PRESENT:

___JOSEPH SEMIONE, CHAIRMAN
___DAVE D’AMORE, VICE CHAIRMAN
___WILLIAM SULLIVAN, TREASURER
___JOE GILLIS, SECRETARY
___DIANA PUTNAM, MEMBER
___TODD RULISON, MEMBER
___TIM MUNN, MEMBER
___JAMES MRAZ, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
___KARA LAIS, FITZGERALD, MORRIS, BAKER, FIRTH PC
___SCOTT HENZE, PLANNER
___BILL WALDRON, LIAISON, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE
___RON PETERS, FCCRG
___MIKE ANICH, LEADER-HERALD

MOTION :
MADE BY :
SECONDED :
VOTE :

MOTION :
MADE BY :
SECONDED :
VOTE :

A. Nominating Committee

• No Report

B. Audit Committee:

• No report.

C. Governance Committee:

• No report.

D. Finance Committee:

• No report.

E. Other Reports

• Economic Development Committee : Bill Waldron
• Fulton County Center for Regional Growth : Ron Peters

1. Status Report:
   

• Domain name: www.fcida.org

1. Domain Name Annual Fee:

• Domain Name: tryontechnologypark.com
• The domain name was originally acquired by Perry Lovell, Director of Informational Services.
• Annual Fee for this Domain Name: $15
• Perry Lovell has paid this fee and is seeking reimbursement from the IDA.

2. Additional Domain Names:

• When the Tryon website’s Domain was initially established, the following additional domains were reserved by Perry Lovell:
  • tryontechnologypark.info
  • tryontechnologypark.net
  • tryontechnologypark.com
  • tryontechpark.net
  • tryontechpark.com
  • tryontechpark.org
  • tryontechpark.info
  • tryontechnologypark.org
• The primary reason for registering domains with multiple extensions was to keep someone else from using that domain in a way that might be confusing. For example, if there was a Tryon Technology Park in Tryon, IL, they might register tryontechnologypark.org. Then there would be instant confusion over whether a user went to the TTP NY website or TTP IL website. The other example would be if you had a disgruntled individual or company regarding Tryon, they could register one of the other extensions and redirect people to anywhere. Perry Lovell registered these additional domain names as insurance to keep the Tryon website in good standing on the Internet.
• Perry Lovell has paid $138 to reserve these domain names for an additional year and is seeking reimbursement from the IDA.

IDA DISCUSSION:

IDA ACTION:

MOTION:                   To authorize payments of $15 and $138 to Fulton County Informational Services for reserving the Tryon Technology Park’s website and other domain name(s) for one (1) year.

MADE BY:
SECONDED:
VOTE:

• Shannon Rose is administering and managing this E-Newsletter Campaign for Fulton County.
• Will e-mail/mail six (6) E-newsletters to 425+/- builders, developers and investors advising them of investment opportunities available now in Fulton County.
• Goal: Attract private investment into Fulton County.
• 1^st Newsletter was sent out in August.
• 2^nd Newsletter was sent out in September.
• 3^rd Newsletter was sent out in October.
• Distribute copy of Newsletter 3.

IDA DISCUSSION:

1. Summary of Input Received:

• See attached.

2. Proposed Follow-up:

A. Based on their assessment of the Region, the Site Selectors identified several industry clusters they felt would also be a good fit for the Region:

1. Packaging of food and beverage
2. Plastics fabrication
3. Back office/help desks
4. Loan processing/backroom operations
5. Medical records
6. Miscellaneous metals fabrication
7. Financial transactions
8. Sporting goods

B. In addition, the Targeted Industry Analysis (TIA) completed for the Region by DCG Corplan identified seven (7) industry clusters that would perform well if located in this Region:

1. Biomedical Research & Development
2. Food & Beverage
3. HQ & Business Services
4. Health Care Products & Services
5. Electronics
6. Renewable Energy
7. Software & Media

C. The Site Selectors recommended that local officials select two (2) industry clusters from the lists above to focus the Region’s business recruitment marketing efforts on.

D. With respect to business recruitment, the Site Selectors offered two (2) recommendations:

1. Hire a professional marketing firm to develop, administer and manage a marketing campaign targeting the two (2) clusters selected. The marketing campaign would, at a minimum, include:

a. Purchasing e-mail lists for these two (2) targeted industries.
b. Develop marketing materials to e-mail to these businesses.
c. Advertise in their trade magazines.
d. Attend their trade shows.
e. Conduct follow-ups with businesses as required.

2. Hire a professional marketing firm to develop, administer and manage a marketing program to attract 2^nd Stage Companies in the New York/New Jersey metropolitan region to the Region. 2^nd Stage Companies are defined as companies generating $10-$200 million in annual revenues. These sized companies are often small-scale manufacturers whose margins are being squeezed by being in high-cost metropolitan markets. The marketing campaign would, at a minimum, include:

a. Purchasing e-mail list of companies in the New York/New Jersey metropolitan area with annual revenues of $10-$200 million.

b. Develop marketing materials to send to these businesses featuring the Region’s low occupancy costs, outstanding quality of life and world class recreational facilities.

c. Advertise in New York/New Jersey metropolitan market.

Fulton County will be looking to implement these two (2) marketing campaigns in 2018.

• At the September 12, 2017 meeting, IDA Board decided to seal the entire roof on the Electrical Building and ask the Contractor to develop a way to ensure snow/rain can’t get into the building through the roof vent.
• Based upon the quotes received, Correll Roofing provided the lowest price.
• Total Cost: $

• Claus Contracting has completed the Roof Replacement Project.
• Total Cost: $500

IDA DISCUSSION:

1. Background:

• At the September 12, 2017 meeting, IDA Board expressed an interest in selling both buildings and asked Jim Mraz to obtain proposals from the two (2) brokers who had responded to the IDA’s recent request to market the entire Tryon Technology Park.
• The two (2) brokers were: CBRE and Berkshire Hathaway
• On September 21, 2017, Jim Mraz e-mailed both companies and asked that they submit a proposal to the IDA by Friday, October 6, 2017 to list these buildings for sale.

2. Summary of Proposals Received:

• CBRE submitted a proposal. Berkshire Hathaway did not submit a proposal.
• CBRE’s proposal was the same proposal they submitted in 2016 to market the Tryon Technology Park.
• A copy of CBRE’s proposal was e-mailed to IDA members on October 10, 2017.

IDA DISCUSSION:

IDA ACTION:

MOTION:

MADE BY:
SECONDED:
VOTE:

• Nathan Littauer Hospital has completed the acquisition of the Perth Primary Care Clinic Project.
• The IDA bonds originally issued for project have been paid off.
• The IDA’s lease with the CIC has been terminated.
• As a result, the IDA no longer has any involvement with this project.
• This project will still need to be included in the IDA’s 2017 PARIS Report. However, it will not be included in subsequent years’ reports.

1. Background:

• N.Y. Army’s and Air National Guard has requested permission to use the Tryon Technology Park for two (2) training exercises.
• Date: Wednesday, November 1, 2017
• Times: 7:30 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. and 10:00 p.m. – 12:00 a.m.
• Type of Training: Hazardous Material Response and Identification
• N.Y. Army and Air National Guard are self-insured. A letter has been filed with the IDA advising such. It’s the same letter used when the IDA approved N.Y. Army’s and Air National Guard to conduct a training exercise at Tryon earlier this year.

IDA DISCUSSION:

IDA ACTION:

MOTION:            To approve the NY Army’s and Air National Guard’s request to use the Tryon Technology Park for a training exercise.

MADE BY:
SECONDED:
VOTE:

• In 2016, the IDA became a Gold Member of the FCCRG.
• IDA has received a renewal invoice from the FCCRG to continue the membership for another year.
• Invoice Amount: $1,000

IDA DISCUSSION:

IDA ACTION:

MOTION:                   To authorize a payment of $1,000 to the FCCRG to continue a Gold Membership for another year.

MADE BY:
SECONDED:
VOTE:

• CG Roxane recently asked the Town of Johnstown Planning Board to approve a revised Site Plan that included adding a new groundwater well on its property.
• CG Roxane will be developing this new well to increase the volume of groundwater it will have available to process.
• This new well will result in the company building the 64,000+/- sf addition to its warehouse that was included in its originally approved Site Plan.

1. Background:

• The existing electric service at Tryon is owned and maintained by the IDA.
• The IDA, in conjunction with Fulton County, desires to have a new underground electric service installed by National Grid that would be owned and maintained by National Grid.
• A meeting has been scheduled with National Grid to discuss this new electric service.

2. Status of Existing Electric Service: 

a. Background:

• National Grid’s service comes to a pole located along the secondary access road coming into Tryon.
• From there, all wires, poles, transformers and switchgear is owned by the IDA.
• The electrical service from that pole comes into the electrical vault to the main switchgear.
• From that main switchgear, power is run out of the vault through three (3) individual switchgears servicing three (3) separate circuits that feed all buildings at Tryon.
• One (1) of these circuits runs overhead off poles. Two (2) circuits are underground.

b. Pole Fuses:

• Eleven (11) fuses are located on several poles to protect the overhead circuits in use.
• Some of these existing fuses have blown recently and have been replaced.
• The fuses that haven’t been replaced could go at any time.
• It is recommended that nine (9) of these old fuses be replaced.
• Estimated Cost:
  $ 50   :           materials
  $300   :           labor
  $350   :           Total

IDA DISCUSSION:

IDA ACTION:

MOTION:

MADE BY:
SECONDED:
VOTE:

c.  Damaged Electrical Switchgear:

• In January 2017, one of the switchgear units malfunctioned and was damaged. Power was lost and emergency repairs were made by Current Electric.
• What was done at that time was to switch the circuit feeding the Tryon Park from the damaged switchgear to one of the other functioning switchgears.
• The damaged switchgear was not repaired.
• A meeting has been scheduled with Current Electric to discuss whether this damaged switchgear should be repaired.

1. Background:

• Century Linen & Uniform (formerly Robison & Smith) is a locally owned and operated family business that provides healthcare linen solutions, work uniform programs, entrance mats, and linen services to other businesses throughout New York.
• It currently has two (2) plants:
  Gloversville: This plant serves exclusively healthcare.
  Johnstown: This plant serves restaurants, hotels, industrial, and retail medical.
• The company also operates:
  Three (3) service centers across the state, in Canastota, Potsdam, and Albany.
  A small dry-cleaning operation.
  Coin laundries.
• Century employs about 300 full time persons within New York State.

2. Proposed Project: 

• Century Linen is proposing to lease an existing building at 123 Union Avenue Extension in the City of Johnstown and relocate its Gloversville operation there.
• The building contains 60,000 sf and is currently owned by STAG, Boston, MA.
• Century Linen projects to invest approximately $12 million on this project through renovating the building and purchasing and installing new machinery and equipment.
• Century Linen does not expect any layoffs of the 225 employees it has in Fulton County.
• This proposed project is needed by Century Linen to upgrade and modernize its operation, remain competitive and support recent and future growth of its business.

3. Project Application:

• Century Linen has filed a Project Application with the IDA.
• The Application Fee has been paid.

4. IDA Benefits Requested:

• Century Linen’s Project Application requests one (1) IDA benefit: Sales Tax Exemption
• Total projected sale tax benefit requested: $724,800

5. Project Structure:

• At present, STAG owns the building Century Linen plans to occupy.
• STAG will lease the building to Century Linen for 10 years.
• STAG will continue to own the building for approximately three (3) years due to existing debt it has on the building.
• Once STAG pays off the existing debt, Century Linen will have the option to purchase it.
• The IDA will enter into a Lease-Leaseback structure with STAG/Century Linen.

6. Project Number:

• The project has been assigned the following Project Number: 1701-17-01-A

7. Public Hearing:

• Since Century Linen’s Project Application requests IDA benefits greater than $100,000, a public hearing must be held.
• The public hearing must be held in the City of Johnstown.

IDA DISCUSSION:

IDA ACTION:

MOTION:                   To authorize the IDA Attorney and Executive Director to schedule and conduct a public hearing on Century Linen’s request for Sale Tax Exemption Benefits.

MADE BY:
SECONDED:
VOTE:

1. Upon a majority vote of its total membership, taken in an open meeting pursuant to a motion identifying the general area or areas of the subject or subjects to be considered, a public body may conduct an executive session for the below enumerated purposes only, provided, however, that no action by formal vote shall be taken to appropriate public moneys:
   1.  matters which will imperil the public safety if disclosed;
   2. any matter which may disclose the identity of a law enforcement agent or informer;
   3. information relating to current or future investigation or prosecution of a criminal offense which would imperil effective law enforcement if disclosed;
   4. discussions regarding proposed, pending or current litigation;
   5. collective negotiations pursuant to article fourteen of the civil service law;
   6. the medical, financial, credit or employment history of a particular person or corporation, or matters leading to the appointment, employment, promotion, demotion, discipline, suspension, dismissal or removal of a particular person or corporation;
   7. the preparation, grading or administration of examinations;
   8. the proposed acquisition, sale or lease of real property or the proposed acquisition of securities, or sale or exchange of securities held by such public body, but only when publicity would substantially affect the value thereof.

MOTION: To go into Executive Session to discuss the proposed acquisition, sale or lease of real property or the proposed acquisition of securities, or sale or exchange of securities held by such public body, but only when publicity would substantially affect the value thereof.

MADE BY :
SECOND :
VOTE :
TIME :

MOTION : To go out of Executive Session.

MADE BY :
SECOND :
VOTE :
TIME :

Tuesday
November 14, 2017
8:00 a.m.

MOTION :
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