Great Falls postpones action on incentives policy

Because of what they called "excellent suggestions" from a resident, Great Falls city commissioners Tuesday postponed action on a policy covering financial incentives aimed at encouraging economic development.

By PAULA WILMOT
Tribune Staff Writer

http://www.greatfallstribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20041020/NEWS01/410200309/1002

The speaker didn’t disagree with the intent of the policy of spending city money to lure jobs to the community. Instead, Jim Cummings suggested changes in the terms of the policy. Specifically, he objected to the definition of "primary jobs."

According to the policy, qualifying projects must provide new, long-term, primary jobs that bring "new money into the community from outside the community." Companies already doing business in Great Falls might expand, and they could create new primary jobs, Cummings said.

It’s not the intent of the policy to eliminate from consideration existing Great Falls businesses, Mayor Randy Gray said. "We want to support projects that bring new wealth into the community and upgrade the wages here," he said.

City Manager John Lawton introduced the policy at the last commission meeting because he had received a number of comments about the city’s $1 million commitment to the Centene/medical technical park project and the extension of utilities to the barley malting plant in the business ag park.

Wilmot can be reached by e-mail at [email protected], or by phone at (406) 791-6594 or (800) 438-6600.