The City of New Cumberland will the Hancock County Commissioners and Board of Education in negotiating a PILOT (payment in lieu of taxes) agreement with Current Hydro, LLC. Council passed the first reading of Ordinance 25-006 at Monday’s meeting and will meet again Oct. 20th to pass the second and final reading. The ordinance gives the City the power to negotiate a fee agreement in lieu property tax.
The City will still have the option to further benefit from the hydro plant after construction by negotiating a pilot agreement in lieu of levying a B&O tax on the business.
Council voted in favor of installing additional security to the City Building. City Clerk Tammi Jenkins explained that she had received only one bid from Tri-State Glass for the work the total of which is $33,761. The bid had also segmented the work into four different areas should the City choose to complete the job in stages. Chief of Police Lester Skinner advised that it would be better to accept the total bid and complete all the work at once.
In other business:
**Agreed to finish the storage room at the old city building on Jefferson St. The name of that building has been changed to Jefferson Street Event Center and it will be available for rental. Jenkins said with the former NC School being the old city building and the Jefferson St. old city building, it just was becoming too confusing to refer to them, so they renamed the Jefferson St. building;
**Announced the Yard of the Month had been awarded to Ed and Leslie Fields on Ridge Avenue. Council voted to present the Fields with a $50 check;
**A health insurance supplement for full-time employees of $500 was approved;
**Interviews will be held for a part-time cleaning person for the City Building. There are three applicants;
**Estimates were received to trim the trees by the new parking area and Timber Pro was accepted;
**The Mayor asked Council to consider areas where a new City well could be drilled. The City will need to refurbish W1b if a new well site is not found;
**Announced Halloween Night will be Thursday from 5p.m. – 7 p.m.
**Andrea Everly announced a group of non-profit organizations within the town will sponsor a light-up night for Christmas on November 30.
