company is working on getting all of their facilities zero-waste certified, and a representative said they expect to grow 45% in 2021 in regard to case volume, according to Nielsen data.
The council also voted to approve about $55,000 in supplemental funding for Phase II of the Shades Creek Greenway plan, which will see the trail extend from its Columbiana Road trailhead past Interstate 65. The project has increased in cost from $600,000 to $1.2 million in total from its beginning, which Councilor Walter Jones said was frustrating during an Oct. 18 finance committee meeting.
The city received a letter Sept. 9 from ALDOT stating supplemental fees in the amount of $54,697 were needed, with the city responsible for about $11,000 of that and the rest paid by grant. Jones questioned at the committee meeting why it wasn’t brought up during budget hearings, and a GMC representative said their thought was that the money would be carried over from last year’s funds, which did not happen.
The council also declared Old Montgomery Highway, which is currently closed, an emergency, thereby allowing Mayor Patrick McClusky to bid the project instead of going through the traditional public bid advertisement.
The road has been closed since late summer, said City Engineer Cale Smith, and has not been maintained in a “long time,” due to disagreements about who is responsible for the road, between the city, Jefferson County and the Alabama Department of Transportation.
The council also recommended setting a bid date of Nov. 15 for a camera system, while City Attorney Mike Kendrick determines whether the city has to bid out that purchase, or if they can do McClusky and Police Chief Tim Ross wish to do, which is purchase Flock cameras, at a cost of $13,750 per year for three years.
In other news, the council:
- Set a public hearing for Nov. 8 to consider vacating a portion of an alley between 1722 28th Avenue South and 1715 27th Court South
- Set a public hearing for Nov. 8 to consider vacating a portion of 27th Terrace South
- Set a public hearing for Nov. 8 to consider changing city landscaping and tree requirements
- Set a due date of Nov. 29 for bids for sidewalk projects at Lancaster and Saulter roads
- Approved the purchase of two stormwater inlets on Bonita Drive
- Approved liquor licenses for The Grocery Brewpub and Rodney Scott’s Barbecue
- Approved a tent variance for Trinity United Methodist Church
- Approved the addition of three street lights to Short Oxmoor Road
- Gave permission to Adam and Katherine Thrower to work in the city right of way to replace trees at 201 East Linwood
- Gave a property owner permission to work in the city right of way at 208 Oxmoor Road for property improvements
- Approved the contract to pay The Exceptional Foundation their previously-approved budget allocation
- Approved a new job classification from the Jefferson County Personnel Board
- Approved a vehicle purchase
- Approved vouchers for the period of Oct. 12-25
