Subject: [NEXTEL-1] Cities make commitment to Nextel unanimous

From: Marcel <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 07 Jan 2003 13:20:43 -0500

Cities make commitment to Nextel unanimous

By Joseph D. Bryant and Mike Goens
Of the TimesDaily
January 07. 2003 12:00AM

Both Sheffield and Muscle Shoals city council members made their commitment official
Monday night and voted to finance their share of an incentive package to lure 500 new jobs
to the area.

Their commitment of funds brings all six major governments into the pact to support a $2
million package.

The money would go to the Shoals Economic Development Authority, which is working to
attract a Nextel inbound call center.

Tuscumbia, Florence, Lauderdale and Colbert counties had previously voted for their share
of the plan.

The Virginia-based company has narrowed its choice of the location to Muscle Shoals and
Shreveport, La. Company officials had asked both competing areas to present an incentive
plan.

Muscle Shoals voted to pledge $1 million of the $2 million incentive plan.

Mayor David Bradford praised the council's quick action for financing the project.

"I'm proud they stepped up to the plate," he said. "I appreciate all of your willingness
to … take a bold step."

Bradford added that Muscle Shoals was one of the first municipalities to express interest
in financing an incentive the same day it became public that the Shoals was a finalist for
the center.

"We had made it known that night that our support was there," he said. "You have to
compete, and you're going to have to come up with ideas to recruit large numbers of jobs."

Bradford said Muscle Shoal's portion of the project would come from the city industrial
development and capital_projects fund.

While Bradford was pleased with the cooperation of all the local governments, he said the
region in the future must find a permanent funding source for SEDA to plan other incentive
packages.

At its meeting, the Sheffield City Council agreed to provide $125,000 in conjunction with
neighboring Tuscumbia.

The action was unanimous.

"Among our purpose here is the understanding that we need to create jobs," said Sheffield
Mayor Ian Sanford. "If we can do something that would put 500 to work in the Shoals, we
need to find a way to do it."

He said new jobs would go beyond benefiting the few hundred employees.

Increased traffic through the area would also help existing businesses and bring a new
flow of cash into the area.

"If you're putting more money in the pockets of area residents, it means they have more
expendable income and creates more opportunities to improve services and the quality of
life," he said.

Sheffield Councilman Ronnie McLeary said the quick action of all six governments shows
everyone's commitment to reviving an anemic local economy.

"This is a good project for our area, and I'm excited to see all four cities and two
counties working together for it," he said.

"I would hope some of the people in Sheffield would get some of these jobs, but
regardless, the increased money in our economy would help our schools, our businesses and
everyone in our area."

Nextel officials said the company has not made a final decision on the location of the
expansion.

Joseph D. Bryant can be reached at 740-5745 or [email-masked].

Mike Goens can be reached at 740-5740 or [email-masked].

http://www.timesdaily.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?Site=FT&Date=20030107&Category=NEWS&ArtNo=301070326&Ref=AR&Profile=1011

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